Researching individual satisfaction with group decisions in tourism: experimental evidence

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to investigate how satisfied individuals are with the final outcome of a group decision-making process on a joint travel destination. Using an experimental paradigm (N total = 200, N groups = 55) it was obvious to hypothesize that individuals would especially be satisfied with the final group decision when it matched their own initial travel preference and that they would be dissatisfied in case it mismatched their initial preference. However, in addition the influence of personality and group dynamics differences (Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, Five Factor Model) as well as travel types of the individual decision maker on the satisfaction level with the group decision outcome as the dependent variable were further researched. The paper concludes with implications for e-tourism, especially with regards to the development of interactive tools for group travel.