MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM:
DO WE REALLY KNOW WHAT IT MEANS?
Prof. Fevzi Okumus
University of Central Florida
Rosen College of Hospitality Management
9907 Universal Blvd
Orlando, Florida, 32819
Email: Fevzi.okumus@ucf.edu
Tel: (+1) 407 903 8177
Fax: (+1) 407 903 8105
Dr. Mathilda van Niekerk
University of Central Florida
Rosen College of Hospitality Management
9907 Universal Blvd
Orlando, Florida, 32819
Email: Mathilda.vanniekerk@ucf.edu
Tel: (+1) 407 903 8052
Fax: (+1) 407 903 8105
Dr. Anil Bilgihan
The Ohio State University
Department of Consumer Sciences
1781 Neil Ave. Campbell Hall, 115B
Columbus, Ohio, 43210
Email: biigihan.1@osu.edu
Tel: (+1) 614 292 6219
Fax: (+1) 614 688 8133
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MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM:
DO WE REALLY KNOW WHAT IT MEANS?
The aim of this study is to investigate familiarity of tourism and hospitality scholars
with multidisciplinary research. A discipline is defined as a detailed knowledge area
with distinct borders, a shared language between academics, prevailing worldviews
and widely shared paradigms (Alvargonzalez, 2011; Leavy, 2011). Specialization in
one discipline can however blind researchers to the broader context of a research
problem and create tunnel vision. It can cause a lack of appreciation of other
perspectives and some creative breakthroughs may require knowledge from not only
one, but multiple disciplines. A single discipline can therefore seldom address
complex research problems and researchers should be encouraged to engage in
multidisciplinary research.
Multidisciplinary research can be defined as the collaboration that takes place
between two or more disciplines on a research project. Each discipline will however
maintain its own research methodology, goals, assumptions, values and methods.
Autonomy of the disciplines is maintained during the research and integration is
restricted to the research results (Choi & Pak, 2007, 2006; Chua & Yang, 2008;
Darbellay & Stock, 2012; Leavy, 2011; Pless, 1995; Weiler & Moyle, 2012).
Multidisciplinary research offers a slightly broader perspective on traditional research
questions than a single discipline based research and can yield better research results.
However, what multidisciplinary research really means and how it can be put into
practice is not always clear (Janssen & Goldsworthy, 1996). Furthermore, despite its
advantages, multidisciplinary research may have certain limitations as it lacks crossfertilization and close partnership with other disciplines. In other words, the
disciplines remain self-contained and there is often a lack of synergy among the
outcomes, the outcomes are therefore not greater than the sum of its part.
Based on an in-depth literature review of multidisciplinary research (Choi & Pak,
2007, 2006; Chua & Yang, 2008; Darbellay & Stock, 2012; Leavy, 2011; Pless, 1995;
Weiler & Moyle, 2012), an online survey was developed. The survey was pilot tested
with PhD students and faculty members at one of the biggest hospitality colleges in
the USA. An invitation email was then sent to several academic e-mail groups to
participate in the study. A total of 445 hospitality and tourism scholars from 193
different countries and 182 higher education institutions participated in the study,
with a total of 341 questionnaires that were usable.
Descriptive data revealed that 62% of participants were males and 38% females with
a normal distribution in age that ranged from 26 years to 65 years. Of all respondents,
35% of them indicated that they had an administrative role at their institution, while
25% were assistant professors, 22% were associate professors and 21% were full
professors. Study results indicate that 29% of scholars have published more than 30
articles in their academic career.
According to study results, only 40% the participants could define multidisciplinary
research correctly. Tourism and hospitality scholars seem to be confused between
multidisciplinary research and interdisciplinary research. On the other hand, the
participants believe that multidisciplinary research is of a higher quality than research
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produced within a single discipline. About 63% of them indicated that
multidisciplinary research is advantageous and that it could open doors for funding
opportunities. However, study results reveal that only 25% engage in some form of
multidisciplinary research. Main barriers to engage in multidisciplinary research
include that the strong identity of their own discipline, as well as the fact that they
seem to feel more comfortable in using methodologies that they are familiar with.
Enablers for multidisciplinary research were identified as the possible funding
opportunities that exist and possibility of establishing networks with scholars from
other fields.
The study findings offer theoretical and practical implications. This is perhaps one of
the first studies presenting and discussing empirical findings on multidisciplinary
research in the tourism and hospitality field. It offers insights on the level of
hospitality and tourism scholars’ understanding of multidisciplinary research. This
study also offers practical implications in terms of how to train hospitality and
tourism scholars to undertake multidisciplinary research.
Keywords: tourism, hospitality, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary.
REFERENCES
Alvargonzalez, D. (2011). Multidisciplinarity, Interdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinarity
and the Science. International studies in Philosophy of Science, 25(4): pp. 387-403.
Choi, B.C.K. & Pak, W.P.P. (2006). Multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and
transdisciplinarity in health research, services, education and policy: 1. Definitions,
objectives and evidence of effectiveness. Clin Invest Med, 29(6): pp. 351-364.
Choi, B.C.K. & Pak, W.P.P. (2007). Multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and
transdisciplinarity in health research, services, education and policy: 2. Promotors,
barriers, and strategies of enhancement. Clin Invest Med, 30(6): pp. 224-232.
Darbellay, F. & Stock, M. (2012). Tourism as complex interdisciplinary research
object. Annals of Tourism Research, 39(1): pp.441-458.
Janssen, W., & Goldsworthy, P. (1996). Multidisciplinary research for natural
resource management: Conceptual and practical implications. Agricultural Systems,
51(3): pp. 259-279. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0308-521X(95)00046-8
Leavy, P. (2011). Essentials of transdisciplinary research. Walnut Creek: Left Coast
Press:
Pless, I.B. (1995). Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary are not synonymous.
Journal of International Society for child and adolescent injury prevention, 1. pp. 6566.
Weiler, B. & Moyle, B. (2012). Disciplines that influence tourism doctoral research:
The United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Annals of Tourism Research,
39(3): pp.1425-1445.
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