Alison Morrison

Entrepreneurship: what triggers it?

It is apparent that there exists no such thing as one identifiable and universal entrepreneurial culture. Furthermore, the key to initiating the process of entrepreneurship lies within the individual members of society, and the degree to which a spirit of enterprise exists, or can be stimulated. The key question is, what triggers the release of this invaluable enterprising spirit? This paper seeks to make a small contribution towards an explanation by focusing on one aspect – the relationship of certain cultural and societal factors. It is argued that there is a significant relationship between entrepreneurship and cultural specificity. This has been progressed through a cross‐country study that involved Australia, Slovenia, Mexico, North America, Finland, Scotland, South Africa and Kenya. Following a review of the variables that contribute to culture in general and entrepreneurial culture in particular, a sample of findings from the study are integrated to illustrate key categories of analysis. The aim is to instigate a shift in thinking from universal generalisations relative to entrepreneurship, to a deeper understanding of the symbiotic relationship between entrepreneurship and culture.

Small Business Growth: Intention, Ability, and Opportunity

Starting from the premise that the small business sector represents a significant proportion of world economy, the literature on small business growth is reviewed and a framework that would help identify pro-growth small businesses is proposed. The results of a study of businesses conducted in Maribyrnong, Australia, are also presented. The purpose of the study is to understand the factors that contribute to a pro-growth small business orientation. The study includes a survey of 409 area businesses as well as case studies and interviews conducted at 20 of the businesses selected for their pro-growth orientation. A high percentage of the 409 firms are disinclined to access external assistance and advice relative to strategic decision-making. A key characteristic of a pro-growth small business, as revealed by the 20 case studies, is a balanced alignment of the owner-managers intentions, the abilities of the business, and the opportunity environment. The public policy ramifications of the study are discussed.(CBS)

The Family Business in Tourism and Hospitality

The family business is a global phenomenon, and is particularly prominent in tourism and hospitality. In many cases, the family business was developed for the purpose of facilitating personal and family goals. For example, in rural areas, farmers can use tourism as a way to generate additional income, thereby remaining in the area and retaining family property. Running a bed and breakfast establishment is a way to mix family and work. Lifestyle, locational and autonomy motives are the norm, but profit and growth-oriented entrepreneurs are also found within family businesses. This book is the first academic treatment of family business issues within the tourism and hospitality industry. It provides comprehensive assessment of ownership, management and family-related concerns across the entire business and family life cycle. Many new international case studies of real family businesses are used to illustrate key points. The book will be of significant interest to researchers and students in tourism and hospitality, small business and entrepreneurship studies, as well as to owners and potential investors in family businesses.

A contextualisation of entrepreneurship

Purpose – To explore and critically analyse entrepreneurship theories and concepts within the context of the small family tourism business, and the extent to which owner‐managers and their enterprises can be classified as entrepreneurial.Design/methodology/approach – A model has been developed and applied to support a “drilling down” approach that moves from a surface understanding of entrepreneurship as a process through to an industry setting, to penetrate the organisational context and consequential entrepreneurial socio‐economic outcomes.Findings – It has been demonstrated that understanding of the entrepreneurial process, as it interplays with family business, is best served by reference to the cultural, industry setting and organisational context within which entrepreneurs are embedded.Originality/value – The tourism industry has been deliberately selected as an illustrative context due to the low degree of entrepreneurial behaviour that it has traditionally exhibited. Through the application of the...

International tourism networks

Much of tourism development is predicated on the successful working of organisations alignment in the form of partnerships or “networks”. However, tourism networks have been relatively neglected as an area of academic study. This paper presents findings of research focusing on international tourism networks and draws out learning points from the examination of relatively successful examples. A review of relevant literature considers the definition and description of networks, their benefits, and identifiable success factors, and the research methodology applied is described. Discussion follows as to the main functions and benefits of tourism networks in relation to learning and exchange, business activity, and community. Key issues that emerge include: structure and leadership, resourcing, engagement of participants, inter‐organisational learning, and sustainability. The paper concludes by identifying significant success factors and consequential management implications with specific references to tourism destinations as learning communities.

Small business performance: a UK tourism sector focus

Discussion and analysis of small businesses tends to work on generalised, popularised understanding and knowledge of what their motivations are and how they behave in a business environment. The need to explore below these generalisations into the submerged variables and relationships is argued in this paper if academics and policy makers seriously want to interpret and induct theory and practice from the key actors within their natural habitat. Thus, this paper provides a conceptual framework relative to small, urban tourism business performance, which is used as an analytical framework to guide the interpretation of qualitative research undertaken with small businesses in the City of Glasgow. Specifically, discussion and conclusions focus on the complexity and multi‐dimensional nature of small tourism business performance, aspects pertaining to competitive advantages, and the enterprise development issues arising from the prioritisation of lifestyle objectives over those of a more explicit economic natu...

The future of small firms in the hospitality industry

This paper provides a wide‐ranging review of what is currently understood about the management and development of small firms in the hospitality industry, with particular reference to entrepreneurship. Its premiss is that small firms in this industry should be seen as an analytical category that is distinct from other – larger – enterprises. Assertions made by those who see small hospitality firms as merely miniaturised versions of larger organisations are, therefore, rejected as ill‐conceived. The paper is also critical of the quality – and thus value – of widely cited statistics, which are often used as evidence of the inexorable decline of small firms. The paper concludes by tentatively suggesting that far from suffering such misfortune, many small firms are likely to experience prosperity in the years ahead. Furthermore, a minority of firms which can be classed as entrepreneurial represent dynamic engines which have the potential to drive the hospitality industry into a healthy future.

The Liberation of Hospitality Management Education

Hospitality management higher education’s historic origins have resulted in a strong vocational ethos permeating the curriculum. Knowledge about hospitality has been drawn from the industry and the world of work rather than from the many disciplines or other fields of enquiry, which can help to explain it. By the late 1990s there was a strengthening international movement, driven by higher education hospitality academics towards the liberation of hospitality management higher education from its vocational base and to explore the inclusion in the curriculum of a broader and more reflective orientation. This paper investigates the historical evolution of hospitality management education, concepts associated with liberal education, and provides an illustrative case study that evaluates how a more liberal base was introduced into the curriculum at two universities located in Australia and Scotland respectively.

Small firm co‐operative marketing in a peripheral tourism region

Tracks the evolution of a small hotel firm marketing consortium from 1990 when Scotland’s Commended Hotels, now called Scotland’s Hotels of Distinction (SHD), was formed. It can be described as an association of individually‐owned and managed country and town house hotels from 3‐star to 4‐star levels in terms of the Scottish Tourist Board grading and classification scheme. It currently has 62 members, which represent 1,116 bedrooms, giving an average size of 17 bedrooms. Key aims of SHD are to: maintain its position as the leading professional consortium for Scottish hotels which meet membership criteria; and to be active in marketing terms on behalf of members. This involves seeking opportunities to maximise profitable returns by accessing domestic and overseas markets which would otherwise be difficult on an individual small firm basis. In addition, SHD promotes co‐operation to enhance inter‐member referral business. The unification of such a peripheral segment of the hotel industry sector enables effective marketing of a tourist destination to the potential business performance benefit of individual member small firms.

The local destination tourism network: Development issues

Abstract Tourism networks are an increasingly important tool for economic development. At a local destination level, such networks have a potentially significant contribution to make towards sustainable tourism embracing community and commercial interests. This paper describes an instrumental case study that analyses the realities of a young local destination tourism network. It reflects upon tensions among the membership arising from community and commercial value systems, and how these affect aspects of its operation such as goals, plans, activities and relationships with support agencies. The network is understood in the context of its lifecycle and considers how it could be more effectively developed. Existing theory on tourism networks is developed in relation to their life cycle, benefits and contributions, support and management.