Visitor perceptions of the role of tour guides in natural areas

This paper explores the potential of tour guides to contribute to the protection of natural areas by educating their customers through interpretation and modeling environmentally appropriate behaviors. Applying Cohen's (1985) model of the guides' role, modified by Weiler and Davis (1993) Weiler, B. and Davis, D. 1993. An exploratory investigation into the roles of the nature-based tour leader. Tourism Management, 14(2): 91–98. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar], as a framework, it examines the potential role that kayak tour guides can play in shaping the experience of visitors to one marine area, the Pacific Rim National Park. It uses two approaches to explore the perceptions of clients about the role of kayak guides using: (1) a pre- and post-trip questionnaire and (2) participant observation. Results indicate that five of the six roles were rated high in importance, but one role, the communication role, was not as important. Comparing performance with importance attached to each role revealed congruence with five roles, but lower levels of performance in relation to importance with the role of “motivator of responsible behavior”. Variability within all of the importance and performance measures suggest that for some individuals, performance did not match importance, highlighting the need to consider market segmentation in future studies. These findings are discussed within the ecotourism paradigm, and their implications for protected area management and for visitor behavior modification are considered.     

A Conceptual Foundation for Ethical Decision Making: A Stakeholder Perspective in the Lodging Industry (U.S.A.)

The purpose of this study was to build upon previous ethical research; thereby, advancing the hospitality industry's understanding of ethical decision making in lodging operations. In particular, this study reviewed: (a) the primary normative ethical precepts (i.e., egoism, benevolence, and principle) used as a criterion in ethical decision making, and (b) the predominant locus of analysis (e.g., individual, local, or cosmopolitan referent sources) used in applying ethical precepts to ethical decisions.The sample consisted of 500 lodging operations as randomly abstracted from the 1994 Hotel Travel Index produced by Reed Travel. The researcher selected full service, limited service, or as rooms-only lodging operations throughout the United States. A full service property offered guest rooms, meeting rooms, and food and beverage services. A limited service property offered a continental breakfast, small meeting facilities, and guest sleeping rooms. A rooms-only property only offered guest rooms. This purposive sampling process resulted in 198 usable surveys.The responding general managers indicated that: (a) benevolence was the primary ethical precept impacting ethical decision making in the lodging organization, (b) the predominant locus of analysis emanated from a cosmopolitan perspective, which was external to the organization, and, (c) an individual's educational level of attainment and length of experience in the industry interacted with the ethical precept used.     

Import penetration and strike activity in manufacturing, 1961–77

Conclusion The model estimated in this paper shows that foreign trade has an impact on the industrial relations process in the domestic market. The impact of trade on industrial conflict, however, is not uniform across all manufacturing industries. Stratifying the manufacturing sector by net exports shows that where import penetration is a problem for the industry, labor and management have modified their relationship in ways that have reduced the incidence of formal strikes. When strikes do occur, however, the state of the economy is an important determinant of the action. In those industries where import penetration is not substantial, strike events are not influenced significantly by the state of the economy.     

Organizational Task Environments: An Evaluation of Convergent and Discriminant Validity*

ABSTRACT The organizational task environment (OTE) construct is evaluated using a large, independent sample. A general measurement model for three latent variables, munificence, dynamism and complexity is constructed for confirmatory factor analysis. This model is then tested for both convergent and discriminant validity using a multitrait‐multimethod matrix approach. The OTE model in this study demonstrates convergent validity, but it does not exhibit discriminant validity. The results of this study do not provide support for one of the key components of construct validity. Measurement issues are discussed, as well as the implications of this study for the organizational theory and strategic management disciplines.     

Jurisdictional homogeneity and the Tiebout hypothesis

In this paper, an alternative to the capitalization approach to testing the Tiebout model is presented. The Tiebout foot voting mechanism suggests that households will sort and stratify into (approximately) homogeneous local public goods jurisdictions. At a point in time, the efficiency of the sort will be positively related to the number of existing jurisdictions. Using a measure of homogeneity introduced by Theil, the relationship between stratification (homogeneity within jurisdiction) and number of jurisdictions is tested. For a sample of school districts within 33 SMSAs, the Tiebout stratification hypothesis is confirmed.