Structural change in the economy and energy needs: A South African perspective∗

The paper reviews economic structural changes and the resultant effect on the demand for energy. Seen globally, structural change is determined primarily by:

• shifts In the sectoral contributions

• technological development

• increase in the urban population

• redistribution of income.

The South African situation is analysed with respect to the following factors:

• changes In sectoral energy use as a result of the development of the economy away from an agrarian economy towards a more industrialised economy

• urbanisation and the changing energy consumption patterns especially with regard to increased food and water, housing, domestic energy, transport and waste disposal needs

• redistribution of income and projected future demand for energy.

The importance of structural change in planning for future energy needs is emphasised.     

Cultural Heritage Assets in China as Sustainable Tourism Products: Case Studies of the Hutongs and the Huanghua Section of the Great Wall

Due to its rich stock of heritage assets, extraordinary pace of market liberalisation, and its political administration, the People’s Republic of China is at a crossroads in terms of the management of its heritage assets. In order to better understand the threats and opportunities that market liberalisation may pose for cultural heritage assets as future tourism products, this study examines two examples in the Beijing municipality; the Hutongs and the section of the Great Wall at Huanghua. These case studies are used to investigate the coordination of policy to balance modernisation and conservation of heritage assets in Beijing, and place it against a general model of stakeholder roles that can drive the sustainable use of heritage assets. Teasing out the nature of these roles has identified where tourism development aids or detracts from existing heritage conservation policies. Without better coordination of roles in policy implementation, the sustainability of many heritage assets as future tourism products is in question.     

Measuring Consumer Ethnocentrism: An Assessment of Reliability,Validity and Dimensionality of the CETSCALE in a Developing Market

ABSTRACT

Based on 305 surveyed consumers in Zimbabwe’s two major cities (Harare and Bulawayo), the study sought mainly to measure consumer ethnocentrism and to test psychometric properties of the CETSCALE in Zimbabwe using structural equation modeling. It was established that the construct of consumer ethnocentrism comprises two dimensions, namely negative influence of foreign products, and preference for domestic products. Consumer ethnocentrism was found to be moderately high. The psychometric properties of the CETSCALE tested above the required thresholds. Consumer ethnocentrism was found to negatively influence consumer attitude towards imported poultry products. The study has implications for managers and future researchers.     

Globalizing Ethics: Social Technologies of Private Regulation and the South African Wine Industry

This paper discusses of some key issues arising from South African experience of the UK-based Ethical Trading Initiative's (ETI) pilot project in the monitoring of compliance codes of conduct for product sourcing. The paper argues that the experience of 'local stakeholder participation' in the ETI's pilot project in the South African wine industry raises serious questions about the appropriateness and efficacy of 'ethical sourcing' as a vehicle for creative global–local engagement. It explores key elements of the globalizing 'technologies of ethics' deployed by projects like the ETI, and argues that these may simply normalize and regularize power relations in trade between North and South. These limitations are particularly serious in light of the course of labour market restructuring in South Africa, which has reshaped agricultural employment in ways that limit the ability of employment standards to address real difficulties faced by agricultural workers. This does not render 'ethical sourcing' irrelevant, nor does it mean that it can be read as simply securing retailer interests. It does mean, however, that a key question facing 'Southern' organizations and their allies is how to increase the scope for engagement and contestation around the implementation of such initiatives.     

Analyzing technological threats and opportunities in wireless data services

The ability to assess the threat and opportunity that technological innovations pose to an organisation's profitability, growth and survival has become one of the key elements in the development of offensive and defensive innovation strategies. Central to this process of assessing technological threats and opportunities is the need to analyze various aspects of identified technological developments. A range of analysis techniques exists, and a number of these are discussed and simultaneously applied to a specific technological development. While threat and opportunity assessment is relevant to almost any company in any industry, it is especially relevant to industries characterised by high rates of volatility such as the communications industry. The technological development, which has been chosen to apply these analysis techniques to, is the offering of 2.5/3G wireless data services, which is currently of great significance in the communications industry. The point of view that is taken is that of a European mobile network operator (MNO) that needs to assess the threats and opportunities that this development poses to its business. The result shows that the analysis process leads to a better understanding of not only the identified developments, their driving forces and enablers, but also their possible impacts on the organisation. This greatly enables the extent to which developments represent a threat or opportunity for a specific organisation to be assessed. In the framework of the overall technological threat and opportunity assessment methodology, the results of the analysis process will feed into the strategy formulation process where possible organisational responses can be developed.     

Effect evaluation of a multifactor community intervention to reduce falls among older persons

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a multifactor and multimethod community intervention programme to reduce falls among older persons by at least 20%. In a pre-test-post test design, self-reported falls were registered for 10 months in the intervention community and two control communities. After the pre-test registration, participants followed the intervention programme (Information and education, Training and exercise and Environmental modifications) for 14 months. All communities were situated in the Province of Friesland in the north of The Netherlands. The study ran from November 1999 to November 2002. The participants (intervention 1122; control 630) were aged 65 years and older and lived independently. There was no significant decrease in total falls, except outside the home, among women (odds ratio = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.30-0.98; p = 0.041). The multifactor intervention programme was not effective. The reduction of falls outside the home among women could be due to reduced outdoor physical activity.     

A new model to assist in planning for sustainable cultural heritage tourism

A natural link exists between tourism and cultural heritage management, yet little discourse and debate occurs between them on the sustainability of heritage tourism. What also is missing is a process whereby elements of both areas can be included in the identification and actualisation of the tourism potential of cultural heritage places. This paper presents a new model that is in the process of development, but which has the potential to assist in planning for sustainable cultural heritage tourism. Future testing of the model is likely to make a significant contribution to the advancement of both disciplines and also should help break down barriers between the two. The model is a matrix into which heritage places can be classified as falling into nine general areas of suitability for tourism in terms of their market appeal and ability to withstand the impacts of visitation likely to be associated with that appeal. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.