Tour guides’ self-efficacy and resilience capability building through sharing economy platforms

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to explore how the local tour guides (LTGs) operate through the sharing economy platform. This study explores how LTGs have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions using self-efficacy and other resources to improve resilience and performance. This study also delineates the working mechanisms of peer-to-peer (P2P) platform-enabled, dynamic capability building processes, in the tourism sharing economy. Design/methodology/approach This research adopted an interpretive approach to understand the focal phenomenon using two types of data. A total of 40 semi-structured interviews with LTGs and 26,478 online tourist reviews from tour guide service participants’ before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were used. Findings The findings of this study revealed that LTGs used sharing economy platforms to arrange flexible tour guide services. Resilience emerged through dynamic capability that addressed contextual factors in real time. LTGs coordinated different resources and customers during a time of uncertainty. Different sources of self-efficacy and types of dynamic capability were identified. The interplay between LTGs’ self-efficacy and dynamic capability was also delineated. Practical implications The findings provide guidance for LTGs on P2P platforms and other sharing economy sectors on how diverse resources enabled by the sharing economy can enhance resilience during times of uncertainty. LTGs that engage with contextual information and are dynamic can adopt itineraries and services that will benefit tourists and their business. Originality/value This study contributes to the sharing economy literature by theorizing the working flow that enables LTGs to exert self-efficacy and leverage dynamic capability on P2P platforms. This study also contributes by linking resilience to contextual factors in real time. The outcomes provide guidance for LTGs to remain competitive and establish resilience in uncertain environments.

Ride-sharing customers’ self-protection motivation in the post-COVID-19 world

“…In the transportation industry, especially in the ride-sharing industry, studies investigated the impact of pandemic on taxi usage (Nian et al, 2020), ride-sharing drivers' labor supply behavior (Wang et al, 2022) and customers' intention to adopt ridesharing services (Zhang and Liu, 2022). In the tourism sharing economy sector, such as P2P accommodation, scholars also investigated local tour guides' resilience during pandemic (Shang et al, 2023). These and other similar studies confirm that fear of COVID-19 changed individuals' motivation or behavior.…”

Guest editorial: The sharing economy in a post-pandemic world

“…Shang et al (2023) considered how local tour guides operate via a sharing economy platform. They explored how these guides have responded to pandemic restrictions using self-efficacy and other resources to improve resilience and performance.…”

“…This model tracked changes in the perceived value of P2P accommodation before and after COVID-19; consumers' perceptions of environmental health, service and physical risks increased. Shang et al (2023) considered how local tour guides operate via a sharing economy platform. They explored how these guides have responded to pandemic restrictions using self-efficacy and other resources to improve resilience and performance.…”

Examining the impacts of emotional intelligence on tour guide citizenship performance

“…Incongruent interests and the needs of the involved parties can evoke different forms of negative emotions, also exposing TGs to the stressful effects of role conflict and job burnout (Akgunduz and Eser, 2022; Yetgin and Benligiray, 2019). Such a work environment compels TGs to confront unique challenges and at times, threatens their work commitments (Gültekin and Icigen, 2019; Shang et al , 2023). Therefore, successful citizenship performance is deemed to have a strong association with the enhanced emotional skills of TGs.…”

“…Studies suggest that tourism contexts contain intense social interactions between different parties involved in the destination experience, resulting in their exposure to varied forms of emotion (Miao et al , 2021; Yetgin and Benligiray, 2019). For instance, the tourist's consumption of experience is seen to be largely motivated by the expected emotional benefits (Tsaur and Ku, 2019), requiring service providers, such as tour guides (TGs), to convey the affective component of tourism through their own involvement and emotional skills (Prentice, 2020; Shang et al , 2023). In this respect, TGs are considered key representatives, often mediating cultural interactions and understanding between the local communities and the tourists in the processes of itinerary implementation (Doyle and Kelliher, 2023).…”