Kevin O'Gorman

Dr Kevin D O'Gorman is the director of the Business School's undergraduate degree programmes in Hospitality and Tourism Management. His teaching focuses on: the history and philosophy of business; critical studies; ethics and research methods.

After graduating in politics and history, he established a career in hotel operations and management, gained a postgraduate diploma in hospitality and tourism management and was accepted as a member of the Institute of Hospitality Management. He left the UK to undertake post-graduate study for the Priesthood in Salamanca, Spain and Rome, Italy. Studies encompassed the fields of philosophy, theology and classics and the qualifications Sacræ Theologiæ Baccalaureus and the Licenciatura en Estudios Eclesiásticos were awarded. During this time work was also undertaken in the voluntary sector across Europe and South America, working in parishes; schools; hospitals; prisons, and with refugees; in addition he has been involved with the relief coordination during and after a major earthquake in Southern Peru.

Dr Kevin O'Gorman's PhD focused on an identification of the essence of hospitality from the texts of Classical Antiquity and the development of a hermeneutical helix to articulate the philosophy of the phenomenon of hospitality. His research interests include the history and philosophy of business, primarily in hospitality and tourism, and has over 50 publications in these areas. 

Kevin has also been awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Research Methods for Business and Management and an MSc in Hospitality Management. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, The Royal Geographical Society and a Fellow-elect of The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

Recently completed research projects include:

• Hospitality in necessitudine: Exploration of the religious practice of providing care to those in most need. Undertaken with Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow, this research focused on the contemporary provision of in necessitudine. This project also includes research into the history and evolution of care of the needy and is exploring the importance of charitable hospitality within society.
• The Business of Pompeii: Collaborative project with Dr Ian Baxter and Bernadette Scott triangulating archaeological, historical, and sociological perspectives on notions of commercial hospitality in past societies.
• Pedagogy and Podcasts: With a grant from the Higher Education Academy and in collaboration with Spoken Word Services over 50  television and radio programs from the BBC archives were used to create eight video podcasts on subjects ranging from hospitality in Roman Pompeii to the hospitality related musings of the French philosopher Jacques Derrida.

Dr Kevin O'Gorman's current research interests have a dual focus: Origins, history and cultural practices of hospitality, and philosophical, ethical and cultural underpinnings of contemporary management practices.

Current research projects include:

• Roots and evolution of the commercial hospitality industry - Contrary to established and often fanciful rhetoric commercial hospitality has at least 4000 years of history in the Western world. Developing from previous research on Pompeii and by investigating other times and places, for example, Mesopotamia and the Islamic World, the rich and incredibly diverse heritage of the hospitality industry is explored and illustrated in order to deepen contemporary understanding.
• Athenian Grain-Tax Law of 374BC - In Athens in 374 BC the markets were collapsing and people running short of food, confidence in the 300 year-old monetary system was failing, the government stopped collecting taxes in coinage and reverted to collecting some taxes in grain. The grain was to be sold in the market in Athens thus providing a source of food for the people and revenue for the state for public goods.
• Origins of capitalism as found in the Greco-Roman world of Classical Antiquity - This builds on the work exploring the evolution of the commercial hospitality industry and investigates the underpinning motivations that lead to its conception.
• Icons to Iconic Brands - Icons are a social phenomenon, having moved from the realm of divine or sacred they have become more common in a profane or secular context. This project explores what makes something an icon in contemporary society and how iconicity understood.