IU Indianapolis ScholarWorks :: Browsing by Author "Mirehie, Mona"

Browsing by Author "Mirehie, Mona"

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Are female business travelers willing to travel during COVID-19? An exploratory study
(SAGE, 2021-01-20) Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Mirehie, Mona; Cecil, Amanda
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the tourism industry. A successful recovery from the pandemic requires a clear understanding of the ‘new normal’, including tourists’ perceived risks, safety perceptions, attitudes, and willingness to travel. Guided by the Risk Perception Attitude (RPA) Framework, this study investigated female business travelers’ risk perception attitude and willingness to travel in the COVID-19 climate. This study segmented the sample into four distinct RPA groups, including the Avoidance, Proactive, Responsive, and Indifference groups. These groups differ in some demographic characteristics and the strength of willingness to travel. Findings also showed that anxiety, perceived safety, and consumer confidence mediate the relationships between the sample’s RPA and willingness to travel, but the exact relationship varies by groups. Finally, this paper discussed the theoretical contributions and practical implications of this study.
Business travel, risk, and safety of female university faculty and staff
(Taylor and Francis, 2020-09-29) Mirehie, Mona; Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Cecil, A.; Jain, N.
Women constitute a significant portion of the total business travel market in the U.S. This study aimed to explore travel risk and safety issues among women in higher education who regularly travel for work. Three focus groups were conducted with female faculty and staff at a major public university in the U.S. Results of an inductive-deductive analysis indicated three major themes, namely, risk perception, risk treatment, and risk adoption. Findings provide insights into how female higher education employees perceive risk and safety during business trips, and their travel behaviour that include actions taken to mitigate the potential risks or time-to-time risky decisions about travel arrangements. Further, recommendations are made for enhancement of travel policies at the institutional level to ensure safety of female employees.
Community perceptions of tourism impacts
(EE, 2022-05-13) Wang, Suosheng; Mirehie, Mona; Tourism, Event & Sport Management, School of Health and Human Sciences
Host communities are major players whose perceptions should be assessed by policy makers when it comes to decision-making about tourism management and the future direction of tourism. In contrast to economic effects, tourism's socio-cultural impacts on host communities are considered more intangible. In turn, these can be more difficult to assess as they require measurement of more subjective or qualitative processes. In this chapter we explore these more intangible effects of tourism by focusing on the community perceptions of the sector's socio-cultural impacts. We discuss the key conceptual frameworks such as Doxey's Irridex, Butlers' tourist area life cycle and social exchange theory for assessing community perceptions of tourism impacts. We also identify the main perceived socio-cultural impacts of tourism and the main drivers behind these perceptions and discuss assessment challenges. Specifically, we underline the importance of understanding community perceptions of tourism impacts if the sector is to be developed holistically.
Empirical testing of destination attribute preferences of women snow-sport tourists along a trajectory of participation
(Taylor & Francis, 2020) Mirehie, Mona; Gibson, H.; Tourism, Conventions, and Event Management, School of Physical Education and Tourism Management
This study explored women snow-sport tourists’ destination attribute preferences in relation to their participation level (e.g. skill; sport career stage) through a complementary sequential mixed-methods approach. Initially, a model illustrating a trajectory of snow-sport participation, travel behavior and preferences was created through qualitative methods. This paper presents the quantitative testing of this proposed trajectory model and the associated destination attribute preferences. Enduring Involvement was used to quantitatively assess proposed stages of the snow-sport participation trajectory. Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed two dimensions in women's enduring involvement in snow-sports: ‘identity/centrality’ and ‘hedonism’. Additionally, three dimensions were found for destination attributes: ‘resort amenities and activities’, ‘snow-sport conditions and quality’, and ‘price’. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance showed that stages of the trajectory could be quantitatively verified. Analysis of Variance indicated that the importance placed on ‘resort amenities and activities’ decreased as women progressed along the trajectory. ‘Snow-sport conditions and quality’ was rated higher by more advanced skiers/snowboarders. ‘Price’ was rated highly along the trajectory stages.
Examining the Impacts of Robot Service on Hotel Guest Experience
(2021-05) Jain, Namrata Rajendra Kumar; Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Fu, Yao-Yi; Mirehie, Mona
The aim of the study is to assess the impact of robot service on hotel guest experiences. Application of technology in tourism and hospitality services is growing each day. Using robots in hospitality establishment is becoming more and more popular, mainly because it can help cut down the labor costs, increase efficiency and reduce human contacts. Very few studies, however, have been done on examining customer experience regarding robots used in the hotel. Social media sites such as TripAdvisor are popular platforms where people share their first-hand experiences. Hence, this study focuses on studying the reviews of robotic hotels. Using the software Leximancer, reviews were studied and categorized in different themes to understand if the presence of the robot would create positive or negative experience for customers. The sample of the study included total of 2383 reviews related to robotic hotels from TripAdvisor from January 2011 to October 2020. The findings highlighted the major themes as Room, Robot, Hotel and Staff and their relationship with the ratings. It also provided insights into the contribution of robot service to consumer’s hotel experiences.
Exploring the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sport tourism
(Emerald, 2021-09-29) Mirehie, Mona; Cho, Inje; Tourism, Event & Sport Management, School of Health and Human Sciences
Purpose The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and consequent economic shutdown have had severe impacts on the tourism industry. Acquiring an understanding of the impacts and ongoing response procedures is crucial to recovery planning. The purpose of this study is to explore the management procedures undertaken by sport tourism stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana, USA, a state that relies heavily on sport tourism for its economic vibrancy. Design/methodology/approach A constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 high-rank managers in sport tourism organizations. Findings Continued uncertainty, psychological and financial distress were found to be the main challenges. Contingency planning, adaptability and focus on doable tasks were the core elements of the strategic response plan. Resilience management, particularly social and financial, appeared to be key in the recovery process. A stronger return was predicted with technological advancements and new collaborations. Intra-destination collaboration and creative programs were found to be key in the long-term resilience of the destination. Originality/value Findings shed light on the challenges faced, response actions undertaken, and the projected future which helps to understand the stories behind decisions and proposals, identify the gaps, and plan the best possible practices. Recommendations for leveraging sports to revitalize the destinations and help businesses survive the crisis are provided that can guide sport tourism communities on their path to recovery from COVID-19.
Family Travel, Positive Psychology and Well-Being
(Channel View Publications, 2022-12) Mirehie, Mona; Sharayevska, Iryna; Tourism, Event & Sport Management, School of Health and Human Sciences
Research has shown that travel as a form of family leisure results in various benefits for families. Families use travel to improve their relationships, escape from the routine, create memories and improve communication, and to continue family traditions (Durko & Petrick, 2016; Shaw & Dawson, 2001; Zabriskie & McCormick, 2003). Over the last couple of decades, positive psychology and well-being have received increasing attention in assessing the benefits of travel. Studies have documented hedonic and eudaimonic elements of tourism experiences that contribute to an overall sense of well-being (e.g., Moal-Ulvoas, 2017; Neal, Uysal, & Sirgy, 2007). Aiming at bringing these two bodies of literature (i.e., family leisure and tourism well-being), in this chapter we present findings of a qualitative study that explored travel and family well-being from a positive psychological perspective.
Investigating Collegiate Athletes’ Wellbeing During the Travel Season
(Indiana University, 2022-12) Palmer, Lauren C.; Mirehie, Mona; Tourism, Event & Sport Management, School of Health and Human Sciences
The purpose of this study was to explore collegiate athletes’ sense of wellbeing during the travel season. A qualitative approach was adapted which was founded on the principles of positive psychology. Data were collected utilizing in-depth semi-structured interviews with student athletes via phone or video calls. Participants were recruited through purposive and convenient sampling. To analyze data, thematic content analysis was conducted, and subjective wellbeing theory (Diener, 1984) was used as a guide for data analysis. Interviewees reported that during the competition trips they experience positive emotions such as fun, excitement, and happiness; as well as negative emotions such as stress, anxiety, and exhaustion. Incorporating tourist activities into teams’ travel itineraries and giving the athletes a voice in the travel decision making were found to be effective in enhancing athletes’ wellbeing.
Parental Insights from Three Elite-level Youth Sports: Implications for Family Life
(Taylor & Francis, 2019) Mirehie, Mona; Gibson, H.; Kang, S.; Bell, H.; Tourism, Conventions, and Event Management, School of Physical Education and Tourism Management
The purpose of this study was to examine parental values associated with children’s participation in organized sports, how these values are shaped by social class, race and age, and the influence of elite-level involvement in youth sport on family life. Data were collected by questionnaire in person from parents who were attending three youth sport events (Athletics (track and field) n = 102, Swimming n = 193, Synchronized Swimming n = 139). ANOVA, multiple regression, and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. Values associated with the child/youth’s sport participation included fun, health, self-discipline, and competition. Multiple regression analysis showed that values differed by social class, age, and race, and child/youth’s age. For example, fun and self-discipline were rated higher for younger children while competition was valued more highly for older children. In particular, African-American parents rated self-discipline and competition as significantly higher. Parents across all sports reported the need to organize family activities around sport schedules with swimming and synchronized swimming cited as the most influential. Suggestions as to how Leisure Studies’ research foci on youth, family life, gender and time are well positioned to make valuable contributions to the study of youth sport in the context of family life are discussed.
Participation in Active Sport Tourism and Life Satisfaction: Comparing Golf, Snowboarding, and Long-Distance Running
(MDPI, 2021-01) Mirehie, Mona; Sato, Shintaro; Krohn, Brian; Tourism, Conventions, and Event Management, School of Health and Human Sciences
Research has shown that participation in sport tourism can enhance wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between wellbeing generated through participation in active sport tourism and overall life satisfaction. Three different types of active sport tourism (i.e., golf, snowboarding, and long-distance running) were compared to explore whether the type of experience impacts the relationship between active sport tourism wellbeing and life satisfaction. Broaden-and-build theory was used as a theoretical foundation. Data were collected via an online self-administered questionnaire. Respondents were recruited via a Qualtrics panel (N = 418). Analysis of variance indicated that snowboarders rated the positive emotions acquired from active sport tourism significantly lower than golfers and runners. Furthermore, hierarchical multiple regression showed a significantly stronger relationship between positive emotions and life satisfaction for golfers and runners compared to snowboarders. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.

Browsing by Author "Mirehie, Mona"

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