How counterfactual thinking affects willingness to consume green restaurant products: Mediating role of regret and moderating role of COVID-19 risk perception

Given the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, one may wonder how this situation might have differed if green consumption had been prioritized. Counterfactual thinking is a psychological concept wherein people ponder alternative outcomes of events that have already happened. This paper presents two experiments to explore (a) the effect of counterfactual thinking on individuals' willingness to consume green restaurant products and (b) the roles that regret and risk perception play in the main effect. Study 1 revealed that consumers who think counterfactually express stronger willingness to consume green restaurant products than those who do not think counterfactually. A partial mediating effect of regret was also confirmed in this process. Study 2 showed that risk perception moderates the impact of counterfactual thinking on one's willingness to consume green restaurant products. Theoretical contributions of these findings to counterfactual thinking theories are discussed, and managerial implications for tourism marketing are provided.

Close or distant? The impacts of robot services and spatial distance on service satisfaction

Service robots have become an efficient service option in retail, hospitality, and tourism settings. However, customers tend to be dissatisfied with robot-provided services. This article investigates customers' satisfaction with service robots from the perspective of a neglected factor: spatial distance. COVID-19 prevention policies have brought various challenges to service providers and have highlighted the importance of spatial distance. We propose that adopting service robots during a pandemic could be a win–win strategy for customers and providers. Our three studies included experimental manipulations of service providers and spatial distance. Study 1 examined the correlation between service robots and customers' service satisfaction. Studies 2 and 3 indicated that customers were more satisfied with robot services (vs. human services) in settings featuring close spatial distance, whereas customers preferred human staff (vs. robots) under far spatial distance. We also verified approach–avoidance motivation as the underlying mechanism of the above interaction. These results excluded other factors, such as consumers' tech savviness, perceived expertise, and knowledge level. Findings can help service providers to better understand how spatial distance influences customers' satisfaction with service robots and devise competitive marketing strategies.

Effect of CSR contribution timing during COVID-19 pandemic on consumers' prepayment purchase intentions: Evidence from hospitality industry in China.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions are essential for hospitality companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about how CSR contribution timing during the pandemic might affect consumers' prepayment purchase intentions. This paper takes a hospitality company as an example, using two experiments to explore (a) the effect of CSR contribution timing on consumers' prepayment purchase intentions and (b) the potential roles of psychological contracts and distance to the COVID-19 risk center. Study 1 demonstrated that CSR contributions during the COVID-19 outbreak (vs. after its peak) led consumers to have higher prepayment purchase intentions, revealing the impact of CSR contribution timing. This effect was also driven by psychological contracts between consumers and the hospitality company. Study 2 showed that, when participants were in the peripheral area of a COVID-19 outbreak, CSR contributions during the outbreak (vs. after its peak) increased prepayment purchase intentions whereas the opposite effect occurred when consumers were in the risk center.