Martina G. Gallarza

Destination image: towards a conceptual framework.

Abstract This paper presents a review and discussion of the concept and measurement of destination image, within an intradisciplinary marketing perspective. Both theoretical and methodological aspects of this concept and measurement are treated. Based on the existence of three dimensions of object, subject and attributes, previous studies are analyzed. A taxonomy of the methodological and statistical procedures for measuring the image of the destinations is also proposed in order to help researchers to capture and measure the image construct. The paper proposes a conceptual model featuring its complex, multiple, relativistic and dynamic nature as a more comprehensive framework of destination image.

The quality-value-satisfaction-loyalty chain: relationships and impacts

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the classical topics of services literature in a tourism experience with a means‐end‐model on the quality‐value‐satisfaction‐loyalty chain. Within this wide stream of research, this work has a particular interest on value antecedents and on the sense of the link between value and satisfaction.Design/methodology/approach – An overall tourism experience with positive and negative antecedents (benefits and sacrifices experienced) and classical evaluations (perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty as behavioral intention) is analyzed through two competing structural models measured with partial least squares on a sample of 274 students traveling in groups for leisure purposes.Findings – The empirical findings show that: the chain of constructs service quality‐perceived value‐customer satisfaction‐loyalty is once again confirmed in a service setting; affective antecedents (social value, play and aesthetics) are more important determinants of perceived value an...

Consumer behavior in a religious event experience: an empirical assessment of value dimensionality among volunteers.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present volunteering in tourism events as a sort of spontaneous community participation that has far‐reaching consequences for destination management. It chooses the concept of value to explore volunteering experience in an international religious mega‐event, using Holbrooks value typology (efficiency, social value, play, spirituality).Design/methodology/approach – The authors undertake this objective by means of testing psychometric properties of the four value scales, as well as providing a causal model of relationships among value dimensions and overall perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty or commitment to volunteering in a special event tested with MBPLS, a particular algorithm for the partial least squares methodology.Findings – The results confirm the reliability and validity of the scales tested in a sample of 1,638 volunteers, collected via e‐mail from the database of a religious mega‐event held in Valencia in July 2006. They also confirm a relations...

Emotions and visitors satisfaction at a museum

Purpose – This research aims to investigate whether emotions can be considered as a suitable variable to segment visitors at a museum. Furthermore, it seeks to analyse whether emotions influence visitor satisfaction and whether this depends on objective variables (such as age, gender and level of education) or not. Design/methodology/approach – A structured questionnaire was developed and data were collected at the National Museum of Archaeology “G.A. Sanna” in Sardinia (Italy) via 410 face-to-face interviews. Hierarchical and non-hierarchical cluster analyses and a series of chi-squared tests were run for the purpose of the study. Findings – Two segments were identified. The cluster with the higher positive emotions reported perceiving a higher level of attractiveness and uniqueness at the museum, and of being more satisfied than the other group. Furthermore, no significant differences were reported between the two segments based on socio-demographic characteristics. Research limitations/implications – T...

A New Multiblock PLS Based Method to Estimate Causal Models: Application to the Post-Consumption Behavior in Tourism

This study presents a new algorithm for estimating causal models based on multiblock PLS method. This new algorithm is tested in a particular post-consumption behavior with the aim of validating a complex system of relations between antecedents of value, perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty. The results are compared with the classical LVPLS method: both methods support the proposed structural relations, but the explained variance is slightly higher with the new algorithm.

Stretching the value-satisfaction-loyalty chain by adding value dimensions and cognitive and affective satisfactions

Purpose – Consensus on how value dimensions are drivers of overall perceived value is a widespread reality in consumer behaviour literature. But scanty research has been done on which of these value dimensions best predict customer loyalty. The purpose of this paper is to propose a causal model that examines how PERVAL dimensions of value affect customers’ loyalty, through both cognitive and affective satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – The model is tested on a sample of 820 Spanish retail customers and the findings suggest that product quality and value for money (cognitive) impact customer loyalty through emotional and social value (affective), with significant direct and indirect effects through both cognitive and affective satisfaction. Findings – Notably, the results highlight the mediating role of shoppers’ emotional and social value on the linkages between satisfaction and loyalty. Therefore, this study has proved the embedded impact of value dimensions on overall satisfaction and behaviour...

Intrinsic value dimensions and the value-satisfaction-loyalty chain: a causal model for services

Purpose Within the abundant and not always unanimous body or research on conceptual and methodological approaches to consumer value in services, there are two areas of relative consensus: the multidimensional nature of value (intra-variable approach) and the existence of causal relations with other constructs (inter-variable approach). This work aims to contribute additional knowledge in both areas, with a joint approach in a structural model tested for hospitality services. Design/methodology/approach The study proposes four scales of intrinsic values (entertainment, aesthetics, ethics and spirituality as relaxation), based on Holbrook’s (1999) value typology, and a casual model to be used to measure the relationships between these four values and overall perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty. The model is tested with PLS on a sample of 585 hotel guests on the island of Sardinia (Italy). Findings The psychometric properties of all four value scales, created ad hoc, are tested and approved. Results on the causal model show contrasted links on the intra-variable approach, entertainment, aesthetics and spirituality (measured as relaxation), are positive antecedents of perceived value, while the path ethics-overall value is not confirmed. The value–satisfaction–loyalty chain is fully confirmed, with strong linkages. Research limitations/implications The authors acknowledge the use of a convenience sample, of mainly leisure tourists. Practical implications The implications for managers are derived on the need of considering extra drivers (intrinsic and therefore fully experiential) of satisfaction and loyalty. Originality/value Research on value has been qualified as not univocal and controversial. This study adds knowledge on the use of four less common value types (intrinsic ones) and sheds light on their nature as antecedents of the well-known value–satisfaction–loyalty chain.

A multidimensional service-value scale based on Holbrook’s typology of customer value: Bridging the gap between the concept and its measurement

Purpose In the fertile line of research on consumer value from the services literature, a gap exists between theoretical and empirical knowledge, in particular regarding Holbrook’s conceptual value framework. The purpose of this paper is to find construct validity for a multidimensional value scale based on Holbrook’s proposal. Design/methodology/approach Based on a literature review, a qualitative phase, and consultation with an expert, eight value scales (efficiency, service quality, play, aesthetics, status, esteem, ethics, and escapism as an adaptation of spirituality) are tested on a sample of 585 hotel customers and are further analyzed with simple and partial correlations, multiple regressions, and structural modeling. Findings Following the literature on the merits of Holbrook’s value typology, results are presented in three concatenated phases: validation of Holbrook’s eight value scales corresponding to his eight value types; interrelationships between these value types showing a predominance of the extrinsic-intrinsic and self-other dimensions; and construction of six indices based on the 2×2×2 matrix (self, other, extrinsic, intrinsic, active, and reactive) and a value index as a higher-order representation. The results support Holbrook’s typology, thereby supporting construct validity for the multidimensional scales. Research limitations/implications Implications for further conceptual research on value are presented. Meanwhile, the empirical study is context-specific, i.e. related to a hospitality experience. Originality/value Although Holbrook’s typology has gained widespread attention, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous research has tested all eight value types simultaneously in the same empirical work.

Managers’ Perceptions of Delivered Value in the Hospitality Industry

Although management literature has deeply reported the importance of assessing customers’ value perceptions, little attention has been paid to managers’ value perceptions (delivered value). This article presents a conceptual model of relationships between delivered value and customer orientation, service culture, and managers’ perception of customer satisfaction, tested with mulitblock PLS among 200 hospitality managers. Additionally, we present an index on a multidimensional scale of delivered value built with multitable analysis. Results support the proposed conceptual model and show increasing intensities of both the links in the model and the index by different hotel categories. The research offers valuable insights for avoiding marketing myopia as it provides managers with easy-to-read information on their own value provision.

In Which Type of Healthcare Do Patients Show Greater Loyalty? (Public Sector Management vs. Public-Private Partnership)

Introduction: The present study analyses the patients behavior in a setting with different management types: public sector management and public-private partnership. More specifically, the objective is to establish in which healthcare type (hospitalization, ambulatory surgery, emergencies, outpatients consultation) do the patients show a stronger loyal behavior when they are in different management scenarios. Material and methods: A descriptive analysis based on secondary data collected from an internal database of the Conselleria de Sanidad of the Valencian Community in Spain, a scenario with two different healthcare management types (public sector management and public-private partnership) was conducted. Results: Higher patient flows in two healthcare types (emergency and outpatient consultation); disparate growth of the patients’ net basis; partnership favors maintaining the relationship with the patient thus preventing dropout; specialization of the public-private partnership in an assistance type: ambulatory 1 Hellín Hospital, Hellín, Spain. * Corresponding author: remedios.calero@mail.ucv.es 2 Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain. Rev. Cienc. Salud. Bogotá, Colombia, vol.16 (3): 492-509, septiembre-diciembre de 2018 ARTÍCULOS DE INVESTIGACIÓN CLÍNICA O EXPERIMENTAL