Intimacy at work: Playback theatre and corporate cultural change in Mercedes Benz, Brazil

On the back of a faltering economic year in 2007 and a major merger of motor car and truck dealerships, international motor car giant Mercedes Benz adopted a radical approach to re-aligning the company vision for their Brazilian business. Adopting a people-centred approach to change, they integrated participatory theatre and personal stories into a nationwide cultural development programme producing twelve performances in twelve cities. The central content of the performances came from employees who told personal stories that were then performed onstage. Each event acted as a unique expression of workplace values that would be led by employee attitudes and behaviour. Through the dialogic process, the company established a new code of conduct for customer care for the next phase of company activity. This article critiques various aspects of the programme and considers the value and limitations in the person-centred approach facilitated through theatre.

The cost of housing : more than just dollars

Australians were recently awarded the dubious honour of building the largest homes in the world. Our new homes are now seven percent larger than those in the United States and nearly three times larger than those in the United Kingdom. At the same time, the price of an average residential property is now five times what it was 20 years ago. Although incomes have risen over the same period, they have not kept pace with rising house prices. In terms of disposable income, the cost of housing has almost doubled. While traditional housing affordability is measured in terms of house prices and incomes, a broader and more encompassing perspective also indicates that we can no longer ‘afford’ to build houses as we have done in the past. The environmental impact of modern Australian housing is significant. Australians have resisted the need for increased urban density as their capital city populations grow and new houses have been built on the outskirts of the existing cities, encroaching on the greenwedge and agricultural lands, destroying and degrading existing fauna and flora. The houses built have increased carbon emissions because of their size, embodied energy and reliance on the motor car. This paper discusses the environmental ‘affordability’ of current Australian housing and argues that this must be considered alongside traditional affordability criteria so that a more holistic approach to the issues is adopted.

An exploration of the motivation to attend for spectators of the Lexmark Indy 300 champ car event, Gold Coast

The perceptions of spectators (N = 36) at the Lexmark Indy 300 Champ Car event were assessed via qualitative methods to evaluate their internal and external motivations to attend. The most common reason to attend was the atmosphere that the event created, and entertainment. Other reasons included the race, enjoying the company of friends, and group affiliation. The characteristics of the majority of attendees were predominantly male, 26 to 35 years old, from Queensland, who earned around AUD$50,000 to $75,000 per annum. The findings of the study have implications for sport marketers who wish to communicate to these individuals.

Historical data of Backwell IXL: a Geelong appliance, car component and foundry products manufacturer

The collection documents the history of the Geelong company, Backwell IXL, which commenced in 1858 (first trading under the name E. Backwell & Son) as a blacksmith's shop and stove maker and covers the growth of the business to an appliance, car component and foundry products manufacturer. This collection comprises records, accounts, photographs and product data sheets. It also includes the manuscript of the 'Memoirs of Albert Leslie Backwell', which contained a brief history of the company from the late 1850s to 1980s, including recollections of the management of the company from the early 1920s to the mid 1975s.

An exploration of the motivation to attend for spectators of the Lexmark Indy 300 champ car event, Gold Coast

The perceptions of spectators (N = 36) at the Lexmark Indy 300 Champ Car event were assessed via qualitative methods to evaluate their internal and external motivations to attend. The characteristics of the majority of attendees who were interviewed for this study were predominantly male, 26–35 years old, from Queensland, and who earned around AUD$50,000–75,000 per annum. The most common reason to attend was the atmosphere that the event created, in particular, the entertainment options. Other reasons included watching the race, the location, living nearby, attending with friends or family and interacting and socializing with other people who also attend. The findings revealed that participants attended to escape every day life, or that they were a ‘true fan’ of the motorsport. The findings of the study have implications for sport marketers who wish to communicate to those individuals in more targeted approaches for a more efficient and effective impact.