Antecedents of attitudes toward the website

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Miguel Alcántara-Pilar ◽  
Salvador Del Barrio-García
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Tourist Destination ◽  
Present Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Web

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the moderating role of the cultural dimensions of long-term orientation (LTO) and individualism (IND) on the relationships between satisfaction online, message involvement (MI) and perceived usefulness (PU) of the web site on attitude toward the web site. Design/methodology/approach – The authors chose a between-subjects experimental design, using culture (Spanish vs British) as the independent variable. Two versions of a web site for a fictitious tourist destination were created – one written in Spanish and the other in English. The sample comprised 491 users. Findings – The findings indicate that the LTO dimension moderates the relationship between satisfaction online and PU on attitude toward the web site. The relationships between MI and attitude toward the web site could not be confirmed. Research limitations/implications – The main limitation of this study is the comparison of only two cultures, Spain vs the UK. Practical implications – The key implication is that if marketers and web site designers can better understand how national cultural differences moderate the attitude formation and change process among tourists, this will enable them to market their destinations and services more effectively. National cultural differences explain the differences found in the effect of satisfaction and PU on attitude toward the web site. Originality/value – This study is one of the few analyzing the moderating effect of LTO and IND on three antecedents of attitude toward the web site. The original cultural values established by Hofstede (2001) were tested among the present sample to establish the extent to which they remain true today. To create an authentic browsing scenario for the experiment, a web site was specially designed for a fictitious tourist destination, with its own domain name (buyada.org). Subjects were invited to browse the site freely while carrying out the task assigned to them. This approach contributed added value to the research by simulating the real behavior of tourists who are faced with a range of choices when putting together a tourism package for a given destination.

Re-examining perceived usefulness and ease of use in online booking

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deniz Kucukusta ◽  
Rob Law ◽  
Alia Besbes ◽  
Patrick Legohérel
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tourism Product ◽  
New Perspective

Purpose – This paper aims to report the findings of an empirical research focusing on Hong Kong online users’ intention to book online tourism products with latest figures. Focusing on the technology acceptance model (TAM), this case study extends the recent research with providing insight regarding the online users’ perceptions of TAM dimensions and how these dimensions are perceived among different demographic groups and Internet usage characteristics with latest figures in Hong Kong, a major tourism destination in Asia with many world-class hotels. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 213 Hong Kong online users were surveyed in March and April 2013 in Hong Kong business districts. Findings – Findings reveal that most respondents who use the Internet for booking online travel products are young, and people above a certain age are not likely to favor booking tourism products online. They are more likely to stick to traditional personal service. Perceived usefulness of the Internet is found more influential than its ease of use in forming a usage intention, and ease of use is perceived more important by jobseekers, student and employees than the other profession groups. In addition, respondents who use the Internet every day and did purchase online tourism product perceived usefulness more important than ease of use. Research limitations/implications – The generalization of this research is limited by its sample size and number of questions. Originality/value – The study gives a new perspective by linking TAM with intention to book online in Hong Kong. The paper would be of interest to the Web site planners or online tourism practitioners to consider Web site usefulness as much as its ease of its use, as both usefulness and ease of use of tourism Web sites are strong predictors of intention to book online.

Consumption Patterns and Cultural Values in Europe

2013 ◽  
pp. 211-257
Author(s):  
Agnes Neulinger ◽  
Tino Bech-Larsen ◽  
Jacob Rosendahl ◽  
Audur Hermannsdóttir ◽  
Regina Karveliene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Consumption Patterns ◽  
Drinking Behaviour ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Beverage Consumption ◽  
Main Research

The chapter focuses on cultural differences in consumption across Europe and describes general attitudes towards consumption and brands, the significance of shopping, and how these are linked to the motives of consumption of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. These topics have been analysed using the Hofstede dimensions, and the evaluation also considers regional differences within the European Union. The main objective of this research is to attempt to understand consumption patterns and national cultural dimensions, general consumption values, and what their connections are to alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinking patterns. The main research question is how cultural styles influence consumption styles within Europe. This analysis concluded that some European societies are more adaptable to cross-cultural influence than others in relation to beverage consumption. The authors’ findings suggest that the cultural dimensions identified by Hofstede supported the understanding of cultural differences related to purchasing, brands and beverage consumption both at national and individual levels. However, there is an overlap between some countries in their drinking behaviour, which supports the claim that existing cultural patterns cannot fully explain the new beverage trends, especially in alcohol consumption. This indicates the necessity of a shift toward new dimensions with regard to beverage consumption and/or eventually consumer behaviour.

Poverty as a Tourism Attraction

2016 ◽  
pp. 23-40
Author(s):  
Donatella Privitera
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Tourist Destination ◽  
Global Circulation ◽  
Slum Tourism ◽  
Online Activities ◽  
Tourist Behaviour ◽  
The Web

The visit of the favela or slum into a tourist destination is seen as a part of the so-called reality tours phenomenon and of the global circulation of the favela as a trademark. Tourist behaviour involves a search for leisure experiences from interactions with features or characteristics of places they choose to visit. Examples are the favelas in Brazil, the township of South Africa, the slum in India that have led to different definitions of “slum tourism”, “poor-poor tourism”, “reality tourism”. Web heavily affect today most of the online activities and their effect on tourism is obviously rather important. The aim of the chapter is to discuss about slum tourism definitions. At the same time, taking Reality Tours and Travel - a wholesaler slum websites - as a case, this study attempts to explore issues of the quality of strategic choices on the web. Considering that the content of web site includes a wide variety of technologies, is important that website offer also interactivity with e-tourists. Through the results of the study, it is possible to gain knowledge of the slum e-tourism.

scholarly journals Religion, national culture and cross-country differences in the use of trade credit

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-370
Author(s):  
Markus Mättö ◽  
Mervi Niskanen
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Trade Credit ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether religion or national culture can explain previously observed cross-country variation in trade credit. Design/methodology/approach Using the firm-level SME data from 35 European countries, religion and cultural factors of Hofstede and Schwartz, the authors provide new evidence on the determinants of the cross-country variation in trade credit. Findings The results indicate that religion and national culture are associated with trade credit. The authors find that the levels of trade credit are higher in Catholic countries than in Protestant ones and that peoples’ religiousness has an impact on trade credit only in Catholic countries. The authors also find that Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, such as power distance and uncertainty avoidance, are positively associated with trade credit. Practical implications Overall, authors’ findings indicate that religion and national culture are important determinants of trade credit management, and that the association between commonly used cultural values and trade credit depends on the religious, legal, and financial environment. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to research the relationship between national culture and trade credit.

Growth and foreign direct investment absorption across cultural dimensions

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 1003-1022
Author(s):  
Alfredo A. Romero ◽  
Jeffrey A. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Direct Investment ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Direct Investment ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Marginal Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World ◽  
Short Run

PurposeInjections of foreign direct investment (FDI) are often followed by injections of foreign culture which may not be well received among the local population. If this is the case, culture may impede any positive externalities from FDI. On the other hand, if the people of the host country embrace injections of FDI, this may lead to boosts in not only short-run factors of production but also longer-term technological spillovers. We measure what role cultural make-up of a country plays on the effect of FDI on growth in GDP.Design/methodology/approachUsing values system data from the World Values Survey (WVS), and socioeconomic data from the World Bank, we estimate and plot the marginal effect of FDI on growth as a function of a country's values system for a panel of 73 countries over a span of three decades.FindingsWe find that the marginal effect of FDI on growth in GDP differs across varying degrees of cultural values, even after adjusting for level of development. In other words, our analysis indicates that a country's cultural norms do indeed affect foreign investment's impact on economic growth.Originality/valueTo date there is no research that systematically assesses the effect that cultural make-up has on the marginal effect of FDI on growth. We go beyond the use of isolated cultural variables by using data on cultural dimensions that account for most of the observed cultural differences between countries. We believe our findings will work as a launchpad for more novel ways to capture country heterogeneity in growth research.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-09-2019-0549.

scholarly journals The more you value, the less you practice: a study on culture and managerial discretion

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-50
Author(s):  
Moustafa Salman Haj Youssef ◽  
Hiba Maher Hussein ◽  
Hoda Awada
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
National Level ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Managerial Discretion ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine cross-cultural differences in managerial discretion and the extent to which variations and interaction of cultural practices and values affect the degree of freedom in decision making that is accorded to executives. This paper offers a holistic approach to investigating culture in addition to acknowledging its paradoxical nature. Design/methodology/approach Using a panel of prominent management consultants to rate discretion across 18 countries, the authors further develop the national-level construct of managerial discretion by empirically investigating the influence of cultural practices and values on CEOs’ discretion. Findings The study reveals that cultural values moderate the relationship between cultural practices and managerial discretion for three cultural dimensions: individualism, uncertainty tolerance and power distance (PD). By adopting the logic of marginal utility, the authors also show that the more a society values individualism, uncertainty tolerance and PD, the weaker the effect of their practices on managerial discretion. Originality/value Few research has attempted to assess both cultural values and practices in relation to managerial discretion. By showing the mechanism in which culture affects the level of managerial discretion, the authors offer new theoretical insights and practical implications, overall contributing to the field of cross-cultural and strategic management. Finally, this will offer CEO’s a new perspective of leveraging culture as a tool, enhancing their decision-making capabilities in the aim of improving organizational performance.

How customers respond to the assistive intent of an E-retailer?

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 369-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Shobeiri ◽  
Ebrahim Mazaheri ◽  
Michel Laroche
Keyword(s):  
Web Site ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Customer Orientation ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Shoppers ◽  
Interactive Nature ◽  
Customer's Loyalty ◽  
The Web ◽  
Patronage Intentions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how an E-retailer's assistive intent impacts the perceptions and behaviours of online shoppers. The paper introduces a model that explains and examines the process through which the perceived assistive intent of an E-retailer leads to improved patronage intentions towards the web site. Design/methodology/approach – A survey on the most recent e-purchase experiences of more than 600 individuals in North America was conducted. Structural equation modelling based on EQS 6.1 was used to assess the measurement and structural models. Findings – Results indicated that customers’ impressions of an E-retailer's assistive intent positively impact web site patronage intentions both directly and indirectly through two key constructs of e-shopping, including web site involvement and web site attitudes. Research limitations/implications – The student sample is not representative of the population. Students are familiar with internet and feel less need for assistance online. Another shortcoming might be its settings. Since the survey was on the respondents’ most recent online experiences, the data quality depends on the amount and accuracy of the information they could retrieve from memory. Practical implications – The findings suggest that E-retailers would highly benefit from investing in the development of an assistive image. To do so, E-retailers should leverage the interactive nature of the web and provide supportive tools that facilitate the e-shopping task of clients. Social implications – Developing impressions of the site's assistive intent is highly rewarding for E-retailers that are new to the business. Originality/value – This paper represents the first effort to link the newly developed construct of E-retailer's assistive intent to two fundamental variables of online shopping, including web site involvement and web site attitudes. This work would also be an extension of the past studies that call for further investigation of the link between customer orientation and customer's loyalty intentions.

Cultural localisation as a strategy to preserve the persuasive function in the translation of tourism websites from French into English

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-152
Author(s):  
Sally Elizabeth Cowan
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Global Marketing ◽  
Ordinary Life ◽  
Wine Tourism ◽  
English Translations ◽  
Tourism Websites

Abstract Tourist promotional texts function like advertising texts in that they aim to “persuade, lure, woo, and seduce” (Dann 1996). In the context of global marketing, tourists can be considered consumers who seek to escape from ordinary life carrying their culturally embedded mindsets with them. Although cultural differences have been widely discussed in the literature on tourism translation, few studies have focused on the deeper level ‘out-of-awareness’ culture through which tourists travelling abroad interpret what they see. This paper investigates cultural localisation as a strategy to adapt the source text of a French wine tourism website to the hidden cultural values of British tourists in order to preserve the persuasive function of the target text. Using Hall’s anthropological iceberg model and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions as the framework, a small sample of French source texts and their English translations are compared to demonstrate the link between the stylistic features of tourism language and the psychological motivations of tourists, highlighting the interplay between all levels of the cultural iceberg. The findings suggest that culturally localised tourism websites are more likely to succeed as instruments of persuasion, with ego-targeting discussed as an effective strategy when adapting the text to appeal to the British market.

Experiences of international tourists with healthy signature foods: a case study in Malacca

2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (6) ◽  
pp. 1869-1882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mageswari Kunasegaran ◽  
S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh ◽  
Sofiah Kadar Khan
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Tourist Destination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tourist Gaze ◽  
Tourist Destinations ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Gaze Theory

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of international tourists with healthy signature food at a tourist destination, and explore the perceptions of food providers regarding the preparation of healthy signature foods. Healthy signature food at tourist destinations has become a crucial factor that can determine whether tourists revisit a tourist destination. The relevant literature review and Urry’s tourist gaze theory indicate that there is a lack of previous research on healthy signature foods among international tourists and food providers. The current study addresses this gap by providing a holistic understanding of healthy signature foods and how they have led to a culture of healthy eating in the tourism industry. Design/methodology/approach A case study was conducted in Malacca, a World UNESCO Heritage Site, to identify the experiences of international tourists with local signature foods. A purposive sampling method was selected to gather information from international tourists and food providers. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews to gain a detailed perspective of healthy signature foods. Findings The results revealed four thematic analysis outcomes, namely, memorable food experiences, food hygiene consciousness, cultural values and tourist happiness, which directly impact tourists’ satisfaction and intention to revisit. Additionally, aspects such as type of trip, trip frequency and the purpose of the trip influenced tourists’ experiences with healthy signature food. Furthermore, it was found that the selected food providers prepared their meals according to the standard procedures. Originality/value The current study extends Urry’s tourist gaze theory by exploring tourists’ perceptions of healthy signature food as well as exploring the way the food is prepared. Healthy signature food has much potential as a means of attracting and sustaining international tourists at tourist destinations. Furthermore, it strengthens the supply chain relationship between international tourists (customers) and food providers (suppliers) in the food tourism industry.

Scripting the active patient in online health communities

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-99
Author(s):  
Femke D. Vennik ◽  
Samantha A. Adams ◽  
Kim Putters
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Active Patient ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health Communities ◽  
Group Characteristics ◽  
Active Patients ◽  
The Web

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to improve the general operationalization of an “active patient,” by examining the specific activities and skills expected of active patients. Design/methodology/approach – Expected activities and necessary skills were studied through a qualitative case study into the development and use of an assistive technology (i.e. web site) aimed at stimulating active patient-ship. Interviews, observations and document analysis were used to capture and explore designers’ inscribing practices and their consequences regarding expected competences and activities of patients using the web site. Findings – Designers inscribed two “co-design roles” that active patients were expected to perform on the web site (co-designing their own healthcare and co-designing the healthcare of peers), for which at least eight different competencies were needed. The absence of skills or facilities to apply these skills resulted in incomplete use, a different use than intended by designers and non-use of the web site. Practical implications – Technological choices and inscribing processes determine who is able or facilitated to become active and who is not. Due to inscribed co-design roles, it also influences the extent to which already active peers are able to perform health-related activities. Different users with different conditions should be taken into account in the design as specific group characteristics can influence level of individual activity. Originality/value – This study is, as far as the authors know, the first that examines the “active patient” concept by studying an assistive technology and using scripting literature, resulting in an improved understanding of what it means to become “active” in terms of skills and activities.

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