Dr Steven Cock

Qualifications: BA (Hons) | PG Cert | MSc | PhD | SFHEA

Prior to joining York St John University, I graduated with a first-class BA (Hons) degree in Sport and Leisure Management from the University of Salford and both an MSc in the Sociology of Sport and Exercise and a PhD at the University of Chester. I worked as a visiting lecturer at the University of Chester and, during this time, also completed a PG Cert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, gaining recognition as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2011.

I joined York St John University as a lecturer in 2014. I am currently Senior Lecturer in Business and Management within York Business School. I have wide-ranging experience of teaching across a diverse range of subject and discipline areas at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I have also previously been course leader for various undergraduate degree programmes in subject areas linked to events management, hospitality management and tourism management and have also been the Programme Leader for the Master of Business Administration (MBA) postgraduate degree programme within York Business School. Linked to the various roles and responsibilities that I have undertaken during my time in academia, I gained recognition as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) in 2022. I am currently involved as an active member of various research groups within York St John University and am Co-Chair/Co-Founder of the People in Employment Settings (PiES) Research Group.

Beyond the university, I have previously been a member of the Executive Committee for the Leisure Studies Association (LSA). I was Chair of the Organising Committee for the LSA Annual Conference 2025, held at York St John University, which brought together delegates from across the globe to present their research and to provide a forum to examine a range of social, ecological and spatial justice issues under the conference theme: Leisure and Social Justice in Changing and Challenging Times. I am currently Vice-Chair of the Organising Committee for the upcoming annual conference of the University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD), which will take place at York St John University between the 17-19 June 2026.

I have extensive experience of teaching and supporting undergraduate students (Levels 4-6) and postgraduate students (Level 7) across a wide range of business-related subject and discipline areas.

At present, I teach on the following postgraduate modules:

• Capstone Project (Level 7).
• Dynamic Perspectives on Sustainable Business (Level 7).

I also teach on the following undergraduate modules:

• Research Methods (Level 5).
• Management Research Methods (Level 5)

Alongside teaching, I have extensive experience of supervising dissertation and research projects across a range of disciplines, subjects and topic areas at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

I also supervise doctoral candidates who are undertaking research at PhD level and postgraduate research students at Masters-by-Research level.

Research Interests

My research is underpinned by a sociological approach. My main research interests include: 

• Examining long-term processes of organisational structure and change in the sport and leisure industries.
• The emergence, development and history of modern sport and leisure activities.
• Understanding key social justice issues in sport and leisure from a sociological perspective.
• Examining the processes through which people’s attitudes regarding ‘acceptable’ forms of social behaviour (such as manners, etiquette and forms of violence) have changed over time.
• Critically analysing underpinning power dynamics relating to a range of contemporary issues in modern business and workplace settings.
• The sociology of knowledge and use of research methods in business disciplines and in the social sciences.
• The development of critical approaches to learning, teaching and pedagogy within higher education.
• I am currently involved in a range of individual and collaborative research projects that are linked to the research areas listed above.

Research Group Membership

I am an active member of the following research groups:

• Co-Chair/Co-Founder of the People in Employment Settings (PiES) Research Group at York St John University (please click here for further information).
• Member of the Inclusion, Society and Education Research Group, York St John University (please click here for further information).
• Member of the Higher Education Research Group, York St John University (please click here for further information).

External Research Funding

I have been successful in applying for the following external research funding:

• £1,000: University Forum for Human Resource Development Honorarium, 2025. Project title: The impact of gender and perceived social status on career trajectories within academic careers. (Application with colleagues from the People in Employment Settings Research Group)
• £1,000: University Forum for Human Resource Development Honorarium, 2025. Project title: Two heads are better than one: Evaluating a dual approach to supporting degree apprentices in Higher Education with academic tutors and work-based tutors. (Application with colleagues from the People in Employment Settings Research Group)

Internal Research Funding

I have successfully applied for internal research funding through the following schemes:

• £5,100: Quality-Related (QR) Funding, York Business School, York St John University, 2024. (Application with colleagues from the People in Employment Settings Research Group)
• £2,900: Cross-School Grant Primer Research Fund, York St John University, 2023. (Application with colleagues from the Higher Education Research Group)
• £500: Student as Researchers Scheme, York St John University, 2023. (Application with colleagues from the People in Employment Settings Research Group)
• £1,000: Quality-Related (QR) Funding, School of Education, Language and Psychology, York St John University, 2023. (Application with colleagues from the Inclusion, Society and Education Research Group)
• £1,500: Academic Development Directorate (Students as Researchers Scheme) and the School of Sport, York St John University, 2017.
• £1,000: Students as Researchers Scheme, York St John University, 2017.

Research Student Supervision

•  I have supervised postgraduate research students at both Doctoral (PhD) and Masters-by-Research levels to successful completion.
•  I am currently supervising four doctoral candidates who are undertaking research at PhD level.
•  I would welcome enquiries from potential postgraduate research candidates who are interested in conducting research linked to the “research interests” topic areas listed above.

Recent publications

External Accreditations and Memberships

I hold the following accreditation with Advance HE:

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).

I am a member of the following professional organisations:

• Leisure Studies Association.
• Critical Pedagogies in Sport Network.
• Affiliate member of the UK Advising and Tutorial Association.

External committee membership:

• I have previously been a member of the Executive Committee for the Leisure Studies Association.

Conference Leadership, Planning and Organisation

I have undertaken leadership roles as Chair/Vice-Chair on the organising committees for the following international academic conferences:

• Vice-Chair of the Organising Committee: University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD) Annual Conference 2026, 17-19 June, York St John University, York, United Kingdom (please click here for further information).
• Chair of the Organising Committee: Leisure Studies Association Annual Conference 2025, 8-10 July, York St John University, York, United Kingdom (please click here for further information).

I was also a member of the organising committee for the following academic symposium:

• Disciplinary Spaces in Higher Education, Student Identity and Sense of Belonging, Higher Education Research Group (HERG) Symposium, 10 June 2024, York St John University, York, United Kingdom.

External Examining and Quality Assurance

I am currently an external examiner at the following institutions:

• Manchester Metropolitan University.

External Consultancy Activities

I am currently involved in external consultancy activities for the following organisations:

• NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board – Good Experience Project: Research and Development to Inform the Development of a Communication Charter. (Consultancy undertaken alongside colleagues from the People in Employment Settings (PiES) Research Group and the YSJU Institute for Health and Care Improvement).

Peer-Review Activities

I have undertaken peer-review activities for various academic journals, including:

• Cogent Business and Management.
• European Journal for Sport and Society.
• European Physical Education Review.
• International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior.
• International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure.
• Journal of Contemporary Ethnography.
• Journal of Further and Higher Education.
• Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education.
• Leisure Studies.
• Sport in History.

Journal Editorial Activities

I am currently involved as a guest editor for upcoming special issues of the two following academic journals:

• Journal of Further and Higher Education.
• International Journal of Human Resource Development: Practice, Policy and Research.