ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks are due firstly to my wife, Caroline, for encouraging (and supporting!)
this venture. Further encouragement and support has also been forthcoming
from my parents, Evelyn and John, and from my wife’s parents, Graham and
Barbara.
At Bournemouth University, my supervisory team, Adam (Blake) and Peter
(Lugosi), have each provided excellent insight and guidance, and thanks must
also go to Dr Jonathan Edwards of the School of Tourism for liaising between
myself and the School during the scholarship application process.
Acknowledgement is due, of course, to Bournemouth University and the
School of Tourism for providing the scholarship to undertake this research.
A number of organisations and individuals provided assistance with the data
collection process. Many of these are hotel general managers who remain
anonymous here for reasons of confidentiality. Individuals not associated
with specific commercial businesses and to whom thanks are due are: Alan
Cutler (Hospitality Leadership Ltd), Mark Maltby (Hospitality Skills Academy),
Stella Callaghan (VisitScotland), Graeme Gibson (Greater Glasgow Hotel
Association), Alastair Galbraith (People 1st), Stephen Williamson, Gillian
Swanney and Margaret McNeil (Scottish Enterprise), Colin Paton (Edinburgh
Hotels Association) and Rosie McReadie (Skills Development Scotland).
Thanks are also due to the respondents who took the time to complete the
survey forms.
This thesis is dedicated to our wonderful daughters, Lowena and Iona, who
arrived just as the final edits were being made.