Hyunae Lee

Examining the Cultural Differences in Acceptance of Mobile Augmented Reality: Comparison of South Korea and Ireland

Augmented Reality (AR) is one of the emerging technologies used in cultural heritage tourism sites around the world. However, the process of having behavioural intention to use AR can be varied in different culture. Thus, this study selected two different countries, South Korea and Ireland, having high smartphone penetration rates, but with very different cultural profiles, and investigated the impact of cultural difference on acceptance of AR application (app) in cultural heritage tourism sites. Further, this study focused on the aesthetic and hedonic characteristics of AR apps from the perspective of hedonic information system. The results showed that aesthetics of AR have the strongest influence on perceived enjoyment. Also, as expected, South Korea, having high power distance, collectivism, and high uncertainty avoidance culture, displayed stronger dependence on social influence and hedonic characteristics of AR. Based on these findings, we present theoretical and practical implications.

Effects of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality on Visitor Experiences in Museum

This study aims to investigate the impact of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) on the overall visitor experience in the context of museum. In tourism research, few attempts have been made to examine factors which enhance visitor experience using new and emerging technologies such as VR & AR respectively, however research on visitor experience in the mixed environment by combining both VR & AR is scarce. In particular, this study examined the impact of social presence on visitor experience in the mixed (VR & AR) environment by applying social presence theory and experience economy theory. Questionnaires administered to 163 museum visitors revealed that social presence in mixed (VR & AR) environments is a strong predictor of four realms of experience economy. Furthermore, all aspects of experience economy, except for esthetic experience, have a significant influence on visitor experience, which consequently induce the tourists’ intention to revisit Geevor museum. The results of this study provide theoretical and managerial implications for adoption of VR & AR technologies in museum.

Consumers’ impulsive buying behavior of restaurant products in social commerce

Purpose First, this paper aims to investigate the impact of impulsiveness on two types of shopping value (e.g. utilitarian and hedonic value) and the urge to buy restaurant products and services impulsively in social commerce environments. Second, the study assesses the impact of situational factors (e.g. scarcity and serendipity) on individuals’ shopping values. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 332 participants. By using PLS-graph 3.0, structural equation modeling was conducted. Furthermore, a hierarchical regression model was conducted for testing the mediating and moderating effects. Findings The results indicate that impulsiveness is a strong predictor for two types of shopping value (hedonic and utilitarian) and the urge to buy impulsively. While the hedonic shopping value was found to have a significant influence on the urge to buy impulsively, utilitarian value was not. Scarcity was moderator in the relationships between impulsiveness and both types of shopping value, whereas serendipity was found to moderate only the relationship between impulsiveness and the utilitarian shopping value. Practical implications The findings show that the marketing managers and application developers of social commerce should place their focus on scarcity and serendipity to stimulate consumers in having a hedonic shopping value so to have an urge to buy impulsively. Originality/value First, although most previous studies focused on only rational or planned consumption, this study focused on irrational and unplanned consumption as well. Second, the authors assessed the role of situational factors (scarcity and serendipity) occurring in social commerce and asserted that these factors moderate the relationship between consumers’ shopping values and their urge to buy impulsively.

Cross-Cultural Differences in Adopting Mobile Augmented Reality at Cultural Heritage Tourism Sites

Augmented reality (AR) is increasingly used in cultural heritage tourism sites for the enhancement of the tourist experience. However, behavioral intention to adopt AR is dependent on cultural traits, and close investigation is required on cultural differences. To explore these cultural differences and the effect on AR acceptance in cultural heritage tourism sites, this study aims to focus on the aesthetic and hedonic characteristics of AR applications.,Data were collected in two countries with strong contrasts in Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to explore cultural differences in AR acceptance. In total, 145 questionnaires were collected in Deoksugung Palace, South Korea, and 119 questionnaires were collected in the An Post Museum, Republic of Ireland. Data were analyzed using PLS Graph 3.0.,The findings confirmed that the aesthetics of AR have a strong influence on perceived enjoyment. Furthermore, this study supported the notion that high power distance, collectivism and high uncertainty avoidance culture such as South Korea’s perceives stronger dependence on social influence and the hedonic characteristics of AR.,AR innovation and marketing within the hospitality and tourism industry requires an understanding of cultural differences to ensure successful implementation. In addition, tourism and hospitality managers need to ensure that the needs and requirements of different target markets are met.,This study applied Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to explore the differences between two very distinct countries with regard to AR acceptance. The findings provide important implications for the implementation of tourism AR applications for different countries, especially considering international target markets.

The Role of Augmented Reality for Experience-Influenced Environments: The Case of Cultural Heritage Tourism in Korea:

In cultural heritage sites around the globe, augmented reality (AR) is being utilized as a tool to provide visitors with better experiences while preserving the integrity of the sites. However, little research has examined the impact of AR on customers’ attitudes and behavioral intentions toward the sites. By integrating the post-acceptance model of information systems (IS) continuance, balance theory, and the theory of reasoned action (TRA), we investigate the causal mechanism underlying consumers’ beliefs about AR (perceived advantage, aesthetic experience, and perceived enjoyment) and AR satisfaction in conjunction with the attitudes and behavioral intentions toward the destination. The results show that the perceived advantage and aesthetics of AR influence AR satisfaction. In turn, AR satisfaction affects behavioral intentions toward the heritage destination, indirectly via the attitude toward the destination through AR. Based on these findings, we present theoretical and practical implications as well as suggestions for future research.

Flight Cancellation Behaviour Under Mobile Travel Application: Based on the Construal Level Theory

With mobile commerce (M-commerce), tourists can easily reserve and cancel a flight, hotel and restaurant seats anywhere and anytime with their smartphones. However, several factors of M-commerce stimulate individuals to buy or reserve products and services impulsively, which induces guilt (or regret) and result in cancellation. Cancellation causes loss of revenue, especially, flight cancellation can be more threatening to travel agencies due to perishability of airline seats. Therefore, it is important to investigate differences between cancelled and uncancelled reservations. This study collected secondary data and tried to find out the differences between cancelled and uncancelled flight reservations by using t-test analysis. The results revealed that cancelled flights were reserved a shorter period of time before the departure and were made by individuals who are experienced in flight reservation rather than uncancelled flights.

Moderating Effects of Distrust and Social Influence on Aesthetic Experience of Augmented Reality: Motivation--Opportunity--Ability Model Perspective

Augmented Reality (AR) applications have been actively developed by numerous tourism institutions or organizations around the world in order to provide tourists with unique and memorable experience. Tourists can be physically and virtually immersed in tourism sites with aesthetic experience provided by AR application. However, AR applications are cutting-edge technology and consequently tourists have to undergo some annoying process in order to use it. Thus, not enough motivation, opportunity and ability of tourists can be barriers to enhancing aesthetic experience. So we adopted Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) model in order to assessing the predictors of aesthetic experience. Further, assuming that the relationship between MOA and aesthetic experience can be moderated by negative perception about technology and extrinsic influence, we adopted distrust of technology and social influence as moderating variables. The results show that only (intrinsic) motivation (enjoyment) and ability (self-efficacy) have effects on aesthetic experience. Distrust of technology showed that it moderates the relationship between ability (self-efficacy) and aesthetic experience. Based on these key findings, we present theoretical and practical implications with suggestions for future research.