Consumer self‐construal and trust as determinants of the reactance to a recommender advice

Commercial recommendation agents (RAs) represent an important type of the decision support systems (DSSs) that are widely used by online retailers and firms. To date, little is known about the factors that shape the user's decision making and reactance toward the recommendations of these agents. Building on theories from psychology and information systems domains, this research proposes that a user's self‐construal and trust are two relevant factors that interact to shape the behavior toward the RA advice. Two studies, the first conducted using potential online customers and the second conducted at a behavioral laboratory, provided support to this proposition. The first study considered RA trust and showed that activating the interdependent self leads users with low (high) trust to exhibit high reactance behavior toward the RA advice. The second study variated trust using trust cues and corroborated the latter finding, while showing no important impact for the psychological reactance trait. As expected, in both studies the reactance behavior of independent users was not affected by trust. These results contribute by underscoring that social interdependence extends to RAs because the role of trust becomes salient when the interdependent self is activated for a user.     

Book Reviews

Water is a human right and it is essential to sustain life and livelihoods, as well as the health and happiness of tourists. This paper examines a destination with ample rain, but rapid and unchecked tourism development: Bali, Indonesia. The mismanagement of water resources means underground supplies are polluted and local people suffer from water scarcity. A multi-method approach with the various stakeholders was used to develop a stakeholder map that identifies duty bearers and rights holders. The government is the primary legal duty bearer to provide communities with water, but companies also have unique responsibilities. This paper examines why tourism businesses need to conduct human rights impact assessments. Taking due diligence for human rights can be seen as a business opportunity, leading to reduced operating costs and increased reputational strength. The benefits and challenges for business are explored.     

For the greater good: business networks and business social responsibility to communities

Business networks (co-operative arrangements between independent business organizations) may be the signature organizational form of the contemporary global economy. Many policy-makers and local leaders advocate business network membership as an alternative development strategy for regional economic vitality. The extant literature on business networks has focused on their association with business success. However, little is known about their impact on other aspects of community life. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the role of network membership on one non-economic dimension of the business community interface. We examined the relationship between business network membership and business social responsibility to communities, defined as the provision of leadership and support for community betterment projects. Data were gathered from telephone interviews with a random sample of 460 non-metro small business operators in the USA. Independent t-tests and ordinary least squares regression analyses controlling for theoretically important variables were conducted. Findings show that networked businesses provide more leadership and support for their communities than non-networked businesses. However, networked businesses were no more likely than non-networked businesses to use local suppliers of goods and services.     

Spending Behaviors of Event Tourists

Abstract

Assessing the economic impact of a tourism event on a host economy often involves the estimation of average event tourist spending per trip/night. As event and destination marketers become more selective with their promotions, targeting prospective high-value tourists, it is important for them to know the spending characteristics of different types of visitors so that resources can be allocated to reach and influence event tourists who will most benefit the host economy. This study's findings of visitors to the 1999 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta reveal that tourists from communities nearer the host economy typically spend fewer net dollars than those from greater distances. First time event visitors spend considerably more than repeat visitors who have “been there, done that” and may not feel the need to do “that” again.     

浅述我国城市化进程对旅游业发展的正反效应

城市化进程是最近两个世纪以来人类走向富裕的基本发展步伐,也是现代经济社会最根本的发展形式。本文通过正反两方面的分析,阐明了城市化对旅游业发展具有正反两方面的影响。     

检测环境对路面弯沉检测结果的影响

路面弯沉是路面及路基结构整体强度和刚度的直观反应,是工程整体强度质量的重要检测指标。因此,了解路面湾沉的变化规律,正确测试路面弯沉值,对于正确评价路面质量有着极其重要的意义。     

Estimating the Economic Impact of Event Tourism

Abstract

Tourism has become an important economic sector in many parts of the world, and many regions, states, and local areas have identified expenditures by visitors as a potential source of economic growth. Because visitor spending can contribute to the local economy, many communities seek to enhance tourism and visitor-oriented activities. As a result, estimates of the economic impact of event tourism are of interest to a wide variety of interested parties. Economic impact analyses of sports facilities and other entertainment events have come under increasing criticism in recent years. At the same time, visitors to sports events, festivals, and other visitor-oriented and event related activities can produce very substantial economic impacts for host communities. This article examines key considerations and issues that affect and are critical to reliable estimates of the economic impacts of events and event tourism.     

Prioritizing destination attributes for optimal resource allocation: a study of Chinese tourists visiting Britain

ABSTRACT

This study assesses the importance, performance, and the interrelationships of key destination attributes for marketing managers to prioritize resource allocation. A three-dimensional analysis of importance–performance–impact-analysis (IPIA) factors, based upon a survey sample of 275 Chinese tourists to Britain and an expert panel interview with 10 destination marketing managers is presented. Data analysis was based upon a mix of multi-criteria decision-making methodologies, the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method and the Analytic Network Process (ANP) method. The framework can be applied to prioritize resources allocation to improve customer satisfaction in other contexts, such as a sector or a specific business.     

中国大陆生态旅游研究十五年——历程与展望

纵观十五年来的生态旅游研究文献,许多学者和机构为中国大陆的生态旅游研究做了大量工作,成果丰厚。中国大陆的生态旅游研究现状:文献数量大,重复多,缺少先进性;理论深度不够,缺少一般性的理论和规律的总结;没有多学科的深度结合;方法论不够清晰。因此,我们认为中国大陆生态旅游研究应加强宏观政策层面的研究,注重多学科深度融合,建立理论架构,同时强化生态旅游教育及学科体系的建设,深化生态旅游社会服务功能的研究。