Changing Roles and Cognitive Dissonance of the Guided Tour Bus Drivers in Taiwan

Abstract

The tour bus driver plays a vital role in providing tour participants' satisfaction and safety in a guided bus tour. Regrettably their wellbeing and job stress had not initiated much attention from the government and practitioners until a series of bus accidents occurred. This study aims to examine the role of the bus drivers on guided bus tours. Their work cognition and income satisfaction is also investigated. The qualitative method was adopted for exploration of this research. Semi-structured interviews with tour bus drivers were conducted. This study found that the guided tour bus drivers played a dominant role when on a tour in the past but their current role has is changing. Recognizing their evolving roles has caused them to consider themselves a vulnerable group. The cognitive dissonance theory explains that individuals tend to seek consistency among their cognitions and when there is dissonance, an inconsistency, individuals try to eliminate this dissonance. This study provides a comprehensive background of the evolving role of tour bus drivers. The results may contribute to the tourism industry and decrease the gaps between bus drivers and the others with whom they interact.