Abstract
Professional associations are often considered to be valuable conduits for knowledge exchange between practitioners and universities. Their advocacy of professional standards, continuous professional development and ‘best practice’ resonate comfortably with statements universities make about research impact. This chapter draws upon research into the professionalisation of occupations in tourism and events (Thomas and Thomas in Tourism Manage Perspect 6:8–14, 2013; Thomas and Thomas in Serv Ind J 34:38–55, 2014) and reports ethnographic reflections on pro bono and paid work undertaken by the author with the Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT) and the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO). It argues that collaborative activity does not represent a stimulus for the promotion and utilisation of research insights for more effective practice (impact) but a benign harnessing of academic work to create stories for their members.
I tend to mix with people at the peer group sort of level. I use the (name of association) for that (acquiring knowledge).
Senior practitioner interviewed for ESRC funded research on knowledge acquisition among business elites
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Thomas, R. (2018). Professional Associations as Conduits of Knowledge: Ethnographic Reflections. In: Questioning the Assessment of Research Impact. Palgrave Critical University Studies. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95723-4_3
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