Miju Choi
@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
School of Events, Tourism, and Hospitality Management
Leeds Beckett University
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Shopping tourism, technology
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Miju Choi and Youngjoon Choi
SAGE Publications
Airbnb hosts encounter difficulty in choosing an approach to advertising during unprecedented times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores effective Airbnb advertising messages with a particular focus on hypothetical distance based on construal level theory. A 2 (message format: abstract vs. concrete) × 2 (hypothetical distance: low vs. high likelihood of travel) between-subject experiment was conducted. Data collection was conducted in the US during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings revealed that the ‘abstract’ message results in a higher intention to stay when hypothetical distance is ‘low’, whereas the ‘concrete’ message results in a higher intention to stay when hypothetical distance is ‘high’. In addition, the mediating role of message relevance in the relationship between message format and intention to stay was also found. These findings provide meaningful theoretical contributions and have practical implications for tourism and hospitality research.
Miju Choi, Youngjoon Choi, Seongseop (Sam) Kim, and Frank Badu-Baiden
Emerald
Purpose This study aims to compare the effect of barista type (human vs robot) on perceived safety and examine the role of two moderators (mask-wearing and coronavirus vaccination) on the effects of barista type on perceived safety and visit intention. Design/methodology/approach The research design consists of three studies. Three experiments were sequentially designed and conducted to address research questions. Findings Study 1 found that perceived safety mediates the effect of barista type on customers’ visit intention. Study 2 revealed that the mask-wearing of human and robot baristas differently influences perceived safety. Study 3 showed that customers, especially where robot baristas are used, perceive the effect of mask-wearing differently depending on their coronavirus vaccination status. Research limitations/implications Given that the levels of restrictions vary worldwide, together with the extent of countries’ vaccination rollouts, caution is required when generalising the research findings. Practical implications The findings have practical implications for the hospitality industry, where the roles of face masks and coronavirus vaccines in shaping consumer psychology and behaviour have been underexplored. Originality/value Coronavirus vaccination is considered one of the most important driving forces for the recovery of hospitality businesses. As a heuristic-systematic model postulated, this study identified that vaccination status (fully vaccinated vs not vaccinated) changes the level of involvement when customers assess the level of risk in service environments. By pinpointing the function of service robots in safeguarding customers from the potential spread of the disease, this study broadens the scope of human–robot interaction research in hospitality.
Miju Choi, Youngjoon Choi, Saeid Nosrati, Tadesse Bekele Hailu, and Seongseop (Sam) Kim
Informa UK Limited
Miju Choi, Youngjoon Choi, and Hwabong Lee
SAGE Publications
Despite the growing role of virtual influencers in the tourism and hospitality business, there is a lack of research on Gen Z travelers’ trust in Instagram marketplace and virtual influencers. Thus, this study applied trust transfer theory to explore how Gen Z travelers’ trust in Instagram marketplace transferred to trust in tour program sellers and purchase intentions. In addition, it examined influencer type (human vs. virtual) and post type (sponsored vs. non-sponsored) as potential moderators of this relationship. A mixed methods approach was adopted that comprised in-depth interviews with Gen Z travelers (Study 1) and three between-subjects experiments (Studies 2–4). Key findings revealed that the interaction effect of high (vs. low) trust in Instagram marketplace and sponsored (vs. non-sponsored) posts resulted in higher trust in sellers when a virtual influencer was deployed than when a human influencer was deployed. In addition, trust in sellers was found to play a significant mediating role in the relationship between Gen Z travelers’ trust in Instagram marketplace and purchase intentions. These findings are pioneering insights into the effects of virtual influencers on Instagram from a marketing perspective.
David Parsons, Miju Choi, Rhodri Thomas, Kyriaki Glyptou, and Kenneth Walsh
Wiley
Miju Choi, Youngjoon Choi, and Do-Yeon Kim
Informa UK Limited
Miju Choi and Youngjoon Choi
Emerald
Purpose This study aims to adopt Carroll’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) pyramid framework as a theoretical lens for examining employee perspectives on South Korean hotels operating as quarantine facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a qualitative approach consisting of the following components: in-depth interviews with employees and stakeholders of quarantine hotels, including frontline staff, government officials and medical staff, field observations and data from one researcher’s direct experience in a quarantined hotel. Findings Six themes regarding the experience of operating quarantine hotels emerged from the in-depth interviews and field observations. The findings also showed an interplay between the hotel employees’ perspectives, the four components of the CSR pyramid and the benefits and costs to hotels operating as quarantine facilities. Research limitations/implications This study focusses on the particular case of quarantine hotels in South Korea, and therefore caution is required in generalising the findings. Practical implications The findings suggest that strategic partnerships can help to protect local communities whilst alleviating the hotel industry’s financial difficulties. They also explore an opportunity for business revitalisation in the midst of a global pandemic. Originality/value This study finds that the voluntary decision of hotels to operate as coronavirus quarantine facilities is aligned with CSR because its ultimate aim is to protect the community from the risk of coronavirus from overseas arrivals. This study broadens the CSR literature in the fields of COVID-19 and hospitality.
Youngjoon Choi, Munhyang (Moon) Oh, Miju Choi, and Seongseop (Sam) Kim
Informa UK Limited
ABSTRACT Robots and artificial intelligence represent a newly emerging trend in tourism and hospitality. However, studies examining how cultural perceptions influence tourists’ experiences interacting with service robots are lacking. In response to the industrial trend, the experiential components of robot-staffed hotels are assessed in this study. A qualitative approach is adopted to compare the semantic networks of Japanese and non-Japanese tourists’ online reviews, using 1,498 reviews from nine robot-staffed hotels in Japan. The results indicate that hotel guests’ interaction with robots is one of the main experiential components in robot-staffed hotels. The semantic network analysis results demonstrate noticeable differences, with Japanese reviews demonstrating more emotional responses to human-robot interaction and non-Japanese reviews valuing the functional and technical aspects of robot-provided services more.
Youngjoon Choi, Miju Choi, Munhyang (Moon) Oh, and Seongseop (Sam) Kim
Informa UK Limited
ABSTRACT Hotel industry started to adopt service robots, which are considered a future workforce. However, no attempt was conducted to examine the dimensionality of service quality of service robots. This paper aims to understand the influence of human–robot interaction from the viewpoint of hoteliers and guests. Two studies are conducted in this respect. Study 1 organizes focus-group interviews with hotel managers from various departments to elicit themes related to guest–robot interaction and robot-delivered services. Based on the findings in Study 1, Study 2 conducts an experiment to examine and compare hotel guests’ perceptions about the quality of services provided by human staff and service robots, as well as their joint services. Human staff services are perceived higher than the services of service robots in terms of interaction quality and physical service environment. However, no significant difference in outcome quality is noted.
Jin-Soo Lee and Miju Choi
SAGE Publications
Based on impact range performance analysis and impact asymmetry analysis, this study aims to (1) examine the asymmetric effect of shopping tourism attributes on shopping destination satisfaction from the perspective of Chinese tourists and (2) prioritize attributes by identifying them as frustrators, dissatisfiers, hybrids, satisfiers, and delighters. The asymmetric relationships between shopping tourism attributes and shopping destination satisfaction offer an expanded view of the dynamic effects of attributes, while destination-specific attributes allow the researchers to examine the unexplored roles of government promotions and Korean pop culture/media in shopping tourism.
Cindy Yoonjoung Heo, Inès Blal, and Miju Choi
Elsevier BV
Miju Choi, Jin-Soo Lee, and Ava J. Seo
Informa UK Limited
ABSTRACT As shopping becomes ever more important to tourists, this interest increasingly drives their destination choices. That is, shopping tourists tend to consider destinations to be more attractive and competitive if they offer key shopping resources. Therefore, this study aims to develop and validate a measurement scale for shopping destination competitiveness, which can provide an identification of shopping- and destination-specific attributes and dimensions. In theoretical terms, this study contributes to the literature by integrating a model of destination competitiveness with a servicescape model and with the current Globe Shopping Index, to investigate shopping destinations at a macro-level. Five hundred and twenty-three usable samples were obtained for data analysis. The findings suggest that shopping destination competitiveness has nine key dimensions: shopping atmosphere, merchandise, store service orientation, affordability, Korean pop culture, safety climate, accessibility, government promotion, and attractiveness.
Miju Choi, Rob Law, and Cindy Yoonjoung Heo
SAGE Publications
Managing shopping risk is a prerequisite to ensuring business prosperity in shopping destinations, as risk is likely to influence perceived value and the choice of future shopping destinations. Previous studies have shown that enhancing trust is a means of avoiding or minimizing perceived (shopping) risk. Increased trust is expected to reduce shopping risk and ultimately foster the impression of a shopping destination as reliable. Despite its important role, trust has received limited, if any, attention in shopping- and tourism-related research. As shopping behavior while traveling abroad differs from ordinary shopping in one’s home country, tourists’ shopping activities require in-depth research grounded in psychological theory. This study aimed to examine the influence of trust in a shopping destination on the value of that destination as perceived by tourist shoppers. The findings suggest that trust in a shopping destination positively influences perceptions of the destination’s value in every value category.
Miju Choi, Rob Law, and Cindy Yoonjoung Heo
Elsevier BV
Mi Ju Choi, Cindy Yoonjoung Heo, and Rob Law
Informa UK Limited
ABSTRACT Shopping has become a main tourist activity and accounts for a considerable amount of tourism expenditure. Previous research has found that shopping tourists stay longer at a destination and spend approximately three to four times more than leisure tourists. However, only a few studies have considered the value of shopping as a primary motivation for travel, and those that did have approached the topic with a limited focus. Against this background, the existing body of research should be examined. Therefore, this study assesses the progress in shopping tourism research to identify trends and propose future research directions.
Mi Ju Choi, Cindy Yoonjoung Heo, and Rob Law
Informa UK Limited
ABSTRACT This study aims to develop a typology of Chinese shopping tourists based on the Schwartz values. As a medium for investigating rich segmented markets, values emerge as an alternative variable for personality, lifestyle, and other demographic and socioeconomic segmentation variables. Convenience sampling is adopted in this study, and 511 usable responses in China are obtained. Results of the factor analysis reveal the following five dimensions of personal values among Chinese shopping tourists: self-enhancement, universalism, assurance, self-direction, and benevolence. The cluster analysis, which used the aforementioned five dimensions, identify the following clusters: uncertainty (Cluster 1), passion (Cluster 2), balance (Cluster 3), and conservation (Cluster 4). This study provides insights into the nature of personal value of Chinese shopping tourists by applying the Schwartz values, and identifies the shopping travel characteristics of Chinese shopping tourists. The results of this study are expected to assist destination marketing organizations in creating strategies to provide better shopping environments and services for tourists, and to achieve higher levels of tourist satisfaction.