Jorinda Ballering

Jorinda Ballering

Master in Tourism Destination Management graduation thesis by TDM student Jorinda Ballering (December, 2010).

How tourism contributes to Corporate and Societal Responsibility, creating new forms of development aid in the Netherlands – An analysis of motivations and responses of Dutch donors in an increasingly dynamic development aid environment.

The Dutch development aid sector is up for big changes. Historically the sector was dominated by multilateral, bilateral and private organizations -International Non Governmental Organization (INGO), nowadays new initiatives arise from the Dutch private sector. This causes a shifting role of INGOs to take up more advisory roles for new donors. Alternative contributions are made by companies with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies and individuals who strive to reach global social justice and set up their own private initiative. While tourism has always had a ‘neocolonialist’ reputation among the traditional donors, these new donor initiatives are often born out of travel and cultural encounters. Tourism and development aid have always been associated industries, but will become even more integrated in the future. Not only for new donors, but also for more successive development strategies. With many factors influencing Dutch donor positions and roles in the development aid scheme the following objective is formed for this dissertation: “to analyze the flow of global social justice, and the position of Dutch donors on macro, meso and micro level in the Dutch society on basis of individuals’ perspectives working for Dutch organizations involved with some means of development aid’.

Only the private channel (INGOs) of traditional development aid methods has been researched upon, together with a selection of modern development aid donors (Companies and Tourism Organizations, and foundations). By 19 interviews with senior managers in donor organizations and theoretical sources a considerate mixture of both primary and secondary research has been applied. This explorative research consists of Part I: Introduction to the dissertation, West- Rest Relationships in aid and tourism, and methodological framework. Part II: The Research findings, with Motivations of Dutch donors, contemporary movements in Dutch development aid and concludes with Part III: Evaluation and prognosis, The CSR Intervention and Conclusion.

Concluding research findings indicate that the great amount of criticism being expressed on the development aid industry nowadays fails to distinct between diverse forms of development aid, and also within these forms distinct per individual donor. Outsiders often undermine the complexity of the development aid sector. However, contemporary terminology ofter relates back to outdated Western paradigm and Eurocentric perspective in strategies. The extent to which a donor can contribute is related to one’s enabling environment which is associated to the individual’s social network and personal background (resources, personal attitude and motivation). It is believed that an intrinsic motivation over time will select the successes from failures in modern forms of development aid. INGOs need to look for alternative financial sponsor s in the future, they are likely to reduce in number. A chameleon approach, being more communicative and transparent in achievements is recommended. Initiatives are mainly born out of moral senses but become more related to self interest over time. The Dutch micro, meso and macro environment will integrate in interventions and become complementary actors in each others practices. This dissertation elaborates on the roles of Dutch donors and positions in the development aid scheme. In order for the Dutch population to embrace the concept of development aid again a shift is needed from ideological sector to a business approach, making development aid part of Dutch society in social justice of (international) business practices.

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