Effects of Travel Agency Technological Leadership on Tour Guides’ Use of Social Media Sharing Behaviors

Abstract

The current study aims to determine the effects of technology leadership by tourist agencies on the motivation of tour guides to engage in professional sharing behaviors on social media. The data for this study were collected through surveys from registered tour guides affiliated with a travel agency in Turkey. In total, 373 participants were reached. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediating role of motives for social media use in the effect of travel agencies' technology leadership on tour guides' Instagram use behaviors. The findings showed that the technology leadership of travel agencies affects the Instagram use behaviors of tour guides and that the motivation for social media use has a mediating role in this relationship. According to our research findings, as guides become more proficient in using Instagram, their reputation among individuals improves. Consequently, the number of professional posts and the visibility of guides on social media will increase, making them more appealing to a larger number of tourists. This study differentiates itself from others related to technology leadership in the literature, as it is the first to mention both technology leadership and tour guides' social media usage together.