Organisational culture and effectiveness in ecotourism: the case of World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms Australia (WWOOF Australia)

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the dynamic between organisational culture and effectiveness within World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) Australia as a case study in ecotourism. It extends current understanding of the intricate relationships among key stakeholders within ecotourism. Taking the interpretivist approach where reality is a composite of multiple perspectives, qualitative data was collected from a sample of 22 key stakeholders in WWOOF Australia through semi-structured interviews. The results indicate that WWOOF Australia operates using a clan culture and that this cultural typology generates efficacious outcomes for all stakeholders to differing degrees while simultaneously enabling environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive operations. The study findings make theoretical contributions to better understand the complex dynamics of relationships between key stakeholders in a non-traditional organisational culture, and practical implications for the successful operation of ecotourism.