In search of inhospitable knowledge

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this article is to discuss the key issues that have had significant influence on a Ph.D. research student’s journey from positivism to interpretivism and the subsequent impact on the research methodology adopted. This journey is illustrated by briefly analysing and reflecting upon the nature of relevant accumulated knowledge in the fields of hospitality, tourism and entrepreneurship fields; critically analysing the impact of the social setting on entrepreneurial behaviours and attitude; and reflecting upon how the two previous points influence researcher behaviour and methodological design. Drawing upon research undertaken within the Dalmatia region of Croatia, a former socialist country, the contextual focus is on small hotel owners within the hospitality industry. The article is loosely framed within a hospitality analytical lens and furthers debate on the nature of academic hospitality (Phipps and Barnett 2007) as well as proposing steps to welcome inhospitable knowledge. This article charts moments in the intellectual journey from positivism to interpretivism travelled by a Ph.D. researcher, who critically engaged in, analysed and deliberated upon the nature of accumulated knowledge associated with the field of her studies, where the power base of the knowledge resided, and consequential issues for advancement of thought. Further, as the journey progressed she reflected on the impact of the social setting of the key actors, which is the focus of her research, and ensuing implications for the research methodological design. In addition, the researcher had to engage in a critical self-reflection that required she transform herself from a ‘dispassionate scientist’ to an ‘insider participant’. The magnitude of this revelation is given context and profound meaning within the setting of Croatia, a former socialist country that has faced severe political, economic and social turmoil and transitions, including war. In making the transformation, the researcher had to engage with inhospitable knowledge from the point of view of her educational formation. In so doing, the article highlights the importance of the boundaries of hospitality and looking at both their construction and exploration beyond.