Commitment is an act, not a word: Examining members' commitment to travel-related online communities. (October 2020) - Zhou, Yuan
Highlights: OTC is important in distribution of tourism products by offering multiple benefits to both travelers and travel providers. Personal influences, social influences, and OTC characteristics impact members' commitment and behavioral intentions. Relevant and targeted advertisements to committed OTC members can be an important tool for stimulating customer behavior. Abstract: This study proposes and tests a theory-driven model of online travel community (OTC) commitment, its determinants and outcomes. Additionally, this study also tests the moderating role of advertising towards the impact of OTC commitment on products/services-related behavioral intentions. Using an online survey platform, data were collected from 569 respondents in China. Then, data were subjected to PLS-SEM and findings reveal that OTC members' commitment is determined by personal influences, social influences, and OTC characteristics, which further shape their behavioral intentions. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in the end.