Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the information flows, in terms of content and process, underpinning the sharing of knowledge by managers and owners. Such an examination reveals similarities and differences that will influence the generation and dissemination of knowledge used in tourism business operations and contribute to innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines information flows within the theoretical and methodological framework of social network analysis. The findings were derived from a quantitative study of tourism managers and owners of a tourism hub in South-West England.

Findings

The main finding was that network structure characteristics determine the flow of information within owners’ and managers’ social networks. The owners of smaller businesses received information from several sources and, therefore, had fewer structural constraints and reported larger structural holes. In comparison, the managers had more brokerage opportunities to disseminate the information within their social networks.

Research limitations/implications

This paper highlights knowledge sharing between tourism business managers and owners in an open network structure. First, an open network structure builds innovation through the provision of nonredundant information. This is determined through the effective size of structural holes and the dissemination of information through brokerage roles. Second, the knowledge capability of a destination is built up through the social networking of managers and owners. The generation and dissemination of knowledge in a tourism destination are facilitated by the social networking activities of managers and owners.

Practical implications

Managers and owners of tourism businesses require knowledge through information to assist with innovative business practices. The practical implication of this is that the social networks of managers and owners have different network characteristics, and that these differences result in consequences for the innovation of business practices. Another practical implication relates to the importance of managers in knowledge dissemination based on having several brokerage roles in the tourism destination.

Originality/value

These findings are important because an understanding of social networks and the flow of information is one of the keys to determining the influences on knowledge sharing within tourism destination knowledge networks of owners or managers and their potential contributions to innovation.

中文翻译：

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旅游企业开放网络中的知识共享和创新

目的

本文的目的是从内容和过程的角度研究支撑管理者和所有者知识共享的信息流。这样的检查揭示了相似性和差异性，这些相似性和差异将影响旅游业务运营中使用的知识的生成和传播并有助于创新。

设计/方法论/途径

本文研究了社交网络分析的理论和方法框架内的信息流。研究结果来自对英格兰西南部旅游中心的旅游管理者和所有者的定量研究。

发现

主要发现是网络结构特征决定了所有者和管理者的社交网络内的信息流动。小型企业的所有者从多个来源获得信息，因此结构性约束较少，报告的结构性漏洞也较大。相比之下，经理人有更多的经纪机会在其社交网络中传播信息。

研究局限性/影响

本文强调了开放网络结构中旅游企业管理者和所有者之间的知识共享。首先，开放的网络结构通过提供非冗余信息来构建创新。这是通过结构漏洞的有效规模和通过经纪角色传播信息来确定的。其次，目的地的知识能力是通过管理者和业主的社交网络建立的。管理者和所有者的社交网络活动促进了旅游目的地知识的产生和传播。

实际影响

旅游企业的管理者和所有者需要通过信息获得知识来协助创新的商业实践。其实际意义在于，管理者和所有者的社交网络具有不同的网络特征，而这些差异会对商业实践的创新产生影响。另一个实际意义涉及管理者在旅游目的地担任多个经纪角色的知识传播的重要性。

原创性/价值

这些发现很重要，因为对社交网络和信息流的理解是确定对所有者或管理者的旅游目的地知识网络内知识共享的影响及其对创新的潜在贡献的关键之一。