The integrative chapter of this thesis explains how the nominated papers, when combined, meet the University of Exeter’s assessment criteria for the award of PhD by Publication. It argues that a coherent contribution to knowledge emerges from the three strands of research discussed, namely: (i) examinations of research and innovation policy, notably via the work of tourism academics and the knowledge exchange practices of practitioners; (ii) investigations into the practices of small businesses in tourism, particularly in relation to their articulation with public policy at a local level; (iii) an assessment of the professionalization of tourism, via the conceptual lens of corporate professionalization. Collectively, these publications explain important aspects of business, notably small business, dynamics in tourism; my contribution has been to provide new conceptualisations of tourism organisations and explanations for their behaviour that advance existing academic accounts. The theoretical contributions made offer public policy-makers greater scope for developing interventions to more effectively influence business behaviour than at present. The chapter also reviews, briefly, the range of methods of enquiry used in my research and my philosophical position in relation to knowledge construction. Finally, the limitations of my work and my current research agenda are discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:676423 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Thomas, Rhodri |
| Contributors | Shaw, Gareth |
| Publisher | University of Exeter |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/10871/18705 |
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