Kelsy Hejjas

Dr. Kelsy Hejjas is a Lecturer in Tourism Management and Programme Manager of the MSc Global Hospitality Management at the Business School, Edinburgh Napier University. She teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programs in tourism, hospitality, and events, and actively supervises PhD candidates.

Her research lies at the intersection of human resource management and corporate social responsibility (CSR), with a strong focus on employee engagement, leadership, and sustainability in the tourism and hospitality sectors. She has conducted qualitative, micro-level studies on internal CSR interventions, particularly in hybrid and remote work environments. Her work also explores ethical sustainability, disaster recovery in tourism, and destination management, with a regional emphasis on Scotland and Ireland.

Her recent publications reflect a consistent trend in examining CSR dynamics in evolving work models and sustainable tourism development. These contributions span topics such as CSR champions, remote work engagement, ethical operations in hotels, and longitudinal changes in destination management organizations. Her research often employs mixed methods and is grounded in theoretical frameworks like social exchange theory and collaboration theory.

Dr. Hejjas has received research funding from the British Academy of Management and the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland. She is involved in projects analyzing sustainable tourism planning and the impact of the pandemic on labor markets in the hospitality industry across China and the USA.

Research Projects:

• Failure to plan is planning to fail: An evidence informed approach to sustainable tourism planning (2022–2024, Funded by British Academy of Management, £3999)
• Lean Talent Management & Dynamic Innovative Capability in the Hotel Sector: The Case Study of the Scottish Hotel Sector (PhD supervision, 2022–present)
• A comparative study of the impact of Covid-19 on the hospitality industry labour market (DBA supervision, 2023–present)

Supervision:

• Homa Rahimi (PhD, Additional Supervisor)
• John Kidd (DBA, Second Supervisor)

Labs & Research Groups:

• Member of the Tourism Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier University