Editorial

Citation

Teare, R. (2014), "Editorial", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 6 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-11-2013-0046

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Volume 6, Issue 1

This theme issue addresses some of the ways of encouraging responsible hospitality and tourism business development and it provides a fascinating review of the advances occurring in both developed and developing economies. I should like to thank Maureen Brookes, Levent Altinay, Kate Ringham and their team of contributors for their thought-provoking and valuable contribution on this topic.

WHATT aims to make a practical and theoretical contribution to hospitality and tourism development and we seek to do this by using a key question to focus attention on an industry issue. If you would like to contribute to our work by serving as a WHATT theme editor, do please contact me.

Richard Teare
Managing Editor, WHATT

How could hospitality and tourism firms implement responsible business practices?

This theme issue examines the practice of responsible business in the hospitality and tourism industry. We have chosen to adopt the term "responsible business practice" rather than corporate social responsiblity or corporate responsibility as it better reflects the industry’s many family-owned and operated, and small and medium-sized enterprises. Adopting responsible business practices is just as relevant to the small and medium-sized operators as it is to the industry’s large global corporations.

The papers selected for this issue draw from two major conferences; the 2012 EuroCHRIE Conference in Lausanne, Switzerland where the theme was "Hospitality for a Better World" and from the 6th Annual International Services Management Conference held in North Cyprus in 2013. Our approach was to identify presentations aligned with the theme and then to invite prospective authors to revise and submit their work for review. Thereafter, the revised papers were subject to blind peer review and further revision. The outcome is a collection of articles that examine a range of responsible hospitality and tourism business practices in diverse country settings. To broaden engagement with industry, every paper incorporates industry comments and feedback. An overview of the contents and approach is included in the introductory article.

Taken together, this issue reflects the rich and diverse ways in which responsible business practices are being implemented by hospitality and tourism firms in both developed and developing economies. However, they also identify some of the challenges and barriers that need to be overcome. Although only one article examined the specific role of education, the collection of work points to the critical role of education in framing and implementing responsible business practices so as to ensure the sustainability of these practices in the years to come. The theme issue also highlights the need for greater cooperation between different hospitality and tourism stakeholders in the development and implementation of responsible business practices.

About the theme editors

Dr Maureen Brookes is a Reader in Marketing at Oxford School of Hospitality Management, Faculty of Business, Oxford Brookes University. Dr Brookes is also the President of EuroCHRIE, the hospitality and tourism subject association for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. She sits on the Board of Directors for the Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME), the association which represents hospitality management education nationally. She is a member of the Institute of Hospitality’s (IOH) Professional Review Panel and a Director of Oxford Gastronomica, a specialist centre for the study of food, drink and culture. Dr Brookes’ publications are within the fields of franchising, market entry strategies, internationalisation and centric orientation of hospitality and service organisations.

Dr Levent Altinay is Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Research Lead, at Oxford School of Hospitality Management, Faculty of Business, Oxford Brookes University. His research interests are in the areas of entrepreneurship, strategic alliances and international business. Using primarily qualitative methods as well as mixed methods, he is particularly interested in how entrepreneurs start up and develop their businesses, and how firms establish partnerships internationally. Dr Altinay is a visiting Professor at the Faculty of Economics, Department of Business Studies and Environment, University of Piemonte Orientale, Italy and Koc University, Istanbul. He is also a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Services Marketing, The Service Industries Journal and Managing Service Quality.

Kate Singham graduated from Oxford University then qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse, London, where she specialised in technical training for the audit practice. She is currently studying for her doctorate which explores corporate social responsibility in the foodservice sector. This reflects her interest in sustainable business practices and the nature of non-financial reporting. She is also keen to explore how technology can support learning in the area of finance. She strongly believes in the value of academia and industry collaboration. She contributes to the knowledge exchange between the Oxford School of Hospitality Management and the key players in the hospitality industry by undertaking consultancy projects.

Maureen Brookes, Levent Altinay and Kate Ringham
Theme Editors