Recreational scuba diving as a special form of tourism: lessons from Taiwan

Purpose Recreational scuba diving is one of the fastest growing tourism industries around the world and has become a popular activity in Taiwan. Few studies focus on enduring involvement with a high risk or difficult activity specialization, so this study aims to explore the causal relationship between enduring involvement and specialization and seeks to explain sustained involvement in scuba diving activity as a recreation specialization. Design/methodology/approach This research selects four diving sites in Taiwan as survey locations, specifically Yeliou, Longdong, Kenting and Green Island. The questionnaire consists of three sections, including demographic information, enduring involvement and specialization. By analyzing the data collected from 810 scuba divers in Taiwan, structural equation modeling is used to examine the causal relationships among the variables. Findings The primary findings of this study are as follows: attraction positively affects divers’ commitment and lifestyle through joy, relaxation and sharing diving experiences; the results indicate that self-expression is associated with past experience of participating in scuba diving activity; and centrality indicates that participants’ daily life and recreation are related to each other and become central to their life. Results show that most theoretical hypotheses are supported, but there is no significant evidence of attraction impacting past experience or self-expression influencing commitment and lifestyle. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the causal influence of enduring involvement and specialization in the scuba diving context. The findings provide a solid theoretical basis for the study of sustained involvement motivation and behavior on specialization. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Composer–performer collaborations in the long twentieth century

This account of a musical period centred around a modernist aesthetic provides a historical context for the contemporary case studies which follow in subsequent chapters. It surveys documented interactions of composers and performers in strongly contrasted contexts, from brief encounters to sustained involvement. In the latter case, such associations during the conception as well as the completion of works can have a decisive impact on the musical result. Benjamin Britten’s longstanding relationship with the singer Peter Pears is a well-known instance, and even when the music is less directly connected to the personal characteristics of particular performers, the consequences can be significant. The discussions between Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and the Maggini String Quartet during the composition of the ten Naxos Quartets (2002–07) vividly demonstrate the social dynamics that can be involved as uncompromisingly modernist music is prepared for presentation to an audience.

Does sustained involvement in a quality network lead to improved performance?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of prolonged investment in one quality improvement method, which are uncertain. The authors aim to examine the extent to which sustained involvement in a quality network over five years led to improved performance against standards, and whether improvement was achieved in areas where service staff could exercise direct control. Design/methodology/approach – A prospective cohort design was used to examine data from 48 UK inpatient child and adolescent mental health units between 2005/2006 and 2009/2010, which had been Quality Network for In-patient CAMHS members for two years. These were selected to remove the initial marked increase in compliance identified in an earlier study. The main outcome measure was compliance with organisation process standards. Findings – Units meeting “excellent” quality status across all standards rose from seven (14.6 per cent) to 18 (37.5 per cent). Standards for Environment and Facilities and Access, Admission and Discharge improved the most. Units meeting the “excellent” quality status for criteria over which staff had direct control criteria rose from 17 (35.4 per cent) to 29 (60.4 per cent) over the five-year period. The unit modal quality status categorisation for criteria where staff had no direct control in 2005/2006 was “poor” (n=25; 52.1 per cent) but had progressed to “good” in 2009/2010 (n=24; 50.0 per cent). Originality/value – The authors provide evidence that sustained investment in one QI method raises service compliance against standards. Trends showed improvement for direct control standards from “good” to “excellent” levels and improvement for no direct control from “poor” to “good”.