Evaluate the success of managing change in rural and urban areas

Question 1

Change management involves…

Answer 1

• planning and implementing a set of actions that facilitate the transition from one situation to another that’s hoped for
• setting out and following a series of steps/actions that lead eventually to either solving or an amelioration of the initial problem
• not all issues can be fully resolved and in most cases, the best that can be achieved is some reduction in their seriousness

Question 2

Ways of measuring the success of managing change include:

Answer 2

• demographic
• economic

Question 3

Oxford Housing Crisis: General facts

Answer 3

• over 1/2 of the cities population travel/commute into the city causing pressure on the infrastructure even with road transport improvements. This is unsustainable
• more expensive to live in Oxford than London: hard to find people to work in Oxford as no one can afford it, cost of buying in Oxford is 11x the average Oxford wage, and a home in Oxford is 2.5x more expensive than the average home

Question 4

Oxford Housing Crisis: Stakeholders outside Oxford

Answer 4

• UK Government is anxious that the uni and city retain their positive global reputation
• National and international companies that are anxious to set up close to the universities benefit from their research but are keen to avoid the difficulties of recruiting labour

Question 5

Oxford Housing Crisis: Stakeholders in Oxford

Answer 5

• City employers: the difficulties with staff recruitment are having an adverse impact on businesses of all sorts. The choice for them is to either pay more to attract staff or move to where labour is cheaper. A major employer is the BMW mini car park at Nuffield on the city outskirts
• University of Oxford: they are keen that top-flight researchers aren’t deterred from coming to study and work in the prestigious institution

Question 6

Oxford Housing Crisis: Relate to the question

Answer 6

• Planning and implementing a set of actions: checking outside the cities boundary for new building sites. In 2014, 6 possible sites were found and 3 have been marked as ‘good prospects for new development’
• Setting out and following a series of steps/actions: Gov insisting any planning permission granted for new houses should include a prescribed number of affordable houses. The larger the number of dwellings in the overall scheme, the larger the number of affordable units required
• Not all issues can be fully resolved and sometimes the best that can be achieved is a reduction in their seriousness: due to complex legal and planning procedures required, it will be a long time before anything is agreed and even longer before work starts on new housing

Question 7

Slough: Relate to the question

Answer 7

• Planning and implementing a set of actions: council aims to improve housing, employment and environment for local people
• Setting out and following a series of steps/actions:
  
  • Council starting development of 3 new housing developments, 29 new council rented homes, the ‘Curve’ (a new cultural learning centre inc. a library, adult education facility and performance centre) and a new sports stadium for the football club
  • Community group Aik Saath, is a charity that works with people from all communities, faiths and backgrounds to promote and encourage conflict resolution and community cohesion. Hosts activities ranging from training with primary and secondary students, to workshops on peer mediation to help solve disputes
• Not all issues can be fully resolved and sometimes the best that can be achieved is a reduction in their seriousness:
  
  • many TNCs (O2, Nintendo and Mars chocolate) due to being 20 miles from London and close to Heathrow = jobs
  • ‘Slough Aspire’ partnership between companies in Slough and the local Council. Aims to develop employability skills among the local population. Has it’s own training centre and the programme is being managed by local companies

Question 8

Breckland: Relate to the question

Answer 8

• Infrastructure: access to modern infrastructure is vital to ensure high quality of life and as well as easy access to outside information. Good infrastructure = key to economic growth and migration
  
  • Easy access (M11) but it’s very remote - improved tourist infrastructure and visitor experience - easier to get to and nicer when they’re there - means more money in to continue improving the infrastructure - multiplier effect
• Services: relative to urban places, rural places are disadvantaged with the education, healthcare, retail and other services (ie. push factor)
  
  • poor public services and the older population believes they are declining. Working adults must commute in, many work in London, Ipswich and Norwich. Breckland puts more emphasis on tourist industry = more money = improved services, infrastructure = more tourism