ADAPTING CONSUMER STYLE INVENTORY TO CULTURAL HERITAGE SITE VISITING CONTEXT

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine the applicability of the Consumer Decision-Making Style (CDMS) theoretical framework in the context of visiting cultural heritage sites and to adapt the original Consumer Style Inventory (CSI) measurement instrument accordingly. Since adapted measurement instruments should be tested for their psychometric properties before being applied in empirical studies, the aim of this paper is to test an original Consumer Style Inventory in an observed research context. Design/Methodology/Approach - The paper analyses the psychometric properties of the modified measurement scale by assessing its reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, and dimensionality. In accordance with previous recommendations in the literature, a shortened version of the original CSI was proposed. Data were collected from a sample of undergraduate and graduate students (n = 332). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis methods and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were used in the study. Findings and implications - This empirical study found that the adapted measurement subscales (with the exception of the Impulsiveness subscale) had satisfactory psychometric properties. The adapted measurement subscales have acceptable levels of reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, and each of the seven adapted subscales is unidimensional. The final measurement instrument consists of seven original CDMS dimensions and includes eighteen items, which facilitates the use of the adapted measurement scales in future empirical studies of heritage site visitation. The adapted measurement instrument could also be used in future professional market research projects conducted for practical marketing problems related to heritage site visitation. Limitations - The limitations of the research that could affect the generalizability of the research findings were discussed in terms of the sampling procedure and data collection method, as well as the cultural setting in which the research was conducted. In addition, the main implications of the adapted CSI measurement scale are explained. Originality - By confirming the satisfactory psychometric properties of the adapted CSI measurement instrument, this research study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of consumers' approach to heritage site selection, thus expanding existing theoretical knowledge about consumers' decision-making styles in different research contexts.