Towards a geography of tourism

This paper traces the development of geographical interest in tourism during the past half century and examines the range and scope of the geography of tourism. The available literature is reviewed and suggestions are made regarding possible research aveneus and theoretical developments. Six major areas of interest are identified: spatial aspects of supply, spatial aspects of demand, the geography of resorts, patterns of movements and flows, the impact of tourism, and models of tourist space. Through an emphasis on spatial interaction an attempt is made to provide some cohesion and synthesis for this body of knowledge which constitutes the basis of the geography of tourism.     

Professional tensions in science and technology: the case of the Colleges of Advanced Technology

Two possible patterns for the organization of advanced technological education can be detected in Britain since 1945. The dominant assumption links training closely to fundamental advances in the sciences, and centralizes teaching at a small number of specialist institutions. The influence of such a policy is seen in the decisions which limited the numbers of Colleges of Advanced Technology in 1956, and in the continuing pressure from science advisory circles for the establishment of a few high-level training centres. The alternative pattern seeks to respond to the diverse range of industrial demands at local level in a decentralized system of technological training whose goals and standards are readily influenced by the technical and manpower demands of neighbouring industry. Neglect of this alternative can be explained from persistent trends in British professional organization, but the economic consequences may well be momentous.     

An analysis of R&D objectives in Indian manufacturing companies

The need for R&D has been well recognized by the manufacturing companies in India, but it is felt that R&D has not been generally effective in having a marked impact on the growth of their business. One of the reasons for this could be discrepancies in their R&D objectives. This paper presents the results of an empirical study of the R&D objectives of a few manufacturing companies in India viewed against the background of their environments. The analysis points to the discrepancies observed in R&D objectives and hints at suitable corrective measures.     

The computer imperative

“The Computer Imperative” has been defined as the necessity for the administrator to specify his goals, objectives, criteria, standards, rules, etc., in very explicit and operational terms as he seeks to devise a better management system, especially if computers will be used to implement portions of the system. It is essential that educational leaders be able to tell system designers and computer technologists what they want, and to do this they must know at least the rudiments of what is technically possible. Otherwise, the administrator in some sense is at the mercy of the technologist. Studying an administrative system as essentially an information system provides a useful model. To define who originates, processes, uses, or needs information is to describe much of the actual operation of administration. In a manual system, many rules and procedures can be left undefined, and intuition and experience can substitute effectively for logical precision. As computers are programed to assume certain basic transactional functions, the administrator must bear in mind that computers do only what they are told. It is therefore critically important to be able to describe what we want. Much of the “threat” of automation can be attributed to uneasy or uncomfortable recognition of this “imperative”.