Mark Burnett and Tony Johnston
The purpose of this paper is to explore tourism scenario planning for an anticipated shock as viewed through the lens of Irish hospitality managers preparing for Brexit. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore tourism scenario planning for an anticipated shock as viewed through the lens of Irish hospitality managers preparing for Brexit. The research appropriates a climate science framework to structure the study, situating preparations, or lack thereof, against the themes of volatility, exposure and resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
The research uses a qualitative, pragmatic approach to determine how senior Irish hospitality managers were preparing for Britain’s exit from the European Union. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data conducted with hotel management, industry federations and tourism policymakers.
Findings
Buoyancy of the industry, from an industry perspective, little foreseeable threat to the sector, has caused management to develop complacent tendencies, a myopic viewpoint and a head-in-the-sand mindset. Their “wait and see” and “ad hoc” approaches to planning for an anticipated shock suggest an industry that believes itself to be resistant to threats.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that although tourism has been resilient to economic shocks in the past, historical lessons learned have not been implemented in anticipation of the next shock. More proactive engagement and better strategic preparedness is necessary to mitigate the impacts of future shocks. Industry needs to acknowledge its role in developing resilience and reducing volatility and exposure. The government additionally needs to coordinate initiatives with industry to develop robustness.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates areas of practice in the hospitality industry that could be improved to reduce volatility and exposure, enhance resilience and encourage rapid adaptability post crisis.
目的
本研究通过爱尔兰酒店管理者为英国脱欧做准备的视角, 探讨了为预期的冲击所做的旅游场景规划。本文采用了气候科学的框架来搭建研究结构, 将准备工作或准备工作的缺失定位在波动、风险和恢复力的主题上。
设计/方法/方法
本研究采用了一种定性的、务实的方法, 来探索爱尔兰酒店高级管理人员是如何为英国脱欧做准备的。英国脱欧对爱尔兰旅游业可能产生重大影响。本文采用半结构化访谈收集数据, 与酒店管理、行业联盟和政策制定者进行了访谈。
调查结果
该行业现在正蓬勃发展, 而且从行业的角度看, 脱欧对该行业几乎没有可预见的威胁, 这导致该行业内的行动者产生了自满倾向、短视观点和逃避现实的心态。他们采取“观望”和“专门化”的办法来为预期的冲击做准备, 表明该行业相信自己能够抵御威胁。
研究限制/影响
调查结果表明, 尽管旅游业在过去一直能抵御经济冲击, 但积累的规划经验尚未为即将到来的下一个预期冲击付诸实施。为了减轻未来冲击的影响, 更积极的参与和更好的战略准备是必要的。行业需要认识到自己在增加恢复力、减少波动性和风险方面的作用。政府需要与行业协调行动, 以激发企业的活力。
实际含义
本文展示了酒店行业的一些实践领域, 这些领域可以得到改善, 以减少波动性和风险, 增强弹性, 并鼓励危机后的快速适应。
Objetivo
El estudio explora la planificación de escenarios turísticos ante una crisis anticipada por el Brexit, desde la perspectiva de los gerentes hoteleros irlandeses que se preparan para ella. La investigación utiliza el marco de la ciencia climática para estructurar el estudio, confrontando los preparativos, o la falta de ellos, con la volatilidad, el riesgo y la resiliencia.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
La investigación utilizó un enfoque cualitativo y pragmático para determinar cómo se están preparando los altos directivos hoteleros irlandeses para la salida de Gran Bretaña de la Unión Europea, un evento con un gran impacto potencial en el turismo irlandés. Los datos fueron recogidos a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas realizadas a los gerentes hoteleros, las federaciones sectoriales y los responsables políticos.
Implicaciones prácticas
Los resultados sugieren que, aunque el turismo ha resistido las crisis económicas en el pasado, las lecciones aprendidas en la planificación no se han aplicado para prevenir el próximo impacto previsto en el horizonte. Es necesario un compromiso más proactivo y una mejor preparación estratégica para mitigar los efectos de las crisis futuras. La industria debe reconocer su papel en el desarrollo de la resiliencia y la reducción de la volatilidad y el riesgo. El gobierno necesita coordinar iniciativas con el sector para estimular su solidez.
Originialidad/interés
En el documento se ponen de manifiesto las áreas de actividad del sector hotelero que podrían mejorarse para reducir la volatilidad y el riesgo, aumentar la resiliencia y fomentar la capacidad de adaptación rápida después de una crisis.
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In 1867, the author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, undertook a great pleasure excursion across Europe. Visiting a range of sites, from those associated with…
Abstract
Purpose
In 1867, the author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, undertook a great pleasure excursion across Europe. Visiting a range of sites, from those associated with the Christian Cult of Death to the notable cultural heritage attractions of the time, Twain published his experiences in what would later become one of the world's best‐selling travelogues; The Innocents Abroad, or the New Pilgrim's Progress. This essay offers a rereading of Twain's encounters, proposing examination of Twain's encounters as timely and useful in addressing what Seaton identifies as a gap in data on thanatourism consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
The essay draws on contemporary thanatourism theoretical frameworks, including Seaton's “Continuum of intensity” and “Thanatourism developmental sketch”; Sharpley's “Matrix of dark tourism supply and demand” and Stone and Sharpley's “Dark tourism consumption framework”, among others, to explore Twain's encounters.
Findings
Supplemented by a review of recent theoretical thanatourism research, the essay proposes three findings. Finding one illustrates that Twain's encounters, although not always pre‐motivated or purposefully supplied, were emotionally charged and deeply affective experiences, which had the potential to provoke ontological insecurity. Finding two highlights the potential of the geography of death to stimulate emotional reactions and configure individual and societal interactions with death. Finding three argues a need for new methodological approaches to understanding the thanatourism experience; approaches that are empathetically sensitive to the potentially powerful impact of the thanatourism experience.
Originality/value
The essay draws on a classic travelogue to help address the imbalance in knowledge of the thanatourism experience. The essay argues that thanatourism is a layered and complex phenomenon, highly personal and often a potentially powerful and emotionally affective experience.
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Orit Gadiesh, Charles Ormiston and Sam Rovit
When merging two companies, after the deal is signed the CEO faces few challenges more risky than integrating the businesses to capture maximum value. Speed is essential to…
Abstract
When merging two companies, after the deal is signed the CEO faces few challenges more risky than integrating the businesses to capture maximum value. Speed is essential to successful merger integration. But it is not everything. Only 25 to 50 percent of deals create shareholder value. This is often because those managing the integration process do not know how to make trade‐offs between speed and careful planning. To keep the value of merger from evaporating, leaders need to manage the integration process actively and steer a course that leads the new organization to its stated strategic goals as swiftly as possible. Start with the strategic goals – there are two general types of mergers: (1) efficiency deals that “play by the rules” (achieve performance improvement in a merger that will have high functional overlap and high predictability of value); and (2) transformation deals that "transform the rules” (low overlap and low predictable value). Top management needs to articulate the purpose of a deal and its strategic rationale long before the merger is consummated. Four rationales are offered and discussed, the first two rationales apply more to type 1 deals and the second two more to type 2 deals. (1) Merging to capture the benefits of scale. In this type of merger, the longer you take, the more risk you incur. Success depends on very early identifying the key people to lead and removing those who will block the process. (2) Merging to expand into adjacent markets, customers, and/or product segments. The big prize comes from revenue growth. Teams from both sides must work together to develop a new marketing plan for the combined company. (3) Redefining the business for a new direction. As a framework for judgments, consider using these reference goals: focus on leading‐edge customers, make decisions quickly, and look for ways to lead change in the marketplace. (4) Re‐inventing an industry. Two initiatives in parallel are required: typical short‐term objectives (cost reduction, consolidation, divestment, etc.) and long‐term direction objectives for the new business. Details from the AOL Time Warner and the Citigroup merger cases are cited as examples. Several examples taken from Cisco System’s many mergers are cited to illustrate process points and insights.
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Jukka Pellinen, Toni Mättö, Kari Sippola and Antti Rautiainen
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the complexity of the network governance setting affects accountability practices. The authors pay particular attention to the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the complexity of the network governance setting affects accountability practices. The authors pay particular attention to the organizational characteristics that may enable a common understanding of multiple accountability relationships, or lead to problems in reconciling competing forms of accountability, thereby appearing as blame game-type behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a case study with 31 semi-structured interviews in a Finnish health care organization (FHC) that offers basic public health care services. The organization represents a co-operative arrangement with the main city and three smaller municipalities. The FHC has faced difficulties in balancing budget constraints with the provision of statutory care to citizens. This case is analyzed with the help of theories relating to accountability, the blame game, and dialogue.
Findings
The authors found that in the FHC operating under austerity constraints, attempts to reconcile financial, professional, and democratic accountability were made but, instead of dialogue and consensus, the different stakeholder groups resorted to defensive tactics in order to protect their resources, position, or sense of professional obligation. The authors suggest that in a context of network governance, accompanied by an increasing emphasis on financial accountability, organizational practices are susceptible to conflicting accountabilities and behavior characterized in this paper as a blame game.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the empirical studies on accountability in the new public governance context by analyzing the complex accountability relations between stakeholder groups with different agendas. The authors suggest organizational characteristics that may exacerbate conflicts between different stakeholder groups and prevent constructive dialogue. Furthermore, the study analyzes the composition of democratic accountability within the studied organization.
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Ian R. Hodgkinson, Claire Hannibal, Byron W. Keating, Rosamund Chester Buxton and Nicola Bateman
In providing a fine-grained analysis of public service management, the purpose of this paper is to make an important contribution to furthering research in service management, a…
Abstract
Purpose
In providing a fine-grained analysis of public service management, the purpose of this paper is to make an important contribution to furthering research in service management, a body of literature that has tended to regard public services as homogenous or to neglect the context altogether.
Design/methodology/approach
Integrating public management and service management literatures, the past and present of public service management are discussed. Future directions for the field are outlined drawing on a service-dominant approach that has the potential to transform public services. Invited commentaries augment the review.
Findings
The review presents the Public Service Network Framework to capture the public value network in its abstraction and conceptualizes how value is created in public services. The study identifies current shortcomings in the field and offers a series of directions for future research where service management theory can contribute greatly.
Research limitations/implications
The review encourages service management research to examine the dynamic, diverse, and complex nature of public services and to recognize the importance of this context. The review calls for an interdisciplinary public service management community to develop, and to assist public managers in leveraging service logic.
Originality/value
The review positions service research in the public sector, makes explicit the role of complex networks in value creation, argues for wider engagement with public service management, and offers future research directions to advance public service management research.
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Academic literature portrays prison officers in various ways: as insensitive figures lurking in the background (Cohen & Taylor, 1972), as brutes prone to violence (Kauffman, 1988…
Abstract
Academic literature portrays prison officers in various ways: as insensitive figures lurking in the background (Cohen & Taylor, 1972), as brutes prone to violence (Kauffman, 1988) or more positively as noble people struggling to get the job done as best as they could (Thomas, 1972). Traditionally, the role of the prison officer is overshadowed by stereotypical views of male officers being uneducated, brutish and insensitive (Crawley, 2004a). Officers were traditionally recruited to the service from a military background, an environment that is as structured and disciplined as the working conditions in the prison service. Women have worked in the prison service for many years, although historically they were confined to administration roles and were in the main, invisible. After the passing of Peel's Gaol Act (1823), only female officers could work in women's prisons, and male governors were replaced with matrons. At the time, it was felt that female demureness, good temper and compassion would rub off on the female prisoners and that reformed prisoners would emulate their behaviour (Zedner, 1991).
In England and Wales, there is a growing body of literature related to prison officers (Arnold, 2005; Crawley, 2004a; Liebling & Price, 2001; Liebling, Price, & Shefer, 2011; Tait, 2008); however, none of this is dedicated to female prison officers. Arguably, this could be due to the fact that the profession has traditionally been recognised as a male occupation, and therefore the prison officer literature has been dominated by the thoughts and actions of men. Consequently, we know little of female prison officers' experiences of working in male-dominated, masculine organisations. In particular, we know very little about female prison officers' perspectives on gender-specific issues, such as pregnancy and motherhood while working in these institutions, either on their own or the women prisoners they work with. Drawing on qualitative research in a women's prison, this chapter will focus on female prison officers as mothers and their roles and relationships with women in prison who are also mothers. The chapter will explore how gendered experiences such as pregnancy, miscarriage, child birth and child-rearing (of both the officers and women prisoners) can create unique emotional burdens for some female officers, impacting their working role, home life and relationships with the women they work with. The chapter will go on to illustrate the ways in which these female officers manage or mismanage their emotions whilst presenting as professional in this male-dominated workplace.
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John Fenwick and Lorraine Johnston
The chapter proposes that a new public enterprise (NPE) now characterises developments in local policymaking and service delivery. The NPE places the local public sector in a…
Abstract
Purpose
The chapter proposes that a new public enterprise (NPE) now characterises developments in local policymaking and service delivery. The NPE places the local public sector in a leading role, either in the direct ‘contracting in’ of services previously contracted out to the private sector, or in the co-ordination of partnerships between public, private and voluntary sector providers. Such remunicipalisation is non-ideological in nature, and international in its scope, being prompted by pragmatic considerations of cost and effectiveness.
Design/Method
The discussion draws from the authors' cumulative primary research on local public services and regeneration and specifically from a series of interviews with local leaders and senior managers conducted in 2018 and 2019.
Findings
It was found that traditional conceptions of ‘public’ vs ‘private’ are largely outmoded. Contracting ‘in’ is practised even by those on the Right of the political spectrum. The public sector is a leader of local partnerships and it is no longer assumed that the private sector brings greater efficiency or effectiveness.
Originality
The term ‘new public enterprise’ is used in an innovative way to describe the changed relationship between public, private and voluntary sectors. This has significant implications for both practice and theory. The empirical prevalence of the NPE can readily be identified in the UK and internationally. Its theoretical implications are challenging but promising.
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Taco van der Vaart, Dirk Pieter van Donk, Cristina Gimenez and Vicenta Sierra
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of different dimensions of supply chain integration on performance, while considering both the interconnections between…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of different dimensions of supply chain integration on performance, while considering both the interconnections between these supply chain integration dimensions and the effect of context. Specifically, the authors investigate the relationship between two enablers (communication infrastructure and cooperative behaviour) and two practices (planning information and joint improvement), and the moderating effect of supply complexity on their relationship with performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey among 145 Dutch and Spanish manufacturers is used to gather data on the buyer‐supplier relationship. Both the sample and two subsamples – for high and low supply complexity – are analysed using SmartPLS.
Findings
The paper finds that two dimensions – communication infrastructure and cooperative behaviour – enable the two collaborative practices: joint improvement and planning information. All mentioned supply chain integration dimensions, except joint improvement are related to performance, but specifically if the supply complexity is high. Among these dimensions the effect of cooperative behaviour is relatively high.
Originality/value
This paper adds to our understanding of how contingencies influence the supply chain. It is the first paper that investigates the moderating effect of the complexity of the process of delivery (supply complexity) on the effectiveness of supply chain integration practices.