Effects of network relations on destination development and business results

doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104402

Tourism Management

Volume 88, February 2022, 104402

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104402 Get rights and content

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Abstract

Taking a firm perspective, this study investigates cooperation in a destination network in a mountain village in Norway. 51 organizations participated in a survey, indicating their main cooperation partners and assessing the value of each cooperation in terms of ten intermediary benefits (increased sales, reduced costs, etc.) and two ultimate outcomes (business results, destination development). Firms perceived a cooperation to contribute to business results if the cooperation had led to increased sales or made the firm more resilient to market fluctuations. Firms perceived a cooperation to contribute to destination development if the cooperation had led to new knowledge, improved customer satisfaction, and hat not simply helped improve operations. The findings demonstrate the interconnectedness of intermediate and ultimate relationship outcomes on firm and destination level. The study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of network relations, relevant to the literature on relational benefits and destination development.

Keywords

Business relationships

Relational benefits

Destination development

Multiplex network

Social relations model

Cited by (0)

Ingunn Elvekrok is head of department of Marketing at Kristiania University College and adjunct professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway. Her main research interests are organization and management of various forms of innovation, change and development, often in a tourism context. She has published in journals such as Journal of Travel Research and Regional Studies. She teaches and supervise in organization and strategic management.

Nina Veflen is professor of marketing and innovation management at BI Norwegian Business School. Her main research areas are consumer behavior in relation to fast moving consumer goods, design thinking and innovation in networks. She has published more than 40 scientific publications in international peer-reviewed articles, written book chapters and delivered teaching and supervision at both bachelor, master, PhD, and executive level. She is frequently used as a reviewer for international journals of business, food science and marketing.

Joachim Scholderer is professor of entrepreneurship and innovation at NMBU, Norway and adjunct professor at University of Zurich, Switzerland. Previously he was research director at University of Zurich, professor of marketing research and head of the Quant group at Aarhus University, Denmark. His field of interest includes innovation management, digital business transformation, data science and business analytics, and sustainable business strategy. Joachim has been active as an external consultant to large international companies such as Unilever, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Telekom, Political bodies such as the Nordic Council of Ministers, and civil society organizations such as BEUC.

Bjarne Taulo Sørensen is assistant professor at Dania academy, Denmark. Previously he was assistant professor at Department of Economics and Business Economics and MAPP – Centre for research on customer relations in the food sector and connected to the QUANTS Group, at Aarhus University. His research and teaching are linked to quantitative research methodology.