Reducing feelings of xenophobia through cognitive effort : The role of market knowledge, collaborative consumption behavior, and affinity for technology interaction

Despite the increasing interest in pain and pleasure dynamics, empirical studies in the marketing domain have inadequately explored how intentional efforts to endure hardship or engage in painful behavior may lead to pleasure. To address this gap, the current study draws on the conservation of resources theory to propose a model that explains how and when foreign tourist cognitive effort mitigates their feelings of xenophobia and may foster a pleasurable experience. We further propose that tourist market knowledge and collaborative consumption behavior mediate the link between cognitive effort and xenophobia. Tourist affinity for technology interaction (ATI) was proposed as an important boundary condition. The results based on time-lagged data from 344 tourists supported the proposed relationships. Our research offers practical implications that can help owners/managers of international hotels and tourist companies design strategies that reduce xenophobia.