Self-Protective Dining Behavior: An Investigation on Consumer's Use of Online Food Delivery Service

This study aims to investigate how consumer's use of online food delivery (OFD) services is driven by its self-protective nature. Drawing on protection motivation theory, the unified theory of use and acceptance of technology, and diffusion of innovation theory, an integrated model was tested with 1,000 empirical data points to explain consumers' OFD use during the pandemic. Results confirmed the self-protective nature of OFD use by uncovering a significant positive effect of fear of COVID-19 on consumers' OFD ordering frequency. Perceived vulnerability contributed more strongly to an individual's fear of COVID-19 than perceived severity in dining activities. These findings theoretically expand the current understanding of OFD services and provide practical implications for OFD platforms, restaurateurs, and governments.

To return or not to return? Identifying VFR travel constraints during the pandemic

Despite the prominence of visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel to show strong resilience in the face of global crises, it has been one of the most underexplored tourism contexts in the literature. This study examined travel constraints of VFR travelers during the pandemic to enrich this tourism context. Using an inductive theory approach, thematic analysis of 167 online posts and 8,403 online comments from prospective Taiwanese VFR travelers living elsewhere unveiled a framework of VFR travel constraints that included six types of travel constraints for VFR tourists who have made travel-related decisions amid COVID-19. Specifically, fourteen travel constraints were identified and situated within a three (individual - family - community) x two (tourist generating country - tourist receiving country) framework to understand their causes and natures. Theoretically, this study served as a pioneering attempt to link the concept of travel constraints with VFR tourism and enriched our understanding of VFR travelers' related decision making. Practically, destination management organizations and tourism businesses should find the study findings insightful because they demonstrate ways of promoting VFR travel to foster tourism rejuvenation in the post-pandemic. Limitations and future research directions were discussed at the end of this study.

KEEP CALM AND WORK FROM HOME: STRATEGIES USED BY DUAL-EARNER HOUSEHOLDS WITH SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN

We examine how dual-earner couples with school-age children who worked from home during the COVID-19 lockdown adjusted to the changes it brought to their lives. To do so, we conducted a qualitative study of 28 dual-earner households who had at least one school-age child, resided in China, Iran, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, or the United States, and worked from home during the lockdown. Informed by resource-based work-home interface and family stress models, we outline the resources and demands generated by working at home as a family, as well as the strategies families employed to manage their collective work-from-home. © AoM 2021.All right reserved.