Developing the eventful city in Sibiu, Romania

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg Richards ◽  
Ilie Rotariu
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Eu Membership ◽  
Social And Economic Development ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Growth Coalition ◽  
The City ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – Cities are increasingly using events as an instrument for economic and social change and cultural and urban regeneration. Major events help cities to distinguish themselves, and attracting event-related tourism generates income and jobs and increases atmosphere and “liveliness”. Many cities have therefore positioned themselves as “eventful cities” or “festival cities” by adopting event-led strategies. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The effects of the 2007 European Capital of Culture (ECoC) in Sibiu, Romania were evaluated through a decade of longitudinal research including surveys and depth interviews with local residents, stakeholders and tourists to monitor the sustainability of event-related regeneration strategies. Findings – The impacts identified include increased cultural activity, tourism growth, image improvements and increased pride among residents. These impacts have been facilitated by a local growth coalition, and the increased linkage of the city to flows of investment, skills and talent through EU membership. The city has taken some important steps to becoming an “eventful city”, in which events are utilised to sustainably increase the quality of life. However, the momentum of eventfulness developed in 2007 has been difficult to maintain, and there are difficulties in separating the effect of event-related activities from wider cultural, social and economic development factors. Originality/value – The research indicates that the Sibiu ECoC in 2007 and the programme of cultural development leading up to it had substantial impacts on the city both in the short and longer term. The ECoC certainly met most of its short-term aims, as there was a significant economic boost from tourism and an improvement in the external image of the city.

Urban icons and city branding development

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Rey Castillo-Villar
Keyword(s):  
Local Context ◽  
City Branding ◽  
Local Identity ◽  
Visual Aids ◽  
Content Type ◽  
City Brand ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
The City ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how future urban icons can effectively contribute to the development of an authentic city brand linked to local identity. Urban icons have been one of the main tools of city branding to promote a unique and distinctive image of the city. However, the rising of the globalization reflects a series of strong dilemmas regarding the contemporary urban icons because these have been reproduced in a standardized way around the world without any connection to the local context. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study consisted of 30 in-depth interviews with visual aids of urban icons conducted with local residents of the city of Monterrey, Mexico. Findings The results demonstrate that the acceptance of a contemporary urban icon by local residents depends on their relationship with the most representative aspects of the local identity and their ability to generate positive experiences. The outcomes of the research suggest that future urban icons should favor the local identity and the free coexistence between local residents over the attractive visual design and the private space. Originality/value The article discusses the dynamics between urban icons and the city brand from a new theoretical approach supported by empirical evidence. The novelty of this approach consists of the vision of the urban icon as an element capable of linking the city brand with the values and ideals of local residents.

scholarly journals CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS OF THE MONOTOWN OF GUKOVO IN THE ROSTOV REGION: OPINIONS OF RESIDENTS

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (2) ◽  
pp. 40-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Д. Челпанова ◽  
D. Chelpanova ◽  
Т. Гревцова ◽  
T. Grevtsova
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Period ◽  
Social Infrastructure ◽  
Social Sphere ◽  
Rostov Region ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social And Economic Development ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
The Town ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Post Soviet Period

<p>The town of Gukovo is an average city of the Rostov Region with a population of about 65 thousand people. Its industry is connected with coal mining. When the local coal mines were closed in the post-Soviet period, many people lost their jobs and began to seek employment in other regions. Today the local residents work mainly in the social sphere, trade and agriculture. They associate the prospects for the development of the urban industrial and social infrastructure with the creation of the priority social and economic development area (PSEDA) “Gukovo”. At present, the enterprises of PSEDA have already begun operating: they are mostly oriented to<br />engineering, manufacturing of reinforced concrete structures, carbonaceous materials, sunflower oil, and textile products. The goal of the study is to highlight the current social and economic problems of the municipal entity “Gukovo City” – PSEDA “Gukovo”, represented through the prism of the opinions of its residents. The study is based on the materials of depth interviews</p>

Tourist scams in the city: challenges for domestic travellers in urban China

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 294-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Li ◽  
Philip Pearce
Keyword(s):  
Social Situation ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tourist Attractions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Quality Of Products ◽  
The City ◽  
Directing Attention

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify dominant scams against domestic tourists in popular tourism cities in China. There are two questions of concern: what types of scams do domestic tourists experience and are the patterns of scams different between the capital and regional cities? The social situation framework was employed to interpret the outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A content analysis facilitated by Leximancer software was applied to 102 Chinese travel blogs reporting experiences of being scammed in Beijing, Hangzhou, Xi’an, Sanya and Guilin. Clear themes and concepts emerged from the analysis of these travel reviews and differences in scamming patterns between Beijing and regional cities were identified. Findings The most frequently reported scams in the capital Beijing were linked to the chaotic environment at tourist attractions and the misbehaviours of tour agents. By way of contrast scams involving manipulating the weight and quality of products purchased were more common in regional cities. The differences between Beijing and other locations may lie in the greater monitoring of fraudulent practices in the capital. Additionally, the role of shills (confederates of the scammer) was highlighted in many of the scams studied. Originality/value Scams include a slightly less serious but still troublesome set of problems accompanying major crimes and assaults. Rare research specifically focussed on tourist scams despite substantive work discussing crimes against tourists as general. Implications of the present study lie in enriching the literature on scams against tourists. The analysis of scams as a special type of social situation proved to be insightful in directing attention to facets of the interaction thus providing connections to previous work and directions for further study. It is also promising to be developed to inform strategic approaches to creating a safer tourism environment in cities.

Kindergarten teachers' evaluation: perceptions of the new Israeli multiple domains performance tool

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yael Cohen-Azaria
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Kindergarten Teachers ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
Teachers Attitudes ◽  
Multiple Domains ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose In 2012, the Israeli Ministry of Education and its Testing and Evaluation Department introduced a new tool to evaluate the quality of kindergarten teachers’ work. This paper aims to identify how kindergarten teachers perceive the new multiple domains performance tool. Design/methodology/approach The study applied a qualitative paradigm of data collection and analysis. Data collection consisted of semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with 36 kindergarten teachers. Findings Findings indicated that most kindergarten teachers perceive their work plan and the kindergarten climate as the most important evaluation domains, while perceiving involving parents as the least important and even an unnecessary domain. One-third of them indicated that an innovation domain should be added. Also, the kindergarten teachers perceived the use of the KT-MDPT as both positive and negative. Originality/value There is a clear dearth in scholarly literature dealing with the evaluation of the quality of kindergarten teachers’ work. This study is the first to reveal Israeli kindergarten teachers' attitudes regarding this new tool for work quality evaluation.

Exploring backpackers’ perceptions of the hostel service quality

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 1839-1855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Brochado ◽  
Paulo Rita ◽  
Carlos Gameiro
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Mixed Approach ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of backpackers’s evaluation of service quality provided by hostels by developing a battery of items to assess perceptions of the overall hostel experience. Design/methodology/approach – Scale development took a mixed approach that combines qualitative and quantitative research. First, the authors performed a content analysis of reviews provided by guests in hostel booking web sites, in-depth interviews with hostel managers and focus groups with guests, to develop a battery of items to assess the hostel experience from the guests’ perspective. Then, a quantitative survey (n = 222) was conducted, to explore the dimensionality of service quality in this sector. Lisbon hostels are the target of this study, as they received several awards based on the online reviews of backpackers. Findings – The results revealed that service quality is a multidimensional concept and includes six dimensions, namely, social atmosphere, location and city connection, staff, cleanliness, security and facilities. Regression results revealed that the social atmosphere appears to be a core service dimension crucial to create a sense of hostel guest’s overall quality. Originality/value – The findings suggest that service quality scales should incorporate the specific characteristics of the hotel industry. The quality of the staff and the social atmosphere are of utmost importance to enhance the hostel backpacker experience.

How sustainability assurance engagement scopes are determined, and its impact on capture and credibility enhancement

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Bilal Farooq ◽  
Charl de Villiers
Keyword(s):  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Client Pressure ◽  
Assurance Process ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Management Report

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how sustainability assurance providers’ (SAPs) promotion of sustainability assurance influences the scope of engagements, its implications for professional and managerial capture and the ability of sustainability assurance to promote credible reporting. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted in-depth interviews with sustainability reporting managers (SRMs) and SAPs in Australia and New Zealand, using an institutional work lens to focus the analysis. Findings At the start of a new assurance engagement, SAPs offer pre-assurance and flexible assurance scopes, allowing them to recruit clients on narrow-scoped engagements. These narrow-scoped engagements focus on disclosed content and limit SAPs’ ability to add value and enhance credibility. During assurance engagements, SAPs educate managers and encourage changing the norms underlying sustainability reporting. At the end of the assurance engagement, SAPs provide a management report demonstrating added-value of assurance and encouraging clients broader-scoped engagements. However, with each assurance engagement, the recommendations offer diminishing returns, often leading managers to question the value of broad-scoped engagements and to consider narrowing the scope to realize savings. Under these conditions, client pressure (potentially managerial capture) along with practitioners’ desires to grow assurance income (potentially professional capture) can affect SAPs’ independence and the quality of their assurance work. Practical implications The study implies that regulation mandating the scope of engagements may be called for. Originality/value The authors contribute to the research literature in several ways. First, the findings show how professional and managerial capture occurs before, during and at the end of the assurance process. The authors highlight how perceived value addition from sustainability assurance diminishes over time and how this impacts the scope of engagements (with implications for SAPs independence and the quality of assurance work). The authors show these findings in a table, clarifying the complicated interrelationships. Second, the authors contribute to theory by identifying a new form of institutional work. Third, unlike previous studies focused on SAPs, the authors provide insights from the perspectives of both SAPs and SRMs.

Government-funded event organisations – good and bad practice

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Devine ◽  
Frances Devine
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Institutional Arrangements ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Event Tourism ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Government Level

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how the structure of government-funded event agencies affected the development of the events industry in Northern Ireland. The institutional arrangements for two agencies which operated at different times in Northern Ireland were analysed. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 62 in-depth interviews were conducted with event organisers and public officials who had worked directly with these two organisations. Findings – The standalone National Events Agency which began operating in 1999 was found to be more hands-on and worked closely with event organisers to develop the quality of their event. As a quango it worked at arms length from government. Unfortunately it abused this freedom and used public monies to manage its own events, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability when managing this type of agency. In 2008 it was replaced by an Events Unit which was set up within the National Tourism Organisation. Under this structure event tourism and not event development was the priority. For the events industry this created development issues and reduced its clout at government level. Originality/value – This paper addressed a gap in the literature and found that the institutional arrangements did affect how a government-funded events agency operated and what it regarded as a strategic priority. This in turn had repercussions for the development of the events industry.

Shame and blame and its influence on male gay (chaay rak chaay) quality of life in Bangkok Thailand: a health promotion community nursing perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 113-122
Author(s):  
Praditporn Pongtriang ◽  
Anthony Paul O’Brien ◽  
Jane Maguire
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Smart Phone ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Community Nursing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore gay male informant experiences of discrimination and stigma in Bangkok from a health promotion community nursing perspective. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 informants and included field work observations at eight entertainment venues. Data analysis utilised an inductive thematic approach. Findings Key themes that emerged from the data were related to communication, particularly the use of smart phone applications; lack of privacy in health services; sexual exploitation by entertainment venues; and concerns about coming out safely to protect self-esteem and mental health. Originality/value Development of key mental health promotion messages based on a greater understanding and knowledge of discrimination and stigma may help to reduce negative behaviour and stigmatisation towards Thai gay men in Bangkok.

scholarly journals Forecasting of Economic Efficiency of the City-Forming Enterprise in the Monotown

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oksana Gurieva ◽  
Viktor Barhatov
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Economic Efficiency ◽  
Social And Economic Development ◽  
External Conditions ◽  
Is Development ◽  
The City

Research objective is development of the forecast of scenario conditions of increase of economic efficiency of the city-forming enterprise of the monotown for further social and economic development of the region for 2014-2016. For achievement of a goal a number of tasks is solved: consideration of theoretical prerequisites to concept economic efficiency; research of features of economic efficiency of the city-forming enterprise in the monotown; choice of a method of forecasting; forecasting of economic efficiency of the city-forming enterprise. When carrying out research scenario approaches and expert methods of forecasting are used. The main versions of the forecast – option 1 (conservative), option 2 (moderate and optimistical) and option 3 (forced) – are developed on the basis of a uniform hypothesis of external conditions and differ with models of behavior of the enterprises of the monotown, and as with prospects of increase of their efficiency. It is established that at realization of all versions of the forecast economic efficiency of the city-forming enterprise of the monotown increases. However quality of this increase in considered scenarios of the forecast of social and economic development of the region variously. As the most acceptable the moderate and optimistical option is recognized, so at its realization economic efficiency will increase on the average 0,7 items above, than in option 1. The moderate and optimistical option is more focused on innovations, assumes carrying out transformations in development of the human capital and science, and also active modernization of the enterprise.

scholarly journals A note on auditing fair value of investment properties

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Nordlund ◽  
Johan Lorentzon ◽  
Hans Lind
Keyword(s):  
Fair Value ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Market Values ◽  
Substantial Risk ◽  
Fair Market ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to study how fair values in financial reports are audited.Design/methodology/approachThe study is a qualitative case study based on in-depth interviews.FindingsOne important finding is that auditors anchor in the figure presented by the company, and despite the auditing efforts, there is a substantial risk of management bias in the fair values reported. There is a risk for confirmation bias.Research limitations/implicationsRelatively, few respondents were employed in this study, but their background and competence lead to the assessment that the study provides a representative picture of what is being investigated.Practical implicationsAuditors may need to develop ways of performing auditing of fair values to reduce the risks identified in this study.Social implicationsThis study presents a perspective of the auditing process enabling an evaluation of the quality of fair value estimates regarding investment properties in the financial reports. This study also provides users of financial reports as investors, bankers and other institutions with an enhanced understanding of reported estimates of fair (market) values.Originality/valueVery few studies have investigated how auditors evaluate fair values of investment properties. This study contributes by giving users of financial reports an enhanced understanding of the quality of reported estimates of fair (market) values.

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