Elizabeth Ockeyoh Otieno
Elizabeth Ockeyoh Otieno
School of Physical and Biological Sciences
RESEARCH TOPIC:
Moderating Effect Of Social Media Use On Guests’ Post Purchase Evaluation And Guests’ Loyalty In Four And Five Star Hotels In Kenya
ABSTRACT:
The use of social media has reshaped the way tourism related information is distributed and the way people plan for and consume travel. Despite the contribution of social media to the hotel business, the extent of its use by hotel managers and how guests use the media for their hotel transactions remains unexplored. Although guests’ post purchase evaluations influence guest loyalty, this relationship has not been explored in four and five star hotels in Kenya. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the moderating role of the social media use on post purchase evaluation and loyalty in star rated hotels in Kenya. The specific objectives were to: establish the effect of post purchase evaluations on guest loyalty in four and five star hotels: to establish the effect of use of social media on guest loyalty in four and five star hotels: to establish the relationship between social media use on post purchase evaluations in four and five star hotels in Kenya and to establish the moderating role of social media use on the relationship between guests’ post - purchase evaluations and loyalty in four and five star hotels. The study generated knowledge for the government and the industry. Conceptual framework explained the independent, dependent and mediator variables and their relationships. Concurrent parallel research design was employed. The population was drawn from guests and top managers in four and five star hotels in Kenya. The study employed multi - stage sampling technique to stratify hotels into regions and further as four and five star hotels. Proportionate sampling selected 406 guests and 42 managers. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collected quantitative primary data from guests while qualitative interviews were used to collect qualitative data. Principle Component Analysis was carried out on post purchase evaluation and guest loyalty to ascertain uni-dimensionality, construct and discriminate validity. Multiple regressions tested the relationship between social media, post purchase evaluation and guest loyalty. Service performance and information sharing post purchase evaluation were significant (R2= 0.08), p=0.00, (R2 =0.06)p=.02 respectively. Hotel communication and service importance were not a good predictors of post purchase evaluation f (3.159)=1.65,p=.18 and (3.159)=1.69,p=.17. Social media use significantly influenced post purchase evaluation on frequency of customer review site visits (β=17, p=.04 and number of social media types (β=25, p=.00. Moderated multiple regression using “The Process macro in SPSS” was used to test moderating role of social media use on the relationship between post purchase evaluation and guest loyalty. In word of mouth loyalty, service performance post purchase evaluation interacted positively with customer review site visits(β=23,p=.02),information sharing post purchase evaluation was significant on social media use (β=23,p=.03),service performance was significant on customer review site visits(β=23,p=.02) and in increased patronage loyalty purchase importance was significant (β=21, p=.03).In increased patronage loyalty, purchase importance post purchase evaluation was highly significant on social media use(β=31,p=.000),customer review site visits, (β=18,p=.02)service performance with customer review site visits(β=29,p=.000)and information sharing post purchase evaluation (β=33,p=.000). In service preference loyalty, purchase importance post purchase evaluation was significant on customer review site visits(β=24,p=.000),service performance post purchase evaluation was significant on customer review site visits (β=24,p=00) and while information sharing also had a significant interaction with social media use(β=25,p=.000).Thematic analysis revealed that guests used social media to search for hotel information, communication as well as give feedback on services received while hotel managers rarely used social media for. Trip Advisor, Facebook and Twitter were the most popular platforms. Factor analysis revealed that both post purchase evaluation and guest loyalty had four dimensions. This study found a linkage between several post purchase evaluation and guest loyalty variables. Moderation analysis results indicated an influence of social media use on the relationship between post purchase evaluation and guest loyalty. This study concluded that social media had a moderating effect on the relationship between post purchase evaluation and guest loyalty. The study recommended that four and five star hotels should invest more, monitor and control social media use and embrace strategies that support its use within hotels. The study suggested that future studies should include hotels with lower star ratings as well as lodges’ use of social media.