The Impact of Self-Congruity and Evaluation of the Place on WOM: Perspectives of Tourism Destination Residents

Abstract

Residents’ voluntary word-of-mouth (WOM), especially positive WOM, is scarcely investigated. Since different human–place relationship factors influence residents’ WOM, further understanding of how residents evaluate the place affects their voluntary behaviors is essential. Using PLS-based structural equation modeling, this study investigates the linkages between residents’ self-congruity, place satisfaction, engagement, expectations, and WOM. Results based on 313 residents of Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Pula (Croatia) suggest that (1) place satisfaction and place expectations only directly affect one-to-one positive WOM; (2) actual and ideal self-congruities affect place satisfaction, engagement, and expectations; (3) place engagement has a substantial direct impact on both one-to-many and many-to-many WOM; and that (4) actual and ideal social self-congruities have a direct influence on many-to-many WOM. In general, this study adds to the literature by detailing how different WOMs are motivated by various factors via different psychological mechanisms.