Qualifications: 

1997    PhD, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

1977    M.Sc., Leeds University, Leeds, U.K.

1969    PGCE (First Class), Nottingham University, Nottingham, U.K.

1968    B Sc. (First Class Hons), Birmingham University, Edgbaston, U.K. 

Areas of Research:

Linda’s research interests have been largely developed through her PhD studies (Title of Thesis: A New Beef Product Adoption Model for Hotels and Motels in Greater Melbourne) and encompass the areas of new product development, new product adoption, the process of innovation and the factors affecting decision making in the adoption and purchasing of new products. During her PhD studies funding was obtained from the Meat Research Corporation, the Australian Meat and Live-stock Corporation (now Meat and Livestock Australia), the Government of Victoria through the Australian Food Industry Science Centre (now Food Science Australia), Victoria University and two well-established meat processing companies in Melbourne. Since completing her PhD Linda has become an Associate of the Centre for Hospitality and Tourism Research at Victoria University and has been involved in five Sustainable Tourism CRC research projects. Linda is also interested in research into innovation for the accommodation industry, innovation change management for SMTEs and food and wine tourism. Her teaching interests are closely related to her research and lie in the areas of “product innovation in hospitality and tourism” and “emerging systems in hospitality” including food safety programs, environmental management, catering systems and food trends.

Resume:

Linda Roberts is an Associate Professor in the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Marketing, Head of the Hospitality Discipline Area and Course Director for the Master of Business in Hospitality Management and the Master of Business in Hospitality Management (Professional Practice) at Victoria University, Melbourne. She has thirty-five years of experience as an educator and academic with twenty-seven years in higher education in the hospitality field.

Research Grants Received 2001 – 2005

 1.    2001  - CRC Industry Commissioned Project ($39, 095) as project coordinator  - with Associate Professor. M. Deery. Project Title: The development of an industry based vision statement ‘ Foodservice 2010’.

2.      2002 - Project commissioned by the Office of the Victorian Governor General ($180,000) as researcher with Dr M. Deery. Project Title: Audit of Food Safety Management in Victoria.

3 .    2003 - CRC Industry Commissioned Project ($32,500) as overall project coordinator - with Professor Leo Jago at VU and from Professor Roger Fay, Dr Zbigniew Bromberek and Justin Beall at the University of Tasmania). Project Title: Reinventing 3-4 Star Accommodation in Regional Australia – The Identification of Innovative Strategies to Meet Visitor Needs.

4.     2003 - CRC Industry Commissioned Project ($62,200) as project coordinator  - with Associate Professor Marg Deery at VU, Professor Beverley Sparks (overall project coordinator) and Jane Malady from Griffith University, and Jenny Davies and Lorraine Brown of the University of South Australia. Project Title: "Good Living Tourism": An analysis of the opportunities to develop food and wine tourism in Australia.

5.     2004 – STCRC Industry Commissioned Project ($40,000) as overall project coordinator - with Associate Professor Marg Deery at VU and Professor Beverley Sparks (overall project coordinator) from Griffith University, and Jenny Davies and Lorraine Brown of the University of South Australia. Project Title: Wine Tourism Experience and Future Behaviour.

 6.     2004 - STCRC Industry Commissioned Project ($44,750)  - with Associate Professor John Breen (overall project coordinator) and Suzanne Bergin-Seers of VU, Dr Elspeth Frew of La Trobe University and Professor Jack Carlson of Curtin University. Project Title: Innovation and Change Management for SMTEs

 7.      2004/5 - STCRC Industry Commissioned Project ($21, 700)  - with Suzanne Bergin-Seers (overall project coordinator) and Professor John Breen of VU and Dr Elspeth Frew of La Trobe University. Project Title: Determinants for Successful Entry of Small Tour Operators to the Nature Based Tourism Sector.

Publications 2001-2005

Reports, Book Chapters and Journal Articles

 1.      Roberts L., Deery, M. and Hede, A-M. (2001), Foodservice 2010 Vision Statement and Research Report, Victoria University, Melbourne.

 2.      Roberts, L. (2001), Close Menu-Planner/Supplier Relationship Vital for Successful New Product Development, Australian Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 1-16.

 
3.      Hede, A-M, Deery, M. and Roberts L. (2001), The Twenty-first century challenge for Australian Restaurateurs, The Hospitality Review, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 5-13.

 4.      Roberts L., Deery, M. and Hede, A-M. (2002), The Vision for Foodservice 2010, CRC for Sustainable Tourism, Griffith University, Gold Coast.

 5.      Ball, S. and Roberts, L. (2003), Restaurants, in Brotherton, B. (ed.) (2003), The International Hospitality Industry, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford. Chapter 2, pp.30 - 58.

 
6.      Roberts, L. and Deery, M. (2004) Current Issues and Trends in Food Safety Management in Victoria, Australia, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 16, No. 3, pp.151-158. 

 7.      Sparks, B., Roberts, L. M., Deery, M., Davies, J. and Brown, L. (2004), Good Living Tourism Project “Lifestyle Aspects of Food and Wine Tourism”, STCRC Technical Report, (STCRC, In Press).

 8.      Beall, J. and Roberts, L. (2005), Reinventing 3 and 4 Star Tourism Accommodation in Regional Australia: Identification of innovative strategies to meet visitor needs “ State of 3 and 4 Star Tourism Accommodation Infrastructure in Tasmania”, STCRC Technical Report, (STCRC, In Press).

9.      Roberts, L. and Jago, L. (2005), Role of Sustainability Innovation in Enhancing Sustainability: A Case Study on the Motel Sector, in Ryan, C., Page, S. and Aicken, M (ed.) (2005), Taking Tourism to the Limits, Elsevier, London. Chapter 23, pp. 255-267.

 Refereed Conference Papers

 1.      Roberts, L., Hede, A-M and Deery, M. (2002), Trends and issues for Australian restaurateurs: Preliminary results, CAUTHE conference, 6-9 February 2002, Fremantle.

 2.      Roberts, L. M. and Deery, M. (2003), Current issues and trends in food safety management in Victoria, Australia, CHME conference: Trends and Developments in Hospitality Research, 23-24 April, 2003, Sheffield, UK.

 3.      Roberts, L. and Jago, L. (2003) Role of Sustainability Innovation in Enhancing Sustainability: A Case Study on the Motel Sector, Tourism to the Limits conference, 6-8 December 2003, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.

4.      Roberts, L. M. and Deery, M. (2004), Good Living Tourism: Case Studies of Two Food and Wine Regions in Victoria: Yarra Valley and the Macedon Ranges, International Wine Tourism Conference, 2-6 May 2004, Margaret River, Western Australia.

 5.      Beall, J. and Roberts, L. (2004), Declining motel infrastructure in regional Australia: the motel operator’s perspective, New Zealand Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference, 8-10 December 2004, Wellington, New Zealand.

 Conference Keynote Address

 1.      Roberts, L. (2003), Researching Hospitality in Australia, CHME conference: Trends and Developments in Hospitality Research, 23-24 April, 2003, Sheffield, UK.

 Conference Working Papers

 1.      Roberts, L. M., Beredimas, N. and Roberts, G. B., (2001), Making Food Safety Work: Development of teaching and training pathways for Foodservice Staff, CAUTHE conference: 8-11 February, Mount Buller.

 2.      Roberts, L. M. (2002), Purchasing and Buying Influences in Foodservice Operations CAUTHE conference:  6-9 February 2002, Canberra.

 3.      Roberts, L., Gillet, S. and Best, G. (2003), Creation of “gay and lesbian space”: relationship with food, wine and tourism in Regional Victoria, CAUTHE conference:  5-8 February 2003, Surfer's Paradise.

4.      Roberts, L., O'Mahony, B., Hede, A. and Deery, M. (2003), Food Safety Management: Issues for Small Food Businesses, CAUTHE conference, 5-8 February 2003, Surfer's Paradise.

 5.      Deery, M., Sparks, B., Roberts, L., Davies, J. and Brown, L. (2004), Developing Regional Tourism: The Role of Food and Wine Entrepreneurs, CAUTHE conference:  4-7 February 2004, Brisbane.

 6.   Roberts, L. and Jago, L. (2004) Up-grading 3-4 Star Motel Accommodation in Regional Australia: Are travellers expecting too much for their money?, New Zealand Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference, 8-10 December 2004, Wellington, New Zealand.