The motivations and expectations of international volunteer tourists: A case study of “Chinese Village Traditions”

International volunteer tourists devote not only financial support but also time and effort to conservation, preservation, or humanitarian projects outside their original countries. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a qualitative study on the motivations of ten international volunteer tourists who joined the “Chinese Village Traditions” expedition of the Earthwatch Institute in the summer of 2008. The main research question was, “Why do people join international volunteer tourism trips?” Eleven themes dealing with motivations emerged and were categorized into three groups: personal, interpersonal, and other. Four personal factors were measured: authentic experience, interest in travel, challenge/stimulation, and other interest. Four interpersonal factors were also considered: desire to help, interaction with locals/cultures, encouraged by others, and enhancing relationships. Other factors included unique style of the trip, time/money, and organization goal. The findings of this study echo previous literature reviews in different settings.     

积极心理学在旅游学研究中的应用

积极心理学是心理学研究的一个新思潮。它关注人类的积极品质,探索人类的美德,主张用开放的、欣赏的眼光去看待人类的潜能、动机和能力等。积极心理学不仅契合社会发展背景,而且迎合民众追求幸福的心理,因此其在学术研究和普通民众中的影响力日渐增加。在澳大利亚旅游心理学家菲利普·皮尔斯等(Philip Pearce,et al.)的引荐下,旅游学,一门致力于提升个人和社会的和谐发展与幸福指数的学科,也开始关注积极心理学的应用。文章首先阐述积极心理学的基本主张,注重条理化归纳,然后对积极心理学与旅游学的融合研究做重点述评,注重客观的应用性拓展研究介绍,最后结合国内外的研究现状和国内实情,认为积极心理学在旅游学研究中具有广泛的应用和提升空间,创新的核心是融合中国传统与当代文化,做有深度的研究。结合国内外研究现状,文章提出三个创新提升方向:关注旅游社区的居民福祉,聚焦旅游与游客个人发展、社会和谐的关系,关注日益庞大的老年旅游群体。     

校企共建秘书学课程实践教学的研究与实践

高等职业教育的教学过程一个重要部分是专业课程的实习活动。本文总结了几年来校企共建秘书学课程实践教学的经验。在企业的参与下建立了秘书专业课程三段实习体系。建立了新的课程培养目标,制定了具有较强的操作性训练方案,共同建设秘书模拟实验室和技能综合实验室。     

海外学者关于中国收入和财富分配不平等问题的研究综述

文章首先分析了海外学者关于中国收入和财富分配不平等问题研究的观点;其次,分析了海外学者对改革与分配相关问题研究的方法与特点;最后在研究的基础上结合我国实际并提出相关的建议。     

联合社何以可能——基于典型个案的实践逻辑研究

农民合作社联合社是一种典型的社会经济组织现象.目前,国外经验难以有效解释中国语境下联合社的实践逻辑,国内研究也相对缺乏系统性理论解释.本文在一种关于组织行为的新分析框架(SAGP模型:性状-行动者-治理-绩效)的基础上,结合台联九生猪专业合作社联合社的个案研究,对联合社的形成和发展进行系统性理论解释.本文指出联合社形成...     

Using ISO 14001 to promote a sustainable supply chain strategy

Formally adopted in 1996 by the International Organization of Standardization, ISO 14001 represents a voluntary international environmental standard, which will likely be adopted by a vast majority of corporations. Its major focus is on the structure, implementation and maintenance of a formal environmental management system. Despite its international acceptance, ISO 14001 is surrounded by controversy and criticism. The literature is clearly divided in its assessment of ISO 14001, which is viewed as a variant of total quality environmental management or a paper‐driven process of limited value. In this study, case‐based research is used to address the competing views of the standard to show that ISO 14001 registration can be leveraged across the supply chain into a competitive advantage. By looking at ISO 14001 registered firms, we compare different amounts of integration and sustainability in the supply chain. We then posit several research propositions to provide an empirical framework for the impacts of ISO 14001 on supply chain design and how it will evolve in the future. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

The exchange rate cycle in Argentina

This article discusses the secular volatility of output, inflation, the exchange rate, and poverty in Argentina. Inflation, currency devaluation and a wide gross domestic product (GDP) cycle have been recurrent problems in Argentina for several decades. The literature has extensively discussed those issues from different viewpoints. This study focuses on a relatively unexplored theme that may contribute to a partial explanation. It deals with the continuous tendency to equalize different profitabilities resulting, in turn, from remarkably different sectoral purchasing power parities. Thus, for any given exchange rate, an incessant tendency toward the equalization of profitabilities generates opposing inflationary and devaluatory pressures. The resulting inflation-devaluation cycle feeds income redistribution, GDP fluctuation, real exchange rate instability, and high levels of uncertainty.     

The Border as a Resource in the Global Urban Space: A Contribution to the Cross‐Border Metropolis Hypothesis

In a globalized urban world, cross‐border metropolises represent a spatial configuration emblematic of the interplay between the space of flows and the space of places. The multiplicity of contexts and processes at work can complicate the identification of what constitutes the singularity of the concept. In order to contribute to these reflections the present article hypothesizes that the specificity of cross‐border metropolises does not fundamentally stem from the form they take or the nature of the cross‐border integration at work, but rather from the particular role played by national borders in their formation. Opening up borders offers new opportunities for border cities and urban border regions to reinforce their positions at the heart of global economic networks, and to affirm their autonomy as cross‐border regional entities. Without minimizing the possible obstructive effects of borders, it is helpful to recognize that they might also represent a resource in the composition of cross‐border metropolitan regions.     

Tourism as complex interdisciplinary research object

Tourism is currently a complex and globalised phenomenon with demonstrated socio-economic importance. While tourism is a socially recognised phenomenon, its status as scientific object within an academic field seems to be still in question. We ask the following questions: What is the order of construction of the field of knowledge constituted around tourism? Is it a paradigmatic order or an epistemic order? In what ways do the scientific object’s specificities constitute an important element of understanding of a new episteme? How do different definitions of tourism allow for a reconstruction of the field? This article seeks to summarise the current debate in the light of broader reconstructions of scientific discourse and reflect from an interdisciplinary epistemological perspective.     

Students' Motivation to Learn

ABSTRACT

Often called a “Discovery Major,” the parks, recreation, and tourism major tends to have more transfer students than other majors. Research has shown that educators sometimes perceive transfer students as less motivated than continuing students. This study explored differences between Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (PRT) students and non-PRT students who represented 52 majors on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus. Survey results confirmed that PRT students were more likely to have changed majors. Although PRT students reported lower ACT and GPA scores, no significant difference was found between the two groups in their motivation to learn. However, compared with non-PRT students, PRT students attributed more value to their major when they perceived having more control of their learning.