Mid Sweden University

All over the world, governments are supporting entrepreneurial activity in order to develop their countries through successful businesses. There are different support systems supporting active and potential entrepreneurs in the European countries, but do all potential entrepreneurs know where to turn for information and help about starting and running a business? The aim of this study is to explore support systems in Poland, Spain and Sweden and, in addition to this, to investigate what knowledge students have of different support systems that would be of use if they want to start their own business.

Previous research shows that students who have participated in entrepreneurship education programs are more likely to become entrepreneurs (Charney & Libecap, 2000; Galloway & Brown, 2002; Davidsson & Honig, 2003; Athayde, 2009). Several studies show how having parents, friends, or neighbors who run a business can inspire a person to start their own business (e g Davidsson & Honig, 2003; Krueger, 1993; Scherer et al., 1989).

This explorative study was conducted in three European countries: Poland, Spain, and Sweden. Firstly, a review of existing support systems was performed in each country. Secondly, a questionnaire was distributed in May 2017 to university students in different study programs and at different levels of education. In total, 124 questionnaires were handed out and answered by 64 Spanish students, 34 Swedish students, and 26 Polish students. The questionnaire included background questions such as age and sex, but also asked if the students wanted to start a business or not. We asked if they currently run a business or have run a business in the past, and if their parents, other relatives, or friends run their own businesses. We also asked where they would go to get information and help, and what sources they would use to find information on starting a business. Finally, we asked them what kind of help they thought they would need.

The results show that there are valuable support systems for entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs in all three countries. We found more similarities than differences among the support options offered. However, the answers from the potential entrepreneurs show that there is a lack of knowledge about existing support systems. It seems that potential entrepreneurs would rather use their private network, such as family, friends and active entrepreneurs, before turning to consultants in various support system organizations.

This study highlights the connection between available support systems and potential entrepreneurs, and is a valuable implication for governments and supporting organizations, focusing on how to reach out with their offered support. 

Gastronomy is nowadays seen as an important part of tourism. Different kind of food producers are creating places where tourists want to travel to experience the food (e g product) at a certain place (often the production site). Food producers are therefore becoming important tourism producers and they try to find new ways to attract tourists and/or the tourists demand to experience the place where the products are produced. Due to that, the food producers themselves can become a travel reason. The aim with this paper is to discuss how food producers creates tourism experiences. This is further examined by the following research questions: How do food producers create tourism experiences based on high quality products? What are the key values in creating tourism food experiences? The study was conducted as a qualitative multiple case study with eight cases selected by recommendation from local researchers: four cases from northern Europe (two cheese producers in Jämtland, Sweden, and two distilleries in Tröndelag, Norway) and four cases from southern Europe (two olive oil producers and two wine producers from Andalusia, Spain). Data was collected by observations, semi-structured interviews and documentary studies. The results show that food producers creates different products as well as different types of experiences. This can be explained by a theoretical model in three steps namely products (1), tourism visits (2) and tourism experiences (3). When the first step, the basic needs, is fulfilled, the producer can climb higher to the next step. Thereafter, they continue to climb up in the model by providing different types of visits and tourism experiences. The model is also highly dependent on three surrounding influences; from the place, product quality and value in use. When it comes to quality, this is valued in all three steps of the model. This theoretical model can be useful for food producers that would like to expand their products into tourism.

The aim of this paper is to explore the sustainability values that tourism companies communicate to stakeholders. The following two research questions are addressed: What sustainability value (economic, social, or environmental) do tourism companies focus on and communicate in their sustainability information? Do different types of tourism companies provide different sustainability communications to stakeholders to gain legitimacy? A case study was conducted of 30 Swedish-based tourism companies. Written documents that were available online concerning sustainability information from these companies were analysed using the GRI model. The results show that tourism companies work to create value with the help of sustainability. The results also indicate that the context and prerequisites for each type of tourism company govern what they work with in order to meet the demands of stakeholders. The study's theoretical contribution is that sustainability communication to stakeholders can be of value to tourism companies. Its practical contribution is that, in addition to pursuing sustainability, tourism companies should communicate their sustainability work to their stakeholders in order to create value.

This chapter reports on how Swedish companies have coped with the first six months of the pandemic. The basis for analyses consists of interviews with 1200 small companies from four different industry segments, whose results show different outcomes. Some categories of companies experienced and are still experiencing significant negative effects, while other businesses have been only marginally affected. A small group has noticed growing sales as well as occasional signals from the market that new products and services are needed in the near future. There are indications that small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers are considering social responsibility towards the employees of the companies. We would like to emphasize three different activities. Firstly, over 40% of all SME managers have during the pandemic partly abstained from salary and/or other special salary benefits. In the hotel and restaurant sector, this figure is 70% and for managers with foreign background 55% state that they have done such activities. Second, many SMEs have used governmental support to be able to keep their employed individuals part-time in the companies. As a third example, it could be worth mentioning the many companies which are looking for alternative business ideas as an alternative, which could be seen as examples of effectuation.

Purpose: This study examines the transformative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on entrepreneurial education during and after the pandemic. Methodology: Using action research-based case study with a mixed data collection method, that spans pre-, during, and post-COVID-19. Data collection involved class discussions in a final mandatory class, surveys sent after the end of the class, and official course evaluations. Findings: The pandemic-induced changes highlighted that extended instructional timeframes do not necessarily yield better entrepreneurial outcomes. A condensed, immersive approach fostered innovation and improved entrepreneurial mindsets. The hybrid teaching model introduced by the pandemic enriched class demographics, offering a broader spectrum of perspectives and enhancing discussions. Implications: The shift to digital and hybrid teaching models brought diverse student profiles, which, when appropriately harnessed, can enrich classroom discussions and peer learning. Future research should delve deeper into the motivations of distinct student groups and the long-term effects of current teaching strategies on entrepreneurial endeavors.

We explore the role, influence and interaction with the support system for entrepreneurial initiatives in two non-core Nordic regions. The analyses are based on interviews 34 nature-based business owners about development their business and their experience with the support system and rural advisors in this process. Data from support system and business advisors were gathered through their websites, policy documents, 4 workshops and supplemental interviews. We found a complex picture of entrepreneur/firm (internal), environmental (external) and relational/supporting (system) factor combination promotes nature-based business establishments and employment. Several entrepreneurs asks for a more flexible support system and tailor made solutions. Firms that already have a high knowledge base and absorptive capacity seem also most efficient in getting the help they need. A dilemma is that those in most need for help don’t know how to ask for it, or do not have capacity to internalize new knowledge and resources offered. To make use of external support it critical that they find their match in a well-functioning support system adjusted to their needs. The support system must be aware of varying level of absorptive capacity in the entrepreneurial businesses. The various roles of intermediary /mentor roles/functions and the need for industry-specific knowledge seem pertinent.

This paper estimates the demand for tourism to Sweden and Norway for five countries:

Denmark, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, and the United States. For each visiting

country, and for Sweden and Norway, we specify separate equations by including relative

information. We then estimate these equations using Zellner’s Iterative Seemingly Unrelated

Regressions (ISUR). The benefit of this model is that the ISUR estimators utilize the

information present in the error correlation of the cross regressions (or equations) and hence are

more efficient than single equation estimation methods such as ordinary least squares. Monthly

time series data from 1993:01 to 2006:12 are used. The results show that the consumer price

index, some lagged dependent variables, and several monthly dummies (representing seasonal

effects) have a significant impact on the number of visitors to the SW6 region in Sweden and

Tröndelag in Norway. We also find that, in at least some cases, relative prices and exchange

rates have a significant effect on international tourism demand.

This paper estimates the demand for tourism to Sweden and Norway from five countries: Denmark, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, and the United States. For each visiting country, and for selected regions in Sweden and Norway, we specify separate equations by including relative information. We then estimate these equations using Zellner's Iterative Seemingly Unrelated Regressions (ISUR). The benefit of this model is that the ISUR estimators utilize the information present in the error correlation of the cross regressions (or equations) and hence are more efficient than single equation estimation methods such as ordinary least squares. Monthly time series data from January 1993 to December 2006 are used. The results show that the consumer price index, some lagged dependent variables, and several monthly dummies (representing seasonal effects) have a significant impact on the number of visitors to the SW6 region in Sweden and Tröndelag in Norway. We also find that, in at least some cases, relative prices and exchange rates have a significant effect on international tourism demand.

Tourism development has been studied by researchers for decades, yet the issue of destinations that are situated in the shadow of well-established destinations has not yet been addressed in any depth. This article defines these as destinations that exist in the shadow of a well-established place to visit with a strong identity and well-known brand. Well-established destinations with high profile branding attract many tourists. Destinations in their shadow, on the other hand, struggle with tourism and destination development. The aim of this paper is to better understand these types of destinations. The study is a multiple case study examining two shadow destinations located in rural settings in Sweden. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with representatives from the destinations’ municipality, local destination development organisations, tourism companies, and infrastructure companies. Data were also collected from observations and written materials. The results show that shadow destinations could add value to tourists visiting well-established places to visit by offering attractions that benefit tourists. They also show the importance of destinations networking with each other and the usefulness of well-known brands in their communication with tourists. In addition, shadow destinations can help well-known places become more sustainable by reducing the pressure of unsustainable high numbers of tourists visiting them. Finally, shadow destinations could give tourists the option of choosing other tourist routes in a region, allowing them to experience attractions such as gastronomy routes, for example, in shadow destinations.

Tourism development is a field that has been studied by researchers for decades. Research has not yet addressed to any larger extent the issue of destinations that are situated in the shadow from a well-established destination. This article defined shadow destinations as destinations that exist in the shadow of a well-established destination with strong and wellknown brands. The well-established destinations have a famous brand and therefore attract many tourists. The shadow destinations on the other hand struggle with their tourism industry and the development of their destination. The aim with this paper was to study destinations in the shadow of well-established destinations with strong brands. The following questions are investigated: How are destinations in the shadow of well-established destinations affected in their tourism development? What are the conditions for tourism development for destinations in the shadow of well-established destinations? How can destinations in the shadow of well-established destinations benefit from the brand of the well-established destination? The study was constructed as a multiple case study where two shadow destinations in a rural setting in the middle of Sweden were chosen. Data was mainly collected from semi-structured interviews with representatives from the municipality, destination marketing organization, tourism companies as well as infrastructure companies. Data was also collected by observations and written materials. The results show that shadow destinations could add value to tourists in well-established destinations by offering an attraction that benefit the tourists. It also shows the importance of networking between the destinations and the usefulness of the well-known brand in their communication towards tourists. The shadow destination could also help a well-known destination to become more sustainable when the pressure of too many tourists of the well-established destinations is reduced. Finally, shadow destinations could create transport routes that make the tourists choose other ways and therefore experience attractions in the shadow destination.

The significance of gastronomy for the tourism industry is nowadays a well-studied field. Previous research has shown that there are many destinations that have used gastronomy to strengthen regional or national tourism experiences. For instance, Wales in the United Kingdom (Jones and Jenkins, 2002), Australia (Cambourne and Macionis, 2003), the Niagara Region in Canada (Telfer and Hashimoto, 2003) and Singapore (Henderson, 2004) to mention a few examples. These examples show that gastronomy is directly or indirectly connected to the destinations since it inspires tourists to experience the local food of a region. Researchers have shown that gastronomy can also be used in marketing and in branding a region or a nation (Frochot, 2003; Boyne and Hall, 2004; du Rand and Heath, 2006; Hashimoto and Telfer, 2006; Fox, 2007; Lin, Pearson and Cai, 2011). Some studies have shown that tourists seek regional and ethnic gastronomy because of their desire to have unique experiences (Reynolds, 1993; Hall et al, 2003; Cohen and Avieli, 2004; Lin, Pearson and Cai, 2011). Even more important is that tourists’ gastronomy experiences can contribute to their satisfaction with the destination (Nield et al, 2000; Yuksel and Yuksel, 2002) and can also influence their desire to return to the destination (Sparks et al, 2003; Lin, Pearson and Cai, 2011). The Swedish government launched in 2010 “Sweden – the new gastronomy country” with the long term vision is also to gain better profitability for Swedish farmers, growers and producers, rural development, doubling gastronomy exports, more tourists visiting Sweden for the good sake of gastronomy, better public meals and more quality restaurants. But above all, the aim is to focus on the unique tastes, experiences, products and people (http://matlandet.se/about/). 80 % of tourists think that gastronomy and experiences is a main purpose for a trip and within the tourism sector and more and more people travel to rural areas to experience new and local gastronomy. However, there are some regions that are more successful in their use of gastronomy for tourism development. The aim with this paper is to discuss how tourism with the help of gastronomy can develop an underdeveloped tourism region. The study was designed as a qualitative case study where two neighboring regions in the middle of Sweden were chosen. The regions are both peripheral and are consider semi to highly rural by character. Interviews were conducted with gastronomy companies, public actors such as representatives from the region as well as the municipality and gastronomy actors. The result shows that it is important with education in gastronomy in the region. It is also of great importance with networks and key actors that works as an engine for the industry. The results point towards industrial and business heritage as an important component in adapting to new demands in tourism development based on gastronomy. It is not just important with large companies that grow, but also many small scale companies can contribute to gastronomy offers for the tourists.

The tourism industry is growing rapidly, and thus there is an urgent need to developing sustainable tourism. The research objective of the thesis is to explore and discuss the concept of sustainability within the tourism industry from a marketing point of view, focusing on the perspective of tourist producers’. The thesis consists of four studies, each of which contains different perspectives to support this overall objective. The first study deals with how a hotel can achieve economic sustainability by creating a high level of customer service delivery using a refined GAP-model. The second study examines how tourist producers at mass tourism destinations work with sustainable tourism as a strategic marketing tool in their tourism product development. The third study addresses economic sustainability at the macro level by estimating the tourism demand for Sweden and Norway in five different countries. In the fourth study, the concept of sustainable mass tourism is developed and analyzed from a conceptual standpoint. Study 1 and study 3 concentrate on economic sustainability from a micro and national perspective. The main contribution of Study 1 is the refined GAP-model, which can be seen as a theoretical contribution to the service marketing research. Study 3 shows that exchange rate trends strongly affect tourists’ choice of destination. Study 2 examines sustainable mass tourism as a strategic marketing tool at the destination level. The conclusions of Study 2 contribute to the findings of Study 4 and consider the tourist producers approach to sustainable tourism. One of the contributions of Study 4 is that the concept of sustainable tourism should be divided into three separate parts; economic sustainability, social sustainability and environmental sustainability.

The aim of this study was to investigate the tourists’ level of satisfaction concerning different factors at two ski destinations in Sweden in order to find key attributes that can create tourism development in the region. At the destinations, tourists are co-creators of value and it is therefore important to take their opinions into account. The data was collected by quantitative questionnaires consisting of 40 attributes that were graded on a Likert scale from 1 to 6. The questionnaire was handed out and responded by 373 tourists at the selected ski destinations. For most of the attributes the results indicate that tourists are satisfied with the performance of the tourist service providers at the destination. There are five attributes on each of the destinations that need further development in order to improve the overall experience of the destination. The result can be used for tourist producers in order to develop the destinations by addressing the issues raised by tourists. It is not only important for the tourists with the ski experience but also other attractions and offers at the destination that contribute to the overall experience

The aim of this article is to examine how tourists value the performance of two mass tourism destinations with regard to sustainability. The study was conducted with a quantitative approach, using a questionnaire given to tourists at tourist offices on the island of Rhodes, Greece, and in Rimini, Italy. The questionnaire had scales measuring the tourists’ satisfaction with the destination and their hotels from a social and environmental sustainability point of view. The mass tourists were prompted to rate the level of importance of those factors. The study concludes that mass tourists view environmental sustainability’s value at the two mass tourism destinations differently. The mass tourists in Rhodes do not see environmental sustainability as an important value. The mass tourists in Rimini indicate improvement in some environmental variables as important to the tourists’ satisfaction. Another conclusion is that the mass tourists do not prioritize sustainability issues when travelling and are mainly travelling to the destination for sun, sea, and sand. Therefore, the challenge is to make them aware of and to value social and environmental sustainability. The theoretical contribution from this study is that there is a fifth paradigm where sustainable tourism and value co-creation is in focus. The practical implication from this study is that destinations must be aware of what tourists’ value as important attribute since mass tourist destinations mainly attract tourist that want sun, sea, and sand.

Purpose: Within the tourism industry, there is a considerable focus on sustainable tourism. One way for tourismservice providers to address these issues and present their sustainability work is through annual reports,sustainability reports and homepages. Sustainability report is a way for tourism companies to be more legitimateand accountable toward their stakeholders. The research objective, with this study, was to investigate and analyzeSwedish tourism service providers’ sustainability information. What kind of sustainability information ispresented? Where is the sustainability information presented and for whom?

Design/methodology/approach: The data for this study was collected mainly during December 2015-February2016. The research design was constructed as a qualitative explorative study on tourism companies and how theypresent their work with sustainability (economic, social and environmental) for their stakeholders. Data wascollected from 50 different tourism companies in Sweden from their annual reports, sustainability reports and theirhome pages. They are large-sized tourism companies with a yearly turnover between 5-50 million euros.

Findings: The result shows that what they present is often focused on social or environmental sustainability (notboth dimensions). The tourism service providers are all presenting economic sustainability since they must do anannual report yearly. Another conclusion is that they do not use sustainability report as their communicationchannel to show accountability and legitimacy to their stakeholders. Home pages are used mostly for presentingtheir sustainability work despite that there are large differences between how much information from thecompanies. The stakeholders seem to be mainly the customers.

Research/practical implications: It still seems like that many tourism companies do not see the benefits insustainable tourism. If tourism companies want to be legitimate and accountable concerning sustainability theyhave the possibility to present more information about their sustainable information to stakeholders and conducteven more efforts on sustainability issues in their everyday business life. It would be interesting to make interviewsto gain more insight in what they want to communicate to their stakeholders concerning their sustainability work.It would also be interesting to compare with other countries and culture concerning tourist companies’sustainability work and their communication to stakeholders.

Originality/value: The main value of this paper is that the study focuses on large sized tourism companies thatmust present a sustainability report from 2017. The European Union has decided to make it mandatory for largesized companies to present sustainability reports in 2017 and this study is therefore interesting since it shows theirsustainability work before this law is implemented.

Purpose: Within the tourism industry, there is a considerable focus on sustainable tourism. One way for tourism service providers to address these issues and present their sustainability work is through annual reports, sustainability reports and homepages. Sustainability report is a way for tourism companies to be more legitimate and accountable toward their stakeholders. The research objective, with this study, was to investigate and analyze Swedish tourism service providers’ sustainability information. What kind of sustainability information is presented? Where is the sustainability information presented and for whom? Design/methodology/approach: The data for this study was collected mainly during December 2015-February 2016. The research design was constructed as a qualitative explorative study on tourism companies and how they present their work with sustainability (economic, social and environmental) for their stakeholders. Data was collected from 50 different tourism companies in Sweden from their annual reports, sustainability reports and their home pages. They are large-sized tourism companies with a yearly turnover between 5-50 million euros. Findings: The result shows that what they present is often focused on social or environmental sustainability (not both dimensions). The tourism service providers are all presenting economic sustainability since they must do an annual report yearly. Another conclusion is that they do not use sustainability report as their communication channel to show accountability and legitimacy to their stakeholders. Home pages are used mostly for presenting their sustainability work despite that there are large differences between how much information from the companies. The stakeholders seem to be mainly the customers. Research/practical implications: It still seems like that many tourism companies do not see the benefits in sustainable tourism. If tourism companies want to be legitimate and accountable concerning sustainability they have the possibility to present more information about their sustainable information to stakeholders and conduct even more efforts on sustainability issues in their everyday business life. It would be interesting to make interviews to gain more insight in what they want to communicate to their stakeholders concerning their sustainability work. It would also be interesting to compare with other countries and culture concerning tourist companies’ sustainability work and their communication to stakeholders. Originality/value: The main value of this paper is that the study focuses on large sized tourism companies that must present a sustainability report from 2017. The European Union has decided to make it mandatory for large sized companies to present sustainability reports in 2017 and this study is therefore interesting since it shows their sustainability work before this law is implemented.

For the last decade, there has been a debate on how to achieve a more sustainable mass tourism. Mass tourism has been, and still is, considered to be a "bad" type of tourism and must be further developed to become more sustainable. Previous research has focused on defining the concept of sustainable development but without any success, there are still over 70 different interpretations. The purpose is to discuss and analyze the concept of sustainable mass tourism from a conceptual perspective. The implication of the paper is that sustainable mass tourism, as a concept, must be discussed from a new perspective which divides and studies the three different aspects of sustainable mass tourism (e.g. economic sustainability, social sustainability and environmental sustainability) separately. Sustainable mass tourism is today only an ideology which cannot be successfully implemented in the tourism industry. By dividing the concept into three different parts, it might become more transformable and useable for mass tourism producers. © Common Ground, Anna Sorensson, All Rights Reserved, Permissions.

Within the tourism industry, a large focus has been made towards sustainable tourism since the 1990s. Sustainable tourism focuses on tourism from an economical, social and environmental aspect. There is a big consensus among politicians, tourist producers and researchers that the tourism industry should be sustainable. However, the question is how can this be reached? Previous research has not yet focused on the tourist producers' perspective on sustainable tourism at different mass tourist destinations. The aim with this study was to examine how different tourist producers at different mass tourist destinations work with sustainable tourism as a strategic marketing tool in their tourism product development. The study was conducted with a qualitative approach using case studies. The data was collected during 2006-2009 from interviews with tourist producers and observations at the destinations. Four destinations were selected as cases in Europe: Rimini in Italy, Lloret de Mar and Granada in Spain and Gotland in Sweden. There was also a mix of different tourist producers at the destinations: hotels, restaurants, attractions and experiences. The result indicates that the destinations' conditions have an impact on the tourist producers' reasons for working with sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism is used by the tourist producers as a strategic marketing tool but in different ways depending on the destination. There is a variation among the tourist producers between the destinations and they focus mainly on one of the three aspects within sustainable tourism. The result indicates that the different producers have different strategic agendas when working with sustainable tourism.

This chapter discusses the role of local culture in creating sustainable value for a destination. Ordinarily, researchers consider three dimensions of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental. The social sustainability dimension usually includes culture. Some researchers, however, believe culture should constitute a fourth dimension; this is the topic of this chapter. In this chapter we investigate a case study of a 400-year-old winter market in Jokkmokk, Sweden, examining how Indigenous culture affects the value of sustainability for tourists. Tourists who visited the market are interviewed about what they consider valuable both on their current visit to the Market and on possible future visits to the area. In particular, they are asked what they would wish to experience if they returned to the location at another time of the year and the Market was not their main reason for visiting. The chapter discusses the role that culture plays in sustainability and how value is created in a sustainable way during the Jokkmokk Winter Market. The results demonstrate that the Indigenous Sami culture constitutes the principal attraction for visiting the locale both during the Winter Market and at other times of the year.

The purpose of the case is to learn more about how to use digital marketing to create increased customer value in a traditional industry such as nature-based businesses. The case addresses issues such as digital marketing, where communication via social media becomes necessary to maintain relationships and reach new customers. There is also a focus on sustainability issues, such as how the farm can use sustainability in its digital marketing strategy.

The aim is to explore what sustainability values entrepreneurs in nature-based businesses highlight in their online communications with stakeholders. What kind of sustainability value is communicated online to the stakeholders of nature-based businesses in Sweden? Is there a difference in what sustainability information nature-based businesses from different categories focus on? The study was conducted using a qualitative approach. Data were collected from 100 nature-based businesses in Sweden. The selected companies belong to these industries: agriculture, food producers, forestry, garden, and contract work. Data were collected from secondary sources, such as websites, printed materials, and annual reports. The results show that there are differences between the different categories of companies, and the companies are grouped into two types. The practical implication is that nature-based businesses should use environmental sustainability as a marketing tool to gain even more customers. Customers today are increasingly aware of and interested in sustainability issues.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyse a three-year long process of an entrepreneurial learning programme with a focus on the process, the people and the place.

Design/methodology/approach - The study centres on a case-study of a newly established one-year programme at a university in Sweden, and uses participant observation and interviews with students.

Findings – The results show that the students work through experience-oriented learning with a focus on entrepreneurship. The people is important, both which students that are selected as well as creative teachers and the collaboration with stakeholders at the destination. The place where the students learn is important and by being there they contribute to the local society.

Sustainability is nowadays a hot topic for most tourism companies. Swedish tourism companies have during the past decades start to work with these issues but do they really do their best? The aim with this paper is to explore large sized tourism companies and their work with sustainability. The following research questions are addressed: What kind of efforts do the tourism companies focus their sustainability work on? How do they argue for these efforts in sustainability? What kind of role do the stakeholders play for the tourism companies and their sustainability work? Previous research have shown that type of tourism companies influence what kind of sustainability dimensions that is prioritized. This study is focused on classification of tourism companies depending on their focus of sustainability dimension. The study was design as a qualitative multi case study. Data was collected during autumn 2018 from 30 different types of tourism companies in Sweden. The preliminary result show that the type of tourism companies matters. The study also identified six different groups of tourism companies depending on their sustainability work (e g life style, profit maximization, including society, excluding society, environment hero and minimum effort). The result also indicate that the tourism company’s key stakeholders play a crucial role in how and what the tourism company focus their sustainability work towards.

Research in entrepreneurship and learning has focused on education about, for and within enterprises. The purpose of this article is to analyse and discuss the importance of organizing for entrepreneurial learning. The research design included a case study of a newly established 1-year programme at a university in Sweden. Data were collected through participant observations and interviews with students, both in groups and individually. The study shows that organizing entrepreneurial learning involves a similar method to that used in entrepreneurial processes in companies with a focus on process, people and place. The contribution of the study is to confirm that Foley’s model with these three components is applicable in the context of entrepreneurial learning. The conclusion is that the process, the people and the place combined to create an environment for the students that was conducive to entrepreneurial learning. The people are the most important factor and should also be considered with regard to process and place. In order to establish a creative environment, organizers should consider the importance of students’ collaboration with stakeholders in the region, through which they can contribute to the development of the community. Students contribute to the local community through their interaction with it.

A growing number of research studies focuses on lifestyle entrepreneurs in the tourism industry. Lifestyle entrepreneurs often start their business due to the fact that they want to make business of their hobby or they want to create a certain quality of life by living in a specific place. Previous studies argue that lifestyle entrepreneurs are often motivated by non-economic goals. Nature based businesses includes traditional businesses like agriculture and forestry but also new emerging businesses that are based on nature‟s resources like tourism. In rural areas, these type of tourism business are the most important incomes and therefore also of high importance concerning business development. The aim is to explore the tourism entrepreneurs‟ point of view of their lifestyle and business within nature based businesses in rural areas. The study was conducted with a qualitative approach. 17 different cases was studied from autumn 2015 until autumn 2016. The cases consisted of micro tourism companies within nature based businesses situated in the rural county of Jämtland in Sweden. The data was collected through semistructured interviews, observations and written materials. The result from this study show that there is several difference between tourism lifestyle entrepreneurs in rural areas with nature based businesses. We have identified four types of tourism lifestyle entrepreneurs that have different motives for running their businesses. The results also show that depending on what kind of tourism entrepreneur they focus differently on their nature based businesses. Many of the lifestyle entrepreneurs are focusing on finding several different types of income to spread the risk and also obtain growth. We could also see that traditional entrepreneurs within nature based businesses prefer to focus on the main income which often was more traditional products and services rather than tourism. The tourism lifestyle entrepreneurs therefore seem to try more different types of businesses and appear more open minded to create and innovate new products and services.

Nature based businesses are seen by the Swedish government as a central industry where growth and development is of great importance. On the other hand, entrepreneurs are shutting down their businesses due to low revenues meanwhile other see possibilities and growth. The aim with this paper is to identify how entrepreneurs within nature based businesses in Sweden develop their businesses into tourism. How do entrepreneurs within nature based businesses develop their current businesses and for what reasons? What kind of obstacles and possibilities to develop their businesses into tourism industry? The starting point for this study came from a course that students attend at the university, focusing on strategic issues for businesses. We realized that nature based businesses in Sweden have not been studied from an entrepreneurial perspective. We have conducted case studies on total 17 different business during a year. We started in autumn 2015 and continued until autumn 2016. All 17 cases consisted of micro companies within nature based businesses situated in the rural county of Jämtland in Sweden. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observations and written materials. The interviews was conducted in various locations and notes were taken. The questions in the interviews was focused around different themes like: How do the situation for the company look like? What are their threats and possibilities? What are their challenges for the future? What kind of solutions do the entrepreneurs see for development? How are their business affected by being situated in rural areas. Each case was treated as a separate unit and was not compared to the other cases before all data collection was finished. The 17 cases was then analyzed and categorized with an interpretative approach based on the study’s themes. The result shows that their businesses often are quite small which makes it hard to employee people and growth. They often do not growth within their nature based business but rather often start a new type of business within the tourism industry. Tourism is seen as a great possibility to spread the risks into other businesses as well as a good business opportunity.

This article focuses on sustainability information in large-sized companies in Europe. The aim of this article is to examine sustainability information in large-sized companies in European countries and the effect that the different national cultures might have on how sustainability is informed. The theoretical frameworks used are stakeholder theory, legitimacy, accountability, and national culture. The study has a qualitative approach, and data were collected during the spring of 2017 from 100 companies in five European countries (Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden). Data were collected from websites, written documents, and other secondary sources. The results show that there are both differences between companies within each country and between countries. Companies in different countries focus on different aspects of sustainability in their information. The theoretical contribution this study makes is a model that can be used as a tool when discussing sustainability among large-sized companies in Europe. Practical implications include new knowledge of national differences between large-sized companies in how they work with sustainability, which could be of use to companies trying to enter other European markets.

A growing amount of research focuses on lifestyle entrepreneurs in the tourism industry. Lifestyle entrepreneurs often go into business with the aim of making a hobby their income source or to create a certain quality of life in a specific place. Previous studies argue that lifestyle entrepreneurs are often motivated by noneconomic goals. Nature-based businesses include traditional businesses such as those in the agriculture and forestry industries as well as new emerging businesses that are based on nature’s resources such as tourism. In rural areas, these types of tourism businesses generate important income and are therefore of great importance from a business development perspective. The aim of this study is to explore how tourism entrepreneurs see their lifestyles and nature-based businesses in rural areas. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach. Seventeen different cases were studied between autumn 2015 and autumn 2016, all of which were nature-based businesses in the area of micro-tourism located in rural Sweden. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, observations, and written material. The study’s results show that there are several differences between tourism-lifestyle entrepreneurs in rural areas with nature-based businesses. We have identified four types of tourismlifestyle entrepreneurs, each with different motives for running their businesses. The results also show that they focus differently on their nature-based businesses, depending on what kind of tourism entrepreneur they are. Many of the lifestyle entrepreneurs focus on developing several different types of income to reduce risk and obtain growth. Tourism-lifestyle entrepreneurs therefore seem to try different types of businesses and appear to be more open-minded and innovative where creating new products and services is concerned