'An Investigation into the Uptake and Benefit of Virtual Network Opportunities in the Small Business Tourism Sector.'

The networking philosophy is central to virtual (online) learning networks and has been given active support within an Irish tourism context by the Fáilte Ireland Tourism Learning Networks (TLN) initiative. While there is a growing interest in networks and partnerships to overcome learning barriers, relatively little work on networks has been published with a specific tourism focus (Morrison et al., 2004: 197). The research proposed is concerned with the role of learning and in sustaining member viability and so promoting social cohesion through virtual learning networks, to benefit the regional small tourism business economy of Ireland .

Network activity among independent businesses is an emerging approach to industrial competitiveness. According to Seung Ho (1996), change in orientation from competition to co-operation in inter-firm relationships has seen many enterprises pooling resources and seeking ways to collaborate in order to remain competitive. This has been particularly evident among smaller business operators due to their necessity to survive in an increasingly competitive environment. It has been identified in the literature that this kind of collaboration aids small businesses in pooling resources and building intellectual capital that mirrors that of larger organisations.

The researcher has identified a gap in the current body of knowledge in relation to the existence and facilitation of virtual learning networks. The Justification for this research comes from the necessity to optimise usage of the virtual components of the Tourism Learning Network in small tourism businesses in the south east/ south west region of Ireland . This optimisation can only be achieved through further analysis of participation levels and barriers in the adoption of the VLN. Therefore, a deeper understanding is required of the specifics of these tourism networks in order to ensure network sustainability via the VLN. This research aims to provide insight into the various elements related to the VLN as indicated in this projects proposal and by doing so; the researcher aims to provide a framework to allow the future effective existence of the tourism virtual learning network.

The methodology for this study was shaped by the need to investigate participant activity within a Virtual Learning Network and to establish the uptake and benefits associated with its adoption. In order to fulfil the requirements of the research proposed, a mixed method approach has been adopted.

This mixed methods approach will avoid information narrowness, by using multiple methods the researcher can meaningfully track participant perceptions and analyse interactive learning in the context of VLN’s.