Redai dili (Apr 2024)
Formation Mechanism of Organizational Resilience of Small Tourism Enterprises in Scenic Areas under the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of the Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village
Abstract
Small tourism enterprises are pivotal in the development and evolution of the spatial dynamics of scenic tourism and are the principal contributors to tourism services and experiences. They constitute a tangible base and medium for developing tourism in scenic areas. However, amidst the challenges of the tourism crisis and disaster management, there is a noticeable deficiency in the theoretical focus and case study analysis concerning small tourism enterprises. This study delves into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry and its associated sectors. It emphasizes small tourism enterprises in the Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village scenic region, drawing from case observations and field research alongside comprehensive interviews to gather authentic data. This study utilizes the proceduralized grounded theory to elucidate the inherent principles and mechanisms behind the organizational resilience of small tourism enterprises facing the pandemic's impacts. Additionally, it pinpoints the critical elements influencing the development of organizational resilience in these enterprises. The findings reveal the following: 1) The interplay between organizational capabilities and influential factors collectively elucidates the genesis and robustness of organizational resilience among small tourism enterprises in scenic areas, with resilience emerging and intensifying through the synergistic influence of internal and external organizational elements. 2) Organizational capabilities represent the intrinsic rationale and conceptual framework underlying the development of organizational resilience in small tourism enterprises. Such resilient organizations exhibit fundamental abilities such as environmental observation, impact forecasting, crisis response, and reflective learning. In essence, small tourism enterprises adapt by monitoring and recognizing shifts in the external milieu, predicting the duration and ramifications of the pandemic, and crafting proactive strategies in response to pandemic-induced challenges based on external changes and internal shortcomings. Throughout the pandemic, new insights were assimilated into the operational and developmental strategies of small tourism enterprises through ongoing reflection, summarization, and learning. Prompt adaptations in business approaches contributed significantly to cultivating and reinforcing organizational resilience. 3) Initial resources, social capital, and support initiatives foster organizational resilience among small tourism enterprises in scenic locales. These components are crucial for ensuring organizational survival, enhancing resilience potential, and sculpting organizational resilience. Specifically, foundational resources such as property ownership, operator expertise and skills, and surplus funds are vital for building organizational resilience during a pandemic. Concurrently, the relational networks between small tourism enterprises and their stakeholders, alongside social capital stemming from operators' power dynamics and identity within the tourism context, markedly strengthen organizational resilience. Furthermore, tourism relief policies and interventions that modify tourist influx and business sustainability within scenic areas play a pivotal role in enhancing the resilience of small tourism enterprises. This study broadens the theoretical understanding based on case studies of organizational resilience in small tourism enterprises amid the pandemic. It offers theoretical insights and practical guidance for the ongoing management and adaptive regulation of these enterprises during tourism-related crises and disaster management scenarios.
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