Audience leisure involvement, satisfaction and behavior intention at the Macau Science Center

Published date04 March 2020
Date04 March 2020
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/EL-07-2019-0176
Pages383-401
AuthorZhi Li,Yuemeng Ge,Zegang Su,Xiaohua Huang
Subject MatterInformation & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet
Audience leisure involvement,
satisfaction and behavior
intention at the Macau
Science Center
Zhi Li
School of Media and Design, Zhejiang University Ningbo Institute of Technology,
Ningbo, China and College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang
University, Hangzhou, China
Yuemeng Ge
School of Business, Zhejiang Fashion Institute of Technology, Ningbo, China
Zegang Su
Faculty of Humanities and Arts, Macau University of Science and Technology,
Macau, China, and
Xiaohua Huang
Faculty of Innovation and Design, City University of Macau, Macau, China and
School of Media and Design, Zhejiang University Ningbo Institute of Technology,
Ningbo, China
Abstract
Purpose This study aims to analyze the basic information of visitors of the Macau Science Center to
assess their leisure involvement, satisfaction and behavioral intention, along with the interaction of these
factors.Suggestions are made for museum policy modications to improve visitorexperience quality.
Design/methodology/approach The analysis methods used in this study included reliability,
descriptivestatistics, independent-samples ttest,ANOVA, correlation analysis and regression analysis.
Findings The results showed thatthere was no signicant relationship between gender andsatisfaction,
involvement of leisure or behavioral intention; age and educational level had signicant impacts on
satisfaction, leisure involvement and behavioral intention; signicant differences were found in terms of
visitorspoint of geographic origin, namely, local residents, mainland residents and Hong Kong residents;
occupation was found to have no signicant impact on satisfaction, leisure involvement or behavioral
intention; monthly income was found to have no signicant impact on leisure involvement and behavioral
intention, but did have a signicant impacton satisfaction; number of visits had no signicant impact; there
was no signicant difference in leisure involvement and behavioral intention among different types of
visitors, but therewas a signicant differencein terms of satisfaction; and signicant correlations were found
between leisureinvolvement and behavioral intentions.
Originality/value The value of this study is to identify problems and offer potential solutions for the
improvement of the Macau Science Center by studying the leisure involvement, satisfaction and behavioral
intention of museum visitors. The proposed measures can improve the visibility and quality of the science museum,
attract additional visitors and improve Macaus branding through promoting science education and tourism.
Keywords Libraries, Data analysis, Library and information networks, Library science,
Science museum, Targeted customers, Leisure involvement, Satisfaction, Behavioral intention
Paper type Research paper
Audience
leisure
involvement
383
Received27 July 2019
Revised10 September 2019
17October 2019
29December 2019
18January 2020
Accepted19 January 2020
TheElectronic Library
Vol.38 No. 2, 2020
pp. 383-401
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-07-2019-0176
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/0264-0473.htm
1. Research background
Located on reclaimed land south of the Macau Cultural Center, the Macau Science Center
consists of an exhibition center, a planetarium and a convention center, and has been in
operation since late 2009. Its main building has six oors, with the rst oor dedicated to
astronomy. The science centerfeatures a total of 14 exhibition halls covering topics in basic
science, environmental science, life science, materials and new products, energy resources,
automation, information technology, virtual reality and so on. The complex also includes a
cafeteria, shops and child recreation areas. Admission charges are 25 patacas
(approximately US$3.1) for international visitors, 15 patacas for Macau locals and free for
students and teachers. Exhibitions are designed to raise scientic awareness, inviting
visitors to explorescience with interactive displays.
Museum tourism is an important form of cultural tourism, an important way to
disseminate knowledge and experience, and also an important part of cultural tourism.
Meeting the educationaland leisure needs of visitors requires a better understanding of their
goals and interests. In recent years, popular interest in science and technology has
developed rapidly in China, with nearly 1,700 medium and large scale science museums
operating in the country by the end of 2011, and with signicant clustersof such museums
in Guangdong, Jilin and Hubei provinces.However, such museums largely lag behind their
established counterpartsin Europe and North America in terms of quality, partly because of
decient standards for the development of museum content and lack of innovation. The
content and exhibitions of such museums is largely homogenous, thus dampening public
interest, leading to low visitor participation and interaction, poor museum experiences and
low satisfaction.
Most current research focuses on the relationship between visitorsleisure participation
and overall satisfaction, as well as the ultimate impact on behavior intention. Few studies
examine science museums as key components in developing tourism. The purpose of this
study is to analyze the basic data, leisureinvolvement, satisfaction and behavioral intention
of visitors to provide recommendationsfor the development of cultural tourism in Macau.
2. Literature review
A science museum is a public education institution that communicates and arouses interest
in scientic topics through permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as participatory,
experiential and interactiveexhibits and auxiliary means. It plays a guiding role in scientic
development through science popularization, education, scientic and cultural exchange
activities. It spreads scienticthinking and promotes scientic and technologicalinnovation
through the promotion of scientic spirit and increasing the publics understanding of
science.
Science Education and Museums is a bimonthly academic journal with a global vision.
Based on the development of natural history and science museums, it publishes papers
covering current science education theories and practical experiences (Science Education
and Museums, 2019). Shaby (2019)examined how school children visiting a science museum
with their class perceive the overall visiting experience of and which aspects they recall as
signicant. He found that visitor memories are dominated by physical interaction, and
students are able to report at length about interactive learning experiences. In addition,
students see museum guides and facilitators as traditional knowledge transmitters,
repeating their explanationsand referring to their contents as something they have learned.
Studying college students visiting science museums in Italy, Ascenzi (2019) proposed
multiple ways science museums could widen the heuristic potential and have a socio-
cultural impact on the socio-cultural history of education. On the one hand, university
EL
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