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International Tourism OrganizationsHenryk Handszuh
Katowice School of Economics (GWSH)Plenipotentiary,
International Documentation and Research Centre on Industrial
Heritage for TourismMadrid Zabrze
Fmr. Director, Market DepartmentWorld Tourism Organization
UNWTO, Madrid
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Part I. Theory of organizationsOrganizations as a vehicle of
cooperationRoles of organizationsEffectiveness of
organizationsStrategies of organizationsQuality and capacity
assesment
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Organizations as a vehicle of cooperationCooperation, also
called collaboration, is working and doing things together, by
independent subjects, whereas it implies on their part:
An aptitude of creating links with othersAn ability (capacity)
of working within a group with a view to reaching common
objectivesAn ability (capacity) of team work with a view to
executing tasksAn ability (capacities) to jointly solve
problems
On individual level these capacities to cooperate are considered
to be among emotional competences of people
This capacity is also considered to belong to social
competencies which determine the quality of relations with other
people
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What makes up social competencesSocial competences make up
social capital
It implies a social structure: consists of networks of common
understanding and trust, shared knowledge and norms of behaviour,
language, practice
Without trust and comprehension, cooperation and exchanges in
the market cannot take place
In companies and organizations, without social knowledge and
norms, the staff and the employees wouldnt be able to cooperate and
produce together
In the economy and the state the social capital makes possible
the functioning of the industrial capital
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Cooperation and collaborationCooperation and collaborationare
responsible for creating internal (personal) links among members of
the group (representing specific interests)are responsible for
developing a respective identity as the team and the whole
This makes it possible the constancy and efficient functioning
of the team or system with a view to attaining common goals of its
members
The effectiveness of cooperation depends on the quality of
social capital (mutual trust) within the organization or community
(including international community)
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Actors and beneficiaries of cooperation within international
organizations in the field of tourismStates/state bodies/central
administration
Local administration
Public institutions
Companies/chambers of commerce
Consumers/consumer advocates
Trade unions/staff
Civil society organizations
Consultants/experts, research institutes, academic
institutions
Media
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Objectives of cooperation (or competition) through international
organizationsExchange of information and experience
Creating favourable climate for an activity (lobby)
Joint representation
Activities in favour of common interests (political, economic,
social, cultural, professional)
Joint undertakings (actions, campaigns, activities)
Solution of problems
Research
Elaboration of common codes, standards and norms
Elaboration and execution of legally binding norms
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The need of cooperation in tourism to overcome barriersBarriers
of supply (production, distribution.) affecting the commercial
sector
Barriers of resourcesMaterial and intangible components of the
product and energy
Human capital (skills)
Financial (benefits and credit)
Management-related
Formal/administrative (regulations)
Territory- and distance-related (technological)Barriers of
consumption
Financial (disposable income)
External environment, physical and social (e.g. people with
disabilities, age- and gender-related)
Formal/administrative (regulations)
Consumer mind-related (cultural, educational)
Including territory- and distance related
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Main areas of international cooperation in tourism through
international organizationswith respect to
vulnerabilitiesCooperation regarding consumers
Mobility (freedom to travel)
Consumer economic rights
Group interests
The young
People with disabilities
The poor
Social tourism
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with respect to vulnerabilities (2)Aiming at the
reduction/elimination of negative effects of tourism activities
(production and consumption)
Social effects
Natural environmental effects
Cooperation for development
Economically underdeveloped and poor regions
Least developed countries (LDCs)
Promoting desirable (sustainable) investments
Investments in general (foreign direct investment)
Protection of minorities
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International cooperation takes place in the framework of
different forms of organizationsWhat is an organization?
Elements/requirements of organization
Members
Objectives or aims
Structures/organs including secretariat (staff)
Procedures
ResourcesA common error consists in identifying an organization
with its executive staff/secretariat
Such a belief or attitude is used as an excuse by members not to
assume their own responsibility
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Legal and fiscal status of international organizations (three
types of organizations)Legal status is determined by the form of
creating the organization, which further determines mutual members
relations and those relating to the country of headquarters
1. Intergovernmental organizations are established by means of
an international agreement concluded between States, which is
normally subject to ratification (national parliament,
president)The original Statutes are normally deposited in the
ministry of foreign affairs of the country of headquartersThe
budget is financed by members contributions (taxpayer
money)External audit of the organizations finance is exercised by
elected Members representatives (auditors)Executive secretariat
staff enjoys diplomatic status accorded by the country of
headquartersNational representatives to the organization are often
also diplomats (e.g. national ambassadors to the country of
origin)The organization (secretariat, staff) is exempted from taxes
in the country of headquarters (VAT, PIT)
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Legal and fiscal status of international organizations (2)2.
Non-governmental organizations are established on the basis of the
national law of the country of headquartersRegistration in the
ministry of interior
Are exempt from taxes if non-profit (does not concern staff)
The budget is financed by members contributions; civil society
organizations also by donatives
3. Economic organizations (companies, corporations) are
inscribed in the national register on the basis of the public
commercial law The pay taxes (or otherwise they enjoy tax
exemptions on the case-by-case basis)
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Members participation in the activities of an organization
comparisons between economic and non- economic (non-profit)
organizationsIntergovernmental, Non-profitInterests of members and
executive staff
Political interest groups
Seeking the greatest common factor
Distance from members staff and its stability/continuity
Participation of members and (their) experts in formulating
strategies and work programmes
Using the organization for political (PR) purposes in member
countriesEconomicInterests of shareholders (owners) and board of
directors
Controlling block of shares
Brand product, new products
Relations between headquarters and affiliates
Relations between the owners, management and brand
corporation
Product satisfies personal ambitions and interests of owners
(profit, prestige, image, social recognition in the sector
concerned and position on the marketplace)
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Quality and effectiveness of organizationsHow to measure it?
The degree of meeting the needs of members and actual impact on
the reality (state of the matter)
An organization is not a simple summary of all its members and
the secretariat (machinery), but an expected value-added synergy as
a result of collaboration
An organization needs to create its own product and a new
value
An economic organization needs to generate a positive financial
output (perhaps also CSR effects for a good image and/or long-term
sustainability)
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Factors determining the quality and effectiveness of an
(international organizations)Management/leadership politically
effective, substantially knowledgeable and politically
engagedTactful and tactic management/leadershipManagement
respecting the statutes and regulations
Organization of work distribution of tasks among executive
staff, reasonable distribution of duties among staff
Quality of work (competence, skill, empowerment and engagement)
of:Collaborating national structures and staffThe secretariat
staff
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Factors determining the quality and effectiveness of an
(international organizations) (2)The degree of political engagement
of members
Existence of informed and continuously verified and monitored
strategies of organizations and the identification of measures to
these effects
(Secretariat) Transparency allowing members and external/civil
society control and monitoringUp-to-date substantial information on
the internetAccess to and timeliness of (working)
documentsEstablished, publicly-known and monitored procedures of
decision takingAccountability on statements & deliverables
(including by management)
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Management in international organizationsOrganizations are
perceived in relation to the personality/charisma of their
leadership (e.g. secretary-general)
(internal, external) Political criteria (political power)
prevail over competence criteria in selecting persons to leadership
positions
Political drops-off, second-rank and career officials prevail in
a selection process in intergovernmental organizationsPoliticians
prefer careers at national level
National procedures to select a competent candidate are
lacking
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Management in international organizations (2)Mainstream media,
as a rule, do not keep track of nor pay attention to the leaders of
international organizations (including tourism organizations),
nevertheless the leaders (and their respective organizations) are
recognized and considered by the professional media on an ad hoc
basis
The situation may change once the organization acquires more
importance and competence in point in matters affecting media
perceptions and awareness of citizens/consumers (example:
International Monetary Fund)
The situation is similar to that of international corporations
their CEOs are hardly known to the public at large (although their
names are not secret)
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Strategies of organizations from the secretariat
perspectiveAlliances with other organizations
Investment in the quality of their own staff
Dialogue/close contact/continuous consultation with members
Optimum use of resources (human, financial, members
expertise)
Co-responsibility
De-centralization of tasks
Centralization in the process of decision taking
Competing with other organizations
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Strategies, tactics and practices of the secretariat not always
praiseworthy(with ignorant, indifferent, complacent
members)Wait-and-see (no reaction)
Media noise over trifle
Non-engagement (not to antagonize the powerful, sponsors or
individual members)
Forward flight (abandoning unsolved issues/no follow-up and
picking up new fashionable items)
Celebrating the inner circle
Private niche
Appropriation of the organization
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Strategies of international organizations form the members
perspectiveThe founding principle: organizations are called into
being in response to real (perceived) needs whose satisfaction
requires international cooperation
Their creation is an expression of political will of initiators
and implies power sharing
It could also be a way to obtain recognition and dominance
position of the initiator of cooperation and organization
Quite often the creation of an organization is used as an
institutional platform or formula of an organized debate or
negotiations. Organizations get off the train at the stop of
organizing conferences and exchange of experience
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Strategies of international organizations form the members
perspective (2)Lack of progress encourages to convene new parallel
institutions (substitutes) and regroup (e.g. G20 in addition to
UNO)
Intergovernmental organizations not necessarily engage
governments
The most effective method of engaging states through their
governments is getting in place an international legally binding
document (e.g. convention) of which the organization is
caretaker
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Audit and evaluation. Formal quality assuranceAuditing bodies to
be found in the structures of the organization and its
machinerySome organizations have enacted their own ethical codes
(e.g. ISO)Internal control
External control second and third party
Non-economic organizations should be subject to auditing in the
first place
Economic organizations (companies, corporations) are verified in
the marketplace
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Audit and evaluation. Formal quality assurance (2)Typical
measures of success (of some organizations)
Number of membersNumber of conference participantsConsideration
by governments
Conflicts between the interests of the organization and the
corporate interest of the machinery
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Audit and evaluation. Formal quality assurance (3)Each
organization in particular an international one should be evaluated
by a third party, including by quality assurance schemes (e.g. ISO
9001:2010). Another method is to go by Capacity Assessment
Nevertheless, intergovernmental organizations less readily
render to evaluation
Blurring of interests, interests overlapping between members of
the secretariats and members representatives
Barriers of political criteria, requirements of political
correctness
Confidentiality and secret (oath) to be observed by the staff
members
Staff privileges, exemption of diplomatic staff from national
jurisdiction
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Various methods of capacity assessmentSWOT analysisInternal
factors - current, subjective(s) strengths; (w) weaknessesExternal
factors: future, objective(o) opportunities; (t) threats
Techniques from the private sectorE.g. Five s (Toyota)
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Five-step Toyota system(kaizen as a road to quality)Sort/Set in
order: Sort out unneeded items
Straighten up: Have a place for everything
Shine: Keep the area clean Standardize: Create rules and
standard operating procedures Sustain: Maintain the system and
continue to improve it Five times S
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An audit system of the United Nations and its specialized
agenciesHeadquarters of the United Nations Joint Inspection
Unit
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An audit system of the United Nations and its specialized
agenciesCarried out by the Joint Inspection Unit headquartered in
Geneva (United Nations European Office and UNCTAD)
the only independent external oversight body of the United
Nations system mandated to conduct evaluations, inspections and
investigations system-wide
The latest report: (Review of the Strategic planning in the
United Nations System -(JIU/REP/2012/12)
First UNWTO report published in 2009
(https://www.unjiu.org/en/reports-notes/JIU%20Products/JIU_REP_2009_1_English.pdf)
The media hardly pay attention to the JIU reporting
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End of Part 1 (ITO)
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