- Trial lecture starts at 10.15
- Public defence starts at 12.00
The title of the trial lecture is "Moderne teknologiers påvirkning på WOM i reiseliv og turisme"
Assessment committee:
- Head of committee: Associate Professor Kerttu Kettunen, UiA
- Professor Kåre Sandvik, USN
- Professor Nina Veflen, BI
Supervisors in the doctoral work:
- Professor Ellen Kathrine Nyhus, UiA
Summary of thesis
Word of mouth (WOM) is one of the most influential sources of information affecting consumer purchasing behavior. WOM is particularly important in the tourism and hospitality industries, as holidays are purchased before they are experienced. When buying future experiences, such as a vacation, the experiences of others become crucial in reducing the risk of a poor purchase decision. As a result, researchers around the world have directed their attention toward WOM. Understanding what generates WOM and the consequences it entails is essential.
This doctoral dissertation examines WOM in the tourism and hospitality context through three individual studies.
The first study is a bibliometric study of WOM in a tourism and travel context, identifying both the antecedents and consequences of WOM. It highlights two notable gaps in the literature: 1) the antecedents of WOM, including how WOM behavior varies across different segments, and 2) how experiences in one phase of a vacation influence WOM behavior in other phases. In response to these research gaps, two empirical studies were developed.
The second study investigates the influences of involvement on WOM and loyalty behavior in the vacation planning phase. Findings suggest that involvement does not necessarily provide more WOM, but increases loyalty behavior. Furthermore, this study finds that younger travelers are more likely to engage in WOM compared to older travelers.
The third study examines how satisfaction in the pre-vacation phase impacts post-vacation WOM. Results indicate that pre-vacation experiences significantly influence post-vacation WOM. These findings are consistent across three Western countries.
Overall, this dissertation advances theoretical understanding of WOM in the tourism and hospitality industry by integrating involvement theory, satisfaction theory, self-perception theory, and the process perspective. Practically, it offers insights into how stakeholders in this sector can leverage WOM to benefit their businesses
What to do as an online audience member
The disputation is open to the public. To follow the trial lecture and the public defence online, register on Zoom.
We ask online audience members to join no earlier than 10 minutes in advance. After these times, you can leave and rejoin the meeting at any time.
Opponent ex auditorio:
Deadline for the public to pose questions is during the break between the two opponents. Questions ex auditorio can be submitted to disputation chair.
Questions?
- gunvor.guttormsen@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 16 48