This 10-month postdoctoral research project at the University of Lyon 2 in France will examine tourist behaviors and experiences through the lenses of consumer culture theory and service-dominant logic. The researcher will conduct a literature review and online study to understand how social media, friends, and other tourists co-create experiences with tourism providers. The goals are to publish papers in tourism and marketing journals, present findings at conferences, and advise PhD students. Key areas of focus include experience co-creation, social media, new types of tourists, and implications for how the tourism industry engages with customers.

1. Post Doc Subject Proposal
Erasmus Mundus Sustainable eTourism Programme
Nov.2011 - Sep. 2012 (10 months)
Country: Frabce
University: Université Lumière Lyon 2
Domain: Consumer behaviour, marketing, management
Post Doc research Title: The co-create of experiences in the tourism field: A fieldwork
and a multidisciplinary review of tourist behaviours
Background and context
This postdoctoral project takes its lead and inspiration from Consumer Culture Theory (CCT;
Arnould and Thompson, 2005) and the Service Dominant Logic (SDL; Vargo and Lusch,
2004). CCT highlights that consumption is a socially and (sub)culturally determined practice,
while SDL takes its lead from the co-productive processes involved in services. Here
particularly skills and knowledge feature in the creation of value. Both theories form a new
lens for innovative approaches and new insights into resources and activities on both sides of
the counter. The transformation of tourists from ‘passive audiences’ to ‘active players’
(Prahalad and Ramaswamy 2000; Prahalad, 2004), is facilitated by the digital environment. It
also resonates with new thinking on consumer-driven value co-creation. Attaching tourists
emotionally to the value propositions offered at destinations (Bagozzi et al., 1999) requires the
consideration of the consumption situation including the feeling and thinking tourist (Chou,
2009). Marketing management thereby shifts its dominant logic of marketing from a goods-
centric logic to a service centric logic. Tourism marketers are thus challenged to review the
processes on both sides of the counter. Firstly, they need to revise their understanding of their
role and resources in the co-creative process they engage in with the tourist when co-producing
experiential benefits. Secondly, and according to the dimensions of CCT, tourism marketers
need a firm grasp on how tourists, create meaning and identity, create their own tourism
cultures, and generate and employ interpretive strategies to deal with mass-mediated normative
messages.
Goals and work plan
With this in mind, and focusing on the literature on tourist experience, the post-doctorate
candidate will be appointed to overtake this project under the supervision a specialized
Professor Dr. Wided BATAT in marketing and tourism at the University of Lyon 2. The Post-
Doc candidate is expected to analyse the multidisciplinary literature review and conduct online
research to answer the following questions: what are the implications for the definition and

2. creation of customer value? What is the role of the new social media, of family, peers and other
tourists in this co-production? What is it actually that is creative when tourist and provider
meet? Conversely, there is the business on the other side of the counter. What are the
implications for the tourism system, including transport, accommodation, hospitality and the
attractions in which tourists feature as producers? If resources and offerings are nothing but
value-propositions how does that affect communications with tourists?
The outputs of this project are: the publication of papers in leading journals in the tourism,
management and marketing field, conducting fieldwork through online study of the tourists
behaviour, communications in international conferences. The Post-doc candidate will also be
involved in the organization of doctoral seminars, writing reports and giving advices to the
PhD students in the tourism field.
Keywords (3 to 5)
Tourism experience, co-creation, social media, new tourist, consumer behaviour, CCT, S-D
logic, postmodernism
Publications related to the subject (2 to 3 references):
- Arnould, E.J. & Thompson, C.J. (2005), Consumer Culture Theory (CCT): twenty years of
research, Journal of Consumer Research, 31, March, pp. 868-882.
- Holbrook, M.B. et Hirschman, E.C. (1982), The experiential aspects of consumption:
consumer fantasy, feelings and fun, Journal of Consumer Research, 9(2), pp : 132-140.
- Holt, D.B. (1995), How Consumers Consume: A typology of consumption practices, Journal
of Consumer Research, 22(1), pp. 1-16.