Successful Bid Research Articles

Croatia's bitter harvest: Total National Defence's role in the Croatian War of Independence

Croatia's successful bid for independence was one of the defining moments of the immediate post-Cold War period. Nevertheless, the means that Croatia used to obtain independence remains relatively unexamined by academics. This article focuses on the early period of Croatia's bid for secession, and specifically the role that Yugoslavia's policy of Total National Defence played in facilitating its independence. Unlike in Slovenia, where the legacies of Total National Defence facilitated Slovenia's bid for secession, in Croatia the decision of its political leaders meant that the country largely neglected its positive legacies, resulting in a protracted four-year struggle.

Putting the drum in conundrum: Guadeloupean gwoka, intangible cultural heritage and postnationalism

Since 2004, Felix Cotellon, the president of the centre for traditional music and dance on the island of Guadeloupe, has spearheaded a grass roots campaign to see gwoka inscribed on the UNESCO’s list of Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanities. The move has been surprising, even controversial. Gwoka, a drum-based music and dance, has been used as a symbol of Guadeloupean cultural identity and resistance against French colonialism since the late 1960s. Moreover, Cotellon has had a long association with separatist activism. However, because Guadeloupe remains a French overseas department without a seat at the UN, the petition to add gwoka to the ICH list had to be sponsored by the French state. Following a successful bid, gwoka is now listed as representative of the culture of a French region. In this article, I draw from my ethnographic work as well as my own involvement in the committee that drafted Guadeloupe’s application to trace the complex network of individuals, who are shaping gwoka’s transformation from weapon of national resistance to symbol of humanity’s cultural diversity. I argue that these individuals shape and operate within a ‘zone of awkward engagement’ that allows for the emergence and expression of a postnationalist political subjectivity.

Securing funds to give your literacy work a boost

Brin Best gives some practical advice on how to unlock the funds available for literacy work in your school and provides some examples of successful bids for relevant school projects.

Does China Matter? Taiwan's Successful Bid to Host the 2017 Summer Universiade

This study seeks to identify and explain the key factors supporting the bid of Taiwan [Taipei] to host the 2017 Summer Universiade. In tackling this subject, this study employs content analysis to elucidate how and to what extent the issues associated with this successful bid are portrayed by investigating a collection of material, including nine interviews and a review of published and unpublished documentary materials derived from government reports, parliamentary debates, academic journals, and media commentaries, among other sources. The study concludes that the experience of having hosted international sporting events, having existing facilities and venues, and having tacit consent and support from China were all important contributing factors to Taiwan's success. Among these factors, the ‘acquiescence’ from the Chinese government and relevant actors to Taiwan's ‘demands’ appeared to play a particularly important role.

The Role of Media in Enhancing People’s Perception of Hosting a Mega Sport Event: The Case of Pyeongchang’s Winter Olympics Bids

Residents’ support for hosting the Olympic Games is crucial for a bid to succeed in the Olympic host-city selection process. Because of the vital role of the media in framing public perceptions of Olympic bids, the purpose of this study was to examine media coverage of hosting the Olympic Games during the Olympic host-city bid process. A quantitative content analysis was conducted on newspaper articles about Pyeongchang, Korea. Pyeongchang was a candidate city for 3 consecutive bids for the Winter Olympic Games, and it finally won its latest bid to host the 2018 Games. Six hundred Korean newspaper articles were collected for analysis. The results indicated that positive, nationwide discussions of hosting the Olympic Games were presented during the successful bid. Infrastructure legacy was mentioned frequently and dominantly for both successful and unsuccessful bid periods, whereas the presence of sport-development and sociocultural-legacy themes increased in the latest, successful, bid. In addition, extensive coverage related to celebrity endorsement was found during the successful bid.

Challenging the International Tourism Industry in Japan An Agent for Economic Recovery and Development

Japan’s successful bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo is expected to bring a windfall to the tourism industry with an increasing number of visitors coming from abroad. Taking advantage of this opportunity to develop the newly-emerging tourism industry will be major task, but one that can significantly impact the future development of the country. The purpose of this paper is to undertake a review of the current situation of international tourism in Japan and examine the problems which may limit the international competitiveness of Japan’s tourism industry. We offer a number of solutions on how to improve tourism quality to better address the expectations of foreign visitors and for Japan to meet the goals of the Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Law (Act No.117 of 2006) which defines the basic plan for “Realizing a Tourism Nation”.

Framing Event Legacy in a Prospective Host City: Managing Vancouver’s Olympic Bid

In preparation for Olympic bids, city officials and event managers often cite event “legacies” and argue that such benefits may be realized for decades. Meanwhile, public support is extremely important when moving forward with a bid; legacy has therefore become a prominent feature in bid committee rhetoric and in the management of event bidding, and how the notion of legacy is managed in the media by bid proponents will be key to a successful bid. This paper explores how legacy was framed in the newspaper media during the Olympic bid in Vancouver, where city officials, local politicians, and members of the bid committee focused their pro-bid arguments around infrastructure, economic, and social legacies. Results show how these legacies entered the bid discourse at various points in the domestic and international bid competitions, as supporters moved away from discussions of new infrastructure development and economic impacts toward intangible event benefits.

Challenges for the International Tourism Industry in Japan – An Agent for Economic Recovery and Development

Japan’s successful bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo is expected to bring a windfall to the tourism industry with an increasing number of visitors coming from abroad. Taking advantage of this opportunity to develop the newly-emerging tourism industry will be major task, but one that can significantly impact the future development of the country. The purpose of this paper is to undertake a review of the current situation of international tourism in Japan and examine the problems which may limit the international competitiveness of Japan’s tourism industry. We offer a number of solutions on how to improve tourism quality to better address the expectations of foreign visitors and for Japan to meet the goals of the Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Law (Act No.117 of 2006) which defines the basic plan for “Realizing a Tourism Nation”.

Nazi Germany, Canadian Responses: Confronting Antisemitism in the Shadow of War, edited by L. Ruth Klein (Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2012), xxiii + 302 pp., illus., hardcover $29.95, electronic version available

In Toronto in June 2009 the Government of Canada and the League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith Canada co-hosted a conference entitled, “The St. Louis Era: Looking Back, Moving Forward,” which was also part of Canada's successful bid for membership in the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, now the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Though the ill-fated voyage of the MS St. Louis served as the focal point for the conference, participants were encouraged to “look more widely at this era of prejudice and restrictive immigration policies” (p. xiii). The conference resulted in two things in addition to IHRA membership: establishment of the National Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research (NTF); and publication of the volume under review. The purpose of Klein's compilation is to gain “a better sense of how much Canadians knew, and when, about the mounting persecution of the Jews.” To achieve this, Klein asserts, it is necessary to enter the “atmosphere” of Canada in this period (p. xix). In this pursuit, seven scholars from various disciplines, including history, media studies, and Jewish studies, examine various aspects of Canadian society from 1933 to 1945, concluding that most non-Jewish Canadians were apathetic in the face of Nazi persecution of Jews. It is unfortunate that the analysis focuses almost exclusively on the cities of Toronto and Montreal, and that French Canada is virtually ignored, yet no single volume can cover all aspects of a subject. In this case it seems that geographic and ethnic breadth was sacrificed in favor of multi-disciplinary inclusion.

State and Society in China’s Environmental Politics

It is increasingly common to encounter headlines detailing China’s environmental woes and the social action that has appeared as a result. These headlines run side-by-side with stories of China’s continued economic growth and rise in global prominence. The fact that these two issues are connected is not lost on Chinese citizens or the Communist Party of China. The way these competing, though related, issues are addressed by state and society in China is of central concern to the country as well as to the global community. Though the topic of environmental degradation and social response has been previously explored by many academics in the context of China, the issue has gained a broader audience. The three books under review generally seek to reach this broader audience and to address key tensions in China’s environmental governance, providing insight into changes in state–society relations. There has been an opening of social space in China over the last twenty years, allowing for increased public activism related to environmental issues, at a scale unimaginable even thirty years ago. The nature of this space, however, and the political context in which it has emerged, are contentious. Judith Shapiro provides an overview of the broad spectrum of related issues involved in China’s Environmental Challenges, using a textbook format to introduce the key debates regarding environmental governance in China. Following her now seminal study Mao’s War Against Nature, Shapiro’s newest book draws on a historical view of environmental issues in the country; shifting

London 2012 legacy: Olympic Park waterways

London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games resulted in over £60 million of investment into the canals and rivers of the lower Lea valley. This paper describes the largest regeneration and restoration programme ever undertaken on Britain's inland waterway network, with a massive clean-up operation followed by new locks, river walls, towpaths, bridges and habitats. After providing an attractive waterside backdrop to the games, the waterways are now a major feature of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. They will soon be opened up to public navigation for the first time in decades and are expected to bring many thousands of waterborne visitors to the area.

Soft power and soft disempowerment: Qatar, global sport and football’s 2022 World Cup finals

This paper examines the critical role of global sport within Qatar’s international strategy, most notably through the successful bid to stage the 2022 football World Cup. Our discussion draws particularly on interviews with key stakeholders in the Qatari sport system, as well as fieldwork in Qatar and the analysis of relevant documents and secondary materials. The paper is separated into five main parts. First, we set out our theoretical framework, which draws on the concepts of globalization and soft power; to assist in the analysis of Qatar’s engagement with global sport, we introduce the two further concepts of ‘glocal consciousness’ and ‘soft disempowerment’. Second, we provide the reader with background information on Qatar and Qatari sport. Third, we discuss three key themes that emerged mainly from our interviews on Qatar and global sport: exhibiting Qatar’s supremacies as a microstate; the pursuit of peace, security and integrity; and confronting national health crises. Fourth, we explore issues of soft disempowerment and reputational risk with regard to these three themes and, in particular, critical international comment surrounding Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup. Fifth, we conclude by arguing that Qatar’s soft disempowerment, although damaging in the short term, leaves the door open for the state to respond in a positive manner, regenerating its soft power capabilities in the process.

Louisa Catherine: the other Mrs. Adams

Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, wife and political partner of John Quincy Adams, became one of the most widely known women in America when her husband assumed office as sixth president in 1825. Shrewd, intellectual, and articulate, she was close to the center of American power over many decades, and extensive archives reveal her as an unparalleled observer of the politics, personalities, and issues of her day. Louisa left behind a trove of journals, essays, letters, and other writings, yet no biographer has mined these riches until now. Margery Heffron brings Louisa out of the shadows at last to offer the first full and nuanced portrait of an extraordinary first lady. The book begins with Louisa's early life in London and Nantes, France, then details her excruciatingly awkward courtship and engagement to John Quincy, her famous diplomatic success in tsarist Russia, her life as a mother, years abroad as the wife of a distinguished diplomat, and finally the Washington, D.C., era when, as a legendary hostess, she made no small contribution to her husband's successful bid for the White House. Louisa's sharp insights as a tireless recorder provide a fresh view of early American democratic society, presidential politics and elections, and indeed every important political and social issue of her time.

Features of successful bids for funding of applied health research: a cohort study

BackgroundThe literature suggests that research funding decisions may be influenced by criteria such as gender or institution of the principal investigator (PI). The aim of this study was to investigate the association between characteristics of funding applications and success when considered by a research funding board.MethodsWe selected a retrospective cohort of 296 outline applications for primary research (mainly pragmatic clinical trials) submitted to the commissioning board of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme between January 1st 2006 and December 31st 2009. We selected proposals submitted to the commissioned NIHR HTA work stream as they addressed issues which the programme already deemed to be important, hence the priority of the research question was not considered as one of the selection criteria for success or failure. Main outcome measures were success or failure at short-listing and in obtaining research funding.ResultsThe characteristics of applications associated with success at shortlisting and funding were multi-disciplinarity of the team (OR 19.94 [5.13, 77.50], P <0.0001), particularly inclusion of a statistician (OR 3.76 [2.21, 6.37], P <0.0001), and the completion of a pilot/feasibility study (OR 4.11 [1.24, 13.62], P = 0.0209). The gender of the PI was not associated with success or failure at either stage. The PI’s affiliation institution was not associated with success or failure at shortlisting.ConclusionsThe gender of the PI was not associated with success or failure. The characteristics of research applications most strongly associated with success were related to the range of expertise in the team and the completion of a pilot or feasibility study.

Expo 2020: What must Dubai’s hospitality and tourism industry do to be ready pre- and post-event?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight and summarize the main findings of the theme issue: “Expo 2020: How is Dubai’s hospitality and tourism industry preparing?” by drawing on the discussion and recommendations across the collection of articles to identify the key success factors associated with hosting Expo 2020 in Dubai. Design/methodology/approach – The paper profiles the key methodological elements in developing the research agenda for the theme issue “Expo 2020: How is Dubai’s hospitality and tourism industry preparing?” Findings – The paper provides a concise summary of recommendations for the various stakeholder groups involved in hosting Dubai’s Expo 2020 mega event. Originality/value – Dubai’s successful bid to host Expo 2020 was announced in early 2014. Written by industry practitioners, analysts and educators with local knowledge and experience of Dubai’s tourism and hospitality industry, the theme issue provides an authoritative review of the main opportunities and challenges facing the industry in Dubai as it prepares to host Expo 2020.

Emerging trends regarding accessible accommodation in Dubai luxury hotels

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine how luxury hotel operators in Dubai interpret the current disability laws in the region, and further how they currently provide accessible accommodation to disabled tourists. Design/methodology/approach – This study draws on data collected using document analysis of UAE Federal Law 29 (English translation), Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Hotel Classification Manual, some five star hotels’ internal guidelines and semi-structured interviews with 12 hotel representatives. Findings – The majority of participants were unaware of existing statutory law addressing the rights and needs of the disabled community in Dubai. Despite their perceived absence of a legal framework, tendency toward provision of accessible accommodations was prevalent. Uniformly, the participants focused exclusively on tourists with physical disabilities. Practical implications – There is a need for detailed and comprehensive legislation protecting the rights and needs of disabled tourists, particularly in view of Dubai’s successful bid to host Expo 2020. This need will, no doubt, be fulfilled in light of the recent announcement that Dubai will enact its own disability law intended to make the emirate fully accessible to persons with disabilities. Originality/value – Research into the rights and needs of the disabled community has been largely overlooked in the Middle East, an oversight which is due for correction by virtue of an anticipated increase in tourism numbers in Dubai. The opportunity exists for enactment of model legislation taking into account the needs of disabled tourists, expectations of local industry, realities of the marketplace and regional cultural influence.

World Cup Football as a Catalyst for Change: Exploring the Lives of Women in Qatar's First National Football Team – A Case Study

In 2012, five Qatari women participated in a qualitative research study, which aimed to explore the negotiation of opportunity to be members of Qatar's first national women's football team. Qatar is a conservative Islamic country which is experiencing rapid modernisation. Part of this modernisation includes the increasing visibility of sport, for example the successful bid for the 2022 men's Football World Cup. In response to this bid, the first Qatari women's national football team was established in 2011. The project was positioned within a social constructivist framework. Five out of 12 squad members, over the age of 18, volunteered to participate in semi-structured interviews. Interview questions probed the women's experiences and influences on their opportunities and journey to membership in the national team. From a thematic analysis, issues such as the management of gender norms and the influence of significant others dominated the data. This research indicated that the women's agency enabled them to manage their situation with a range of strategies and to change attitudes towards women footballers. The winning of the bid to host the men's World Cup has been a catalyst for change in making spaces for Qatari sportswomen.

Unbalanced Quotation Improvement Strategy Research under the Bill of Quantities Valuation Mode

Combining with China's current bidding methods that are commonly used in tendering process, the article introduces the concept, principle and characteristics of unbalanced bidding, and establishes unbalanced quotation improvement strategy model based on capital time-value theory and linear programming. This model can reduce the enterprise's bidding quotation scientifically and increase the successful bid probability without changing the corporate earnings. Meanwhile, the article combines with actual application cases, indicating that the model is practical and operable.

What have we learnt? A year on from the first UK Community Partner Summit

Following an observed need to build community partner infrastructure and support to enhance community-university partnerships, a successful bid was made to the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. This funding provided an opportunity for community partners to come together with engaged academics at the first ever UK Community Partner Summit. They resolved to set up a community partner network to help build capacity for effective community-university partnerships, and to influence the policy environment which supports this work. This article reflects on the activity of the working group in seeking to establish the network, and introduces some of the concepts that have proved critical to its development. Drawing on a wealth of perspectives from a range of sources including academic and grey literature, community partner experiences, and international work, we open up some of the challenges that we have faced, and explore some of the implications of our first year’s work together. We reflect on the time it takes to establish any form of network, the need to be clear about definitions and boundaries, and the challenge of changing cultures. We conclude that the progress with the network to date is encouraging, and we look forward to building on our learning thus far, to develop stronger community-university partnerships of the future.Keywords: community partner infrastructure and networks, partnership resilience, community-university partnership

Voting on sustainable transport: communication and governance challenges in Greater Manchester's ‘congestion charge’ referendum

In December 2008, the Greater Manchester electorate voted to reject a £3 billion package of transport measures that would have included investment in the conurbation's bus, tram and rail networks and walking and cycling infrastructure, together with, and partially funded by, the introduction of a congestion charge. The proposals followed a successful bid to the UK Government Transport Innovation Fund (TIF). High levels of car use present challenges to cities, and the TIF bid can be seen as an attempt to address these by promoting and facilitating a modal shift. The paper reflects on the debates surrounding the proposals, which led to a referendum. In particular, it explores the challenges of communicating complex, controversial plans in a fragmented and contested political arena.