Dr Majella Sweeney (PhD, SFHEA, BA Hons) is Head of Division of the Queen Margaret Business School. She is also an associate member of the Centre of Applied Social Sciences.
- Overview
- Research Interests
- Research Publications
- Funded Projects
- Teaching & Learning
- Activities & Awards
Dr Majella Sweeney PhD, SFHEA, BA (Hons) is a Senior Lecturer in International Hospitality and Tourism Management and has worked with Queen Margaret University since 2008. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and teaches hospitality and tourism modules across undergraduate and post graduate programmes at QMU. She is a member of the Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Network of the Higher Education Academy and the British Academy of Management, and is also an Executive Board member for the Council of Hospitality Management Education. Dr Sweeney has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences and has delivered a Masterclass in Hospitality, Tourism and Events in the Caribbean Island of Trinidad and Tobago. Dr Sweeney is involved in widening access programmes such as Lothian Equal Access Programme for Schools and more recently with the development of Scotland’s first Hospitality and Tourism Academy.
Affiliations/Memberships to Other Organisations:
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- Executive Board Member for the Council of Hospitality Management
- External Examiner – Cardiff Metropolitan University
- External Examiner – Varna University of Management, Bulgaria
- External Examiner for Lothian Equal Access Programme for Schools, University of Edinburgh
- External for Validation and Review – University of Ulster
Research/Knowledge Exchange Centre Membership:
Centre of Applied Social Sciences - Associate
Dr Sweeney’s current research interests include Small Hospitality Enterprises, Hospitality and Tourism Events and qualitative research methods, specifically visual methods within the Hospitality and Tourism industry. Dr Sweeney has been involved in research projects funded by Edinburgh Council, Fife Council and East Lothian Council which have informed the development of and investment in cultural and environmental programmes within Hospitality and Tourism.
Active research interests:
- Small Hospitality Enterprises, Commercial Homes, Hospitality and Tourism Events, Visual Ethnography.
Research Methods:
- Qualitative research methods, visual methods, mixed methods.
Research Grants & Contracts Funding:
- Principal Investigator
- Scottish Qualifications Authority
- Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership
- 2013
- Employer Engagement Project (in connection with Scotland’s First Hospitality and Tourism Academy)
- £10,000
- Principal Investigator
- Fife Council
- 2010
- 2010-11
- Evaluating the well being factor of attending events in Fife’s Year of Culture
- £10,000
- Principal Investigator
- The Catholic Church
- 2010
- The Pope’s Visit to Edinburgh
- £1,000
- Principal Investigator
- East Lothian Council
- 2009
- Homecoming East Lothian
- £5,000
Other Funding:
- Division Lead
- Scottish Funding Council
- East Lothian Hospitality and Tourism Academy
- 2012-2014
- £4.6 million
Dr Majella Sweeney teaches hospitality and tourism modules across undergraduate and post graduate programmes. Majella's seminars and lectures focus on Hospitality, Food & Drink, Global Issues for Hospitality Managers and Contemporary Management Challenges for Hospitality & Tourism, amongst other topics.
Programme Leader:
- International Hospitality and Tourism Management
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2016)
