Browsing by Author "Gadsby, Wade"

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    How indigenous systems and emergent leadership in the tourism sector in Vanuatu contribute to resilience in the face of shocks : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of International Development at Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024-03-10) Gadsby, Wade
    The Covid-19 pandemic severely challenged the tourism-dependent economies of Small Island States. Vanuatu’s international borders were closed for two years and, with tourism income making up almost half of the country's GDP, the people of Vanuatu had to adapt to survive. Historically, Pacific Island nations have adapted and worked well through crisis events, and this study examines how Pacific people have utilised Indigenous resilience systems to respond to recent shocks. In particular, it examines how ‘emergent leadership’, defined in the literature as managing uncertainty and mitigating crisis factors (Hunt, 2019), can help to achieve resilience in the face of crises. The research sought to define key components of both emergent leadership and resilience in the tourism sphere in Vanuatu, and it highlighted the role that emergent leadership plays within the Tourism Resilience Framework – a novel approach to operationalising an Indigenous values set in the tourism sphere. This research found that there were certain key factors that contributed to resilience in Pacific contexts, specifically: traditional knowledge (kastom nolej); the informal economy (kastom ekonomi); and Plan B (vanua). These factors have been central to past adaptation in the face of crises and could inform future responses to shocks and stressors. It also found that emergent leadership materialises in a crisis, showcasing the traits of a comprehensive understanding of the situation, adaptability, passion, and also through the use of storytelling as a means to convey change – particularly in the instances of slow-burn crises. The interaction of emergent leadership's traits and key factors of resilience are portrayed through a pawpaw tree metaphor, illustrating how they inform the necessary elements of effective adaptation in the face of shocks and stressors