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Bonding and Bridging Forms of Social Capital in Wildlife Tourism Microentrepreneurship: An Application of Social Network Analysis

Author

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  • Birendra KC

    (Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA)

  • Duarte B. Morais

    (Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
    Department of Geography, Environmental Management & Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2092, South Africa)

  • Erin Seekamp

    (Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA)

  • Jordan W. Smith

    (Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA)

  • M. Nils Peterson

    (Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA)

Abstract

Tourism has been recognized as an important economic sector, requiring a high degree of involvement from the entrepreneurial sector to diversify tourism products and services to meet increasing demand. Tourism is often considered a tool for economic development and a strategy to improve the livelihoods of rural citizens. Specifically, nature-based tourism, such as wildlife tourism, is growing faster than tourism in general, providing a myriad of opportunities for small-scale entrepreneurial engagement. However, several obstacles exist for these small-scale tourism enterprises, such as a lack of social capital. This study examined a network of wildlife tourism microentrepreneurs for bonding and bridging forms of social capital using a social network analysis approach, where bonding and bridging social capital have their own interpretation. Thirty-seven in-person interviews were conducted with wildlife tourism microentrepreneurs from North Carolina’s Pamlico Sound Region. The study revealed that microentrepreneurs interacted with each other in a bridging network structure. The ability to reciprocate with other members of the network was essential for business success. The results identified four key bridging ties connecting potential sub-groups in the network, connected to each other in a redundant fashion. We concluded that the formation of a bridging network structure was a function of entrepreneurial phenomena that may not promote a highly trusted, well-connected network. The findings and implications are further discussed in the paper.

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  • Birendra KC & Duarte B. Morais & Erin Seekamp & Jordan W. Smith & M. Nils Peterson, 2018. "Bonding and Bridging Forms of Social Capital in Wildlife Tourism Microentrepreneurship: An Application of Social Network Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-17, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:2:p:315-:d:128834
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    References listed on IDEAS

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