CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN HOSPITABLENESS: A STUDY IN TURKISH CULTURE
Purpose – Hospitableness is one of the oldest concepts that define human interactions. Many conceptual and empirical studies have discussed and attempted to capture what this concept means. Some recent studies measured what hospitableness means; however, the cultural differences in hospitableness...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Faculty of tourism and hospitality management
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Tourism and Hospitality Management |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://thm.fthm.hr/images/issues/vol27no2/6_Tasci_Aktas_Acikgoz |
| Summary: | Purpose – Hospitableness is one of the oldest concepts that define human interactions.
Many conceptual and empirical studies have discussed and attempted to capture what this
concept means. Some recent studies measured what hospitableness means; however, the
cultural differences in hospitableness have not been documented empirically. The current
study measured what hospitableness means in Turkish culture.
Design/Methodology/Approach – A mixed-method was used in data collection since the
cultural context requires a constructivist approach to identify the nuances and
intricacies of the highly cultural concept of hospitableness. Using a 26-item scale of
hospitableness with the consolidated and new items, an online sample (N=307) was recruited
to collect the data. The reliability and validity of the scale were tested using Principal
Component Analysis (PCA) with IBM’s SPSS 24 and Partial Least Squares-Confirmatory Factor
Analysis (PLS-CFA) using SmartPLS 3.0.
Findings – Open-ended questions revealed several additional items, some of which cannot
be even directly translated into English (e.g., generous-hearted, gönlü bol in Turkish).
PCA and CFA procedures revealed a detailed, complicated, and nuanced structure of the
hospitableness concept in Turkish culture. The study revealed 19 hospitableness items
loading onto six factors; lenience, grace, compassion, civility, proficiency, and
veracity, with increasing levels of contributions to Turkish hospitableness in that
order.
Originality of the research –A measure of hospitableness designed in one culture may be
too narrow or too detailed in another culture. Cultural differences need to be carefully
handled by the industry; education of both sides may be needed to avoid the cultural
clash, disorientation, and even worsening prejudices. This study empirically displays the
heavy cultural influence on the concept of hospitableness, which is a common assumption.
The study provides empirical evidence for the need to approach cultural concepts with a
realist paradigm to capture them in their reality in different cultural contexts. |
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| ISSN: | 1330-7533 1847-3377 |