Personal statement

Dr Li Li, Reader in Management, joined Bath Spa University in 2016. Previously she held academic positions at University of Derby, University of Surrey and Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Her expertise is centred on management learning and development, managerial practice, and tourism and hospitality management. She is experienced with both qualitative and quantitative research.

Academic qualifications

  • PhD, Management - University of Surrey
  • MSc, eTourism (Distinction) - University of Surrey

Professional memberships

  • Fellow - Higher Education Academy
  • International Association of Critical Realism Council Member for 2025 – 2027

Other external roles

  • Editorial Committee Member of Journal of Critical Realism
  • Editorial Board Member of International Journal of Contemporary Education
  • Editorial Board Member of International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Management
  • Editorial Board Member of International Journal of Modern Education Research
  • Editorial Board Member of Journal of Modern Educational Research
  • Editorial Board Member of International Journal of Social Science and Research
  • Reviewer for Tourism Review
  • Ad hoc reviewer for academic journals such as Management Learning, Human Resource Development Quarterly, Journal of Hospitality Management
  • External examiner at University of Bournemouth (present), University of Hull (2016-2021)

Teaching specialisms

Pathway Leader for:

  • Tourism Management

Module Leader for:

  • Destination Management (UG)
  • Contemporary Issues in Tourism (UG)
  • MBA Leadership Project (PG)
  • Research Methods (PG)

Current scholarship

  • Unit of Assessment Business and Management Lead
  • Bath Business School Research Ethics Lead 

Dr Li is currently working on a number of papers on management practice, international education, and technology applications in tourism and hospitality management.

Research supervision

Li invites enquiries for postgraduate research around the following topics and methods:

  • Contemporary issues in tourism and hospitality management
  • Technology applications for the tourism and hospitality industry
  • Logistic regression
  • Discriminant analysis
  • Framework analysis and
  • Discourse analysis

Research and academic outputs

Go to ResearchSPAce

Realist tourism experience
book_section

Li, L (2022) 'Realist tourism experience.' In: Buhalis, D, ed. Encyclopedia of tourism management and marketing. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp. 624-627. ISBN 9781800377479

An exploratory study on social media in China
book_section

Li, L, Zheng, S and Wang, Z (2015) 'An exploratory study on social media in China.' In: Tussyadiah, I and Inversini, A, eds. Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2015: proceedings of the international conference in Lugano, Switzerland, February 3 - 6, 2015. Springer, Cham, pp. 255-267. ISBN 9783319143422

Managerial work revisited
book_section

Li, L, Buhalis, D, Lockwood, A and Gray, D.E (2006) 'Managerial work revisited.' In: Lashley, C and Best, W, eds. Studying hospitality: beyond the envelope - papers from the 15th annual research conference of the UK Council for Hospitality Management Education. Emerald, Nottingham, pp. 205-222.

Predicting internet usage for travel bookings in China
book_section

Li, L and Buhalis, D (2005) 'Predicting internet usage for travel bookings in China.' In: Frew, A.J, ed. Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2005: proceedings of the international conference in Innsbruck, Austria, 2005. Springer, Cham, pp. 429-439. ISBN 9783211241486

Tourism management modelling: what it does and does not
article

Li, L (2024) 'Tourism management modelling: what it does and does not.' Advances in Economic Development and Management Research, 1 (2). pp. 146-149. ISSN 3005-8112

The agential causes of business management students in the implementation of the full virtual teaching
article

Li, L, Liu, L, Walker, A, Wang, J, Pomorina, I and Opara, V (2024) 'The agential causes of business management students in the implementation of the full virtual teaching.' Journal of Modern Educational Research, 3 (1). ISSN 2790-3192

A realist analysis of civilized tourism in China: a cultural structural perspective
article

Li, L, Wang, J and Hazra, S (2023) 'A realist analysis of civilized tourism in China: a cultural structural perspective.' Journal of Critical Realism, 22 (4). pp. 692-719. ISSN 1476-7430

An interdisciplinary realist take on moral agency
article

Li, L (2023) 'An interdisciplinary realist take on moral agency.' Journal of Critical Realism, 22 (2). pp. 195-221. ISSN 1476-7430

A realist analysis of civilised tourism in China: a social structural and agential perspective
article

Li, L, Hazra, S and Wang, J (2023) 'A realist analysis of civilised tourism in China: a social structural and agential perspective.' Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 7 (1). e100411. ISSN 2590-2911

Some thoughts on doctoral supervision
article

Li, L (2022) 'Some thoughts on doctoral supervision.' Journal of Modern Educational Research, 1 (6). ISSN 2790-3192

Critical realist approach: a solution to tourism’s most pressing matter
article

Li, L (2022) 'Critical realist approach: a solution to tourism’s most pressing matter.' Current Issues in Tourism, 25 (10). pp. 1541-1556. ISSN 1747-7603

An inquiry into the delivering of a British curriculum in China
article

Li, L and Rivers, G.J (2018) 'An inquiry into the delivering of a British curriculum in China.' Teaching in Higher Education, 23 (7). pp. 785-801. ISSN 1356-2517

The influence of social media on the socialization of Chinese tourists: an analysis of social media data
article

Wang, J and Li, L (2018) 'The influence of social media on the socialization of Chinese tourists: an analysis of social media data.' Tourism and Hospitality Prospects, 2 (2). pp. 27-39. ISSN 2096-3238

Are social media applications a facilitator or barrier to learning for tourism and hospitality management students?
article

Li, L (2016) 'Are social media applications a facilitator or barrier to learning for tourism and hospitality management students?' Research in Hospitality Management, 6 (2). pp. 195-202. ISSN 2415-5152

Learning about managing the business in the hospitality industry
article

Li, L, Gray, D.E, John Lockwood, A and Buhalis, D (2013) 'Learning about managing the business in the hospitality industry.' Human Resource Development Quarterly, 24 (4). pp. 525-559. ISSN 1044-8004

Technology-mediated management learning in hospitality organisations
article

Li, L, Lee, H and Law, R (2012) 'Technology-mediated management learning in hospitality organisations.' International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31 (2). pp. 451-457. ISSN 0278-4319

Influential factors of internet users booking online in China's domestic tourism = 使用互联网在线预订的影响因素—以中国国内旅游为例
article

Li, L and Buhalis, D (2008) 'Influential factors of internet users booking online in China's domestic tourism = 使用互联网在线预订的影响因素—以中国国内旅游为例.' Journal of China Tourism Research, 4 (2). pp. 172-188. ISSN 1938-8160

The eLearning mindset
article

Li, L and Kathryn, B (2007) 'The eLearning mindset.' Hospitality, 7. pp. 46-47. ISSN 0144-3704

E-commerce in China: the case of travel
article

Li, L and Buhalis, D (2006) 'E-commerce in China: the case of travel.' International Journal of Information Management, 26 (2). pp. 153-166. ISSN 0268-4012

On-line and on course
article

Li, L, Buhalis, D, Lockwood, A and Gray, D.E (2006) 'On-line and on course.' Hospitality, 2. p. 25. ISSN 0144-3704

eLearning initiative for hospitality professionals
article

Li, L (2005) 'eLearning initiative for hospitality professionals.' Link, 12. p. 9.

Looking for causality in civilised tourism in China
conference_item

Li, L (2022) Looking for causality in civilised tourism in China. In: International Association for Critical Realism Annual Conference: Realist Complexity between Causal and Complex Systems, 8 - 12 August 2022, The Hague, The Netherlands.

Re-engaging with ‘tourism experience’ through a realist lens
conference_item

Li, L (2021) Re-engaging with ‘tourism experience’ through a realist lens. In: International Association for Critical Realism Annual Conference: (Re) Envisaging Emancipatory Research, Science and Practice, 20 – 24 September 2021, Rhodes University and the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa [online].

From conceptualization to methodology
conference_item

Li, L (2021) From conceptualization to methodology. In: International Association for Critical Realism Annual Conference: (Re) Envisaging Emancipatory Research, Science and Practice, 20 – 24 September 2021, Rhodes University and the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa [online].

Social moral mechanisms in tourism development in China
conference_item

Li, L, Hazra, S and Wang, J (2020) Social moral mechanisms in tourism development in China. In: International Association for Critical Realism Annual Conference: The Human Person in Times of Civilization Change, 14 - 16 October 2020, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Poland [online].

Moral agency in tourism: is there a future for ethical tourism?
conference_item

Li, L (2020) Moral agency in tourism: is there a future for ethical tourism? In: International Association for Critical Realism Annual Conference: The Human Person in Times of Civilization Change, 14 - 16 October 2020, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Poland [online].

Critical realist approach: a solution to tourism’s most pressing matter
conference_item

Li, L (2020) Critical realist approach: a solution to tourism’s most pressing matter. In: International Association for Critical Realism Annual Conference: The Human Person in Times of Civilization Change, 14 - 16 October 2020, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Poland [online].

Discourses of moralisation in tourism development in Chinese society
conference_item

Li, L (2019) Discourses of moralisation in tourism development in Chinese society. In: International Conference on Tourism 2019 - Tourism into the New Decades: Challenges and Prospects, 26 - 29 June 2019, Braga, Portugal.

Financial literacy among the students: is there a problem?
conference_item

Pomorina, I and Li, L (2019) Financial literacy among the students: is there a problem? In: LTSE 2019, 14 - 15 May 2019, Manchester, UK.

A framework of ethical domains in tourism
conference_item

Li, L (2017) A framework of ethical domains in tourism. In: The 4th World Research Summit on Tourism and Hospitality: Innovation, Partnerships and Sharing, 8 - 11 December 2017, Orlando, Florida, USA.

Exploring the link between the public house and the influence on communities
conference_item

Donnelly, C and Li, L (2017) Exploring the link between the public house and the influence on communities. In: The 4th World Research Summit on Tourism and Hospitality: Innovation, Partnerships and Sharing, 8 - 11 December 2017, Orlando, Florida, USA.

An inquiry into the delivering of a British curriculum in China
conference_item

Li, L (2014) An inquiry into the delivering of a British curriculum in China. In: Oxford Education Research Symposium, 11 - 13 December 2014, Oxford Union, Oxford, UK.

The use of eLearning in training in the UK hospitality industry: an exploratory study
conference_item

Li, L, Buhalis, D, Lockwood, A and Kathryn, B (2007) The use of eLearning in training in the UK hospitality industry: an exploratory study. In: ECEL 2007: The 6th European Conference on eLearning, 4 - 5 October 2007, Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Revisiting management development
conference_item

Li, L, Buhalis, D, Lockwood, A and Gray, D.E (2006) Revisiting management development. In: 24th EuroCHRIE Congress, 25-28 October 2006, Makedonia Palace Hotel, Thessaloniki, Greece.

My journey to critical realism [blog post]
other

Li, L (2023) My journey to critical realism [blog post]. Critical Realism Network.