Tour guides’ perceptions of below-cost tours and managerial implications

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suosheng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Agency Theory ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Tour Guide ◽  
Tour Guides ◽  
Structural Problems ◽  
Personal Perceptions ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Travel Industry ◽  
Insight Into

Below-cost tours (BCTs) have long been considered a serious issue in the travel industry, yet they have rarely been discussed from a tour guides’ perspective. Today’s tour guides are mostly freelancers, hired by tour operators to lead tour groups. While previous studies cover the management and behaviors of tour guides, there is little insight into personal perceptions of their work. To better understand BCTs, this study provides an intimate look at the phenomenon through the use of semi-structured interviews from tour guides and employment of nonparticipant observation on their experiences. The structural problems of the travel industry and impacts of BCTs on tour guide performance are explored and highlighted. Framed in the agency theory, the managerial implications and solutions to the BCT problems are discussed and recommended.

Gender paths in international careers: an approach centred on demands and resources

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Dolce ◽  
Monica Molino ◽  
Sophie Wodociag ◽  
Chiara Ghislieri
Keyword(s):  
Culture Shock ◽  
Family Management ◽  
International Assignments ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Extrinsic Factors ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Top Managers ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Insight Into

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the interplay between international experiences and male and female top managers' career paths, taking into consideration gender differences. Furthermore, the research investigates the specific job and personal demands and resources related to the different types of international work experiences.Design/methodology/approachThis study provides an in-depth subjective reconstruction of the international professional experience of 37 male and female top managers employed in Italy, using semi-structured interviews.FindingsParticipants highlighted the benefits of their international assignments (IAs) in terms of the development of managerial, soft and cross-cultural skills. Family issues and cultural differences were frequently cited as challenges by the top managers interviewed. Culture shock and perceived difficulty in managing multicultural teams were reported by both women and men. Men reported experiencing long periods of separation from their family more often than women and cited the support of their partner as a valuable resource. In addition to the support of a partner, women also indicated that certain job resources and welfare policies played a crucial role. Moreover, women appear to be more interested in work-family management issues, thus suggesting that the traditional division of roles between men and women continues to persist in Italy.Originality/valueThis study provides an insight into the extrinsic factors linked to career success, as well as the challenges and the resources associated with different forms of global work other than traditional expatriation. It takes into consideration a specific country, Italy, where a traditional family paradigm persists, providing an insight into better understanding the link between IA experiences and gender roles in global mobility. Managerial implications are also discussed.

scholarly journals Accounting for uncontrollable factors in executive incentive scheme designs

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dumisani V. Dhliwayo ◽  
Mark H.R. Bussin
Keyword(s):  
Agency Theory ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
The Body ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Incentive Schemes ◽  
Hybrid Approaches ◽  
Executive Remuneration ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
The Impact

Orientation: Classic agency theory posits that the impact of uncontrollable factors should be excluded from executive remuneration. Existing research, however, shows a departure from this theory.Research purpose: This study sought to determine the approaches organisations take and the reasons thereof to account for uncontrollable factors in the design of their executive incentive schemes.Motivation for the study: There is little research in South Africa on how organisations account for uncontrollable factors in the design of their incentive schemes.Research approach/design and method: An exploratory qualitative research using semi-structured interviews was conducted.Main findings: South African organisations are not strictly conforming to the classic agency theory prediction for uncontrollable factors as some allow the impact of uncontrollable factors to be included, and further, hybrid approaches may be applied.Practical/managerial implications: The menu of approaches presented will aid designers of incentive schemes to identify a tried and tested approach to adopt or improve their incentive-related policies.Contribution/value-add: An expanded list of uncontrollable factors identified from South Africa’s uniqueness is presented. Models for (1) accounting for uncontrollable factors in incentive schemes and (2) pay for individual performance versus firm performance dilemma are presented. These add to the body of existing literature.

The dynamics of guiding and interpreting in red tourism

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-259
Author(s):  
Shengnan Zhao ◽  
Dallen Timothy
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Job Skills ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tour Guides ◽  
Intrapersonal Factors ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Tour Guiding ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose Despite the significance of tour guiding and interpreting in the tourism system, relevant research is lacking in both depth and breadth. Current scholarly work tends to ignore tour guides’ self-expectations and assumes they are altruistic mediators who carry out their tasks without question. Considering tourism intermediaries are rational individuals who attempt to maximize their own benefits, the purpose of this paper is to situate tour guiding and interpreting practices in a larger political and social context, to explore the external and intrapersonal factors that might influence the content and approaches of interpreting Chinese communist heritage. Design/methodology/approach Considering tourism intermediaries are rational individuals who attempt to maximize their own benefits, this study situates tour guiding and interpreting practices in a larger political and social context, to explore the external and intrapersonal factors that might influence the content and approaches of interpreting Chinese communist heritage. Findings The study reveals that institutional arrangements, environmental settings, characteristics of tourists and tourist-intermediary onsite interactions can have salient repercussions on intermediaries’ job skills, career attitudes and orientation, and self-perceived roles, and further shape their way of interpreting the past. Several managerial implications regarding enhancing the effectiveness of tour guiding and interpreting are also discussed. Originality/value It is mentioned above. The Chinese government has invested enormously in red tourism to achieve a political end. In reality, however, there are always gaps between official narratives and actual interpretation. To lessen such deviation, efforts are needed to understand the dynamics of tour guiding practices. Anchoring interpretation and guiding practices in a broader political, social, and economic context, this paper attempts to improve the static research by comparing two major types of intermediaries, site interpreter and tour guide, with regard to the content of, and approach to their interpretation of red heritage. It provides an in-depth insight into the meaning-making process of the communist heritage tourism in China.

scholarly journals EXPLORING HOW ZOO SERVICESCAPES IMPACT MEMORABLE TOURISM EXPERIENCE: A CRITICAL INCIDENT TECHNIQUE (CIT) APPROACH

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (23) ◽  
pp. 53-59
Author(s):  
Jasmine Zea Raziah Radha Rashid-Radha ◽  
Nurhazani Mohd Shariff ◽  
Azilah Kasim ◽  
Raslinda Mohd Ghazali ◽  
Ahmad Edwin Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Physical Environment ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Tourism Experience ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Visitor Numbers ◽  
Insight Into

This conceptual paper aims to investigate the impact of servicescapes on visitors’ experience of Malaysian zoos in order to show that the zoo’s physical environment plays an important role in determining a memorable tourism experience (MTE). In order to investigate the extent to which zoo-related servicescapes create memorable tourism experiences, the critical incident technique (CIT) is being proposed. Semi-structured interviews are to be conducted to ask visitors which aspects of their visit to the zoo were the most memorable in terms of hedonism, refreshment, local culture, novelty, meaningfulness, involvement, and knowledge. This study is expected to extend the servicescape framework to include new dimensions within the context of zoos. In terms of managerial implications, this study could assist zoo operators in understanding how visitors evaluate their trip to the zoo. Findings from this research could therefore provide insight into how zoological facilities, services, and attractions could be better managed to increase visitor numbers.

Care for delirium superimposed on dementia at an early stage

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Good Care ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Appropriate Care ◽  
Adequate Care ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Delirium Superimposed On Dementia

Delirium is a common serious complication in dementia that is associated with poor prognosis and a high burden on caregivers and healthcare professionals. Appropriate care is therefore important at an early stage for patients with delirium superimposed on dementia To gain insight into the care of six patients with delirium superimposed on dementia, 19 semi-structured interviews were conducted focused on the experiences of caregivers and professionals. The interviews revealed four themes that appeared to play a role: 1. experiences with and views on behavioral problems of these patients, 2. recognition and diagnosis of delirium in dementia, 3. views on good care and 4. organizational aspects. Knowledge gaps about delirium in dementia, as well as ethical considerations, play an important role in organizing timely and adequate care for patients with delirium superimposed on dementia.

Why Does He Do It? What Explanations Resonate During Counseling for Women in Understanding Their Partner’s Abuse?

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052198985
Author(s):  
Sally Marsden ◽  
Cathy Humphreys ◽  
Kelsey Hegarty
Keyword(s):  
Partner Violence ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Clinical Group ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Women’S Perceptions ◽  
Ipv Perpetration ◽  
Insight Into

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex and multifaceted problem gaining increasing attention within mental health research and practice. IPV explanations focus on both individual and systemic levels; however, it is increasingly acknowledged that a single level explanation may not be sufficient. The practices of clinical disciplines may, however, still privilege an explanation at one level over another, which will influence how they work with clients. It is likely that one such clinical group, psychologists, may play a critical role in helping victim-survivors to understand and explain their experiences of IPV. However, we were unable to find any studies focusing on women’s perceptions of psychologists’ role in this. Additionally, we know little about women victim-survivors’ perceptions of why their partners use IPV. To address these gaps, the research question for this study was: What explanations resonate during counseling for women in understanding their partner’s abuse? To explore this question, 20 women who had seen psychologists after experiencing IPV participated in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and three themes constructed from the data. The first two themes, narcissist description was helpful and not all bad all the time, showed that the women found it powerful in their healing processes when psychologists offered the opportunity to discuss their partners individual characteristics as explanations for their use of IPV. The third theme, structural explanations, showed that some of the women also reflected on wider structural contexts. Implications for clinical practice include the potential healing effect when practitioners can move along a continuum of explanation levels, covering both the inner and outer worlds. Implications for research into IPV perpetration are that women hold expertise and insight into individual perpetrators and could make valuable contributions to this field.

scholarly journals A Conceptual Framework and Propositions for the Acceptance of Mobile Services

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Rao ◽  
Indrit Troshani
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Services ◽  
User Acceptance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Consumer Adoption ◽  
Business Opportunities ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Lead Users ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Insight Into

Mobile services are heralded to create a tremendous spectrum of business opportunities. User acceptance of these services is of paramount importance. Consequently, a deeper insight into theory-based research is required to better understand the underlying motivations that lead users to adopting mobile services. As mobile services bring additional functional dimensions, including hedonic and experiential aspects, using extant models for predicting mobile services acceptance by individuals may be inadequate. The aim of this paper is to explore, analyse and critically assess the use of existing acceptance theories in the light of the evolving and ubiquitous mobile services and their underlying technologies. Constructs affecting consumer adoption behaviour are discussed and relevant propositions are made. Managerial implications are explored and future research directions are also identified.

scholarly journals Identification of Relevant Sociocognitive Determinants Explaining Multiple Parental Sun Protection Behaviors

2021 ◽  
pp. 109019812110104
Author(s):  
Karlijn Thoonen ◽  
Liesbeth van Osch ◽  
Rik Crutzen ◽  
Hein de Vries ◽  
Francine Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Skin Cancer ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Sun Exposure ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Sun Protection ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Skin Cancer Prevention ◽  
Sun Safety ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Insight Into

Background Adequate sun safety during childhood is crucial for decreasing skin cancer risk in later life. Although parents are an essential target group in applying sun protection measures for their children, insight into the determinants associated with their sun protection behaviors is limited. Aims This study aims to identify the most relevant determinants in predicting multiple parental sun protection intentions and behaviors in different sun exposure situations. Method A longitudinal survey study with two measurements was conducted among Dutch parents ( N = 670) of children (4–12 years old). Twenty-seven sociocognitive determinants were examined in terms of relevance regarding four parental sun protection behaviors in different sun exposure situations. The Confidence Interval-Based Estimation of Relevance approach was used to visualize room for improvement (sample means) on all determinants and their association strengths (correlations) with sun protection intentions and behaviors. Results Behavior-specific rather than generic determinants were most relevant in explaining all sun protection behaviors. Of these determinants, attitude, self-efficacy and action planning, and especially parental feelings of difficulty in performing sun protection behaviors, were most relevant. Altogether, the explained variance of all sociocognitive determinants was highest for shade-seeking behavior ( R2 = .41 and .43) and lowest for supportive behavior ( R2 = .19 and .29) in both planned and incidental sun exposure situations, respectively. Discussion This study provides detailed insight into relevant sociocognitive determinants of parental sun protection behaviors in various sun exposure situations and directions for composing parental skin cancer prevention interventions. Conclusions Future composition of sun safety interventions should emphasize on enhancing parental feelings of self-efficacy, especially for shade-seeking and clothing behaviors.

scholarly journals The transition to general management in South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Mallaby ◽  
Gavin Price ◽  
Karl Hofmeyr
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
General Manager ◽  
General Management ◽  
General Managers ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Effective Development ◽  
The Right

Orientation: Understanding the nature and challenges of making the transition from a functional role to a general management role in South African organisations.Research purpose: The objective of this study was to gain insight into the obstacles that affect the transition from functional to general management and identify steps that may be taken to overcome these challenges.Motivation for the study: One of the most difficult crossroads for a manager is making the shift from being a functional specialist to becoming a general manager. New competencies and behaviours are required, as well as a more strategic mind set. If the transition is not made successfully, the manager and the organisation suffer.Research design, approach and method: A qualitative design was used consisting of in-depth, semi-structured interviews, with 19 senior business leaders who had successfully made the transition. The interviews were used to gather insights into the challenges they faced during their transitions, and how these were overcome.Main findings: To make the transition successfully, functional managers need to gain relevant experience to prepare them for the broader scope of a general management role. They need to develop appropriate skills, attitudes and personal characteristics. Mentoring is an effective development process. Newly appointed general managers need to learn to let go of control while maintaining ownership, build relationships and strike the right balance between strategic thinking and execution. There are unique aspects of being a general manager in South Africa, such as dealing with Black Economic Empowerment and challenges of race and identity, given the country’s history.Practical and managerial implications: Specific interventions are suggested which are directed at both aspiring general managers and organisations seeking to assist middle managers to make the transition to general managers.Contribution: This study contributes to knowledge concerning the skills and attributes required by potential general managers, and the practical steps to be taken by South African organisations to facilitate the development of general managers. 

The influence of tour guides’ service quality on tourists' tour guide stigma judgment: An asian perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 551-560
Author(s):  
Yaoqi Li ◽  
Yaya Song ◽  
Mianqian Wang ◽  
Tzung-Cheng (T.C.) Huan
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Tour Guide ◽  
Tour Guides
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