Business Commons^™

Implications Of An Exogenous Shock (Covid-19) On Wine Tourism Business: A Portuguese Winery Perspective, Alexandre Guedes, Britta Niklas, Robin M. Back, Joao Rebelo

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study investigates the impact of an exogenous and unexpected shock (COVID-19) on the wine tourism business from the winery's perspective. A sample of 146 Portuguese wineries was surveyed. The econometric results show that the share of wine tourism sales, the amount of dependence on exports and the assertiveness of brand recognition have a structural effect on direct-to-consumer tasting room wine sales, even when the winery's business is disrupted by a shock that degrades the dynamics and flows of international trade. The research establishes a starting point that allows to understand the implications of an exogenous shock on the structure …

Accommodating (Global–Glocal) Paradoxes Across Event Planning, Michael Duignan, Milena M. Parent, David Mcgillivray

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The aim of this research note is threefold: 1) to introduce the concept of paradox and its numerous applications to the study and management challenges associated with the planning and delivery of events, with a specific look at large-scale events like the Olympics to provide an extreme case; 2) to present a new paradox entitled the "Global–Glocal Paradox" that interrogates how inherent global and local stakeholder interests and tensions are managed; and 3) to present a series of conceptual and practical ways events can "accommodate" as opposed to "resolve" this paradox to help balance stakeholder interests instead of pitting one …

Beyond Local Food Consumption: The Impact Of Local Food Consumption Experience On Cultural Competence, Eudaimonia And Behavioral Intention, Bingna Lin, Saerom Wang, Xiaoxiao Fu, Xiaoli Yi

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the relationships among local food consumption experience, cultural competence, eudaimonia, and behavioral intention. Building upon acculturation theory, need hierarchy theory and self-determination theory, the current study develops a conceptual model of local food consumption as international tourists' acculturation process.

Design/methodology/approach: This study collects data from 305 Chinese outbound tourists and uses partial least squares-structural equation modeling to examine the developed model.

Findings: The findings reveal a significant effect of the local food consumption experience, consisting of novel, authentic, sensory and social dimensions, on cultural competence, which subsequently evokes eudaimonia and behavioral response toward local …

Developing And Validating A Scale Of Tourism Gentrification In Rural Areas, Chaohui Wang, Yumei Xu, Tingting Zhang

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In recent years, tourism gentrification has made great progress in rural areas and has had significant impacts on these areas' development, specifically in the domains of the economy, living standards, community, culture, and environment. Tourists play a key role in developing tourism gentrification in rural areas, but research investigating tourism gentrification in rural areas from the tourist perspective is scarce. To fill this gap, we focus on tourism gentrification and develop a measurement scale from the tourist perspective through multiple qualitative and quantitative steps. Our findings confirm that tourism gentrification in rural areas from the tourist perspective comprises eight dimensions: …

The Future Of Destination Marketing Organizations In The Insight Era, Arthur Huang, Efren De La Mora Velasco, Adam Haney, Sergio Alvarez

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

There has been a growing interest in examining the implementation of insight-era technologies (e.g., AI, social media) and big data for sustainable tourism development. However, actionable guidelines to promote a holistic adaptation and the effective functioning of destination marketing/management organizations (DMOs) in the increasingly data-infused world are still needed. This perspective paper posits a research-based framework that DMOs can use to become more responsive and efficient in their marketing and planning efforts in the current AI-infused world. Four propositions are presented to support DMOs' transition to the insight-era: (a) DMOs' organizational adaptations and workforce development and training, (b) active engagement …

Hungry For Food And Community: A Study Of Visitors To Food And Wine Festivals, Mohammed Lefrid, Edwin N. Torres

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The present study explored the effects of various food and wine festival experience elements (e.g. authenticity, entertainment, and spending time with others) on visitors' sense of community, identification, and place attachment. The authors conducted survey research with 304 former visitors to food festivals. Data were analyzed using partial least square – structural equation modeling. Results revealed that food and wine festival experience elements (e.g. authenticity, entertainment, and spending time with friends and family) positively influenced visitors' sense of community, identification with the event, and attachment to the hosting destination. Significant findings relating to the mediating effect of sense of community …

Emotions, Feelings, And Moods In Tourism And Hospitality Research: Conceptual And Methodological Differences, Maksim Godovykh, Asli Tasci

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Researchers often tend to use the words emotions, feelings, moods, and affect interchangeably, which creates confusion in both conceptual and methodological domains of tourism and hospitality research. However, the insights from neuroscience and psychology demonstrated that there are fundamental differences between these concepts, including their causes, duration, intensity, and outcomes. This research note aims to discuss conceptual and methodological aspects related to using emotions, moods, feelings, and affect, provide comprehensive definitions, and outline opportunities to capture them comprehensively in tourism and hospitality research.

Hospitality Art: A Research Note On The Main Factors Affecting Attractiveness Of Visual Art In Airbnb Settings, Maksim Godovykh, Carissa A. Baker

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The hospitality sector has a long history of creating aesthetic landscapes. Artworks, from paintings and photographs to sculptures and architectural features, have received prominent placement in hospitality spaces. Decades of discussion in the industry and academia exist on art in hotels as well as the aesthetic communication present in a service- scape, or the physical environment of a service landscape that influences image, brand perception, and emotional and cognitive processes (Bitner, 1992; Lin, 2004, 2016; Wakefield & Blodgett, 2016). Art-based initiatives function as a form of value creation that strengthens emotional attachment and relationships with brands (Koronaki, Kyrousi, & Panigyrakis, …

An Empirical Modeling Of Transformation Process Through Trip Experiences, Asli D.A. Tasci, Maksim Godovykh

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Transformative experience has been the buzzword in recent years. Tourism and hospitality experiences in natural, historical, cultural, and authentic spaces are some of them. However, to this date, specific dimensions of transformation or its process have not been empirically identified. This study reviewed the literature on transformation, used open-ended questions to collect free-elicited responses on the meanings of transformation, collected expert opinion, and developed a 101-item scale reflecting different dimensions and the steps of the transformation process. The scale was validated with a sequential scale validation procedure; Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) were used …

Impact Of Error Management Culture On Organizational Performance, Management-Team Performance And Creativity In The Hospitality Industry, Priyanko Guchait, Yu Qin, Juan Madera, Nan Hua, Xingyu Wang

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this study is to examine how organizational error management culture impacts organizational performance, management-team performance, and creativity in the hospitality industry. In addition, this study examined the mediating effect of management-team learning behavior between error management culture and outcomes. Data were collected from general managers of 148 hotels in China using survey questionnaires. Results indicated that general managers' perceptions of organizational error management culture had a significant impact on all outcome variables. Additionally, the study found the mediating effect of management-team learning behavior.

Situational And Personal Factors Influencing Hospitality Employee Engagement In Value Co-Creation, Prakash K. Chathoth, Robert J. Harrington, Eric S. W. Chan, Fevzi Okumus, Zibin Song

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study explores the situational and personal factors affecting hospitality employees' engagement in the co-creation of value. The concept of value co-creation emerged from the general co-creation literature, and little research has assessed how situational and personal factors enhance our understanding of value creation. To explore these underlying factors, a qualitative study involving in-depth and focus group interviews was conducted at three luxury hotels in Hong Kong and Macao. The research findings indicate five situational factors and five personal factors impact cocreated value for hotel guests in the luxury sector. Insights are provided into the potential use of these factors …

Seeing Destinations Through Vlogs: Implications For Leveraging Customer Engagement Behavior To Increase Travel Intention, Yusi Cheng, Wei Wei, Lu Zhang

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: This study aims to understand customers' watching experience with travel vlogs and its impacts on one of the most prominent manifestations of customer engagement behaviors (CEBs) – word-of-mouth (WOM) – and their travel intention. Drawing upon the theory of resonance, this study incorporated both cognitive and emotional aspects of travel vlog watching experience. Design/methodology/approach: Online survey data were collected from 352 participants who have watched travel vlogs over the past 12 months. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was performed for hypotheses testing. Findings: The study results reveal positive impacts of source credibility, inspiration, escapism and self-congruence on …

Public Preferences And Willingness To Pay For Invasive Forest Pest Prevention Programs In Urban Areas, Damian C. Adams, Jose R. Soto, John Lai, Francisco J. Escobedo, Sergio Alvarez, Abu S.M.G. Kibria

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Invasive forest pests can cause environmental and economic damage amounting to billions of dollars (US) in lost revenues, restoration and response costs, and the loss of ecosystem services nationwide. Unfortunately, these forest pests do not stay confined to wildland forest areas and can spread into suburban and urban areas, imposing significant costs on local governments, homeowners, and management agencies. In this study, a contingent valuation experiment is used to estimate Florida residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) a monthly utility fee that would protect urban forests from invasive pests by implementing a monitoring and prevention program for their early detection and …

Corporate Social Responsibility In International Hotel Chains And Its Effects On Local Employees: Scale Development And Empirical Testing In China, Chaohui Wang, Runhong Hu, Tingting (Christina) Zhang

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study aims to investigate the corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of international hotel chains operating in China and their effects on local Chinese employees. As CSR practices vary across countries and contexts, this study developed a scale of CSR metrics, which was based on CSR reports published by international hotel chains in China and a comprehensive literature review. Subsequently, the proposed model, which depicts the relationships between CSR practices and local employee work metrics, was tested with a PLS-SEM. Multiple phases of qualitative and quantitative investigations of 2451 local Chinese employees of international hotel chains allowed for validating a …

Rethinking Sleep Quality In Fotels: Examining The Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Travel-Related Insomnia, Wei Xiong, Meijiao Huang, Bendegul Okumus, Fang Fan

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study attempts to illustrate how traveling affects the sleep and well-being of hotel guests. We collected data from hotel guests and looked at various factors affecting their sleep quality during travel. The particular impact of said variables on insomnia was analyzed using a binary logistic regression. Study results show that the risk factors of developing insomnia while traveling include unhealthy sleep habits at ordinary times, being an early riser, short sleep durations, business trips, and sensitivity to unfamiliar environments. Protective factors include being a late sleeper and being satisfied with the accommodation facilities. The research findings offer specific theoretical …

The "If-Then" Rules Matter More? The Roles Of Regulatory Focus And Leader–Member Exchange, You-De Dai, Wen-Long Zhuang, Annie Ko, Fevzi Okumus

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study aimed to explore the impact of regulatory focus on employees' effort behavior and social loafing in the context of international tourist hotels. The moderating effect of leader–member exchange on this causal relationship was also examined. Data were analyzed using a regression model of 708 valid responses obtained from frontline employees working in five-star international hotels. The results reveal that regulatory focus is positively related to effort behavior and partially supports social loafing. Leader–member exchange moderates the relationship between promotion focus and effort behavior as well as between prevention focus and effort behavior. These findings provide managerial implications for …

Satisfaction Vs Experienced Utility: Current Issues And Opportunities, Maksim Godovykh, Asli D. A. Tasci

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Satisfaction is one of the most studied constructs in many fields, including tourism. As an important marketing metric, satisfaction is typically measured with self-reported retrospective evaluations of travel experience. However, the memory-based approaches have numerous limitations related to social desirability, availability heuristics, previous knowledge, mood at the time of answering questions and do not reflect the moment-by-moment nature of visitor experience. The shortcomings and limitations of self-reported retrospective evaluations could be eliminated by introducing pre-visit, on-site, and post-visit instant components of experienced utility as measures of visitor experience. The experienced utility allows eliminating the majority of self-report biases, capturing the …

Customer Experience In Tourism: A Review Of Definitions, Components, And Measurements, Maksim Godovykh, Asli D. A. Tasci

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Considered as a more competitive advantage than price, product, or quality, the concept of experience has received increasing attention in different disciplines. However, the pathway for handling experience has not been clearly set forth due to divergent conceptualizations and insufficient measures of customer experience. This study critically analyzes empirical and conceptual literature on experience, provides a holistic definition of experience, proposes an experience model with four main components (emotional, cognitive, sensorial, and conative), and suggests using a combination of several measures to capture the totality of tourism experience at pre-visit, onsite, and post-visit stages. These suggestions provide important implications for …

Delighted Or Outraged? Uncovering Key Drivers Of Exceedingly Positive And Negative Theme Park Guest Experience, Edwin Torres, Ady Milman, Soona Park

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose

Despite multiple studies of customer delight in various service industries, limited research exists in the hedonically driven theme park context. The purpose of this paper is to explore the key drivers of customer delight and outrage in theme parks by analyzing TripAdvisor’s comments from visitors to the top 20 North American theme parks.

Design/methodology/approach

Following the analysis of thousands of extremely positive and negative comments using MAXQDA qualitative software, keywords drivers of delight and outrage were identified. The researchers applied both thematic and root cause in order to ascertain the sources leading to both positive and negative consumer feedback. …

Let's 'Meetup' At The Theme Park, Edwin Torres, Marissa Orlowski

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Many people enjoy theme park and other leisure experiences with their families; however, today a great number of single, geographically mobile individuals desire to partake in such experiences. ‘Meetup’ is the world’s largest social network of local groups and thus allows for both online and off-line (in person) interactions. Using an ethnographic approach, this study examines how individuals can enjoy activities centered on common activities, interests, and opinions (AIO) via immersion in a Meetup group over the course of a year. Notably, members visited with greater frequency, had less tolerance for long lines, and were more likely to attend special …

Towards A Model Of Electronic Word-Of-Mouth And Its Impact On The Hotel Industry, Edwin N. Torres, Dipendra Singh

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Scholars and practitioners recognize that spreading word-of-mouth can play an important role in the formation of a hotel’s image. However, the relationships among various measures of online customer engagement are relatively unknown. The present study analyzes the relationships and quantifies the impacts of various measures of online engagement including the number of online reviews, overall rating, and relative ranking. The researchers used path analysis on a sample of 178 hotels to study the relationships among relevant variables and build a model to explain the impact of such measures (Figure 2). The results reveal there is a positive direct effect of …

Customer And Employee Incivility And Its Causal Effects In The Hospitality Industry, Edwin N. Torres, Mathilda Van Niekerk, Marissa Orlowski

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The present research sought to understand customer and employee incivility in the hospitality industry. The study identified customer actions that are perceived as uncivil by employees and coping strategies used by employees after experiencing uncivil behavior. Finally, service-recovery situations are differentiated from security-related incidents and guidance is offered to hospitality managers regarding the minimization of customer incivility. An empirical survey was distributed to 297 hotel employees. Regression analysis indicated that the effects of customer incivility were an increase in: customer aggression, employee negative emotions, employee-to-customer incivility, employee-to-employee incivility, and employee sensitivity to uncivil acts. The effects of employee-to-employee incivility were …

Consumer Reviews And The Creation Of Booking Transaction Value: Lessons From The Hotel Industry, Edwin N. Torres, Dipendra Singh, April Robertson-Ring

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In recent years, much has been said about online consumer-generated feedback. Concern typically emerges regarding consumer decision-making as well as the preservation of an organization's image. Additionally, a company's financial performance can be affected by customer online ratings. The present study explores the impact of a hotel's rating and number of reviews on the value generated through online transactions. Through collaboration with consulting company Travel Click, the research team gathered a sample of 178 hotels representing various companies and brands within the United States. Research results demonstrate that TripAdvisor ratings as well as the number of reviews had positive relationship …

The Use Of Consumer-Generated Feedback In The Hotel Industry: Current Practices And Their Effects On Quality, Edwin Torres, Howard Adler, Carl Behnke, Li Miao, Xinran Lehto

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Consumer-generated feedback is hard to ignore these days. Word-of-mouth has expanded beyond a customer’s immediate friends and family; with the help of technology it reaches thousands of current and prospective guests. In light of this, scholars and practitioners are exploring the subject of consumer-generated feedback. Today, most of the research regarding this subject focuses on the use of consumer-generated feedback to make purchase decisions. In contrast, the present study explores the use of such information for the purposes of improving hotel operations. This article examines the amount of value placed on consumer-generated feedback, the relative importance placed on positive and …

The Five E'S In Festival Experience In The Context Of Gen Y: Evidence Form A Small Island Destination, Manuel Rivera, Kelly Semrad, Robertico Croes

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this study is threefold. First, to test the experience economy framework in the context of a small island destination (SID) in order to determine if a music festival may be used as an experiential product to lure a cohort replacement. Second, to examine a music festival's experiential domains that may influence the overall experience of Generation Y (Gen Y) tourists. And, third to determine if the overall experience of Gen Y tourists who attend a music festival may predict their behavioral intentions to return to and recommend a SID. The study investigates whether a music festival may …

Tourism Specialization And Economic Output In Small Islands, Robertico R. Croes

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose– This study aims to investigate growth differentials among small islands and the impact of tourism specialization on the growth and the economic performance of small islands.

Design/methodology/approach– The study is based on trade theory and uses data from a panel of small islands for 1995-2007. It applies panel regression and standard time series methods combined with a qualitative approach.

Findings– Small islands experienced stronger basic patterns of growth than many developed countries, especially where economies of scale are not an issue. The findings further suggest that tourism specialization is not harmful to growth, and, in lieu of technological gaps …

The Relevance Of Cultural Tourism As The Next Frontier For Small Island Destinations, Robertico R. Croes, Kelly J. Semrad

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this study is to apply the cultural tourism typology of McKercher and to estimate the economic relevance of cultural tourism to the context of a small island destination tourist market. Small island destinations may be confronted with environmental constraints that restrain the traditional small island tourism development model, which is based on sun, sand, and sea. The cultural tourism typology is used in order to determine whether the typology may be used to segment tourists thereby allowing researchers to determine the economic impact of different cultural tourist segments. This study draws attention to some of the foundational …

Authenticity In Tourism In Small Island Destinations: The Residents’ Perspective, Robertico Croes, Seung Hyun Lee, Eric D. Olson

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study explored the meaning of authenticity in the context of a small island destination from the residents' perspective, departing from the main stream literature which predominantly focuses on the demand side of the equation. Photo-elicitation was used to investigate the conception of authenticity. The finding from the focus group is that the notions of authenticity are unique, vast, and individualistic and that an encompassing definition of authenticity is difficult to concur. While the focus group provided clarity in terms of authenticity being embedded in the cultural lifestyle, an empirical study was conducted to further understand what cultural resources could …

Assessing Tourism Development From Sen’S Capability Approach, Robertico R. Croes

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this study is to assess tourism development in the context of Sen’s capability approach. The study developed a model to investigate the relationship between tourism development and human development while focusing on two countries, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The study applied a cointegration technique based on the Granger representation theorem. Overall, tourism development and human development reveals a tenuous relationship in both cases, reflecting some threshold effect. The importance of tourism growth is merited in the distribution of its benefits and the extent that tourism receipts are allocated to support human development (public health, education, safety, etc.). …

Does Discounting Work In The Lodging Industry?, Robertico R. Croes, Kelly J. Semrad

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The central intent of this econometric case study analysis is to examine the relationship between discounting room rates and hotel financial performance. The study provides a theoretical framework that investigates the fundamentals of discounting and empirically assesses the efficacy of the discounting process in the lodging industry. The study adopts an error correction model to properly account for the dynamics of the industry. The results indicate that the variables may be modeled as an integrated process and which are linked in the long run and also possess a short-term relationship. The research findings suggest that discounting works both in the …