Public Health and Online MICE Technology During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Health Beliefs and Technology Innovation

The traditional meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) industry has been hit hard by social distancing regulations introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, with concerns about pandemic risks and personal hygiene increasing the demand for online MICE technology. With the introdu...

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Main Authors: Jinge Yao, Qiwei Pang, Binyuan Zhang, Lu Wang, Yiling Huang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-10-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.756987/full
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author Jinge Yao
Qiwei Pang
Binyuan Zhang
Lu Wang
Yiling Huang
author_facet Jinge Yao
Qiwei Pang
Binyuan Zhang
Lu Wang
Yiling Huang
author_sort Jinge Yao
collection DOAJ
description The traditional meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) industry has been hit hard by social distancing regulations introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, with concerns about pandemic risks and personal hygiene increasing the demand for online MICE technology. With the introduction of innovative new technologies to the MICE industry, it is important to study the psychology of online MICE attendees, particularly the factors affecting their behavioral intention to adopt online MICE technology during the pandemic. This study investigates the attitudes toward attending online MICE since the start of the epidemic based on the health belief model (HBM) and innovation diffusion theory (IDT). A total of 439 valid questionnaires were collected in China and used for structural equation modeling. The results show that the perceived safety threat, the comparative advantage, trialability, and outcome expectations positively impact the attendees' attitudes. Moreover, this study finds that attitude completely mediates the impact of perceived safety threat, comparative advantages, trialability, and outcome expectation on behavioral intention to attend online MICE events. These findings theoretically enrich the understanding of online MICE technology, the HBM, and the IDT and offer managerial implications for MICE organizers and exhibitors.
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spelling doaj.art-7de7c9ee7777450988620ccb927517b32022-12-21T23:32:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652021-10-01910.3389/fpubh.2021.756987756987Public Health and Online MICE Technology During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Health Beliefs and Technology InnovationJinge Yao0Qiwei Pang1Binyuan Zhang2Lu Wang3Yiling Huang4Department of Economics, Sejong University, Seoul, South KoreaDepartment of Economics, Sejong University, Seoul, South KoreaDepartment of Economics, Sejong University, Seoul, South KoreaDepartment of Economics, Sejong University, Seoul, South KoreaCollege of Arts and Physical Education, Myongji University, Yongin, South KoreaThe traditional meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) industry has been hit hard by social distancing regulations introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, with concerns about pandemic risks and personal hygiene increasing the demand for online MICE technology. With the introduction of innovative new technologies to the MICE industry, it is important to study the psychology of online MICE attendees, particularly the factors affecting their behavioral intention to adopt online MICE technology during the pandemic. This study investigates the attitudes toward attending online MICE since the start of the epidemic based on the health belief model (HBM) and innovation diffusion theory (IDT). A total of 439 valid questionnaires were collected in China and used for structural equation modeling. The results show that the perceived safety threat, the comparative advantage, trialability, and outcome expectations positively impact the attendees' attitudes. Moreover, this study finds that attitude completely mediates the impact of perceived safety threat, comparative advantages, trialability, and outcome expectation on behavioral intention to attend online MICE events. These findings theoretically enrich the understanding of online MICE technology, the HBM, and the IDT and offer managerial implications for MICE organizers and exhibitors.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.756987/fullCOVID-19social distancingonline MICEpublic healthhealth beliefstechnology innovation
spellingShingle Jinge Yao
Qiwei Pang
Binyuan Zhang
Lu Wang
Yiling Huang
Public Health and Online MICE Technology During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Health Beliefs and Technology Innovation
Frontiers in Public Health
COVID-19
social distancing
online MICE
public health
health beliefs
technology innovation
title Public Health and Online MICE Technology During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Health Beliefs and Technology Innovation
title_full Public Health and Online MICE Technology During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Health Beliefs and Technology Innovation
title_fullStr Public Health and Online MICE Technology During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Health Beliefs and Technology Innovation
title_full_unstemmed Public Health and Online MICE Technology During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Health Beliefs and Technology Innovation
title_short Public Health and Online MICE Technology During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Health Beliefs and Technology Innovation
title_sort public health and online mice technology during the covid 19 pandemic the role of health beliefs and technology innovation
topic COVID-19
social distancing
online MICE
public health
health beliefs
technology innovation
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.756987/full
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