Does temporary performance matter for word of mouth in museums?

Abstract

Given the significance of word of mouth (WOM) in influencing other people's decisions to visit, it is critical to investigate the mechanism and condition configuration of WOM in museums. Using SEM technology and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this study discovered that experience at museums influences WOM via either brand image or attractiveness of museums, and that temporary experience positively moderates the effect of experience at museums on attractiveness of museums, indicating that visitors with temporary experience may perceive attractiveness of museums to be stronger, which is rarely disclosed in the existing literature. Furthermore, this study revealed that the formation of WOM occurs as a result of a multi-condition configuration, such as the combination of entertainment and aesthetic experiences at museums, which results in WOM. The mechanism and configuration of WOM in museums, as well as the moderating effect of temporary experience as an external factor in the Howard-Sheth model, were discovered in this study, providing a new understanding of this model.