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Ivana Rihova and Matthew Alexander
Tourists’ resource integration both offers opportunities and presents challenges to tourism service providers. Focussing on the tour guide perspective, the purpose of this paper…
Abstract
Purpose
Tourists’ resource integration both offers opportunities and presents challenges to tourism service providers. Focussing on the tour guide perspective, the purpose of this paper is to explore how tour guides experience knowledge/information-based asymmetry in encounters with tourists and identifies the roles and coping strategies used by guides to facilitate service co-production.
Design/methodology/approach
Critical incident technique is used in qualitative interviews with 47 tour guides in Scotland, broadly representative of the Scottish tour guiding context. 107 critical incidents were analysed, with an average of 2.32 incidents per interview. Narrative analysis of the incidents was performed inductively in four iterative steps using QSR NVivo.
Findings
Three resource asymmetry incident categories are identified: probing – Guide-Oracle is questioned by inquiring tourists and copes through diverting, evasion, and follow-up strategies; learning – Guide-Magpie learns from expert tourists through acknowledging and co-delivery; and negotiation – Guide-Diplomat with greater knowledge helps misguided tourists save face through appeasing, following the official line and tactfully correcting.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to service co-production research in tourism by theorising about contexts where knowledge/information asymmetry exists between tour guides and tourists, particularly where fluid power relations between guides and knowledgeable tourists occur or where misguided tourists co-produce the service by prioritising own meanings. Findings highlight the importance of soft skills and other non-content capabilities of guides, and suggestions are offered for effective training and resource sharing/ learning initiatives for tour guiding services.
目的
游客资源整合为旅游服务提供商提供了机遇, 同时也带来了挑战。本文以导游视角为重点, 探讨了导游在与游客接触中如何体验知识/信息不对称, 并识别了导游用于促进服务共同生产的角色和应对策略。
方法
本研究采用关键事件技术(CIT)进行质性访谈, 对象为苏格兰的47名导游, 广泛代表苏格兰导游环境。分析了107个关键事件, 每次访谈平均2.32个事件。对事件的叙述分析在QSR NVivo中通过四个迭代步骤进行归纳性分析。
发现
确定了三个资源不对称的事件类别:1)探询 - 导游-神谕被询问, 通过转移、回避和后续策略来应对询问的游客; 2)学习 - 导游-喜鹊通过承认和共同交付从专业游客中学到经验; 3)协商 - 导游-外交官以更多知识帮助误导的游客保全体面, 通过安抚、追随官方路线和巧妙纠正来应对。
独创性
本文通过理论化导游和游客之间存在知识/信息不对称的情境, 特别是在导游和知识丰富的游客之间存在流动权力关系的情况下, 或者误导的游客通过优先考虑自己的意义来共同生产服务的情境, 为旅游服务的共同生产研究做出了贡献。研究结果强调了导游的软技能和其他非内容能力的重要性, 并提出了关于为导游服务提供有效培训和资源共享/学习倡议的建议。
Propósito
La integración de recursos de los turistas ofrece oportunidades y presenta desafíos para los proveedores de servicios turísticos. Centrándose en la perspectiva de los guías turísticos, este artículo explora cómo los guías turísticos experimentan una asimetría basada en conocimiento/información en encuentros con turistas, e identifica los roles y estrategias de afrontamiento utilizados por los guías para facilitar la coproducción de servicios.
Metodología
La técnica de incidentes críticos (CIT) se utiliza en entrevistas cualitativas con 47 guías turísticos en Escocia, ampliamente representativos del contexto de los guías turísticos escoceses. Se analizaron 107 incidentes críticos, con una media de 2,32 incidentes por entrevista. El análisis narrativo de los incidentes se realizó de forma inductiva en cuatro pasos iterativos utilizando QSR NVivo.
Hallazgos
Se identifican tres categorías de incidentes de asimetría de recursos: 1) Sondeo: los turistas interrogan a Guide-Oracle y lo afronta mediante estrategias de desvío, evasión y seguimiento; 2) Aprendizaje: Guide-Magpie aprende de turistas expertos a través del reconocimiento y la entrega conjunta; y 3) Negociación: el guía-diplomático con mayor conocimiento ayuda a los turistas descarriados a salvar las apariencias apaciguándolos, siguiendo la línea oficial y corrigiendo con tacto.
Originalidad
El artículo contribuye a la investigación de la coproducción de servicios en el turismo al teorizar sobre contextos donde existe asimetría de conocimiento/información entre guías turísticos y turistas, particularmente donde ocurren relaciones de poder fluidas entre guías y turistas conocedores, o donde turistas equivocados coproducen el servicio priorizando propios significados. Los hallazgos resaltan la importancia de las habilidades interpersonales y otras capacidades de los guías no relacionadas con el contenido, y se ofrecen sugerencias para iniciativas efectivas de capacitación e intercambio de recursos/aprendizaje para los servicios de guías turísticos.
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Erdim Kul, Bekir Bora Dedeoğlu, Fulden Nuray Küçükergin, Marcella De Martino and Fevzi Okumus
This study investigates to what extent the values perceived by tourists throughout cultural tours impact their overall satisfaction levels and behavioral intentions related to the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates to what extent the values perceived by tourists throughout cultural tours impact their overall satisfaction levels and behavioral intentions related to the destination. This study further examines the moderating role of tour guide competency in the relationship patterns concerned.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical data were collected via a survey from 420 foreign tourists who visited Cappadocia and participated in guided cultural tours. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling was used for data analysis.
Findings
Study results reveal that the effects of quality, emotional, monetary and social value perceptions of tourists gained through cultural tour experiences on their overall satisfaction levels and the effects of overall satisfaction on recommendation and revisit intention are positive and significant. Furthermore, the moderating role of tour guide competency is significant and positive in the relationships between quality value and satisfaction and between satisfaction and revisit intention.
Originality/value
This study offers a critical analysis of discoveries concerning the pivotal role of tour guide competency within the cultural tour experience.
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The purpose of this study is to examine how guidelines for information literacy and library instruction can be incorporated into online research guides and provide examples from…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine how guidelines for information literacy and library instruction can be incorporated into online research guides and provide examples from guides that have done this.
Design/methodology/approach
Online research guides in forestry were identified and examined using the ACRL's “Information literacy competency standards for higher education” and guidelines for library instruction set forth in LaGuardia and Oka's Becoming a Library Teacher.
Findings
While some research guides simply provide unannotated links to online resources, others seek to engage the user by incorporating features that correspond directly to elements of a library instruction session.
Originality/value
The study presents practical ways in which online research guides can serve as library instruction tools.
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Martin P. Courtois, Martha E. Higgins and Aditya Kapur
Most academic libraries make subject or research guides available on their web sites. Little is known, however, in terms of user satisfaction with guides. This study examines…
Abstract
Purpose
Most academic libraries make subject or research guides available on their web sites. Little is known, however, in terms of user satisfaction with guides. This study examines methods used to evaluate guides and reports on an online survey placed on each of more than 80 web‐based guides provided by Gelman Library, George Washington University.
Design/methodology/approach
The survey, borrowing an approach used by Amazon.com and other web sites, consisted of a single question – Was this guide useful – and a comments box.
Findings
Two hundred ten responses were received during Fall semester 2003. Fifty two percent of responses rated guides as Very Helpful or Somewhat Helpful, while 40 percent gave ratings of Not Helpful or a Little Helpful.
Originality/value
Although limited in scope, this simple survey revealed positive elements of the guides and identified problems that could be addressed immediately. The survey also helped to identify larger issues that will benefit from additional user input.
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When evaluating the worthiness of field guides to trees, there are several criteria which might be considered; perhaps the first should be geographic coverage. If one is…
Abstract
When evaluating the worthiness of field guides to trees, there are several criteria which might be considered; perhaps the first should be geographic coverage. If one is attempting to identify a tree in Iowa, one should not be using a guide covering only trees of the Pacific Slope. Although this may seem obvious, problems can occur in guide selection due to geographically misleading titles. Some guides may imply a geographic coverage which is in fact quite different from the actual coverage.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of air-suction slots geometry on the condensing zone of pneumatic compact spinning.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of air-suction slots geometry on the condensing zone of pneumatic compact spinning.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper investigated the condensing zone of pneumatic compact spinning with perforated drum for different structures of air-inlet slot geometry with computational fluid dynamics. For this purpose, three air-suction guides with different air-slots were designed. To create the condensing zone for the numerical simulation, a suction insert and the perforated drum were also designed. Flow velocity components on the X, Y, and Z axes, static pressure distribution and the streamline diagram were used for comparative analysis. Designed air-suction guides were produced with a 3D printer and used for yarn production.
Findings
Numerical simulation results showed that condensing effects were provided for all three types of air-suction guides and approaching air-slots on the suction guides resulted in greater flow components but may cause fluctuations. Experimental results also showed that actual flow velocity components (Z-axis) are effective on hairiness (H) properties of the yarn while assisting flow-velocity components are more effective on the evenness and tenacity properties of the yarn.
Originality/value
This paper presents the numerical flow field simulation of compact spinning for different structures of air-suction guides with detailed measurements. To know the effects of air-suction guides on the condensing zone may be helpful to improve yarn properties. In addition, a 3D printer was used for the production of designed parts.
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Timothy G. Durell and Michael Howard
Notes that the Department of Health has begun approving industry guides for food safety, including one for the catering industry. Suggests that some in the industry fear these new…
Abstract
Notes that the Department of Health has begun approving industry guides for food safety, including one for the catering industry. Suggests that some in the industry fear these new guides may lead to a lowering of standards or be used as a “stick with which enforcement officers will beat them”. Addresses concerns and explains the rationale behind the guides and advocates a change in approach to food hygiene, from a basic environmental approach to a goal‐based approach of controlling risks. Concludes by stating that the industry guides have a major role in helping to interpret and assist in the regulatory changes and that full involvement of the the various food industry sectors is essential.
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Hu Chen, Hong Li, Fei Lin, Yi-Jiao Zhao, Yu-Jiao Guo, Xin-yue Zhang, Yong Wang and Peijun Lyu
This paper aims to use cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and computer-aided design/3D printing technology to design and fabricate a drill guide template for access cavity…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to use cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and computer-aided design/3D printing technology to design and fabricate a drill guide template for access cavity preparation of permanent molars, and conduct a preliminary evaluation of its effectiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
CBCT scans were performed on two permanent maxillary first molars extracted due to periodontitis. Based on the scans, guide templates of access cavities were designed. The angle of the guiding cylinders was determined based on the direction of the long axis of the tooth. A 3D resin printer with high resolution was used to print the guide templates. The printed guide templates were used by a dentist with specialized clinical experience to perform access cavity preparation in a dental simulator. Then the prepared access cavities were scanned again by CBCT, and scan data were compared to the design data.
Findings
The 3D printed drill guide template had a close fit with the extracted tooth fit. The access cavity prepared using the guide template enabled the removal of the pulp chamber roof, and formed a straight-line access. Points were selected for measurement at regularly spaced intervals of 0.5 mm along the side wall of the access cavity. The mean deviation between the actual access cavities of the two permanent maxillary first molars and the designed cavities was less than 0.1 mm, with a maximum deviation of about 0.5 mm, showing a good conformance between the actual cavity and the designed cavity.
Originality/value
A drill guide template was designed and fabricated by 3D printing technology, which easily guided burs to complete the access cavity preparation work forming an ideal cavity shape with satisfying accuracy, and thus may reduce the complications during pulp chamber entry.
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Siân Walters and Shirley Cousins
Company information is of considerable importance to the business community, but finding the right information is not easy. There are many possible information sources in a…
Abstract
Company information is of considerable importance to the business community, but finding the right information is not easy. There are many possible information sources in a variety of formats which are often difficult to identify and control. Accurate and current guides to information sources are important and a prototype hypertext guide to sources of company information has been developed to examine the feasibility of utilising this technology to overcome some of the limitations of paper‐based guides. COMPInfo has been developed using GUIDE software. The structure of the system and the way in which this attempts to fulfil the requirements of a good company information guide are discussed. The advantages and problems of the prototype are considered, along with areas in which further development of the structure would be beneficial. In spite of its limitations, COMPInfo indicates that hypertext technology could provide a viable solution to the problems of producing an effective guide to the complex field of company information.