Understanding the influence of place on festival making and artistic production in the local urban festival context

Recent decades have seen a dramatic increase in research output on arts festivals and cultural events, and a growing focus on the role festivals play in negotiating and constructing meanings of place. However, little attention has been paid to how place shapes the process of festival making and artistic production. This paper attempts to address this shortcoming by examining the extent to which place matters to the production of festival activity and asks: how does place influence festival making and artistic production in a local arts festival context? The study is part of ongoing qualitative research into the Five Lamps Arts Festival, a local urban festival in Dublin’s North Inner-City and employs a mixed methods approach. Findings indicate that processes of festival making and artistic production are permeated by the social, cultural, and physical dimensions of place, thereby revealing the potent and mutually inter-dependent relationship between place and festivals

A STUDY OF STRATEGIC INNOVATION PRACTICES WITHIN THE IRISH TOURISM INDUSTRY

One dominant theme that continuously appears to emerge from national reports is that, in order for small tourism firms to surmount the detrimental effects of losing competitiveness (caused mainly by globalisation and the changing economic climate) emphasis must be directed at encouraging these companies to adopt a strategic innovation practice and become strategic innovators (The Tourism Policy Review, 2003). However, what makes good strategic practice in the context of innovativeness and thus increasing firm competitiveness is not clearly understood within the literature. Furthermore, research to date tends to focus on micro or product-level innovation and ignores the reality that small firms need to continually innovative as a firm-level strategic objective, especially considering that “innovations in and of themselves are not necessarily the key to long-term business success” (Sigauw et al 2006: 556). Therefore this paper makes a unique contribution to a very significant gap in the innovation and business strategy literature, by reviewing current work and conceptualizing strategic practices that link effective strategy to enhance innovativeness. Our conceptualization is elaborated with a set of propositions which have academic implications for enriching resource based theory and practical implications for managing the innovativeness journey

Design and Technology Education

Abstract Junior Certificate Technical Graphics was introduced in Ireland in 1991 and aimed to develop innovative problem solving aptitudes and knowledge of plane and descriptive geometry (NCCA 1991 This research study aims to evaluate the types of approach to assessment of two different year groups at different stages of the Junior Cycle. The core hypothesis being investigated is whether there is a more sophisticated approach to the assessment evident among the older year groups. In order to achieve this aim a visual protocol similar to Findings indicate that the use of a traditional summative approach to assessment has significant limitations within the subject of Technical Graphics. There are also notable trends occurring in students' approach to the assessment, which seem to rely on a low level of graphical knowledge and problem solving skills. The findings confirm that the older year group adopted a more efficient approach to the assessment but displayed unsophisticated approaches to the application of graphical principles. Some limitations of the summative measurement model are supported by the results of this paper

INNOVATIVENESS: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ANTECEDENTS, DIMENSIONS, & OUTCOMES (RIKON Group)

Drawing from work found in the organisational, tourism services, and consumer innovation literatures over the past 40 years, this paper develops a conceptual framework of innovativeness. It delineates innovativeness as a multidimensional construct; exploring its key antecedents, dimensions, and outcomes. To date, little significant international research activity on innovativeness within the SME, and in particular within the small tourism firm, has emerged from the extant literature. Moreover, the current literature appears to lack clarity in meaning, often confusing ‘innovativeness’ with ‘innovation’. Thus, this paper offers a new conceptualisation of firm-level innovativeness, distinguishing it from actual innovations themselves. In this paper, innovativeness is conceptualised as a particular form of organisational mindset and a specific set of capabilities that drive innovation activity. Key Words: innovativeness; antecedents; dimensions; outcomes; tourism innovation; conceptualisatio

A Capability Based Framework for Tourism Innovativeness

Drawing on the strategic management, innovation, tourism, marketing, and organisational behaviour literatures over the past 50 years, we propose a resource-based (Barney 1991) and dynamic-capability (Wernerfelt 1984; Teece et al. 1997; Eisenhardt & Martin 2000) research approach to theoretically explore how small tourism firms can manage and reconfigure their existing pool of resources through their innovative capabilities to deal with the turbulent environment in which they are embedded. This paper conceptually examines and schematically models the impact of the dynamic capability-generating capacity of firm-level innovativeness on sustainable competitive advantage in small tourism firms. Keywords: Dynamic-capabilities perspective, resource-based view, firm-level innovativeness, firm performance, competitiveness, small tourism firm, conceptual model

DYNAMIC KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY FOR THE SMALL TOURISM FIRM

Strategic management theory has largely and traditionally focused on the external environment in which a firm can achieve competitive advantage (Bounfour, 2003). Increasingly literature has redirected their focus towards the more controllable internal resources within the firm (Barney, 1991). An increasing amount of literature has recognised that the potential for competitive advantage arises from Intellectual Capital (IC) in the form of human, social and structural resources (Teece, 1998). Previous IC literature has tended to focus mostly on the measurement of individual components of IC and IC components collectively (Mayo, 2000; Tsai and Ghoshal, 1998; Stewart, 1997). Essentially IC amalgamates to a firm’s knowledge assets. Although it makes sense to redirect IC theory towards Knowledge Management (KM) thinking, it has traditionally remained as two distinct areas (Bounfour, 2003). The scant literature that does link KM with IC has been produced purely on a theoretical basis (Moustaghfir, 2008) and the tendency has been to focus on larger firms with case studies and little research has taken place in the tourism industry (Engstrom et al, 2003; Roos and Roos, 1997b) or SME sector. Key authors in the area are calling for the integration of academics and management practitioners to form a practice based model (Grant, 1997). This article therefore seeks to create this link between IC and KM in the Irish tourism sector, by identifying the IC resources of importance, and leveraging these resources through knowledge management capability. Further this paper identifies and distinguishes between the cognitive based aspects of knowledge management and the action based area of organisational learning that will enhance the tourism firm’s competitive advantage

A PROPOSED MODEL OF FIRM LEVEL INNOVATIVENESS THE SMALL TOURISM FIRM

National reports advise that in order for the tourism industry to restore its competitiveness, Ireland must enhance the innovativeness of the tourism firm (The National Development Plan, 2007-2013: Tourism Policy Review, 2003). Despite this realisation, and despite numerous calls to explore tourism innovativeness, few research agendas have addressed this issue. Theory suggests that if small tourism firms can strategically practice innovation, limited resources will be utilised to maximum capacity and profitability, subsequently improving competitiveness (Sundbo et al., 2007). However, extant research focuses on product-level innovation, ignoring the reality that small firms need to continually innovate as a firm-level strategy, especially since “innovations in and of themselves are not necessarily the key to long-term business success” (Siguaw et al., 2006: 556). A tourism firm’s long-term survival may rely more on overall strategic-level innovativeness that produces dynamic capabilities, which in turn enhances the development of innovations, and less on actual innovations (Abernathy and Utterback, 1978; Trott, 1998). Moreover, relatively little reported empirical research details how firms can achieve firm-level innovativeness (Markides, 1998), remaining a central dilemma for most small firms. Researchers must meticulously examine the construct of innovativeness itself, since it has received conflicting conceptualisations; often used interchangeably with the terms ‘innovation orientation’ and ‘innovation’. Consequently, the current literature appears to lack consensus regarding what exactly constitutes ‘innovativeness’, resulting in an extensive knowledge gap. To date, little significant international research activity on innovativeness within the SME, and in particular within the small tourism firm, has emerged from the extant literature. Drawing from prior work found in the organisational, product, tourism services, consumer, and psychology literatures over the past 48 years, this paper aims to theoretically propose a new multidimensional conceptualisation of firm-level innovativeness. In essence, the primary objective of this paper is to dissect the innovativeness construct and identify its key dimensions from the perspective of the firm

DOES SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE EXIST? AND, IF SO, HOW CAN IT BE ACHIEVED?

Strategists and economists have spent years studying firms and organisations that have been successful. The questions that arose back then remain unanswered today. Why are some organisations more successful than others? What is different about these successful firms? How did they achieve this competitive advantage (CA)? And is it sustainable? Many theories have been put forward in an effort to solve this matter, but not one particular theory has been acknowledged as the means of gaining this competitive advantage (Cockburn, Henderson and Stern, 2000). Strategy within the 1980s mainly focused on the management of external factors as the source of competitive advantage (Porter, 1985). In the context of tourism, this is even more apparent. Many authors within the tourism literature have researched competitiveness in relation to the external environment (Yasin, Alavi, Sobral, Lisboa, 2003; Go, Pine and Yu, 1994). However, in the early nineties there was a significant shift in focus when strategists began to recognise that CA came from resources within the firm (Mahoney and Pandian, 1992; Barney, 1991; Grant, 1991). Policy makers have recognised the significant role that the Irish tourism sector plays within the Irish economy as well as its lack of competitiveness, hence they are eager to instil competitiveness in Irish tourism organisations (Dept of Arts, Sports and Tourism, 2010; Tourism Renewal Group, 2009). However, the dynamic nature of the tourism industry has made competition difficult to sustain. The problem with Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA) is that nobody really knows how to achieve it or whether it can even exist (Useem, 2000). There has been significant debate about this issue in strategic literature for quite some time and is still ongoing today (Fiol, 2001; Coyne, 1986). This paper will look comprehensively at whether it is possible for a tourism organisation to attain a competitive advantage. If it is possible, then how can the tourism organisation‟s internal resources be utilised to gain this level of competitiveness. Furthermore, this paper will discuss whether tourist practitioners can transform this advantage into a sustainable competitive advantage

FRAMEWORK FOR ENHANCING COMPETITIVENESS IN CULTURE AND HERITAGE ORGANISATIONS IN THE IRISH TOURISM INDUSTRY

The culture and heritage sector of the tourism industry has become a major economic sector of enterprise and of wealth creation (Failte Ireland, 2009a). However, as the National Development Plan (2007-2013) notes, the landscape is changing and the tourism industry is at a significant turning point in its evolution due to the economic downturn. Creating a stronger competitive capacity within Irish tourism companies is a challenging issue (National Development Plan, 2007-2013) and a core focus of this research. This research will particularly focus on cultural and heritage organisations where the industry is predominantly made up of micro and small to medium sized organisations. Given these organisation‟s are small they have limited resource pools. However, as outlined in the „New Horizons for Irish Tourism‟ report (Failte Ireland, 2009b), the cultural and heritage sector has „core assets‟ which if leveraged and deployed to maximum capacity, it could result in a competitive advantage. Strategic management theory has largely and traditionally focused on the external environment in which a firm can achieve competitive advantage (Bounfour, 2003). Increasingly literature has redirected its focus towards the more controllable internal resources within the firm (Barney, 1991). Indeed, an increasing amount of literature has recognised that if small cultural and tourism organisations can strategically utilise their limited resources to maximum capacity, competitiveness should increase (Sundbo et al. 2006). Drawing on the resource based (Barney, 1991) and dynamic capabilities views of the firm (Teece et al., 1997), this paper will make a unique contribution to a very significant gap in the capabilities and business strategy literature by analysing how tourism organisations are utilising and maximising their intangible resource stocks as a means of gaining competitive advantage. Due to the scarcity of research and interest in this area, it is perceived that our ongoing study will contribute substantially to academic knowledge and practice and should highlight key areas warranting investigation going forward

Dynamic Knowledge Management Capability (DKMC): From Resources to Capital (RIKON Group)

Strategic management theory has largely and traditionally focused on the external environment in which a firm can achieve competitive advantage (Bounfour, 2003). Increasingly literature has redirected their focus towards the more controllable internal resources within the firm (Barney, 1991). An increasing amount of literature has recognised that the potential for competitive advantage arises from Intellectual Capital (IC) in the form of human, relational and structural resources (Teece, 1998). However, transforming these resources in to Intellectual Capital has received scant attention within the literature and remains a central dilemma for most firms. Utilising the tourism industry as a context, this paper presents a conceptual model that details how the cultural and heritage organisation can effectively deploy and reconfigure resources to deliver sustained competitive advantage through cognitive and action orientated processes. The model proposes that the transformative process involves the integration of a firm’s knowledge and learning capability. The knowledge management capability engages the firm’s capital and transforms its inert state through the acquisition, storage, retrieval and distribution of knowledge within the firm (Crossan et al, 1999), while the application of knowledge takes place through learning within the firm (Chatzkel, 2000)