Presentation done by Siew Wei Gan, during ENTER2015 PhD Workshop.

1. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 1
The Role of Personal Value in
Information Search Strategies for
Community-Based Tourism
Siew Wei Gan (Wendy)
The University of Nottingham, Malaysia
Wendy.Gan@nottingham.edu.my
http://www.nottingham.edu.my

2. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 2
Outline
• Background
• Research Problem
• Research Questions
• Significance
• Review of the Literature
• Gaps
• Framework
• Methodology
• Anticipated contribution

3. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 3
Background
• Mass tourism resulted in degeneration of social &
cultural heritage and negative environmental
impacts
• However, destinations are marketed globally as
expressions of culture, identity and locality –
Egypt, Cambodia, Rome
• New tourism: flexible, innovative, diagonal
integration, environmentally sound (Poon, 1993,
Buhalis & Connor, 2005)

4. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 4
Research Problem
Community-based tourism (CBT):
•3 Key elements: location, ownership and management
•Renewable economic, social and cultural benefits (Hall & Richards,
2000)
This research investigates the profile of tourists to CBT by
looking at:
Their personal values and
The information search strategies employed by them
In order to provide accurate, timely, relevant information
through the most suitable mediums to attract and retain
tourists to these destinations in a sustainable manner.

5. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 5
Community-Based Tourism in Malaysia
• Homestays -introduced in 1998 as a catalyst for
rural community development
• Development of Homestays - hampered by lack of
resources of promotion and communication

6. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 6
Research aims
• This research will study the role of personal values
on information search strategies and identify:
– The impact of personal values of tourists on their
information search strategies for community based tourism
products.
– The preferred information search strategies employed in
terms of channel and source
– Characteristics of online information search strategies
employed by these tourists
– Sufficiency of these online sources in meeting information
needs of CBT and improvements necessary to meet those
needs

7. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 7
Questions
• What is the impact of personal values on information search
strategies of tourists?
• What are the key personal values affecting information search
strategies of tourists selecting CBT products?
• What are the channels and sources consulted by them?
• In terms of online information search strategies, what are the
characteristics of the strategies employed?
• For online sources, how well do current websites/applications
meet information needs?
• Whether improvements are necessary, and what are the areas
of improvements which will increase its effectiveness?

8. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 8
Significance
• contribute to the knowledge on the role of personal
values on information search strategies, particularly
in relation to selection of community-based tourism.
• enable practitioners in marketing to strategise and
design appropriate marketing approaches which will
appeal to the specific customer base
• to enable relevant and timely information to be
disseminated to them via the appropriate channels
and from the most common sources accessed by
them.

9. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 9
Review of relevant literature

10. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 10
Information Search
• Information search strategy refers to the
combination of sources used by tourists in
planning for travel and their role in the
various stages of the planning process
(Hyde, 2007).
• Different models:
– Strategic: Snepenger et al. (1990)
– Contingency: Schul and Crompton (1983)
expanded by Fodness & Murray (1997)

11. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 11
Personal Value
Development:
•Lorr et al (1973) (structure of values)
•Rokeach (1973) Value Survey
•Kahle (1989) List of Values
•Schwartz and Bilsky’s (1987) Schwartz value
survey; 2001 Portrait Value Questionnaire

12. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 12
Structure of Values

13. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 13
Gaps
• Investigation of impact of personal values
not explored compared to other
antecedents (Fall, 2000, Kahle’s LOV)
• Information search strategies: One main
weakness - the confusion between all the
various sources and channels for searching
information.

14. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 14
Framework

15. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 15
Methodology
• Mixed method
• Interviews for instrument development
stage
• Questionnaire for main data collection
stage

16. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 16
Anticipated Contributions
• Contribution to literature on the impact of
personal values in information search strategy
and product characteristics, specifically for
community-based tourism.
• Develop a model which demonstrates these
relationships in the context of community based
tourism to show:
– Information search strategy
– The priority of values of tourists & impact on
information search behaviour and product

17. ENTER 2015 PhD Workshop Slide Number 17
Thank you for your attention.