Contemporary and Comparative Practice in Events Lecture 3: Achieving the Event Vision Aaron McIntosh

Overview Implementing the vision: strategy into action Organising: design and situational factors Organisational behaviour The planning function and decision making Managing human resources in events Achieving flexibilisation

Implementing the vision: strategy into action Action; regular activity; train; work; best practice; code of practicePractice: Action; regular activity; train; work; best practice; code of practice Importance of strategy becoming ‘real’ - processes and relationshipsImportance of strategy becoming ‘real’ - processes and relationships Synergy between strategy and actionSynergy between strategy and action ‘Actioning’ an extension of planning‘Actioning’ an extension of planning OrganisingOrganising EnablingEnabling ChangeChange The centrality of communicationThe centrality of communication

Implementing the vision: strategy into action Importance of commitment to change or action –Challenge of strategic inertia –Importance of an ‘unfreezing’ mechanism (Johnson & Scholes, 2002) Top down approach? Empowered individuals and groups Need for a bridge (from strategy to operational people and concerns)

Organising: design and situational factors Structures Processes Relationships and boundaries CONFIGURATION

Organising: design and situational factors Relationships: relative centralisation or decentralisation? –Complexity of the environment affects this (Mintzberg, 1979) Design influenced by stakeholders (Hill & Jones, 2008) –Satisfying stakeholder needs –The value of a Stakeholder Impact Analysis ‘Unequal partnerships’ – the importance of power and negotiation

Organisational behaviour Organisational & inter- organisational behaviour FoundationsUnique event issues or applications Ownership Governance Organisational structures Open-system diagnostics Organisational quality Evolutionary stages Bureaucratisation Institutionalisation The learning organisation Inter-organisational relationships (stakeholders) Sociology and social psychology (social groups and networks) Economics (theories of the firm) How are public, for-profit and not-for-profit events different? Governance and management challenges facing the volunteer event organisation Special challenges facing one-time and pulsating events From Getz (2007, p264)

The planning function and decision making Planning process –At strategic level: Identify alternative routes Enhance employee understanding Clarify roles Reduce organisational uncertainty –At operational level: Need to include key stakeholders (Goldblatt, 2002) Danger of focusing on detail over the ‘bigger picture’ Danger of documents seeming final Neglecting of event evaluation Irrational decision making in events (Getz, 2007)

Managing human resources in events Human Resource Management –HR planning –Job analysis –Recruitment and hiring –Orientation, training and staff development –Compensation and benefits –Discipline –Employee health & safety Performance Management Unique HR environment –‘Pulsating’ structure (Hanlon & Jago, 2000) –Level of voluntary labour (Bowdin et al, 2006) –Personnel as core to the product (Getz, 1997) Leadership in events contexts (Getz, 1997)

Achieving flexibilisation Increasing primacy of the post-Fordist workforce The contemporary identification of, and support for, ‘knowledge workers’ –From financial and physical capital to knowledge –Challenge of performance management however! HR moving from conformity to facilitating flexibility and innovation –Use of technology in this

Achieving flexibilisation Flexibility: 2 key aspects –Multi-skilling –Outsourcing Outsourcing –Impacts on coasts and performance –Alternatives to this Multi-skilling –A mindset of flexibility –The development of staff and the consumer experience –Lateral or vertical

Conclusions “A learning organisation is capable of continual regeneration from the variety of knowledge, experience and skills of individuals through a culture which encourages mutual questioning and challenge around a shared purpose or vision.” (Johnson & Scholes, 2002, p583)

References Bowdin, G.; Allen, J.; O’Toole, W.; Harris, R. & McDonnell, A. (2006) Events Management. Oxford: Butterworth- Heinemann. Getz, D. (2007) Event Studies: theory, research and policy for planned events. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann. Getz, D. (2002) Why Festivals Fail, in Event Management, Vol.7, pp Getz, D. (1997) Event Management and Event Tourism. New York: Cognizant. Hanlon, C. & Jalo, L. (2000) Pulsating major sport event organisations: a framework for inducting managerial personnel. Event Management, Vol.7, pp Goldblatt, J. (2002) Special Events. New York: Wiley. Hill, C.W.L. & Jones, G.R. (2008) Strategic Management: an integrated approach. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Johnson, G. & Scholes, K. (2002) Exploring Corporate Strategy. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Laybourn, P. (2004) Risk and decision making in events management, in Yeoman, I. et al (eds.) Festivals and Events Management, pp Oxford: Elsevier. Mintzberg, H. (1979) The Structuring of Organisations. London: Prentice Hall. Stredwick, J. & Ellis, S. (2005) Flexible Working. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Theodoraki, E. (2007) Olympic Event Organization. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.