Sanghyeop Lee

Role of service encounter and physical environment performances, novelty, satisfaction, and affective commitment in generating cruise passenger loyalty

ABSTRACT This research developed a theoretical model explaining the relationship between service encounter performance, physical environment performance, novelty, overall satisfaction, and loyalty in the cruise context. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis showed that service encounter performance and physical environment performance were significant predictors of novelty, which in turn affected overall satisfaction and loyalty. The mediation test indicated that novelty significantly mediated the effect of service encounter performance and physical environment performance on satisfaction; and overall satisfaction significantly mediated the relationship between novelty and loyalty. The relationship between physical environment performance and novelty and the relationship between novelty and overall satisfaction were significant in the high affective commitment group. In addition, the relationship between novelty and loyalty was only significant in the low affective commitment group.

Understanding Airline Travelers’ Perceptions of Well-Being: The Role of Cognition, Emotion, and Sensory Experiences in Airline Lounges

ABSTRACT This study investigated the relationships among cognition, emotion, sensory, well-being perception, satisfaction, word-of-mouth, and intention to revisit airline lounges. Results of the structural analysis revealed that travelers’ overall perceptions of well-being were more dependent on the cognitive and sensory dimensions of the lounge experience, and cognitive evaluation was more influential than sensory evaluation in enhancing this perception of well-being. Our results indicated that travelers’ perceived well-being with regard to the airline lounge experience induced high levels of satisfaction. Moreover, it was identified that this perception of well-being was not enough to generate travelers’ positive word-of-mouth, but it did ensure their repatronage.

Consequences of cruise line involvement: a comparison of first-time and repeat passengers

Purpose This study aims to test the relationships among involvement, perceived price, perceived quality, affective satisfaction, perceived value, attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty in the cruise line industry. In addition, this study attempted to identify whether the differences in these variables exist across first-time and repeat cruise customers. Design/methodology/approach The web-based survey was used. A total of 403 complete responses were used for data analysis. Anderson and Gerbing’s (1988) two-step approach was used to achieve study objectives. Findings The t-test analyses demonstrated that repeat cruise customers expressed significantly lower perceived price and higher affective satisfaction, perceived value and behavioral loyalty than first-time cruise travelers. The structural equation modeling results revealed that involvement has an important role in loyalty generation process. However, the structural model did not significantly differ across first-time and repeat customers. Practical implications Overall, the results indicated the critical needs to develop individuals’ interest in cruise vacation with a particular cruise line. Cruise line operators who undertake promotion efforts that enhance people involvement with their cruise line should result in greater likelihood of choosing the same cruise line in the future. Originality/value With a lack of research about cruise line involvement and loyalty, this research contributes to theoretical understanding of intricate attitudinal and behavioral loyalty generation process across first-time and repeat cruise passengers.

Price, people, location, culture and reputation: determinants of Malaysia as study destination by international hospitality and tourism undergraduates

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine why international hospitality and tourism (H&T) undergraduates (IHTUs) travel to Malaysia for higher education and what factors influence their choices. In-depth interviews were conducted with IHTUs studying in six different private higher education institutions. Thematic analysis found five noble factors: price, people, location, culture and reputation. Our findings can assist Malaysian private institutions in better meeting IHTUs’ expectations and reinforcing their loyalty to the institution. Our results can also be useful to improve the quality of the H&T educational systems in Malaysia and simultaneously facilitate the country’s greater aim of becoming a knowledge-based economy and retaining sufficient skilled labor for the H&T industry. Moreover, the results of this study can be effectively used when inventing strategies for the development of international education tourism in Malaysia.

Investigating the key drivers of traveler loyalty in the airport lounge setting

ABSTRACT This study intended to examine the structural relationships among functional congruity factors, delight, well-being perception, brand identification, and traveler satisfaction in the formation of air traveler loyalty for airline lounges. The survey sample consisted of 394 air travelers who visited an airline lounge in airport in the U.S. during the past six months. Structural equation modeling was used to test the conceptual model. Results of the structural equation modeling indicated that functional congruity of the physical environments and facilities were significantly and positively associated with delight, which in turn, affected air travelers’ perceived well-being and satisfaction level in the lounge. It was also found that well-being perception significantly and positively affected brand identification and satisfaction, and loyalty was a positive and significant function of satisfaction. The mediation test showed that delight and well-being perception were significant mediators in the proposed theoretical framework. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Shaping and enhancing airport lounge experiences: The application of brand personality and image congruity theories

Purpose In consideration of the lack of research regarding airline lounge customers’ behavior, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among brand personality, self-congruity, functional congruity, positive emotion, customer satisfaction and revisit intentions in airline lounges. Design/methodology/approach On the basis of theoretical associations among study constructs, a conceptual model was proposed and tested using the data collected from airline lounge patrons through an online survey. Findings The empirical results showed that brand personality was positively related to self-congruity. Self-congruity was significantly associated with positive emotions and functional congruity. In addition, functional congruity was significantly associated with positive emotions. This result also indicated that positive emotion significantly influenced customer satisfaction. The mediation tests showed that both self-congruity and functional congruity significantly affected customer satisfaction through positive emotion. Customer satisfaction was a significant predictor of revisit intentions within the context of airline lounges. Practical implications Overall, these results help airline lounge operators understand lounge travelers who become more demanding with regard to brand personality, self-congruity and functional congruity. Originality/value This research was the first to test the effectiveness of image congruity theory in the domain of airline lounges. Our findings contribute to the body of knowledge on customer behaviors in airline lounges and image congruity.

The Role of Physical Environment in Leisure Service Consumption: Evidence From a Ski Resort Setting

Despite the importance of physical environment in hedonic service consumption, little is known about the extent to which physical environment influences ski resort visitors’ cognition, emotion, and behaviors. This study investigated the relationships among physical environmental stimuli (i.e., layout accessibility, aesthetics, cleanliness, and other visitors), perceived quality of physical environment, excitement, and behavioral intentions in ski resort. This study also attempted to test the moderating role of enduring involvement in the formation of behavioral intentions. Results showed that cleanliness and other visitors significantly and positively influenced visitors’ perceived quality of physical environment and excitement. The results suggest that physical environment is of great importance for the ski resort business. Perceived quality was indeed a significant predictor of excitement, which, in turn, positively influenced behavioral intentions. Finally, the study found that the effect of excitement on behavioral intentions was significant across high and low enduring involvement groups.

The role of brand personality, self-congruity, and sensory experience in elucidating sky lounge users’ behavior

ABSTRACT This study attempted to develop an integrated model linking brand personality, self-image congruity, hedonic and utilitarian values, and behavioral intentions in the sky lounge context. Our results indicated that brand personality was significantly related to self-image congruity, which in turn influenced hedonic and utilitarian values. While hedonic value significantly affected intentions to revisit and recommend, utilitarian value significantly influenced intention to recommend. Moreover, self-image congruity and values played a significant mediating role. Furthermore, the links from hedonic value to intentions to revisit and recommend, and from utilitarian value to intention to revisit were significantly moderated by sensory experience.

Investigation of cruise vacationers’ behavioral intention formation in the fast-growing cruise industry: The moderating impact of gender and age

With limited research regarding the effect of personal characteristics on the cruise decision-making process, this study attempted to investigate the interrelationships between quality factors (i.e. physical environment quality, interactional quality, and outcome quality), satisfaction, affective commitment, and behavioral intentions across gender and age groups. Our findings indicated that both interactional quality and outcome quality were significantly related to vacationer satisfaction. The mediation test revealed that both vacationer satisfaction and affective commitment played a significant mediating role in the proposed theoretical framework. The moderation test indicated that the paths from physical environment quality to vacationer satisfaction and from outcome quality to vacationer satisfaction differed significantly across males and females. In addition, our findings indicated that the link between vacationer satisfaction and affective commitment differed significantly across high and low age groups.

Key Determinants of Upscale Restaurant Patrons’ Repeat Purchase Behavior: Testing the Impact of Inertia

ABSTRACT As the intensity of competition grows in the upscale restaurant marketplace, customer retention is becoming increasingly more vital. Understanding how to retain existing patrons and identifying the drivers of retention are essential for every restaurant’s success. This study examined the role of reputation, service performance, and affect in generating retention in an upscale restaurant sector by considering the moderating impact of inertia. An online survey method was employed to collect the data. A structural equation modeling was utilized to test the proposed model and hypothesized relationships. Findings of the measurement model assessment showed the adequate level of the measurement quality. Results of the structural analysis revealed that the proposed linkages among research variables are all significant. These variables also satisfactorily accounted for the total variance in retention. Our findings further indicated the criticality of positive affect as compared to other research variables. Lastly, inertia was identified to include an important moderating impact on the negative affect and retention relationship. Overall, the results of the present study provide valuable information to restaurant practitioners and researchers concerning patron retention.