Extending the Understanding of the Effects of Cultural Localisation of Websites: The Case of Tourism Destination Sites.

Abstract

Cultural localisation of websites represents a relevant managerial practice. Studies have indicated that when tailoring web content and website design to fit the needs, characteristics and preferences of target audiences, individuals tend to develop more positive attitude toward the site, have higher purchase intention and greater ease of use, for example. However, the investigation of the effects of cultural localisation of websites has been limited to the context of company websites. The current localisation literature, for examples, does not include websites which clearly triggers hedonic motivation in users. Moreover, it fails to encompass the users’ motivation and involvement and the product types as moderating factors of perception and behavioural intention. Also, the main theoretical rationale employed to justify the effectiveness of the cultural localisation of websites involves only the reduction of cognitive effort applied by users when interacting with culturally congruent sites. This thesis aimed at understanding the effects of cultural localisation of tourism destination websites on users’ perceptions of the destination and its site. Tourism sites were chosen for a series of reasons. First, the leisure tourism context triggers hedonic motivation in individuals. Also, individuals tend to apply their ideal or situational self when conducting evaluations and judgements in the leisure tourism context. Thus, the theoretical proposition stated in this thesis predicted that cultural incongruity between tourism destination websites and users was expected to generate more positive perceptions of the place and its websites in users when compared to culturally congruent sites. In order to test the theoretical proposition and address the aim of the thesis, a two stage research was conducted. The first stage consisted of an exploratory study of 130 destination websites from New Zealand, China and India. The study allowed an investigation of the depiction of cultural values, and the identification of cultural markers, in tourism destination sites. The second stage of the research involved an experiment. An experimental website of a fictitious tourism destination was developed and culturally localised for New Zealanders, based on findings from the exploratory study. Cultural values and cultural markers represented the two independent variables of the main study, and each variable was treated in two levels: congruent and incongruent. 400 New Zealand undergraduate students participated in the study, 100 per condition. As predicted, results indicated that incongruent cultural values and cultural markers led to more positive destination image, higher willingness to travel and more positive perception of the website’s design. No significant effect was found on participants’ online trust, attitude toward the site and perception of navigability. The results are interpreted in light of motivation and self concept theories and the characteristics of the product type. Thus, the theoretical rationale adopted to explain the effects of cultural localisation represents the main theoretical contribution of the thesis. The managerial implications involve the ethical and managerial boundaries to applying cultural incongruity in websites. Finally, it also includes the use of cultural incongruity in social network and travel planning sites and in other contexts where individuals are triggered by hedonic motivation and also apply their ideal or situational self to employ evaluations and judgements.