Search results

My analysis is structured as a comparative study between two countries – New Zealand and Italy – and focuses on the relationship between national audiences and the trans-media structure of the popular television series Game of Thrones (HBO, 2011– present). Game of Thrones’ narrative is characterized by elements that emphasize its fictitious world, since these elements belong to the fantasy genre, which, by definition, deals with the supernatural. From this standpoint, the fantastic universe of the series functions as an escape route from everyday life. However, instead of following the genre rules, “Game of Thrones articulates a striking refusal of the hopeful mythologies of high epic fantasy” (Tasker & Steenberg, 2016, p. 189) by focusing on the brutal, the extreme, and the overall injustice and chaos that permeate a society in which war and death appear to be inescapable. In this chapter, the textual schematic of Game of Thrones is examined through the emotional reactions, during focus group sessions, of national fan groups to themes and events of the show. In particular, the analysis of Italian and New Zealand followers’ comments on Game of Thrones will be instrumental to illustrating the reasons for their passion for the series as well as the main concerns that arise during the viewing. This ambivalent attitude in fans’ responses and engagement will emerge as significantly dependent on the media text’s capacity to transcend the boundaries of a simple categorization, to stand as a notable example of a program that manages to appeal to diverse audiences beyond the country of origin.

The application of technology has shaped the call centre organisation, enabled its remote location, and allowed its swift relocation. The purpose of this practice briefing is to expose the reader to the reality that call centres are temporary employers of both human resource and property, while at the same time they are collectively one of the biggest occupiers of office space in the UK. The briefing aims to illustrate the uncertainties relating to the mobility of call centre business units and the threat to future employment posed by emerging technologies.

This practice briefing draws upon a combination of third party research findings, other literature, and the author's experiences to illustrate the relationship between call centre employment and property requirements; the mobility of both jobs and property footprint due to the globalizing effects of high‐bandwidth communications and the development of enterprise software applications; and the potential for jobs erosion due to the “destructive” impact of new automated and self‐service customer interaction technologies.

The practice briefing acknowledges that DTI sponsored research delivers a very optimistic view of the future prospects for UK call centre employment. However, current experiences regarding offshoring and the adoption of non‐live agent means of customer interaction provide uncertainty regarding the timing and magnitude of call centre employment growth. Property investors seeking exposure to markets reliant on call centre occupiers should consider the prospect that call centre demand could disappear as quickly as it was created.

The footloose nature of today's call centres creates uncertainty for property investors that have, or are seeking, exposure to the UK call centre sector. This practice briefing delivers an accessible account of the operational risks that influence the stability of the UK call centre sector.