Ross, Glenn F. (2004) Ethics, motivation and rainforest tourguide business interest. Tourism Recreation Research, 29 (1). pp. 45-56.

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Abstract

Whilst many commentators would hold that an entrepreneurial disposition is a key ingredient in the success of any new business venture in commercial arenas such as tourism, relatively little is known regarding the personal characteristics that may be brought to such a context. This study has sought to examine relationships among ethical values and work motivation as they may predict entrepreneurial interest in a rainforest tour guiding business among a sample of secondary college graduates from a major Australian tourism community. The most prominent value was found to be sociability; diligence was also highly rated, whereas honesty was found to be less so. The most favoured entrepreneurial response involved a cautious interest in this business venture. Major motivating predictors for all three ethical dimensions were social/physical working conditions, individual achievement and personal growth. It was also found that high levels of assent to the diligence ethic were associated with a tourguiding business interest; the honesty ethic was also found to be associated with this expression of entrepreneurialism, though to a lesser degree. Finally, an examination of the relationships between the levels of entrepreneurial interest revealed three groups of respondents: the first group were those likely to declare no interest at all in such a business, who would then generally proceed on to express no interest in the higher levels of entrepreneurial commitment; the second group were those not well disposed to the no interest response, who were found also to favour entrepreneurialism at both the cautious level and the committed level; and finally identified were those respondents who would express some doubt or reluctance with regard to each of the two entrepreneurial interest associations explored. The implications of these findings for future research directions and for industry intervention are examined.

Item ID:	7177
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	0250-8281
Keywords:	diligence; entrepreneurialism; ethics; honesty; rainforest tourguiding; sociability; work motivation
Related URLs:	http://www.trrworld.org/index.html
Date Deposited:	18 Mar 2010 02:19
FoR Codes:	15 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 1506 Tourism > 150603 Tourism Management @ 100%
SEO Codes:	90 COMMERCIAL SERVICES AND TOURISM > 9003 Tourism > 900302 Socio-Cultural Issues in Tourism @ 100%
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