From COVID-19 Recurrence Risk to Destination Citizenship Behavior: Three-Path Benefit–Concern Mediation and the Boundary Role of Employment Status

Abstract

By conceptualizing the relationships between antagonistic residents and deviant holidayers regarding perceived benefits and concerns, and residents' destination citizenship behavior (RDCB) based on integrated threat theory, deonance theory, and a belief in a just world theory, we tested the three-path mediation effects of the link between residents' risk perceptions of a COVID-19 recurrence and RDCB, and the moderation effect of employment status. We found significant direct, single indirect, and serial mediation effects of the perceived benefits and concerns along with a significant joint effect of employment status. Although prior research has examined the negative relationship between benefits and concerns, their serial mediation has not been tested in the context of COVID-19 recurrence; this study addresses this gap by investigating their sequential mediating roles. In addition, given the heterogeneous employment conditions among residents, we test employment status as a boundary condition. We discussed the theoretical contributions and practical implications of findings.