Professional management literature suggests that goal setting is one of the most important steps in the organizational process as goals provide a clear understanding of the directions in which the organization is heading. In ensuring that each member of an organization is aware of its goals, the goal communication process is viewed as a central part of everyday management. Goal communication between managers and interpreters at Ontario heritage sites is the focus of the present study. Three sites were investigated, and three different research methods were used to obtain the data: semi-structured interviews with managers and interpreters; analysis of documentation related to the operation of the sites; and participant observation. The study’s findings revealed that: 1) not all heritage sites have their goals documented; 2) the documentation of site goals does not necessarily guarantee that interpreters are aware of them; 3) goals of the sites are communicated to interpreters by only two means – orientation, and reading materials; and 4) more training is required for interpreters in order to implement their site’s goals successfully and consistently. A number of recommendations for heritage site management were developed, which include extending goal communication techniques to daily site interaction and to daily assignments given to interpreters, as well as exploring new goal communication channels and providing opportunities for continuous training of interpreters.

The study explored risk perceptions and novelty dimensions associated with family vacations. In particular, the study focused on households containing married or common law partners, blended families, single parents and same-sex partners, with at least one child aged twelve years old or younger, located in one of the Region of Waterloo’s three cities, encompassing Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge, Ontario. The research explored whether novelty or familiarity of a vacation destination affected the level of risk perceived as well as the locus of control. Additionally the research focused on particular aspects of the family vacation including the decision making process and the stage of the family life cycle in which respondents are categorized, having either younger or older children, affected the decision making process. Lastly, the study looked at external sources of information including family and/or friends, other sources of information, prior experience at the destination, if applicable, and the distance traveled, borders crossed and transportation utilized. Families in each specified area were initially accessed through five direct contacts and an associated snowball sampling method. A revised data collection method was utilized part way through the study being distribution at a recreation centre within the Region. Respondents were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire containing questions relating to their last family vacation, preferences for novelty/familiarity, locus of control orientation, degree of risk perception agreement or disagreement and basic sociodemographic characteristics. Data were reduced to minimize complexity through a series of factor analyses through the use of components analysis. It involved taking salient items and factoring them together based on the conceptual fit within each loading having eight components created. T-tests and analyses of variance were utilized to further univariate relationships between variables of interest. Relationships between perceived risk, gender and prior experience were non-significant (p > .05) whereas family life cycle, level of education, crossing an international border, and total distance traveled had a significant effect on risk perceptions (p < .05) and were included in stepwise regression analyses. The present study complemented emerging literature suggesting that parents with older children attributing greater risks as associated with creating memories. There was less support for extant research indicating that families with younger children are more likely to associate as many risks with travel. Similarly, preference for novelty/familiarity was found to not have a significant effect on respondents’ risk perceptions yet certain external sources of information (e.g., friends/family, travel agents) played a large role in the level of risk perceptions.

While most ecotourist definitions and typologies have relied on concepts ingrained in traveler behaviours or destinations, none has benefited from a consideration of personal ethics. The study of ecotourism has virtually ignored theoretical considerations of ethics, other than making comparisons with the broader tourism sector. An additional shortcoming is the general lack of methodological sophistication, where the bulk of research concerning ecotourism has remained exploratory and descriptive, and has not sought to understand and explain the role that ethics have played, or not, in ecotourist behaviour and developmental practices. The assumption that ecotourists possess a higher level of ethical beliefs than mass tourists, and in fact exhibit ethical behaviour, has not been contested to a sufficient degree. Consequently, this dissertation addresses a need for more conceptually-based research to identify core ethics underlying ecotourist behaviour, with the potential to reveal where quite diverse groups, including those with different cultural orientations, are positioned on these Western philosophical stances. Upon building a conceptual understanding of ecotourist ethics, I have developed a conceptually-driven, multi-dimensional scale – the Ecotourist Ethics Scale (EES) – based on a conceptual framework that draws on classic theories of ethics (Deontology, Teleology, and Existentialism) and on dominant components of ecotourism definitions, frameworks, and typologies (Nature, Culture, Education, and Conservation). This first phase of scale development was followed by a second phase of testing the EES for its validity and reliability with a sample of 1,544 students, and additionally, testing its concurrent validity in relation to four other established scale measures conceptually related to ecotourist ethics. The results of employing the EES indicate ethics based on Deontology and Teleology define the prevalent ethical stances held by individuals where the focus appears to be on rules or principles and consequences, and not on the authenticity of the experience or activity. The development of a profile of travelers based on ethics, as opposed to typologies based simply on settings, behaviours, or occasionally psychographics, could not only advance our understanding of these travelers, but also provide a means for ecotour companies to implement management strategies for a more sustainable operation in response to the array of positive and negative beliefs and behaviours driven by core ethics. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of findings and their implications from analyses of an assortment of the factors related to the sample’s travel and demographic characteristics.

Events are a part of every culture and community (Allen, et al., 2002; Getz, 1997; Getz, 2007; Rogers, 2003). They may differ in their purpose (celebration, education, marketing), but at the core they are a gathering of people (Goldblatt & Nelson, 2001). Economically, the event industry is an important sector of the tourism industries; in the USA it is estimated at $652 billion USD in revenues and to have created more than 1.7 million jobs in 2005 (Rutherford Silvers, 2008). Inherent within this industry are risks of varying types (financial, physical, legal, etc) that are the responsibility of the event planner to assess and manage. There are numerous proposed risk assessment and management strategies (GWU Tourism, 2007; MacLaurin & Wykes, 2003; Rutherford Silvers, 2008; Ryerson, 2008; Tarlow, 2002a), which are based on models presented in the general risk literature (Althaus, 2005; Johnson, 1993; Law, 2006; Sjoberg, 2000b; Slovic, 2000; Slovic, et al., 2004). However, there are no empirical data to support these proposed models, nor any research that has studied event planner perceptions of potential sources of risk. This study is an exploration of the socio-demographic influences of event planners on risk perception and how these support the current risk assessment and risk management strategies. A model was developed that outlined the manner in which experience, education, gender and country of residence influenced the risk concepts of “dread” and “familiarity”. These concepts then lead to risk perception that, in turn, influenced risk assessment and risk management. In order to test this model, a mixed-methods, two-stage approach was used (Creswell, 2003; Veal, 2006). In-depth interviews were used to develop a definition of risk specific to the event industry, followed by an on-line survey to measure perceptions of various risk elements and gather socio-demographic information. There was evidence to support education, experience, gender and country of residence as influencing perceptions of “dread” and “familiarity” that, in turn, directly correlated with levels of risk perception. This exploratory research has opened the way for many new facets of research in the event industry. Future research is suggested in the areas of cultural influence on risk perception, risk perception related to various event types (festivals, sports, mega-events, etc), and risk management strategies utilized by event planners.

While the importance and scope of children’s sport participation has been a topic of research, to date, few researchers have explored the impact organized youth sport may have on family life. In particular, little attention has been paid to the way in which family relationships, interactions, and values are shaped by children’s sport involvement. This study seeks to address this gap in the literature and the social and cultural context in which youth sport participation occurs. Specifically, the connection between children’s participation in youth sport and contemporary motherhood and fatherhood ideologies is explored, including the relation between youth sport and being a “good parent”. Changing parenting ideologies and their implications for gender relations are also addressed. An interpretive approach was used to discover behavioural, relational, and emotional aspects of youth sport and family life. The setting for the study was a rural community (which included both farm and non-farm residences) since such communities are characterized by fewer services (e.g., leisure facilities, public transportation, health care) and higher rates of poverty and unemployment. Semi-structured interviews and on-line participant journals (10 days duration) were used to discover divergent experiences of mothers, fathers, and children. A purposive sample of seven families (19 children, 7 mothers, and 6 fathers) participated in the study. Data analysis was guided by a constructivist grounded theory approach to facilitate understanding of participants’ perceptions and meanings of youth sport participation. The data revealed three major themes. The first theme “Understanding Children’s Experiences” relates to children’s perceptions of their scheduled lives, the impact organized sport has on their relationships with their siblings, and how they perceive their parents’ involvement and support. The second theme “Parenting in Public and Private Spaces” reveals the parents’ perspectives on the high cost of youth sport for the family unit (emotional, physical, and financial cost), how the parents’ involvement with the sport organization shapes the parent-child relationship, the judgment of other parents’ behaviours, and meaning and significance of being a “good parent”. The third theme that developed from the analysis, “The Nexus of Family Experiences”, illustrates the intersection of the children’s and parents’ perspectives. This theme reveals the complexity of the decision-making processes and the positive and negative experiences of youth sport for different family members. The core theme, “Upholding Team Family”, represents the culmination of the children’s and parents’ experiences, and helps to capture and integrate the insights gained from the analysis as a whole. This theme focuses on the centrality of organized youth sport in the construction of a sense of “team family”, as well as the sacrifices and contradictory aspects of maintaining this ideal. Further, the gendered nature of organized youth sport involvement and how rurality shapes the families’ sport involvement, are also discussed. The themes that emerged from this study reflect the contradictory nature of organized youth sport, including the strengthening of familial relationships, as well as the tensions and disagreements arising out of divergent perspectives. Emphasis is put on the public nature of parenting in the youth sport context and its relationship to social constructions of being a “good parent”. In terms of broader implications, the study emphasizes the close connection between organized youth sport, and changing cultural ideals and practices associated with gender and parenting.

Community-based natural resource management has been introduced in Ghana as an instrument to assist nature conservation and natural resource management, as opposed to the fences and fines approach of the protectionist model. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent of natural resource exploitation by the local communities in and around the Ankasa Resource Reserve after the introduction of the Amokwawsuazo Community Resource Management (ACREMA) programme. Particularly, the study sought to understand whether the implementation of ACREMA has helped to achieve nature conservation and natural resource management inside and outside the Reserve. The specific study objectives were as follows. First, the study seeks to assess the socio-demographic characteristics and economic activities of ACREMA community members. Second, the impact of ACREMA community members’ activities on natural resources of the Reserve was assessed. Third, the extent of natural resource exploitation after ACREMA was evaluated. Fourth, examine the measures undertaken to minimise natural resource exploitation in the Ankasa Resource Reserve after ACREMA was introduced. Fifth, the research assessed the ACREMA community members’ willingness to support nature conservation and other alternative livelihood programmes such as tourism. Finally, the research sought to provide guidelines and recommendations for policy makers, park management and other parties interested in the implementation of any development project in the Ankasa region. The study was justified because very little has been documented about the effectiveness of this approach in promoting nature conservation in Africa. Therefore, this study could contribute to understanding of the effectiveness of community-based resource management programmes in achieving nature conservation in Ghana. In order to achieve the objectives set, the study developed a conceptual framework based on social exchange theory. Social exchange theory conceptualises human behaviour as an exchange of goods and services, both tangible and intangible, and based on rewards for services rendered. The study combined both quantitative and qualitative research techniques. Hence, the main modes of data capture were survey, focus group interviews and in-depth interview. While quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 14, qualitative data obtained were transcribed and analysed according to emerging themes. The results showed that natural resource exploitation declined following the introduction of ACREMA. This was as a result of the more effective collaboration and partnership developed between park management and local community members. Where exploitation existed, the study showed that this was primarily due to poverty and a lack of alternative resources. Secondly, the research demonstrated that ACREMA community members were willing to support nature conservation and as a result have undertaken several measures to minimise natural resource exploitation within the Ankasa region. The high level of enthusiasm to support nature conservation and tourism development was largely attributed to benefits already received for undertaken conservation measures as well as benefits perceived to result from the development of tourism in the future. Due to lack of alternative livelihoods, household heads also expressed interest in providing tourism-related services such as accommodation, catering services, working as drivers and tour guides if and when tourism becomes available in the region. This case study confirms that community-based natural resource management has been successful in achieving nature conservation and natural resource management in the Ankasa Resource Reserve and area. The study also provided several policy implications and pointed out areas for further study.

Recreational shopping has long been of interest to business academics and practitioners, but research on it has been underdeveloped in the leisure field. Although the leisure literature and business literature represent distinct perspectives, there appears to be many significant parallels between recreational shopping and leisure. The purpose of this study was to examine the intrinsic meanings of shopping; to explore the experiential aspects of the recreational shopping experience (including the influences of the retail environment on individuals who regularly engage in recreational shopping). This study took place in Toronto, Ontario. The sample included five female self-proclaimed recreational shoppers. The researcher accompanied each participant on a shopping excursion which took place at a shopping mall selected by the participant. Data were collected through three qualitative methods. First, participant observation involved the researcher walking alongside the participant as she shopped. Following the shopping session, the researcher conducted an in-depth face-to-face interview with each participant; the interview was guided by a set of open-ended questions. In addition, this study utilized photo-elicitation in which the participants were asked to photograph ‘anything’ that made an impression during their visit to the mall. The photographs offered tangible illustrations of shopping experiences and were used as a catalyst for discussion during the interviews. The data was analyzed using Grounded Theory coding which lead to the identification of two main themes and six respective subthemes. The emergent themes are all connected to the key idea that shoppers are motivated by their expectations and desires when they partake in the recreational shopping activity. Shopping offers numerous opportunities that provide immediate hedonic pleasure as well as intrinsic rewards. Such opportunities often include, the ‘before and after’ phases of experiences of acquisition and unexpected discoveries, the positive interactions which occur both inside and outside a retail environment, and lastly, the individual’s use of shopping as a means of self-expression and a tool to manage their self image. Satisfaction, spontaneity, familiarity, mastery, accomplishment, and feelings of escape were all present in these shopping experiences. The findings also described the role of shopping malls as a leisure space and as facilitators of recreational shopping activities. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that shopping can offer a profound leisure experience for many people and the activity should not only be researched in terms of just ‘recreational shopping’ or ‘utilitarian shopping.’ Rather, the findings indicate several overlaps between the two types of shopping and further research is needed to more fully understand the complexities of the activity.

Leisure time, leisure activities, and leisure spaces largely surround matters of consumption. However, the role consumption plays in the reproduction and performance of community is a necessarily contested topic among leisure scholars. For their part, leisure scholars have tended to regard consumption and places of consumption with a great deal of trepidation, skepticism, and even contempt (e.g., Arai & Pedlar, 2003; Hemingway, 1996; Reid, 1995; Stormann, 2000). Implications for and about community appear to be at the forefront of anxiety about consumption as it relates to leisure. As a result, a focus on “community” has become a practical response to assumptions about pervasive individualism, consumption, and the loss of community, in general. Following calls for the incorporation of community in leisure studies (Arai & Pedlar, 2003; Glover & Stewart, 2006) and drawing on Cook’s (2006a) call to move leisure studies “beyond individualism” (p. 464), this study sought to empirically examine the significance local residents attribute to everyday places of consumption. Furthermore, this study aimed to challenge the idea that leisure time, activities, places, and spaces based on consumption serve only to further alienate individuals from communities, thus weakening the social relevance of leisure, in general (Arai & Pedlar, 2003). The purpose of this research, therefore, was to challenge the essentialist conceptualization of consumption by exploring the relationship between places of consumption and the everyday lived experience of community. To do so, I engaged patrons at the Kitchener Market, a venue that encourages consumptive acts, yet serves as a focal point for everyday engagement in community. The primary research question providing focus for this study was: What roles, if any, do places of consumption, particularly third places, play in the everyday lived experience of community? Results of this research suggest there are new ways for understanding leisure and community as they relate to consumption. Rather than considering consumption places as points of exchange with little or no emotional sentiment attached, this research suggests these places have to potential to develop and create community as well as incorporate consumer values, ideals, ethics, and sentiments. Third places, as everyday places of consumption, should be examined for their potential to create, enact, and build community. Consumption is not separate from society, community and leisure; rather, consumption constitutes a salient aspect of everyday living and should be considered an important component of community.

Over the past decade, Persian Gulf countries witnessed an increase in tourism development and the number of international tourists. Though tourism development plays an important role in enhancing economies, tourism development may conflict with the region's conservative traditions and culture. The purpose of this research is to identify the attitudes and perceptions of residents in the State of Qatar towards the impacts of tourism development by: 1) applying Ap & Crompton's (1998) Index of Tourism Impacts (ITI): measuring the physical/ecological/social or cultural environments, and the residents' acceptance of visitors, 2) by identifying resident attitudes as expressed on Qatari-based social networks, and 3) through personal observation of resident attitudes. Respondents were selected using a convenience sampling technique to complete a survey instrument. Non-intrusive personal observation was also carried out to observe the nature of host-guest interactions at local tourist areas. Material regarding resident attitudes towards tourism development published through local media and forums on local social networks were collected. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and independent t-tests were used to describe data and to better understand resident attitudes towards the ITI dimensions. Content analysis was used to analyze forum entries, and field note extracts of personal observations were also used to present observed behaviours of residents. Survey findings reveal that resident attitudes differed according to respondents' age, length of residence, and ethnicity, particularly with respect to perceptions of change in local services and natural environment. The content analysis of forums revealed mixed feelings by residents (primary expatriates) towards tourism development. An attitude typology was derived from resident attitudes expressed through forum entries. Attitudes ranged from “denying tourism's existence” to “encouraging tourism”. Field observation of behaviours also revealed mixed attitudes towards the presence and behaviours of tourists, where residents either “accepted tourism” or “disapproved tourism”. Results suggested further research be carried out in testing the attitude typology in countries within the same region, and to modify the belief scale items and dimensions.

While it is well understood that many resource-based communities are transitioning to tourism to provide a new economic foundation, few studies have probed in-depth the rationale and mechanisms influencing decision-making processes. This case study does that, providing the rationale behind Nanaimo’s City Council’s decision to build a conference centre and in so doing exposes the processes, actors and events that helped framed its decision. A coastal community in British Columbia, Canada, Nanaimo’s downtown suffered continual decline for nearly two decades. In an attempt to reverse the decline, City Council voted 8 to 1 in favour of a conference centre proposal based on its conviction that a centre would serve as a calling card for the community and function to attract both lifestyle residents and tourists. Moreover, Council’s vote signalled its commitment as an active partner in re-establishing the downtown and repositioning Nanaimo as a post-industrial city with high-level infrastructure and amenities. Although there was initial widespread community support, as the conference centre evolved through a series of iterations, one community group surfaced to challenge its merit and the lack of public engagement in the process. In response, another group surfaced to defend the decision. Through a community referendum, the decision was upheld and the community moved forward with the plan. Nonetheless, the viability of the project was threatened a second time with the civic election as several community residents who resisted the project ran for City Council on a platform that would have halted the project. The community, once again, affirmed the decision to proceed. This case has two steps. First, I present a descriptive analysis to illuminate how the community’s social networks played a role in moving a specific agenda forward. There were two phases of data collection from which data were compiled and analysed. The first phase of data collection examined a variety of written documents in the community and principally included minutes of the various City Committees, independent studies commissioned by the City, newspaper accounts, and sources of information provided by the participants. The information collected in this first phase of study helped to inform the 37 in-depth interviews collected in the second phase of the study. Critical discourse analysis was used to demonstrate how and why different groups in the community justified and rationalized an ideological stance supporting a political and economic framework underwritten by tourism. Overall, the strength of the case is in its details. In demonstrating how the social networks and the local coalitions’ capacity-building efforts shaped civic decision-making and public policy, one gains, in a Foucauldian sense, how governmentality played out as different groups engaged in resistant and counter-resistance mechanisms. Tracing these movements reveals how this community was conditioned towards an economic framework underwritten by a political economy of tourism. Moreover, this case demonstrates that although consideration should be given to the broader economic and political climate, it supports claims in the literature that a high degree of autonomy exists within community decision-making processes. Complementing this consideration is the need to theorize more carefully the role of democracy and governance in determining the satisfaction of outcomes. Finally, more consideration should be given by tourism scholars to be more reflexive about their research, its contested and emotive moments.