The Root of the Recycled: A Comparative Analysis of Shakespeare\u27s Hamlet and the Mythological Ur-Hamlet

The purpose of my thesis was to explore the problem surrounding the sources believed to constitute the Ur-Hamlet from which Shakespeare derived Hamlet. By utilization of close reading, analysis, and archetypical criticism, my thesis confirms Shakespeare’s usage of the “Hero as Fool” archetype present in the Danish legend of Amleth, translated by Saxo Grammaticus and Francois Belleforest, as the Ur-Hamlet. My study is significant because it further develops the notion that the earlier legend served as the originary source for Hamlet, while providing evidence that rejects the validity of other sources of the Ur-Hamlet. The evidence was corroborated by presenting analytical comparisons of the framework both works share. Focusing on the archetypal origins of Shakespeare’s plot, characters and their actions revealed a more complex understanding of the play. These findings indicate and substantiate the claim that the Ur-Hamlet can be no other source but the Danish legend of Amleth

The innovation journey of new-to-tourism entrepreneurs

This study addresses the neglect of an overall analysis of the generative process of innovation in tourism studies. A conceptual framework draws together the fragmented literature on the innovation process which is visualized as a series of non-linear tasks from idea generation to diffusion. The conceptual framework is explored through a systematic analysis of the tourism innovation journey of 24 new-to-tourism entrepreneurs establishing start-ups in Spain. The analysis draws on the innovators’ narrations about their distinctive journeys to provide a more holistic picture of the innovation process. Drilling down into the sub-processes within each major task reveals the complexity of an innovation journey that is highly dynamic, uncertain, experimental and market-driven. A model of the innovation process is proposed based on the findings

Peer review assessment of originality in tourism journals: critical perspective of key gatekeepers

Originality is an essential element of academic research and the peer review system plays a key gatekeeping role in its acceptance. However, there is no consensus as to the precise definition of the concept, its measurement nor the importance attached to it. Primary data from 26 interviews with editors or editorial board members of top ranking tourism journals inform a discussion of the nuanced understanding of the concept and of how different levels of originality (radical vs. incremental), among other peer review assessment criteria, influence tourism publication. Finally, the main challenges relating to recognising originality in the peer review process are identified leading to recommendations for improvements to how originality is assessed

Tourism innovation policy: Implementation and outcomes

The paper opens the “black box” of tourism innovation policy implementation through an analysis of the Spanish Programme of Innovative Business Groups that foster innovation through hybrid top-down bottom-up collaboration embedded in clusters. The focus is on three main issues: process of policy implementation, types of innovation that emerged, and the outcomes and barriers. The findings show the contradictions of this hybrid model of implementation with mixed outcomes of successful collaborations and abandoned trajectories. The Programme has stimulated the ‘propensity’ to innovate resulting in different types of innovation but has revealed the existence of mutually-reinforcing barriers. Some suggestions for future improvements of tourism innovation policies are offered including the importance of polycentricity in effective policy formulation and implementation.The research paper has been supported by the Spanish National R&D&I Plan 2008-2011 (CSO2011-26396). The authors are grateful to the state owned company "Innovation Management and Tourism Technologies, SEGITTUR" for their generous support and data provision. Isabel Rodriguez thanks the University of Alicante who funded her visit to the University of Surrey, facilitating the author’s collaboration

Customer resistance to tourism innovations: entrepreneurs’ understanding and management strategies

Customer resistance is the greatest risk to innovation for the entrepreneur. The aim of this exploratory study is to provide insights into this underdeveloped area in the tourism innovation literature. A qualitative approach is adopted to understand the resistance experienced by 57 entrepreneurs when introducing their innovations into the market, the causes and the actions taken to minimise resistance. Findings indicate that most entrepreneurs often encounter resistance from sceptical customers, satisfied with their status quo and with no or low appetites for innovation. The analysis reveals two main sources of resistance: the association of the innovations with particular risks, and the customers' lack of understanding of the innovation value. Communication strategies are crucial to decrease the associated risks and for trust building. The paper provides a critical perspective on the challenges faced by innovators, challenges which are often overlooked given the near-iconic status of innovation in studies of economic development.This research has been supported by the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme [grant agreement 700893]

Opportunities to minimise the risks of innovation tourism

The innovation journey of tourism entrepreneurs: evidence from Spain and the UK and policy implications-INNOVATE is a research project that aims to deepen understanding of the different stages of the innovation journey followed by entrepreneurs in tourism to contribute to the design of more effective innovation policies. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement Nº 700893.This 2 year project included an analysis of the innovation pathways of 70 entrepreneurs (both successful and unsuccessful). Critical factors for success or failure were identified from the innovators’ narratives and were discussed with policymakers in Spain. The results of this discussion was the co-production of an online survey allowing the potential policy measures and issues to be discussed with a wider sample of innovative entrepreneurs. The survey was completed by 269 tourism innovators both in Spain and the UK. The policy recommendations included in this report are informed by the views of all the participants at different methodological stages.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement Nº 700893

Innovation, risk and uncertainty: a study of tourism entrepreneurs

Innovation is inherently associated with risk and uncertainty, and the engagement of entrepreneurs with these is central to the innovation process. Entrepreneurs are not passive actors but, through learning, they contribute to the dynamic capabilities of the firm across the innovation process. Drawing on 57 interviews with entrepreneurs in tourism SMEs in Spain and the UK, the paper identifies how risk and uncertainty are understood to change throughout the innovation process in the key areas of technology, finance, markets and organizations. It also examines how tourism entrepreneurs respond to risk and uncertainty through a range of strategies, especially the harvesting of knowledge and networking. However, engaging with uncertainty remains elusive and relies as much on intuition as on reasoning.This research has been supported by the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme [grant agreement 700893]

The innovation journey of new-to-tourism entrepreneurs

Presentation to 23rd Nordic Symposium on Tourism and Hospitality Research, Copenhagen Business School, 1-4 October 2014The role of entrepreneurs as innovators and agents of change in tourism is still a neglected topic within the emergent research agenda of tourism innovation studies. The process of innovation has often been referred to as a "black box" and the studies of tourism innovation have mainly focused attention on the input (knowledge, capital etc.) and output of the process (nature and types of innovation, impact on performance etc.). This paper focuses on the entrepreneur, the key actor in the innovation process which is conceived as different stages of a journey that begins from idea generation and ends with its implementation, with varying degrees of success or failure. Tourism researchers have demonstrated the considerable diversity amongst tourism entrepreneurs, but that research has focused more on their motivations and resources than their role in innovation. One especially neglected strand of entrepreneurship is those who are new-to-tourism. Consequently, this study has two aims. First, it explores the characteristics and motivations of a sample of mainly new- to- tourism entrepreneurs. What motivates these entrepreneurs to invest in tourism and what distinctive knowledge and experiences to they bring to tourism innovation?. It also emphasizes the relational nature of innovation, for innovation is not the outcome of heroic individualism, but is a social and interactive process involving individuals with diverse talents and skills. Second, the study also aims to understand the complexity of the innovation process or journey, the barriers encountered at different stages, and how these are overcome. The two-step research method is based on a sample of entrepreneurs participating in a public programme in Spain, the Emprendetur Programme, which provides subsidized loans to fund entrepreneurs with innovative tourism projects. First, the preliminary stop is to identify the entrepreneurs' professional profiles and careers, using business networks such as LinkedIn, with data being corroborated by the entrepreneurs themselves through Skype video interviews. Secondly, semi structured interviews will provide opportunities for the entrepreneurs to narrate the stories of their innovation journeys, and reconstruct the challenges encountered at each decisive stage, and how these were overcome. Innovation has become a policy mantra in recent years, but the process of implementation is populated by diverse groups of entrepreneurs who marshal varied resources in order to overcome a range of internal and external barriers. This study identifies key features of the distinctive non-linear innovation journeys of the enigmatic group of new-to-tourism entrepreneurs. These demonstrate not only the importance of their distinctive human capital, but also how this is valorized through complex interactions with other individuals and agencies with complementary resources, which collectively constitute an innovation ecosystem

Conducting Polymer Scaffolds Based on Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and Xanthan Gum for Live-Cell Monitoring.

Conducting polymer scaffolds can promote cell growth by electrical stimulation, which is advantageous for some specific type of cells such as neurons, muscle, or cardiac cells. As an additional feature, the measure of their impedance has been demonstrated as a tool to monitor cell growth within the scaffold. In this work, we present innovative conducting polymer porous scaffolds based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT):xanthan gum instead of the well-known PEDOT:polystyrene sulfonate scaffolds. These novel scaffolds combine the conductivity of PEDOT and the mechanical support and biocompatibility provided by a polysaccharide, xanthan gum. For this purpose, first, the oxidative chemical polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene was carried out in the presence of polysaccharides leading to stable PEDOT:xanthan gum aqueous dispersions. Then, by a simple freeze-drying process, porous scaffolds were prepared from these dispersions. Our results indicated that the porosity of the scaffolds and mechanical properties are tuned by the solid content and formulation of the initial PEDOT:polysaccharide dispersion. Scaffolds showed interconnected pore structure with tunable sizes ranging between 10 and 150 μm and Young's moduli between 10 and 45 kPa. These scaffolds successfully support three-dimensional cell cultures of MDCK II eGFP and MDCK II LifeAct epithelial cells, achieving good cell attachment with very high degree of pore coverage. Interestingly, by measuring the impedance of the synthesized PEDOT scaffolds, the growth of the cells could be monitored