Pub Date : 2023-10-30DOI: 10.1177/00472875231207860
Chunxiao Li, Tiantian Yang, Hongxu Liu, Xiaoyi Li
Fans’ relationships with celebrities are termed “para-social.” Such one-way relationships with celebrities, often based on social media, might have a special impact on people’s behavior, including travel activities. Scholars have not yet explored the decision-making and behavior of pop culture tourists from the perspective of para-social relationships. In this study, informed by self-construal theory, in-depth interview and questionnaire-based survey were used to explore the impact of different self-construal on fans’ perceptions of the nature of their “fan-celebrity” para-social relationship and their pop culture tourism decision-making. Results indicate that fans whose self-construal is “independent” prefer idols’ habitual residential environment and placed-mediated experiences, while “interdependent” fans prefer interactive experiences, are celebrity oriented, and go where their favorite celebrity was gone.
{"title":"A Para-Social Perspective: The Influence of Idol Worship on Fans’ Tourism Decision-Making","authors":"Chunxiao Li, Tiantian Yang, Hongxu Liu, Xiaoyi Li","doi":"10.1177/00472875231207860","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231207860","url":null,"abstract":"Fans’ relationships with celebrities are termed “para-social.” Such one-way relationships with celebrities, often based on social media, might have a special impact on people’s behavior, including travel activities. Scholars have not yet explored the decision-making and behavior of pop culture tourists from the perspective of para-social relationships. In this study, informed by self-construal theory, in-depth interview and questionnaire-based survey were used to explore the impact of different self-construal on fans’ perceptions of the nature of their “fan-celebrity” para-social relationship and their pop culture tourism decision-making. Results indicate that fans whose self-construal is “independent” prefer idols’ habitual residential environment and placed-mediated experiences, while “interdependent” fans prefer interactive experiences, are celebrity oriented, and go where their favorite celebrity was gone.","PeriodicalId":48435,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Travel Research","volume":"45 5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136105977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-23DOI: 10.1177/00472875231206548
Jishnu Bhattacharyya, M. S. Balaji, Yangyang Jiang
This study aims to examine how and when different framings of sustainability performance communication influence travelers’ behavioral intentions. Specifically, it examines (1) the effectiveness of sustainability performance communication framing in shaping traveler’s behavioral intentions, (2) the mediating role of perceived commitment to sustainability, and (3) the moderating effect of the level of sustainability performance communicated. The findings of the four experiments conducted revealed that communicating sustainability performance is more effective than not reporting it in determining travelers’ behavioral intentions. Furthermore, an enhancement framing is more effective when communicating sustainability performance than a reduction framing. We also found that tourism provider’s commitment to sustainability explains the impact of sustainability performance communication framing on behavioral intentions. Furthermore, we found that communicating a moderate level of sustainability performance in enhancement framing and a high level in reduction framing is effective. The study provides implications for theory and practice in developing effective sustainability communication.
{"title":"Assessing the Effectiveness of Environmental Sustainability Performance Communication in Tourism: Mediation and Moderation Effects","authors":"Jishnu Bhattacharyya, M. S. Balaji, Yangyang Jiang","doi":"10.1177/00472875231206548","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231206548","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to examine how and when different framings of sustainability performance communication influence travelers’ behavioral intentions. Specifically, it examines (1) the effectiveness of sustainability performance communication framing in shaping traveler’s behavioral intentions, (2) the mediating role of perceived commitment to sustainability, and (3) the moderating effect of the level of sustainability performance communicated. The findings of the four experiments conducted revealed that communicating sustainability performance is more effective than not reporting it in determining travelers’ behavioral intentions. Furthermore, an enhancement framing is more effective when communicating sustainability performance than a reduction framing. We also found that tourism provider’s commitment to sustainability explains the impact of sustainability performance communication framing on behavioral intentions. Furthermore, we found that communicating a moderate level of sustainability performance in enhancement framing and a high level in reduction framing is effective. The study provides implications for theory and practice in developing effective sustainability communication.","PeriodicalId":48435,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Travel Research","volume":"33 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135414148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-23DOI: 10.1177/00472875231206542
Ding Xu, Laurie Murphy, Tingzhen Chen
Understanding how tourists respond to and comply with scams sheds light on tourist self-protection. In this study, a quasi-experimental design was employed to examine external (scam-operation) and internal (personal) factors of scam compliance. Twelve (3 × 4) scenarios were developed from real-world tourist scam cases and presented in the form of videos in an online tourist survey to elicit and observe decisions. A total of 609 participants from Australia and China completed the task, and the data were analyzed through multiple statistical techniques. The results suggested that the external factors of scam compliance did not exert a significant impact. Three internal factors, sensation-seeking, travel experiences, and risk perception, are stronger predictors of scam compliance. This study offers theoretical insights into tourist behavior, and contributes to new understandings of the antecedents of scam compliance.
{"title":"Falling for Tourist Scams: An Examination of Scam Compliance Factors","authors":"Ding Xu, Laurie Murphy, Tingzhen Chen","doi":"10.1177/00472875231206542","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231206542","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding how tourists respond to and comply with scams sheds light on tourist self-protection. In this study, a quasi-experimental design was employed to examine external (scam-operation) and internal (personal) factors of scam compliance. Twelve (3 × 4) scenarios were developed from real-world tourist scam cases and presented in the form of videos in an online tourist survey to elicit and observe decisions. A total of 609 participants from Australia and China completed the task, and the data were analyzed through multiple statistical techniques. The results suggested that the external factors of scam compliance did not exert a significant impact. Three internal factors, sensation-seeking, travel experiences, and risk perception, are stronger predictors of scam compliance. This study offers theoretical insights into tourist behavior, and contributes to new understandings of the antecedents of scam compliance.","PeriodicalId":48435,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Travel Research","volume":"44 4","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135414387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-23DOI: 10.1177/00472875231206545
Jong-Hyeong Kim, Frank Badu-Baiden, Seongseop (Sam) Kim, Mehmet Ali Koseoglu, Nancy Grace Baah
Because of their significance, research on memorable tourism experiences (MTEs) has rapidly increased in the last decade. However, few comprehensive studies have traced knowledge creation and dissemination in this important research area. To address this gap, 104 articles focused on MTEs from eight tourism journals were analyzed. This study applied multiple approaches, including a trend analysis of prevailing research themes and keywords, bibliometric analysis, and content analysis, generating suggestions for future research. Among the meaningful results, this study identified three research streams: the experience economy, the nomological network analysis of MTEs, and remembered experience analysis. Additional findings from a content analysis, and nine future research agendas were produced. Thus, by improving the understanding of customers’ MTEs, our findings not only open paths for future research but also have implications for industry.
{"title":"Evolution of the Memorable Tourism Experience and Future Research Prospects","authors":"Jong-Hyeong Kim, Frank Badu-Baiden, Seongseop (Sam) Kim, Mehmet Ali Koseoglu, Nancy Grace Baah","doi":"10.1177/00472875231206545","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231206545","url":null,"abstract":"Because of their significance, research on memorable tourism experiences (MTEs) has rapidly increased in the last decade. However, few comprehensive studies have traced knowledge creation and dissemination in this important research area. To address this gap, 104 articles focused on MTEs from eight tourism journals were analyzed. This study applied multiple approaches, including a trend analysis of prevailing research themes and keywords, bibliometric analysis, and content analysis, generating suggestions for future research. Among the meaningful results, this study identified three research streams: the experience economy, the nomological network analysis of MTEs, and remembered experience analysis. Additional findings from a content analysis, and nine future research agendas were produced. Thus, by improving the understanding of customers’ MTEs, our findings not only open paths for future research but also have implications for industry.","PeriodicalId":48435,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Travel Research","volume":"21 7","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135412872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-23DOI: 10.1177/00472875231206538
Phuong Minh Binh Nguyen, Xuan Lan Pham, Giang Nu To Truong
This study investigated the effects of viewing travel vlog experiences on online tourists’ travel planning behavior. Based on integrating cognitive emotion theory (CET) and the source credibility model (SCM), this study illuminates the mechanics of inspiration formation and its mediation role between credible vlogger characteristics and travel planning behavior. The study surveyed 423 online tourists in Vietnam who use travel vlogs to plan their travels. The study found that sincerity, professionalism, and attraction all positively affect inspiration, but attraction had the biggest effect. Inspiration partially mediated the relationship between sincerity and travel planning behavior, while the influence of professionalism and attraction on travel planning behavior was fully mediated by inspiration. The study suggests that travel vloggers need to create products that clearly portray their ethos and can connect emotionally with online tourists. Hospitality and tourism businesses should collaborate with travel vloggers to enhance their brand image.
{"title":"The Influence of Source Credibility and Inspiration on Tourists’ Travel Planning Through Travel Vlogs","authors":"Phuong Minh Binh Nguyen, Xuan Lan Pham, Giang Nu To Truong","doi":"10.1177/00472875231206538","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231206538","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated the effects of viewing travel vlog experiences on online tourists’ travel planning behavior. Based on integrating cognitive emotion theory (CET) and the source credibility model (SCM), this study illuminates the mechanics of inspiration formation and its mediation role between credible vlogger characteristics and travel planning behavior. The study surveyed 423 online tourists in Vietnam who use travel vlogs to plan their travels. The study found that sincerity, professionalism, and attraction all positively affect inspiration, but attraction had the biggest effect. Inspiration partially mediated the relationship between sincerity and travel planning behavior, while the influence of professionalism and attraction on travel planning behavior was fully mediated by inspiration. The study suggests that travel vloggers need to create products that clearly portray their ethos and can connect emotionally with online tourists. Hospitality and tourism businesses should collaborate with travel vloggers to enhance their brand image.","PeriodicalId":48435,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Travel Research","volume":"42 5","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135413975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-21DOI: 10.1177/00472875231203395
Sakiru Adebola Solarin, Recep Ulucak, Sinan Erdogan
This paper undertakes an exploration of how the diversification of tourism markets and activities exerts its influence on economic growth, particularly in New Zealand. By employing a dynamic autoregressive distributed lag method, this study uncovers the interplay between tourism diversification and economic growth dynamics in New Zealand. Empirical results show that it is only the diversification of European markets that generated positive economic growth. However, the diversification of tourism activities emerges as a potent driver of favorable economic expansion. The evidence suggests that a strategic emphasis on augmenting tourism diversification from European markets holds the potential to magnify the positive economic impact of the tourism sector. Additionally, the proposition of enhancing diversification in tourism activities emerges as a key avenue for bolstering New Zealand’s economic growth prospects. This study bridges a gap in the existing literature and furnishes policymakers with insights on how to harness the potential of tourism diversification.
{"title":"Assessing the Economic Impacts of Tourism Markets and Activities Diversification: Evidence From a New Dynamic Regression Approach","authors":"Sakiru Adebola Solarin, Recep Ulucak, Sinan Erdogan","doi":"10.1177/00472875231203395","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231203395","url":null,"abstract":"This paper undertakes an exploration of how the diversification of tourism markets and activities exerts its influence on economic growth, particularly in New Zealand. By employing a dynamic autoregressive distributed lag method, this study uncovers the interplay between tourism diversification and economic growth dynamics in New Zealand. Empirical results show that it is only the diversification of European markets that generated positive economic growth. However, the diversification of tourism activities emerges as a potent driver of favorable economic expansion. The evidence suggests that a strategic emphasis on augmenting tourism diversification from European markets holds the potential to magnify the positive economic impact of the tourism sector. Additionally, the proposition of enhancing diversification in tourism activities emerges as a key avenue for bolstering New Zealand’s economic growth prospects. This study bridges a gap in the existing literature and furnishes policymakers with insights on how to harness the potential of tourism diversification.","PeriodicalId":48435,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Travel Research","volume":"54 2","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135513066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-05DOI: 10.1177/00472875231200493
Antonio Fernández-Morales, Scott McCabe, José David Cisneros-Martínez
Unpredictable external shocks exacerbate the negative effects usually attributed to cyclical seasonality. Two such recent shocks, the Global Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, shifted debates from crisis management toward concerns for greater resilience in visitor economies. Social tourism is an effective stimulus to destination economies and ameliorates some negative effects of seasonality, but there is little evidence on its contributions to greater destination resilience. Furthermore, resilience, a relatively new concept, is poorly defined. We establish a conceptual link between seasonality and resilience through a holistic multivariate analysis of supply, demand and employment patterns. An empirical study examines resilience longitudinally using municipal-level data, applying multivariate analysis and innovative visualization techniques, and assesses how, where and to what degree the Imserso social tourism program has contributed to the greater resilience of Spanish destinations, demonstrating its effectiveness in contributing to resilience in those which are more vulnerable due to high seasonal imbalances.
{"title":"Is Social Tourism a Vector for Destination Resilience to External Shocks? Evidence From Spain","authors":"Antonio Fernández-Morales, Scott McCabe, José David Cisneros-Martínez","doi":"10.1177/00472875231200493","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231200493","url":null,"abstract":"Unpredictable external shocks exacerbate the negative effects usually attributed to cyclical seasonality. Two such recent shocks, the Global Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, shifted debates from crisis management toward concerns for greater resilience in visitor economies. Social tourism is an effective stimulus to destination economies and ameliorates some negative effects of seasonality, but there is little evidence on its contributions to greater destination resilience. Furthermore, resilience, a relatively new concept, is poorly defined. We establish a conceptual link between seasonality and resilience through a holistic multivariate analysis of supply, demand and employment patterns. An empirical study examines resilience longitudinally using municipal-level data, applying multivariate analysis and innovative visualization techniques, and assesses how, where and to what degree the Imserso social tourism program has contributed to the greater resilience of Spanish destinations, demonstrating its effectiveness in contributing to resilience in those which are more vulnerable due to high seasonal imbalances.","PeriodicalId":48435,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Travel Research","volume":"301 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135481186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-05DOI: 10.1177/00472875231204183
Mao-Ying Wu, Yi Wang, Qiucheng Li, Xinfang Wu, Shihan (David) Ma
Rural small tourism enterprises (STEs) are involved in many discretionary, spontaneous, and supporting activities toward the host communities, which is labeled as community social responsibility (CoSR) in this study. This study develops and validates a scale to measure rural STEs’ CoSR. Stage 1 found four dimensions and 33 initial items through a thorough literature review and focus group discussions. In stage 2, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the dimensionality of the CoSR scale. Stage 3 used confirmatory factor analysis and supported a 22-item five-dimension scale ( promoting economic development, cultural preservation, cultural production, environmental protection, and political participation). An additional study was conducted to further assess nomological validity of the developed scale. The development of the CoSR scale provides a measurement instrument to spur additional empirical studies on CoSR. This scale also provides a useful tool for rural STE owners to measure and manage CoSR activities.
{"title":"The Community Social Responsibility of Rural Small Tourism Enterprises: Scale Development and Validation","authors":"Mao-Ying Wu, Yi Wang, Qiucheng Li, Xinfang Wu, Shihan (David) Ma","doi":"10.1177/00472875231204183","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231204183","url":null,"abstract":"Rural small tourism enterprises (STEs) are involved in many discretionary, spontaneous, and supporting activities toward the host communities, which is labeled as community social responsibility (CoSR) in this study. This study develops and validates a scale to measure rural STEs’ CoSR. Stage 1 found four dimensions and 33 initial items through a thorough literature review and focus group discussions. In stage 2, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the dimensionality of the CoSR scale. Stage 3 used confirmatory factor analysis and supported a 22-item five-dimension scale ( promoting economic development, cultural preservation, cultural production, environmental protection, and political participation). An additional study was conducted to further assess nomological validity of the developed scale. The development of the CoSR scale provides a measurement instrument to spur additional empirical studies on CoSR. This scale also provides a useful tool for rural STE owners to measure and manage CoSR activities.","PeriodicalId":48435,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Travel Research","volume":"440 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135481184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-05DOI: 10.1177/00472875231204844
Matias Thuen Jørgensen
Destination sustainability indices, designed to facilitate benchmarking, ranking, and direct competition, are increasingly employed by destinations to showcase their sustainability achievements, meet stakeholder expectations, and attract visitors. Consequently, these indices play a pivotal role in influencing how destinations strategically prioritize their sustainability initiatives. Despite the burgeoning research on sustainability measures, research on market-centric destination benchmarks and rankings remains limited. This letter aims to underscore the distinction between measures that apply a minimum standard approach, for example certifications, and those that allow for benchmarking/ranking in assessing destination sustainability. It argues that the latter holds significant potential to impact sustainable destination development. Thus, it investigates the question of what happens when destination sustainability becomes a point of competition and demonstrates that even meticulously designed indices can encourage counterproductive behaviors, potentially undermining sustainability progress at destinations. Based on this, the letter advocates for a comprehensive investigation into market-oriented sustainability indices and rankings.
{"title":"The Fallout of Market-Oriented Sustainability Measures: Tourism Destination Sustainability Benchmarking and Ranking","authors":"Matias Thuen Jørgensen","doi":"10.1177/00472875231204844","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231204844","url":null,"abstract":"Destination sustainability indices, designed to facilitate benchmarking, ranking, and direct competition, are increasingly employed by destinations to showcase their sustainability achievements, meet stakeholder expectations, and attract visitors. Consequently, these indices play a pivotal role in influencing how destinations strategically prioritize their sustainability initiatives. Despite the burgeoning research on sustainability measures, research on market-centric destination benchmarks and rankings remains limited. This letter aims to underscore the distinction between measures that apply a minimum standard approach, for example certifications, and those that allow for benchmarking/ranking in assessing destination sustainability. It argues that the latter holds significant potential to impact sustainable destination development. Thus, it investigates the question of what happens when destination sustainability becomes a point of competition and demonstrates that even meticulously designed indices can encourage counterproductive behaviors, potentially undermining sustainability progress at destinations. Based on this, the letter advocates for a comprehensive investigation into market-oriented sustainability indices and rankings.","PeriodicalId":48435,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Travel Research","volume":"37 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135481893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-30DOI: 10.1177/00472875231201505
Hua Fan, Bing Han, Wangshuai Wang
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in service recovery is transforming the frontline interfaces across the tourism industry, as AI chatbots are now being designed to show empathy. Using a multi-method approach combining survey, experimental, and field data obtained from hotel guests, this study explores the effects of chatbot–employee collaborative empathic responses on customer retention under various service-recovery contexts. It finds that congruence (vs. incongruence) and higher (vs. lower) levels of congruence in chatbot–employee empathic responses more effectively retain customers. Further, the effects of incongruence and congruence on customer retention diminish when the chatbot’s identity is disclosed but are strengthened when employees’ acceptance of a chatbot increases. Only the negative effects of empathic response incongruence correspondingly increase when chatbot efficiency and flexibility (ambidexterity) increase. These findings suggest that tourism practitioners can rely on chatbot–employee collaboration to accomplish service-recovery tasks but should pay attention to chatbot-side and employee-side uncertainties in a service triad, especially chatbot ambidexterity.
{"title":"Aligning (In)Congruent Chatbot–Employee Empathic Responses with Service-Recovery Contexts for Customer Retention","authors":"Hua Fan, Bing Han, Wangshuai Wang","doi":"10.1177/00472875231201505","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231201505","url":null,"abstract":"The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in service recovery is transforming the frontline interfaces across the tourism industry, as AI chatbots are now being designed to show empathy. Using a multi-method approach combining survey, experimental, and field data obtained from hotel guests, this study explores the effects of chatbot–employee collaborative empathic responses on customer retention under various service-recovery contexts. It finds that congruence (vs. incongruence) and higher (vs. lower) levels of congruence in chatbot–employee empathic responses more effectively retain customers. Further, the effects of incongruence and congruence on customer retention diminish when the chatbot’s identity is disclosed but are strengthened when employees’ acceptance of a chatbot increases. Only the negative effects of empathic response incongruence correspondingly increase when chatbot efficiency and flexibility (ambidexterity) increase. These findings suggest that tourism practitioners can rely on chatbot–employee collaboration to accomplish service-recovery tasks but should pay attention to chatbot-side and employee-side uncertainties in a service triad, especially chatbot ambidexterity.","PeriodicalId":48435,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Travel Research","volume":"28 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136342163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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