Joanna Bohatko-Naismith, Carole James, Maya Guest, Darren Anthony Rivett and Samantha Ashby
The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the injured worker’s perspective of experiences with their workplace return to work coordinator (RTWC), and explore some of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the injured worker’s perspective of experiences with their workplace return to work coordinator (RTWC), and explore some of the barriers they encountered in the return to work process.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten injured workers from New South Wales, Australia. The thematic analysis of transcripts was completed.
Findings
The findings provide an insight into the experiences of injured workers and their relationship with RTWCs. Five key themes emerged from the data: return to work experiences and the RTWC role, high turnover and lack of consistency in the role, RTWC “ideal”, knowledge and skills, communication skills and the RTWC role and GP visits privacy and conflict of interest with peer RTWCs.
Practical implications
The role of the workplace RTWC in the return to work process for injured workers is important and these findings are highly relevant to the return to work sector. Consistency within the role at the workplace and careful consideration of the specific traits and characteristics required by an individual to perform the role need to be observed during the selection process by employers when appointing a workplace RTWC to assist injured workers return to work.
Originality/value
This is the first Australian study to examine the injured workers views and experiences with the workplace RTWC and other factors that shape the return to work process.
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In Mesoamerica, the processes of making and using hand-woven cloth are well known ritual and mundane practices often regarded as markers of primordial identity and clear…
Abstract
In Mesoamerica, the processes of making and using hand-woven cloth are well known ritual and mundane practices often regarded as markers of primordial identity and clear indications of deep historical continuities with the pre-Columbian past. This chapter analyzes a set of commemorative wall hangings from Tecpán, Guatemala from the perspective of ritual economy to argue that ritual weaving persists in contemporary Mesoamerica within global economic contexts. The Tecpán textiles contain multiple significations that, in addition to indicating cultural continuities and community identity, symbolically link hamlets to the municipality, represent development projects completed, and symbolize the connections these hamlets have to the broader global economy. This analysis of weaving and cloth is contextualized within the cultural and economic conditions of Tecpán in order to discuss the interrelationship between the ritual and the mundane, as well as what hand-woven cloth means to contemporary Maya weavers.
“Dora! Dora!” squealed my 18-month-old son from his stroller on the crowded subway platform. I scanned the crowd but could not locate the source of his excitement. Then a young…
Abstract
“Dora! Dora!” squealed my 18-month-old son from his stroller on the crowded subway platform. I scanned the crowd but could not locate the source of his excitement. Then a young girl turned her back to us and I saw on her purple backpack the face of “Dora the Explorer,” whose name had made its way into my son's small vocabulary. This scene could have easily taken place in any city or town in the US; young children of all ethnicities are familiar with Dora's animated television program. Worldwide, parents have spent over $3 billion on Dora the Explorer merchandise since 2001, and most products feature English and Spanish phrases (Jiménez, 2005). And Dora is not alone: her show was just the first in a recent wave of animated educational children's programs featuring Latino main characters and dialogue in Spanish.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of the Maya-descent souvenir vendors in sustaining the socio-cultural heritage of Chichen Itza, a United Nations Educational…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of the Maya-descent souvenir vendors in sustaining the socio-cultural heritage of Chichen Itza, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site (WHS). The study aims to understand the souvenir vendors’ social and economic position within the diverse stakeholder groups involved in the tourist attraction and their impact on visitors.
Design/methodology/approach
The exploratory study applied a combination of unobtrusive participant observation and photography methods conducted throughout the site’s monuments. The data were complemented with an analysis of social media comments posted by the WHS visitors.
Findings
The findings revealed that the excessive retail presence throughout the site, coupled with the souvenir vendors’ continual harassment, have negatively impacted the patrons’ visiting experience. The vendors’ retail activity was not regarded as culturally authentic and did not contribute to the socio-cultural sustainability of the host community.
Research limitations/implications
The findings may lack generalization, and consequently, additional research is necessary to test the propositions presented, both at Chichen Itza and other WHS.
Practical implications
The paper recommends adopting new reforms that will benefit all stakeholders involved with the site’s operation, including negotiating culture, identities and “being Maya” within the contemporary Mexican society. Re-evaluating all stakeholders’ socio-economic benefits and securing the government’s control of the site were also recommended.
Originality/value
This study presents a unique case study approach that reports the tactics adopted by the souvenir vendors at the WHS site. The conversion of culture and heritage into purely economic values coupled with political power might impact the long-term sustainability of the site.
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As destinations emerge from the crisis, a sustainability-focused recovery approach is necessary; thus, there is need to design action plans that are capable of managing the…
Abstract
As destinations emerge from the crisis, a sustainability-focused recovery approach is necessary; thus, there is need to design action plans that are capable of managing the environmental impacts caused by cruise tourism and identify citical issues and priorities for sustainable tourism management in the post-COVID-19 era. This article presents a detailed overview of key issues facing cruise tourism in Mahahual – Costa Maya, the second most important port of entry/cruise destination in Mexico and areas of opportunity to cope with or manage change, both positive and negative. Areas of discussion include: local attitudes towards cruise tourism, government policies currently in place or in consideration that may impact cruise tourism, social or environmental projects that cruise companies should support in or around the host destination to foster sustainability after the pandemic. The analysis is based on desk-research, local stakeholder feedback/input, site visits and an evaluation of the destination's policies and practices against a selected number of indicators from Global Sustainable Tourism Council – GSTC's Criteria for Destinations (GSTC-D). Issues identified include: fear of rapid and uncontrolled growth of tourism before the pandemic (both cruise tourism and stay-over tourism), pollution and the loss of ecosystems/environmental degradation, disappointment due to low economic spill – lack of benefits from cruise tourism and limited public services and infrastructure (water and electricity, sewage treatment, garbage etc.). The researcher recommends regular and timely collection, recording, monitoring and public reporting of data about residents' aspirations, issues and satisfaction with destination management.
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The news follows years of healthy growth in the sector and comes as the government launches a new tourism plan. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) announced the National…
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DOI: 10.1108/OXAN-DB242733
ISSN: 2633-304X
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Maya Damayanti, Mohd Alif Mohd Puzi, Sari Lenggogeni and Hairul Nizam Ismail
Most industry players in the tourism sector are small-scale businesses that are prone to failure, especially within five years of establishment. Coopetition can be an innovative…
Abstract
Most industry players in the tourism sector are small-scale businesses that are prone to failure, especially within five years of establishment. Coopetition can be an innovative alternative strategy that enables small-scale business owners to compete and cooperate in a destination. The qualitative method comprises interviewing business owners and adopting the institutional analysis and development framework for small-scale accommodation in Indonesia and Malaysia. Findings highlight those geographical settings, values and norms as the main contributions of human practices shaping the culture. Moreover, the collectivist attitude provides more opportunities for coopetition, as unity is the main priority of society. The case in Indonesia reveals that local institutions regulate the behaviour, whereas the case in Malaysia shows family kinship in business activities. In general, coopetitive behaviour starts from product marketing to the customer service stage by competing personally but sharing resources if the demand is higher than capability. Accommodation owners can gain guests individually, and if during service, the number of customers exceeds the capacity of the accommodation, the owner will share the guests with other accommodation owners. The symbiosis relationship is where a win-win situation is preferable to ensure that a tourism destination can cater to more demand with limited resources. Although both cases practice coopetition based on the suitability of the cultural and local rules, the interpretation and approach differ.
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Hugues Séraphin, Stanislav Ivanov, Anca C. Yallop and Anestis Fotiadis
The hospitality sector, via resort mini-clubs also referred as kids' clubs, has put in place initiatives to empower children to be responsible tourists. This is all the more…
Abstract
The hospitality sector, via resort mini-clubs also referred as kids' clubs, has put in place initiatives to empower children to be responsible tourists. This is all the more important as children are the tourists of the future. In their endeavour to educate children during their holidays, many of the activities developed by resort mini-clubs are nature-based; on the long term, this strategy is likely to contribute to the long-term sustainability of the industry. Indeed, the closer an individual is to nature, the more likely this person is to be respectful of the environment. Developing these types of activities could also contribute to the competitive advantage of resorts as most resort mini-clubs are not offering yet this type of sustainability-orientated activities. From a theoretical perspective, resort-mini clubs could be assimilated to lieu de mémoire, and as a result they have the potential to influence the sustainability attitude of the future young adults, and adults whom the children will be.