Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Hospitality Management and Dietetics / Rebecca Gould / Chihyung Ok / Offering memorable experiences to customers is an effective marketing strategy in hospitality and tourism. However, the effects of memorable experiences have remained largely unexamined. Two research models were proposed through a literature review to present the antecedents that effectively lead to memorizing travel experiences. Since researchers in customer service management have recently claimed the significance of creating good memories related to consumption experiences, this study developed the discussion on links among the antecedents and memory and hypothesized the sequential relationships among the constructs. Study 1 examined the relationships between antecedents (experience quality, hedonic value, utilitarian value, and satisfaction) and post-experience memory in cruise tourism. Using an online survey, 375 vacationers who traveled on an ocean cruise ship were recruited. Structure Equation Modeling showed that the experience quality of cruise travel consisting of seven experience dimensions had a positive influence on helping memory formation through hedonic value and utilitarian value. The results underscored the critical effect of memory on word-of-mouth. This study documented that hedonic value driven by travel experience quality had a more important role in delivering the effect to memory than utilitarian value. However, in the research model of study 1, satisfaction was not connected to memory. Mediation effect analysis individually tested the partial mediating role of memory in the relationship between hedonic value/utilitarian value/satisfaction and word-of-mouth. Study 2 examined the effects of emotions on memory, particularly the potential moderating effect of arousal on the relationship between valence and memory. This study not only proposed the direct influence of arousal and valence on memory, but also hypothesized the quasi-moderating effect of arousal in amplifying the influence of valence on increasing memory. The results of hierarchical regression analysis using the dataset of 375 samples presented the direct relationships between arousal/valence and memory were shown although the hypothesis regarding the moderating role of arousal was rejected. Two emotional dimensions (arousal and valence) were found to be significant predictors of increased memory quality, but the moderating effect of arousal was not supported. Based on the findings of this study, practical implications for the tourism industry are provided, along with future research ideas.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Hospitality and Dietetics / Chihyung Ok and Betsy Barrett / The meeting industry has seen significant growth over the last few decades and has now become truly global. As the number of conferences increases and attendees have so many conferences to choose from, understanding how they evaluate the conference experience is more important than ever. Previous studies have focused on site selection factors, destination perception and image, economic impact, and meeting planner issues, not on the conference experience itself. Annual association conferences are lucrative because of the large number of attendees they bring to the host destination. In marketing and managing association conferences, host destinations and meeting convention organizers are increasingly interested in how attendees evaluate the conference experience. With the first conceptual model, this study sought to reveal the effect of perceived conference quality dimensions on conference experience quality dimensions. Academic association conference was taken as the context, and data were collected to validate the proposed models. A self-reported questionnaire was distributed to faculty members from twenty randomly selected universities in the United States who attended an academic association conference at least once within the past year. The hypotheses included in the conceptual model were examined based on responses from 370 faculty members in the United States. The proposed relationships were analyzed by using PLS-SEM analysis which involves evaluation of measurement model and structural model. The results indicated significant relationships among all conference specific dimensions (i.e., professional education and professional & social networking) and all conference experience quality dimensions (i.e., learning, self-esteem, and excitement). Moreover, all destination specific dimensions (i.e., site attractiveness, travelability, and site environment) had a significant relationship with excitement, but site attractiveness did not have a significant relationship with learning. With the second conceptual model, this study sought to verify the relationships among perceived conference value dimensions, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions. This study found that utilitarian value, hedonic value, and social value had significant effects on satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Given that understanding attendee behavior is critical in the meeting industry, this study benefits meeting planners and host destinations with information that allows them to maximize the conference experience for attendees, and attracting and retaining repeat attendees. The results indicated significant relationships among all conference specific dimensions (i.e., professional education and professional & social networking) and all conference experience quality dimensions (i.e., learning, self-esteem, and excitement). Moreover, all destination specific dimensions (i.e., site attractiveness, travelability, and site environment) had a significant interrelationship with excitement, but site attractiveness did not have a significant relationship with learning. With the second conceptual model, this study sought to verify the relationships among perceived conference value dimensions, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions. This study found that utilitarian value, hedonic value, and social value had significant effects on satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Given that understanding attendee behavior is critical in the meeting industry, this study benefits meeting planners and host destinations with information that allows them to maximize the conference experience for attendees, and attracting and retaining repeat attendees.

With the emergence of the internet as a new business channel and its impact on the overall role of today¿s customers, existing models for the measurement of perceived quality, satisfaction and loyalty are worth revisiting. This is specifically important in light of the prominent progress of some of the new business concepts, particularly customer experience management, and the rising emphasis on customers¿ hedonic and emotional needs. This study attempts to bridge the gap in existing literature by examining the online customer experience in its entirety, attending within the study to both the utilitarian and hedonic needs of online customers and giving special attention to emerging aspects in the online environment, such as customer engagement in self-driven experiences. Therefore, the study includes a comprehensive review of a large body of knowledge, both in consumer behaviour and marketing literature as well as quality management literature, in addition to a scrutiny of 50 studies for different evaluation models in the online environment. This is in order to identify a list of attributes and factors that impact customer evaluations of online experiences. Upon the synthesis of the list of attributes and factors that impact customer evaluations of online experiences, an online blog was created as an environment for asynchronous focus groups. The online blog was beneficial in creating a deeper understanding of what online customers want and what impacts their experiences. Following, an online questionnaire was administered in two stages, once for measure purification purposes which received 90 pilot responses and once for mass data collection purposes which received 366 responses. As a result of this study, an integrated model for the measurement of online customer experience that emphasises the significance of the emotional component was proposed. The model consists of three components, each serve a specific measurement purpose. The XQual construct which consists of 7 attributes and 30 factors, is a performance measure of the experience in relation to specific aspects that address customers¿ utilitarian and hedonic needs. The satisfaction continuum consists of four factors and is an output measure for each experience or transaction with the online firm. The loyalty continuum consists of four factors and is an outcome measure that indicates customers¿ attitudinal commitment towards the online firm.

"Hotel customers' interactions with service robots are becoming increasingly common, raising questions about how these interactions impact their experience. To address this gap in knowledge, this dissertation develops and validates a novel robotic service quality (ROBOQUAL) scale. Drawing on social exchange theory, the study examines the reciprocal relationship between hotel customers and artificially intelligent service robots, exploring how robotic service quality influences customers' perceptions of experience quality, satisfaction, and word-of-mouth intentions. The research employs focus-group studies, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and partial least squares equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to develop and validate the ROBOQUAL scale."

With the emergence of the internet as a new business channel and its impact on the overall role of today's customers, existing models for the measurement of perceived quality, satisfaction and loyalty are worth revisiting. This is specifically important in light of the prominent progress of some of the new business concepts, particularly customer experience management, and the rising emphasis on customers' hedonic and emotional needs. This study attempts to bridge the gap in existing literature by examining the online customer experience in its entirety, attending within the study to both the utilitarian and hedonic needs of online customers and giving special attention to emerging aspects in the online environment, such as customer engagement in self-driven experiences. Therefore, the study includes a comprehensive review of a large body of knowledge, both in consumer behaviour and marketing literature as well as quality management literature, in addition to a scrutiny of 50 studies for different evaluation models in the online environment. This is in order to identify a list of attributes and factors that impact customer evaluations of online experiences. Upon the synthesis of the list of attributes and factors that impact customer evaluations of online experiences, an online blog was created as an environment for asynchronous focus groups. The online blog was beneficial in creating a deeper understanding of what online customers want and what impacts their experiences. Following, an online questionnaire was administered in two stages, once for measure purification purposes which received 90 pilot responses and once for mass data collection purposes which received 366 responses. As a result of this study, an integrated model for the measurement of online customer experience that emphasises the significance of the emotional component was proposed. The model consists of three components, each serve a specific measurement purpose. The XQual construct which consists of 7 attributes and 30 factors, is a performance measure of the experience in relation to specific aspects that address customers' utilitarian and hedonic needs. The satisfaction continuum consists of four factors and is an output measure for each experience or transaction with the online firm. The loyalty continuum consists of four factors and is an outcome measure that indicates customers' attitudinal commitment towards the online firm.

The digital world is constantly growing. This contributes to increasing expectations and demands in the technical aspect. Digitization is powerful, but it further contributes to a number of challenges, such as the coordination of physical and digital stores. During the corona pandemic, the digital transformation has accelerated for companies to adapt to customers. Therefore, the purpose of the research is to understand how swedish retailers can manage technological touchpoints in customer journeys in the furniture sector. Further the purpose is to investigate how retailers can use technological touchpoints to change the quality and customer engagement in the customer journey.  To be able to answer the empirical findings, six semi-structured interviews were obtained through a multiple case study. The theory from previous research and the empirical results were then discussed in the analysis. The conclusion of the thesis resulted in the management of digital touchpoints is different depending on whether it concerns companies using physical stores or e-commerce. This thesis has identified that retailers in the furniture sector manage technological touchpoints to create a seamless customer experience, increase customer satisfaction, more easily engage customers and to be able to integrate with customers in several ways. Digital touchpoints have made it easier for companies to measure results and to be able to improve the customer journey. One identification was that customer engagement has increased in relation to the increased digitalization, but also that the researched companies believe that digitization is vital for increasing customer engagement. Due to the technology, opportunities are created to be able to develop the quality of the customer journey. Further, by being able to measure the customer journey, the companies gain an insight into what should be constantly improved.

在今日，有愈來愈多的顧客、經理人與學者開始了解體驗的重要性。對顧客來說，他們不再只是消費產品或服務，他們開始重視置身於商店時，所感受到的體驗感，並且顧客也願意花錢購買體驗。對管理者來說，他們致力於營造觸動人心與具吸引力的體驗，並嘗試全面地管理顧客與公司接觸的每一項體驗。從學者的觀點來看，認為體驗是一種經濟商品，消費體驗是可以被企業塑造的，學者們指出經濟的重心開始轉移為體驗，這呼應了正在蓬勃發展的體驗產業。 然而，探討體驗本質的實證研究仍然不多，本研究界定兩個研究焦點來探索顧客體驗：（1）研究顧客體驗的情感面，（2）所研究的體驗乃是發生於精心設計之服務場景。研究目的有二，其一為從顧客觀點探討顧客體驗的本質：根據消費者深入訪談的結果，歸納構成顧客體驗的五大要素與提出相關的概念架構和命題，五大要素分別為顧客本身、顧客與實體環境的互動、顧客與服務人員、其他顧客與同行夥伴的互動。第二，本研究探討顧客對於體驗品質的情感性知覺，並發展體驗品質的衡量工具、檢驗體驗品質與顧客滿意度和忠誠度的關係，研究結果驗證了體驗品質為較高階的構念，並發現體驗品質對顧客滿意度與忠誠度有正向影響。本研究亦提出關於研究應用、未來研究與研究限制的討論。 / Today, more and more customers, managers and scholars have become aware of the importance of experiences, which are characterized as satisfying customers’ psychic or personal needs. For customers, they are not merely consuming products or services. They care more about the experiences, which are provided by the stores, and they are willing to pay for experiences. As for managers, they have made more efforts to create touching and attractive experiences for customers, manage customers’ experiential journey with the companies, or even charge for experiences. For academic researchers, they view experiences as distinct economic offerings, which are different from goods and services. They believe that the focus of the economy has been transferred into experience (Pine and Gilmore, 1998, 1999; Schmitt, 1999; O’Sullivan and Spangler, 1998) and experience industries are rising (Toffler, 1970, O’Sullivan and Spangler, 1998). This study focuses on exploring the emotional aspects of customers’ experiences underlying the context of deliberately designed service settings. Two research objects are approached in this study. First, this research comprehensively explores the essence of customer experiences from the customer’s perspective. A qualitative study is conducted to find out the elements that constitute customers’ experiences, and a conceptual model that describes what is customer experience is thereby proposed. In this model, customer experience is made up of five elements (dimensions): the customers themselves and customers’ interactions with physical surroundings, service providers, other customers, and companions. Second, this research attempts to probe customers’ emotional perceptions of experience quality and to develop an instrument to measure this construct. This research clarifies the concept of experience quality by reviewing the literature, conducting qualitative studies, performing a procedure of scale development, testing the relative importance of dimensions, and examining the relationship among experience quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty. The findings verify that experience quality, as a higher-order construct, is made up five first-order constructs, which are demonstrated in the result of the qualitative study. The result of this research also reveals that experience quality has positive effect on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Relevant discussion of applications, future research, and limitations are also provided in the conclusion.