Application of the EMA Model to Tourism Entrepreneurs: Motivation as a Mediator

This research uses the expectation, motivation, and attitude (EMA) model, originally developed for tourists/consumers, to provide a better understanding of what guides the actions of entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs have not been a focus in the hospitality literature therefore their desire to start the business, expectations about the business, and resulting attitudes are not fully understood. The study uses bed and breakfast entrepreneurs as the population and finds that motivation is a mediator of the relationship between expectations and attitudes. Additionally, using the model in this new setting, with a new population supports the model as providing the underlying relationships at work when the population investigated is expending resources for a desired outcome. The EMA model should continue to be used in future research.