LECTURE 10: WAR FOR TALENT

Question 1

Florida’s Creative Class thesis

1) Key Point
2) And this creativity is embodied by a group of individual workers with…

Answer 1

1) Economy has changed –> no longer based on natural resources, infrastructure or manufacturing but rather ideas, knowledge and creativity.
2) high levels of human capital which we call talent

Question 2

Global war for talent

Answer 2

We know that places are trying to attract the best engineers and software developers, the best entrepreneurs and business people, the best teachers and of course the best creative talent from designers, artists, film makers, writers and musicians, but we still don’t really know what factors shape their locational preferences and choices

Question 3

Geographers are divided between factors shaping their locational preferences and divided and two main camps have emerged (2)

Answer 3

1) 2 prominent geographers, Allen Scott and Michael Storper from UCLA, argue that despite all the hype, good quality jobs must be present before talent will migrate
2) Many argue that talent is attracted to locations that offer a rich mix of amenities

Question 4

Examples of argument that talent is attracted to locations that offer a rich mix of amenities (3)

Answer 4

Florida (2002)
- examines the importance of tolerance

Glaeser et al (2001)
- availability of certain climates and consumption opportunities

Clark et al (2002)
- talent is drawn to leisure activities and entertainment amenities

Question 5

1) Florida, the creative class will be drawn to, and remain in, city-regions with…
2) Said to include… (4)

Answer 5

1) a highly ranked “people climate”

2) said to include tolerance, openness to diversity, inclusiveness, and cultural supply

Question 6

Quote about cities from Boren and Young (2011:2)

Answer 6

“Cities should be liberal, cosmopolitan, bohemian, and multicultural. They should contain “cool” communities with low entry barriers for firms but also for “creative” people, a creative atmosphere, and an acceptance of difference. In turn, significant artistic, immigrant, gay, and lesbian populations are held to signal the presence of underlying regional-scale mechanisms that increase the efficiency of the productivity of entrepreneurial activity, human capital externalities, and knowledge spillovers and “spill-acrosses”

Question 7

According to Florida talent does not simply show up in a region; rather,

Answer 7

certain regional factors appear to play a role in creating an environment or habitat that can attract and retain talent or human capital and the principle amenity that acts as a magnet is tolerance

Question 8

According to Storper and Scott, who review the competing theories before attacking them, a second major branch of the amenities and human capital theory of urban growth has emerged from the work of…

Answer 8

Edward Glaeser and his colleagues

Question 9

Glaeser (2005) suggests that ____ are of paramount importance to attracting talent and encouraging urban growth.

Answer 9

climatic amenities

Question 10

1) Climatic amenities are identified primarily in terms of…
2) Originated from who and he tried to explain what?

Answer 10

1) warm dry winters
2) Ed Ullman who in the 1950’s tried to explain why so many people in the US where moving from the cold north-eastern cities to Florida, California and Arizona

Question 11

Gleaser talks about (3) instead of Florida’s (3)

Answer 11

• sun, skills and sprawl

- technology, talent and tolerance

Question 12

Gleaser says that attracting growing numbers of high-skilled workers requires…

Answer 12

..that government provide high-quality public schools, safe streets and neighborhoods, and reasonably priced housing in cost effective and equitable ways

Question 13

3rd version of the amenities-and-human capital theory of urban growth is exemplified by ___ who claims that …

Answer 13

Clark et al (2002)

‘amenities attract talent and drive urban growth’. By amenities they mean specifically urban ‘attractions’ such as parks, museums, art galleries, orchestras, signature buildings and so on

Question 14

Assert that the importance of classical variables such as (4) is declining and that (5) is the focus

6) In other words, talent does not go to places for ____ but rather because of their ____

So we get this notion that amenities will attract talent and from these sources (7+8) are not really addressed

Answer 14

1-4) distance, transportation costs, local labor costs and proximity to natural resources

5) leisure
6) productive reasons, consumption preferences

7+8) jobs and employment opportunities

Question 15

Storper and Scott and anemities

Answer 15

Argue that it strains credulity to suppose that members of the creative class move about the economic landscape as though they were principally in search of amenity based gratification.

Question 16

Scott (2010) - Although people might have preferences for amenities in places they would like to move to, ___ is more significant, especially for…

Answer 16

finding work is more significant, especially for those who have invested in developing high human capital

Question 17

Storper and Scott conclude that in the war of talent it is difficult to imagine how…

Answer 17

improving a city- region’s attractiveness will influence large numbers of people in the desired occupations to move there in the absence of economic opportunities

Question 18

Beyond arguing that jobs are paramount, Storper and Scott make another important point which is that…

Answer 18

although the new mobility of talent is said to allow thousands of cities to openly compete to attract and retain talent, the established players in the game, in specific sectors, still hold major advantages

Question 19

Why will clusters like New York and London etc still act as talent magnets?

Answer 19

because of their long histories as the place to be for certain industries and groups of talent

Question 20

Beaverstock and Hall and London’s competitiveness

Answer 20

talk about London’s competitiveness as a financial mecca and its ability to bring in talent from around the world

Question 21

1) As we usual highlight in class, ___ matters

Answer 21

1) Specificity
- There is no boilerplate approach to attracting talent - history matters, geography matters and sectoral specificity matters

Question 22

1) Brian’s argument in ‘Satisfaction Guaranteed’ article about binary between jobs and amenities
2) Why does he think this?

Answer 22

1) He doesn’t think that the binary between jobs and amenities provides sufficient nuance to explain choices
2) Because it fails to reflect the evolving nature of what constitutes a job and the degree to which the preferences of talent are differentiated by factors including occupation, gender, ethnicity, life cycle, and past experience

Question 23

1) Indeed, freelance creative workers and entrepreneurs do not migrate for specific firm- based jobs but rather …
2) Moreover, specific amenities such as culture, climate, low crime levels, good schools, and tolerance matter to…

Answer 23

1) Thick labour markets that offer opportunities for paid employment
2) …varying degrees depending on individual tastes, subjectivities, and life cycle requirements.

Question 24

Existing literature says little about… (2)

Answer 24

scale and access

Question 25

Beyond Bohemia chapter

• Hracs (2009)
• argument about presence of attractive labour (2)

3) However the exact same thing is true of various kind of regional amenities:

Answer 25

1) Argues that the mere presence of attractive labour markets and amenities does not ensure that incoming talent will be able to access employment opportunities and enjoy a high quality of life
2) Argues that both sides are WRONG: Of course the presence of jobs and employment opportunities is necessary for attracting talent and encouraging regional growth but it is no longer sufficient
3) both the right kind of unfilled jobs and the right kind of amenities are needed if a region is to attract new residents and retain its current residents

Question 26

One thing that has always puzzled Brian about the existing literature is that they…

Answer 26

really simplify the locational choice process

• assume that a talented individual sits down and says ‘ok I want to move somewhere warm’ when reality is much more complex

Question 27

What do people do when they have two similar job offers or opportunities with say similar pay - then how do they decide?

Answer 27

Most likely based on other factors related to the location and amenities.

Question 28

1) What can Halifax offer?

2) Reference

Answer 28

1) Tale of Two Scenes - Hracs (2011)

2) a nice mix of social and economic conditions which helped them not only retain their own talent but poach talent from larger centers like Toronto as well
- much easier to find paying gigs in Halifax despite Toronto’s size and music-related infrastructure

Question 29

Competition in Toronto

Answer 29

In Toronto there is so much competition that the value of live music is reduced to almost nothing and many respondents said that getting paid has become a treat

Question 30

So musicians in Halifax earn slightly less than musicians in Toronto but the cost of…

Answer 30

space, for living, rehearsing and recording is much higher, and still rising, so musicians consider Halifax to be much more affordable and this is obviously a key issue for all creative workers who have low and uncertain incomes.

Question 31

Corrosion of creativity

1) Reference
2) Relevance to creatives in Halifax/Soton

Answer 31

1) McRobbie (2002)
2) Musicians in Halifax talked about being able to really focus on being creative and developing their careers in a more and enjoyable sustainable way

Question 32

1) Social conditions of Halifax vs Toronto

2) Support in Toronto

Answer 32

1) Whereas musicians and music is really supported and valued in Halifax by local residents, students and the government, in Toronto, music is often regarded as just another entertainment commodity competing with other activities like major sports teams, film and art
2) many respondents talked about how they didn’t feel welcome or valued in Toronto compared to Halifax which was much more supportive –> and this lack of support really drove some musicians out of Toronto

Question 33

1) And by extension we found that whereas in Halifax emerging or newly arrived musicians can easily access local networks, resources and start collaborating…
2) Exclusion in Toronto

Answer 33

1) in Toronto intense competition pits musicians against one another and really limits opportunities for mutual support, knowledge exchange and collaboration.
2) Many musicians talked about how exclusionary the music scenes were in Toronto and how it is difficult for new people to plug-in –> e.g.one musician told me - I don’t collaborate with other musicians because they are my competition

Question 34

1) Affordability of space and ‘Beyond Bohemia’

2) Southampton examples

Answer 34

1) Really important for low income strands of talent like creative workers and whereas London looms large as this creative mecca places like Southampton can offer spaces that are much more affordable and even more conducive to creativity
2) Tower House and the incubators run by A-Space

Question 35

1) Whereas the literature suggests that talent will flock to big exciting cities with lots of shopping and leisure amenities, most creatives…
2) Instead, they are much more concerned with…

Answer 35

1) … don’t have the time or money to engage in these activities
2) being able to plug into local cultural scenes, collaborating with others and feeling like the wider community values and respects their work.

Question 36

So Southampton doesn’t need to compete with London’s high streets but it does need to…

Answer 36

… create a supportive and welcoming atmosphere

Question 37

In some ways Southampton already has a close knit group of creatives similar to a place like Halifax, but there appear to be opportunities to…

Answer 37

.. improve its social permeability and cohesiveness

Question 38

Ultimately, this research demonstrates that in determining whether talent will stay in a place, general perceptions are much less important than…

Answer 38

… individual preferences and actual lived experience

Question 39

despite the widespread assumption that bigger is better, for specific occupational groups like musicians, smaller places which feature more sustainable economic and social conditions can not only…

Answer 39

…retain their own talent, but attract new talent from larger centers as well

Question 40

So there are major opportunities for Southampton and places like Eastleigh but policies and initiatives need to be…

Answer 40

…realistic while recognising, enhancing and promoting local strengths.

Question 41

Basically, the literature focuses on ‘one-off’ moves, like where students go after they graduate, and pays much less attention to the ways in which people practice…

Answer 41

ongoing, cyclical and varied forms of mobility

Question 42

as new infrastructure and declining transportation costs keep increasing possibilities for physical mobility and new technologically mediated communications, such as video conferencing and social media, enhance interactions and knowledge flows across time and space, individuals, who may be employees, freelancers or entrepreneurs are…

Answer 42

… developing strategies to optimise the right mix of mobility and geographic proximity

Question 43

While physically ‘being there’ might still be really important for some things, _____ seems to be increasingly important

Answer 43

accessing virtual buzz

Question 44

1) New paper with Taylor Brydges draw upon is the first contemporary account of ….
2) Also examines the ways in which…

Answer 44

1) …the diverse regions that comprise the Canadian fashion system and explores the how footloose designers choose a ‘home base’ for their operations
2) independent fashion designers practice strategic patterns of mobility to access opportunities and resources in other parts of the national system

Question 45

3 forms of mobility (3)

Answer 45

1) TEMPORARY MOBILITY - entails attending events such as fashion week
2) MEDIATED MOBILITY -involves working with intermediaries to create a presence in key markets
3) VIRTUAL MOBILITY - harnesses the internet and social media to promote and sell products in local, national and global markets

Question 46

Before presenting the regional dynamics of the Canadian fashion system, it is important to…

Answer 46

…contextualize the structure of independent fashion design businesses in Canada.

Question 47

1) While much of the research on the fashion industry focuses on a global hierarchy of cities, including London, Paris, New York and Milan, these cities are exceptional and not…
2) So we must also look at…

Answer 47

1) … typical of the global dynamics of the fashion industry
2) 2nd tier centres like Stockholm, Auckland or Toronto as well as national systems that comprise multiple cities

Question 48

In Canada, there are relatively few large fashion firms to work for so most designers…

Answer 48

… run their own businesses

Question 49

But like musicians, as entrepreneurs these designers aren’t…

Answer 49

… tied to one specific place and can move around within the system

Question 50

Coupled with the considerable personal and economic costs that must be considered in moving to another place to start a business, designers often place emphasis on ___ such as…. when choosing where to live

Answer 50

personal factors, such as the location of family and friends, when choosing where to live

Question 51

Option to stay in hometown quote

Answer 51

“You’ll never be as famous as you are in your hometown and have the same support as you will there. This is where I have my friends and my family. People will be there for you. They can put a face to the brand. It’s hard to know how you will do in other cities”

Question 52

However, others see moving to one of the big cities as a necessary stepping stone for growing a business (quote)

Answer 52

“When you don’t have a support system or even a system with competition, it can be a challenge to really thrive. If we want to have that experience, and maybe in order to ultimately be successful, we will have to move to a Montreal or a Toronto or a New York in the next few years”

Question 53

However, designers don’t just move up the urban hierarchy but move down to… for… where…. was desired

Answer 53

smaller cities for family or lifestyle reasons where a slower or alternative pace of work was desired

Question 54

Smaller cities in Western and Central Canada (such as…) were often seen as … such as… in terms of offering (2)

Answer 54

such as Calgary and Edmonton

more ‘liveable’ options than cities such as Toronto or Vancouver

lower costs of living and more accessible communities

Question 55

Living and working in these smaller cities and communities also offer the chance to be….

Answer 55

part of a formation of a new scene, rather an adapting to the more established ‘rules of the game’ in cities such as Toronto.

Question 56

Findings from new paper with Taylor highlights that there is not one obvious choice for aspiring designers to move to and locational choices are not driven in a very simple way by jobs or amenities but….

Answer 56

rather a complex and highly individualised mix of needs and preferences

Question 57

The role of what in creative industries continues to be poorly understood?

Answer 57

Temporary events and networks

Question 58

Some scholars argue that (3) are sufficient to spur (2)

But the (3) associated with these events is also said to contribute to the precarious nature of creative work

Answer 58

• temporary, short-term face-to-face meetings
• cooperation and knowledge exchange
• spatial and temporal fragmentation and ‘compulsory networking’

Question 59

Brian’s research suggests that if harnessed strategically, practicing temporary mobility to attend field configuring events can…

Answer 59

…be beneficial for independent designers

Question 60

The positive dynamics of a designers chosen home base can be complemented with…

Answer 60

…short and recurring visits to other markets within the Canadian fashion system to access key events, actors, spaces and resources

Question 61

The main driver of cyclical mobility are… which can be understood as…

presenting a collection at a regional fashion week allows a designer to not only leave their self-described __ but importantly, to ___

Answer 61

fashion weeks which can be understood as temporary clusters that facilitate knowledge production and exchange

leave their self-described “bubble” but importantly, to promote themselves

Question 62

While attending these types of industry-specific showcases provides an opportunity for…

Answer 62

learning, the monitoring of trends, and gaining new sources of inspiration, supporting each other is also an important outcome

Question 63

‘Fashion week an a community’ quote

Answer 63

“Fashion week is a great opportunity to have the community all at the same site. It is good to see how each place is promoting their own industry but we really need to join together”

“Even though we are such a large country, we are still a small industry”

Question 64

• Fashion weeks also allow designers to meet with the…. which can open up new opportunities
• Also reflective of the evolution of…

Answer 64

local industry influencers such as stylists, journalists, bloggers, and other designers in person

• networking for creative workers where familiar ties may be seen as redundant and new and complementary connections are needed instead to support advancement

Question 65

Exercising temporary mobility may exacerbate the challenges associated with…

Answer 65

the D.I.Y. nature of independent fashion design

Question 66

for designers already struggling to complete a growing range of creative and non-creative tasks, the need for what (2) contributes to the twin processes of de-specialization and multi-skilling and the spatial and temporal fragmentation and extensification of work

Answer 66

1) physically move within the fashion system

2) be at the right place at the right time

Question 67

1) So to avoid the resulting ‘corrosion of creativity’ which undermines their ability to stand out in the crowded marketplace and make a sustainable living from fashion, some of the designers in our sample are …
2) Quote

Answer 67

1) ‘getting help’
2) “You can’t do it alone. There’s just too much! There are too many moving parts, so it’s good to learn how to delegate early on”

Question 68

“mediated mobility” entails…

Answer 68

Not only outsourcing specific tasks to intermediaries but creating a multi-locational presence by working with actors such as public relations firms, talent agencies, brand consultants, and bloggers, who are strategically located within key networks, markets and spaces

Question 69

Although mediated mobility may be practiced by designers in individualised ways, the findings suggest …

Answer 69

… common motivations related to penetrating distant networks and markets, establishing pipelines and promoting and selling from a distance

Question 70

Nearly all independent fashion designers reported difficulties associated with…. within the Canadian fashion system

Answer 70

identifying and accessing networks in distant or less familiar markets

Question 71

In Toronto, fashion-related activities are often ___ with ___ who rarely work together so simply understanding the ____ and determining ___ is challenging for designers

Answer 71

chaotic

with overlapping and competing actors and organizations who rarely work together

‘lay of the land’ and determining the ‘right’ people to approach

Question 72

competitive market dynamics encourage established actors to be wary of perceived… and results in what Christopherson describes as …

Quote

Answer 72

‘outsiders’ or ‘upstarts’

‘defensive exclusionary networks’

Quote: “The fashion industry in Canada is a very tight circle. There seems to be a small group at the top and you feel like you can’t break in”

Question 73

Mediated mobility allows designers to (3) without the need for geographical proximity

Answer 73

• side-step entry barriers
• reduce the costs of networking
• provide access to buzz, knowledge and resources

Question 74

like large firms who establish ‘global pipelines’ in the form of satellite offices, working with intermediaries allows individual designers to establish what we might call ___ across Canada

Answer 74

‘regional pipelines’

Question 75

‘Regional pipelines’ facilitate a ___ and disseminate

Answer 75

• two-way flow

- information across space

Question 76

Because it is really hard to secure big sales contracts from big department stores who prefer to react to consumer demands and stock established fashion brands, independent designers are

Answer 76

also working with local independent retailers to co-produce and co-promote the values associated with the clothes, brands, shops and neighbourhoods where they are located

Question 77

Crewe (2013) argued that online retailing is bringing about…

Answer 77

“transformative shifts in the spaces, times, and practices of fashion consumption…[and that] the Internet has brought new fashion worlds into the homes, screens, and minds of consumers”

Question 78

Although physical spaces, including temporary showrooms and independent retail shops remain vital for independent designers, _____ are becoming increasingly important channels of promotion and distribution

Answer 78

online platforms

Question 79

1) Websites provide the space to display clothing and sell to customers from across Canada and abroad while also allowing customers to…
2) Many include… and offer ….

Answer 79

1) …learn more about the brand

2) ‘About Us’ pages and offer look books of previous seasons

Question 80

By extension, through the practices of …., blogs and social media platforms allow independent designers to…

Answer 80

practices of ‘friending’ and ‘following,’

… engage directly with a wide range of consumers on increasingly personal levels.

Question 81

ndependent designers are harnessing digital technologies to practice what we call _____

Answer 81

virtual mobility

Question 82

Virtual mobility (2)

Answer 82

repositions actors in space and allows independent designers to act in real time in different places which may be local, regional or global.

Question 83

Promoting and selling online can be particularly beneficial to…

Answer 83

new designers who are trying to establish a presence in the Canadian fashion system

Question 84

Through social media, these brand identities can also be linked to… to enhance …

Answer 84

multiple places in strategic ways to enhance their distinctiveness and value

Question 85

Irrespective where a product is actually designed or produced, for example, designers can… which links their products and brands to…

Answer 85

create and communicate an imagined geography which links their products and brands to particular markets within Canada or fashion capitals such as Paris or New York

Question 86

1) Shultz (2015) and the ‘independent turn’

2) What does Brian/Taylor’s findings highlight?

Answer 86

1) Demonstrates the power of social media and digital tech to connect small-scale producers to consumers and intermediaries while also allowing them to bypass traditional gatekeepers, such as established fashion buyers, who may block their access to markets and opportunities
2) Findings reinforce this shift and highlight the democratizing potential of technology

Question 87

Quote about importance of social media for smaller retailers

Answer 87

“It almost evens the playing field by allowing the small guys like us to have a voice”

Question 88

It is clear that practicing virtual mobility allows independent designers to ____ within the Canadian Fashion system while also furnishing them with tools to ….

Answer 88

connect, promote and sell from anywhere within the Canadian Fashion system while also furnishing them with tools to develop and deploy strategies to create distinction, value and loyalty

Question 89

Important to remember that building brands, selling products and establishing relationships with consumers in virtual spaces requires … which may limit…

Answer 89

intense and constant performances of aesthetic labour which may limit the time and resources these entrepreneurs can allocate to developing new creative content and undermine the success and sustainability of their businesses.

Question 90

Ultimately, while virtual mobility may reduce the need for (2), the findings suggest that virtual channels should be regarded as __ rather than ___

Answer 90

• geographic proximity
• face-to- face interactions
• complements rather than substitutes