M. Rosario González-Rodríguez

Post-visit and pre-visit tourist destination image through eWOM sentiment analysis and perceived helpfulness

Purpose This paper aims to explore the image of travel destinations after the visit by analysing sentiment orientation of the online reviews, and how this orientation, as well as other electronic word of mouth (eWOM)’s credibility sources, can affect the perceived helpfulness of shared opinions measured through the helpfulness score. Design/methodology/approach Tourist destinations are increasingly affected by travel-related information shared through the Web. More and more people first check the previous travel experiences of other people to build their own destination image and to help them in their choice of destination. This paper analyses the shared opinions related to the city of Barcelona in a well-known eWOM website. The reviewers’ opinion and the credibility sources of eWOM are extracted from the web using a webscraper, while the sentiment score to analyse the discourse orientation (positive vs negative) is calculated using computer-based sentiment analysis techniques. Findings Online reviews’ users are reluctant to provide extreme polar opinions (very negative, very positive) to any travel subcategory (hotel, restaurant, attractions and night-life) of a tourist destination. The results obtained also reveal that eWOM’s perceived helpfulness grows with the expertise of the reviewer. However, the helpfulness score given to the reviews posted is not influenced by the sentiment orientation of the author’s opinion. Research limitations/implications This research is limited to the case study of Ciao, which is a well-known consumer platform, and the city of Barcelona, which is a top touristic destination. However, the approach proposed can be easily extended to other similar consumer platforms and cities using the same methodology. Practical implications Understanding the information posted in the media environment is a major concern in the field of marketing destination planning. Positive and negative eWOM offers potential consumers a clear picture on the tourist destination, and this information can be used by Destination Marketing Organisations to meet customers’ needs and expectations. The perceived helpfulness of reviews analysed in this paper can also help practitioners and scholars to understand those factors that make reviews more trustable. Originality/value From a methodological point of view, the main contribution of this research is the utilisation of an unstructured approach to the measurement of the destination image based on the sentiment analysis of shared opinions. From a theoretical point of view, the study relates the post-visit destination image with the pre-visit image formation process, using the sentiment orientation of the former and the perceived helpfulness of the latter.

The role played by job and non-job-related TMT diversity traits on firm performance and strategic change

Purpose – Despite an increasing number of studies focusing on workforce diversity, few consistent results and conclusions have yet been reached (Shore et al., 2009). The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrative model of diversity, taking the Upper Echelon Theory further. Design/methodology/approach – The model proposed tests the influence of job-related and non-job-related (or task-related) top management team (TMT) diversity on firm performance and strategic change. The mediation effect of performance on the TMT diversity-strategic change relation is emphasized in the model. A covariance-based structural equation modelling has been used to test the relationships involved in the research model. Findings – An inverse relation between prior organizational performance and strategic change is found and some TMT diversity predictors appear to be more relevant than others in explaining performance and strategic change. In addition the mediator role of performance significantly influences the TMT diver...

Corporate Social Responsibility perception versus human values: a structural equation modeling approach

ABSTRACT In the business world, increasing importance is being given to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Consumer perception of CSR is determinant on the success of CSR practices and this perception is directly influenced by individual value structures. Despite research efforts and the continued preoccupation of CSR role in business and Society, few studies to date have analyzed jointly CSR perception and the value structure. As a result, the paper brings new knowledge of the relationship between basic human values and CSRs perception under a particular social initiative carried out by a company. To reach our purpose a Hierarchical Component Model which includes the variable gender to control for heterogeneity is adopted. The model focuses on not only by analyzing the effects of human values on CSR but also analyzes the influence of values by gender on CSR perception. This approach to study the relationship of CSR versus values considering the Schwartzs higher-order values and the moderating role of gender constitutes a new perspective. The main results of this study reveal the influence of values on CSR, the strength of those relationships and the importance of analyzing the moderator effect to control for heterogeneity.

Does Sun-and-Sea All-Inclusive Tourism Contribute to Poverty Alleviation and/or Income Inequality Reduction? The Case of the Dominican Republic:

Tourism represents one of the most important industries in the world and one of the sectors of fastest growth. An understanding of the relation between tourism and poverty is key for poverty reduction in developing countries. The impact of tourism on the reduction of both poverty and inequality in income distribution is analyzed in this paper in the Dominican Republic (within the Caribbean Community of Small Island Developing States). The Ng and Perron test for analyzing time series stationarity and the AutoRegressive Distributed Lag bounds test were used to determine the existence of long-term relationships. The short-run dynamic models represented by the Error Correction Models were also estimated. The results showed that income from tourism has not alleviated poverty and has clearly failed to reduce inequality in the distribution of wealth. Finally, management implications are also provided for public and private bodies wishing to achieve sustainable tourism.

The mediating role of experience quality on authenticity and satisfaction in the context of cultural-heritage tourism

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of experience quality between the dimensions of authenticity and satisfaction in the context of cultural-heritage tourism. This paper investigates the direct influences of these variables on satisfaction and the indirect influences of two dimensions of authenticity on satisfaction through quality of experience. This study is a pioneer in analysing the influence of each of the two dimensions of authenticity on satisfaction via quality of experience in a cultural-heritage context. A questionnaire survey administered to 205 visitors in the City of York, United Kingdom, was analysed using the structural equation modelling technique. The findings confirmed the direct and indirect influence of the variable authenticity in its double perspective (objective and existential authenticity) on satisfaction. The findings also identified the mediating role of quality of experience on authenticity and satisfaction. It is therefore recommended that cultural tourism attractions should be offered that provide visitors with a high quality authentic and personal experience in order to enhance visitor satisfaction.

Heritage Economies: The Past Meets the Future in the Mall

The relationships between heritage, economic development and regeneration are now so close, and so interwoven, that one could be forgiven for believing that heritage provides an infallible source of value just waiting to be realized in ‘strategies for growth’, ‘revitalization’, ‘urban renaissance’ and so forth (see, for example, the UK government’s Statement on the Historic Environment for England [Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2010]). UNESCO’s designation of World Heritage Status contains an explicit promise of good things to follow, and economic development is key among them (Arezki et al., 2012). In this post-industrial age, when the consumer, more than the producer of goods, defines economic activity (Bauman, 2001), heritage is said to act as the catalyst (Euromed, 2002, p. 15; Greffe, 2009; English Heritage, 2013) that draws down, with its ‘intrinsic’ worth, the freely circulating capital associated with globalization and helps to create new places of consumption. The Statement on the Historic Environment for England is emblematic: Aside from its inherent cultural value, the historic environment also has an important role to play in helping Government to achieve many of its broader goals. It can be a powerful driver for economic growth, attracting investment and tourism, and providing a focus for successful regeneration. Alongside the best in new design, it is an essential element in creating distinctive, enjoyable and successful places in which to live and work.

Exploring the antecedents of firm performance in a Latin-American and European diverse industrial context

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the top management team (TMT) intangible assets (demographical and managerial experience) diversity which influences firm performance in a diverse industrial context. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses 159 whole TMTs from Latin American and European enterprises. The study focuses on three indicators (sales, return on assets and return on sales) as proxies of firm performance. The hypotheses formulated were tested using panel data and applying a random-effects model. Findings The paper reveals a large degree of volatility in the findings depending on the type of firm performance indicator. This provides insights regarding the controversy surrounding the black box Upper Echelon Theory and for entrepreneurial purposes concerning the relationship between TMT composition and the achievement of a high level performance. Research limitations/implications This study could be extended by analysing other important variables, such as top mangers’ physiolo...