Engaging customers with hospitality brands in social commerce activities

Abstract

Purpose

Social commerce is relatively a nascent notion that highlights the transactions of e-commerce facilitated through social media. This study aims to investigate the motivational factors driving customer brand engagement in social commerce activities within the hospitality sectors.

Design/methodology/approach

Guided by self-determination theory, this research examined both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors by surveying 588 hospitality customers in a structured questionnaire.

Findings

The results showed that intrinsically customers were motivated by knowledge, accomplishment and stimulation; while extrinsically customers were motivated by external and introjected regulation to affect their cognitive, affectional and behavioral engagement with hospitality brands through social commerce activities.

Originality/value

Given the emerging trends in customer brand engagement practices within the context of social commerce, this study investigates an understudied phenomenon and its relational drivers, which reveals its theoretical significance.

研究目的

社交电商是相对新型的概念, 其强调通过社交工具来达成电子商务交易。本论文探索其促使顾客参与到酒店品牌的社交电商活动中的各项促进因素。

研究设计/方法/途径

本研究以自决理论（SDT）为理论基础, 通过以结构问卷的形式, 调研588名酒店顾客, 来检测顾客参与的内因和外因各种因素。

研究结果

研究结果表明顾客内在驱动力源自于知识、成就、和激发等因素; 顾客外在驱动力源自于外部控制和联合控制等因素以影响其在认知、感官、和行动方面顾客参与酒店品牌的社交电商活动中来。

研究原创性/价值

由于社交电商的顾客参与行为是行业中的新兴趋势, 因此本论文研究了一个在学术上研究不足的领域以及其驱动力因素, 从而证实了本研究的理论价值。

Citation

Zhang, T., Jahromi, M.F., Hua, N. and Lu, L. (2020), "Engaging customers with hospitality brands in social commerce activities", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 627-642. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-04-2019-0056