The professionalization of festival organizations : A relational approach to knowledge management

In this article we examine the emergence of knowledge management (KM) within the professionalisation of festivals and events. The growing complexity of festival management places pressure on organisations to effectively manage ‘knowledge’ in order to succeed. Knowledge is commonly conceptualised as information that can be stored or itemised through checklists. We offer an alternative conceptualisation of KM as a relational construction shaped by the organisational culture and structure. We develop this relational approach through a case study of the Queensland Music Festival (QMF) to examine the construction of KM roles and responsibilities. Our ethnographic research and qualitative analysis identifies how QMF implicitly utilises chief knowledge officer, knowledge broker, and knowledge worker roles. These roles were successfully performed over a short duration and yet they were not defined or explicitly stated. We discuss how the culture and spatial organisation of work teams contributed to a collective understanding of the value of sharing and creating knowledge. With growing professionalisation we argue that festival organisations will increasingly develop a more self-conscious awareness of the significance of KM language and practice. The findings will enable festival managers to better understand how KM processes are embedded within an organisational culture and contribute to organisational learning.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Multi-owned developments : a life cycle review of a developing research area

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to highlight the international significance of multi-owned developments (MODs), present an MOD life cycle conceptual model and review the range of identified peer-reviewed empirical research papers. Design/methodology/approach - The paper utilises an exploratory qualitative methodology to collate and analyse literature focusing on MODs. From the 403 research papers identified 96 peer-reviewed empirical research papers specific to MODs were examined. A MOD life cycle model has been conceptualised to facilitate a content analysis of the reviewed papers. Findings - The findings of this paper highlights the gaps in knowledge pertinent to MODs and outlines avenues for future research that argues for the need to develop a more holistic and multi-disciplinary research approach. Research limitations/implications - The research is based on reviewing published papers as identified using specific search terms. Originality/value - The paper makes an important and innovative contribution to the body of knowledge by developing a MOD life cycle model and identifying the range and scope of peer-reviewed empirical research literature published on MODs. Understanding the MOD life cycle phases and the gaps in the literature can enable academics from a multitude of disciplines to enhance this field of inquiry in order to better understand this emergent property type.No Full Tex

Risky facilities: analysis of crime concentration in high-rise buildings

This paper investigates the security of high rise high density accommodation at the Gold Coast – a premier Australian holiday destination. Surfers Paradise has one of the highest population densities in Australia at 3,279 persons per square kilometre and over 70 percent of the residential population live in buildings classed as high density within a mix of tourist apartments and units. The paper explores how the levels of place management and guardianship relate to the volume and mix of crimes occurring in high-rise apartment buildings. • Foreword: Current town planning and housing policies suggest that in the very near future, housing density in major Australian cities will be much higher than current levels. To date, little attention has been paid to how these policy shifts will impact levels of crime and fear of crime. The aim of this research is to contribute to the development of strategic policy for the secure management of high-density housing. By analysing actual rates and types of crime, guardianship levels, building management styles and perceptions of fear of crime, the research will reveal how planning policies and high-rise building management styles can coalesce to create safer vertical communities. The research focuses on high-rise apartments and touristic buildings on the Gold Coast (specifically Surfers Paradise) and identifies the disproportionate concentration of crimes among a handful of buildings. Results may help state and local governments in Australia to avoid repeating the housing policy mistakes experienced by other countries

An ethnographic exploration of knowledge practices within the Queensland Music Festival

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the utilisation and application of reflexive ethnography as an interpretative methodology for researching knowledge practices within festival organisations. Design/methodology/approach – The ethnographic approach incorporates two methods of data collection in the research design; participant observation and in-depth interviews. Findings – The research identified that knowledge management practices and processes are often invisible to festival staff when they are embeddedwithin a cohesive organisational culture. Ethnography enables the researcher to make explicit the tacit and normalised ways of working that contribute to the success (and failure) of festival organisations to manage knowledge. The immersion of the researcher in the ethnographic process provided a rich understanding of the relational dimension of knowledge management that would be difficult to elicit from in-depth interviews alone. Research limitations/implications – New fields of study require a range of research methodologies to inform theoretical and practice-based knowledge related to event participation and management. This article contributes to the growing event management literature through a unique focus on ethnography as a research method that offers a deeper understanding of knowledge practices within festival organisations. Originality/value – Limited research has applied an ethnographic approach to festival and event management. This article builds upon early adopters and provides critical insight into the benefits and constraints of ethnographic research.Peer reviewe

Professionalising Event Practitioners: The Educational Role of Event Management Associations

The proliferation of events in recent decades has resulted in a burgeoning of the event management industry. As the event management industry grows and consolidates worldwide, associations play an increasingly significant role in professional support to the industry by ensuring the continued growth and success of event management professionals. This paper reviews the literature on professional associations and specifically explores the educational role of event management associations. It concludes that professional event management associations play a significant role in providing strategic direction to the event management industry. An important component of this is providing educational direction and services that aim at professionalising event management and event management practitioners

Where is the ‘social’ in constructions of ‘liveability’?:exploring community, social interaction and social cohesion in changing urban environments

Ongoing changes in the urban environment have renewed interest in the transformation of cities and suburbs as liveable places. This article examines the limitations inherent in a functional (objective) notion of liveability that commonly underpins government policy directions. Through an examination of key debates in the literature we consider how the delivery of the social (subjective) dimension of liveability, linked to community, social interaction and social cohesion, poses unique challenges for policy makers, urban planners and developers. We argue for a deeper understanding of the social constructs of liveability that acknowledges the complexity of changing urban environments in contemporary society.Griffith Business School, Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel ManagementFull Tex

Trackless trams and Australian urban fabric

There is growing interest in the concept of Trackless Trams as part of the suite of transport technologies available to help shape more urban outcomes. However, there is much more for decision-makers to consider than the vehicle itself. This paper discusses both the city shaping possibilities of these systems and the challenges and opportunities inherent in integrating new technologies into existing city systems. Informed by studies, field trips and current trialling of the technology this paper documents the history of the trackless tram from rail to optically guided bus with level 4 autonomy. It describes the potential role of integrated transit systems anchored by Trackless Trams in transforming our cities from car-dominated roadways to green interconnected living streets or activated transit corridors with new urban centres. The paper then applies the technology to Australian cities using the theory of urban fabrics and how it can assist urban regeneration in all three fabrics: walking, transit and automobile urban fabric. A framework of seven design approaches is used to see how the Trackless Tram could be integrated into the urban regeneration process. It uses work done in Townsville, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth as case studies to illustrate how Trackless Trams could help transform Australian cities in various urban fabrics across their cities