Faculty of Business and Law
Deakin University
The interdisciplinary research grouping of Sport Leisure and Society is led by Professor David Shilbury and Associate Professor Ruth Rentschler and includes members from the Faculties of Business and Law, Arts and Health. The key research themes are: Leisure Governance and Management; Leisure Marketing; Leisure Policy; and Sustainable Societies. The interdisciplinary research is coordinated by the Faculty Centre for Leisure Management Research. The director of the Centre builds interdisciplinary and collaborative opportunities at a University, national and international level, improves research skills and activity, quality and impact as well as establishing linkage partners. Our research aims are multi-disciplinary, but they are grouped around four pillars with each pillar providing a foundation to our research focus.
Leisure Governance and Management: The work is centred around the volunteer nature of sport and arts boards and their need to professionalise in a changing environment. Professor Shilbury has successfully obtained funding from SCORS and he and our team have worked collaboratively with Honorary Professor Laurence Chalip as George Fairfax Fellow in 2006. Professor Radbourne and Associate Professor Rentschler worked collaboratively on arts governance and management funded projects, successfully achieving funding from; Arts Victoria and Deakin University.
Leisure Marketing: Professor Radbourne is key to this theme with her international reputation in arts marketing through the development of her Full House Theory. Associate Professor Rentschler obtained funding from the Australia Council in order to complete a book on arts marketing, on which Professor Radbourne collaborated. They also collaborated on a research project on relationship marketing. Dr Ian Fillis and Associate Professor Rentschler collaborated; internationally on arts marketing, resulting in numerous publications in refereed journals and one research book on Creative Marketing.
Leisure Policy:
This pillar is bounded by an understanding of policy as a field concerned with how it impacts society, its creativity and organisation. Policy is influenced by global forces and practices but contrasted with the need for local differentiation through civic pride, leveraging through festivals and events and opportunities for engagement and social progress.
Sustainable Societies:
Associate Professor Rentschler is key to this theme due to the impact of her research on diversity and inclusion in Indigenous communities from outcomes of her ARC grant and her AIATSIS grant. She works in collaboration with her research students in this area.
Joint Convenors: Professor David Shilbury and Associate Professor Ruth Rentschler
