Paull Weber

Lifestyle Oriented Small Tourism Firms

Small tourism firms in attractive tourism destinations are often generically described as ‘lifestyle’ oriented. A discourse on what the prefix ‘lifestyle’ means, when attached to small tourism firms in different economic and social contexts has been developing for a decade now, reaching a point of complexity and contradiction. In order to explore this ubiquitous, yet nebulous term, the relevant literature and associated discourse is reviewed with the aim of understanding the motives, meanings, values and contexts of these lifestyle oriented small tourism (LOST) firms. It is concluded that there are many deficiencies in both the conceptualization as well as the content of current research in this increasingly important area. A multi-disciplinary and systemic model for understanding the interactions and interdependencies of the different dimensions of LOST firms is presented.

A New Zealand and Australian overview of ethics and sustainability in SMEs

There is a dearth of research on ethics and sustainability related to SMEs in New Zealand and Australia. This paper begins by giving a definition of SMEs in New Zealand and Australia, which both differ somewhat from international definitions. The role of SMEs in New Zealand and Australian society is discussed and a description of one study in each country covering SMEs and sustainability is presented. Both studies found that owner-managers undertake a number of triple bottom line activities, without overtly identifying these actions as sustainable practice. At the same time, both studies showed that an over-riding focus on the financial bottom-line may be a significant barrier to SMEs adopting further sustainability practices. The paper concludes with a call for additional research in the area of ethical and sustainable business practice in SMEs in Australia and New Zealand, identifying some promising areas of future investigation.

Theorising creative industry management: rebooting the woolly mammoth

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the paradox inherent in the term “Creative Industry Management”. The challenges of applying creative industry experiences within a managerial context are explored through a careful selection of papers that identify linkages between creative industry practice and management theories. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a narrative commentary using the Jurassic Park franchise to highlight the potential application of management theory to explain the success or failure of a creative venture. The analogy of filmmaking and the creation of blockbuster movie sequels is useful in determining the tensions between creative production and management of a profitable franchise. Findings – This paper identifies opportunities for theory building at the meso level in the management domain, born of the experiences of those in the creative industries. The papers presented add to the continuing discovery of ways of applying management theory in the creative industri...

Success in Hosted Accommodation: does Owner Age Matter?

Recent studies of mature entrepreneurs in Europe, the UK, and North America suggest that, contrary to popular perception, the growing number of small businesses created and operated by mature entrepreneurs have a longer life span and are generally more successful. The literature primarily attributes this perceived success to various age-related advantages, such as the ability to accrue greater commercial experience, more personal networks and experience, and greater personal financial resources that can be used to fund the venture. In order to investigate the age-related success of small tourism businesses, this study analyzes 167 responses from a survey of 655 hosted accommodation owneroperators in Western Australia. The relative success of each business venture was evaluated using a number of criteria: longevity of the enterprise, consumer demand (measured via occupancy rate), and two measures of self-perceived levels of success. The results show that while businesses operated by mature entrepreneurs have a longer life span, every other indicator of success�both objective and subjective�suggests that these owner-operators are actually less successful than expected. These results contradict the emerging body of evidence elsewhere, and suggest that firms run by older entrepreneurs may in fact be more marginal than has previously been supposed.

Small business growth: strategic goals and owner preparedness

Purpose – This paper aims to identify and empirically test whether growth preparedness and success perceptions are important, discriminating small business owner (SBO) characteristics that influence strategic direction. The intended outcome was to create a strategic typology that resonates with the realities of small business owners, their advisors and policy makers. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data were collected online and by postal survey from 340 small businesses from multiple industry sectors across Australia. Analysis is correlational resulting in the development of a 2 × 2 matrix of strategy types. Findings – This paper provides evidence that although a majority of SBOs are not preparing for growth, many still perceive their business as successful. Further, the empirical data demonstrate that growth preparedness and perceived success can be used to classify SBOs into distinct strategic types. While the categories developed show some similarities with the Miles and Snow (1978) typology, ...

New Zealand & Australia: A New Zealand and Australian Overview of Ethics and Sustainability in SMEs

There is a dearth of research on ethics and sustainability related to SMEs in New Zealand and Australia. This paper begins by giving a definition of SMEs in New Zealand and Australia, which both differ somewhat from international definitions. The role of SMEs in New Zealand and Australian society is discussed and a description of one study in each country covering SMEs and sustainability is presented. Both studies found that owner-managers undertake a number of triple bottom line activities, without overtly identifying these actions as sustainable practice. At the same time, both studies showed that an over-riding focus on the financial bottom-line may be a significant barrier to SMEs adopting further sustainability practices. The paper concludes with a call for additional research in the area of ethical and sustainable business practice in SMEs in Australia and New Zealand, identifying some promising areas of future investigation.

Reporting the Relatively Lower Success of Women in Hosted Accommodation in Rural Western Australia

The owners of 655 hosted accommodation businesses throughout Western Australia were surveyed in 2004ndash;2005 in order to gauge and understand their level of success. The paper describes the level of business success (occupancy rates) and self-perception of success reported by these hosted accommodation owners. The study finds that there are significant differences between male and female hosted accommodation owners in rural locations. In particular, the financial resources and occupancy rates of the business were significantly lower for female-owned firms than their male counterparts. Some possible reasons for this finding are explored.