Department of Marketing, Branding and Tourism, Middlesex University, Hendon Campus, The Burroughs, London, NW4 4BT, UK.
School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7JP, UK.
J Environ Manage. 2019 Jan 15;230:183-189. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.09.064. Epub 2018 Oct 1.
Previous research explains the various factors that motivate or discourage the owner-managers of small firms to behave sustainably. However, it has failed to develop a meaningful understanding of how these factors inter-relate or combine to influence their decisions. This research identifies and explains how socio-cultural and industrial norms influence the intentions and behaviours towards sustainability of owner-managers of small tourism firms. This grounded theory study shows how selective peer association allows the use of norms that match one's values to predict the difficulties, benefits and therefore justification for pro-sustainability (in)action. Locally-held socio-cultural norms determine what is commonly (dis)approved of through reflective and comparative processes. Connectedness to the locality triggers empathy for nature and the local society, but not a corresponding sense of responsibility. This dissonance is managed by allocating responsibility to industry actors perceived as more powerful, particularly tour operators and consumers, and to the widespread greed and short term culture dominating the sector.
先前的研究解释了激励或阻碍小企业所有者经理采取可持续行为的各种因素。然而，它未能充分理解这些因素如何相互关联或组合，从而影响他们的决策。本研究确定并解释了社会文化和产业规范如何影响小型旅游企业所有者经理对可持续性的意图和行为。这项扎根理论研究表明，选择性的同行协会如何允许使用符合个人价值观的规范来预测促进可持续性（行动）的困难、益处和因此的合理性。当地的社会文化规范通过反思和比较过程决定了什么是普遍被（不）认可的。与当地的联系引发了对自然和当地社会的同理心，但没有相应的责任感。这种不和谐通过将责任分配给被认为更有权力的行业参与者来管理，特别是旅游经营者和消费者，以及主导该行业的广泛的贪婪和短期文化。
