Karla Boluk

Motivations of Social Entrepreneurs: Blurring the social contribution and profits dichotomy

Purpose – The aim of this study is to empirically investigate the additional motives, aside from the social interests that motivate social entrepreneurs. This paper does so by using an inductive approach and specifically carrying out a re-examination of two pieces of research examining social entrepreneurship that were carried out independently by the two researchers in South Africa and Ireland. Design/methodology/approach – The method used for the paper is content analysis. Research using qualitative content analysis focuses on the characteristics of language, talk and conversation (Sarantakos, 2005) with attention paid to the content or contextual meaning of the text. Thus, a qualitative content analysis is concerned with an examination of the uses of language. According to Downe-Wambolt (1992, p. 314), the aim of content analysis is “to provide knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon under study”. Findings – The findings indicate that the informants do have additional motivations with respect to ...

Using CSR as a Tool for Development: An Investigation of the Fair Hotels Scheme in Ireland

This article explores an opportunity for the accommodation sector in Ireland to engage in Corporate Social Responsibility. The aim of this article is to investigate the Fair Hotels Ireland scheme and explore its potential to create social cohesion which may then influence the economic and social progress in both theory and praxis. The research question that supports the aim of this study is: has the Fair Hotels Ireland scheme created value and influenced consumer purchasing? To respond to this research question ten interviews were carried out with Fair Hotel managers in Ireland. A content analysis was used to examine the data. The results indicated that hotel managers noticed an increase in business as a consequence of their CSR and becoming a Fair Hotel; and the scheme was described as creating value for their hotel and staff. However, the managers had not noticed a significant difference in the level of employee satisfaction.

A case study of human resource practices in small hotels in Sweden.

The competitive advantage of organizations in the hotel industry is their human resources. The aim of the authors in this article is to investigate the human resources practices in small hotels in Sweden. They examine the practices of hotels in three main areas of human resource management, namely: hiring, training, and performance evaluation. Although the hotels find their human resources important there has been a lack of attention devoted to the development of human resources systems and processes. Accordingly, the implementation and development of human resources systems and procedures depends on the background of the hotel manager or operator and available financial resources.

Fair trade tourism South Africa : a pragmatic poverty reduction mechanism

Fair Trade Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) is a certification that has similar ambitions to the pro-poor tourism approach. accordingly it has been implemented as a way of contributing to sustainability and poverty relief in South Africa post apartheid. The aim of this paper is to 1) critically review and establish a clear understanding of FTTSA from a theoretical perspective and 2) explore practically from the producers perspective whether FTTSA has created value for impoverished black communities along the Eastern Cape. The research question that guides this aim is: Can FTTSA be a mechanism to reduce poverty in South Africa? The study uses a case study approach, as well as in-depth interviews with the owners/managers and casual conversations with the local people. Three FTTSA certified businesses were investigated during two phases of fieldwork along the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The results recognize that FTTSA businesses are indeed prioritizing the needs of the poor in three identifiable ways: including the poor in tourism decision-making, creating employment opportunities and stimulating entrepreneurship and providing skilful opportunities.

Fair Trade Tourism South Africa: consumer virtue or moral selving?

The academic focus on tourism impacts has raised questions regarding stakeholder responsibility. From a consumption perspective, many ethical consumers, by enacting their political and moral concerns through their consumer choice demonstrate their virtuous qualities and at the same time construct themselves as ethical. Ethical consumption and the consumption of Fairtrade, Fair Trade Tourism and Fair Trade Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) – which derived from Pro-Poor Tourism and ecotourism principles –, are embedded into a cultural context of global consumer capitalism. This macro discourse informs the way people think about the extent of their responsibility, what constitutes a fair exchange, and how they construct themselves as ethical consumers. Ethical consumption, although virtuous can then be described as a form of conspicuous consumption because consumption in its self is a hedonistic act especially when one uses ethical consumption as a mechanism to demonstrate ones ‘ethical self’. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with eleven FTTSA travellers in December–February of 2009 at two FTTSA businesses. The paper employed Critical Discourse Analysis to explore some of the tensions between consumer virtue and the hedonistic behaviours of the informants. The aim of this paper is to investigate the notion of moral selving in the context of ethical travel and in particular FTTSA. Results revealed that motivations for participation in ethical consumption and travel are varied and sometimes influenced by the appeal of moral selving.

Stakeholder collaboration: A means to the success of rural tourism destinations? A critical evaluation of the existence of stakeholder collaboration within the Mournes, Northern Ireland

Tourism has long been pursued by governments as a means of development in rural areas. Negatively, rural areas have certain characteristics that inhibit their ability to achieve the full benefits of tourism. Consequently, many rural tourism destinations to date have found that the benefits to be gained are over-stated. Stakeholder collaboration has been deemed critical for the success of sustainable tourism. In fact, in the context of rural tourism destinations stakeholder collaboration can be particularly advantageous in addressing specific factors relevant to rural tourism destinations that may inhibit the success of the destination. However, successful attempts to implement stakeholder collaboration have been limited. A growing body of literature reveals that successful stakeholder collaboration relies on numerous elements, which have to be incorporated for the success of the process. The paper reveals how simply attempting to implement stakeholder collaboration is not enough for its success, instead various components need to be incorporated throughout the continuous process, in particular attention is paid to establishing trust across the various stakeholder group.

The Battlefield of The Mountain: Exploring the Conflict of Tourism Development on the Three Peaks in Idre, Sweden

This paper explores the conflict between a Swedish Sami community and a local tourism company eager to exploit traditional Sami land. The aim of the paper is to illustrate the Sami approach and how they negotiated during a conflict concerning the planning process of a large scale tourism development. Three research questions frame the study. How did the stakeholders involved in the conflict communicate and mediate? How were the various objectives prioritized? What is the major contribution this conflict can offer future conflicts? Published text was analysed as a way to map out the conflict and demonstrate how such conflicts are currently managed. Specifically, newspaper articles, letters to editors and authoritative documents were reviewed. A text analysis was employed to scrutinize the published text. Furthermore, the researchers carried out a critical discourse analysis for the purpose of analysing the published and empirical data. Key findings of this study indicate that there is a strong hierarchal order among the different interests of land use. Furthermore, traditional claims to the land are not always considered as superior to economically driven plans. Instead, objectives consolidated by the state government are an important factor in such types of conflicts.

Exploring the expectations and satisfaction derived from volunteer tourism experiences

The aim of this paper was to examine the satisfaction of voluntourists derived from various aspects of their trip. Framed within the Existence, Relatedness and Growth Theory, the paper examines volunteers’ motivations, expectations and satisfaction based on their financial and time investment volunteering with Volunteer Eco Students Abroad (VESA), the intereactions they had on the trip, and the extent to which travellers felt as though they contributed to community goals. In 2012, the researchers carried out in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 16 Canadian voluntourists following their time in St. Lucia, South Africa. A thematic analysis was used to interpret the data, resulting in three themes: ‘Evaluating Investment’, ‘Contribution to Community’ and ‘Opportunities and Reaffirmations’; sub-themes were matched with aspects of Existence, Relatedness and Growth Theory. Findings elicited several levels of expectations of voluntourists revealed through their feelings of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. On the lowest level, voluntourists expect adequate food and water whilst volunteering. Informants highlighted the various ways they raised fund for the trip, and this impacted their level of accountability for contributing to the community. Volunteers also expect volunteer organizations to be transparent regarding the use of funds and expressed dissatisfaction when this did not occur. Volunteers anticipated a feeling of connection between the hosts and themselves and were frustrated if they felt more time could have been allotted to working with community residents. Lastly, informants expected the experience to provide an opportunity for self-learning and professional development and overall were satisfied with this element of the trip.

Critical thinking to realize sustainability in tourism systems: reflecting on the 2030 sustainable development goals

The Journal of Sustainable Tourism (JOST) is planning to publish a Special Issue (SI) titled Critical Thinking to Realize Sustainability in Tourism Systems, which will be guest-edited by Karla Boluk (University of Waterloo, Canada), Christina Cavaliere (Stockton University, United States), and Freya HigginsDesbiolles (University of South Australia, Australia). The SI will focus on the role of critical thinking (CT) and inquiry in the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in tourism systems. CT requires a process of discovering, acknowledging, and checking implicit assumptions to ensure accuracy and informed decision-making (Brookfield, 1987). Specifically, CT allows for deeper explorations of the dynamics of power, privilege, hegemony, and hierarchical structures. It can therefore allow us to further understand various aspects of sustainable development approaches within tourism systems. The primary aim of this SI is to examine the role of CT to achieve advancements towards sustainable tourism systems. The impetus for the development of this SI emerged from the declaration by the United Nations General Assembly of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. This declaration purposely positions tourism as a tool to advance the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 SDGs. Thus, our call mutually serves as an opportunity and responsibility to appraise from a critical lens what the SDGs connote and how they can be understood from multiple perspectives. Simultaneously, this SI will encourage various worldviews that challenge, shape, and more critically reflect realities of global communities as related to, and impacted by, sustainable tourism development. Accordingly, we call on the academy to reflect upon, examine, and contribute critical analysis of the role of CT within the SDGs as situated within contemporary tourism scholarship and neoliberal multilateral organizations. Contributions should consider how we can apply CT and the SDGs to global tourism systems to achieve sustainability. There is an inherent need for positions of power to be deconstructed in order to further the prospects of sustainability. For example, multiple worldviews are needed to guide international sustainable development for tourism systems. Indigenous perspectives, ethics of care, feminist ecology, and radical eco-socialism are examples of ways in which this SI seeks to engage alternate ways of knowing. This is also an attempt to further understand how the Radical serves as an important part of the Critical. Juxtapositions of power can also be approached

Cross-cultural issues in tourism and hospitality

This Special Issue on Cross-Cultural Issues in the Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research is a response to the significance of what is at the heart of tourism, culture. Specifically, the seven contributed papers collectively demonstrate an interest and relevance in the area of cross-cultural encounters. Contributions were selected from those presented at the International Conference on Cross-Cultural Issues in Tourism and Hospitality, 14–16 May 2014 in Chania, Crete. The conference was jointly hosted by TEI Heraklion, Crete; Bucks New University, UK; and Universiti Utara, Malaysia. The aim of the conference was to provide a forum for tourism and hospitality academics, policy-makers, marketing professionals, and other stakeholders to discuss and debate cross-cultural issues and challenges faced in the management of tourism and hospitality attractions and destinations. National and international speakers presented and explored issues revolving around cultural aspects in the development and management of tourism and hospitality from the perspectives of theory and practice. The conference provided an intimate and supportive environment for discussions and networking for both established and up coming tourism scholars. The conference themes included: cross-cultural service interactions in tourism and hospitality, multi-disciplinary research in tourism, sustainable development in tourism, tourism dependency, tourism planning in protected areas, visitor management strategies for destinations, tourism and the host environment, land and culture, tourism and indigenous people, eco-tourism: viable route to rural development, local participation in decision making, the local impact of travel and tourism. All seven papers included in this Special Issue address a wide range of topics and approaches. The tourism and hospitality literature has recognised the importance of culture in encounters between hosts and guests and industry players. Although the definition of culture still remains ambiguous and rather enigmatical, especially in the field of tourism and hospitality, the following definition of the concept of culture is derived from the work of Geertz (1973). Influenced by Max Weber, Geertz (1973) presents a semiotic conceptualisation of culture, arguing that ‘[man] (sic) is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun’. Culture as ‘webs’ of significance need to be observed, studied, analysed, interpreted, and its meaning constructed. This necessitates the isolation of its elements by specifying the internal relationships amongst them, for example, selecting cross-cultural issues in the hospitality service industry. In so doing, it enhances our knowledge and understanding of the whole tourism services related systems. From this perspective, culture is ‘public’ produced by its systems of meaning, and the latter are the collective property of a particular people, i.e. tourism stakeholders. The following contributions enhance our knowledge of the crosscultural web that interconnects tourism stakeholders’ actions, values, attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions. As Wittgenstein (1998) noted, ‘we cannot find our feet with them [the webs]’, it requires empirical research on the cultural aspects of tourism interactions in order to understand their implications. The papers in this