The Interplay Between Context and Concept: Theorizing in Hospitality and Tourism Research

Our field needs research simultaneously driven by theory and context that is both rigorous and relevant. This commentary has sought to propose a viable road map to explore the interplay between context and concept toward theory building in an applied area of research such as ours. This commentary discusses a three-step approach of conceptualizing the context, contextualizing the concept, and cross-fertilizing the context and concept to systematically explore the interaction between context and concept in the interest of theory building. Specific steps at each stage of the process are also discussed.