Digital Commons Network^™

Nsw Local Council Investment Exposures, Gregory Jones, Graham D. Bowrey

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The decline in the sub-prime market in the United State of America in 2007 -2008 andthe corresponding decline in the market values of other financial investments has hada significant financial impact on many of the individuals and organisations whoparticipated in aggressively promoted investment schemes. The New South Wales(NSW) Local Government Councils was one such group of organisations impacted bythe decline in value of these types of investments. At the end of the 2006-2007financial year local councils in New South Wales had invested $590 million dollars instructured financial products such as collateralised debt obligations (CDO). By theend of January 2008, six …

The Impact Of Mobile Amusement Information On Use Behavior, Satisfaction, And Loyalty, Fumiyo N. Kondo, Jiro Hirata, Shahriar Akter

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The relationship between satisfaction and loyalty has been well explored in services marketing or customer relationship management. In this study, the authors studied the relationship of 7 types of service variables under “amusement” factor. Amusement is one of the three factors extracted from 21 mobile information services. Among many different frameworks of satisfaction-loyalty, we used the framework of “past use behavior” on “satisfaction”, and then of “satisfaction” on “continued use intention” (or loyalty), resulting in a strong support of the existing model with positive significant influence on the both paths. Further, our research reveals that, on the both paths, there …

Service Quality Of Mhealth: Development And Validation Of A Hierarchical Model Using Pls, Shahriar Akter, John D'Ambra, Pradeep Ray

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Advancing research on service quality requires clarifying the theoretical conceptualizations and validating an integrated service quality model. The purpose of this study is to facilitate and elucidate practical issues and decisions related to the development of a hierarchical service quality model in mobile health (mHealth) services research. Conceptually, it extends theory by reframing service quality as a reflective, hierarchical construct and modeling its impact on satisfaction, intention to continue using and quality of life. Empirically, it confirms that PLS path modeling can be used to estimate the parameters of a higher order construct and its association with subsequent consequential latent …

Are There Smaller Leverage Effects In Less-Developed Markets? Evidence From An Oil Exporting Country, Mosayeb Phalavani, Parinaz Ezzati

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Abstract: Problem statement: This study uses daily data from the Tehran Stock Market (TSM) to illustrate the nature of stock market volatility in an undeveloped and young stock market. Although most studies suggest that a negative shock to stock prices will generate more volatility than a positive shock of equal magnitude but there is no evidence of asymmetric effect in TSM. Determine the nature of stock market volatility in an oil exporting country. Approach: Trading in Tehran Stock Market (TSM) is based on orders sent by the brokers. The data consist of 2375 daily observations of the closing value of …

Radio Frequency Identification: A Case For Health Care, Sylvain Bureau, Markus Bick, Selwyn Piramuthu, Yannick Meiller, Wei Zhou, Samuel Fosso Wamba

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The use of RFID tags in healthcare applications has been gaining momentum over the past decade. This is partly due to recent advances in information technology and the need to reduce errors while simultaneously improving the efficiency of the system. We, at the RFID European Lab, have been studying various aspects of RFID implementations in healthcare environment over the past several years. The potential for RFID implementations in healthcare environment is enormous. We consider several such opportunities and identify possible extensions.

The Spread Of Ict Innovation In Accounting Education, Sam H. Jebeile, Indra Abeysekera

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper conveys the findings of a study conducted to evaluate the initiation of an interactive online computer-assisted learning module, called WEBLEARN, in an undergraduate introductory accounting course at an Australian university. The purpose was to aid students in the preparation of cash flow statements, a topic that from the student perspective is usually considered fairly difficult. Following the pilot of the module, student responses were collected via questionnaire in order to evaluate their perceptions regarding the WEBLEARN module. Diffusion of innovations theory was utilized as a framework for assessing student responses and to guide further development of modules in …

Investigating Iternational Accounting Standard Setting: The Black Box Of Ifrs 6, Corinne L. Cortese, Helen J. Irvine

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper examines the role of powerful entities and coalitions in shaping international accounting standards. Specifically, the focus is on the process by which the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) developed IFRS 6, Exploration for and Evaluation of Mineral Resources. In its Issues Paper, the IASB recommended that the successful efforts method be mandated for pre-production costs, eliminating the choice previously available between full cost and successful efforts methods. In spite of the endorsement of this view by a majority of the constituents who responded to the Issues Paper, the final outcome changed nothing, with choice being retained. A compelling …

The Relationship Between Spiritual Well-Being And Ethical Orientations In Decision Making: An Empirical Study With Business Executives In Australia, Mario Fernando, Rafi Chowdhury

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The relationship between spiritual well-being and ethical orientations in decision making is examined through a survey of executives in organizations listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. The four domains of spiritual well-being, personal, communal, environmental and transcendental (Fisher, Spiritual health: its nature and place in the school curriculum, PhD thesis, University of Melbourne, 1998; Gomez and Fisher, Pers Individ Differ 35:1975–1991, 2003) are examined in relation to idealism and relativism (Forsyth, J Pers Soc Psychol 39(1):175–184, 1980). Results reveal that spiritual well-being, in particular the communal domain of spiritual well-being, is correlated with and predictive of idealism. However, the relationship …

The Effect Of Information On Public Acceptance - The Case Of Water From Alternative Sources, Sara Dolnicar, A. Hurlimann, Long Nghiem

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study aims to provide conclusive evidence that information about water from alternative sources increases public acceptance. We conducted an experiment with 1000 Australian respondents asking them about their acceptance of recycled and desalinated water for a range of purposes under two conditions: 1) no information provided and 2) information about the production process provided. Results indicate that – both for desalinated and recycled water – the stated likelihood of use increases significantly if people are provided with information about the production process. This has major implications for public policy makers indicating that providing factual information (as opposed to persuasive …

Inter-Firm Collaboration In Australian Telecom Market, Aimee Zhang, Charles Harvie

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The Australian telecommunications market is a typical mature market in a developed country. This paper gives an overview of the Australian telecommunication market’s development, industry structure, major components and contributions, major firms, key government agencies and organizations in this market. The history and development process of the Australian telecommunications market is, like most telecom markets in the world, one from monopoly to limited competition, from state ownership to market driven and from closed to open. To study inter-firm collaboration types, benefits, and barriers, a qualitative interview was conducted to collect real industry data from different sectors. Face-to-face interviews were adopted …

The Influence Of Board Size On Intellectual Capital Disclosure By Kenyan Listed Firms, Indra Abeysekera

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of board size on firms disclosing more, rather than less, strategic and tactical intellectual capital resources using the top 26 of the 52 firms ranked by the Nairobi Stock Exchange for market capitalization in 2002 and in 2003. This study identifies intellectual capital disclosure by three separate categories: internal capital, external capital, and human capital. Hence, this study examines the influence of board size on six disclosure outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – The study develops hypotheses using the resource dependency theory. Using content analysis for data generation, this study classifies …

Customer Relationship Management And Firm Performance, Tim Coltman, Timothy M. Devinney, David F. Midgley

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

In this paper, we examine the impact of customer relationship management (CRM) on firm performance using a hierarchical construct model. Following the resource-based view of the firm, strategic CRM is conceptualized as an endogenously determined function of the organization’s ability to harness and orchestrate lower order capabilities that comprise physical assets, such as IT infrastructure, and organizational capabilities, such as human analytics and business architecture. Our results reveal a positive and significant path between a superior CRM capability and firm performance. In turn, superior CRM capability is positively associated with human analytics and business architecture. However, our results suggest the …

Migrant Remittances, Financial Sector Development And The Government Ownership Of Banks, Arusha V. Cooray

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study investigates the influence of migrant remittances on twodimensions of the financial sector, namely, size and efficiency. Evidence suggests thatmigrant remittances contribute to increasing the size and efficiency of the financialsector. The study, in addition, examines the impact of remittances on financial sectorsize and efficiency through the government ownership of banks channel. While theresults suggest that remittances lead to larger increases in financial sector size incountries in which the government ownership of banks is lower and increases inefficiency in countries in which the government ownership of banks is higher, thegovernment is found to play an important role in promoting …

The Portrayal Of Aboriginal Spiritual Identity In Tourism Advertising: Creating An Image Of Extraordinary Reality Or Mere Confusion?, Alan A. Pomering

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper considers how Aboriginal identity and spirituality are appropriated to construct national identity for an Australian tourism advertising campaign, and proposes a research agenda to investigate whether incongruity, based on consumers’ prior knowledge of Indigenous Australians’ real everyday identity, might reduce advertising effectiveness.

Strategic Ambiguity And Ethical Actions, Ah Ba Sim, Mario Fernando

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Ethics and moral obligations of management are an integral component in corporate strategy and support is now increasing for the proposition that ethics should be central, not peripheral, to the overall management of the firm. Within this context, we examine the influence of strategic ambiguity on the ethical actions of corporations. Strategic ambiguity is a prevalent and valuable tactic in organizational strategy making. However, the influence of strategic ambiguity on organizational strategy making and communication may lead to unethical executive behaviour and action. This paper develops a framework to examine the role of strategic ambiguity in ethical action, using James …

An Examination Of Csr Assurance Reports Of Equator Principles Signatories, Chi Fun Freda Hui, Graham D. Bowrey

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Purpose: To undertake a review of the assurance reports, prepared by audit firms and non-audit firms, on the CSR performance and management reporting disclosures of a specific sample of Equator Principles signatory banks.

Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on an initial examination of assurance reports of CSR reporting disclosures of a group of banks who are signatories of the Equator Principles. Rudimentary content analysis has been used to identify the differences in the structure of the titles, number of words and focus of these CSR reporting disclosures assurance reports.

Findings: The key finding from this initial review …

Destination Choice By Young Australian Travellers: A Theoretical Explanation To A Practitioner Problem, Clifford Lewis, Gregory Kerr, Alan Pomering

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Domestic tourism in Australia is in decline. This is particularly the case with young Australian travellers (YATs) who seem to prefer to travel overseas rather than consume domestic tourism experiences. This paper first provides an overview of theories of destination choice which concludes that such models may be inadequate in understanding destination choice on the part of YATs. A conceptual model of destination choice which examines the potential importance of and relationships between ritual, ritual inversion, and fashion is presented, following which an agenda for research is proposed.

Cross Country Co-Movements Of Gdp Growth Rates: Are They Systematic?, Abbas Valadkhani, Charles Harvie

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Using factor analysis this paper examines discernable patterns of real GDP growth comovementsacross 97 countries, using consistent time series data for the period 1961-2008.Of these countries only 21 are found to form three statistically significant groupings, wheremembership count exceeds more than two. Ten major OECD European countries plus Japanand Hong Kong form the first well-defined common bloc of countries (G12). The second bloc,consisting of six major Asian countries (G6), have GDP growth rates that exhibit a very highdegree of correlation, based on their robust factor loadings. The last group of countiescollectively witnessed a very substantial degree of cross-country growth co-movementsconstituted …

Mapping The Archive: An Examination Of Research Reported In Ajll 2000-2005, Pauline J. Harris, Janice B. Turbill, Lisa K. Kervin, Kathryn Harden-Thew

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Amidst commissioned research reports and policy reforms in literacy education, this paper examines research reported in the 2000–2005 archive of the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy (AJLL). This focus arises from the selective inclusion of literacy research in recent literacy education policy reform documents in Australia and overseas and the exclusion of other research, including research from this AJLL 2000/5 archive. Given the high national and international standing of AJLL, we felt it was timely and important to engage in a retrospective mapping exercise with this collection of research and critically examine its relationship to literacy education policy. So …

Identifying And Measuring Factors Of Technical Inefficiency: Evidence From Unbalanced Panel Data Of Thai Listed Manufacturing Enterprises, Yot Amornkitvikai, Charles Harvie

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study employs stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and two-stage DEA approaches to predict firm technical efficiency and analyse an inefficiency effects model. Aggregate translog stochastic frontier production functions are estimated under the SFA approach using an unbalanced panel data of 178 Thai manufacturing enterprises listed in the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), covering the period 2000 to 2008. The maximum-likelihood Tobit model is used to conduct the second-stage of the two-stage DEA model to investigate the relationship between technical inefficiency and environmental variables. Both parametric and non-parametric approaches are found to produce consistent results. The empirical evidence from both approaches …

Conceptualising A Contemporary Marketing Mix For Sustainable Tourism Marketing, Alan Pomering, Lester W. Johnson, Gary Noble

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Marketers look to the concept of the marketing mix to help them create and present product offerings to target markets. Various conceptualisations of the marketing mix can be found in extant literature, from the traditional Four Ps, to seven Ps for the marketing of services, and broader frameworks for tourism marketing. In this paper we make two contributions to tourism marketing: (1) we synthesise three extant marketing mix frameworks to propose an optimal mix for tourism marketing managers, consisting of ten controllable elements; and (2) we further develop this marketing mix by cross-referencing each of its ten elements with the …

Wireless Regulations And Dynamic Spectrum Access In Australia, Benoit P. Freyens, Mark Loney, Michael Poole

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Australia assigns and allocates spectrum using three broad types of regulatory approaches; command and control, property rights and open access. Each approach entails numerous pros and cons, buttressed by uncertainties over future consumer demand, interference management, barriers to entry, and technological evolution. The development and commercialisation of dynamic spectrum access technologies (DSA) requires new regulatory approaches. This article discusses an array of intermediary, dynamically efficient spectrum management approaches, which may make better use of DSA opportunities. The article then discusses the practical hurdles and legal challenges posed by their adoption and regulation in an Australian context.

Determination Of Consumer Context In An Online Transaction Process For A High Risk Purchase, Robert G. Grant, Rodney J. Clarke, Elias Kyriazis

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper showcases/discusses a method of analyzing consumer website behavior that enables real-time purchase context identification. Such analysis will enable online vendors to serve content that is relevant to the consumer’s needs, addressing the apparent utility deficit that websites have for complex product transactions. The use of communication theory is a key component of a value co-creation process that leverages the data derived from website interactivity by analyzing the meaning of consumer activity on a website. Such an approach offers insights into the effect of information accessed by consumers in real time, enabling a responsive system for serving information in …

Embedding Notions Of Community In The Teaching-Research Nexus: A Case Study, Mario Fernando, Peter D. Mclean

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Becoming aware of the variety of ways academics and students experience and apply research in higher education empowers higher education providers, policy makers and academics to become more reflective and critical of the environment in which learning is taking place. Significant shifts in commerce higher education pedagogy that value community engagement as a bridge to holistic education and sustainable social change are taking place. With the increasing need to integrate the community into the teaching-research nexus, social responsibility is moving to the forefront of commerce higher education. The paper is based on the findings of a teaching and learning scholar …

Performance Audit: A Case Of Indian R&D Unit, Parulian Silaen, Shyam S. Bhati

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this paper is to study the outcome of performance audit of anIndian research and development organisation, NIB and explore the utility of performanceaudit tools in determining the causes which lead to the failure of this particular organisation.A set of control tools developed by Silaen and Williams (2009) for the study of Research andDevelopment organisation are applied in this case. The elements of the tools developed bySilaen and Williams (2009) consist of dimensions and value of representation. Fourdimensions of control tools are given as directional, bureaucratic, scientific and financial.Three values of representation are given as external, internal and …

Desalinated Versus Recycled Water – What Does The Public Think?, Sara Dolnicar, A. Hurlimann

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

A survey study was conducted with 1495 Australians asking them about their likelihood of using desalinated and recycled water for a range of purposes and for their assessment of statements related to desalinated and recycled water. Results indicate that – in contrast to study findings three years ago – the stated likelihood of using desalinated water was higher than that for recycled water for all purposes. The analysis of attitudinal statements provides insight into the possible reasons for these results: Australians perceive recycled water as a higher health risk and desalinated water as more expensive. Perceived health risk, appears to …

Size Still Matters When Firms Choose Business Collaborators, Yu Zhang, Charles Harvie

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Collaborate with peer-sized or larger-sized partner helps the firm to enhance its process, product quality, reputation, and market position. Therefore, when choosing collaborator, firms prefer peer-sized or lager-sized partners. Many empirical researches try to link the firm’s size with the performance and result of collaboration. However, there are still many debates. Instead of using the firm’s size, this paper use the compared size or size difference between collaborating firms to examine its influence on the performance of inter-firm collaboration. The results from qualitative case study and quantitative online survey in both Australia and China supported that size matters when firms …

Learning Outside The Textbook: Accounting Students' Reflections In An Internship Programme, Bonnie Amelia Dean, Graham D. Bowrey, Michael D. Clements

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The opportunity to gain professional industry experience for accounting students whilst undertaking their undergraduate degree provides them with both a competitive edge in the marketplace and an opportunity to experience the activities undertaken in their chosen profession. Structured experiential learning programmes enables students the practical opportunity to apply their knowledge in an industry context and to reflect on their personal learning journey. This paper presents an innovative and flexible internship programme which based upon an e-learning framework fosters learning through reflection based assessments. Through a preliminary investigation, it is revealed that accounting students after undertaking this programme, reveal learning pertaining …

Dispersed Agency And Improvisation During The Strategic Management Of Change, Kathryn Charles, Patrick Dawson

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study explores the successful design and global implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in a Multi-national Corporation (MNC). It examines the notion of dispersed change agency and investigates the part played by change teams focussing on the roles, interactions and competencies of change agents tasked with managing ERP change. A processual research methodology was used in the collection of of data through participant observation, face-to-face interviews, documentary evidence and telephone interviews. This article draws on data collected as part of the Paris case study and examines how their ERP change strategy was designed and globally implemented in SUND. A …

Ownership And Ownership Concentration: Which Is Important In Determining The Performance Of China's Listed Firms?, Shiguang Ma, Tony Naughton, Gary Tian

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This article investigates the impact of ownership and ownership concentration on the performance of China’s listed firms. By recognizing the differences between ownership and ownership concentration and between total ownership concentration and tradable ownership concentration, we find that ownership concentration is more powerful than any category of ownership in determining firm performance; tradable ownership concentration has a more significant and positive influence on firm performance than total ownership concentration; the highest level of firm performance is approached when a firm is characterized by both total ownership concentration and tradable ownership concentration. Thus, we propose a conclusion that ownership concentration enhances …