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This research aimed to understand the experiences of tourists with intellectual disabilities using travel technologies , and to identify determinants and deterrents. A qualitative approach was adopted to execute the research across two studies. In Study 1, topic modeling analysis of online travel forum discussions was conducted to unearth consumer concerns around accessibility. Study 1 revealed that the voices of people with disabilities were omitted in the forum data. Building upon Study 1, in Study 2 we conducted four focus group interviews with tourists with intellectual disabilities to understand their opinions, attitudes, and perceptions towards the use of technology before and during travel. The findings yielded a redefined model conceptualizing the technology usage of tourists with disabilities, particularly for tourists with intellectual disabilities. Implications for co-creating experiences with technology with tourists with disabilities were discussed in relevance with theory and practice.

Purpose Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are typical corporate strategies that provide hospitality business competitiveness. However, some recent evidence shows that when the merged and acquired (M&Aed) restaurants have strong local characteristics, consumers feel betrayed and perceive the M&As, legitimate business activities, as immoral actions. Building upon expectancy violation theory and moral foundation theory, this study aims to examine the moderating role of locavorism on the indirect effects of preexisting relationship quality on desire for avoidance and psychological loss through brand betrayal and moral judgment. Design/methodology/approach This study used the M&A of Whataburger chain restaurant as the scenario and recruited 399 Texas Whataburger consumers. A moderated mediation model was developed to examine the mechanisms through which preexisting relationship quality on negative responses to M&A of local restaurants. Findings The results showed preexisting relationship quality influences desire for avoidance and psychological loss negatively through brand betrayal and moral judgment. The indirect effects of relationship quality on the desire for avoidance and psychological loss become more accentuated among locavores. Practical implications The results implied that merging and acquiring (M&Aing) companies should closely monitor consumer dialogues to promptly respond to post-M&A uncertainties when M&Aed company has a strong local identity. Originality/value The unique contribution of this study is showing why consumers have extreme negative emotions and judgment of immorality when M&A decisions are made for local hospitality brands through the lens of brand betrayal and moral foundation theory. The results can help M&Aing companies mitigate consumers’ negative responses to M&A of local restaurants.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate a holistic way of incorporating biophilic building design that creates a restorative environment attractive to prospective urban hotel employees. This study additionally examines the role of perceived well-being from nature attributes and associated impacts on emotions and likelihood to choose to work for a hotel with nature attributes. Design/methodology/approach This study used a conjoint analysis to detect the most resotrative individual and combinations of biophilic attributes that can improve employee well-being. In addition, nature attributes influence on emotions and intentions to work for a hotel were analyzed. Findings Results showed that not all nature attributes are equally evaluated by urban hotel prospective employees. In this study, the authors found that natural lighting, outdoor green views and indoor landscaping are important factors in the evaluation of an urban hotel with biophilic features. However, this tendency varies when the sample was divided by prospective employees’ who perceived higher or lower levels of well-being would be influenced by nature attributes. Originality/value Unlike previous studies, the authors tested a multiattribute design and results demonstrate the perceived restorative effect of nature attributes in an environment on prospective employees. In addition to extending the biophilic design in hospitality literature, the authors provide practical suggestions to urban hotels incorporating biophilic design and propose that specific elements have the propensity to enhance the well-being of prospective employees and reinforce positive emotions and intentions to work for urban hotels that incorporate them.

Despite the abundant evidence on the adverse effects of a food safety crisis on consumers, surprisingly little research has been conducted to explain the importance of consumers who are forgiving of failure. Drawing on a social intuitionist model, this study first tests the assumption that there is a distinction between the food safety crises vs. nonfood product crises from the moral psychology perspective. The results show that a food safety crisis evokes consumers’ stronger immorality judgment than a nonfood product crisis through disgust feeling. Then, the main study investigates the role of brand identification (affective-hot) and brand attitude strength (cognitive-cold) on the moral reasoning processes, including moral rationalization and moral decoupling. Results show that brand identification is an important indicator of both moral rationalization and moral decoupling strategies, while brand attitude strength only affects the moral decoupling, thus influencing consumers’ purchase intention.

Purpose Climate change and global population growth are threatening the sustainability of hospitality food systems. Foodservice organizations are seeking an optimal solution for this problem. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization proposed edible insects as a solution, yet the “yuck” factor discourages consumers from actively endorsing this option. Thus, this study aims to find ways to increase consumer acceptance of edible insects. Design/methodology/approach A 2 (message framing: hedonic vs utilitarian) × 2 (celebrity endorsement: absence vs presence) × 2 (social support: low vs high) between-subjects factorial design experiment was conducted. Findings The significant three-way interaction effects show that when celebrity endorsement is absent, there is no difference in restaurant advocacy (RA) and experience satisfaction between utilitarian and hedonic message framing, regardless of low (vs high) social support. However, when celebrity endorsement is present and social support is not lacking, a hedonic (vs a utilitarian) message had more significant effects on dependent variables. Conversely, when celebrity-endorsed messages receive high social support, utilitarian (vs hedonic) messages had a more substantial effect on the outcome variables. Originality/value This study contributes to alternative protein and associated consumer psychology and hospitality marketing literature by introducing marketing strategies for edible insects. By demonstrating the three-way interaction effects of message framing, celebrity, endorsement and social support on RA and experience satisfaction, this study could demonstrate some boundary conditions to consider when applying celebrity endorsement strategies (e.g. message framing and social support). Also, by addressing the effects of social support, this study builds upon the lack of hospitality literature on online social support.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to provide insight into customers’ psychological processes and behavioral responses after merger and acquisition (M&A) of an artisanal brand. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 adopts a qualitative approach to understand how craft-beer customers perceive M&A decisions. In Study 2, a two-conditioned (M&A types: local and local company M&A vs local and national company M&A) between-subjects design experiment was executed. Findings The findings of this study show M&A’s of artisanal brands cause identity stigmatization, resulting in customers’ identity dissonance and coping strategies. Which coping strategies a customer uses depends on their brand identity, product-category identity and M&A partner types. Research limitations/implications This was an exploratory study that serves as a starting point for future research. Future research could investigate the model proposed in this study by testing the effects of potential moderators and mediators. Practical implications The findings of the study enable companies to better anticipate post-M&A customer behavior, thereby enabling them to enhance their brand positioning when a competitor is acquired by a large company. Originality/value The popularity of locally produced and craft hospitality products has attracted the attention of large companies that acquire artisanal brands. There is a paucity of research investigating post- M&A customer reactions of locally owned artisanal companies by large companies.

Purpose Loyalty programs are pervasive across service industries. However, the examination of cross-customer effects represents a critical gap in the loyalty literature. To address this gap, this research conducts two between-subjects experimental design studies to examine traditional versus endowed loyalty status earner attitudinal loyalty intention toward the company, switching intentions and perceived unfairness. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 conducts a 2 (self: earned vs endowed) × 2 (others: earned vs endowed) between-subjects experimental design on the direct effects of attitudinal loyalty intention toward the company and switching intentions. Study 2 builds upon these findings by examining the mediation effect of perceived unfairness on the attitudinal loyalty intention toward the company and switching intentions. Findings Results from Study 1 find that cross-customer comparisons exist, and traditional loyalty members have negative attitudinal loyalty intention toward the company and switching intentions when comparing their rewards to endowed earner rewards. Study 2 examines an airline context and finds that unfairness mediates the relationship. Originality/value The research builds upon the literature surrounding cross-customer comparisons, loyalty programs, equity theory and endowed status and discusses the unintended negative consequences related to endowed loyalty rewards on other customer intentions that have critical managerial implications.

Given the increasing global population, the world cannot support the current food production techniques and their detrimental effects on land use, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and long-term sustainability issues. A key answer lies in the nature-based solution (NBS) of edible insects. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to explore the effects of regulator trust, perceived risk, and benefits on purchase activism and intent with relation to a new NBS to the food and sustainability crisis: edible insect foods. This research is grounded in the legitimacy process model. Results support the legitimacy process model and that customers use both risk and benefits in their analysis of supporting novel food products and purchase activism. The results of the study provide important theoretical support and managerial implications to this important NBS affecting the global population.

Purpose A growing number of travelers seek well-being when traveling. As concerning about outdoor air pollution in tourism destinations escalates, little is known about indoor air pollution in hotel guestrooms. The purpose of the present study is to assess particulate matter (PM) pollution in US hotel guestrooms and to provide baseline indoor PM readings in occupied and unoccupied rooms. Design/methodology/approach A series of field tests and experiments monitoring PM levels were conducted in the guestrooms overnight – with and without occupants – using the sophisticated, industrial-grade PM-monitoring equipment. Findings The results revealed that PM levels were very low when rooms were unoccupied or when guests were asleep. However, unhealthy PM mass concentrations were observed in occupied rooms when guests engaged in physical activity such as showering and walking around or while room attendants cleaned rooms. Among the physical activities, room cleaning caused hazardous indoor PM pollution, reaching 1,665.9 µg/m3 of PM10 and 140.4 µg/m3 of PM2.5 although they tended to be brief. Research limitations/implications Leveraging increasing guest demand in well-being is essential for sustainable business and further growth. Indoor air quality must be recognized as an important factor to be controlled for well-being and health of guests and employees. Major hotel brands should take it into consideration as they infuse well-being DNA into their products and culture. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first empirical investigation of PM pollution both in occupied and unoccupied hotel guestrooms in the USA, which reveals unhealthy PM pollution associated with the routine human activities in occupied guestrooms.

Purpose Despite the well-established branding literature, how a brand is connected to individual, market and societal/ideological levels are largely unknown. Grounded in the belief in a just world (BJW) theory, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of brand positioning status (BPS) on the support of certain brands (financially and non-financially) and examine the moderating roles of brand ideology and protestant work ethic (PWE). Design/methodology/approach In Study 1, a 2 (BPS: topdog vs underdog) × 2 (brand ideology: universalism vs power) between-subjects experimental design is conducted on overall brand support, purchase intention and word-of-mouth. To build upon the findings, Study 2 explores the three-way interaction effects on the same dependent variables by using a 2 (BPS: topdog vs underdog) × 2 (ideology: universalism vs power) × 2 (PWE: high vs low) quasi-experimental between-subjects design study. Findings The results of these studies reveal that customers have a strong intention to support the brands with universalism values, regardless of BPS, as power imbalance in the marketplace is not as salient. When a brand conveys the power ideology, the BPS greatly matters in earning customers’ support. This tendency, however, is varied among customers based on their level of PWE. This is because customers’ justification and evaluation on capitalism differs and their views toward market competitions between topdogs and underdogs are influenced by the personal worldviews. Originality/value The findings build upon belief in a just world theory and branding literature and discuss the importance of considering the BPS and the ideology a brand conveys in the marketplace, as the meanings and messages could be perceived differently based on what kind of work ethic one possesses and supports.

On-site foodservice management companies serve many people and have been dealing with severe food waste problems. Thus, many companies adopted clean technology to reduce food waste. This study aims to provide a meaningful understanding of the role of clean technology in food waste reduction goal setting and achievement in these companies. Through 16 expert interviews, this study found that clean technology adoption can make organizational food waste reduction goals more specific by its ability to measure and quantify: specified goals lower psychological distance (temporal, hypothetical, social). When objectives are understood at a concrete (vs. abstract) level, management can better develop detailed action plans and motivate employees to be part of them. However, employees may fear that clean technology can be used as a penalizing mechanism. Therefore, inner-organizational collaboration is critical to achieving sustainability goals and offsetting the double-sided nature of clean technology.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of brand experiences on visitors’ memory formation and their revisit intention to a special event. Design/methodology/approach This study collected survey data from the Great New England Air Show to examine the soundness of the proposed theoretical model. Data were analyzed with partial least squares–structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicate an individual’s brand experience in the context of a special event can assist him/her in becoming more involved and finding meaningfulness in the experience, and form greater readiness to store memory of the event. Memory formation triggered by brand experience can help event practitioners anticipate positive behaviors of visitors after the experience. Practical implications The results suggest that event marketing managers and decision makers should create strong brand experiences focused on a mix of sensory, affective, intellectual and behavioral messages linked to the larger brand knowledge and memory formation. Originality/value The development of a theoretical model explaining brand experience with the purpose of explaining the internalization of brand experience in memory formation was documented and the study validated the brand experience concept in a non-monetary setting.

Drawing on congruence theory, this study aims to examine the impact of internal brand management, perceived level of job opportunities, and their interaction effects on job applicants during the anticipatory socialization process in the hospitality industry. Data were collected from students and job seekers in the hospitality industry with qualitative (focus group interview) and quantitative approaches (2 × 2 and 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects quasi-experimental design). The findings indicate that recruiters who receive internal brand management have a positive impact on applicants’ congruence perception toward the brand. Furthermore, this effect becomes stronger when candidates perceive employment opportunities as abundant, which increases job attraction and job pursuit intentions.

This study aims to investigate the impact of consumer familiarity with edible insect food products on purchase intentions and expected liking. Based on persuasion and information processing theories, this study examines the roles of media trust and purchase activism as underlying psychological mechanisms. The findings of this study indicate that consumer familiarity contributes to the formation of media trust. It adds credibility to the media information and consumers can be more motivated to exercise their purchase activism as the edible insect food movement is closely related to social causes like sustainability. Activist motivation, then, changes consumers' behavioral outcomes such as purchase intention and expected liking of edible insect food products.

Brand failures are detrimental for the business success. However, the extant literature has not yet investigated in what situation a brand failure can be perceived more negatively than has ...

This study examines the effect of employer brand on employees’ brand love by applying value congruence theory. A survey was conducted with employees of well-known hotel brands in South Korea. The results show that not all employer brand dimensions equally contribute to the formation of brand love. While economic, social, and development values positively influence brand love, interest value and application value did not affect brand love formation. Employees’ value congruence perceptions mediate this effect because employees could infer what values employers care about based on the benefits that a hotel brand offers. This study contributes to the literature by linking value congruence with employer branding and brand love. Based on our findings, hospitality managers can redesign all work activities and apply employer branding principles to reflect employment value to achieve employee’s brand love.

Despite the copious anecdotal evidence available, research only recently examines the multidimensional dynamics associated with underdog brands and their essential, complex place in the business world. This research seeks to better conceptualize, operationalize, and refine the theories and constructs surrounding underdogs. The study conducts two 2 × 2 × 2 quasi-experimental between-subjects design studies to fulfill these objectives. Study 1 is designed to confirm that brand localness needs to be separated from underdog concepts as both brand cues distinctively prompt customers’ purchase activism depending on their political orientations. Study 2 extends the system justification theory by replicating Study 1 using a different context and refining control variables to better understand other potential explanations of customer behavior toward underdog/localness brand cues. The results indicate that brand positioning status and brand localness both have main effects on intent to purchase and willingness to pay a price premium. Furthermore, results find political orientation is an important moderator in determining whether customers purchase underdog brands.

In loyalty program (LP) literature, research on how non-loyalty program members would react to preferential treatment is scarce. Nested within reactance theory, this paper suggests that negative customer responses arise due to the perceived threat to freedom and that the effects are moderated by the importance of freedom and relationship norms. Through two 2 × 2 between-subjects-design experiments, our results indicate that when the perceived threat to freedom of receiving LP benefits is high, non-member customers show increased anger, decreased attitude towards the company, and decreased intention to revisit. Similar results are observed when a company presents the image of building a communal relationship with its customers and when non-member customers perceive a high threat to freedom in terms of receiving the LP benefits. Both studies indicate that the interaction effects are less pronounced when non-member customers perceive a low threat to freedom of receiving the LP benefits.

Tourism is an important contributor to a destination’s economy. This chapter addresses the meaning of local food diversity in tourist experiences, and presents a case from Houston, Texas, USA. It introduces two different types of travelers, one that prefers risk-averse food options such as standardized food chains and a more adventurous group of tourists who are open to different food experiences. The chapter discusses the importance of local food diversity in the formation of tourist experiences, and describes the various aspects of sustainable tourism. It explains how local foods’ contribution to sustainable tourism in all segments can create a sustainable destination identity and strengthen the integrity of food systems in regional areas for local inhabitants. Travelers’ local gastronomic experiences can help destinations build more sustainable and long-term economic and social development. The chapter concludes by providing practical suggestions and implications for industry practitioners and policy makers.

This chapter discusses the health and sustainability benefits of entomophagy and describes edible insect gastronomy. It examines insect gastronomy from a cultural and anthropological perspective and explores entomophagy from a global perspective. The chapter presents edible insect examples across the globe in terms of special events, packaged foods, casual establishments, and high-end gastronomic operations. Gastronomy involves discovering, tasting, experiencing, researching, understanding, and writing about food preparation, and the sensory qualities of food. The gastronomic experiment was designed to see if children could be induced to unlearn their disgust at eating bugs, and found that many of the children accepted that the insects were not only tasty, but nutritious too. Perhaps some of the largest adopters of the edible insect movement are high-end gastronomic restaurants and chefs. Insects are increasingly an addition to fine dining menus, as well as a solution to feeding the planets increasing population.

In the U.S., the foodservice industry has been responsible for significant portions of food waste. Recently, on-site foodservice industry leaders advocate for the potential use of imperfect produce. However, lack of research efforts on the use of imperfect produce limits its adoption by the industry. Thus, this study investigates ways to enhance guests’ perception of companies when they adopt imperfect produce in their operations. Grounded in stigma theory, this research conducted two studies to evaluate the application of stigma theory to imperfect produce in a foodservice setting: study one, 3 (disclosure strategies: simple vs. de-categorization vs. integration) × 2 (controllability: high vs. low) and study two, 3 (same disclosure strategies) × 2 (aesthetics: standard vs. aesthetic). Findings of this research indicate that simple disclosure strategies are not effective compared to the other two strategies. However, this depends on controllability of the stigma and environmental aesthetics of imperfect produce presentation.