Visitor perceptions of the quality of a tourist destination, satisfaction with their experience and the resulting behavioural intentions are vital for successful destination management and marketing. ...The purpose of our research is to explore the complex relationships between these constructs using structural equation modelling, whereby both formative and reflective constructs are included. The structural model was tested on a sample of 1056 visitors at four tourist destinations in Slovenia. The empirical validation of the conceptual model supports the research hypotheses. Destination attributes affect the perceived quality of tourist offerings, which positively relates to satisfaction as well as visitors' behavioural intentions. The link between satisfaction and behavioural intentions was also confirmed. These research findings contribute to a better understanding of which behavioural mechanisms and factors represent a viable basis for increasing customer retention at the level of individual providers as well as a destination as a whole.
Purpose - In view of the increasingly dynamic ethnic composition of nation states in Europe and elsewhere, this paper aims to examine the effects of ethnic affiliation on ethnocentrism and domestic ...purchase bias, and to test a model of consumer ethnocentrism antecedents and outcomes in a multi-ethnic transitional economy.Design methodology approach - Empirical data were collected via personal interviews from 580 urban consumers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was, in the aftermath of violent ethnic conflicts in the Balkans, divided into two major sub-regions inhabited by three clearly identifiable ethnic groups. A structural model with five first-order reflective constructs was evaluated to test the hypothesized relationships.Findings - The findings confirm that both national identity and nationalism are significant predictors of consumer ethnocentrism, and that ethnic affiliation has a direct effect on both consumer ethnocentrism and on domestic purchase bias. However, the antecedent nature of cultural openness in relation to consumer ethnocentrism was not confirmed.Practical implications - While it has been suggested previously that, when consumers have dual allegiances, the construct of national identity may be of a lesser explanatory power, the results attest to the value of both nation-state level constructs in the model as reliable predictors of consumer ethnocentrism. The findings also suggest that a differentiated marketing strategy may be warranted on entering multi-ethnic markets.Originality value - Unlike most prior studies that tested ethnocentrism models across different countries with citizens of each country being addressed as a culturally ethnically uniform group, this study does not limit in-groups to a nation state, but examines groups based on ethnic affiliation.
Purpose - The purpose of the research is to conceptualize a model of tourist satisfaction at the destination level which can serve as a background for designing a universal, parsimonious, short and ...easily applicable measurement instrument.Design methodology approach - The conceptual model was developed on the basis of existing theoretical and empirical research in the fields of marketing and tourism.Findings - The model includes eight latent constructs, with tourist satisfaction being the central one. The analysis of the antecedents (quality, image, value, and costs and risks) of customer satisfaction provides insights into the processes underlying the creation of satisfaction, while the outcome constructs (complaint behavior and loyalty) indicate the consequences of (dis)satisfaction.Research limitations implications - Designing a parsimonious and easily applicable measurement instrument imposes some limitations with respect to the number of constructs and measured variables included. The inclusion of additional constructs variables should provide a more comprehensive insight into customer satisfaction and a more solid basis for strategic decision-making but at the same time it is likely to reduce the model's transparency and universality.Practical implications - The results of a continuous customer satisfaction monitoring should serve as an input for a trend analysis and strategic discussions regarding the development of a tourist destination. The ultimate goals of monitoring satisfaction include identifying strategic objectives at the destination level, preparing tactical and operational plans and ultimately increasing the competitiveness of a given destination.Originality value - Achieving customer satisfaction should be one of the most important goals of every DMO and, to our knowledge, a few universal cause-and-effect measurement instruments models have been developed to support this goal. The proposed model provides a basis for the continuous monitoring and improvement of the competitiveness of a given destination.
Perceived tourism supply quality influences a visitor's satisfaction with a particular destination as well as his or her post-visit behaviour. It is therefore an important source of a destination's ...competitive advantage. To identify those destination attributes that are the most influential in forming visitors' quality perceptions, the authors conceptualize tourism supply quality as a formative (as opposed to a reflective) construct. The conceptual model is validated empirically on three destination samples using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results show that relevant destination attributes are destination-specific, while the hypothesized relationships between destination attributes, overall destination quality, visitor satisfaction and behavioural intentions are largely supported. In addition, formative measurement models are found to have larger explanatory power than reflective measurement models.
In light of increasing market complexities resulting from globalization of consumer products/brands in both mature and transitional markets, this study examines the saliency of information related to ...the national origin of products in consumer choice behavior. Specifically, effects of consumer ethnocentrism and the type of product/service category on perceived importance of product origin information are investigated. Analysis of data collected on a sample of adult consumers suggests that saliency of country-of-origin information is a function of consumer ethnocentrism, and that the strength of this relationship is indeed mediated by a product/service type. Moreover, age and income were significant discriminators of consumers characterized by ethnocentric and polycentric purchase orientation. Implications for future research are identified and suggestions for marketing practice from the perspective domestic and international marketers are discussed. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
The aim of this article is to analyse this link between the ways Slovenian companies compete in their markets and how they exercise their HRM function. Firstly, we will analyse the sources of ...competitiveness in Slovenian companies, especially with regard to HRM. Then we will describe the research method and propositions. After presenting results regarding the consistency of competitiveness policy and HRM practices in Slovenian companies, we will discuss the reasons for the current situation and offer some suggestions for increasing the competitiveness of Slovenian companies through their human resources.
Purpose - This paper examines consumer motivations for shopping abroad and explores the role of demographic versus socio-psychological factors in explaining the phenomenon of cross-border ...shopping.Design methodology approach - Empirical data were collected via personal interviews from adult consumers living in Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro. The research instrument consisted of construct measures adapted from previous studies and open-ended questions related to demographics and consumer motives for cross-border shopping trips.Findings - A discriminant analysis of cross-border out-shoppers and domestic in-shoppers in the two countries confirmed the unstable effect of demographic variables on out-shopping behaviour and established the significant role of economic patriotism in consumer decision making. Differences in the results across the two countries indicate that a contextual approach should be adopted in international out-shopping studies.Practical implications - Countries with high level of out-shopping activity are potentially attractive targets for international retailers and marketers. Our out-shopper profiles suggest that market opportunities exist for international discount retailers in Croatia and for upscale retailers in Serbia.Originality value - Unlike most research focusing on the out-shopping phenomenon, the distinguishing feature of the study is that it examines socio-psychological and demographic rather than macro-economic variables as determinants of cross-border shopping. In particular, the role of economic patriotism has rarely been investigated in this context.
Despite the long tradition of research on country-of-origin and consumer ethnocentrism, many of the issues remain unresolved in the literature, most notably the relationship between cognitive, ...affective and normative mechanisms in consumer choice behavior, and generalizability of existing research findings to non-traditional emerging and/or small country markets. This study responds to the current gaps in knowledge in that it examines behavioral manifestations of consumers’ choice of domestic vs. foreign products in four transitioning post-war markets in the West Balkans. Data were collected via personal interviews with 1954 adult urban consumers. The model of domestic purchase behavior was tested using SEM analysis. The results for all four country samples indicate that consumer ethnocentrism has affected domestic purchase behavior both directly and indirectly through domestic product appraisal. Moreover, we found consumer worldliness, a controversial construct in previous studies, to be uniformly negatively related to ethnocentrism. On the other hand, the findings related to the role of national identification as an antecedent to consumer ethnocentrism and domestic product appraisal were inconsistent across the samples. The implications of these findings for the validity and generalizability of existing models of consumer behavior in a new cultural context are considered, and implications for marketers interested in exploiting opportunities in the region are discussed.
Purpose This paper examines consumer motivations for shopping abroad and explores the role of demographic versus sociopsychological factors in explaining the phenomenon of crossborder shopping. ...Designmethodologyapproach Empirical data were collected via personal interviews from adult consumers living in Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro. The research instrument consisted of construct measures adapted from previous studies and openended questions related to demographics and consumer motives for crossborder shopping trips. Findings A discriminant analysis of crossborder outshoppers and domestic inshoppers in the two countries confirmed the unstable effect of demographic variables on outshopping behaviour and established the significant role of economic patriotism in consumer decision making. Differences in the results across the two countries indicate that a contextual approach should be adopted in international outshopping studies. Practical implications Countries with high level of outshopping activity are potentially attractive targets for international retailers and marketers. Our outshopper profiles suggest that market opportunities exist for international discount retailers in Croatia and for upscale retailers in Serbia. Originalityvalue Unlike most research focusing on the outshopping phenomenon, the distinguishing feature of the study is that it examines sociopsychological and demographic rather than macroeconomic variables as determinants of crossborder shopping. In particular, the role of economic patriotism has rarely been investigated in this context.
The article examines the impact of product nationality cues on consumer behavior and presents the results of two studies based on large-scale surveys of adult consumers from four countries of the ...South-East Europe: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro. The results indicate that consumer ethnocentrism affects domestic purchase behavior both directly and indirectly through domestic product quality evaluation. Ethnic affiliation of consumers has a direct effect on both consumer ethnocentrism and on domestic purchase behavior. However, the findings on the role of identification to the nation and openness to other cultures as antecedents to consumer ethnocentrism and/or to domestic product quality evaluation were not consistent across countries and across studies, indicating a need for further research on the influence of affective processing mechanisms in consumption. Theoretical and managerial implications of both studies are discussed, together with some recommendations for public policy regarding the support of “buy domestic” campaigns.
