IMPACT OF INTERNET CHANNEL ON THE SERVICE CANNIBALIZATION PERCEPTION AND THE ROLE OF RELATIVE CAPITAL

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of sales agent representatives’ service cannibalization and its possible outcomes (effort, job satisfaction, job performance and job alienation) resulting from ICT especially internet adoption as an alternative distributional channel in tourism industry. In addition, causal relationships between these possible outcomes have been tried to be revealed. According to field studies carried out in 2016 with 387 group A sales representatives working in travel agencies that are members of TÜRSAB located in the European side of Istanbul, it was determined that the relational capital levels of the sales representatives were relatively low while the service cannibalization perceptions reached a moderate result. A regression analysis was conducted to test hypotheses established in the theoretical and framework of the research. Service cannibalization has been identified as a predictor of effort, job satisfaction, job performance and job alienation. Another result reached through the study is that the level of relational capital as a partial mediator between sales agent’s service cannibalization perception and its outcomes. At the end of the work, various suggestions were made to Travel Agencies.