Measuring host sincerity : scale development and validation

Taheri, Babak and Gannon, Martin Joseph and Cordina, Renzo and Lochrie, Sean (2018) Measuring host sincerity : scale development and validation. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30 (8). pp. 2752-2772. ISSN 0959-6119 (https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-08-2017-0535)

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale for host sincerity. The 10-item host sincerity scale was developed by following a multi-stage scale development procedure (Delphi technique, qualitative interviews, and surveys). The findings reveal that host sincerity is a second-order construct with two underlying dimensions: ‘sincere social interaction’ and ‘sincere emotional response’. By incorporating host sincerity into the consumer-based model of authenticity, the findings established significant relationships among all constructs, confirming the predictive validity of the host sincerity construct. Data was gathered from visitors to troglodyte heritage sites (Kandovan and Cappadocia). Future studies should test the newly formed sincerity scale at other cultural destinations in order to further explore the generalisability of the scale. Further, data was gathered from tourists. Future studies should consider host sincerity from a host perspective. Cultural destination managers and local hosts can use this instrument as a supplementary tool in order to evaluate how sincere their hospitality offering appears to tourists. This paper develops a host sincerity scale in order to explore the importance of sincere host-guest interactions, and tourists’ emotional response to these interactions. It extends the consumer-based model of authenticity by drawing further attention to the importance and impact of host sincerity in stimulating memorable tourism experiences.

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