All That Jazz: destination management through networks

What is it about?

This article examines the organising patterns of a multi-centred network, which has no single firm assuming overall leadership. It analyses how interdependent collective action plays an important role in the organising activities, and the article describes how these collective action groups are configured and how that structural configuration influences the complementary and reciprocal information transfers needed to create tacit knowledge. These activities are illustrated through reference to the metaphor of jazz, which demonstrates how these networks are organised through a process of improvisation. This gives insights into the seemingly unplanned activities that characterise the networked economy. The structural arrangement of networks, with nodes and interconnections, allows multiple opportunities for strategic capacity building via harmonic rhythms within the architectural configuration. With the network being ‘in the groove’ through a portfolio of interconnected ties, this structural optimisation leads to the development of value chain capabilities that contribute to the enrichment of strategic networked communities.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

The case data is sourced from a icon tourism destination in New Zealand, the Waitomo Caves., and the Glow-worm Cave has been a major tourism attraction for more than 100 years,. This case data uses 100 years of development and growth through its two main market segments: historically Waitomo has been a single-attraction destination site with a heavy dependence on the daytrip coach market, and the 1980s saw the emergence of the free and independent travel (FIT) by the youth market seeking adventure. The paper examines how these two markets intersect to attend to being 'in the groove'.