Lecturer wins medal for tourism insight

A BERWICK lecturer has been awarded a prestigious medal from Monash University for his tourism-based thesis.
Business and Economics lecturer Pieter A Van Dijk was last week declared a winner of the Mollie Holman doctoral medal – an award given each year to the author of the best thesis at Monash University.
Mr Van Dijk’s award winning research, titled Emotional Labour in a Tourism-Based Context, focused on the demands on tourism-based customer service staff and the emotions they are required to display.
The study found possible employee burnout from tourism workers who are required to fake their emotions while working.
Berwick campus pro vice-chancellor and academic director Professor Phillip Steele said the award highlighted the excellence of researchers at the Clyde Road campus.
He was full of praise for Mr Van Dijk and congratulated the Berwick lecturer on his “wonderful achievement”.
“Pieter’s award will help to highlight the excellence of researchers at the Monash University Berwick campus,” Prof Steele said.
Mr Van Dijk said he hoped the research could help service and tourism industries by providing an in-depth look at the possible emotional and psychological consequences of working in a customer-service role.