Risk Perception and Buying Behavior: An Examination of Some Relationships in the Context of Cruise Tourism in Jamaica

Cruise tourism continues to grow substantially, even as many other forms of travel stagnate. In this era of increasing worldwide violence against tourists, safety, security, and risk abatement are becoming principal components in travelers' decision-making processes. This work examines the issue of perceived risk and safety and what impact these perceptions have on shopping behavior. The research takes place in Jamaica, a country with a reputation for aggressive vendors. Findings indicate that those visitors who traveled with others spent more time shopping and purchased more. Additionally, it was found that first time visitors express higher levels of discomfort with their surroundings than did repeat visitors, thus inhibiting purchase behavior. Finally, it was found that levels of perceived risk and security did have an impact on a traveler's intention to return to Jamaica.     

Exploitation of Renewable Energy in the Hospitality Sector: Case Studies of Gaborone Sun and the Cumberland Hotel in Botswana

This study examines the factors influencing the adoption of renewable energy technologies at two hotels in Botswana. Interviews with key informants from Gaborone Sun and the Cumberland Hotel were used to collect the data for this study. The study was designed along the general conceptual model of the drivers and barriers of corporate “greening.” Narrative analysis was used to present the findings. Results point to the fact that the availability of the biogas and solar technology in Botswana, political leadership, financial benefits, the availability of a comprehensive environmental sustainability program, and strong environmental management values were the driving forces behind renewable energy adoption by the two hotels. The major barriers against biogas adoption by the Cumberland Hotel included lack of financial resources and limited waste. For solar energy adoption at Gaborone Sun, the main problem was lack of space for further expansion, which has also constrained the hotel’s efforts for wastewater recycling. These results have implications at both local and national levels. Environmental management strategies and values should drive the exploitation of renewable energy by local hotels. At the national level, results imply that the government should take a more responsive approach in facilitating the adoption of renewable energy plans by the corporate world.     

In and out of everyday life through film experiences: an analysis of two social spaces as leisure frames

The new information and communication technologies have made it possible to view films in different spaces. Using the symbolic interactionist framework as a frame of analysis, we interpret the meaning of the two experiences of viewing technology-mediated films in the home and in the cinema. We conducted field research during the first half of 2009, digitally recording 16 interviews with research participants living in Barcelona (Spain). The interviews were transcribed verbatim with the help of voice-recognition software. Reports from our research participants indicate that individuals considered only the cinema experience to be a true leisure activity, while the home experience was interpreted as a routine recreational activity. Therefore, the meanings of the film-viewing activity were associated with the symbolic properties of the frames of interpretation. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for the home as a unified centre where shared meanings are co-produced by family members.     

Expectations of Working Relationships in International Buyer–Seller Relationships: Development of a Relationship Continuum Scale

This study is an attempt to develop a scale to measure expectations of buyer–seller working relationships on a cross-cultural basis in the hospitality industry. The focus is on North American and Asian hotel salespeople. The scale development drew from previous research in guanxi relationships, purchasing, and selling strategies. While the results did not support a reliable unidimensional scale that could distinguish between transactional and collaborative working relationships, the methodology did create a framework for further scale development.     

Environmental orientation in tourism: the RTEO scale

This paper analysed the validity and reliability of the revised tourist ecological orientation (RTEO) scale. There are relatively few studies in the area of the ecological behaviour of tourists and, therefore, RTEO and other scales should be taken into account in future tourism research. This study is based on a sample of 461 golf tourists. A double analysis was carried out: (1) a qualitative analysis through expert opinion and (2) a quantitative analysis through the partial least squares approach. The results suggest that the RTEO scale is a brief, simple and reliable scale of environmental actions.     

Difference in degrees: CEO characteristics and firm environmental disclosure

We contribute to the literature on firms' responses to institutional pressures and environmental information disclosure. We hypothesize that CEO characteristics such as education and tenure will influence firms' likelihood to voluntarily disclose environmental information. We test our hypotheses by examining firms' responses to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and find that firms led by newly appointed CEOs and CEOs with MBA degrees are more likely to respond to the CDP, while those led by lawyers are less likely to respond. Our results have implications for research on strategic responses to institutional pressures and corporate environmental performance. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

共同领导新模式

正对很多企业来说,成长的机会跨越不同的市场疆域,而且挑战组织内部的界限。要做到这一点,需要跨部门来制定整合的策略和行动。这意味着,企业迫切需要针对高层,引进全新的领导模式当企业改变商业模式,高管团队最好也跟着改变彼此的互动模式。灵活应变的企业里,各部门的主管应建立相互依赖的关系,激励相互扶持,并谨慎处理这些关系,以促进协同合作。成功企业的高管,通常     

Using matrices of specifications,factors and concepts to assist design-engineering students

In this work a matrix-type tool is used to assist design-engineering students to develop product design projects. The ‘specifications-factors-concepts matrix’ or SFCM is proposed as a specific tool to organize and relate product requirements, design factors and projected solutions. Taking into account the early stages of the design process, two types of projects that are denominated, respectively, with imposed specifications and with derived specifications, are differentiated. In each case, SFCM conveniently integrates the main contents of the project in order to carry out a comprehensive study of the design problem. SFCM was implemented in higher education, particularly in Degree of Engineering of Industrial Design and Product Development. The design of a hydraulic front brake handle for motorcycles (imposed specifications approach) and a waking up enabler for children (derived specifications approach), were proposed. The process of creation as well as the resulting matrix is shown in each case. In addition, the development and results of the experience are exposed. Students assessed by means of a survey how it helped them to develop the main tasks involved in the design projects giving, globally, a positive opinion about its usefulness.