Family satisfaction and social networking leisure

The purpose of this study was to explore the bidirectional relationship between the use of social networking sites (SNS) for leisure, and family and leisure satisfaction. The sociotechnological model served as a sensitising theoretical framework for this study. Seven families (22 individuals) took part in group and individual interviews. The data obtained from interviews were analysed using constant comparative method. The results showed that influences of SNS on satisfaction with family leisure and family satisfaction varied: the use of SNS helped families to build enjoyable family leisure, stay connected with family members and increase a sense of belonging. In some cases, however, it also decreased the amount of time spent with family, lowered attention during face-to-face interactions, provided opportunity for negative comparisons and caused concerns about the development of social skills among youth. In turn, family relationships and satisfaction with family life influenced the way family members used SNS for leisure. Some participants increased the use of SNS during times of family conflict in order to seek support and as a way to distract themselves from unpleasant thoughts. Others limited their use of SNS due to lack of interest in social pursuits and to avoid sharing information about family conflicts.     

Redefining Boundaries in Families through Social Networking Leisure

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence the use of social networking sites (SNS) for leisure has on boundaries between families and the outside world, as well as boundaries between family members. The family systems theory and the concept of boundaries served as a basis for this study. Seven families (22 individual family members) took part in the study. Group and individual interviews were conducted for this study. The data supported previous research claiming that connection with the outside world was among the major reasons for using SNS. The findings also suggested that families tried to preserve clear boundaries between themselves and the outside world by controlling who can access their accounts, what information can be shared and what is appropriate time to use SNS. The findings also suggested that the boundaries between family members are constantly being redefined to meet the changing realities of technological world.     

Analyzing changes in hotel customers’ expectations by trip mode

With the emergence of Web 2.0, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) shared through social networking sites has become the primary information source for many travelers. An enormous quantity of reviews has been posted by customers, and has become a valuable means by which hoteliers can better understand customer satisfaction and expectations. Efforts have been made to analyze these parameters in terms of customers’ backgrounds. Although customer expectations vary according to background, whether or not this is still the case across different trip modes remains unknown. In this study, an eWOM dataset was obtained from an online source and sentiment mining used to improve its quality by imputing missing values. A complete analysis of customer profiles and their contrast by trip mode was then conducted using association rule mining. The empirical results demonstrate differences in both customer expectation and satisfaction when the same traveler engages in different trip modes.     

Cultural Consonance in Leisure,Leisure Satisfaction,Life Satisfaction,and Self-Rated Health in Urban Taiwan

The purpose of this study threefold: to determine whether a shared cultural model of the importance of a set of leisure activities to a good leisure life existed in urban Taiwan, the degree to which cultural consonance in leisure mediates the relationship between leisure constraints and leisure satisfaction, and the degree to which leisure satisfaction affects life satisfaction and self-rated health. Results indicate that a cultural model of the importance of leisure activities to a good leisure life existed among sample members. Second, higher levels of self-reported participation in leisure activities that are culturally agreed upon as more important for a good leisure life are more strongly associated with leisure satisfaction than are activities culturally agreed upon as less important. Finally, leisure satisfaction strongly predicts both life satisfaction and self-rated health.     

Event satisfaction,leisure involvement and life satisfaction at a walking event: the mediating role of life domain satisfaction

Given the rising popularity of mass-participant sport, such as walking and running events, research has started to address whether these types of events could promote life satisfaction for participants. Nevertheless, the theoretical link between event participation and life satisfaction has not been fully elaborated. Using bottom-up theory of life satisfaction, this study examined the role of event satisfaction and the three facets of leisure involvement – attraction, centrality and self-expression – in people’s life domain satisfaction and life satisfaction. Participants (N = 236) were recruited from a walking event held in western Japan. The results of the study revealed that event satisfaction had positive, indirect effects on life satisfaction through satisfaction with family life and personal achievement. Attraction in walking also had positive, indirect effects on life satisfaction through satisfaction with family life, personal achievement and social life. In contrast, centrality and self-expression in walking were not associated with satisfaction with any life domains and life satisfaction. Findings from this study highlight the importance of life domain satisfaction in the relationship between event satisfaction, leisure involvement and life satisfaction. These findings also suggest that walking events can promote life satisfaction by providing the enjoyment of walking as physically active leisure.     

Agreement and disagreement in family vacation decision-making

In the last 20 years changes have taken place which have altered the decision-making process in families—family democracy is clearly in the ascendant. The family has evolved into what business research calls a decision-making unit. This general trend probably also has consequences for holiday decisions. The focus of this research is on (dis)agreement within couples concerning 15 vacation sub-decisions. In this Dutch longitudinal study, data were collected for couples over a period of nearly a year. Our main conclusion is that holiday choice has evolved over the last 30 years into being very much a joint decision, in which family members discuss, seek information for the discussion and use influencing strategies. The dominant disagreement-resolution strategy is the golden mean strategy. This is a strategy of give-and-take-and-reach-a-compromise. Compared with other choices, the holiday choice is also more of a joint affair. Finally, intrafamily (dis)agreement has consequences for satisfaction with the choice process, the amount of discussion and information searching. Implications of the increased family democracy for marketing and advertising are described.     

Inclusive leisure experiences of older adults with intellectual disabilities at a senior centre

Inclusive leisure is described as the extent to which people with and without impairments engage in leisure ventures together. The leisure experiences of four older adults with intellectual impairments, four ‘mainstream’ older adults and three staff members from a senior citizen recreation centre were captured using the interpretive phenomenological research methods of focus group interviews and field notes. Self-determination theory provided the conceptual framework for the study and facilitated the interpretation of the findings. Thematic analysis of the conversations revealed three themes with respective subthemes (a) shared leisure motivations, (b) expecting too much and (c) wanting even more. Although the mainstream older adults and centre staff recognised a need for more inclusive activities, older adults with impairments expressed satisfaction with the inclusive nature of the centre. The challenges and successes of the inclusive nature of the community-based senior citizens centre have also been discussed.     

The Role of Chinese Students as Tourists and Hosts for Overseas Travel

With more visas being granted and application processes streamlined, more Chinese students are studying abroad. These students have an influential and continuing effect on the host country's tourism industry over and above their own education-related activities and expenditures because they attract family members and friends to visit the countries where they study. Unfortunately, the research on the role of Chinese students as hosts for overseas travel is quite limited. Therefore, this paper provides some insights into this issue by looking at the influence of students' satisfaction on their role as hosts for the friends and family sector while also providing some data on the students' own holiday motives and assessments of New Zealand. The data were derived from 504 self-completed surveys by Chinese students from four universities in North Island, New Zealand. Evidence was found of students fulfilling a number of roles as guides, sources of information and acting as hosts, but the relationships between their own holiday experiences and satisfaction and the degree to which they fulfilled these roles was weak at best, indicating, therefore, the importance of other variables.     

Affectivity,conflicts in the work–family interface,and hotel employee outcomes

Based on data obtained from frontline hotel employees in Turkey, the current study examined the effects of negative affectivity (NA) and positive affectivity (PA) on work–family conflict and family–work conflict and the effects of both directions of conflict on marital satisfaction and turnover intentions. This study also tested the relationship of marital satisfaction with frontline employees’ turnover intentions. The results demonstrated that PA ameliorates both work–family conflict and family–work conflict, while NA exacerbates only work–family conflict. The findings of the study indicated that family–work conflict has a detrimental impact on marital satisfaction. However, this study provided no empirical support for the relationship between work–family conflict and marital satisfaction. Consistent with the study predictions, frontline employees’ perceptions of work–family conflict and family–work conflict increased their turnover intentions. There was also empirical support for the hypothesis that marital satisfaction has a significant negative impact on frontline employees’ turnover intentions. Implications of the empirical results and limitations of the study are discussed.     

Motivating Golf Employees in Southwest Florida

Golf course communities are established to serve the needs of their members. However, the number of golfers in the United States has decreased from 30.6 million in 2005 to 25.7 million in 2011. This poses a real threat to the golf industry. Since employees deliver this service to members, human resource management and employee job satisfaction and motivation becomes paramount. The purpose of this study was to ascertain job satisfaction at golf facilities in Southwest Florida and to determine possible areas for improving job satisfaction in order to enhance organizational outcomes and golfer retention. While the research demonstrated overall job satisfaction was high, job interest among the lower skilled employees was low. A series of job enrichment strategies were recommended to improve job satisfaction among lower skilled employees.     

Exploring Family Roles in Purchasing Decisions During Vacation Planning

Abstract

Family decision making not only has been an interesting subject to consumer behavior researchers but also has served as a valuable source in shaping marketing strategies adopted by the tourism and hospitality industry. However, little research has been devoted to understanding the roles of family members in the decision-making process during vacation planning. This paper attempts to provide further understanding on the nature and the importance of family roles played in making travel purchase decisions. The authors conceptually reviewed past studies to explore different roles played by the core family members in the decision-making process and developed research propositions along with a conceptual model regarding family vacation planning. Relevant marketing implications were discussed and unique research methods were also recommended for further study.     

Motivations and perceived value of volunteer tourists from Hong Kong

This study examines the motivational factors and perceived value of Hong Kong volunteer tourists. The results of a focus group and in-depth interviews reveal five main motives for travelers to partake in volunteer trips: cultural immersion and interaction with the local people; desire to give back and show love and concern; a shared experience with family members and an educational opportunity for children; religious involvement; and escape from everyday life. The perceived value of these volunteer travelers includes personal growth and development, relationship enhancement, and change in perspective on life. The factors influencing their future decision to participate in volunteer tourism include time, financial ability, safety and health issues, arrangements and scale of the tour, and reputation of the organizer.     

The Effects of Involvement and Social Support on Frontline Employee Outcomes: Evidence From the Albanian Hotel Industry

Using data from the Albanian hotel industry, this study developed and tested a model that examined the relationships of psychological involvement and social support with frontline employees' outcomes. The results revealed that family involvement and family support increased family satisfaction, while job involvement and work support amplified job satisfaction. Contrary to our predictions, work support did not significantly affect family satisfaction and family support did not demonstrate any significant relationship with job satisfaction. The results lent empirical support to the significant negative effects of both work and family support on turnover intentions. The results also showed that lower job satisfaction led to higher turnover intentions. In contrast, family satisfaction was found to exacerbate employees' turnover intentions. Implications of the results and future research directions are presented in the study.     

Do employees’ satisfied customers respond with an satisfactory relationship? The effects of employees’ satisfaction on customers’ satisfaction and loyalty in a family restaurant

The purpose of this study is to understand the interrelationships among employees’ satisfaction and customer's satisfaction and loyalty in a family restaurant. The study was administered to 69 employees and 258 customers. The results showed a positive relationship between employees’ satisfaction and customer satisfaction. However, employees’ satisfaction did not have a significant, direct impact on customer loyalty, but showed an indirect influence via customer satisfaction. In addition, customer satisfaction was positively associated with customer loyalty. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.     

Profiling Asian and Western family independent travelers (FITS): An exploratory study

This study explored perceptual and behavioral differences in service quality, satisfaction, and intention to revisit between Asian and Western family independent travelers (FITs) and to profile each group by its demographic and vacation characteristics as well as its family vacation decision‐making modes. Qualified FITs (n = 183) from seven major source markets were interviewed in the departure lounge at the Hong Kong International Airport. Results indicated that, compared to Asian FITs, Western respondents were more likely to favorably evaluate service quality, be first time visitors, and be younger. However, they were less likely to return to Hong Kong for leisure. Most Western travelers shared all decisions together between spouses, whereas their Asian counterparts were more likely to report individual dominant decisions, especially for those trip specific decisions. Marketing implications and future research directions are discussed.     

Married couples’ involvement with family vacations

Abstract

The involvement construct has received a great deal of attention in recent years. However, the majority of research on this topic has focused on the individual and has ignored spouses’ shared leisure involvement. In addition, little work has been done on involvement in the product‐class context of family vacations. This study examined the underlying dimensions of married couples’ involvement with family vacations and how these dimensions relate to selected personal variables. Factor analysis revealed two underlying dimensions. Stepwise multiple regression revealed that pleasure‐importance was positively related to gender role ideology and education and negatively related to presence of children in the home. A positive relation existed between the second dimension, sign value, and age. The study provides insight into both the nature of the involvement construct and how it might be used in future research.     

Examining the relationship of work–family conflict to job and life satisfaction: A case of hotel sales managers

The study was designed to clarify the ambivalent relationships between work–family conflict (WFC) and measures of satisfaction. Both the direct and indirect effects of WFC on job and life satisfaction were investigated. Job satisfaction was also separated into two components: affective reaction and cognitive appraisal. Data were collected by a field survey of 121 sales managers from 26 hotels in China. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) indicated a critical role of one's affective reaction to his/her job in the relationship between WFC and life satisfaction. Specifically, the present study found that both work interfering with family (WIF) and family interfering with work (FIW) have significant negative association with an individual's affective reaction to his/her job, while only FIW reduced the cognitive appraisal of a job. Further, affective reaction, rather than cognitive appraisal, had a significant positive correlation with life satisfaction. Finally, FIW was negatively associated with life satisfaction. The results suggest the strategic role of family friendly human resource polices in hotels.     

‘Like a “fish in water”’: swim club membership and the construction of the upper-middle-class family habitus

Cultural theorist Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus has been widely operationalised in relation to sport, yet there has been little scholarship considering the notion of family habitus. Through ethnographic methods, this research offers an empirically based analysis delineating the way in which the Valley View Swim and Tennis Club is a constitutive element of members’ upper-middle-class family habitus. Specifically, I argue that swim club membership is anchored in a distinct family tradition and offers members an important cultural field facilitating their experience of family time. However, members’ routine trips to the pool are naturalised, taken-for-granted elements of their summer lifestyles emblematic of their class privilege, and thus club membership operates as a valuable, yet subtle technique to reproduce their upper-middle-class family habitus.     

Employee satisfaction,customer satisfaction,and financial performance: An empirical examination

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction, and to examine the impact of both on a hospitality company’s financial performance utilizing service-profit-chain framework as the theoretical base. Specifically, this study explores four major relationships: (1) the direct relationship between customer satisfaction and financial performance; (2) the direct relationship between employee satisfaction and financial performance; (3) the direct relationship between customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction; and (4) the indirect relationship between employee satisfaction and financial performance. Furthermore, this study examines the mediating role of customer satisfaction on the indirect relationship between employee satisfaction and financial performance. Data for this study was collected from employees, customers and managers of three- and four-star hotels. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with a two-step approach was utilized to empirically test the proposed hypotheses and the relationships between the constructs. Findings suggest that while customer satisfaction has positive significant impact on financial performance, employee satisfaction has no direct significant impact on financial performance. Instead, there is an indirect relationship between employee satisfaction and financial performance, which is mediated by customer satisfaction.     

Family Leisure Functioning: A Cross-National Study

The purpose of this study was to, first, determine whether positive relationships between family leisure (involvement and satisfaction) and family outcomes (cohesion, adaptability, family functioning, and satisfaction with family life) were present in a multinational sample, and second, determine whether the core and balance model could provide a consistent framework for between country comparisons of relationships between family leisure and family outcome variables cross nationally. Families were recruited from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Data were analyzed using blocked multiple regression models, and generalized linear models to compare relationships across countries. Overall, findings indicated positive relationships between family leisure and family outcomes were consistent across all five countries. Some differences in relationship strength, not directionality, occurred primarily in family leisure involvement rather than family leisure satisfaction.