Silk Road free essay sample

The Silk Road’s main purpose form the beginning was to connect trade between Europe and Asia. This continued until the end of the Silk Road. Asian goods were traded to the European merchants. The Asians economy relied on the goods traded by Europeans, and vice versa. Another example continuity along the Silk Road is the spread of religious and cultural values. Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and many other beliefs never ceased to expand their missionary outreach to various parts of the world. Missionaries spread along the Silk Road to inspire people to convert to the faith. Christian, Islamic, and Buddhist missionaries traveled along the silk rode continuously. Hinduism was never a missionary religion due to its strict society and inequality, and never traveled along the road. Changes that occurred throughout this time period were mostly due to the rise of the Mongols. They made the trade route safer. Due to this, trade became more efficient and more trade was occurring. We will write a custom essay sample on Silk Road or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Merchants could travel from cities to city without any of their goods being stolen. Trade cities also rose during this time. The Mongols were the group that spread the Bubonic Plague throughout Europe that killed about one third of the population at the time. While this was a devastating event, it was also good for the economy because it created more jobs for others. Workers could demand higher wages, and would be able to receive them due to the lack of people working. The road made it easier for cultural diffusion to occur, and for religions to spread. The Silk Road not only allowed for the diffusion of ideas, but also disease. The Bubonic Plague is a good example of how regional interaction can have devastating effects on a society. Although, as horrible and the Black Death was, the Silk Road allowed for the advancement and development of numerous cultures around the world. Silk Road free essay sample The problem for Zhang Qian was that to communicate with potential allies against the Xiongnu, he had to pass directly through lands they controlled. When Zhang Qian left Han territory, Xiongnu forcers captured him. For ten years the Xiongnu held him in comfortable captivity: they allowed him to keep his personal servant, and they provided him with a wife, with whom he had a son. However, he escaped with his family and servant. He even kept the yak tail that Han Wudi had given him as a sign of his ambassadorial status. He fled to the west, but didnt succeed in lining up allies against the Xiongnu. While returning to China, Zhang Qian again fell into Xiongnu hands but managed to escape after one years detention when the death of the Xiongnu leader led to a period of turmoil. Although his diplomatic efforts did not succeed, Zhang Qians mission had far-reaching consequences. We will write a custom essay sample on Silk Road or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Zhang Qian had brought back information of immense commercial value. While in Bactria about 128 B. C. E. , he noticed Chinese goods-textiles and bamboo articles-offered for sale in local markets. He found out that the the articles had come by way of Bengal. From this information he deduced the possibility of establishing trade relations between China and Bactria through India. The intelligence that Zhang Qian gathered during his travels thus contributed to the opening of the silk roads-the network of trade routes that linked lands as distant as China and the Roman empire and more generally to the establishment of relations between China and lands to the west. China and other classical societies imposed political and military control over vast territories. They promoted trade and communication within their own empires, bringing regions that had previously been self-sufficient into a larger economy and society. The influence of the classical societies did not stop at the imperial boundaries. Nearby peoples regarded their powerful neighbors with a mixture of envy and suspicion, and they sought to share teh wealth that those neighbors generated. Beyond their relations with neighboring peoples, the classical societies established a broad zone of communication and exchange throughout much of the earths eastern hemisphere. Trade networks crossed the deserts of central Asia and the depths of the Indian Ocean. Long-distance trade passed through much of eurasia and north Africa, from China to the Mediterranean basin, and to parts of sub-Saharan Africa as well. This long-distance trade profoundly influenced the experiences of peoples and the development of societies throughout the easter hemisphere. It brought wealth and access to foreign products, and it enabled peoples to concentrate their efforts on economic activities best suited to their regions. It facilitated the spread of religious traditions beyond their original homelands, since merchants carried their beliefs and sometimes attracted converts in the lands they visited. Long-Distance Trade and the Silk Roads Network ?Human communities have traded with one another, sometimes over long distances. Before classical times, long-distance trade was a risky venture. Ancient societies often policed their own realms effectively, but since they were relatively small and compact, extensive regions lay beyond their control. Trade passing between societies was therefore liable to interception by bandits or pirates. This risk increased the costs of long-distance transactions in ancient times. During the classical era, two developments reduced the risks associated with travel and stimulated long-distance trade. Rulers invested heavily in the construction of roads and bridges. They undertook expensive projects primarily for military and administrative reasons, but roads also had the effect of encouraging trade within individual societies and facilitating exchanges between different societies. Classical societies built large imperial states that sometimes expanded to the point that they bordered on one another: the campaigns of Alexander of Macedon, brought Hellenistic and Indian societies into direct contact, and only small buffer states separated the Roman and Parthian empires. Trade Networks of the Hellenistic Era Long-distance trades tempo noticeably increased during the Hellenistic era, partly because of the many colonies established by Alexander of Macedon and the Seleucid rulers in Persia and Bactria. Though originally populated by military forces and administrators, these settlements soon attracted Greed merchants and bankers who linked the recently conquered lands to the Mediterranean basin. The Seleucid rulers worked to promote trade. They controlled land routes linking Bactria, which offered access to Indian markets, to Mediterranean ports in Syria and Palestine. Like the Seleucids, the Ptolemies maintained land routes-in their case, routes going south from Egypt to the kingdom of Nubia and Meroe in east Africa-but they also paid close attention to sea lanes and maritime trade. The ousted pirates from sea lanes linking the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. They also built several new ports, the most important being Berenice on the Red Sea, while Alexandria served as their principal window on the Mediterranean. Mariners from Ptolemaic Egypt learned about the monsoon winds that governed sailing and shipping in the Indian Ocean. During the summer the winds blow regularly from the southwest, whereas in the winter they come from the northeast. Knowledge of these winds enabled mariners to sail safely and reliably to all parts of the Indian Ocean basin. During the second century B. C. E. Hellenistic mariners learned the rhythm of these winds from Arab and Indian seamen whose ancestors had sailed before the monsoons for centuries. Merchants then established regular links by way of the Red Sea between India and Arabia in the east and Egypt and the mediterranean basin in the west. Establishment and maintenance of these trade routes were very expensive and called for substantial investment in military forces, construction, and bureaucracies to administer the commerce that passed over the routes. Long-distance trade stimulated economic development within the Hellenistic realms themselves, bringing benefits to local economies. With official encouragement, a substantial trade developed throughout the Hellenistic world, from Bactria and India in the east to the Mediterranean basin in the west. Spices, pepper, cosmetics, gems, and pearls from India traveled by caravan and ship to Hellenistic cities and ports. Grain from Persia and Egypt fed urban population in distant lands. Mediterranean wine, olive oil, jewelry, and works of art made their way to Persia and Bactria. Maritime trade networks through the Indian Ocean linked not only the large classical societies of Eurasia and north Africa, but also smaller societies in east Africa. During the late centuries B. C. E. , the port of Rhapta emerged as the central center on the east African coast. With increasing trade, groups of professional merchants and entrepreneurs emerged at Rhapta, and coins came into general use on the east African coast. Merchants of Rhapta imported iron goods(spears, axes, and knives) from southern Arabia and the easter Mediterranean region in exchange for ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and slaves obtained from interior regions. the Hellenistic era fostered economic organization and the emergence of states in the distant lands that they brought into interaction. The Silk Road ? When classical empires were established, the scope of long-distance trade expanded. As it became more popular, merchants and travelers began to construct trade routes. (MU) These were referred to as the silk roads and connected much of Eurasia. From the Han capital of Changan, the main road went west until it arrived at the Taklamakan desert. One of the most dangerous and inhospitable regions of the earth, the desert would cause problems for trade, so the silk road split into two main branches that skirted the desert and passed through oasis towns around it to the north and south. MU) The silk roads included many roads and sea lanes that sometimes broke into separate branches. The silk road got its name because silk was a popular good traded over it, mainly exchanged by China. On the positive side, people could trade goods and ideas, but negatively, communicable diseases were spread. Religions like Buddhism,(MU) Hinduism, and Christianity were also spread throughout t he silk roads sharing their culture and architecture. Spices were another popular exchanged good. Cloves, nutmeg, mace, and cardamom came from southeast Asia. (MU) Spices were mainly for food preservation, flavoring, and medicines. India exported cotton textiles and exotic items such as pearls, coral, and ivory. (MU) Central Asia traded jade and horses while the Roman empire traded glassware, jewlery, artwork, perfume, and textiles. Some people made very long trips to the silk road to trade goods. The Romans were said to have traveled as far east as India overseas. Although, individuals typically would deal with long-distance trade in stages. Sometimes, caravans would transport the goods. Between China and Bactria the Chinese and central Asian nomadic peoples dominated trade in these caravans. MU) The Romans began to often trade between India and the Mediterranean and supposedly departed 120 ships to travel there. After the end of the Roman and Han empire, the road was restored by the Tang, Song, and Mongols. (M. M. ) The Spread of Buddhism and Hinduism Buddhism had become well established in northern India by the third century B. C. E. It attracted(MU) lots of merchants who then spread Buddhism to Iran, centra l Asia, China, and southeast Asia. Buddhism was first established in oasis towns located along the silk roads. Buddhism then spread to the steppes in central Asia and to China.

Free Essays on Guys And Girls

â€Å"What a girl prefers in a guy† Every man’s dream is to have the perfect companion. However, in order to have one, you must first be able to get one. Most believe such a task can be extremely difficult, yet if done properly, it can be accomplished swiftly and efficiently. In fact, there are only a few basic procedures to getting a girl. The first step of this process is rather quite simple; get her attention. Initiating conversation is half the battle. As well, it is very effective to make frequent eye contact. Let her catch you staring once in a while and smile at every chance you get. Your goal is to be fairly subtle, while still making it obvious that you want her. Once you have succeeded in being noticed, you are ready for the next step. Be funny, be confident, but be yourself. The absolute worse thing you can do when trying to get a girl is to change your personality. Self-assurance is indispensable and by altering your character, you are telling her that you lack confidence. Having a sense of humor is also very important. It is absolutely crucial to make her smile, even if it occasionally requires making a fool of yourself. If you can’t make her laugh, you don’t stand a chance. Now that she’s interested, entice her by making her feel special. Without being too overwhelming, attempt to spend as much time as possible with her. Devote yourself to making her feel different than the rest by going out of your way to please her. Little things count most. For example, cancel a pre-planned weekend with the boys and take her out for dinner and a movie instead. Randomly buy her flowers and she will melt. Let her hear things she wants to hear. Compliment her hair or her outfit, but don’t go overboard. Too much of a good thing gets taken for granted. It’s also essential that you be interested, or pretend to be interested, in things she likes. If she plays sports watch her game, even in the pouring rain. Once she feels a littl... Free Essays on Guys And Girls Free Essays on Guys And Girls â€Å"What a girl prefers in a guy† Every man’s dream is to have the perfect companion. However, in order to have one, you must first be able to get one. Most believe such a task can be extremely difficult, yet if done properly, it can be accomplished swiftly and efficiently. In fact, there are only a few basic procedures to getting a girl. The first step of this process is rather quite simple; get her attention. Initiating conversation is half the battle. As well, it is very effective to make frequent eye contact. Let her catch you staring once in a while and smile at every chance you get. Your goal is to be fairly subtle, while still making it obvious that you want her. Once you have succeeded in being noticed, you are ready for the next step. Be funny, be confident, but be yourself. The absolute worse thing you can do when trying to get a girl is to change your personality. Self-assurance is indispensable and by altering your character, you are telling her that you lack confidence. Having a sense of humor is also very important. It is absolutely crucial to make her smile, even if it occasionally requires making a fool of yourself. If you can’t make her laugh, you don’t stand a chance. Now that she’s interested, entice her by making her feel special. Without being too overwhelming, attempt to spend as much time as possible with her. Devote yourself to making her feel different than the rest by going out of your way to please her. Little things count most. For example, cancel a pre-planned weekend with the boys and take her out for dinner and a movie instead. Randomly buy her flowers and she will melt. Let her hear things she wants to hear. Compliment her hair or her outfit, but don’t go overboard. Too much of a good thing gets taken for granted. It’s also essential that you be interested, or pretend to be interested, in things she likes. If she plays sports watch her game, even in the pouring rain. Once she feels a littl...

Spelling trouble - Emphasis

Spelling trouble Spelling trouble The results are in for Britains top ten most frequently misspelt words. And the winners are: 1 Definitely (Definately) 2 Sacrilegious (Sacreligious) 3 Indict (Indite) 4 Manoeuvre (Maneouvre) 5 Bureaucracy (Beaurocracy) 6 Broccoli (Brocolli) 7 Phlegm (Phleghm) 8 Prejudice (Predjudice) 9 Consensus (Conscensus) 10 Unnecessary (Unecessary)* (Please note: the incorrect spellings are the bracketed words.) Although a few of these may cause the odd sharp intake of breath from spelling champions everywhere, the mistakes are by and large fairly logical. The problem, of course, is that spelling in the English language is often anything but. George Bernard Shaw once pointed out that the word fish could just as easily in English spelling terms be written ghoti. And why? Consider these pronunciations: the gh in cough the o in women the ti in potion. In the face of this kind of logic, it might seem we are all doomed. We can offer a small amount of help with the number one culprit: just think of the finite amount of patience you need to have to spell definite. If you have any ideas for mnemonics for the rest of the list, or youve got a white whale of a word you can never quite spell correctly, do let us know. And perhaps try eating more ghoti its meant to be brain food. * Results from www.OnePoll.com

Performance Pay at Safelight Auto Glass Case Study

Performance Pay at Safelight Auto Glass - Case Study Example The installer’s problem as identified in the PPP was related to the turnover rates. It has been found that the turnover rate of the company has been quite high because the glass installation was a seasonal business. The busy periods were spring and summer and it was found that at this time, the competition for new hires was mounting. However, the demand for the windshield replacement troughed and as a result the repair shops found it necessary to lay off many of their workers and hire them back during spring and summer. In addition to this, another biggest problem was associated with technicians who were lured by other companies’ offer, which promised to pay them a fraction more than what they were currently receiving. Therefore, as a result it was evident that the installers were changing their jobs since they were paid a Dollar more an hour and were allowed to take the company’s truck home during night. In order to reduce the turnover rate, Safelite also offere d truck privileges for a time being, but then stopped it later. It was a matter of concern for the recruiters in HR with regards to getting technicians from other companies to come to Safelite. These were the problems that the PPP had tried to identify which were affecting the company’s productivity. Question Two Pros and Cons of Switching From Wage Rates to Piece Rates After going through the case study, it can be revealed that Performance Pay Plan was revised for both the managers as well as the technicians. It was decided to pay the technicians according to the piece rate system rather than the wage rate system which was previously being practiced. The plan was implemented for the technicians to receive the piece rate for every windshield that they installed. According to this plan, the number of windshield that the technician would install in a week would be accumulated. As a result, the technicians’ pay for the week was decided to be based upon the number of insta llations. The new plan brought both advantages and disadvantages to the technicians. Previously, the technicians received $10-$12 an hour. However, it was analyzed that according to the new PPP, the technicians would receive $15.22 per hour. Therefore, it can be examined that there would be a substantial hike in the salary of the technicians. However, the disadvantages of the plan for the technicians was that for the first twelve weeks of the plan, if the technician did not reach a weekly average which was equal to his previous hourly wage, then he would receive the hourly wage as a guaranteed rate. After that first twelve-week period, his guarantee rate would lower by 30% so that he gets encouraged to work towards the PPP rate. This is quite demotivating for the technicians. This may even discourage the technicians to improve the productivity. The other disadvantage has been that the installers were paid different rates depending on the area of the country in which they lived. It w as also apparent from the case study that the technicians were at times asked to remove a work shield while the auto body work was being completed on a vehicle and then replace it later. The Safelite installers can be considered as good

Business asignment 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business asignment 2 - Research Paper Example 4. b. They are selling a well-designed machine. 5. a. Argentina, Brazil, Mexico-these are the countries we hope to concentrate on. 6. b. Only two sites-maybe three-offer the things we need. 7. c. How many owner-operators are in the industry? 8. b. You ever faithful assistance deserves-without a doubt-a substantive raise. 9. b. The charts are well placed on each page-unlike the running heads and footers. 10. a. Your devil-may-care attitude affects everyone in the decision-making process. Chapter 5 1. On p. 148, under â€Å"Apply Your Knowledge,† do question 1, 2 and 5. With number 5, note that at the end you are asked to explain your answer. As you do so, tell how you can make such content clearer by applying the concepts in our chapter. 1. Manufacturers do not have the responsibility of ensuring that customers read the warnings on food products. However, it is their responsibility to use simple and understandable language in the warnings. 2. When communicating business message s, I would use a direct method of communicating that is precise to ensure an authentic voice and still project my company’s image. 5. Whether the logical sequence of my message is obvious, I have to use transitions. This is because it maintains the status of my position and ensures that I am understood perfectly. 2. On p. 148-151, under â€Å"Exercises,† do 1-3, 12-13 and 19b. ... we have portrayed a lot of patience j. we fail to understand 2. a. when an email order cannot be processed, the order form can be used instead b. it is important to bring my credit card to the store c. a 25 percent discount will be offered on all 15-inch LCD screens sales by the store d. the applicant interested in the position of a bookkeeper is bright enough and capable of handling a good job e. the request for $25 has been honored f. it wouldn’t have been necessary to learn how to use the machine properly if I had cared doing a good job g. the opportunity to run the company now was as a result of the strategy presentation this morning, which had brilliant ideas that could not fail. h. everybody’s pay has been delayed due to the massive upgrade of the accounts payable system i. the sickness and lack of energy to work through the numbers by the evaluator has delayed the report j. my computer could have given me the news from online sources that MyTravel and Thorn Cook were in a merger talk 3. a 10 day remit on payment using credit card avoids spoiling its rating b. refunds are offered on returned merchandise that is not soiled c. we will ship your order after 10 days in which we will have replenished Baby Cry dolls d. for the blouse you ordered, specify the color e. during winter, waterbeds freeze in all unheated houses. Therefore, you will pay $9.50 to cover for the valve replacement and postage. 9. a. during this spring, b. a good amount of savings c. a good number was in attendance d. more efficient e. increased size of the working area f. restructure the website to flatten it 3. On p. 151, do 1-10 on the "Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics and Usage" exercise (just write out which choice is the correct one). 1. their

Why Organization Should Be Concerned With Labour Turnover

Why Organization Should Be Concerned With Labour Turnover Any business needs a source of labour to function. This axiom applies equally whether we rely solely on a basic economical model of the firm, with labour as one of the four factors of production (Bannock, Baxter and Davis 1988), or a Marxist account, which emphasises labour power (Marx 1867 / 1946: 169), or subscribe to more complex models of organizations, which place importance on intellectual or human capital and the importance of knowledge management (Harrison 1999: 409-412). To establish the need to manage resourcing, we do not need to refer to any given context, it follows apriori from any view of an organization. Even if organizations of the future have virtual employees, they will need to manage them as a resource. When an employee leaves, this can have a variety of effects that not only impact on the organization, but also the individual employee and wider society (Mobley 1982: 15-31). These can be positive or negative (Mobley 1982; Hom and Griffeth 1995: 13-33), and a great er understanding of the process of labour turnover can increase the degree to which organizations and employees within organizations can influence these effects (Dalton, Krackhardt and Porter 1981; Dalton, Todor and Krackhardt 1982). In addition to the management of resourcing being an a priori concern, there is a posteriori justification for studying this phenomenon. Current explanations of employee turnover fail to offer either predictive or explanatory power (Aquino, Griffeth, Allen and Hom 1997). Despite an enormous literature on turnover in organizations (Price 1977; Mobley 1982), there is as yet no universally accepted account or framework for why people choose to leave (Lee and Mitchell 1994). This prohibits understanding the phenomenon after the event, yet neither is there an accepted means of assessing the likelihood of an individuals deciding to leave in the future (Terborg and Lee 1984), which prohibits prediction of turnover. 1.2 Voluntary and involuntary turn over: We use turnover to mean voluntary cessation of membership of an organization by an employee of that organization. This answers Prices call to make voluntariness explicit, which is important as it is in instances where the employee controls the leaving process that organizations and theorists have an interest in turnover. This definition also refers to cessation of membership (Mobley 1982: 10), but it should be acknowledged that from a more institutional or organizational perspective, turnover may also include accession or entry. The scope that a voluntary / involuntary dichotomy offers for classifying the phenomenon enables directed, systematic research (Price 1977). Particularly where turnover is thought to be associated with a factor (such as organizational commitment), or to be preceded by a psychological state (such as intent to quit), drawing the distinction between voluntary and involuntary turnover is important, otherwise assessment of such a relationship in terms of all organ ization leavers will be flawed. Involuntary turnover may occur for reasons which are independent of the affected employee(s), such as the (real or perceived) need to cut costs, restructure or downsize. Inclusion of these cases in a study of organization leavers, will mean any relationship between turnover and a personal characteristic will be significantly diluted. Even where involuntary turnover occurs for reasons associated with an individual employee (such as poor performance), it is likely these cases are more representative of the wider sample of organizational members in relation to the processual dimension of a decision to leave than any sub-sample of organizational leavers would be. Where an instance of turnover is genuinely voluntary, this instance represents the exercise of choice and is the result of a decision process. To this degree, the set of instances of involuntary turnover (where employees have been forced to leave) is likely to be more representative of the totality of organizational members than the set of instances of voluntary turnover (where employees have chosen to leave). To the extent that turnover involves leaving, instances of voluntary turnover also represent a purer social phenomenon, as they catalogue where individuals have chosen to terminate a significant relationship. By way of contrast, in involuntary instances, because these are in some sense owned by an abstract entity (the organization), a relational aspect to turnover namely cessation of membership, is lost. Instead other more impersonal considerations such as (remotely defined) utility prevail. In terms of the nature of social science research, study of involuntary turnover is likely to focus on consequential and extrinsic aspects, rather than intrinsic characteristics.We accept that in reality the apparently straightforward dichotomy between voluntary and involuntary turnover has limitations (Vandenberg and Nelson 1999). For example, records of instances of turnover may misrepresent the extent to which a turnover decision was voluntary. Where exit interviews are conducted, interviewers may not wish to press too hard when questioning an employee, it is also possible that they will not wish to record details that would cast the organization or the employee in a bad light (Campion 1991). The employee may have similar motives for being reticent about their reasons for leaving, and added to this they may have concerns about the extent to which full and frank disclosure could harm their prospects of receiving a favourable reference. All of these factors may muddy the putatively categorical voluntary / involuntary distinction. In 1969, Samuel called for organizations to have in place their own definitions of turnover and voluntariness in order to help them plan resource-related issues. 1.3 Avoidability: Voluntary turnover may be classified as avoidable (Abelson 1987; Campion 1991). In other words, is it a case of employee instigated turnover which could have been prevented. This classification is useful per se, as it can indicate the global scope for future planned intervention. For example, where an organization is able to identify that the bulk of voluntary turnover is beyond their control e.g. where voluntary turnover is a result of relocation by a spouse or partner, they may profit better from initiatives which seek to manage turnover post hoc, rather than spend on theorised preventative measures (e.g. increasing salary levels). 1.4 Measurement: Turnover is often not measured in a sophisticated enough manner to enable discrimination between cases where employees have chosen to leave, and cases where they have had to leave for reasons out of their control. Often organizations use a relatively crude measure of turnover such as below: (Marchington and Wilkinson 1996) ______Leavers in year_________ X 100 Average number employed in year This does not distinguish the cases where people left because they were dissatisfied, from cases where people left because of ill health or where they retired, or where they were made redundant. Yet measurement of turnover needs to be sophisticated enough to enable those responsible for resource planning to identify various categories of leavers (Worthington 1992: 278; Forbes and McGill 1985: 11-12). This is because any single-figure measure of turnover will be inadequate in so far as it treats all those who leave as an homogenous group. 1.5 Employee turnover factors: The factors that have been identified in context of the employees turnover are, Expectation not met Mismatch between the person and the role Mismatch between the person and the culture of the firm Insufficient opportunities for growth and advancement Insufficient recognition or appreciation Problems with direct manager Dissatisfaction with pay Stress Lack of work life balance Loss of confidence in the firm, particularly leadership Expectation not met In met expectation model by (Porters and Steers in 1973) the main factor behind the leaving activity of the employees in any organization is Expectation not met. In this model it is quite cleared by the writers that if an employee find his/her expectations wrong after joining the organization, which he/she had created about the employer before entering into it, then he/she immediately discouraged intrinsically and as a result going for search of alternative employers who are matching to his/her expectations of a work life. Such kind of expectations could be of any kind like it could be of working conditions, salary, career development, career growth, compensation and benefits, autonomy, time flexibility etc. The model describes this that the employees before entering into the company created a net of high expectations from their employers but if any or some of those expectations are damaged after joining the organization then the ultimate effect come up in the form of employees disco uragement which led them to leave the organization of similar category they are looking for. Mismatch between the person and the role In (P-O fit model by Kristof in 1996) the main reason defined against high turnover issue in the organizations is the Mismatch between the person and the role. According to the research work performed by Kristof, the incompatibility among the personal skills and the job requirements results frustration in employees. As the work required to be done by the employees requires specific skills and if the employees lacking in those skills then ultimately the effect will be to the employer and as a result the employer will get after the employee again and again which makes the employee irritated and an internal motivation to switch the job will force him to do so. Similarly, the research work explained in quite detail that such kind of differences occur across the organization quite often when the job specification and description is not communicated properly to the employees. Mismatch between the person and the culture of the firm The major factor behind the high turnover among the employees of any organization which is Mismatch between the person and the culture of the firm. The model is describing it in very much detail that the surroundings are creating a great impact on the human beings output. The more the friendly and challenging the environment will be the more a person will be able to perform up to his/her maximum level of output. Reference: Employee Turnover Problem Faced by Telecom Industry in Pakistan Insufficient opportunities for growth and advancement The Organizational Equilibrium Model is very well known and recognized researchers, named,(March and Simons in 1958) describing an other important factor related to the dissatisfaction of the employees which is Insufficient opportunities for growth and advancement. The model is specifically focusing on the pre-entrance expectations of the employees towards their employers. Because not in every case it istrue that according to employee the value is money rather in current era, as described in (P-O fit model by Kristof in 1996) the less organizational culture of opportunities are playing a major role in de-motivating the employees and leading them to move to the competitions (sometimes at less financial benefits). Insufficient recognition or appreciation (Lee and Mitchells Unfolding Model in 1996) explains important factor-insufficient recognition or appreciation. According to the researchers this factor actually forcing the employees to move out of the organizations, if, their efforts are not recognized very well by the employer. Whenever an employee going after to perform some task, assigned by the management, he/she always looking towards the management for getting some rewards from them for creating intrinsic motivation for him/herself. Problems with direct manager Sometimes the employers are very much efficient in providing excellent organizational culture which led their employees to remain with them for longer terms. But, still, the employees are not feeling comfortable in remaining there in the organizations. (Hulin in 1995) identified the reason for such kind of problems facing by the employers. Hulin described a very important factor-Problems with direct manager in a model, named, Attitude-with drawl behavior Model in 1995. The same factor is also identified by the (Chen et al. in his Organizational Citizenship Model in 1998) in which, he showed agree ness with lot of outcomes of the Hulins model. They both actually tried to focus on the importance of the behavior of the supervisors/ managers with their subordinates. According to their point of view, if you stressing the ego of the human beings then it is to be quite obvious that they will move to defensive mode against that particular person who is the main source behind that stress. But in an organization they could never come up with such behavior against their managers so consequently they decided to move away of the organization. Lack of work life balance (Lee Mitchells Unfolding Model in 1996) and (Beach Mitchells Image Theory in 1988) defining a very critical factor- Lack of work Life Balance behind high turnover in the organizations. As every personal in the world have his/her, own, life to which he/she want to give proper time other than work life. So whenever employees found any conflict in between both lives they prefer to move somewhere else where they could avoid such kind of conflicts. 1.6 Costs of Turnover: Analyses of the costs associated with turnover yield surprisingly high estimates. The high cost of losing key employees has long been recognized. However, it is important for organizations to understand that general turnover rates in the workforce can also have a serious impact on an organizations profitability, and even survival. There are a number of costs incurred as a result of employee turnover. These costs are derived from a number of different sources, a few of which are listed below. Recruitment of replacements, including administrative expenses, advertising, screening and interviewing, and services associated with selection, such as security checks, processing of references, and, possibly, psychological testing. Administrative hiring costs. Lost productivity associated with the interim period before a replacement can be placed on the job. Lost productivity due to the time required for a new worker to get up to speed on the job. Lost productivity associated with the time that co workers must spend away from their work to help a new worker. Costs of training, including supervisory and co worker time spent in formal training, as well as the time that the worker in training must spend off the job. Costs associated with the period prior to voluntary termination when workers tend to be less productive. In some cases costs associated with the communication of proprietary trade secrets, procedures, and skills to competitive organizations. Public relations costs associated with having a large number of voluntary or involuntary terminations in the community spreading gossip about the organization. Increased unemployment insurance costs. Reference:www.sigmaassessmentsystems.com/articles/empturnover.asp 1.7 Model of Employee Turnover: The goal of effective management of turnover dictates that a high level of sophistication, and thereby particularity, needs to be achieved by organizations in order to selectively influence the turnover process. Voluntariness may need to be defined differently for each organization (Samuel 1969) and measurement of turnover may need to be at a level of detail far greater than that currently employed by many organizations (Campion 1991). Additionally, even where problems in costing turnover (Cheng and Brown 1998; Hom 1992) can be resolved, there remain inescapably problematic aspects to determining relationally defined aspects such as avoidability (Abelson 1987) and functionality (Dalton et al. 1982). In the light of these contingent complications, the aim of a comprehensive theory of turnover can seem unrealistic. This aim seems further complicated if an attempt to predict turnover behaviour is our goal, although as( Lee and Mowday 1987) point out, although researchers tend to emphasi ze prediction as a criterion in judging models, we should not lose sight of the importance of understanding as a goal of scientific enquiry. The phenomenon of turnover is of interest to organizations and theorists because it is significant (Price 1977), potentially costly (Mobley 1982) and relatively clear cut (Porter and Steers 1973). It also describes the end result of a decision process (Lee and Mitchell 1991). All these characteristics also indicate that the phenomenon is likely to attract interest from modellers. The framework of study includes three different models based on various factors that are assumed to have a strong effect on employees turnover intention. First model is presented in Fig.1. It includes three sets of independent factors: demographic, controllable, and uncontrollable. Turnover intention is the dependent factor in this model. Turnover intention has been used very often in past researches. (Fishbein and ajzens1975) theory of attitude postulates that the best predictor of individual behavior will be measure of his intention to perform that behavior. (Shore and martin 1989) noted that turnover intention is an appropriate dependent variable because it is linked with actual turnover. (Price and mueller 1981) even recommended the use of turnover intention over actual turnover because the latter is more difficult to predict as there are external factors that affect turnover behavior. Moreover, turnover intention may be a better barometer of management practices than actual turnover. For example, it is possible that, despite high turnover intention, actual turnover is low because of high unemployment in an industry. The low turnover in this cas e, may mask the poor management practices. Employee Turnover model fig 1 Factors Age Gender Education Tenure Income Level Job Category Turnover intension Uncontrollable Factors Perceived Alternative of Employment opportunity Job Hopping Controllable Factors Pay Nature of Work Supervision Organizational commitment 1.8 Industry Analysis MOBILINK ® PAKISTAN Vision Statement: To be the leading Telecommunication Services Provider in Pakistan by offering innovative Communication solutions for our Customers while exceeding Shareholder value Employee Expectations. Reference: (http://www.mobilinkgsm.com/about/vision.php) Mission Statement: To be the leading mobile service provider in Pakistan, providing the best quality services for the maximum number of customers, the best working environment for our employees and top value for our shareholders. Objectives: To be No. 1 in all its mobile businesses Continue to capture more market before competitors arrive. To increase market share up to 70% this year To achieve turnover of 20% in 2007 To provide customer with best value for spending and service at low cost Reference: Employee Turnover Problem Faced by Telecom Industry in Pakistan Market Share: With the monthly additions average around 2.5 million subscribers, 2007 has been a phenomenal year for the mobile market growth in Pakistan Mobilink is pioneer of GSM technology in Pakistan and is market leader in mobile Communication. Mobilink has got huge market share of 62%.It portfolio remain in stars for last 5 years or so. Mobilink has market penetration of more than 2.3% per year. It has 2.5 million users. Mobilink Jazz has 85% share of prepaid. Due to large market share and high profitability it helps to expand the business. Reference: http://telecompk.net/2007/10/01/mobile-market-2007-mobilink-at-top/ 1.9 Employee turnover factors involved in mobilink pakistan The factors that have been identified in context of the employees turnover a Mobilink ® Pakistan. are: Employees at Mobilink often look for alternative jobs The alternative of job is positively related to employee turnover (hulin et al,1985; steel and griffeth,1989). The importance of this factor increases in the context of Pakistan telecom industry because there are more competitors and opportunities for finding jobs with other employers are in great number. The presence of number competitors in this industry may be a reason for the employees to perceive that they can easily find jobs in the market. Given the labor market conditions and number of jobs available in market, may potentially be a major reason of employee turnover. Employees expectations about Mobilink are not met In met expectation model by (Porter Steers 1973) it was discussed that if the expectations of employees about their job are not met, they become dissatisfied and it eventually makes up the turnover intention. Employees were asked various questions about their expectations about Mobilink before they joined it and the level to which these expectations were met. Employees are not satisfied with the training opportunities and training effectiveness. Training is very important in employees growth and career development. If employees are not provided with sufficient training opportunities and relevant training contents, then they dont see growth in their career and this phenomenon creates dissatisfaction among employees. As a result, they think to find some job where they hope they can get enough training opportunities for their career development (March Simons 1958) Organizational Equilibrium Model). Employees at Mobilink were asked about the training opportunities and training effectiveness. The collected information will help to find out the significance of this factor in employee turnover at Mobilink. Employees are not satisfied with the amount of help they get from supervisor and fellow workers. Employees satisfaction with supervision and with the help they get from co-workers is negatively associated with employee turnover (Debrah,1993). Supervisors attitude with subordinates is very important in organizational context. It is commonly believed that employees dont leave the job, they leave the bosses. The help from peers and co-workers also plays a very important role in organizational commitment. Employees are tied in strong bonds if the overall culture in an organization is helping and friendly. On these theoretical justifications, it was very important to find out the significance of employees satisfaction with the amount of help they get from supervisors and fellow workers in Mobilink. Employees are not satisfied with the growth opportunities One of the major motivation for employees to work with any organization is the growth and advancement opportunities they are provided. (In organizational equilibrium model, 1958, March Simon) discuss that insufficient opportunities for growth and advancement prove to be dissatisfying for employees. This hypothesis will help us to identify that whether or not employees are satisfied with the growth opportunities at Mobilink. Employees do not have a good work-life balance. Lack of work-life balance is a source of employees dissatisfaction (Lee Mitchells Unfolding Model 1996). If after the job, employees are not left with enough time to spend with their families and for their personal activities, they are de-motivated and this fact forces them to think about leaving the job (Beach and Mitchells Image Theory 1988). In present conditions of competition among different employers in telecom sector, there is a possibility that employees are being stretched to give maximum output and this may cause a misbalance between the work and employees personal life. 1.10 Strategies to minimize employee turnover: Strategies on how to minimize employee turnover, confronted with problems of employee turnover, management has several policy options viz. changing (or improving existing) policies towards recruitment, selection, induction, training, job design and wage payment. Policy choice, however, must be appropriate to the precise diagnosis of the problem. Employee turnover attributable to poor selection procedures, for example, is unlikely to improve were the policy modification to focus exclusively on the induction process. Equally, employee turnover attributable to wage rates which produce earnings that are not competitive with other firms in the local labour market is unlikely to decrease were the policy adjustment merely to enhance the organizations provision of on-the job training opportunities. Given that there is increase in direct and indirect costs of labour turnover, therefore, management are frequently exhorted to identify the reasons why people leave organizations so that appropria te action is taken by the management. Extensive research has shown that the following categories of human capital management factors provides a core set of measures that senior management can use to increase the effectiveness of their investment in people and improve overall corporate performance of business: Employee engagement, the organizations capacity to engage, retain, and optimize the value of its employees hinges on how well jobs are designed, how employees time is used, and the commitment and support that is shown to employees by the management would motivate employees to stay in organizations.. Knowledge accessibility, the extent of the organisations collaborativeness and its capacity for making knowledge and ideas widely available to employees, would make employees to stay in the organisation. Sharing of information should be made at all levels of management. This accessibility of information would lead to strong performance from the employees and creating strong corporat e culture (Meaghan et al. 2002). Therefore; information accessibility would make employees feel that they are appreciated for their effort and chances of leaving the organisation are minimal. Workforce optimization, the organisations success in optimizing the performance of the employees by establishing essential processes for getting work done, providing good working conditions, establishing accountability and making good hiring choices would retain employees in their organisation. The importance of gaining better understanding of the factors related to recruitment, motivation and retention of employees is further underscored by rising personnel costs and high rates of employee turnover (Badawy, 1988; Basta and Johnson, 1989; Garden, 1989; Parden, 1981; Sherman, 1986). With increased competitiveness on globalizations, managers in many organizations are experiencing greater pressure from top management to improve recruitment, selection, training, and retention of good employees and in the long run would encourage employees to stay in organisations. Job involvement describes an individuals ego involvement with work and indicates the extent to which an individual identifies psychologically with his/her job (Kanungo,1982). Involvement in terms of internalizing values about the goodness or the importance of work made employees not to quit their jobs and these involvements are related to task characteristics. Workers who have a greater variety of tasks tend stay in the job. Task characteristics have been found to be potential determinants of turnover among employees (Couger, 1988; Couger and Kawasaki, 1980; Garden, 1989; Goldstein and Rockart, 1984). These include the five core job characteristics identified by (Hackman 1975) and (Oldham 1980) skill variety, which refers to the opportunity to utilize a variety of valued skills and talents on the job; task identity, or the extent to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work that is, doing a job from beginning to end, with visible results; task significance, which reflects the extent to which the job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other people, whether within or outside the organisation; job autonomy, or the extent to which the job provides freedom, independence, and discretion in scheduling work and determining procedures that the job provides; and job feedback, which refers to the extent to which the job provides information about the effectiveness of ones performance (Tor et al., 1997). Involvement would influence job s atisfaction and increase organizational commitment of the employees. Employees who are more involved in their jobs are more satisfied with their jobs and more committed to their organization (Blau and Boal, 1989; Brooke and Price, 1989; Brooke et al., 1988; Kanungo, 1982). Job involvement has also been found to be negatively related to turnover intentions (Blat and Boal, 1989). Job satisfaction, career satisfaction, and organisational commitment reflect a positive attitude towards the organization, thus having a direct influence on employee turnover intentions. Job satisfaction, job involvement and organisational commitment are considered to be related but distinguishable attitudes (Brooke and Price, 1989). Satisfaction represents an affective response to specific aspects of the job or career and denotes the pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from an appraisal of ones job or career (Locke, 1976; Porter et al., 1974; Williams and Hazer, 1986). Organisational commitment is an affective response to the whole organisation and the degree of attachment or loyalty employees feel towards the organisation. Job involvement represents the extent to which employees are absorbed in or preoccupied with their jobs and the extent to which an individual identifies with his/her job (Brooke et al., 1988).The degree of commitment and loyalty can be achieved if management they enrich the jobs, empower and compensate employees properly. Empowerment of employees could help to enhance the continuity of employees in organisations. Empowered employees where managers supervise more people than in a traditional hierarchy and delegate more decisions to their subordinates (Malone, 1997). Managers act like coaches and help employees solve problems. Employees, he concludes, have increased responsibility. Superiors empowering subordinates by delegating responsibilities to them leads to subordinates who are more satisfied with their leaders and consider them to be fair and in tu rn to perform up to the superiors expectations (Keller and Dansereau, 1995). All these makes employees to be committed to the organization and chances of quitting are minimal. 1.11 Conclusion Statistical analysis prove that Mobilink employees have sufficient perceived alternatives for jobs, employees dissatisfaction with the performance management system and employees bad work-life balance, have proven to be valid. Whereas other hypotheses, employees expectations about Mobilink are not met, employees are not satisfied with the training opportunities and training effectiveness, employees are not satisfied with the growth opportunities and employees are not satisfied with the amount of help they get from supervisors and fellow workers, proved to be invalid. So, on the basis

New European Urban Hierarchy

Critically assess the forces which are influencing the shape of a ‘new European urban hierarchy† (Hall, 1993). Use case studies to illustrate and assess how individual cities are positioning themselves in this new spatial order. Throughout Europe, cities and regions have launched on a path of competitive redevelopment by means of a variety of strategies, ranging from large-scale mega developments and integrated action plans to community- based local re-conversion efforts. These schemes are spread over the European urban and regional landscape, operating in a variety of regulatory, political and socio-economic contexts, welfare regimes and public policy frameworks and combine private and public initiatives and finances in a great diversity of institutional framework. However, they are comparable in the sense that they are inserted in and grapple with epochal global trends and attempt to re-assert their position in the new global economic competitive climate and its associated technological, cultural and social transformations. Each of these produces a series of profound mechanisms of exclusion/integration and, at the end of the day, it is such activities, which shape or moderate the process of polarization and exclusion itself. The 1980†³s saw competition between European cities for mobile investment in a variety of ways. Multinational enterprises boosted this competition through looking at the location of new productive plants and offices, this therefore saw city governments promoting and marketing themselves in a more beneficial way in an effort to be a magnet for inward investment. They saw ways to ‘Hall mark† events such as major sporting events; cultural festivals and trade fairs which can all have considerable economic effects. I will be looking at Barcelona, Dublin and Lille and at the different strategies they have used to respond to global, economic pressures within and between cities in positioning themselves in the European urban hierarchy and the changes that have taken place. Differences in infrastructure and human capital are widely recognised as contributing significantly to variations in regional competitiveness. The economically stronger and more prosperous regions of the Community are generally more richly endowed with more resources, while the lagging regions typically have serious deficiencies (Commission of the European Community, 1994, p. 65). All major cities have become actively involved in what has been termed ‘city marketing†. There are ways in which academics have sought to identify cities from the best to the worst, this has been established through â€Å"league tables. From these league tables the cities to be at the most highest are obviously seen as the most appealing cities to live in and also for investment. Rankings are made on the basis of economic variables such as gross domestic product per head, the unemployment rate, pressure for the demand for space or the proportion of the workforce employed in higher-order occupations. Quality of life is measured in ways such as education, health care, cultural or leisure facilities and environmental variables. â€Å"A new geography of Europe is emerging which ignores national frontiers. The most successful cities are located in what Hall termed ‘the blue Banana†. Cities in the core derive considerable scale economics and access advantages whilst cities in the periphery do not and must bare substantial distance costs† (Lever 1992:936) The core banana covers the cities of London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich and Milan. A subsidiary core banana has developed which encompasses Mediterranean cities like Barcelona, Marseilles and Nice and which is connected to the first banana through the Alpine region. Most of the successful or those furthest up the hierarchy are located within these regionalised cores. These advantages have resulted in growth due to the specialised high technology manufacture and information processing. The Commission of the European Communities has pointed there are weaknesses which are forcing investors to move out; the high costs of wages and land and also the congestion and pollution. They also stated that the older urban centres in the core have older populations and will in time undergo a demographic decline whereas the younger populations of the periphery will engender further progress. There is not a single urban hierarchy in Europe. Rather there are a number of overlapping hierarchies, which centre on particular functions†¦. Each urban area is in competition with a range of others according to the economic function and the sphere of influence – global, national, or regional – at which it performs its specialisms (Commission of the European Community, 1994, p. 44). The paradox in this statement illustrates the crucial point in the debate about territorial competition within the European urban system. It is not the urban areas themselves that are directly in competition, but the economic specialisms and functions, which operate from within them. The locations of economic activities – new production and service facilities, international institutions and major cultural and sporting events – are also a function of an urban area's social capital. The externalities generated by the degree and level of social capital are the basis for urban areas competing for the location of economic activities in the first instance and maintaining them locally in the second. However, it is the leading edge or specialist activities, contained within city-regions, which compete within the global or international economy. Given the regionally networked nature of international production and service provision, there is also a degree of complementarily. Urban policy in Lille centres on the improvement of the competitive position and the development of large-scale operations that are capable of improving the urban image and of attracting external investments. Eurolille is a large –scale commercial quarter which has included many different policy domains; job creation, education, development of urban space for new activities and function, new industries, neighbourhood revitalisation and improvement of security. The creation of the retail business centre Eurolille also led to the redistribution of commercial spaces in the city itself. The policies of urban regeneration and the struggle against social exclusion in the Lille metropolis reflect these institutional and strategic transformations. Their analysis helps to understand the process that led to the realisation of Eurolille. The most generic procedure put forward by the Ministere de la Ville and the Delegation Interministerielle a la Ville is the Contrat de Ville (CDV). The main objective of this procedure is to combat urban exclusion at the level of â€Å"priority-targeted† neighbourhoods and at the level of the agglomeration on the other. Actions for social assistance aiming at improving daily life as well structural actions involving large-scale urban operations (roads, improvement of the housing stock) are launched. â€Å"Lille could expect substantial economic benefits from its position on the TGV network† (Newman and Thorney 1996: 190) The construction of the TGV station in the centre of Lille in 1994 plays a key-role in this strategy of regenerating the Lille metropolis. The subsequent construction of an international business centre must put Lille at the heart of a Northern European transportation network and provide the metropolis with an important international role. This, in turn, should help to attract external investments, to create a pole of advanced business services; and will make the metropolitan and regional economy much more dynamic. The advent of the Channel Tunnel and the high-speed train network in France, has also improved its attractiveness. Barcelona is a Mediterranean city, the heart of the industrialization and the social, political, and cultural movements of contemporary Spain. The city has remarkable evidence of moving from profound economic crisis in 1980 to a city with a strong image. The high degree of private investment in the projects related to the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games corresponds to the great expectation created by the attractiveness of the city of Barcelona. â€Å"The Olympic games bought the attention of the world to Barcelona† (Newman and Thornley 1996:91) Among the physical impacts – which per se can have important economic effects – is the impact on urbanism. The change in the urban model can be seen immediately by comparing the density of traffic in 1990 before the ring roads were built, with the density of 1993, after the opening of the Dalt and Litoral ring roads. The changes in traffic due to the effect of these roads was one of the most synthetic expressions of the impact of the Olympic Games on the city. European integration strengthens the Western Mediterranean region, as a bridge between the centre and the south of Europe. In this context, Barcelona also has another powerful attraction: its metropolitan area, found in a central axis of European communications. Barcelona is thus an excellent location for head offices and its metropolitan area excellent for the introduction of their plants. The possibilities of capitalizing on the Olympic impulse, consolidating its new role as a service centre specialized in activities with high surplus value, seems clear. The build up to the Games brought about further impact on the city fabric, not least because it led to a massive increase in speculation on land values, and housing prices soared. There was a substantial growth in the number of properties available, which contrasted drastically with a birth rate at a record low, not to mention its negative migratory balance. Despite these facts nothing held down the rise in property prices for both home ownership and rent. Dublin as the national capital and primate city in Ireland has produced both renaissance flagship urban development projects and socio-spatially excluded communities in the drive to modernise and compete with other comparable cities in the newly emerging urban hierarchy of the European Union. The CHDDA International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) Urban Regeneration project is one of the main projects designed to enhance the city†s image and competitive position in the international urban arena. The urban renewal act of 1988, set out a process for model of regeneration in Dublin. With 23 property developers and 30 urban planners many changes were made to the city of Dublin. Since the 1980†³s Dublin has turned around and has been extremely successful from investments and has become a magnet for tourists. The IFSC represents an important attempt by the Irish government and the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) to reposition Ireland in the international division of labour from national primate city to peripheral world city. It seeks to avail of some of the benefits of the hypermobility of capital within the economy of the international financial system. Dublin†s IFSC has developed a niche for itself in the international division of financial services by focusing on back office banking operations and corporate treasury activities. Although no rival to London or New York, Dublin†s ‘niche† has strong global dimensions. Temple Bar was one of the key areas to receive European funding. A variety of cultural facilities, ranging from the National Film Centre, Children's Theatre, Music Centres, Art Galleries, all received major European funding. This contributed hugely to its capital programme. In addition, it had much better financial incentives than elsewhere in the City Centre. This concentration of European Funding and Government Tax Incentives within a relatively small area has been the financial power behind the scheme. Dublin Corporation has embarked on a major regeneration project for a historic part of the city from O'Connell Street westwards towards the Phoenix Park – one of the key areas in the old Abercrombie/Sydney Kelly plan – H. A. R. P. – Historic Area Regeneration Project. It covers a large part of the inner north city and includes the city markets area, major shopping centres, important public buildings, long established residential communities, areas of dereliction and many socially deprived areas. It also includes major civic elements, like the North Quays and Smithfield. The new light rail transport system – LUAS, will pass through the area and this should have a strong economic effect. Policy tools can be applied in various combinations to manage change in practice and to attempt to achieve sustainable development. The development and implementation of city-wide environmental strategies and action plans require effective community participation and partnership mechanisms, as called for in the Local Agenda 21 programme. Local Agenda 21 is essentially a strategic process of encouraging and controlling sustainable development. The development, management and implementation of this process requires all the skills and tools that can be brought to bear by a local authority and its community. â€Å"Cities are not just passive places in which international capital or prestigious functions locate, but in the new global competition for economic growth, have themselves become important factors in creating opportunities for economic development and influencing the new urban hierarchy† (Newman and Thornley 1996:16) Cities have been positioning themselves in this ‘new urban hierarchy† through the marketing strategies and construction of new images. This has taken place by many cultural activities and symbols all of which try to enhance the European world ranking of cities. Cities are obliged to adapt themselves rapidly to constant changes in economy and in other sectors. It is essential not to forget that this new form of development implies a danger to create a bigger division than the one that already exists inside urban societies. One of the key elements in this adaptation process to new changes is that cities must have a permanent and flexible educational and training system able to adapt itself rapidly to each moment circumstances.