The role of personality traits in promoting customer citizenship behaviour: special reference to the homestay tourism context in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to explore customer personality traits as an antecedent of customer citizenship behaviour which positively facilitates service providers. Design/methodology/approach – This study follows the positivism research paradigm. Hence, primary data were collected from 250 homestay visitors who stayed at five selected homestays located at Mirissa homestay zone, Sri Lanka. Findings – The present study's findings reveal that “agreeableness,” “extraversion” and “conscientiousness” personality traits promote customer citizenship behaviour. Furthermore, the openness to “experience” trait identified to have a statistically insignificant relationship with CCB and neuroticism recorded a positive impact on the relationship between CCB and personality, contrary to the existing literature. Practical implications – This study comprehensively explains how service providers should arrange their service facilities to increase customer willingness to perform citizenship behaviour, which helps develop their services. Originality/value – Previous research has investigated that customer personality in terms of prosocial and proactive nature impacts CCBs. In contrast, the effect of Big Five personality traits on CCB is highlighted in this study.

Keywords

• big five personality traits
• customer citizenship behaviour
• homestay tourism