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1 – 10 of 153Ibrahim Ajagunna, Fritz Pinnock and Robert Kerr
This paper aims to examine how “wilderness tourism” is being successfully used to promote tourism development in the economically depressed community of Bangor Ridge in Jamaica…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine how “wilderness tourism” is being successfully used to promote tourism development in the economically depressed community of Bangor Ridge in Jamaica. Through this promotion, its sponsor, Sun Venture Tours, has been able to create employment for local residents and in so doing, contribute to community development and poverty alleviation. The company has also been able to demonstrate that local entrepreneurs have the capacity to address issues in their communities with little or no reliance on government.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper employs a qualitative research methodology using both primary and secondary data. The study focuses specifically on Bangor Ridge in Jamaica with Costa Rica and Belize used as comparators.
Findings
This paper concludes that the exclusion of heritage assets from the government's development strategies for tourism in Jamaica has resulted in economic and social stagnation and a decline in economic opportunities for rural communities on the island where unemployment and poverty are rife. It argues that there is a strong case for consultation among all stakeholders as to the value of the country's natural assets and the future of tourism in Jamaica. The paper observes that tourism cannot be sustained unless Jamaica's natural assets are preserved and carefully utilized.
Originality/value
This paper explores topical issues and provides a case study that clearly illustrates how government could redirect its interest in terms of support to local communities whose assets form the basis for tourism products on the island.
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Maggie La Rochelle and Patsy Eubanks Owens
To provide insight into young people’s attitudes toward community, place, and public discourse on youth and the environment, and to constructively situate the concept of “a sense…
Abstract
Purpose
To provide insight into young people’s attitudes toward community, place, and public discourse on youth and the environment, and to constructively situate the concept of “a sense of place” within these insights for critical pedagogy and community development.
Design/methodology/approach
This project utilizes a grounded theory approach to identify salient themes in young people’s expressions of place relationships through poetry. About 677 poems about “local watersheds” written by youth aged 5–18 for the River of Words Poetry Contest between 1996 and 2009 are analyzed using poetic and content analysis.
Findings
Findings include the importance of place experiences that employ risk-taking and play, engage central family relationships, and provide access to historical and political narratives of place for the development of constructive place relationships. We also present findings regarding emotions in the sample, showing changing levels of hope and idealism, sadness, pessimism, and other emotions as expressed in the poems.
Research limitations/implications
Using poetic analysis to study attitudes, values, and feelings is a promising method for learning more about the perceptions and values of individuals that affect their self-efficacy and agency.
Practical and social implications
Engaging youth as active participants and empathetic knowledge-creators in their own places offers one opportunity for critical reflective development in order to combat and reframe disempowering public discourses about young people and their relationships to nature and community. Educators can use this research to adapt contextually and emotionally rooted methods of place-based learning with their students.
Original/value
The paper uses a nontraditional, mixed methods approach to research and a unique body of affective data. It makes a strong argument for reflective, experiential, and critical approaches to learning about nature and society issues in local contexts.
Mohd Hafiz Hanafiah, Norol Hamiza Zamzuri, Tengku Intan Suzila Tengku Sharif and Bung-on Chartrungruang
This study aims to investigate the Malaysian Mah Meri Indigenous tourism entrepreneur’s personality, experience, sense of community traits and current challenges in…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the Malaysian Mah Meri Indigenous tourism entrepreneur’s personality, experience, sense of community traits and current challenges in community-based tourism (CBT)-related businesses.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data from 10 Indigenous tourism entrepreneurs. Data were analysed using the NVivo 11 software.
Findings
The qualitative content analysis found three broad themes. Firstly, the authors found that the Mah Meri community possesses unique self-efficacy personality characteristics, significantly predicting their unsustainable entrepreneurial behaviours. Secondly, they are willing to share their values, beliefs and interests in their business offerings, which reflect their sense of community. Even with considerable entrepreneurial experience through learning from local wisdom and upskilling efforts by the government, the authors found that the community limitation mainly concerns the lack of early education, uninventive entrepreneurship practices and financial assistance.
Practical implications
This study provides an improved understanding of the Indigenous business environment for policymakers and Indigenous entrepreneurs. We found entrepreneurial personality, experience, sense of community determine and structure their CBT entrepreneurial activities.
Originality/value
This study provides a new perspective on Indigenous tourism entrepreneurs’ personalities, experiences, sense of community traits and challenges. The study also suggests encouraging sustainable Indigenous entrepreneurship practices for economic development, self-determination and community sustainability.
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Sally Watson and Elena Vasilieva
The purpose of this paper is to report on qualitative research conducted to evaluate the sustainability of learning derived from a novel leadership development process which…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on qualitative research conducted to evaluate the sustainability of learning derived from a novel leadership development process which involves a short period of retreat. The findings aim to provide evidence of the impact of an “inside outside” approach to leadership development on the performance of managers back in their organisations. The paper seeks to challenge the traditional approach to the outdoor management development favoured by trainers in the 1990s and offer an alternative learning method that ensures the transfer of practical outcomes to the workplace.
Design/methodology/approach
A semi‐structured survey was conducted with 50 senior leaders within two large UK corporations. The survey results were cross‐referenced with desk research to explore reflective approaches to leadership development in the UK and the USA. Participants' written reflections post‐retreat and one year later were used to supplement the findings. The target population included cohorts of leaders who had participated in a leadership development programme from 2003‐2006.
Findings
The paper finds that the process of retreat acts as a catalyst for both emotional and intellectual learning. Through the training the participants were able to access intuitive knowledge about themselves, their lives and the impact of their leadership on the organisation.
Practical implications
Links were established between the “inside out” approach of Wilderness Thinking and tangible outcomes back on their workplace. The practical changes initiated by leaders exposed to Wilderness Thinking counters the traditional challenge made to outdoor management development in the limited success with learning transfer to sponsoring organisations.
Originality/value
“Wilderness Thinking” represents a breakthrough in leadership training and development through a unique approach to the use of outdoors to personal change and learning transfer. The findings of the paper add to the debate about the role of outdoor management development in the development of leaders.
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Sally Watson and Elena Vasilieva
Describes the development of a leadership approach in which the outdoors became an environment for personal reflection.
Abstract
Purpose
Describes the development of a leadership approach in which the outdoors became an environment for personal reflection.
Design/methodology/approach
Reports on the pilot findings from research conducted with 50 managers from Airbus UK and TOTAL and contribute to knowledge about reflective approaches to leadership development
Findings
A process of retreat became a catalyst for reflective learning about leadership among 50 managers from Airbus UK and TOTAL. The findings challenge OMD and SMD and their specific use of the outdoors as a medium for individual learning.
Originality/value
Evidence was found that wilderness thinking represents an innovation in reflective learning which challenges the main trends in the use of the outdoors to develop leaders
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Abstract
Details
Keywords
General Management, International Strategic Management, International Marketing and Brand Management.
Abstract
Subject Area
General Management, International Strategic Management, International Marketing and Brand Management.
Study level/applicability
MBA (General Management), MBA (Marketing), Management and executive development programme.
Case overview
The Indian Hotels Corporation limited known as the Taj Group was set up by JRD Tata in 1903. The company has undertaken a long journey since then. It is one of the most recognized hotel brands in luxury market segment of the hotel industry. Off late some micro- and macro-level changes in the business environment have not been in favor of the group. The strategy of international expansion in acquiring and refurbishing of assets has mounted the debt and the growing losses. What has compounded the growing troubles is the entry of aggressive multinational brands in the luxury segment of the hospitality industry. The group prioritizes to get its financials in order. It thereafter needs to rework on its competitive strategy and take advantage of the booming domestic hotel industry for profitable future growth.
Expected learning outcomes
Expected learning outcomes are as follows: to understand the impact of expansions on the top line and the bottom line on the hospitality industry; to understand the impact of expansion on brand image for the legacy brand; to understand and develop strategies for a company which make it profitable in the hotel industry; and to formulate entry and exit strategies for companies dealing in the hospitality industry.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject code
CSS: 11: Strategy.
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Mona Eskola, Minni Haanpää and José-Carlos García-Rosell
This chapter sets out to explore consumer-centred experiential luxury from the perspective of a human body. We focus on the various practices related to a yoga retreat holiday…
Abstract
This chapter sets out to explore consumer-centred experiential luxury from the perspective of a human body. We focus on the various practices related to a yoga retreat holiday experience in luxury hotel premises, such as encounters with hotel facilities, employees, nature and atmosphere besides yoga practice. Attention to bodily practices and affectivities on a yoga retreat holiday experience enables discussing intangible luxury beyond the traditional debate of luxury as related to product or brand features or experiential luxury focused only on the cognitive multisensory perceptions. The autoethnographic approach supports unwrapping the subtle affectual sensations building individual luxury in the experience setting. The data are gathered along with the first author's fieldwork during her three yoga retreat holidays in Thailand. The embodied investigation of tourist practices inducing luxury in the premises of a luxury hotel enriches the discussion of the co-creation between human bodies and the experience setting. It draws attention to the dynamic, situational and sensitive nature of luxury in the contemporary touristic experience of a yoga retreat holiday. It also advances the existing research on the body, practice and knowing by featuring the way luxury is emerging within the practice of yoga retreat holiday. By challenging the paradigm of luxury sensed only through our five external senses, our findings on the being, doing and moving body deepen the understanding of the co-creation and sensitiveness, affecting the subjective, transparent and embodied understanding of luxury experience.
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