Sustainability of team building offers: Survey of a growing market

Abstract

Team building is a very heterogeneous field. An increase in demand and a corresponding expansion of offers can be observed for workplace-related and society-associated groups. This recent study examined 60 group-product offers for team building, and compared their product composition (target interest), their geographic location in Austria, their chosen environments and land-use intensity on location, as well as their communication of the offers to the outside. The aims and motivations for booking these new offers are quite diverse, but the most important factors proved to be enhancement of the internal atmosphere through improved communication, and a strengthening of team spirit. In many cases the rural setting is no more than a backdrop that can also be used as a form of sports arena with natural challenges. But sometimes the setting is also an active part of the offer, and contributes to reducing stress through its calming and inspiring nature. The study showed that most of the offers are set in near-natural environments, and only very few in urban areas. Most team building offers define themselves through sportive activities that play a clear consumer role on the landscape, or else they consist of events that are given a special feature precisely through being held in a natural environment. A closer look at the outdoor offers reveals that very sensitive near-natural areas are particularly frequented. Thereby, however, they also circumnavigate the traditional directive measures used in other recreation and tourism offers. There is, therefore, a risk that this increase in team building offers could have negative implications for the environment. On the other hand, this way of experiencing natural environments also has the power to kindle special emotional connections with a landscape - an effect that is further intensified through the group experience. The study suggests that this aspect should be more closely researched in the future. © 2012 WIT Press.