# Culture as a catalyst for regenerative co-creation: the role of yuanfen in driving customer voice through social bonds in P2P accommodation

## TL;DR

This study explores how the cultural concept of 'yuanfen' influences customer participation in P2P accommodation through strengthened social bonds.

## Contribution

The study introduces 'yuanfen' as a culturally embedded factor that drives customer voice in P2P accommodation.

## Key findings

- Interpersonal and physical-environmental cues effectively evoke perceived yuanfen.
- Higher perceived yuanfen increases customer voice intention through social bonds.
- Social bonds have a stronger influence on voice intention when perceived customer effectiveness is low.

## Abstract

As tourism shifts from sustainability toward regeneration, active customer participation has become essential for revitalizing the peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation sector. However, the cultural values that motivate such participation remain largely overlooked. Drawing on Cognitive Appraisal Theory, this study investigates how yuanfen, a culturally embedded attributional appraisal of predestined connectedness, shapes customer voice intention in P2P accommodation contexts.

This study employed a scenario-based experiment manipulating interpersonal and physical-environmental cues. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationships among perceived yuanfen, social bonds, perceived customer effectiveness (PCE), and customer voice intention.

Both interpersonal and physical-environmental cues were found to effectively evoke perceived yuanfen. Higher levels of perceived yuanfen significantly increased customer voice intention, with social bonds acting as a key mediating mechanism. Moreover, the moderating analysis indicated that when perceived customer effectiveness (PCE) is low, the influence of social bonds on voice intention becomes stronger, identifying boundary conditions under which relational motivations are most behaviorally consequential.

These findings demonstrate how culturally embedded appraisals such as yuanfen can shape prosocial engagement through strengthened social bonds. The results contribute to understanding how cultural meaning-making processes influence customer voice within P2P accommodation settings. Practically, P2P platforms and hosts may encourage constructive feedback by incorporating interpersonal and environmental cues that evoke relational warmth and connectedness.