Linda Piper’s research while affiliated with Nipissing University and other places

This paper examines business philosophies, sustainable practices, and attitudes towards eco-certification of pio-neering tourism operators engaged in ecotourism in the mature ‘sun and beach’ destination of Jamaica. We conducted a thematic analysis of the data collected from semi-structured interviews with managers and owners, and observations from on-site visits with establishments identified as ecotourism operators in Jamaica. We identified five distinct busi-ness philosophies that guided our participants' operations: presenting Jamaica in a holistic way, preserving the natural and cultural environment, community support, economic sustainability and incentivized preservation, and operational independence. The tourism operations in our study primarily engage in sustainable practices as a means of attaining operational independence. Meanwhile, participants held mixed attitudes towards eco-certification. There was signifi-cant overlap between our findings and the existing conceptual UNWTO framework for ecotourism. We found strong evidence for the role of education as the defining characteristic of ecotourism. Varying attitudes towards and awareness of sustainability and conservation of the country’s cultural and natural assets limit the amount of community consulta-tion in planning and development of these enterprises.

Most research on common book programs focuses on student outcomes. This paper presents a study about the impact of a common book program on teaching and learning practices at a small mainly undergraduate university. This study consists of two phases. In Phase 1, we surveyed faculty members (N= 32, a response rate of 21.3%), about the influence of the program on teaching practices and dialogue with colleagues as well as their perceptions of the program’s impact on student learning. In Phase 2, we conducted interviews with business faculty, who were early program adopters (N=8). Most respondents believed that students benefited from the program. Faculty members perceived the common book program as a tool that facilitated course content and enhanced students’ literacy. While responses were mixed about the perceived impact on teaching practices, faculty members interviewed felt that the common book program created opportunities for discussion about teaching and learning.

This article discusses the use of Common Book and Tablet programs in post-secondary business education. We highlight methods by which each program enhances information literacy and integrative learning. We demonstrate how these programs can enhance students' communication and collaboration skills and enhance employability. We discuss classroom activities that both a Common Book and a Tablet can be used for as well as ways in which the programs offer mutual reinforcement to provide additional benefits during implementation. The article concludes with a discussion of obstacles to implementing either a Common Book or a Tablet program and methods to overcome those obstacles.