Interrelationships Between Destination Planning and Development Strategies and Stakeholders' Support in Enhancing Oman's Tourism Industry
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Destination Competitiveness: Interrelationships Between Destination Planning and Development Strategies and Stakeholders' Support in Enhancing Oman's Tourism Industry Author Al-Masroori, Rashid Salim Published 2006 Thesis Type Thesis (PhD Doctorate) School Griffith Business School DOI https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/84 Copyright Statement The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365179 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au Destination Competitiveness: Interrelationships between destination planning and development strategies and stakeholders’ support in enhancing Oman’s tourism industry Rashid Salim Al-Masroori BA (Puget Sound University), MBA (Hull University) Submitted in fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Griffith Business School Department of International Business and Asian Studies Griffith University July 2006 i Table of Contents Abstract.........................................................................................................................v Statement of Originality............................................................................................vii List of Tables ............................................................................................................ viii List of Figures...............................................................................................................x Acknowledgements .....................................................................................................xi Chapter One – Introduction .......................................................................................1 1.1 Research Background ..........................................................................................2 1.2 Research Problem and Hypotheses......................................................................5 1.3 Objectives of the Study........................................................................................9 1.4 Theoretical Background.......................................................................................9 1.5 Research Methodology ......................................................................................11 1.5.1 Justification of triangulation methodology ................................................ 12 1.6 Key Findings and Contributions of the Research ..............................................13 1.7 Functional Definitions .......................................................................................16 1.8 Conclusion and Outline of Thesis......................................................................17 Chapter Two – Literature Review............................................................................19 2.1 Introduction........................................................................................................19 2.2 Part One – Tourism Background Literature.......................................................19 2.2.1 Tourism in perspective............................................................................... 19 2.2.2 Systematic approaches to tourism.............................................................. 21 2.2.3 Tourism planning and development concepts............................................ 26 2.3 Part Two – Theoretical Background of Tourism Theories ................................54 2.3.1 Social exchange theory .............................................................................. 55 2.3.2 Stakeholder theory ..................................................................................... 64 2.3.3 Competitiveness theories and concepts ..................................................... 67 2.3.4 Tourism destination competitiveness......................................................... 74 2.4 Part Three – Conceptual Framework and Hypotheses.......................................84 2.4.1 Community (place) attachment.................................................................. 84 2.4.2 Impacts of tourism development................................................................ 92 2.4.3 Stakeholders’ perceived power (community participation)..................... 111 2.4.4 Destination tourism resources and attractions ......................................... 127 2.5 Part Four – Tourism in Oman ..........................................................................135 2.5.1 Introduction.............................................................................................. 135 2.5.2 A brief history of Oman........................................................................... 137 2.5.3 Economic overview ................................................................................. 138 2.5.4 Tourism in Oman ..................................................................................... 140 2.5.5 Oman’s destination competitiveness........................................................ 152 2.5.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................... 160 ii Chapter Three – Methodology and Research Plan...............................................161 3.1 Introduction......................................................................................................161 3.2 Research Paradigms .........................................................................................161 3.2.1 Positivism................................................................................................. 164 3.2.2 Constructivism ......................................................................................... 165 3.2.3 Critical Theory......................................................................................... 166 3.2.4 Post-positivism......................................................................................... 167 3.3 Triangulation....................................................................................................168 3.4 Justification of the Research Methodology......................................................175 3.5 Research Methods Used in Tourism Research ................................................180 3.6 Research Design...............................................................................................182 3.6.1 Step three – quantitative method (survey) ............................................... 182 3.6.2 Step four – focus groups .......................................................................... 202 3.6.3 Validity and reliability as a quality assurance system ............................. 211 3.7 Methodology Limitations.................................................................................218 3.8 Ethical Considerations .....................................................................................219 3.9 Conclusion .......................................................................................................220 Chapter Four – Data Analysis and Results ...........................................................221 4.1 Introduction......................................................................................................221 4.2 Data Collection ................................................................................................221 4.3 Data Preparation...............................................................................................222 4.3.1 Data coding .............................................................................................. 222 4.3.2 Data cleaning and screening .................................................................... 223 4.3.3 Missing values ......................................................................................... 223 4.3.4 Outliers..................................................................................................... 225 4.4 Profile of respondents ......................................................................................226 4.4.1 Demographic Characteristics of Oman’s Tourism Stakeholders.............226 4.5 Descriptive Analysis of Measurement Scales..................................................230 4.5.1 Results of tourism development impacts ................................................. 230 4.5.2 Results of community attachment............................................................ 232 4.5.3 Results of stakeholders’ perceived power (community participation) .... 234 4.5.4 Results of preferences about tourism resources/attractions development 235 4.5.5 Results of support for tourism competitiveness strategies....................... 236 4.6 Measurement Model ........................................................................................239 4.6.1 Maximum likelihood estimation.............................................................. 240 4.6.2 Exploratory factor analysis for tourism development impacts ................ 242 4.6.3 Confirmatory factor analysis for tourism development impacts.............. 246 4.6.4 Exploratory factor analysis for community attachment........................... 253 4.6.5 Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for community attachment............. 254 4.6.6 Factor analysis for stakeholders’ perceived power (community participation)................................................................................................. 260 4.6.7 Confirmatory factor analysis for community participation ..................... 261 4.6.8 Factor analysis for preferences about tourism resources