Understanding Casino Visitors' Decision-Making Processes Within the Perspective of Responsible Gambling
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Clemson University TigerPrints All Dissertations Dissertations 8-2010 UNDERSTANDING CASINO VISITORS' DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES WITHIN THE PERSPECTIVE OF RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING: AN APPLICATION OF THE MODEL OF GOAL-DIRECTED BEHAVIOR Hakjun Song Clemson University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations Part of the Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Song, Hakjun, "UNDERSTANDING CASINO VISITORS' DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES WITHIN THE PERSPECTIVE OF RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING: AN APPLICATION OF THE MODEL OF GOAL-DIRECTED BEHAVIOR" (2010). All Dissertations. 605. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/605 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNDERSTANDING CASINO VISITORS‘ DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES WITHIN THE PERSPECTIVE OF RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING: AN APPLICATION OF THE MODEL OF GOAL-DIRECTED BEHAVIOR A Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School of Clemson University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management by HakJun Song August 2010 Accepted by: Dr. William C. Norman, Committee Chair Dr. Francis A. McGuire Dr. Kenneth F. Backman Dr. DeWayne D. Moore Dr. Choong-Ki Lee ABSTRACT There has been relatively little theory-based research focusing on casino visitors‘ behavior. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) has been criticized for not considering the effect of past behavior and for not incorporating emotional factors in its theoretical frame. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to examine casino visitors‘ behavioral intention for casino gambling using the Model of Goal-directed Behavior (MGB) as a new theoretical framework to understand visitors‘ behavioral intentions to gamble in casinos. This study also aimed to not only compare the Extended MGB (EMGB) with the original MGB, TPB, and Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), but also to examine the role of responsible gambling strategy in the casino visitors‘ decision-making processes for casino gambling by adding the concept to the original MGB. An onsite survey of casino visitors was conducted at Kangwon Land Casino in South Korea. Structural equation modeling was employed to identify the structural relationships between latent variables. The results of the EMGB indicated that ―desire‖ had the strongest relationship with casino visitors‘ intentions to gamble, followed by positive anticipated emotion, perceived behavioral control, perceptions of a responsible gambling strategy, negative anticipated emotion, and attitude. The perception of a responsible gambling strategy was also a significant (direct) predictor of both desire and behavioral intention, as casino visitors had positive perceptions of casinos that implemented responsible gambling strategies. Casino managers should consider a responsible gambling strategy as an important long- term business activity to increase casino visitors‘ intentions to gamble. ii DEDICATION This dissertation has benefited from the many people who have come across my long and tough Ph.D. program. No words of thanks can completely convey my gratitude for my supporters‘ valuable time and kind help that made the completion of my Ph.D. program possible. First and foremost, my very special thanks go to my advisor Dr. William C. Norman for guiding me through this dissertation and for advising me during the past three years. His leadership will take me a long way in my career in academia. I also thank to Dr. Choong-Ki Lee for his never-ending care and concern throughout my Ph.D. program. From observing the way he interacts, I learned what professionalism is and how to become a professional. I feel grateful and honored to have him as my life- long mentor and role model. I am deeply grateful to other committee members for their constructive comments and criticisms. Dr. Francis A. Mcguire has been another great source of guidance and support during my Ph.D. program. Dr. Kenneth F. Backman has been extremely generous with his time and provided insightful comments. My special thanks also go to Dr. DeWayne D. Moore for his support and encouragement. My committee members‘ precious time and valuable feedback enabled this dissertation to be more polished. They both showed genuine interest in my success and encouraged me to achieve my academic goals. It was also my honor and pleasure to meet some of the greatest people, my colleagues in PRTM. Although graduate school could be a very lonely journey, people in G15 made the journey more fun and pleasant. In addition, the support that I received from my friends (JunChul Lee, YoungTaek Kim, JaeWoong Hur, YoungJu Ahn, Jinwon Kim, YoungJun Choi, ChoongBum Choi, and JaeSeok Lee) iii enabled me to finish my Ph.D. program. Their influence has helped me get to where I am. Lastly, my family deserves a special note of thanks. My parents made sure to always let me know that I have their endless support and love. Without their support, I would not have finished my Ph.D. program. I also have the greatest younger brother and sisters who encouraged, loved, and trusted me. Thank you and I love you all. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TITLE PAGE ....................................................................................................................... i ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1 Background ..................................................................................................1 Problem Statement .......................................................................................6 Purpose of Study ..........................................................................................7 Research Questions ......................................................................................7 Scope of Study .............................................................................................9 Significance of Study .................................................................................10 Definitions of Terms ..................................................................................11 Organization of Dissertation ......................................................................13 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................15 Gambling Behaviors ..................................................................................15 Research on Gambling ...............................................................................19 Gambling as a Leisure Activity .................................................................22 Development of Casino Industry ...............................................................25 The Relationship between Casinos and Tourism .......................................27 Casino Studies in the Social Sciences ........................................................29 Sustainable Development of Casino and Responsible Gambling Strategy ...............................................................................30 Overview of Consumer Behavior Theories ...............................................35 v Table of Contents (Continued) Page III. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CONCEPTUAL MODEL ...............57 Theoretical Framework ..............................................................................57 Hypothetical Relationships ........................................................................59 Research Hypotheses .................................................................................65 IV. METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................................68 Variable Measurement and Pretest ............................................................68 Site Selection .............................................................................................73 Approval of the Use of Human Subjects ...................................................76 Data Collection Procedures ........................................................................76 Data Analysis Procedures ..........................................................................77 V. RESULTS ........................................................................................................86 Preliminary Results ....................................................................................86 Exploratory Factor Analysis ......................................................................89 Hypotheses Testing ....................................................................................97 VI. CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................116 Summary ..................................................................................................117