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Embedding Social Values in Tourism Management: Community Currencies as Laboratories of Social Entrepreneurship?

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Collaborative Economy and Tourism

Part of the book series: Tourism on the Verge ((TV))

Abstract

This chapter explores the Sardex mutual credit system, a social enterprise operating in Sardinia (Italy) as part of the collaborative economy. Sardex is a Local Exchange Trading System (LETS) that was used by local small businesses in response to the economic crisis. The chapter discusses the strategic relevance and contribution of the Sardex network. Based on a qualitative approach, including observation and in-depth interviews with Sardex entrepreneurs, the chapter investigates how exchange mechanisms work among the 195 firms making up the hospitality sector within the network. Beyond tangible and quantitative outcomes, this study shows the intangible role of social values such as trust, reciprocity and mutual support as a means to foster collaborative practices within Sardex firms. The study enriches the debate about the disruptive and/or constructive impacts of the collaborative economy by highlighting the collective social and economic role played by the Sardex network as an innovative driver for local development and community empowerment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze economiche e aziendali, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Baffi Building, Viale Sant’Ignazio 74, 09123, Cagliari, Sardegna, Italy

    Rita Cannas

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  1. Rita Cannas
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Correspondence to Rita Cannas .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Culture & Global Studies, Aalborg University, Copenhagen SV, Denmark

    Dianne Dredge

  2. Department of Culture & Global Studies, Aalborg University, Copenhagen SV, Denmark

    Szilvia Gyimóthy

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Cannas, R. (2017). Embedding Social Values in Tourism Management: Community Currencies as Laboratories of Social Entrepreneurship?. In: Dredge, D., Gyimóthy, S. (eds) Collaborative Economy and Tourism . Tourism on the Verge. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51799-5_13

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