Perceived authenticity of the visitor experience in museums

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the authenticity concept and its antecedents and consequences within the context of museums. Design/methodology/approach – A higher-order scale of authenticity is developed and then tested for reliability and validity using a sample of museum visitors. To investigate authenticity in a model with two antecedents and two outcomes, an additional data set was collected. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling. Findings – The results show that perceived authenticity of the museum, the visitor and the materials in the museum are dimensions of perceived authenticity, resonating with Bal’s (1996) research in this area. Findings also confirm that consumer scepticism and expectations are antecedents to perceived authenticity of the visitor experience in museums, and that perceived authenticity in turn affects visitor satisfaction and perceived corporate hypocrisy. Practical implications – This research provides a framework for museums to manage visitors’ perceptions of authenticity, and to plan and design exhibits accordingly. Originality/value – Our research, set in the museum context, articulates the basis of perceived authenticity, its antecedents and outcomes. This study sets the foundation for research to further explore how perceived authenticity interacts with other constructs relevant to consumption.

Places as authentic consumption contexts

“…One way that consumers seek out rewarding experiences is by immersing themselves in places such as cultural destinations, theme parks, museums, sporting venues, and even ancient villages where time seems to stand still (Buzova, Sanz‐Blas, & Cervera‐Taulet, ; Zhang & Gao, ). Performances also offer potentially value‐laden, place‐based experiences, as is the case with sporting events, music concerts, winery visits, or museum tours (Hart, Stachow, & Cadogan, ; Hede, Garma, Josiassen, & Thyne, ).…”

Learning from the professionals: film tourists’ “authentic” experiences on a film studio tour

“…Soon, however, the scholarly discourse moved towards a more critical discussion about the economic, social and cultural implications that such film-induced tourism (Connell, 2005;Connell and Meyer, 2009;Hahm and Wang, 2011) or consumers' experiences with film-induced images (Gkritzali et al, 2016;Tzanelli, 2007;Zhang et al, 2016) may have on those affected locations and local communities. From here, it does not take much extrapolation to see why the issue of authenticity and the authentic tourist or visitor experience (Goulding, 1999(Goulding, , 2000Hede et al, 2014;Hede and Thyne, 2010) has caught the attention of critical scholars in arts marketing, film tourism and consumer research as well.…”

“…Grayson and Martinec (2004), however, argue that authenticity is primarily a sociological-theoretical construct that describes what and how the real thing 'ought to be', as perceived, judged and expected by cultural critics, experts and also consumers. Since the judgement is largely based on personal expectations, a growing concern among scholars, therefore, is that the distinction between the authentic and the inauthentic becomes blurred (Hede et al, 2014). Museums and heritage sites present visitors increasingly 10 with staged replications, imitations and 'truthful' re-enactments of historic settings, cultures and everyday life or wildlife for a more 'realistic effect' rather than with just displaying genuine, authentic artefacts (Goulding, 2000;Hede and Thyne, 2010).…”

“…Particular emphasis is hereby placed on examining how consumers perceive, 6 experience and negotiate the '(in)authenticity' of what first-hand insights into the industrial film production process and the art of filmmaking is presented to them during the guided tour of a working film studio (Beverland, 2006;Goulding, 2000;Hede et al, 2014). In so doing, it emerged that the guided film studio tour appeals especially to consumers with a serious leisure interest (Stebbins, 1982) in the art of filmmaking, who perceive it as an invitation to access the backstage of professional film production and to feel part of a wider filmmaker community.…”

Flow within theatrical consumption: The relevance of authenticity

“…Authenticity is also relevant for the theatre venue, a crucial dimension of the peripheral part of the performing arts experience (Goulding, ; Mencarelli, ). Authenticity in space denotes that the servicescape is unique and irreplaceable (Debenedetti et al ., ); true to itself, performs its role as expected (Hede et al ., ); and the composite picture consisting atmospheric cues comply with the expectations of consumers about how that place ought to look (Lego et al ., ; Ebster and Guist, ; Jang et al ., ), regardless of the fact that the servicescape is the produce of fantasy or reality (e.g. Kozinets et al ., ; Debenedetti et al ., ).…”