The (in)visibility of equality, diversity, and inclusion research in event management journals

Calver, Julia, Dashper, Kate, Finkel, Rebecca, Fletcher, Thomas, Lamond, Ian R, May, Ellie, Ormerod, Neil, Platt, Louise ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9063-1110 and Sharpe, Briony (2023) The (in)visibility of equality, diversity, and inclusion research in event management journals. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events. ISSN 1940-7963

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Abstract

The field of events management has been critiqued for being overly focused on operational and managerial concerns to the detriment of critical analysis of power and representation, of which equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is an important aspect. This paper reports on an audit of the four leading events management journals over the period 2011-2021 to assess the current state of play in relation to engagement with EDI issues and consider whether this critique remains justified. After screening, 49 articles were included. Findings reveal that EDI remains a marginal issue in events management journals, often confined to special issues, with no evidence of increasing engagement over the review period. EDI needs to become more integrated in the core body of knowledge of events management to ensure that events research is socially useful to students, other researchers and practitioners, contributing to the development and reputation of the field.