Paul Downward BA MA PhD
Senior Lecturer
Contact details
Room: JB.2.03a
Phone: +44 (0)1509 226365
Fax: +44 (0)1509 226301
Email: P.Downward@lboro.ac.uk
Background
Dr Paul Downward graduated from Staffordshire University (formerly North Staffordshire Polytechnic) with a first class honours degree in Economics in 1988. He subsequently completed a part-time MA in Economics at the University of Manchester in 1990 and a part-time PhD in Economics at the University of Leeds in 1996.
While undertaking postgraduate study, Dr Downward worked as a lecturer at Aston University, before returning to Staffordshire University, where upon he was awarded his Chair in Economics in 2002. Dr Downward was appointed as a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Leisure Policy and Management at Loughborough University in 2004, reflecting his desire to focus more upon interdisciplinary research as well as his sports, recreational and tourism research interests.
Research Interests
Dr. Downward currently supervises PhD students in the fields of professional team sports, volunteering in sport, participation in sport, the impact of Olympic recognition on sport, and the economic impact of recreational tourism.
Dr. Downward's research interests embrace two main fields. The first is methodological enquiry and the second is substantive research in the sports, recreation and tourism sectors. Dr Downward's interest in methodological enquiry stems from a concern that economics has become separated from social science, because of an overtly narrow focus upon rational choice, methodological individualism and deductivism. Drawing upon Critical Realism, Dr Downward is addressing the reorientation of economics into social science. In particular this focuses upon the use of mixed methods in economic research, and a rethinking of the role of econometric analysis. He has recently published an edited book that addresses these issues, as well as run two ESRC funded training workshops for PhD students seeking to research and apply 'interdisciplinary' economics research.
Dr Downward's interests in the sports, recreation and tourism sectors are wide ranging. He has recently focussed upon both professional and non-professional sports, and recreational tourism. He has recently published a book on the Economics of Sports, following up an earlier monograph on the Economics of Professional Team Sports. He is currently embarked on a study of the economic determinants and impacts of sports participation in the UK.
In recent research and consultancy work he has worked with UK Sport exploring the motivations and expectations of event volunteering, with reference to the Manchester Commonwealth Games, exploring the sports development implications of volunteering at mega events. He has also worked with Sport England exploring participation in sports and leisure in the UK, along with Dr Tess Kay of the IYS and, along with Professor Ian Henry, Dr Chris Harwood, Dr Leigh Robinson evaluated the Invest to Save project for Sport England. He has also worked with SUSTRANS exploring the profile and economic impact of cycle tourism, and with a number of colleagues examined the current status and future visions of Sport for All in Europe for the International Olympic Committee. Most recently Dr Downward has worked with Dr Leigh Robinson for England Netball evaluating their elite player development system. Currently Dr Downward, Dr Robinson and Dr Bodet are evaluating the service quality of the ASA.
Selected Publications
Books
Downward, P.M., Dawson, A and Dejonghe. (2009) The Economics of Sports: Theory, Evidence and Policy, Butterworth-Heinemann: London.
Downward, P.M. and Lumsdon, L. (2005) (eds) Essential Data Skills for Leisure and Tourism Management: A Guide to using Official Statistics, Office for National Statistics.
Downward, P.M. (2003) (Editor) Applied Economics and the Critical Realist Critique, Routledge:London
Downward, P.M. and Dawson, A. (2000) The Economics of Professional Team Sports, Routledge: London
Refereed Journal Articles
Downward, P., Lumsdon, L and Weston, R. (2009) Visitor Expenditure: The Case of Cycle recreation and Tourism, Journal of Sport and Tourism, Vol 14, No 1, 25-42
Downward, P.M. and Jones, M. (2007) Exploring Crowd-Size effects upon Referee Decisions: Analysis of the F.A. Cup, Journal of Sports Sciences, Vol 25, No 14, pp1541-1545
Downward, P.M. and Riordan, J. (2007) Social Interactions and the Demand for Sport: An Economic Analysis, Contemporary Economic Policy, Vol 25, No 4, pp518-537
Downward, P.M. (2007) Exploring the Economic Choice to Participate in Sport: Results from the 2002 General Household Survey, The International Review of Applied Economics, Vol 21, No 5, pp633-653
Downward, P.M. and Mearman, (2007) A. Retroduction as mixed-methods triangulation in economic research: reorienting economics into social science, Cambridge Journal of Economics
Downward, P.M. and Ralston, R. (2007) The Sports Development Potential of Sports Event Volunteering: Insights from The XV11 Manchester Commonwealth Games, European Sport Management Quarterly.
Downward, P.M. (2006) Transforming Economics through Critical Realism: Themes and Issues, The Journal of Critical Realism, Vol 5, No 1, pp139-182.
Downward, P.M., Lumsdon, L. and Rhoden, S. (2006) Transport and Tourism: Can Public Transport encourage a modal shift in the day-travel market? The Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Vol 14, No 2, pp139-156.
Downward, P.M., Lumsdon, L. and Ralston, R Gender Differences in Sports Event Volunteering: Insights from Crew 2002 at the XV11 Commonwealth Games. (2005) Managing Leisure: An International Journal, Volume 10, pp219-256.
Book Chapters
Downward, P.M. (2007) Empirical Analysis and Critical Realism in Hartwig, M. (ed) A Dictionary of Critical Realism, Routledge: London
Downward, P.M. and Davies, B. (2006) The Structure-Conduct-Performance Paradigm in Tourism, in The International Handbook of Tourism Economics, Dwyer, L. (ed), Edward Elgar.
You can view a fuller publications list on the University Publications Database.
External Activities
- Member of UK Sport’s Research Advisory Group
- Executive Board Member of British Philosophy of Sport Association
- Founding Editorial board member: Journal of Sports Economics.
- Founding Editorial board member: Tourism and Hospitality Planning and Development.
- Editorial advisory board member: Journal of Sport and Tourism
Selected Invited Conference Keynote and Speaker Presentations
The Economics of Sports Participation: Some Longitudinal Analysis for the conference on Threats to Sports and Sports Participation (May 2008). Universidad de Oviedo.
Volunteers in Sport: Clubs and Events International Parliamentarians' Conference 18 to 19 May 2006 at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Hiroshimastrasse 17, 10785 Berlin, Germany.
On the need to triangulate research in exercise and lifestyle: social scientific and economic perspectives and the case for retroduction, Plenary Presentation on Lifestyle and Health, 10th Annual Congress of the European College of Sports Science Belgrade July 13-16th, 2005.
Selected Recent Research Projects and Sources of Funding:
Household and Lifestyle Participation in Sport, Sport England £3,246, With Dr Tess Kay, 2004-2006
Current status and future visions of Sport for All in Europe, International Olympic Committee, £17,123, with Dr Mick Green, Dr Fiona Bull, Professor Ian Henry, Professor Barrie Houlihan, Dr Leigh Robinson 2006 -2007
Sports Partnerships Promoting Inclusive Communities: Monitoring and Evaluating. Sport England, £40,000, with Professor Ian Henry, Dr Chris Harwood, Dr Leigh Robinson, 2005 – 2008
An investigation into talent identification and development in English Netball, with Dr Leigh Robinson, England Netball £5000, 2008-2009.