Scott Fleming

1
Collapsing boundaries in Hospitality, Leisure,
Sport and Tourism

• Scott Fleming

2
The territory

• Grim view
• Cheery view
• The subject field
• Distinctions within the subject field
• Implications of them
• A plea

3
H, L, (R), S T a residual dustbin ?

• Too broad
• Argument by example
• Applied experiential learning in biomechanics of
  (elite) sport
• Theoretical models of service encounters in
  catering management
• An articulation of difference
• Glass half empty

4
H, L, (R), S T a shared history ?

• Recreation studies
• Human movement studies
• Management studies
• Glass half full

5
The Subject Overview Report HLST (QAA HE, 2001)

• 109 providers
• characterised by its diversity (p.1)
• But shared characteristics
• relative maturity and rate of growth,
• employability of graduates
• flexible and coherent multi-disciplinary
  curricula
• links to industry and the professions
• theory-practice linkages.

6
The subject field e.g.,
7
Subject Benchmark Statements for HLST (QAA, 2000)

• 5 diverse subject associations working together
  for the first time (p. 1)
• Hospitality
• Leisure
• Sport
• Tourism

8
Subject Benchmark Statements for HLST (QAA, 2000)

• Hospitality mgmt of food, beverage and/or
  accommodation in a service encounter (p. 3)

9
Subject Benchmark Statements for HLST (QAA, 2000)

• Leisure recreation, countryside activities,
  popular leisure, play, tourism, sport arts (p.
  4)

10
Subject Benchmark Statements for HLST (QAA, 2000)

• Sport physical activity for expressing or
  improving physical fitness or mental well-being,
  forming social relationships or obtaining results
  in competition (p. 5)

11
Subject Benchmark Statements for HLST (QAA, 2000)

• Tourism phenomena and relationships from
  travel staying away from home for a variety of
  purposes (p. 5).

12
Disambiguating conceptual terms by example(s)

• What is leisure
• What is recreation?
• What is play?
• What is sport?

13
Leisure Sport Recreation Play
14
Leisure Sport Recreation Play
15
Leisure Sport Recreation Play
16
Leisure Sport Recreation Play
17
Leisure Sport Recreation Play
18
Leisure Sport Recreation Play
19
Subject Benchmark Statements for HLST (QAA, 2000)

• As operational definitions
• (i) Bland, superficial and unhelpful
• or
• (ii) Inclusive, vague and workable
• necessary but not sufficient
• ?

20
Why so many subject associations?
21
Market-led distinctiveness (i)

• Distinction between
• Management
• inc. Finance, HRM, Law, Marketing, Strategic
  Mgmt., Operations Mgmt. etc.
• Studies
• Inc. Economics, History, Geography, Philosophy,
  Politics, Psychology, Sociology

22
Market-led distinctiveness (ii)

• Differentiated provision
• The course title generator e.g.,

23
Market-accountable distinctiveness

• Seeking professional status (argument by
  example)
• Systematized knowledge and/or skill base
• Dedicated journal
• Process for accreditation of competence
• Clear roles and boundaries of competence
• Extensive training in-service training
• Should be intellectual in kind
• Standardized codes conduct
• technical competencies moral paternalism
• Autonomous structure corporate voice.

24
But commonality of purpose

• The objectives of subject association include
• to promote the subject
• to promote good practice in the subject
• to provide opportunity for information exchange
• to promote and disseminate sic research
  scholarship
• to maintain with education sector and industry
  stake-holders.

25
Seeing connections
Tourism
Exercise
Catering
Leisure
Physical Activity
Sport
Health
Hospitality
26
Seeing connections
Academic disciplines
Industry practitioners
Tourism
Exercise
Catering
Pedagogy
Leisure
Physical Activity
Politics policy
Key stake-holders
Sport
Health
Hospitality
27
Take-home message(s)

• Operational definitions
• contested
• overlap
• Artificial distinctions
• Unhelpful (but understandable) differentiation
• Academic homelessness (e.g., RAE)
• Seek to collaborate not to isolate
• Academically interesting
• Intellectually fertile
• Politically expedient
• Dont leave it to others!

28
Bibliography

• Aitchison, C. (2004) Leisure Studies Research
  Maintaining Academic and Vocational Alliances in
  an Increasingly Fragmented Higher Education
  Sector. Leisure Studies Association Newsletter
  69 22-24.
• Bacon, W. (1989) The professionalisation of
  leisure management. In J. White (ed.) Leisure,
  labour and lifestyles international comparisons.
  Eastbourne Leisure Studies Association, pp.1-23.
• Brotherton, B. (2003 Finding the hospitality
  industry a final response to Slattery? Journal
  of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism
  Education 2 (2) 67-70.
• Coalter, F. (1990) The politics of
  professionalism consumers or citizens? Leisure
  Studies 9 (2) 107-119.
• McNamee, M., Buswell, J. Sheridan, H. (2000)
  Paternalism, professionalism and public sector
  leisure provision the boundaries of a leisure
  profession. Leisure Studies 19 199-209.
• Slattery, P. (2003) Finding the hospitality
  industry (Slatterys reply to Brotherton. Journal
  of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism
  Education 2 (1) 119-120.
• Tribe The RAE-ification of tourism research in
  the UK, International Journal of Tourism Research
  5 (2) 225-234.