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Abstract
Lee-Ross,
D. "Organisational
culture and cruise tourism - a 'short life' occupational
community," Hospitality
Review,
2004, 6:4, 46-53
This
paper introduces a cultural framework for identifying and understanding
the
attitudes and behaviour of hospitality workers on cruise ships. It
advocates
that an understanding of the phenomenon is the most effective way to
understand
and manage on-board hospitality workers. The overall proposition is
that cruise
hospitality workers may form themselves into an 'occupational
community'. This
cultural grouping is a managerial challenge as it is a distinct
organizational
phenomenon often running counter to official or 'espoused' cultures
assumed to
be present by managers and supervisors. The heterogeneity of
cruise-ship
workers, organizational structure, characteristics of cruise ships, and
working
conditions are all suggested as the key 'enablers' of on-board
occupational
communities.
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