Measuring online relationship avoidance in tourism research: Scale development and validation

Abstract

This study develops and validates a multidimensional scale for measuring online relationship avoidance (ORA). ORA is particularly important for the global tourism context, for which standardizing and applying ORA measures are difficult. In this study, the authors develop and test a 31-item scale across five studies, and then create an ORA scale that includes the following six dimensions: the unknown, social attitude, psychological attitude, perceived betrayal, indifference, and variety-seeking. Results demonstrate that the scale was internally consistent, related to alternative measures and hypothesized causes and effects, thereby providing evidence of convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity. Suggestions for theoretical and practical insights into customer relationships are also offered.