From fantasy to reality: Transformation of native visitor experiences

Abstract

This article is a thesis of a native visitor to Austria. The article illustrates the associated cognitive and affect constructs experienced in a host community during an extended visitation period. The design methodology employed for this article combined the confirmatory personal introspection (CPI) approach (Woodside, 2004) with three methods to elicit a native visitor's view of living in a host country. The methods used for the data collection process are researcher self-introspection, the Zaltman Metaphoric Elicited Technique (ZMET), and inside auditor verification of concepts and the thinking–doing process from an indigenous perspective. CPI was employed to uncover the native visitor behavioral process resulting from an extended visit in a different culture setting. A total of 21 constructs were identified. The mental model of native resident living abroad while participating in a Fulbright academic program was developed. Three themes of a native resident experience were identified. They are quality of the Fulbright program, cultural exchange, and comparison of fantasy with reality. This study reflects the use of CPI in consumer research. The causal relationships among each of the three themes provide insights to understanding different levels of a native visitor experience. This thesis serves to emphasize the substantial value in utilizing CPI to explain the native visitor experience derived from a Fulbright international exchange education program.