| dc.description.abstract | There is a degree of consensus in the academic literature that innovation is a vital source of competitive
advantage. Although some processional aspects of innovation have been examined in detail, the process
of implementation of innovation at an organisational level has been neglected, especially in the tourism
literature. This paper adopts a relational perspective to examine the implementation of innovation
within the burgeoning Chinese modern music festivals sector. The findings of six detailed case studies
show how identity, equality, guanxi, and a range of specific contextual factors, influence the development of relationships. These, in turn, affect innovation implementation, notably by influencing the
acquisition and use of knowledge and other resources essential to the process. A conceptual model is
proposed which explains the complexities of these relationships, their roles in innovation implementation, and incorporates mediating factors such as temporality, organisational structure, and the
reliance upon volunteers found within events. | vi |
