Adolescents’ Motivation and Conflict Resolution Orientation in Influencing Parents’ Decisions Regarding Family Vacations: A Taiwan Perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT Individuals’ motivation explains their efforts to meet their preference in consumption situations within family. This study aims to examine the relative importance of intrinsic and external elements of adolescents’ tourist motivation in explaining their influence over parents’ decisions regarding family vacation. We also look at the moderating role of disagreement resolution approach used in their family life. Data from 571 responses by adolescents in Taiwan revealed that seeking force (SF) is positively related to their perceived influence across the stages of family travel decisions. In contrast, adolescents’ escape force (EF) is unrelated to these outcomes. Furthermore, adolescents’ problem-solving orientation (PSO) to conflict resolution appears to strengthen the relatedness of SF to adolescents’ perceived influence at the initiation stage (II), the search and evaluation stage (SEI) and the final decision stage (FDI). The non-problem-solving orientation (NPSO) to conflict resolution appears to weaken the relationship between EF and SEI. We also found an inverse-V-shaped pattern of influence as speculated. This contrasts with the conventional view of this as a declining or V-shaped pattern in family purchase decisions.