Exploring the Relationships between Involvement and Behavioral Intention in the Traditional Market : Focusing on Place Attachment as the Mediator and Gender as the Moderator

Abstract

There are ample of studies and models that suggest both place attachment and involvement being meaningful for predicting the future behavioral intentions of tourists. In alignment with such studies, the present study endeavors to unravel the relative importance of each components of involvement (attraction, centrality, and self-expression) on each dimensions of behavioral intentions (revisit intention and positive word of mouth) via place attachment (place identity and place dependence). Moreover, gender differences are incorporated as the moderator to further analyze the differences between the gender in forming the place attachment at the destination sites. As expected with the sample of 227 respondents, involvement had a direct impact as an antecedent on place attachment, and place attachment also had direct effect on behavioral intention as a mediator between involvement and behavioral intention. Gender did not have any influence on formation of place attachment and behavioral intentions.본 연구는 관광객의 향후 행동의도를 예측하는데 있어서 관여도의 역할을 장소애착의 매개효과와 성별의 조절효과를 중심으로 파악하고자 하였다. 구체적으로 장소애착을 통한 행동의도의 각 차원에 대한 관여도(매력, 중심성 및 자기표현)의 상대적인 중요성을 밝히고자 하였다. 또한, 전통시장에서 장소애착을 형성할 때 성별간의 차이를 보다 면밀히 분석하고자 하였다. 연구결과, 관여도는 장소애착을 통해 직간접적으로 향후 행동의도에 영향을 미쳐 장소애착의 매개효과는 유의하였다. 그러나 성별은 장소애착과 행동의도 형성에 별다른 영향을 미치지 않았다.