The impact of restaurant patrons’ flow experience on SNS satisfaction and offline purchase intentions
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
ISSN: 0959-6119
Article publication date: 12 February 2018
Abstract
Purpose
It is important for restaurants’ social networking sites (SNSs) to provide a flow experience because it encourages positive brand responses and attracts consumers. However, there is a paucity of research on SNS flow experience in the restaurant industry, and more importantly, most of the research is focused only on online behavior. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how SNS flow antecedents (skill, challenge, telepresence and time distortion) influence overall flow, SNS satisfaction and offline restaurant purchase intentions. In addition, this study examined the mediating role of SNS satisfaction between flow and offline purchase intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was carried out to examine the patron’s flow experiences. 517 valid responses were analyzed to test hypotheses using structural equation model.
Findings
The results indicated that four antecedents of SNS flow positively influenced overall flow. Specifically, time distortion was the most influential antecedent. Overall flow positively influenced SNS satisfaction and offline purchase intentions. Furthermore, SNS satisfaction acted as a mediator between overall flow and offline purchase intentions.
Practical implications
The findings provide not only new insights for restaurant managers to implement SNS marketing but also several strategies to encourage consumer’s flow on restaurant SNS.
Originality/value
This study investigated the theoretical framework of flow experience more in depth than previous research as dealing with four dimensions of SNS flow antecedents: skill, challenge, telepresence and time distortion.
Keywords
Citation
Kang, J.-W., Lee, H. and Namkung, Y. (2018), "The impact of restaurant patrons’ flow experience on SNS satisfaction and offline purchase intentions", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 797-816. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-09-2016-0537
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited