Rapid industrialization, breakthroughs in science and technological development have ushered in an era regarded as a technocratic age. The advent of a technocratic age has necessitated the acquisition of technologically appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes, and consequently it has become necessary to establish education systems that fulfil the demands set by technocratic age principles. Present-day education is typified by technocratic age imperatives which include meritocracy, specialization, vocationalism, professionalism and scientism. Technocratic age education is further characterized by mass education, free and compulsory education and greater bureaucratic control of education. In technocratic age education systems, entrance examinations are used to select learners for advanced education and training. It would appear that this takes place with little regard for the learner's personal worth or meeting the learner's distinctive needs. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (History of Education)

Submitted by Ilmar Polary Pereira Polary (i.polary@hotmail.com) on 2012-08-30T13:05:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Gestão por Sustentabilidade Integrada -GSI - Ilmar Polary - FGV - 2012.pdf: 8449760 bytes, checksum: 48ce97c3ea3432d126053ee744399ae9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ÁUREA CORRÊA DA FONSECA CORRÊA DA FONSECA (aurea.fonseca@fgv.br) on 2012-08-31T15:29:27Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Gestão por Sustentabilidade Integrada -GSI - Ilmar Polary - FGV - 2012.pdf: 8449760 bytes, checksum: 48ce97c3ea3432d126053ee744399ae9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2012-09-03T19:37:04Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Gestão por Sustentabilidade Integrada -GSI - Ilmar Polary - FGV - 2012.pdf: 8449760 bytes, checksum: 48ce97c3ea3432d126053ee744399ae9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-09-03T19:37:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gestão por Sustentabilidade Integrada -GSI - Ilmar Polary - FGV - 2012.pdf: 8449760 bytes, checksum: 48ce97c3ea3432d126053ee744399ae9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-07-04 / The Thesis analyzed and described in the first stage through the literature in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises: the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’ role in the society – definitions, conceptions, phases and processes; political, economical, social and legal aspects, management aspects, success, perennity, failure and mortality of Brazilian reality; comparative data of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in some countries and the Large Enterprise. After, the Conceptual Pattern of Integrated Sustainability Management, its Dimensions, Components and Variables; the Integrated Sustainability Management as Professional Management for the enterprises based in Entrepreneurism in two areas of literature: Economical and Managerial; and the World and Brazilian wide view about Entrepreneurism. Then, the Integrated Sustainability Management in two sceneries: Scenery I – the Integrated Sustainability Management and the impact in Management, Success and Perennity of industrial Micro, Small, Medium and Large Enterprises in the State of Maranhao; and Scenery II – the impact of perennity of industrial Micro, Small, Medium and Large Enterprises in the Industrial Development in the State of Maranhão. In the second stage, the study presents the results and data analyses of the Field Research performed in the sample of industrial Micro, Small, Medium and Large Enterprises of State of Maranhao in 14 (fourteen) counties, representing the universe of the 170 (a hundred seventy) ones that have formal industries based on Federation of the Industries of the State of Maranhao cadaster (2006). From the analysis of literature and of the managers’ view of industrial sample, the Thesis analyzed the problem of: 'How does the Integrated Sustainability Management befriend Management, Success and Perennity of industrial Micro, Small, Medium and Large Enterprises and how does these Micro, Small, Medium and Large Enterprises’ perennity impact the Industrial Development of State of Maranhao?', in which the results confirm that ' The management of industrial Micro, Small, Medium and Large Enterprises of State of Maranhao, when applied in Integrated Sustainability Management, according to the managers, befriends Management, Success and Perennity of Micro, Small, Medium and Large Enterprises'; and 'The perennity of industrial Micro, Small, Medium and Large Enterprises in the State of Maranhao, according to the managers, impacts positively the Industrial Development of State of Maranhao'. Finally, it presents limitations, recommendations of the research for future investigations and conclusions. / A Tese analisou nas Micro, Pequenas e Médias Empresas, em sua primeira etapa, através da literatura, e descreveu: o seu papel na sociedade – suas definições, concepções, fases e processos; aspectos políticos, econômicos sociais, legais, de gestão, sucesso, perenidade, insucesso e mortalidade da realidade brasileira; dados comparativos das Micro, Pequenas e Médias Empresas em alguns países e a Grande Empresa. Prosseguindo, o Modelo Conceitual da Gestão por Sustentabilidade Integrada, suas Dimensões, Componentes e Variáveis, como Gestão Profissional para as empresas fundamentada no Empreendedorismo em dois ramos da literatura: a Econômica e a Gerencial; e o panorama mundial e brasileiro do Empreendedorismo. Na sequência a Gestão por Sustentabilidade Integrada em dois cenários: no Cenário I – o impacto na Gestão, Sucesso e Perenidade das Micro, Pequenas, Médias e Grandes Empresas industriais do Estado do Maranhão; e no Cenário II – o impacto da Perenidade das Micro, Pequenas, Médias e Grandes Empresas industriais no Desenvolvimento Industrial do Estado do Maranhão. Na segunda etapa, apresenta os resultados e análises de dados da Pesquisa de Campo realizada na amostra das Micro, Pequenas, Médias e Grandes Empresas industriais do Estado do Maranhão em 14 (quatorze) municípios, representando o universo dos 170 (cento e setenta) que tem indústrias formais com base no cadastro da Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Maranhão (2006). A partir da análise da literatura e da visão dos gestores da amostra industrial, a Tese analisou a problemática de 'Como a Gestão por Sustentabilidade Integrada favorece a Gestão, Sucesso e Perenidade das Micro, Pequenas, Médias e Grandes Empresas industriais do Estado do Maranhão e da perenidade dessas Micro, Pequenas, Médias e Grandes Empresas no Desenvolvimento Industrial?', em que os resultados confirmam que 'A Gestão das Micro, Pequenas, Médias e Grandes Empresas industriais do Estado do Maranhão, quando aplicada na Gestão por Sustentabilidade Integrada, na visão dos gestores , favorece a Gestão, Sucesso e Perenidade das Micro, Pequenas, Médias e Grandes Empresas'; e 'A perenidade das Micro, Pequenas, Médias e Grandes Empresas industriais do Estado do Maranhão, na visão dos gestores, impacta positivamente no Desenvolvimento Industrial do Estado do Maranhão'. Finalizando, apresenta as limitações, recomendações da pesquisa para futuras investigações e as conclusões.

Magister Legum - LLM

This study originally emanated from the debate on value creation through projects, which has become more prevalent in project management literature in recent times. Earned value analysis, which is widely used to measure and report the performance of project value, does not include the occurrence of value leaks in its calculations and reporting. Although there is a scarcity of literature on the issue of value leaks during project deployment, it is considered to be a big issue which can make or break a project’s value success. This lack of research is more pronounced in network expansion projects in the Ghanaian telecommunication industry, however, considering the level of investment by these network operators, and their contribution to economic growth, the occurrence of value leaks can be suspected. Therefore, the overall aim of the study was to develop a diagnostic model that aids in the easy identification of value leaks, so that they can be controlled, and remedied to minimise the forgone unrealised project value. In view of this, the study adopted an exploratory sequential mixed research design. The qualitative phase employed a multiple-case study approach to explore the concept of value leaks and the extent to which it becomes problematic in delivering overall project value. The quantitative phase, through a survey study, adopted factor analysis to test and validate the findings from the case study, and analyses were also performed to test the conceptual model fit to the retained dataset. The findings culminated in the development of the “Value Leaks-Flashlight”, with an add-on called the “Tolerable Nut” to theorise the concept of value leaks. This practical establishment of the value leak concept cemented the development of the value leaks diagnostic model through the application of the “CIIR” acronym, which fulfils the overall aim of the study. The study contributes to the contemporary literature in the field of project management, as the concept of project value leaks is still gaining prominence, and only a few empirical studies have thus far been conducted. The concept of value leaks enlightens the perspective of project management practitioners in their quest to achieve value through projects. / Business Management / D. Phil. (Management Studies)

<p>Одрживи индустријски развој директно је повезан са стварањем повољних услова за спровођење иновативних активности. Главни изазов на пољу управљања иновацијама је избор и рангирање индикатора који омогућавају стварање иновација, како на нивоу државе / регије (макро нивоу), тако и на нивоу предузећа (микро нивоу).Oво истраживање је спроведено за оба нивоа одвојено. Рангирање индикатора на макро нивоу извршено је за појединачне државе чланице ЕУ и за ЕУ као јединствену регију За ту сврху примењена је метода статистичког учења. На микро нивоу, урађена је студија случаја за рангирање индикатора иновацијског потенцијала за сектор ММСП у Србији, коришћeњем методe структурираног упитника и методe вишекритеријумске анализе. Резултати истраживања пружају прилику да се укаже на значај појединих индикатора у процесу стварања иновације, како на макро тако и на микро нивоу.</p> / <p>Održivi industrijski razvoj direktno je povezan sa stvaranjem povoljnih uslova za sprovođenje inovativnih aktivnosti. Glavni izazov na polju upravljanja inovacijama je izbor i rangiranje indikatora koji omogućavaju stvaranje inovacija, kako na nivou države / regije (makro nivou), tako i na nivou preduzeća (mikro nivou).Ovo istraživanje je sprovedeno za oba nivoa odvojeno. Rangiranje indikatora na makro nivou izvršeno je za pojedinačne države članice EU i za EU kao jedinstvenu regiju Za tu svrhu primenjena je metoda statističkog učenja. Na mikro nivou, urađena je studija slučaja za rangiranje indikatora inovacijskog potencijala za sektor MMSP u Srbiji, korišćenjem metode strukturiranog upitnika i metode višekriterijumske analize. Rezultati istraživanja pružaju priliku da se ukaže na značaj pojedinih indikatora u procesu stvaranja inovacije, kako na makro tako i na mikro nivou.</p> / <p>Sustainable industrial development is directly related to the creation of favorable conditions for the implementation of innovative activities. The main challenge in the field of innovation management is the selection and ranking of indicators that enable the creation of innovation, both at the state/region level (macro level) and at the enterprise level (micro level). This research was conducted for both levels separately. The ranking of indicators at the macro level was done for individual member states of EU, and for the EU as a unique region. For this purpose, the method of statistical learning was applied. At the micro level, a case study for ranking the indicators of innovation potential was done for the MSME sector in Serbia, using the method of a structured questionnaire and the method of multi-criteria analysis. The results of the research provide an opportunity to see the importance of individual indicators in the process of creation of innovation, both at the macro and micro levels.</p>

Régis par une rhétorique opposant « science » et « politique », les programmes de stations spatiales civiles sont présentés comme projets diplomatiques censés adoucir des tensions géopolitiques, justifiés par les possibilités d’expérimentation en condition de micropesanteur qu’ils octroient à la communauté scientifique et industrielle internationale. Précédée par des collaborations officieuses entre laboratoires européens et soviétiques, l’Europe de l’Ouest entre dans l’exploration spatiale habitée en 1982. Depuis, l’entraînement et le transport des astronautes de l’Agence spatiale européenne (ESA) se partagent entre les États-Unis (NASA) et la Russie (Roscosmos), dont les programmes nationaux pourvoient leur gouvernement en autonomie de lancement et de transport spatial. Au fil des décennies, alors que les agences spatiales détenant un programme habité (à l’exception de la Chine) se rejoignent dans un projet commun à partir de la fin des années 1990 (l’International Space Station), et alors que la Russie devient détentrice d’un monopole d’accès à l’espace à partir de 2011, les mécanismes symboliques et politiques structurant le programme spatial habité européen évoluent en conséquence. L’entraînement des astronautes en Russie, relatif à ce monopole des lancements habités, entraine la reproduction de traditions et rituels qui, hérités du spatial soviétique, en viennent à constituer l’armature symbolique et axiologique d’un corps d’astronautes en charge de représenter « l’unité dans la diversité » propre à l’Europe. Nourrissant des relations plus ou moins institutionnalisées avec d’anciennes républiques socialistes du fait de son autonomie (de plus en plus relative) vis-à-vis de l’Union Européenne, l’ESA devient progressivement une plateforme via laquelle le procès de restructuration des États d’Europe de l’Est entamé à la fin des années 1980 peut être analysé à l’aune des réseaux industriels, des interdépendances techniques et des échanges scientifiques qui y transitent. Afin de saisir ces relations d’interdépendances, une approche par la théorie des champs semble pertinente à deux points de vue. Tout d’abord, s’intéresser à la genèse et à l’organisation du programme spatial habité européen suppose de considérer ce dernier comme le résultat d’une trajectoire institutionnelle empruntant à différents champs : autorité cognitive de la science moderne, rôle de la production industrielle dans la construction étatique, et rapport à la territorialisation dans l’exercice d’un pouvoir politique national contribuent à la morphologie actuelle des affaires spatiales en Europe. Ensuite, une analyse bourdieusienne permet de circonscrire les vols habités comme un espace social structuré, où se convertissent, se maintiennent et se confrontent des capitaux portés par des acteurs de champs de production autonomes. L’économie des relations entre science, industrie et État, esquissée au gré de ce pari théorique, permet d’envisager certaines des conditions sociales par lesquelles les manières de « faire État » en Europe occidentale et le développement de la bureaucratie ont pu être nourris par des développements scientifiques et techniques profondément ancrés dans le temps comme dans l’espace. Mettant particulièrement en lumière la formation des habitus des astronautes de l’ESA, l’esquisse d’une théorie d’un « champ de médiation » est appréhendée, de manière à saisir les conditions de ces relations structurelles entre champs scientifique, industriel et bureaucratique dans le cas d’un secteur spatial en mutation. / Ruled by a rhetoric which opposes “science” and “politics”, civil space stations programmes are often introduced as diplomatic projects supposed to soften geopolitical tensions, then justified by the possibilities of experimentation under microgravity that those stations grant to the international scientific and industrial community. Preceded by informal collaborations between European and Soviet laboratories, Western Europe starts its entry into human spaceflights in 1982. Since then, the training and transport of astronauts from the European Space Agency (ESA) have been shared between United States (NASA) and Russia (Roscosmos), whose national programmes provide autonomous launch and space transport capacities. Over the decades, while space agencies holding a human space programme (except China) join in a common project from late 1990 (the International Space Station), and as Russia becomes the holder of a monopoly regarding access to space from 2011, symbolic and political mechanisms structuring the European human space programme evolve accordingly. The training of astronauts in Russia, relating to this monopoly of crews’ transportation, entails the reproduction of traditions and rituals which, inherited from the Soviet space era, contributes to the symbolic and axiological building of an astronaut corps in charge of representing Europe’s “unity in diversity”. Nourishing more or less institutionalized relations with former Socialist republics because of its (increasingly relative) autonomy towards the European Union, ESA gradually becomes a platform through which the structuration of Eastern European States, started in the late 1980s, can be analyzed through industrial networks, technical interdependencies and scientific exchanges that pass through. In order to grasp these interdependencies, the fruitfulness of an approach by the field theory can be resumed in two arguments. First, taking an interest in the genesis and organization of the European inhabited space programme implies that the latter should be regarded as the result of an institutional trajectory borrowing from different fields: cognitive authority of the occidental modern science, role of industrial production in State construction, and territorialization in the exercise of a national political power contribute to the current morphology of space affairs in Europe. Secondly, a Bourdieusien analysis allows circumscribing human space flights as a structured social space, where are converted, maintained and confronted capitals which are carried by actors of autonomous fields of production. This, without a priori postulating the loss of autonomy of one of these fields. The economy of relations between science, industry and the State, sketched at the whim of this theoretical wager, then allows to envisage some of the social conditions by which scientific and technical developments, deeply rooted in time and space, could contribute to shaping the ways of “making State” and to the development of bureaucracy in western Europe. With particular emphasis on the training of ESA astronauts, the outline of a “mediation field” theory is apprehended, so as to understand conditions of these structural relations between scientific, industrial and bureaucratic fields in the case of a changing space sector. Based on multisite and multilevel ethnography (United Nations, ESA technical centres, control centres), interviews with scientists, space agency officials, operators and crew members of the agencies contributing to the ISS (N = 182), as well as archival work (EU, ESA and Soviet Academy of Sciences), this study shows how “Space Europe” (as the EU and ESA refer to it) “takes shape” and reproduces the symbolic conditions of its internal cohesion (i.e. values and identity binding its member-States) through the daily organization (procedural, mental and carnal) of its crewed space program.

O grau de competitividade dos produtos, o encurtamento do seu ciclo de vida e o acesso a informação por parte do consumidor, compõem um cenário no qual o desenvolvimento de produtos diferenciados se faz necessário. Entretanto, para que isso ocorra é preciso haver um processo sistematizado e orientado para a inovação, quando da criação de produtos. O Projeto Conceitual constitui uma etapa, dentro do PDP (Processo de Desenvolvimento de Produto), na qual são estabelecidas muitas das decisões que nortearão o desenvolvimento do produto. Portanto, tem-se nesta fase um campo fértil para o planejamento da inovação. Neste contexto, desenvolver abordagens que auxiliem na seleção de alternativas conceituais permite que a inovação possa ser assimilada nas fases iniciais do PDP. A literatura aponta para a existência de métodos que auxiliam o processo de seleção de conceitos. Entre eles, a Ferramenta API_PC (Avaliação do Potencial de Inovação no Projeto Conceitual) apresenta critérios e subcritérios orientados para a seleção de uma concepção com maior potencial inovador na etapa do Projeto Conceitual. Neste contexto, foi identificada a oportunidade de ampliar os critérios/ subcritérios existentes na ferramenta, bem como atribuir novas valorações, de modo a robustecê-la. Desta forma, a presente pesquisa produziu um novo mapeamento dos elementos indutores de inovação a partir de dados obtidos pela revisão de literatura juntamente com uma análise reversa de quatro produtos considerados inovadores (analogamente a da Ferramenta API_PC). Feito isso, novas valorações foram estabelecidas por meio de um instrumento de coleta de dados aplicado a projetistas e estudantes. Na sequência, foi conduzido um experimento, em ambiente controlado, no qual foram avaliadas as alternativas conceituais de um produto presente no mercado. A avaliação foi realizada por sete grupos, compostos por profissionais e estudantes, dos quais quatro utilizaram a ferramenta proposta e três não a utilizaram. A partir de três pressupostos: i) utilização; ii) compreensão; e iii) seleção foi conduzida uma análise comparativa entre os grupos bem como a aplicação de um questionário individual a posteriori. Portanto, foi possível reconhecer a percepção conjunta e individual da tarefa proposta. A expansão da Ferramenta API_PC permitiu o desenvolvimento de um mecanismo robusto que de forma consistente auxilia a equipe de projeto na avaliação e identificação da alternativa conceitual com maior potencial inovador. / The degree of competitiveness of the products, the shortening of their life cycle and the access to information by the consumer, constitute a scenario in which the development of differentiated products becomes necessary. However, for this to happen, there must be a systematized and innovation-oriented process when creating products. The Conceptual Project is a step, within the PDP (Product Development Process), in which many of the decisions that guide the development of the product are established. Therefore, this stage has a fertile field for innovation planning. In this context, developing approaches that help in the selection of conceptual alternatives allows the innovation to be assimilated in the initial phases of the PDP. The literature points to the existence of methods that help the process of concept selection. Among them, the API_PC Tool (Evaluation of Innovation Potential in the Conceptual Project) presents criteria and subcriteria oriented to the selection of a conception with greater innovative potential in the Conceptual Project stage. In this context, the opportunity to expand the criteria / subcriteria in the tool was identified, as well as to attribute new valuations, in order to strengthen it. In this way, the present research sought to conduct a new mapping of the elements inducing innovation from data obtained by the literature review along with a reverse analysis of four products considered innovative (similarly to the API_PC Tool). Once this step was concluded, new assessments of these criteria were established through a data collection instrument applied to designers and students. An experiment was conducted in a controlled environment in which the conceptual alternatives of a product on the market were evaluated. The evaluation was performed by seven groups, composed of professionals and students, of whom four used the proposed tool and three did not use it. Based on three assumptions: i) utilization; ii) understanding; and iii) selection was conducted a comparative analysis between the groups as well as the application of an individual questionnaire “a posteriori”. Therefore, it was possible to recognize the joint and individual perception of the proposed task. The expansion of the API_PC Tool allowed the development of a robust mechanism that consistently assists the project team in the evaluation and identification of the conceptual alternative with greater innovative potential.

From Integrative Summary: This research paper comprises of three sections that include: an evaluation report, a literature review and the research methodology. The first section assesses the management of resistance to change as encountered during the ELIDZ structural re-alignment initiative. The assessment was done after the change initiative had been implemented to see what could be learnt from the exercise, in order to be better prepared for future change programmes. The implemented change was initiated by the CEO of the ELIDZ but its criticality in terms of purpose, or the need for the change was unclear to many employees at the time of initiation. An examination of the literature on change management highlighted the importance of managing resistance to change as part of a change initiative, so as to ensure a successful transition. The review of the literature on management of resistance to change in section 2 of this paper examines the definition of management of resistance to change and in particular, covers key factors like change readiness, participation in change and change communication. These key concepts underpin effective management of resistance during change. The literature on management of resistance to change with respect to the role of change readiness, participation in change and change communication was used to develop a questionnaire that was used to assess the ELIDZ change initiative. The questionnaire was developed in a Likert Scale format with questions across the spectrum of change readiness, change participation and change communication. Section 3 of this paper describes how the quantitative research was provided to the population sample of employees from the ELIDZ where the questions on change readiness, change participation and change communication was used to assess the effectiveness of management of resistance to change during the ELIDZ change initiative. In addition section 3 provides an explanation of how the results of the research were derived. The results on change readiness suggest that the ELIDZ change initiative did not address change readiness adequately. There is therefore a risk of resistance to change that could manifest. This also indicates that change readiness must be planned more thoroughly in future change endeavours. Most of the population sampled did not feel that they participated in the change initiative, suggesting that the ELIDZ did not address participation in the change initiative adequately. Not enabling employees to actively participate in the change is tantamount to decreasing the potential for acceptance of change and increasing the risk of resistance to change. In order to ensure that future change initiatives are not met with employee resistance to change, the ELIDZ should plan for employee participation throughout the change process. The extent to which change communication was addressed in the ELIDZ change initiative was demonstrated by very poor results. The results from the population sampled suggest that the change was not well communicated to employees. As change communication is known to reduce the potential for resistance to change, it is imperative for the ELIDZ to plan for comprehensive communication strategies to cover the change process for future change action.

<p>Our world is becoming increasingly complex, and is rapidly changingwith distances being reduced. Societies today are also in atransition from traditional production industries to increasingreliance on communication, consumption, services and experience. Asone of these emerging ‘new industries’, tourism is part of thismovement. Globalisation also makes further development of tourismpossible through, amongst other things, the spreading of languages;the development of low-cost carriers; international monetary systems;telecommunications and other technological innovations. Tourismcontributes to the globalisation of society and at the same time is aproduct of it. This is confirmed by complexity theories that stressthe systematic and dynamic nature of globalisation and theinterdependence of the global and the local. Hence, in this thesis,it is argued that acknowledging the complexity of tourism isnecessary for understanding tourism development, and more knowledgeabout tourism also leads to greater knowledge of our society.</p><p>The main aim of this thesis is to understand the complexity of localand regional tourist destination development, by exploring social andcultural factors that influence this development. In order to fulfilthis aim, analysis has been conducted at three different levels:places, projects and people. More specifically, by examining placesand how they develop as destinations; investigating the structure of,and processes within, groups and networks important for destinationdevelopment and by exploring the roles, resources and attitudes ofenterprising people who are seen as key for development. The thesisis based on a research project including three studies of tourismdestinations and projects in Northern Sweden and Scotland.</p><p>The social and cultural factors connected to tourism development arein turn part of learning processes, which in this thesis are seen asfundamental mechanisms for processes of development. A frameworkcalled ‘Learning Destinations’ is introduced that demonstrates howimportant social and cultural factors manifest themselves at each ofthe three levels: places, projects and people. History and heritageand rationales are the main cultural factors discussed, whilstinteraction and boundaries are prominent social factors found toinfluence tourism development. It is suggested that the framework of‘Learning Destinations’ may serve as a tool for understanding thecomplexity of local and regional tourism development.</p>

Our world is becoming increasingly complex, and is rapidly changingwith distances being reduced. Societies today are also in atransition from traditional production industries to increasingreliance on communication, consumption, services and experience. Asone of these emerging ‘new industries’, tourism is part of thismovement. Globalisation also makes further development of tourismpossible through, amongst other things, the spreading of languages;the development of low-cost carriers; international monetary systems;telecommunications and other technological innovations. Tourismcontributes to the globalisation of society and at the same time is aproduct of it. This is confirmed by complexity theories that stressthe systematic and dynamic nature of globalisation and theinterdependence of the global and the local. Hence, in this thesis,it is argued that acknowledging the complexity of tourism isnecessary for understanding tourism development, and more knowledgeabout tourism also leads to greater knowledge of our society. The main aim of this thesis is to understand the complexity of localand regional tourist destination development, by exploring social andcultural factors that influence this development. In order to fulfilthis aim, analysis has been conducted at three different levels:places, projects and people. More specifically, by examining placesand how they develop as destinations; investigating the structure of,and processes within, groups and networks important for destinationdevelopment and by exploring the roles, resources and attitudes ofenterprising people who are seen as key for development. The thesisis based on a research project including three studies of tourismdestinations and projects in Northern Sweden and Scotland. The social and cultural factors connected to tourism development arein turn part of learning processes, which in this thesis are seen asfundamental mechanisms for processes of development. A frameworkcalled ‘Learning Destinations’ is introduced that demonstrates howimportant social and cultural factors manifest themselves at each ofthe three levels: places, projects and people. History and heritageand rationales are the main cultural factors discussed, whilstinteraction and boundaries are prominent social factors found toinfluence tourism development. It is suggested that the framework of‘Learning Destinations’ may serve as a tool for understanding thecomplexity of local and regional tourism development.