The Tipping Behavior and Motives of US Travelers Abroad: Affected by Host Nations’ Tipping Norms?

Abstract

Despite the size and interdisciplinary scope of the extant literature on domestic tipping behaviors, little research has been done on the tipping behaviors of tourists when traveling abroad. In response, this study presents results from a hypothetical scenario experiment indicating that tipping by US tourists follows the tipping norms of the visited nations and increases with future service, reciprocity, and altruism motives for tipping as well as with favorable attitudes toward the custom. National tipping norms did not moderate the effects of tipping motives but did moderate the effects of respondents’ attitude toward tipping. Specifically, the likelihood that tourists would tip increased with their positivity toward the practice, but significantly less so when tipping was customary and expected in the host country. Discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for the generalizability of previous tipping research and strategies for increasing tipping by foreign tourists.

Perceptions and Practice of Tipping Amongst Domestic Tourists in Zimbabwe

“…It is however a globally known fact that hotel service staff are amongst employees who are lowly paid despite their hard work in bringing smiles on the faces of many. Lynn and Brewster, (2019) observed that tips are given as a kind of assistance to low income earners, among whom hotel staff are.…”

“…There is no conflict on the general existence of the practice, but the aim, motives and reasons of tipping are still vague from both the supply and demand side. Tipping is now generally practiced in service industry than before, where it was only in restaurant (Lynn & Withiam, 2008;Lynn, 2016;Lynn & Brewster, 2019). The following are some of the definitions given for tipping ; simply expressed a tip as an extra amount of income given to service providers by customers after getting a service or before they leave.…”

“…The findings reviewed that the ability to pay tip determines tipping frequency and its magnitude. Lynn and Brewster (2019) pointed out that forthcoming service is not the most important motivation for tipping, people tipp to obey to social norms and get social acceptance. Reasons for tipping workers is that it has become a social norm and there is need to conform to social norms and get social approval (Lynn & Brewster, 2019, Lynn, 2008, Saayman, 2014.…”

“…Lynn and Brewster (2019) pointed out that forthcoming service is not the most important motivation for tipping, people tipp to obey to social norms and get social acceptance. Reasons for tipping workers is that it has become a social norm and there is need to conform to social norms and get social approval (Lynn & Brewster, 2019, Lynn, 2008, Saayman, 2014. Tips are given as a kind of assistance to low income earners, as means to express generosity, and expression of superiority (Azar, 2010).…”

Humans prefer to copy success rather than the social norm in a cooperative game

“…Humans often appear to cooperate in ways that cannot be explained by genetical evolution 1-3 . For example, individuals may tip a waiter in a restaurant they'll never visit again, and give food to food banks or blood to blood banks, even though they'll never learn who benefited [4][5][6] . Likewise, in laboratory experiments, many individuals pay for fair outcomes 7 , to share financial windfalls, and to trust, reward or punish strangers [8][9][10] .…”