The Effects of Self-Image Congruence, Tourists’ Experiences and Satisfaction on Behavioral Intention

Self-image congruence is recognised as an important construct in explaining and predicting various aspects of consumer behaviour. However, empirical investigations on the application of self-congruence theories to understand tourists’ post-consumption behaviours are still in its infancy. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of self-image congruence, cruisers’ experiences and satisfaction on intention to recommend. Partial Least Square (PLS) path modelling was used to test the hypotheses. Results indicate that self-image congruence (actual and ideal) has significant direct effects on cruisers’ experiences, which in turn influence tourists’ satisfaction. In addition, satisfaction mediates the relationship between cruisers’ experiences and intention to recommend. Overall, this research further establishes the validity of self-congruity theory in the context of cruising, an under-explored area in tourism literature and offers important managerial implications

"Who am I and where do I Belong?" An Exploratory Study of the Construction of Identities of People from Mixed Heritage Backgrounds in Britain

There are many historical and social discourses related to people from mixed heritage backgrounds and their experiences. These have mainly focused on ‘race’, excluding other aspects of mixed heritage such as ethnicity, culture, nationality, language and faith. Dominant discourses and prevailing psychological theories have constructed this group as marginal and with identity difficulties. Despite being the fastest upcoming minority ethnic group, mixed heritage identities remains underdeveloped in Britain, in terms of clinical work and psychological research. In particular, broader aspects of the mixed heritage experience outside of skin colour have not yet been thoroughly examined. Nationality was seen as an important representation of these wider aspects, however there has been little focus on the impact of having parents from different countries on mixed heritage individuals. This study is a qualitative exploration of the construction of identities of people from mixed heritage backgrounds in Britain. Ten participants (age 18-32) with parents from different birth countries were interviewed about, their mixed identities and experiences growing up in Britain, and how they define themselves. The results were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Four main themes were identified: “Best of Both Worlds”, ‘Facing Exclusion’, ‘Belonging’ ‘The Importance of Heritage Language’. The key factors that were important to them were: cultural knowledge; heritage languages; grandparents; non-visual aspects of identity; needing all aspects of identity to feel complete; and the ability to self-define. Lastly, an evaluation of the study and possible implications of the findings are presented

Dimensions of Tourists’ Emotional Experiences towards Hedonic Holiday Destinations

Destinations are more likely to be successful if they recognize the experiential qualities of their offerings. However, with some exceptions, research into the emotional content of the destination experience remains largely underexplored. This current research addresses this lacuna and empirically investigates the dimensions of tourists’ emotional experiences towards hedonic holiday destinations. Adopting a rigorous scale development procedure, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identify three salient dimensions to represent the destination emotion scale (DES) namely: joy, love and positive surprise. Additionally, tourists’ emotional experiences were related to satisfaction, which in turn has a significant influence on behavioural intentions. Findings offer important implications for destination marketers in relation to branding and emotional experience management

Children Sustainable Behaviour: A Review and Research Agenda

Adopting state-of-the-art practices, this article systematically reviews the extant body of knowledge on children sustainable behaviour. Our review uncovers and synthesises core themes of children sustainable behaviour into an organising framework and offers implications for theory, policy and practice. The paper acknowledges the relevance and interplay of the family and other socialisation agents such as the media and nature, with children to shape sustainable behaviours. The review identifies several gaps in the literature and advances a theoretical and methodological agenda for future research. Our article serves as a strong foundation for consumer re- searchers interested in contributing to knowledge on children sustainable behaviour

Away from home: how young Chinese consumers travel with global brands?

This interpretive study investigates how a group of young Chinese students consume global brands of American origins, in China and in the UK. More specifically, this research examines how meanings attached to global food brands travel abroad with consumers and investigates the relationship between brand consistency and brand meanings across national boundaries. Findings from a thematic analysis of focus group interviews conducted over a nine-month period, reveal that some brand meanings are context and culture specific (contextual meanings) while other meanings travel with consumers across borders (core meanings). Theoretically, this study shows how global brands provide a platform of structural meanings, ideas and practices that are global and globalising in themselves, allowing a degree of fluidity and adaptation in relation to the local context of consumption