Sara Dolnicar
- Email:
- s.dolnicar@uq.edu.au
- Phone:
- +61 7 336 56702
- Phone:
- 0437 216185
- Mobile:
- 0437216185
Overview
Background
Sara Dolnicar was born in Ljubljana (Slovenia), grew up in Vienna (Austria) and now lives and works in Brisbane (Australia). She holds university degrees in psychology and business administration.
Sara is an expert on Airbnb and Airbnb regulation, making hotels operate in more environmentallyb sustainable ways while reducing operating cost, public acceptance of recycled waster and social marketing more generally.
To date, Sara has (co-)authored more than 300 refereed papers and led 16 Australian Research Council (ARC) grants, including the prestigous QEII and Laureate Fellowships. She won more than 30 awards, including two lifetime achievement awards: The US-based Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) Distinguished Researcher Award (2017) for ground-breaking research that positively impacts the tourism industry, and outstanding service to the tourism research community (in the association’s 48-year history this award has been given to only four people); and the Slovenian Ambassador of Science 2016, the highest honour the Republic of Slovenia bestows on expatriate Slovenian researchers in recognition of global excellence, impact, and knowledge transfer.
Availability
- Professor Sara Dolnicar is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Masters (Coursework) of Business Administration (Advanced), Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien
- Doctor of Philosophy, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien
- Masters (Coursework) of Natural Sciences (Psychology), International University Vienna
Research interests
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Improving market segmentation methodology
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Making tourists behave in a more environmentally friendly way
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Improving measurement in the social sciences
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Peer-to-peer accommodation networks
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Developing better tools for tourism marketing
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Improving brand image measures
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Attracting good foster carers
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Increasing public knowledge about and acceptance of water alternatives
Research impacts
SEGMENTATION RESEARCH
In the area of market segmentation research, Dolnicar has uncovered flaws in segmentation studies, both at the methodological and conceptual level (Dolnicar, 2002; 2003; 2005; 2007), recently proving that factor analysing items before constructing segments (the predominant method in tourism research) leads to inferior results compared to using the raw data directly (Dolnicar & Grün, 2008).
Dolnicar has also contributed significantly to segmentation methodology. Since her PhD in 1997, which compared nueral networks with traditional algorithms, she has been exploring the usefulness of novel algorithms for market segmentation. Later she adapted bagged clustering — an ensemble method leading to increased stability of solutions — for segmentation purposes (Dolnicar & Leisch, 2000; 2003). Most recently she introduced bi-clustering to solve the item selection problem while grouping individuals (Dolnicar, Kaiser, Lazarevski & Leisch, 2013). A comparative study of indices for determining the number of clusters in binary survey data led to a Psychometrika publication in 2002 (Dimitriadou, Dolnicar & Weingessel, 2002) which is cited by researchers from not only marketing, but also psychology, geophysics and engineering. Dolnicar was part of the research team that invented perceptions-based market segmentation, a nonparametric simultaneous analysis of segmentation, positioning and competition which prevents sequence errors from occurring when both positioning and segmentation decisions are made (Dolnicar, Grabler & Mazanec, 1999; Buchta, Mazanec & Strasser, 2000; Buchta, Dolnicar & Reutterer, 2000). As such, she has made a significant contribution to the improvement of segmentation in the broader context of marketing strategy.
MEASUREMENT
In the the area of measurement in the social sciences, Sara has conducted numerous empirical studies investigating the VALIDITY OF ORDINAL ANSWER FORMATS, raising serious validity concerns about the most popular answer format used by marketers: the ordinal multi-category scale such as the Likert scale (Dolnicar, 2003; Dolnicar, Grün & Leisch, 2004; Dolnicar & Grün, 2007). She also investigated the problem of data contamination by cross-cultural RESPONSE STYLES, and developed an ensemble-based method to assess the robustness of results from potentially contaminated data (Dolnicar & Grün, 2007a; Dolnicar & Grün, 2007b). During her research on the validity of marketing measures as well as ensemble methods for the assessment of response bias in survey data, the question of OPTIMALITY OF ANSWER FORMATS arose. Currently Dolnicar is conducting a large-scale investigation supported by two ARC Discovery grants: one specifically investigating optimal brand image measures (Dolnicar & Rossiter, 2008; Dolnicar & Grün, 2007), the other investigating general answer format optimality. Results indicate that the level-free full binary answer format outperforms more commonly used multi-category answer formats in the context of brand image measurement.
APPLIED RESEARCH
Sara has worked with many industry partners since commencing her academic career in Austria. For example, she assisted the Austrian Business Chamber (Hotel Section) in developing a research-based national hotel starring system for Austria. She advised the Austrian Ministry of Tourism on strategic matters and undertook research for the Austrian National Tourism Organization. In Australia, she has for many years worked with a consortium of not for profit organisations responsible for the placement of foster children. Currently she is working with a group of online market research companies in developing and testing improved survey measures specifically designed for the online environment.
Works
Search Professor Sara Dolnicar’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Book Chapter
Contributing to SDG12 by making tourism consumption and production more environmentally sustainable
MacInnes, Sarah and Dolnicar, Sara (2024). Contributing to SDG12 by making tourism consumption and production more environmentally sustainable. Leaving some behind! Queering authenticity in tourism: a qualitative inquiry on travel experiences of sexual and gender identity minorities. (pp. 178-193) Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781802203219.00021
2024
Journal Article
On the Importance of Field Studies for Testing Theory-Driven Behavioral Change Interventions in (Sustainable) Tourism
Juvan, Emil, Zhu, Oscar Yuheng, Grün, Bettina and Dolnicar, Sara (2024). On the Importance of Field Studies for Testing Theory-Driven Behavioral Change Interventions in (Sustainable) Tourism. Journal of Travel Research. doi: 10.1177/00472875241253009
2024
Journal Article
The comparative effectiveness of interventions aimed at making tourists behave in more environmentally sustainable ways: a meta-analysis
Greene, Danyelle, Demeter, Csilla and Dolnicar, Sara (2024). The comparative effectiveness of interventions aimed at making tourists behave in more environmentally sustainable ways: a meta-analysis. Journal of Travel Research, 63 (5), 1239-1255. doi: 10.1177/00472875231183701
2024
Journal Article
Identifying segment-specific barriers to ordering environmentally sustainable plant-based meat dishes in restaurants
Fechner, David, Grün, Bettina and Dolnicar, Sara (2024). Identifying segment-specific barriers to ordering environmentally sustainable plant-based meat dishes in restaurants. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), 1-24. doi: 10.1080/09669582.2024.2342982
2024
Journal Article
Vegan burger, no thanks! Juicy American burger, yes please! The effect of restaurant meal names on affective appeal
Greene, Danyelle, Yuheng Zhu, Oscar and Dolnicar, Sara (2024). Vegan burger, no thanks! Juicy American burger, yes please! The effect of restaurant meal names on affective appeal. Food Quality and Preference, 113 105042, 105042. doi: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.105042
2024
Journal Article
Conceptualising the (dis)abling marketplace through value creation and destruction
Zainuddin, Nadia, Randle, Melanie, Gordon, Ross and Dolnicar, Sara (2024). Conceptualising the (dis)abling marketplace through value creation and destruction. Journal of Marketing Management, 40 (5-6), 418-449. doi: 10.1080/0267257x.2024.2323444
2024
Journal Article
The power of respect for authority and empathy – leveraging non-cognitive theoretical constructs to trigger environmentally sustainable tourist behaviour
Zhu, Oscar Yuheng, Li, Hongwei, Grün, Bettina and Dolnicar, Sara (2024). The power of respect for authority and empathy – leveraging non-cognitive theoretical constructs to trigger environmentally sustainable tourist behaviour. Annals of Tourism Research, 105 103681, 103681. doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2023.103681
2024
Journal Article
Does enjoyment focus prevent proenvironmental behaviour?
Albrecht, Sabina, Zinn, Anna Kristina, Grün, Bettina and Dolnicar, Sara (2024). Does enjoyment focus prevent proenvironmental behaviour?. Annals of Tourism Research, 104 103714, 103714. doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2023.103714
2024
Journal Article
If you want to learn about real behaviour, measure real behaviour
Viglia, Giampaolo, Dolnicar, Sara, Acuti, Diletta and Nicolau, Juan Luis (2024). If you want to learn about real behaviour, measure real behaviour. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1-13. doi: 10.1080/09669582.2024.2392837
2024
Journal Article
A typology of quantitative approaches to discovery
Dolnicar, Sara, Zinn, Anna Kristina and Demeter, Csilla (2024). A typology of quantitative approaches to discovery. Annals of Tourism Research, 104 103704, 103704. doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2023.103704
2024
Journal Article
Factors and key interactions influencing successful employment outcomes for people with disabilities
Ikutegbe, Paul, Randle, Melanie, Sheridan, Lynnaire, Gordon, Robert and Dolnicar, Sara (2024). Factors and key interactions influencing successful employment outcomes for people with disabilities. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 62 (1) e12377. doi: 10.1111/1744-7941.12377
2024
Journal Article
On the importance of precise language use
Greene, Danyelle and Dolnicar, Sara (2024). On the importance of precise language use. Annals of Tourism Research, 104 103707, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2023.103707
2023
Journal Article
Increasing meat-free meal selections: the role of social identity salience and identity-related meal names
Zinn, Anna K., Zhu, Oscar Yuheng and Dolnicar, Sara (2023). Increasing meat-free meal selections: the role of social identity salience and identity-related meal names. Appetite, 191 107067, 107067. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.107067
2023
Book Chapter
Triggering behaviour change in tourists to make their vacation more environmentally sustainable
Demeter, Csilla and Dolnicar, Sara (2023). Triggering behaviour change in tourists to make their vacation more environmentally sustainable. Handbook on tourism and behaviour change. (pp. 21-35) edited by Haywantee Ramkissoon. Northampton, MA USA: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781800372498.00008
2023
Journal Article
Automatically monitoring environmental performance in tourism – The example of plate waste at all-you-can-eat buffets
Dolnicar, Sara, Gray, Angus, Grün, Bettina, Li, Hongwei and Portmann, Marius (2023). Automatically monitoring environmental performance in tourism – The example of plate waste at all-you-can-eat buffets. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights, 4 (2) 100100, 1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.annale.2023.100100
2023
Journal Article
How can restaurants entice patrons to order environmentally sustainable dishes? Testing new approaches based on hedonic psychology and affective forecasting theory
Fechner, David, Karl, Marion, Grün, Bettina and Dolnicar, Sara (2023). How can restaurants entice patrons to order environmentally sustainable dishes? Testing new approaches based on hedonic psychology and affective forecasting theory. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. doi: 10.1080/09669582.2023.2274283
2023
Journal Article
Successful employment outcomes for people with disabilities: a proposed conceptual model
Ikutegbe, Paul, Randle, Melanie, Sheridan, Lynnaire, Gordon, Robert and Dolnicar, Sara (2023). Successful employment outcomes for people with disabilities: a proposed conceptual model. Consulting Psychology Journal, 75 (3), 202-224. doi: 10.1037/cpb0000222
2023
Journal Article
How to entice restaurant patrons to order low-emissions meals? A meta-analysis and research agenda
Greene, Danyelle, Nguyen, Mai and Dolnicar, Sara (2023). How to entice restaurant patrons to order low-emissions meals? A meta-analysis and research agenda. Appetite, 188 106612, 106612. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106612
2023
Journal Article
Demystifying the journal review process: an editor’s observations
Dolnicar, Sara (2023). Demystifying the journal review process: an editor’s observations. IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society, 4 (3), 1-7. doi: 10.1109/tts.2023.3291414
2023
Journal Article
Why targeting attitudes often fails to elicit sustainable tourist behaviour
Dolnicar, Sara and Demeter, Csilla (2023). Why targeting attitudes often fails to elicit sustainable tourist behaviour. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 36 (3), 730-742. doi: 10.1108/IJCHM-07-2022-0828
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Sara Dolnicar is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Enticing consumers to choose plant-based meals in restaurants: a randomized field experiment
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Anna Zinn, Dr Danyelle Jayne Greene
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Doctor Philosophy
NUDGING TOURISTS, THE TOURISM WORKFORCE AND TOURISM MANAGERS TOWARDS A MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY BEHAVIOUR
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Anna Zinn
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Doctor Philosophy
Developing and Testing the Effectiveness of Theory-Driven Behaviour Change Interventions for Food Waste Reduction
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Danyelle Jayne Greene
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Doctor Philosophy
Reducing aircon use in hotels
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Anna Zinn, Dr Danyelle Jayne Greene
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Doctor Philosophy
Exploring the Capabilities of LoRaWAN IoT Technology for Multisensor Data Collection and Analysis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Siamak Layeghy, Associate Professor Marius Portmann
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Master Philosophy
Decreasing the aircon usage of hotel guests
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Danyelle Jayne Greene, Dr Anna Zinn
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Doctor Philosophy
Reducing global tourism carbon emissions
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ya-Yen Sun, Dr Futu Faturay
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Doctor Philosophy
Low-energy LoRaWAN-based automatic and continuous measurement of organisational environmental performance.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Siamak Layeghy, Associate Professor Marius Portmann
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Essays on Habit as a Driver of Tourist Pro-Environmental Behaviour
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Monica Chien, Dr Faith Ong
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Towards Sustainable Tourism: Assessing the effectiveness of interventions and measurement methods
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ya-Yen Sun
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Data quality in online surveys: Essays on improving respondent participation and response effort
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Aaron Tkaczynski
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Using Psycho-physiological Methods in Three Tourism Contexts to Measure Consumer Attention to Pro-environmental Information
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Andy Lee
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
Essays in environmentally sustainable tourist behaviour
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jie Wang
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Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Sara Dolnicar directly for media enquiries about:
- airbnb
- collaborative consumption
- desalinated water - public acceptance
- destination image
- disaster resilient tourist
- foster care
- market segment
- market segmentation
- peer-to-peer networks
- questionnaire development
- recycled water - public acceptance
- sharing economy
- short term accommodation
- short term letting
- survey research
- sustainable tourism
- tourism
- tourism marketing
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