The study of satisfaction and dissatisfaction on long-haul tours leads to a
methodological appraisal regarding the strengths of a phenomenological,
qualitative research approach and, in particular, the technique of participant
observation. This is contrasted with the potential limitations of a positivist
quantitative approach centred on customer service questionnaires (CSQs). The
participant observation is illustrated with reference to a case study of
tourists on a long-haul tour to Malaysia and Singapore from Britain.
Glynn, W. J.
and
Barnes, J. G.
(1995) ‘Understanding Services
Management’,
John Wiley and Sons, Chichester
.
2.
Oliver, R. L.
and
Swan J. E.
(1989)
‘Consumer Perceptions of Interpersonal Equity and Satisfaction in
Transactions: A Field Survey Approach’
, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 53, April,
pp.
21-35
.
3.
Iacobucci, D.
,
Grayson, K. A.
and
Ostrom, A. L.
(1994) ‘The Calculus of Service Quality and
Customer Satisfaction’, in
Swartz, T. A.
,
Bowen, D. E.
and
Brown, S. W.
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and Practice’. Vol. 3,
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, pp. 1-67.
4.
Ibid.
5.
Zeithaml, V. A.
and
Bitner, M. J.
(2000) ‘Services Marketing’,
McGraw-Hill, London
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6.
Folkes et al., ref. 2 above.
7.
Hussey, J.
and
Hussey R.
(1997) ‘Business Research’,
Macmillan, London
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8.
Johnson, J. M.
(1975) ‘Doing Field Research’,
Free Press, London
, p. 7.
9.
Agar, M. H.
(1986) ‘Speaking of Ethnography’,
Sage Publications, Beverley Hills, CA
, pp. 70-71.
10.
Ryan, C.
(1995)
‘Learning about Tourists from Conversations: The Over 55s in Majorca’
, Tourism Management, Vol. 16, No. 3, p.
24
.
11.
Johnson, ref. 8 above.
12.
Hammersley, M.
and
Atkinson, P.
(1983) ‘Ethnography — Principles in
Practice’,
Tavistock Publications, London
, p. 12.
13.
Strauss, A.
and
Corbin, J.
(1990) ‘Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded
Theory Procedures and Techniques’,
Sage Publications, London
, p.17.
14.
Ibid., p. 18.
15.
Ryan, C.
(1995) ‘Researching Tourist
Satisfaction’,
Routledge, London
, p. 126.
16.
Godfrey, K.
and
Clarke, J.
(2000) ‘The Tourism Development
Handbook’,
Cassell, London
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Silverman, D.
(1993) ‘Interpreting Qualitative Data —
Methods for Analysing Talk, Text and Interaction’,
Sage Publications, London
, p. 2.
18.
Gummesson, E.
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Research’,
Sage Publications, London
.
19.
Hammersley, M.
(1992) ‘What’s Wrong with Ethnography?
— Methodological Explorations’,
Routledge, London
.
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Jorgensen, D. L.
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Human Studies’,
Sage Publications, London
, p. 12.
21.
Yin, R. K.
(1994) ‘Case Study Research - Design and
Methods’,
Sage Publications, London
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Gummesson, ref. 18 above.
23.
Gold, R. L.
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Observations’, in McCall, G. J. and Simmons, J. L.,
‘Issues in Participant Observation’,
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Van Raaij, F. W.
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Francken, D. A.
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Jorgensen, ref. 20 above.
26.
Goffmann, E.
(1959) ‘The Presentation of Self in Everyday
Life’,
Doubleday, Garden City, NY.
27.
Gold, ref. 23 above.
28.
Jorgensen, ref. 20 above.
29.
Geertz, C.
(1993) ‘The Interpretation of Cultures —
Selected Essays’,
Fontana, London
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30.
Geertz, C.
(1987) ‘Works and Lives — The
Anthropologist as Author’,
Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA.
31.
Oppenheim, A. N.
(1966) ‘Questionnaire Design and Attitude
Measurement’,
Heinemann, London
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32.
Moser, C. A.
and
Kalton, G.
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Gower Publishing, Aldershot
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33.
Saleh, F.
and
Ryan, C.
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, Tourism Management, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp.
163-168
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34.
Hammersley and Atkinson, ref. 12 above.
35.
Wolcott, H. F.
(1994) ‘Transforming Qualitative Data —
Description, Analysis and Interpretation’,
Sage Publications, London
.
36.
Arnould, E. J.
and
Price, L. L.
(1993)
‘River Magic: Extraordinary Experience and the Extended Service Encounter’
, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 20, No.
1, pp.
24-45
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37.
Bramwell, B.
(1998)
‘Place Marketing and Social and Environmental Issues’
, Journal of Vacation Marketing, Vol. 4, No.
3, pp.
212-214
.
38.
Brent, R. J. R.
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State-of-the-Art in Tourism Marketing/Marketing Research’
, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, Vol. 5,
No. 4, pp.
49-84
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39.
Jorgensen, ref. 20 above.
40.
Dalton, M.
(1959) ‘Men Who Manage’,
John Wiley, London
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41.
Johnson, ref. 8 above, p. 142.
42.
Burgess, R. G.
(1984) ‘In the Field — An Introduction to
Field Research’,
Unwin Hyman, London
, pp. 167-174.
43.
Strauss and Corbin, ref. 13 above.
44.
Van Maanen, J.
(1988) ‘Tales of the Field — On Writing
Ethnography’,
University of Chicago Press, Chicago
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