Non-collaborative behaviour of accommodation businesses in the associational tourism economy

Abstract

Grounded in social exchange theory (SET) this paper presents research on non-collaborative behaviour among accommodation businesses within their spatial context. The study adopts semi-structured interviews of 14 co-located accommodation businesses in Christchurch, New Zealand. The findings reveal three categories of non-collaborative factors that influence business behaviour, namely (1) resource-based factors which include temporal, financial, and knowledge-related factors; (2) socio-cultural factors such as personal, cultural, and professional divergence; and (3) value-based factors denoting the absence of perceived business value in working with others or emanating from formed relationships with other businesses. An important implication is that hospitality businesses should value potential and existing collaboration opportunities that can address their business needs. Industry associations and governments must acknowledge the peculiarities of hospitality businesses with respect to collaborative behaviour in their decision making and policy settings. The study also underlines the multicultural nature of accommodation business owners in New Zealand. A limited understanding of this fact hinders effective collaboration between businesses, government, and communities.