Pandemic Dining Dilemmas: Exploring the Determinants of Korean Consumer Dining-Out Behavior during COVID-19

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic's significant impact on the dining-out industry, this study examined factors influencing consumers' dining-out behavior changes using a unified theoretical framework based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and select components of the risk information seeking and processing (RISP) model. A quantitative research method was employed, analyzing 536 valid survey responses collected in South Korea in early 2021 using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings showed that consumer attitude, perceived control, and subjective norm positively influenced dining-out intention, supporting the TPB. However, risk information-seeking behavior discourages dining-out behavior without significantly affecting intention. Fear emerged as a determinant of dining-out intention, risk information-seeking behavior, and dining-out behavior, highlighting the importance of emotions over rational thinking. This study contributes to existing literature by incorporating dining-out intention, COVID-19-related information-seeking behavior, and fear as key antecedents of dining-out behavior during the pandemic, while validating formative indicators that constitute risk information-seeking behavior and dining-out behavior in the research model.

Adopting new technologies during the crisis: An empirical analysis of agricultural sector

Research and development in agricultural sector are becoming a crucial issue, especially to answer to growing global market needs and, in general, for rural innovation development. The innovation process involves stakeholders of all levels and rural development requires both personal farmers' characteristics along with favourable socio-political and infrastructural environment. Many countries and governments have executed innovation projects for agricultural firms, involving a number of actors from the public and private sectors. However, the literature lacks of studies that investigate the identification of the main factors that determine the agricultural entrepreneurs' probability to adopt new technologies during a crisis context. Thus, through the adoption of the Extended Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study aims at filling this lack. More specifically, the exploratory empirical analysis focuses on a sample of 130 agricultural entrepreneurs operating in a rural developing Italian region, during the historical context of global pandemic crisis of COVID-19. The results provided several insights showing the factors that influence the adoption of technologies, such as the Attitude to Environmental-Economic Sustainability and the Planned Behavioural Control. An important role is also assumed by the past farmer's technological experience. The paper offers implications for entrepreneurs and public government. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

Decision-Making in Virtual Reality Sports Games Explained via the Lens of Extended Planned Behavior Theory.

This study aims to determine whether the effect of interactivity on participation in virtual sports has risen because of the COVID-19 pandemic and if there is a difference in decision-making. The significance of social factors may be highlighted even more as a rationale for using virtual reality (VR) sports apps throughout the prolonged COVID-19 epidemic. A model was built based on the literature to describe the intention to participate in VR sports, and eight associated hypotheses were established. A sample of 301 submissions from a user poll on Korea's cycling information sharing website was used for our analysis. SPSS 23.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) and AMOS 18.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) were used to validate Hypotheses 1-8 using a multigroup structural equation model (SEM) analysis and multigroup analysis. Although some hypotheses were not validated, the impact of perceived interaction presented as an extra variable altered based on the group participating before and after the COVID-19 epidemic, and the study's goal was achieved. Given that information technology has evolved by overcoming physical space and socio-cultural constraints to create a society that connects people, the importance of online interaction, such as networking and competition between users, will be emphasized in the VR sports field in the future.

Factors Affecting Preventive Behaviors for Safety and Health at Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Thai Construction Workers.

Occupational health and safety risks are of major concerns in construction industry. The COVID-19 outbreak provides an additional risk that could drastically affect the safety risks and health of construction workers. Understanding the factors that affect the health and safety of construction workers is significant in reducing risky behaviors and enhancing worker preventive behaviors. Via integrating the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study investigates the factors that affect preventive behaviors among construction workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 610 Thai construction workers participated in an online questionnaire survey, which consisted of nine factors with 43 questions. Structure equation modeling (SEM) was adopted to analyze the causal relationships among the latent variable. The SEM results indicated that organizational support and knowledge about COVID-19 had significant (p < 0.0001) direct influences on perceived vulnerability and perceived severity. In addition, perceived vulnerability and perceived severity had significant direct influences on perceived behavioral control. Perceived severity had significant (p < 0.0001) direct influence on attitude towards behavior. Moreover, perceived behavioral control and attitude towards behavior had significant (p < 0.0001) direct influence on intention to follow the preventive measure. Furthermore, the intention to follow the preventive measure had significant (p < 0.0001) direct influences on the COVID-19 preventive behavior. Of note, organizational support and knowledge about COVID-19 had significant (p < 0.0001) indirect influence on COVID-19 preventive behavior. The findings of this study may assist project managers/supervisors and authorities in the construction industry in understanding the challenge during COVID-19 and possible similar epidemics in the future. In addition, conducting effective strategies would improve construction industry safety and promote preventive behaviors among construction workers.

Adopting new technologies during the crisis: An empirical analysis of agricultural sector

Research and development in agricultural sector are becoming a crucial issue, especially to answer to growing global market needs and, in general, for rural innovation development. The innovation process involves stakeholders of all levels and rural development requires both personal farmers' characteristics along with favourable socio-political and infrastructural environment. Many countries and governments have executed innovation projects for agricultural firms, involving a number of actors from the public and private sectors. However, the literature lacks of studies that investigate the identification of the main factors that determine the agricultural entrepreneurs' probability to adopt new technologies during a crisis context. Thus, through the adoption of the Extended Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study aims at filling this lack. More specifically, the exploratory empirical analysis focuses on a sample of 130 agricultural entrepreneurs operating in a rural developing Italian region, during the historical context of global pandemic crisis of COVID-19. The results provided several insights showing the factors that influence the adoption of technologies, such as the Attitude to Environmental-Economic Sustainability and the Planned Behavioural Control. An important role is also assumed by the past farmer's technological experience. The paper offers implications for entrepreneurs and public government.

Impact of COVID-19 Risk Perception on Residents’ Behavioural Intention towards Forest Therapy Tourism

Risk perception has an important influence on tourism decision-making behaviour. Based on the extended Theory of Planned Behaviour, we examine the effect of COVID-19 risk perception on tourists’ behavioural intentions towards forest therapy tourism. A questionnaire survey was conducted during the pandemic. Based on structural equation modelling (SEM), our evidence shows that cognitive risk perception positively and significantly influenced subjective norms, while affective risk perception positively and significantly influenced attitudes. Subjective norms mediated perceived risk perception and behavioural intentions, while attitudes mediated emotional risk perception and behavioural intentions. Gender partially moderated perceived behavioural control and behavioural intentions. Finally, this study proposes corresponding management countermeasures of great practical importance in promoting the development of forest recreation tourism. © 2022 by the authors.

The effect of COVID-19 on tourists' attitudes and travel intentions: an empirical study on camping/glamping tourism in Turkey during COVID-19

Purpose - In this study, visitors' attitudes and behavioural intentions towards camping/glamping tourism in Turkey during the pandemic were investigated using the extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB). The model has been extended to include constructs such as risk perception and risk aversion attitudes that stem from COVID-19 to predict visitors' attitudes and behavioural intentions. Design/methodology/approach - The data were collected through an online questionnaire from 432 participants who have experience and interest in camping/glamping tourism in Turkey. The responses were analysed using the structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings - The findings show that besides the basic TPB structures, other added variables also significantly affect visitors' attitudes and intentions. Moreover, it has been observed that the risk perception and risk aversion attitude derived from COVID-19 increase negative emotions in visitors and decreased behavioural intentions. Research limitations/implications - The results of the study are discussed for future research as well as its academic and practical implications. Originality/value - This theoretical expansion is thought to increase the theory's predictive power in predicting visitors' behaviour during the pandemic.

Analyzing Productivity and Behavior of Plastic Drop-Off Points: A Case Study of Send Plastic Home Project in Plastic Waste Recycling during COVID-19 Outbreak

In this work, the Productivity Index (PI) was developed for evaluating ten plastic drop-off points along the Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand. Factor Analysis of Mixed Data (FAMD) was employed to study the effects of various parameters on drop-off point's performance. To explore plastic separation behaviors, the structured questionnaires were created based on the extended Theory of Planned Behavior, and the questionnaire's responses were then analyzed through the Structural Equation Model (SEM). The highest PI (0.0058) was observed from a drop-off point located in the shopping mall while that installed in a restaurant exhibited the lowest PI (0.0008). Besides environmental attitude and perceived behavioral control, a drop-off point facility was proved as another factor influencing people's intention towards plastic waste separation behavior. To improve the PI, drop-off point's bin design and location should be carefully optimized. Moreover, public relation on drop-off point campaigns and knowledge on household plastic waste separation should be promoted. These findings are helpful for the improvement or expansion of plastic drop-off point facilities as well as for the future development of waste recycling policy.

Influential Factors for Sustainable Intention to Visit a National Park during COVID-19: The Extended Theory of Planned Behavior with Perception of Risk and Coping Behavior.

Despite the danger of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, visits to natural tourism destinations such as national parks are continuing, though people are using less congested trails or minimizing personal contact. Given the danger from COVID-19, the purpose of our study was to use an expanded theory of planned behavior to analyze whether tourists intend to continue to visit national parks. Another purpose for our study was to compare an extant research model based on the theory of planned behavior with the extended model we developed. Frequency analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and other statistical techniques, such as correlation analysis, parsimonious fit index, and squared multiple correlations were employed according to the appropriate objectives. Additionally, the number of 351 participants joined the survey. Our study found that perception of risk of COVID-19 negatively affected attitude and perceived behavioral control in both models. Moreover, the perceived behavioral control had a positive effect on coping behavior. Given the analytical results, our study presents not only theoretical implications for understanding the behavior of those who visit national parks, but also practical implications for operation and management of national parks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Travel decision determinants during and after COVID-19: The role of tourist trust, travel constraints, and attitudinal factors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced tourism practitioners to create efficient strategies to attract travelers. Using three theoretical frameworks, such as tourist trust (political, destination, and interactional trust), travel constraint (intrapersonal, interpersonal, and "social distancing" structural constraint), and extended theory of planned behavior (travel attitude, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, perceived health risk, past travel experience), we develop a comprehensive framework to explain the impact of travel promoting, restricting, and attitudinal factors on travel decision during and after the pandemic. Data was obtained through an extensive survey conducted on 1451 Korean travelers and was analyzed using probabilistic choice models and count models. The results show the specific factors that determine travel decisions during the pandemic (whether to travel and frequency) and travel intention after the pandemic. This study provides important theoretical and practical insights into how to develop successful COVID-19 recovery strategies in the tourism industry.

Factors Affecting COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors among University Students in Beijing, China: An Empirical Study Based on the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior.

Higher education institutions (HEIs), among other social systems, have an irreplaceable role in combating COVID-19. However, we know little about institutional and individual factors that might facilitate university students' beliefs and behaviors toward preventive behaviors for COVID-19 within the higher education context. Our study applies an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model to investigate the structural relationships among the institutional climate, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and preventive behaviors of university students and to detect the moderating impacts of perceived risk on the structural model. Data were collected from 3693 university students at 18 universities in Beijing, China through an online survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and multigroup analysis were performed to examine the empirical model. The results reveal that (1) the institutional climate has a significant, direct effect on preventive behaviors for COVID-19 among university students, (2) the TPB components, namely attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control, partially mediate the relationship between the institutional climate and preventive behaviors for COVID-19, and (3) perceived risk moderates several paths in the model. Theoretical and practical implications are offered, and recommendations for future research are outlined.

Does Risk Awareness of COVID-19 Affect Visits to National Parks? Analyzing the Tourist Decision-Making Process Using the Theory of Planned Behavior.

This study aimed to determine whether risk awareness of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) affects visits to national parks. We analyzed the tourist decision-making process during the current pandemic using the theory of planned behavior as a framework, adding variables relevant to the pandemic, such as risk perception and risk reduction behavior, to the model. Based on a literature review, we developed a research model describing the impact relationship between risk perception, the theory of planned behavior, and risk reduction behavior and tested nine hypotheses. Results of a survey of 555 visitors to two national parks supported eight of the nine hypotheses. Although the results are limited, they reaffirm the usefulness of the theory of planned behavior in explaining tourism behavior. This work is significant in that we would be able to extend the scope of subsequent research beyond a discussion of the direct effects on optimistic perceptions (bias) and risk reduction behavior as well as visit intention, by explaining the probability even in unprecedented crises such as COVID-19. Humans may be negotiating the constraints (COVID-19) or embodied tourism need through the personal bias. Furthermore, we discuss the theoretical implications of the results for tourism behavior research.

Factors affecting perceived effectiveness of COVID-19 prevention measures among Filipinos during Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon, Philippines: Integrating Protection Motivation Theory and extended Theory of Planned Behavior.

OBJECTIVE: The current study integrated Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to evaluate factors affecting the perceived effectiveness of COVID-19 prevention measures among Filipinos during Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon, Philippines. METHODS: A total of 649 Filipinos answered an online questionnaire, which contained 63 questions. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to derive the causal relationships of the latent variables construct. RESULTS: SEM showed that understanding of COVID-19 had significant direct effects on perceived vulnerability and perceived severity. Also, perceived vulnerability and perceived severity had significant indirect effects on intention to follow. Intention to follow had significant direct effects on actual behavior and adapted behavior, which subsequently led to perceived effectiveness. Of note, an understanding of COVID-19 was found to have a significant indirect effect on perceived effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: The current study is one of the first studies to analyze factors affecting the perceived effectiveness of COVID-19 prevention measures during the global pandemic. It is proposed that the integrated PMT and extended TPB of this study can be applied and extended to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of COVID-19 measures in other countries that are currently dealing with COVID-19 pandemic.