Biography
Dr Paul Barron is Professor in Hospitality and Tourism Management at Edinburgh Napier University. Upon completing his first degree in Hotel Management, Paul embarked on a successful, 8 year, management career in the Hospitality industry. Paul commenced his academic career as a lecturer in Hospitality Management at Glasgow Caledonian University and completed his MSc in Human Resource Management. Paul then spent 11 years as Senior Lecturer The University of Queensland, Australia and was awarded his PhD in 2003. This study formed the largest examination of international students' educational experiences in Australian universities and is held as a key element of research in the field of hospitality management education. Paul joined Edinburgh Napier University in 2007 as Reader in Hospitality Management and gained his Professorship in August 2015. Paul continues to study the education experience of students studying hospitality, tourism and events at university and, more recently has undertaken funded research that examined the emerging Generation Y consumer in the UK, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore. Current projects are regarding employee engagement, knowledge transfer and an analysis of career destinations and aspirations of festival and event graduates.
Paul is currently convenor of the University Research Integrity Committee, has authored over 50 articles in the fields of hospitality and tourism and served as Executive Editor of The Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management for six years. Paul is currently Hospitality Subject Editor for the Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education and is Chair of the Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME)
Areas of expertise
- Hospitality and Tourism education
- Employee engagement in the hospitality and tourism industry
- Generation Y consumers and employees in hospitality and tourism.
Research projects
- ESRC Project: Balancing the management of access for different publics in the effective management of authentic museums.
- Exploring Visitor Engagement with Museum Exhibits during ‘Lates’ Events at the National Museum of Scotland
- Aspirations and Progression of Event Management Students: A study of career destinations upon graduation. .
- Developing an understanding of student-practitioner voices regarding the transfer of learning: The impact on professional and personal development.
- An investigation into the management of a multi-generational workforce in tourism.
- Developing an understanding of generational changes in consumer behaviour and the consequent impact on future tourist decision making. A focus on the hotel, casino and visitor attraction industry in Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore.
- Using volunteering to develop career opportunities.
- Effective management of Generation Y as paid and unpaid employees in tourism organisations.
- Developing a commercially viable toolkit that measures the socio/cultural impacts of festivals and events.
- An evaluation of Napier University Business School students’ experiences.
- TESEP (Transforming and Enhancing the Student Experience through Pedagogy) project.
Courses taught
- Business Skills for Event Management in the Tourism Industry (MSc)
- Research Methods (MSc)
- Research Philosophy in Business and Management (DBA)
- Dissertation (BA Hons)
PhD supervision
- 2010 - Richard Robinson: The Labour Mobility of Chefs: Investigating Creativity
- 2013 - Barbara McCrorie: Customer retention through the equal incorporation of continuous improvement, culture and customer service.
- 2014 - Sarah Snell: Community participation within mega event planning: The case of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
- 2015 - Justyna Bakiewicz: Heritage interpretation challenges and management issues relating to film induced tourism at heritage visitor attractions: Case studies of Rosslyn Chapel and Alnwick Castle.
- 2016 - Richard Lageiwski: The Internationalisation of Hospitality Management Education: The Effect on the Home Campus.
Career history
2015-present: Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Edinburgh Napier University
2007-2015: Reader in Hospitality and Tourism Management at Edinburgh Napier University
1997-2007: Senior Lecturer in Hospitality Management at the University of Queensland
1989-1997: Lecturer in hospitality Management at Glasgow Caledonian University
1982-1989: Various management positions within the hospitality industry
Qualifications
2003 - PhD: The University of Queensland
1993 - MSc Human Resource Management: The University of Strathclyde
1982 - HND Hospitality Management: Queen Margaret University
Professional memberships and honours
1998 – Present: Member of the Institute of Hospitality
2011 – Present: Hospitality Subject Editor for the Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education.
2012-2015: Vice Chair of the Council for Hospitality Management Education
2015 – Present: Chair of the Council for Hospitality Management Education
Key publications
Barron, P., Leask, A. & Fyall, A. (2014) Engaging the multi-generational workforce in tourism and hospitality, Tourism Review. 69:4.
Fyall, A., Leask, A. & Barron, P. (In Press) Gen Y: An Agenda for Future Visitor Attraction Research, International Journal of Tourism Research.
Leask, A., Barron, P., Anastasiadou, C., Fyall, A., Wardrop, K, and Reid, E. (2012) Visitor experiences for Generation Y – a consumer perspective. Tourism Intelligence Research Summary.
Leask, A., Barron, P., Anastasiadou, C., Fyall, A., Wardrop, K, and Reid, E. (2012) Pricing and Packaging Visitor Attractions Experiences for Generation Y. Tourism Intelligence Scotland Research Highlights Summary.
Leask, A., Fyall, A. & Barron, P. (2012), Generation Y: Market Opportunity of marketing Challenge: Strategies to Engage Generation Y in the UK attractions sector. Current Issues in Tourism. Available on-line January 2012.
Barron, P.E., D'Annunzio-Green. N. and Christie, H. (2011). Direct entrants in transition: becoming independent learners. Studies in Higher Education. Vol. 38(6). DOI:10.1080/03075079.2011.588326
Barron, P.E. and Rihova, I (2011) Motivation to volunteer: A case study of the Edinburgh International Magic Festival, The International Journal of Festival and Event Management. Vol. 2(3): 202-217.
Barron, P.E. (2010), Educational resources review: teaching international students. The Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education. Vol. 9(1): 128-130. ISSN: 1473-8376.
Barron, P.E. and Dasli, M. (2010), Toward an understanding of integration amongst hospitality and tourism students using Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. The Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education. Vol. 7(1): 4-17. ISSN: 1473-8376.
Barron, P.E., Gourley, L. and Gannon-Leary, P. (2010) International students in the higher education classroom: Initial findings from staff at two Post 92 Universities in the UK. Journal of Further and Higher Education. Vol. 34(4): 475-489.
Barron, P.E., Baum, T. and Conway, F. (2009). Learning, living and working: Expectations and realities for international post-graduate students at a Scottish university. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education, 21(3): 6-16.
Barron, P., Ali-Knight, J., and Stephenson, M.L., (2009), Preferred learning styles: The case of students at a satellite campus in the Middle East. International Journal of Excellence in Tourism, Hospitality and Catering, 2(2): 1-17.
Barron, P. & Anastasiadou, C. (2009). Student part time employment: implications, challenges and opportunities for higher education. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 21(2): 140-153.
Barron, P.E. and D'Annunzio-Green. N. (2009). A smooth transition? Education and social expectations of direct entry students. Active Learning in Higher Education, 10(1), 7-25.
Barron P.E. (2008). Learning Approaches and Learning Styles. Staff and Educational Development Association Special Edition 23: Enhancing the Experience of Chinese Students in UK Higher Education - Lessons from a Collaborative Project. 19-20.
Barron, P.E., Watson, S. and McGuire, D. (2008). A comparative study of student learning styles in hospitality and tourism management: a hierarchical perspective, The Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism.
Robinson, R.N.S., Barron, P.E., Solnet, D.S. (2008). Innovative approaches to event management education in career development: A study of student experiences. The Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education. Vol. 7[1]: 4-17. ISSN: 1473-8376.
Barron, P.E. (2008). Education and talent management: Implications for the hospitality industry.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 20(7), 730-742.
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