Examining the dimensionality of values for culturally diverse customers in parks and recreation

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the dimensionality and usefulness of Hofstede's measure of values and Kahle's List of Values (LOV) in the context of parks and recreation. Parks and recreation areas around the world increasingly serve as international visitor attractions and play an important role in the international tourism industry. Since values presumably differ among members of different cultures and purportedly influence people's perceptions and behaviours, studying values among culturally diverse visitors is important if we are to understand their influence on parks and recreation perceptions and behaviour. In 2005–2006, visitors to Pokfulam Country Park near metropolitan Hong Kong were surveyed. Using a purposive on-site convenience sampling approach at sites known to be heavily used by visitors with diverse ethnic backgrounds, a sample of 253 Hong Kong residents, 153 Mainland Chinese Visitors and 233 Westerners (including American, British, Australian, and European) was obtained. Analyses showed that when employed in a park and recreation context, Hofstede's measure of values must be further refined to provide acceptable validity, reliability, and utility. On the other hand, Kahle's List of Values (LOV) was found to be a meaningful and useful measure of values in a park setting. Two dimensions of values, external and internal, were extracted from the original four-dimension model and were compared among groups. Discussion of the findings and research implications are provided.