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Are Tourism Practitioners Happy? The Role of Explanatory Style Played on Tourism Practitioners’ Psychological Well-Being

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  • Jinghua Han

    (Joint Institute of Ningbo University and University of Angers, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China)

  • Keji Huang

    (Joint Institute of Ningbo University and University of Angers, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China)

  • Shiwei Shen

    (Joint Institute of Ningbo University and University of Angers, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China)

Abstract

Research on tourism has gradually focused on the study of well-being, but relatively little attention has been paid to the psychological well-being of tourism practitioners. This study adopted the theoretical lens of explanatory style and the PERMA model (P = positive emotion, E = engagement, R = relationships, M = meaning, A = accomplishment) to investigate the influence of tourism practitioners’ explanatory style on their psychological well-being (PWB). The survey study demonstrated that explanatory style was significantly related to PWB; whilst an optimistic explanatory style was positively related to PWB, a pessimistic explanatory style was negatively related to it. Additionally, in the context of Chinese culture, tourism practitioners were inclined to attribute PWB to internal, stable, and specific causes. This study falls within the extensive field of occupational health psychology and theoretically contributes to the literature by connecting positive psychology and its effects on practitioners in the tourism context. Meanwhile, there are similarities and differences between the PWB and explanatory style in the Chinese cultural context and in the Western context. This finding has practical implications for generalizing the PWB of tourism practitioners in different cultural backgrounds, especially in countries with Eastern cultural backgrounds, further improving the sustainable development of tourism destinations.

Suggested Citation

  • Jinghua Han & Keji Huang & Shiwei Shen, 2022. "Are Tourism Practitioners Happy? The Role of Explanatory Style Played on Tourism Practitioners’ Psychological Well-Being," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-18, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:9:p:4881-:d:796927
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. José Mendes & Teresa Medeiros & Osvaldo Silva & Licínio Tomás & Luís Silva & Joaquim A. Ferreira, 2022. "PERMA Model of Well-Being Applied to Portuguese Senior Tourists: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-11, June.
    2. Olga Kosykh & Hanna Roh & Robert Hart, 2023. "Self-Expressiveness in Slow Tourism as a Sustainable Driver: The Trans-Siberian Railway Travel Experience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-19, May.

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