Understanding Meeting Planners' Internet Use Behavior: An Extension to the Theory of Planned Behavior

This study investigates meeting planners' intentions and actual use of lodging websites. The extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) is adapted to predict behavioral intention, a function of attitude, the subjective norm and perceived behavioral control (PBC), to predict actual use, a function of behavioral intention and perceived behavioral control. Past experience is added to existing theories of planned behavior. A total of 235 usable responses were obtained from a self-reported, online survey. The study findings indicate that meeting planners' intentions to use lodging websites were strongly influenced by attitudes, subjective norms, PBC, and past experience. The extended TPB proves to be an invaluable model to explain and predict meeting planners' intentions to use, and their actual use of lodging websites. The article discusses insights and implications from this study finding.