ContentslistsavailableatScienceDirectTourismManagementjournalhomepage:www.elsevier.com/locate/tourmanBookreviewsDestinationUnknown:TheEmergenceofCorporateSocialResponsibilityfortheSustainableDevelopmentofTourism,C.M.Tepelus.LundUniversity,Sweden(2008).ISBN:978-91-88902-44-3.Reviewingabookwhichis,infact,adoctoraldissertationisespeciallydifficultandchallenging,becauseitinvolvespronouncingonresearchwhichhasalreadybeenpositivelyassessedbyapanelofexperts.Andevenmoresointhisparticularcase,becausethedissertationhasbeenannexedwithsixpapers,previouslypublishedbytheauthorinpeerreviewjournalsandbyprestigiouspublishers.Therefore,therearenoquestionmarksaboutitsrigourandtherelevanceofitscontributions.Havingsaidthat,thereisnodoubtthatCorporateSocialRespon-sibility(CSR)isoneofthehottesttopicstoday,bothinacademiaandinboardsofdirectors.Itismuchunderdiscussionallaroundtheworld.Thisispartofthevalueofthisbook,whicharrivesataveryopportunemomentinthisdiscussion,particularlyinthecaseoftourism,wherethisdebateistakingplacelaterthaninotherindustries.Andalsobecausethisconcepthastraditionallybeenassociatedwithfirms,whereasintourismCSRhastobeextendedtodestinations,asproposedinthisbook.Thistopictranslatesintothespecificquestion:Howdowebecomearesponsiblecompany,oratleastbecomeconsideredone?Academics,practitionersandpoliticiansaredevotingalotofeffortstodefiningtheprofileofthiscomplexcharacteristic,butthisisnotfinishedyet.Therearedifferentperspectives,andsuffi-cientconsensushasnotyetbeenreached.Thisiswhythecontribu-tionofthisbookisvaluable,foritsqualitativeandinductivemethodology,itsinternationalfocus,anditsextensiontotourismdestinationsandtheiragents.Mightatourismdestinationbeaccreditedasaresponsibleone?Thisiswhatiscoming,althoughitisstillunknown,assuggestedinthetitle.So,whatrequirementsshouldatouristdestinationhavetobeconsideredresponsibleandtobeentitledtoclaimtoberesponsible,forexample,initspublicity?Whatistheprocess(inadescriptiveorprescriptiveway)forgettingthere?Theaction-researchmethodused,withitsdynamicchar-acter,isappropriateforaddressingthischallenge.Theterminologicaljunglearoundtheconceptunderstudyis,infact,verymessy.Ecotourism,sustainabletourism,“fairtrade”tourism,.andnowresponsibletourism.Thisisconfusingfortheagentsinvolved,nodoubtaboutthat,butwhatseemsclearisthatthenextwave(andtourismisnoexception)isCSR.Therefore,agentsinthisindustryhavetobepreparedtotakecompetitiveadvantageofthevariousinitiativesforbuildingresponsibletourismfirmsanddestinations,asadifferentialfactoringlobalcompetition.Onthispoint,theeffortsmadebyTepelusforabetterunderstandingofthisphenomenonshouldbehighlyappreciated,particularlybecausetheyarerightlyfocusedontheorybuilding.AtthisstillveryearlystageofthescientificunderstandingofCSRintourism,thiskindofcontributionisofspecialvalue:itisextremelyusefulformovingforwardfrommeredescriptiveresearch(usuallyofgoodpractices)intoexplanatorystudiessheddinglightontherealcausesandeffectsofCSR.Butputtingasidethejungleofterminologyreferredto,Iwouldsaythatthekeymessageisthattourismhastoberunundernewprinciples:transparency,carefortheenvironment,alleviationofpoverty,respectforculturaldifferencesanddiversity,andinvolve-mentoflocalcommunitiesatthehighestpossiblelevel(fosteringabottom-upcommunication,supportandacceptance),interalia.Inotherwords,theindustrymustfindacertainbalanceanddegreeofsatisfactionamongtheinterestsofthedifferentstakeholders.Atourismindustrybasedonmultiplestakeholders,resistingthepressuretosatisfyjustonesingle,albeitimportant,groupofstake-holders(thecompanies'shareholders),needstoseekabalanceinthesatisfactionofthemanydifferentgroups(bothinternalandexternal)thataffectandareaffectedbytourisminitiatives:thisisthenewmindsetandculture.Ofcoursethisbalanceischallenginganddifficulttoachieve;eachgrouplobbiesinfavorofitsowninter-ests,whichareofteninconflict.Butthisistheonlywaytobesustain-able(economically,socially,andenvironmentally)inthemediumandlongrun.Itisnolongeranoption:moreandmorepeopleembraceresponsibleorganizationsand,intourism,destinationsaswell.Furthermore,showingsuchresponsibilityhelpscompaniesanddestinationstogrow,andraisesthebarfortheircompetitors.Inspiteofitsmanyfacets,itcouldbearguedthatthecurrentcrisishasbeencausedbyageneralizedlackofattentiontothisnecessarymulti-stakeholderapproachandtocertainvaluesinmanyeconomicentities.TepelusstressesthecontributionoftheCSRparadigmintacklingthesocialissuesraisedbyglobalisation:childlabour,sexexploita-tion,.abuseofhumanrightsingeneral.Inthisrespect,oneverylargequestioniswhethertheimplementationofresponsibleprac-ticesshouldbevoluntaryormustbeenforcedbygovernments.Itisclearthatthisisdebatable,andtherearetwowell-differentiatedpositions:infavorandagainstthevoluntarycharacterofsuchmeasures.Forthemoment,thosedefendingthevoluntaryapproach,self-regulation,arewinning,butonlythefuturewilltell.Therearesignsinsomecountriesthatgovernmentsaretakinganactiveroleinpushingforward,andarerewardingresponsibleactions.Returningtothescientificfield,thestudyofCSRingeneral,andofCSRintourisminparticular,needstobereinforcedmuchmore,inmyopinion,withcontributionsfromdifferenttheoreticalframeworkswithademonstratedcapacityforexplainingthisstill-recentphenom-enon.Itseemsbroadlyrecognizedthatthereisalackofgeneralknowledge,andthisisagapthathastobebridged.Forinstance:-Stakeholdertheorydeservesmoreemphasisinexplaininghowthebalancecalledforbetweentheinterestsofallthestakeholderscanactuallybeachieved.-Institutionaltheoryisanothervaluableframeworkforunder-standingwhymoreandmoreorganizationsareembracing,albeitatverydifferentlevelsofintensity,theCSRparadigmwithouthavingadetailedandcomprehensiveunderstanding692Bookreviews/TourismManagement31(2010)691–697
ofit.Isomorphismisaprogressivefact,inpoliciesandprac-tices,firstlyinrespectoftheenvironmentalissuesandthenwithregardtothesocialissues.Theconsiderationofthenormative(normsdictatedbybusinessassociationsororgani-zationssuchusUNWTO),coercive(lawsandtheirenforce-ment)andmimeticmechanisms(followingwhatleadersorsuccessfulplayersdo)offeredbythistheoryarerecommendedforacquiringabetterinsightofthisphenomenon,testingtheextenttowhichthehomogeneitycompaniesareproposedtobeundergoingisinfactoccurring.-CSRcanbealsoconsideredacapabilitytobedeveloped,andwhichcangiveacompanyordestinationcompetitiveadvan-tages(differentiation).ThusCSRcouldbestudiedundertheresources-basedviewofthefirmparadigmandtheapproachoffirms'dynamiccapabilities.-Strategicleadership,asaresource,couldbeanotherrelevantfocus,giventhekeyroleoftheleadersatthetopofthehier-archyinunderstandingthestrategicdimensionofCSRandmakingrealitsphilosophythroughspecificpracticesandmeasures(indicators).Inthisfocus,theupperechelontheorycouldbeaninterestingcomplementaryapproachtodiscoverwhydifferentorganizationsimplementCSRwithvaryingdegreesofintensityandsuccess.Finally,afewwordsareappropriateabouttheapplicationoftheconceptofresponsibletourismtodestinations.Oneofthedefiningfeaturesofatouristdestinationistheheterogeneityoftheagentsinvolved,bothpublicandprivate.Hence,destinationmanagementisatrulycomplexendeavor:thecomplexityofmanagingdiversity.Forthisreason,thepromotionandimplementationofCSRinallorganizationsofthiskindneedstohaveacommondirectionchosenbyalltheagentsandsharedbythem.Inachievingthisconviction,theresearchagendashouldaddressanumberofchallenges,suchas:-Integrationofthevarioustheoreticalframeworksalreadymentioned(andperhapsothers)inordertoprovideamuchdeeperinsightaboutthecausesandeffectsofCSR.-AgreementaboutCSRpracticesandtheirmeasurement,aswellasonreportingandaccreditation(thelonglyandstillexpectedISO26000standardcouldhelp).Thiscomplexityisfurtherincreasedbydifferencesinculturalvaluesandperspectivesindifferentareasoftheglobe.ThisiswhyintergovernmentalorganizationssuchastheUNWTOhavesuchanimportantroletoplay.Thechallengeisserved,andthisbookwrittenbyC.M.Tepelusisagoodstepforward,whichdeservestobetakenintoaccountbyeveryoneworkinginthisarea.Manypapersarestillneededandarestilltocome.AlfonsoVargas-SánchezDepartmentofManagementandMarketing,UniversityofHuelva,SpainE-mailaddress:vargas@uhu.esdoi:10.1016/j.tourman.2009.06.001
Tourismandhospitalitymarketing–Aglobalperspective,SimonHusdon.Sage,LosAngeles(2008).467pages,27.99£Consideringthebreadthofknowledgeintourismmarketingnowadays,itisincreasinglydifficulttocoverthistopicinonesinglebook.SimonHudsonhasproducedhereabookthatdoescoverthemultipleaspectsoftourismmarketinganditcompareswelltotheotherbooksdedicatedtotourismmarketingonthemarket.SimonHudson'scompetenceintourismmarketingneedsnointroductionandhisknowledgeandexperienceoftourismgivesasolidback-groundtothebook.Thestructureofeachchapterisinnovativeandwillprovidereaderswithanefficientteachingtool.Eachchapterhasanopeningvignette,thatistosayareal-lifeexampledesignedtodrawstudentsintothechapter.Theneachtopicaddressedishighlightedthroughoutthechapterwithsnapshots:smallcasestudiesillustratingspecificpoints.Attheendofeachchaptercanbefoundalongercasestudywhichdetails,overseveralpages,aspecificsituationfollowedbythesummaryoftheinforma-tionprovidedinthechapter.Finally,questionsareprovidedforreaderstotesttheirknowledgeandtheirunderstandingofthechapter.Alistoftopic-relatedwebsitesisalsoproposedtodeepenone'sknowledge.SimonHudsonhasprovidedanicetouchbyhigh-lightinginclearlydefinedboxesdefinitionsofkeytermsthroughoutthechapters.Thebookisstructuredin13chapters,whichdetailthetradi-tionalmulti-dimensionaldimensionsoftourismmarketing.Thefirstchapterprovidesadetailedoverviewoftheglobaltourismenvironmentandplacestheactionsoftourismmarketingwithinglobaldevelopments.Thischaptersetsthesceneclearly:whatistourism,whatistheroleofmarketinginitsdevelopmentsandwhatarethekeyplayers.Thewholedevelopmentoftourismisthenreplacedwithinthemicroeconomicandmacroeconomicforcesatstake.Casestudiesandsnapshotsinclude:DisneynewdevelopmentinHongKong,theholylandexperiencethemeparkinOrlandoandtheproblematicquestionoftourismdevelopmentinMyanmar.Thesecondchapterlooksatconsumerbehaviouranddecomposesthedifferentstepsofthedecisionprocess,lookingbrieflyatinternalprocessesatstakeandfocussingratheronexternalinfluentialforces(socialclass,culture,etc.)andtools,suchastypologies,thatcanbringaclearerunderstandingofconsumers'markets.Thechapterfinisheswithabrieflookatnewtrendsandinfluentialfactorsthatwillshapetourismdemandinthefuture.Snapshotsandcasestudiesincludeanexaminationoftheolderbackpackers'phenomenon,travellers'philanthropyandeducationaltourism.Thethirdchapterlooksatthevariousstepsofmarketingplans'design.Thechapterhasastrongfocusontheconceptsofpositioningandproductdefinition.Snapshotsincludetarget-ingtheoverweightpopulation(Freedomparadise'sresorts),winetourisminAustralia,thefuturepotentialoftheChinesetravellingmarketandFourSeasonsHotelsandResorts'posi-tioningstrategy.Thecasestudyattheendofthechapterpres-entsindetailthedifficultiesencounteredinlaunchinganewairlinecalledRootsAir,analysingwherethestrategywentwrong.Thetraditionalchapteronmarketingresearchprovidesaquickoverviewoftraditionalmarketresearch.Condensingthevastandvarieddimensionsofmarketresearchintoasinglechapterwillnecessarilyleavereadersfrustrated.Fewappliedexamplesillustratethechapter,butthecasestudyonfinding
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