Exploring Organizational Culture Dimensions in a Lake-Based Eco-Tourism Resort

Abstract

Ecotourism has been identified as one of the main
attractions in the promotion of tourism in Malaysia. Despite
having a number of breath-taking lakes, most of the well known
ecotourism resorts are located in coastal-based areas. Less
attention is given to the lake-based ecotourism resorts, causing
concern about the neglect of management issues which have led
to a low occupancy rate. Meanwhile, scholars believe that
organizational culture is an important factor in effective
management. However, there is a lack of studies on the
management of resorts, especially concerning organizational
culture. The aim of this paper is to explore the organizational
culture of ecotourism resorts in an ecotourism area; Tasik
Kenyir. Questionnaires were distributed to resort employees who
have agreed to participate in the survey, yielding a 77% response
rate. The data was analysed using factor analysis. Four factors
have emerged as constructs of organizational values and another
five factors emerged for organizational practice. The results
provide an understanding of the organizational culture that is
available in resorts in the ecotourism industry.