Angela Benson

Planning for Sustainable Ecotourism: The Case for Research Ecotourism in Developing Country Destinations

Research ecotourism is a relatively new component of activities within the ecotourism industry, providing research opportunities for visitors focusing on aspects of the natural environment which are principally located in developing countries. This paper is directed towards identifying the nature and causes of socio-cultural impacts of this strand of ecotourism using a case study from Indonesia. The positive nature of socio-cultural impacts perceived by host communities alongside the irregular nature of economic benefits to host communities is analogous with the altruistic surplus theory of individual recognition of communal benefits. Certain characteristics of research ecotourists are identified as contributing towards host reactions towards visitors which reinforce the contention that this is a desirable form of ecotourism in similar locations.

Can research methods ever be interesting

This article reflects upon a process of curriculum redesign undertaken with an aim to improve the student learning experience of research methods via an activity-based approach. Historically, the way in which research methods were being taught within Southampton Business School did not fully engage student interest, and it was not well applied to further study of the subsequent modules including the dissertation. The article discusses the changes that were made to the module, which led to a developmental and experiential programme. The learners appear to be better prepared for their subsequent research and indicate that this approach better facilitated their understanding of the subject. Future developments will include collecting more empirical evidence to support the offering of this activity-based approach throughout the Southampton Business School.

Developing a Framework for Evaluating Olympic and Paralympic Legacies

This paper seeks to add to the discourse surrounding Olympic and Paralympic legacies by proposing a flexible research framework that draws from previous research on legacies. It is noted that the bulk of the research has focussed on summer Olympics with little interest in Winter Olympics and virtually none for either the Summer or Winter Paralympics. Using the legacy radar framework, ‘profiles’ may be generated to aid in the comparison between diverse legacies that may occur in different fields, such as sport, infrastructure, social capital, the environment and economic impacts, over a range of dimensions including time, place and costs. It is suggested that this framework has the potential for further development to reflect the changing agendas of host communities and interest groups. The dimensions include positive and negative legacies and metrics that may be applied across events.

The Role of the Psychological Contract in Managing Research Volunteer Tourism

ABSTRACT Volunteer motivations and the psychological contract are outlined, demonstrating a reciprocal relationship needing more complex marketing approaches. Limitations of relationship marketing resulting from short project times are identified. Maguires three-tier model is used to develop a theoretical model of the Research Volunteer psychological contract. Qualitative case data is used to illustrate transactional, career, and relational relationships. The article maps relationship marketing and the psychological contract model together, arguing that using both constructs enables more effective management of such a tourism niche.

Volunteer tourism: commodified trend or new phenomenon?

This chapter argues that volunteer tourism has become a global phenomenon, with market predictions indicating growth in both size and value and with this growth has come the inevitable controversies that surround new trends or phenomena. It explains that in examining this phenomenon there is a need to examine a wider agenda beyond that of its size and growth. This chapter attempts to build around the ideas on the volunteer experiences from both their experiences and the experiences of the communities with which they interact. It also suggests that volunteer tourists cannot solely be aligned with neo-colonialism or neoliberalism. Volunteer tourism sits at the intersection of a great many areas such as mass tourism, international development and sustainability, and as such it is essential that we do not isolate our ideas to singular theories, approaches or practices, as this would then limit our ability to research and appreciate this phenomenon. This chapter provides an overview of this area and attempts to provide the reader with an analysis of its function and characteristics.

A Strategic Analysis of Volunteer Tourism Organisations

A significant number of tourists now wish to combine their concern for the degradation of the environment with their vacation activities. This concern, together with the need for educated people to work on ecological and scientific projects, has led to the emergence of a small but growing number of UK organisations that bring together paying volunteers and research projects to support research into sustainable development. There is little academic literature on the organisations that provide this travel service. The article examines key dynamics of the research volunteer market examined with data from questionnaire responses, interviews and observation. The article uses Porters five forces model and the Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) framework to strategically analyse this sector. The findings suggest that none of the five forces are strong enough to depress profits and therefore, the balance sheets should be healthy; however, this is not always the case. Consequently, the SPACE factors that appear related to the financial viability of the firms are explored. In conclusion, firms have the ability to make a substantial contribution to environmental sustainability and their survival is important; however, the risks of operating in this sector are relatively high.

It's All About the Games! 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Volunteers

Despite volunteers being essential for the success of many mega sport events, there is little known about what motivates them to volunteer at such events. This study aims to address this gap. This article commences by developing getz’s event portfolio into a new expanded sport event typology. It continues by presenting the results to three key questions: (1) who is volunteering? (2) what are their motivations for volunteering, and (3) what variables are most likely to be related to their intention to volunteer after the event. The study used an adaptation of the Special Event Volunteer Motivation Scale on volunteers at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic winter games. A principal components analysis of the 36 motivation items identified six factors that accounted for 58.3% of the variance, with the main factor entitled “All about the games.” A regression analysis conducted to identify those variables most likely to indicate an intention to volunteer more after the games demonstrated that those who could see an advantage in more volunteering pregames were most likely to intend to increase their level of volunteering postgames. People with previous volunteering experience in events, sport, or community groups were less likely to indicate they would volunteer more after the event. The results and recommendations have implications for megamultisport event organizing committees not just in respect of event delivery but in terms of a postevent volunteer legacy.

Mega-event volunteers, similar or different? Vancouver 2010 vs London 2012

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare motivations of volunteers at two mega multi-sport events. Design/methodology/approach – The research used a quantitative research design to survey volunteers at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (n=2,066) and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (n=11,451) via an online questionnaire based upon the Special Event Volunteer Motivation Scale. Findings – The results indicate that the volunteers, most of whom had previously volunteered, were motivated by similar variables, including the uniqueness of the event, the desire to make it a success and to give back to their community. The results of the principal components analysis indicated that most items of the scale loaded onto similar components across the two research contexts. Research limitations/implications – There were methodological limitations in terms of the timing of the questionnaire administration and Likert scales used, however, these issues were controlled by gatekeepers. These limitations could have research implication for comparative studies of volunteers at mega events. Practical implications – Understanding volunteer motivations will enable event managers and volunteer managers to plan for legacy. Social implications – Volunteer motivations include wanting to give back to their community and therefore, increases the potential for volunteer legacy. Originality/value – This is the first research that: enables comparison of winter and summer Olympic and Paralympic Games volunteers; has substantial sample sizes in relation to the variables; applies higher item loadings to strengthen the analysis; and involves the use of the same instrument across events.

UK leisure centres under best value: a strategic analysis

Purpose – To understand the effects of the best value regime on the public provision of recreation at the level of the leisure centre.Design/methodology/approach – A strategic auditing device is applied to 87 leisure centres to investigate the strategic variables of environmental stability and attractiveness, service strengths and financial resources. The analysis produces a typology of leisure centres, and evaluates the prospects of each type under best value.Findings – The findings suggest that a large number of leisure centres managed by local authorities will make limited headway in implementing best value. What is more, many face problems that will be exacerbated, rather than eased, by current policy. Leisure centres managed by Trusts generally face more benign local environments, which appear to offer greater prospects, but it is clear that Trust status itself offers few advantages outside a greater range of financial sources.Research limitations/implications – The research focuses on strategic choi...

Training of Vancouver 2010 volunteers: a legacy opportunity?

The successful delivery of a mega sport event depends upon a volunteer workforce. It is often asserted that the training of event volunteers contributes to the creation of a social legacy via the transfer of learning to other volunteer contexts, thereby creating an enhanced volunteer pool after the event, which will support the tourism and events industries in the host communities. This article reflects upon the reality of that assertion and argues that in order to achieve legacy both training and development strategies are required. As such an analysis of data collected at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games around training and legacy is discussed. A Legacy Training and Development Model is offered and subsequently applied to the case study. The article concludes by suggesting that training at Vancouver 2010 was a missed opportunity in achieving legacy.