The politics of tourism development: a case of dual governance in Tobago

The purpose of this paper is to report on an exploratory study of the role that tourism policy plays in influencing tourism development. The research is based on two questions: How does tourism policy influence tourism development in the small twin-island state of Trinidad and Tobago? and How does an arrangement of dual governance in a small twin-island state promote tourism development? The exploration demonstrates that tourism development in the context of Tobago, the smaller of the two islands, has been slowed as a result of dual governance and hence dual policy arrangements

Mapping an emergent Open Data eco-system

The purpose of this paper is to explore a methodological approach to understand an emergent Open Data eco-system in developing countries and specifically tourism sector contexts. The conceptual and methodological bases using Actor Network Theory (ANT) and Social Network Analysis (SNA) are explored to understand their application to the Open Data phenomenon. Thirteen tourism industry officials in the public sector of five Caribbean countries were interviewed using a research instrument derived from the Open Data Research Network (ODRN) Common Assessment Framework for Open Data. The findings reveal an inter-connected emergent Open Data eco-system across five Caribbean countries

Inter-organisational knowledge sharing by owners and managers of tourism and hospitality businesses of the Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch conurbation, United Kingdom: an analysis of the motives, information content and networking.

This research study relates to knowledge management within the tourism sector and makes a contribution to the subject matter of inter-organisational knowledge sharing. The tourism sector has been slow to adopt the principles of knowledge management (Cooper, 2006; Cooper and Sheldon, 2010) and there has been focus on knowledge transfer (Shaw and Williams, 2009) rather than on knowledge sharing. Knowledge sharing is a social practice. This research study makes a contribution towards understanding the motives, information content and networking practices of inter-organisational knowledge sharing in the tourism sector. Theoretical contributions have been made which include: (1) the choice of a model which can be used to show knowledge sharing activities, the knowledge creation theory (Nonaka and Toyama, 2003) and relating the concept of information richness with the I-Space concept (Boisot, 1998); (2) a review and synthesis of a body of social network related theories in regard to embeddedness, structural influence and the innovative characteristics of social networks; (3) an explanation of the systemic features of shared knowledge through social networks as supported by systems, social systems and structuration theories; (4) the integration of theories and concepts regarding knowledge sharing and social networks with a view to better understanding the inter-organisational knowledge sharing practices of tourism businesses. The research approach combined both attribute and relational data in the same piece of work. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and survey method. Interorganisational knowledge sharing relationships were mapped using social network analytical techniques (Wasserman and Faust, 1994). Data were analysed using frequencies, central tendency, inferential, Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and social network measurements.Empirical contributions were revealed through the discovery of why, how and what business people benefited from, overall and differently, and the examination of the different types of networking practices. As a result, the initial conceptual framework was revised and highlights several knowledge management concepts including: knowledge domain, knowledge specialists, knowledge diffusion, knowledge scanning, knowledge acquisition and knowledge dissemination. Motives were associated with two constructs: Cl) social network; and (2) knowledge sharing, and these components enable and facilitate interorganisational knowledge sharing practices within tourism destinations. Information content and networking were distinguished, network outcomes determined and structural processes measured in terms of embeddedness, structural influence and innovation regarding their potential knowledge sharing capability

The acute effect of a myofascial release intervention on resting scapular position

This study examined the acute effect of utilizing a self myofascial release technique (MRT) intervention on resting scapular position. Resting postural and kinematic data were collected using an electromagnetic motion analysis system on twenty-nine subjects (15 experimental, 14 control) using a pretest-posttest design. Posture was determined through measures of scapular upward/downward rotation, scapular internal/external rotation, and scapular anterior/posterior tipping. Measures were compared between groups prior to and immediately following the MRT intervention using a foam roller or rest period lasting the duration required to complete the MRT. Statistical analyses revealed no significant differences in posture for group, or for test by group interaction. A main effect was observed for test in anterior/posterior tipping, suggesting the scapula was more posteriorly tipped in posttest measures

Gaelic and identity:A response to Iain MacKinnon

This article responds to the recent special issue of Scottish Affairs on ‘Gàidhealtachd Futures’ and in particular the article by Iain MacKinnon proposing that ancestry, ethnicity and indigeneity should become the principal elements in contemporary Gaelic identity. The editors of the special issue do not give an analytically meaningful presentation of the term Gàidhealtachd and MacKinnon fails to give a complete or balanced account of previous research on the question of Gaelic identity. There is considerable uncertainty about how the term Gael is understood today; many Gaelic speakers are reluctant to accept this label for themselves. MacKinnon's arguments concerning the role of ancestry in defining Gaelic identity are highly problematic in both analytical and political terms. His proposals concerning ethnicity and indigeneity are unsustainable, particularly in light of relevant legal standards, and amount to a strategic, ethical and legal dead end for the Gaelic revitalisation movement

Stressors, Self-Esteem, Social Activities, and Depression: A Sample of Patients at a Federally Qualified Health Center Who Experienced Homelessness

This study examined the relationships between current stressors and depressive symptoms among Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) patients who experienced homelessness, with a particular focus on the role of self-esteem and social activities on these relationships. The sample included patients who visited any clinic site of a FQHC in the southern part of Mississippi and qualified for the Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Program. Assessments included the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the DUKE Health Profile, and a checklist of stressors. Results of the multivariate analysis using structural equation modeling revealed that ambulation difficulties were related to depressive symptoms directly and indirectly through social activities. SES-related stressors were related to depressive symptoms directly and indirectly through self-esteem and social activities. Relational and legal/police-related stressors were linked to depressive symptoms only through self-esteem. These results indicate the importance of integrated community healthcare services to address the physical, social, and mental healthcare needs of the homeless population

Volunteer contributions in the emergency department: A scoping review

The objective of this scoping review was to identify published and unpublished reports that described volunteer programs in the emergency department (ED) and determine how these programs impacted patient experiences or outcomes. Electronic searches of Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and CINAHL were conducted and reference lists were hand-searched. A grey literature search was also conducted. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, reviewed full text articles, and extracted data. The search strategy yielded 4,589 potentially relevant citations; 87 reports were included in the review. Volunteer activities were categorized as non-clinical tasks (e.g., provision of meals/snacks, comfort items and mobility assistance), navigation, emotional support/communication, and administrative duties. 52 (59.8%) programs had general volunteers in the ED and 35 (40.2%) had volunteers targeting a specific patient population, including pediatrics, geriatrics, patients with mental health and addiction issues and other vulnerable populations. 18 (20.6%) programs included an evaluative component describing how ED volunteers affected patient experiences and outcomes. Patient satisfaction, follow-up and referral rates, ED hospital costs and length of stay, subsequent ED visits, medical complications, and malnutrition in the hospital were all reported to be positively affected by volunteers in the ED. These findings demonstrate the important role volunteers play in enhancing patient and caregiver experience in the ED. Future volunteer engagement programs should be formally described and evaluated to share their success and experience with others interested in implementing similar programs in the ED. Experience Framework This article is associated with the Infrastructure & Governance lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework. (http://bit.ly/ExperienceFramework) Access other PXJ articles related to this lens. Access other resources related to this lens

Against exclusionary Gaelic language policy:A response to Ó Giollagáin and Caimbeul

This article considers a range of weaknesses and deficiencies in the article ‘Moving Beyond Asocial Minority-Language Policy’ by Conchúr Ó Giollagáin and Iain Caimbeul and the underlying research study on which it was based. The authors’ presentation of previous research was inadequate and the framing of their survey results was sensationalistic, risking the demoralisation of Gaelic speakers and the weakening of social or political support for the language. The authors fail to justify and properly define the key terms used in their analysis, including ‘vernacular community’ and ‘Gaelic group’, so that there is a pervasive lack of clarity to their discussion, with serious implications for their key policy proposal. We also identify shortcomings in the geographic framing of their study; which areas were included and which were not. We then challenge the social classification they use in their analysis, and their rigid distinction between Gaelic speakers in their study area and all those living elsewhere. We then demonstrate how the authors’ presentation of current Gaelic policy is incomplete, misleading and biased, and we critique their proposals for fundamental changes to the current policy structure, including the creation of a new Gaelic community trust. We argue that strengthening existing policy structures and exploiting such structures much more energetically and effectively offers a better approach to strengthening the language, both in the areas studied and elsewhere in the country