Faculty of Business: Leisure, Sport and Tourism
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level: Undergraduate

Result Type: Grade and marks

Handbook description

This subject examines the rationale for government involvement in leisure, tourism, sport, the environment and the arts. It also examines political ideology and power processes in the community and methods of policy analysis, including performance indicators, cost benefit, economic impact analysis and performance appraisal.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an awareness and an understanding of the range of political, philosophical and economic perspectives on the roles of the state in contemporary western societies, and how they impinge on leisure, sport and tourism.
2. Apply concepts, theories and methods of policy-making in the public sector to the leisure, sport and tourism sector.
3. Describe the historical development of leisure, sport and tourism related policies in Australia, and the impact of global developments on leisure, sport and tourism policy in Australia and overseas.
4. Discuss and apply a variety of public policy decision-making and analysis techniques to leisure, sport and tourism problems.

Contribution to graduate profile

This core subject is designed for the Bachelor of Management in Leisure and Bachelor of Management in Tourism students to equip them with understanding of public policy approaches and practice in the leisure/tourism area and to provide a foundation for the environmental planning subject. It explicitly highlights the interplay of public interest and providers of leisure, sport and tourism services and the relevant decision making techniques.

Teaching and learning strategies

Teaching and learning strategies will include lectures, tutorials and seminars, as appropriate, and use of current policy case studies and current affairs videos. An important part of the learning experience will come through participation in set exercises in relation to decision-making and evaluation methods. Content for this subject will be supported by UTSOnline.

Content

• The structure and form of the state
• Rationales for Government involvement
• Stakeholders and the process of policy making
• Decision-making and government
• Economic-based aids to decision-making
• Organisational effectiveness
• Objectives and performance appraisal in the leisure, sport and tourism sector

Assessment

Mid-Semester Examination - Policy Analysis Theory (Individual)	40%
This addresses objectives 1-3.
Reflective Learning Journal (Individual)	20%
This addresses objectives 1-4.
Final Examination - Decision Making Techniques (Individual)	40%
This addresses objective 4.

The reflective learning Journal requires students to keep a detailed current affairs journal that has an entry submitted on a fortnightly basis on which the end of semester analysis is submitted. This assessment is highly individualised and, therefore, reduces any possibility of plagiarism. As a further method of security, plagiarism detection software it is also utilised for these assessments.

Recommended text(s)

Veal, A. J. (2002). Policy and Planning for Leisure and Tourism. London: CABI.

Indicative references

Cooper, I. & Collins, M.F. (eds) (1998). Leisure management: Issues and Applications. Oxon, UK: CAB International.

Jeffries, D. (2001). Governments and Tourism. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Parsons, W. (1995). Public Policy. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.

Stevenson, D. (2000). Art and organisation: Making Australian Cultural Policy. St. Lucia, Qld.: Queensland University Press.

VanderZwaag, H.J. (1998). Policy Development in Sport Management, 2nd edition. Westport, USA: Praeger.