Investigating the impact of tourist-perceived emotional convergence with tour leader on tourist’s shared frontline experience and unplanned purchase behavior
(A2019-9425)

AUTHORS

Wei-Bo Huang, Yuan Ze University; Cindy Chou, Yuan Ze University; Tseng-Lung Huang, Yuan Ze University

KEYWORDS

emotional convergence; specific asset; frontline employee

ABSTRACT

Drawing on Zablah and his colleagues’ (2017) shared frontline experience framework, this study investigates the effect of tour leader’s attachment style and personality similarity perceived by tourist on tourist’s perception of shared frontline experience and their subsequent relationship sustaining intention and unplanned buying behavior. 316 valid online responses are used from people who participate in at least one group-package-tour (GPT) in the past six months and have intention to attend the same tour leader’s GPT again. The analysis via SPSS 22.0 and Amos 20.0 find that the emotional convergence (i.e., attachment style and personality similarity) has significant effect on tourist’s shared frontline service experience, which in turn affects their intention for sustaining relationship intention and their unplanned buying behavior. Moreover, tourist’s shared frontline service experience partially mediates the relationships between attachment style, personality similarity and tourist’s relationship sustaining intention and unplanned buying behavior. Additionally, customer perceived autonomy moderates the effect of attachment style and tourist’s frontline shared experience, and between personality similarity and tourist’s frontline shared experience. Tourist-perceived specific asset is also found to moderate the relationships between tourist’s frontline shared experience and their relationship sustaining intention, and unplanned purchase behavior. Implications for tour operators and government agencies are discussed.

REFERENCES

This work is supported in part by Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology under Grant No. MOST 107-2813-C-155-011-H