Three faces of social influence: How compliance, identification, and internalization shape smart tourism co-creation and satisfaction

Social influence remains a critical yet underexplored factor of tourists’ online co-creation experience (OCE) with smart tourism technologies (STTs). While prior research has largely focused on technological affordances and compliance-based norms, limited attention has been paid to how diverse social influence mechanisms affect co-creation behaviors and downstream satisfaction outcomes. This study addresses this gap by integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with Kelman’s Social Influence Theory to examine how perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and three distinct dimensions of social influence—compliance (subjective norms), identification (social identity), and internalization (group norms)—influence OCE and, in turn, satisfaction with STTs and the overall trip. Data was collected from 290 tourists who used STTs and analyzed using SmartPLS. Results show that social identity exerts the strongest impact on OCE. Subjective norms and group norms also positively affect OCE, albeit to a lesser extent. Among technological factors, PU has a stronger influence on OCE than PEOU. Crucially, OCE significantly improves satisfaction with the STT and the trip, reinforcing its importance in delivering enriched tourist experiences. OCE mediates the effects of technological and social drivers on satisfaction, and satisfaction with STTs further mediates the relationship between OCE and trip satisfaction. This study advances theoretical understanding by integrating multidimensional social influence within a TAM framework in the context of smart tourism. From a practical viewpoint, the findings offer actionable insights for platform developers and destination marketers to design socially engaging and functionally effective STTs that encourage co-creation and enhance tourist satisfaction. • Integrates TAM with multidimensional social influence in smart tourism • Social identity has the strongest association with online co-creation experience (OCE) • Compliance, identification, and internalization positively relate to OCE • Perceived usefulness influences co-creation more than ease of use • OCE enhances technology and trip satisfaction