An empirical study on the impact of the social interaction of farm-owners and student- interns on the development and sustainability of farm tourism in the Bicol Region, Philippines: A test of social exchange theory

• Main Author: Bagadion, Anne Marie Fordelon
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2021
• Subjects: Sustainable tourism > Philippines; Garden tours > Philippines; Internship programs > Philippines; Business Administration, Management, and Operations; Tourism and Travel
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdd_dsi/4; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdd_dsi/article/1003/viewcontent/bagadion_Redacted.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

This research examined the impact of the social interaction among actors (e.g., farm owners/managers and tertiary student interns) on farm tourism operations. This thesis utilized social exchange theory (SET) as a theoretical framework to determine whether significant relationships exist between actors’ demographic variables and level of power/influence trust, control, learning, and reciprocity in the interaction between the actors during students’ internship on farms farm tourism development and sustainability. Using a convergent parallel mixed-method research design, this study combined interview and survey as data collection methods. The qualitative method of inquiry compared existing farm tourism owners/managers’ experience through personal interviews, while the quantitative approach made use of a survey to determine patterns among Higher Education Institution administrators/students, and farm owners’ social interaction while undergoing internship in farm tourism sites to determine causal relationships between the constructs. Responses to the survey were analyzed through covariance based-structural equation model (SEM). Results showed the significance of social exchange among farm owners, HEI administrators, and student-interns in contributing to the tourism supply side, business competence, systems understanding towards farm tourism development, and sustainability in the Bicol region.