Effects of residents’ empowerment on citizenship behavior and support for convention development: Moderation of innovativeness

Abstract

This study investigated how residents’ empowerment influences their engagement in the sustainability of the convention industry in their community, specifically, their citizenship behavior (CB) toward convention visitors and support for convention development in their community. Additionally, the current study examined the moderator of a convention center’s innovativeness. The sample used for data analysis was 415 residents from Seoul and Busan, South Korea. The results of structural equation modeling revealed that residents’ empowerment enhances their participation in CB toward visitors and support. The multi-group comparison analysis suggested that a convention center’s innovativeness moderates the effect of residents’ empowerment on their CB toward visitors but not on convention development support. These results highlight the important role of empowering residents in convention host communities in psychological, sociological, and political ways in promoting community engagement and support for convention development. Local authorities and convention center management should ensure that residents have sufficient knowledge about the benefits of convention development and involve them in decision-making processes.