Predicting Private and Public Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Rural Tourism Contexts Using SEM and fsQCA: The Role of Destination Image and Relationship Quality

The importance of pro-environmental behavior in tourism has been established, but explaining its sub-dimensions, especially in the private and public dimensions, is under-researched. Existing literature on tourism research mainly uses SEM to analyze tourist pro-environmental behavior, while fsQCA is...

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Main Authors: Xiaojuan Rao, Hongliang Qiu, Alastair M. Morrison, Wei Wei, Xihua Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-03-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/3/448
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author Xiaojuan Rao
Hongliang Qiu
Alastair M. Morrison
Wei Wei
Xihua Zhang
author_facet Xiaojuan Rao
Hongliang Qiu
Alastair M. Morrison
Wei Wei
Xihua Zhang
author_sort Xiaojuan Rao
collection DOAJ
description The importance of pro-environmental behavior in tourism has been established, but explaining its sub-dimensions, especially in the private and public dimensions, is under-researched. Existing literature on tourism research mainly uses SEM to analyze tourist pro-environmental behavior, while fsQCA is scarcely implemented. In this study, SEM is applied to reveal the links among destination image, relationship quality, and pro-environmental behavior, while fsQCA is utilized to investigate configurations predicting pro-environmental behavior. Responses of 285 tourists were collected and analyzed to test the proposed hypotheses. The SEM results showed that (1) destination image directly and positively affected relationship quality (including satisfaction and destination trust); (2) relationship quality was found to positively and directly influence private and public pro-environmental behaviors; (3) relationship quality did mediate the influence of destination image on private pro-environmental behavior partially, while it played a full mediating role in the effect of destination image on public pro-environmental behavior. The findings from fsQCA indicated that (1) three sufficient configurations consistently lead to a high level of private pro-environmental behavior: (a) high destination image and satisfaction, (b) high destination image and trust, (c) high relationship quality; (2) there was only one sufficient causal configuration for a high level of public pro-environmental behavior: high relationship quality. The results provide tenable evidence that relationship quality can be a vital factor enhancing the sub-dimensions of pro-environmental behavior. The integration of these two methods helps to open the black box of tourist pro-environmental behavior in rural tourism contexts in a more systematic and holistic way.
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spelling doaj.art-1d55c1465357489ab2bd7437a41477842023-11-30T21:12:02ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2022-03-0111344810.3390/land11030448Predicting Private and Public Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Rural Tourism Contexts Using SEM and fsQCA: The Role of Destination Image and Relationship QualityXiaojuan Rao0Hongliang Qiu1Alastair M. Morrison2Wei Wei3Xihua Zhang4School of Business Administration, Tourism College of Zhejiang, Hangzhou 311231, ChinaSchool of Business Administration, Tourism College of Zhejiang, Hangzhou 311231, ChinaDepartment of Marketing, Events and Tourism, Greenwich Business School, Old Royal Naval College, Park Row, Greenwich, London SE10 9LS, UKDepartment of Hospitality Services, Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32819, USASchool of Cooperative Economics, Zhejiang Institute of Economics and Trade, Hangzhou 310018, ChinaThe importance of pro-environmental behavior in tourism has been established, but explaining its sub-dimensions, especially in the private and public dimensions, is under-researched. Existing literature on tourism research mainly uses SEM to analyze tourist pro-environmental behavior, while fsQCA is scarcely implemented. In this study, SEM is applied to reveal the links among destination image, relationship quality, and pro-environmental behavior, while fsQCA is utilized to investigate configurations predicting pro-environmental behavior. Responses of 285 tourists were collected and analyzed to test the proposed hypotheses. The SEM results showed that (1) destination image directly and positively affected relationship quality (including satisfaction and destination trust); (2) relationship quality was found to positively and directly influence private and public pro-environmental behaviors; (3) relationship quality did mediate the influence of destination image on private pro-environmental behavior partially, while it played a full mediating role in the effect of destination image on public pro-environmental behavior. The findings from fsQCA indicated that (1) three sufficient configurations consistently lead to a high level of private pro-environmental behavior: (a) high destination image and satisfaction, (b) high destination image and trust, (c) high relationship quality; (2) there was only one sufficient causal configuration for a high level of public pro-environmental behavior: high relationship quality. The results provide tenable evidence that relationship quality can be a vital factor enhancing the sub-dimensions of pro-environmental behavior. The integration of these two methods helps to open the black box of tourist pro-environmental behavior in rural tourism contexts in a more systematic and holistic way.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/3/448pro-environmental behaviorrelationship marketingdestination imagerelationship qualityrural tourismSEM
spellingShingle Xiaojuan Rao
Hongliang Qiu
Alastair M. Morrison
Wei Wei
Xihua Zhang
Predicting Private and Public Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Rural Tourism Contexts Using SEM and fsQCA: The Role of Destination Image and Relationship Quality
Land
pro-environmental behavior
relationship marketing
destination image
relationship quality
rural tourism
SEM
title Predicting Private and Public Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Rural Tourism Contexts Using SEM and fsQCA: The Role of Destination Image and Relationship Quality
title_full Predicting Private and Public Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Rural Tourism Contexts Using SEM and fsQCA: The Role of Destination Image and Relationship Quality
title_fullStr Predicting Private and Public Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Rural Tourism Contexts Using SEM and fsQCA: The Role of Destination Image and Relationship Quality
title_full_unstemmed Predicting Private and Public Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Rural Tourism Contexts Using SEM and fsQCA: The Role of Destination Image and Relationship Quality
title_short Predicting Private and Public Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Rural Tourism Contexts Using SEM and fsQCA: The Role of Destination Image and Relationship Quality
title_sort predicting private and public pro environmental behaviors in rural tourism contexts using sem and fsqca the role of destination image and relationship quality
topic pro-environmental behavior
relationship marketing
destination image
relationship quality
rural tourism
SEM
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/3/448
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AT alastairmmorrison predictingprivateandpublicproenvironmentalbehaviorsinruraltourismcontextsusingsemandfsqcatheroleofdestinationimageandrelationshipquality
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