Digital Commons Network^™

Modelling Graduate Skill Transfer From University To The Workplace, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study explores skill transfer in graduates as they transition from university to the workplace. Graduate employability continues to dominate higher education agendas yet the transfer of acquired skills is often assumed. The study is prompted by documented concern with graduate performance in certain employability skills, and prevalent skill gaps across developed economies. Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM), it models skill transfer in 674 business graduates from 39 different Australian universities. Findings support extant literature with the three areas of learner, learning programme and workplace characteristics influencing transfer. The model highlights the need for a …

Evaluating Policy Layer Security Controls For Value Realisation In Secure Systems, Brian Cusack, Maher Al-Khazrajy

Australian Information Security Management Conference

A strategic question for any business is: What value do control frameworks give? The question concerns the costs associated with implementing and maintaining control frameworks compared with the benefits gained. Each control framework contains many controls that may or may not benefit a situation and this research is aimed at testing different selections and combinations of controls to forecast probable impacts on business outcomes. The scope of the research is limited to a representative set of security controls and the lesser question: What are the criteria for selecting the most effective and efficient security control configurations for best business value? …

Undergraduate Perceptions Of The Development Of Team-Working Skills, Denise Jackson, Ruth Sibson, Linda Riebe

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: The ability to working effectively with others (WEWO) is critical yet industry continues to lament deficiencies in new graduates. Progress in developing this highly valued skill in undergraduates is impeded by a lack of conceptual clarity and evidence of how best to measure it, and a tendency to adopt an outcomes-focused, rather than process-oriented, approach. This paper aims to investigate undergraduate perceptions of how well a stand-alone employability skill development programme, operating in an Australian Business Faculty, is fostering the WEWO skill set and which pedagogical practices are considered to add most value. Design/methodology/approach: The study examines undergraduate perceptions …

Enhancing First Year Student Engagement: Collaborative Practice In A Core Business Unit, Tina Fleming, Alicia Stanway

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The purpose of this paper, informed by an action research framework, was to evaluate how a collaborative approach between unit facilitators and learning advisors in a first-year core business unit contributes to an environment where students are actively engaged in their learning. Student engagement in their learning is a key priority for university faculties, particularly in first year, as it is a key factor in student performance and persistence in their studies. Using the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement as a benchmark, a mixed-methods approach was adopted using an online survey (n_171) and focus groups

(n _ …

Business Graduate Employability – Where Are We Going Wrong?, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2013

Persistent gaps in certain non-technical skills in business graduates continue to impact on organisational performance and global competitiveness. Despite business school’s best efforts in developing non-technical skills, widely acknowledged as fundamental to graduate employability, there has been considerably less attention to measuring skill outcomes and even less on their subsequent transfer to the workplace. It appears stakeholders are assuming transfer occurs automatically in graduates, neglecting the influence of learning program, learner and workplace characteristics on this complex process and its potential impact on graduate employability.

This paper unpacks the concept of transfer and proposes a model of graduate employability which …

Student Perceptions Of The Importance Of Employability Skill Provision In Business Undergraduate Programs, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2013

Studies examining student perceptions of employability skill development in business undergraduate programs are limited. Assurance of student buy-in is important to ensure learners engage with skill provision; to enable them to articulate their capabilities to potential employers and to facilitate the transfer of acquired skills. This study examines 1019 students’ perceptions of the importance of employability skill development, the relative importance of skills and the influence of certain demographic/background characteristics. Findings indicate undergraduates value skill development, most particularly communication and team-working, and some significant variations in importance ratings. Alignment with other stakeholder perceptions and the influence of context are discussed.

Small And Medium Enterprises And The Environment: Barriers, Drivers, Innovation And Best Practice: A Review Of The Literature, Beth Walker, Janice Redmond, Lynnaire Sheridan, Calvin Wang, Ute Goeft

Research outputs pre 2011

Small and medium enterprises are the largest business sector in every economy in the world 1, and generate the majority (up to 60%) of global economic output2. In the Australian context, a small business or enterprise is one that employs up to 20 staff while a small and medium sized enterprise (an SME) is a business that employs up to 200 staff. By this definition, more than 99% of all actively trading businesses (more than 1.95 million enterprises) in Australia are SMEs3 . There is a growing body of research supporting the need for SMEs to become engaged in the …

Business Trends In Malaga 2001-2008 : Comparative Report, Beth Walker, Bernadette Straham

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Collaborative Business Relationships And The Use Of Ict: The Case Of The Marine, Defence And Resources Cluster, Western Australia, Helen Cripps

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The research project was developed from an Australian Research Council Grant designed to investigate collaborative commerce and its impact on regional economic development. Through a process of consultation with the industry partner, the South West Group, the research was designed to investigate the drivers and inhibitors of collaborative relationships and the factors that impact on the creation and sustaining of these relationships. The role of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in facilitating and sustaining collaborative relationships and the perceived benefits and drawbacks of collaborative relationships were also investigated. The research sought to identify models of the best adoption of collaborative relationships.

Cbd Economic Enhancement Project : Final Report, Beth Walker, Beverley Webster, Anna Wildy

Research outputs pre 2011

The City of J oondalup engaged the Small & Medium Enterprise Research Centre at Edith Cowan University to review the activities of the business community in the Central Business District (CBD) in order to support the City's strategic development plan. This report provides data to inform the future strategic decisions for the City concerning how it will grow and develop its CBD. The project aimed to identify the key indicators of current economic activity within the CBD, which could then be used to assist in the development of a more targeted approach to continuous growth and development strategies for the …

The Relevance Of Information Systems (Is) Research Publications To Is Practitioners' Key Concerns, J. S. Fall

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The primary aim of the research was to determine if, and if so how, the topics published in information systems (IS) journal articles were related to the key issues reported to be of concern to IS managers. The secondary aim was to determine what proportions of the journal articles were investigating closely-related and distantly-related information, , " - technology (IT) phenomena. The research covered 1376 -articles published in nine highly rated journals for the seven-year period 1995-2001. The journals chosen for the research included five US-academic journals, two European academic journals, and two practitioner journals. -'The' primary data source for …

Surfing The Waves : 17th Anzam Conference, Alan Brown (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Local Learning And Employment Partnership: North Metro: Environmental Scan, Beth Walker, Beverley Webster, Alan Charlton

Research outputs pre 2011

Young people are vital to all communities and encouraging and supporting them to participate in education and training is a significant way to ensure that communities maintain a skilled workforce. However, there are many barriers to young people staying in the community, not the least of which is a lack of appropriate jobs. That is, jobs that the young people want to do, but are sustainable for the individual as a career path and not on a casual basis. These jobs normally involve some form of training or further education. Marrying the needs of industry in terms of their current …

E-Conomy- From Here To Where? 3rd International We-B Conference, Nick Lethbridge (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Taking Your Values Shopping: Conversations About Values And Fulfilment: Dialogue And Engagement With Customer Stakeholders In The Body Shop, Western Australia, Patricia Morrigan, Megan Paull

Research outputs pre 2011

The specific contribution to this field of study is about customer 'engagement', their values and fulfilment. In this research we wanted to have a conversation with customers of The Body Shop Australia (TBS) about taking their values shopping. We found that TBS customers were remarkably clear and passionate about their own personal values and had no trouble expressing them in a conversation with us. Customer stakeholders in this research expressed values that were 'postmaterialist', concerned with the environmentally human choice and self -expression, gave importance to belonging among family and friends and showed a marked lack of trust in global …

Developing On-Line E-Commerce Business Plans To Provide Students With Context And Job Opportunities, Joseph Luca, Catherine E Mcloughlin

Research outputs pre 2011

This action research presents a description of how an on-line E-commerce business-planning unit was developed. Initially, an intensive ten-day E-commerce course was developed in collaboration with government, industry and university sectors with a view of raising awareness and promoting electronic business planning issues. The course utilised a range of learning approaches, including peer teaching, in which participants were trained as team leaders to facilitate group learning. Based on the evaluation of this course, a full semester course for final year tertiary studentswas developed and evaluated. An overview of both case studies is given with recommendations for future developments.

Survival In The E-Conomy: 2nd Australian Information Warfare & Security Conference 2001, William Hutchinson (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

This is an international conference for academics and industry specialists in information warfare, security, and other related fields. The conference has drawn participants from national and international organisations.

Working For Excellence In The E-Conomy: 2nd International We-B Conference, Sue Stoney (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

Welcome to Perth, Western Australia, and to the 2nd International We-B Conference 2001 "working for excellence in the e-conomy" hosted by the We-B Centre, School of Management Information Systems at Edith Cowan University.

This is an international conference for academics and industry specialists in e-business, e-government and related fields. The conference has drawn participants from national and international organisations.

All submitted papers were subjected to an anonymous peer review process managed by the Conference Committee.

Systems In Management 7th Annual Anzsys Conference 2001: The Relevance Of Systems Thinking In The Contemporary World, William Hutchinson (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

Welcome to Perth, Western Australia, and to the Systems in Management 7th Annual ANZSYS Conference 2001 "the relevance of systems thinking in the contemporary world" hosted by the We-B Centre, School of Management Information Systems at Edith Cowan University. The conference provides an opportunity for sharing and networking among academics and industry specialists in systems and related fields. The conference has drawn participants from national and international organizations. All submitted papers were subjected to an anonymous peer review process managed by the Conference Committee. Stringent review criteria resulted in an unprecedented number of papers declined this year. Based on these …

Attitude And Behaviour Dichotomy In Sme Strategic Alliance: A South West Of Western Australian Study, Dianne Wingham

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Strategic alliances are generally perceived as cooperative relationships constrained within the parameters of bounded rationality, seeking to maximise their levels of control in a turbulent economic environment. They are also commonly conceptualised as a means of creating competitive advantage in business. In regional areas of Western Australia they are favoured by government instrumentalities as a means of making small to medium enterprises (SMEs) more competitive. With the dominant global emphasis in the literature on big business, relatively little is known still about strategic alliances in small to medium enterprises. Moreover, the research on strategic alliances within Australia s also limited, …

Helping And Servicing Regional Small Businesses: An Evaluation Of The Business Grow Program In The South West Region Of Western Australia, Xueli Huang, Alan Brown, Robyn Morris, Barry Chapman

Research outputs pre 2011

In October 1997 the Edith Cowan University was invited to evaluate the performance of the Business Grow Program. The program commenced on July 1, 1995, and its evaluation, scheduled to be completed by April 1998, has been undertaken to assess the performance of the Program since its instigation.

The evaluation team has relied substantially on information provided by small business owners, local government representatives, industry associations, and the manager of the Program. The evaluation team would like to thank Kate Loughton for her assistance in facilitating the administration of this project.

The evaluation was undertaken by Small and Medium Enterprise …

Where Are The Women? A Report Into Issues Related To Women's Access To Workplace Literacy Programs, Marion Milton

Research outputs pre 2011

This study sought to investigate the provision of workplace literacy courses available for women in female dominated industries, and women's access to and participation in those courses. Further, it was intended to interview women who had dropped out or not accessed available courses.

Prior to discussing the study, it seems appropriate to locate it within the current economic, social and political climate of the Australian workplace, with a particular focus on the increasing demand for literacy skills.

Approaches To Decision Making, Richard J. Mckenna

Research outputs pre 2011

This book is designed as a brief introduction to the understanding of decision making in work settings. It is designed for use in graduate courses and should be supported by a wide range of additional reading materials and practical exercises. The approach is multi-disciplinary and pluralistic: there are many perspectives from which decision making may be viewed. Similarly, there are many differences in decision making between individuals and between contexts.

The book is intended to contribute to a raised awareness of the many issues and high complexity attaching to important decisions. It may or may not help the reader to …

A Study Of Business Enterprise In The City Of Wanneroo: Policy Implications For The Wanneroo Economic Development Association And The Wanneroo Goes For Jobs Employment Task Force, Marc G. Saupin

Research outputs pre 2011

In February 1993 the Wanneroo Economic Development Association (WEDA) with financial support from the Office of Labour Market Adjustment commissioned the Department of Marketing at Edith Cowan University to undertake a survey of business enterprises within the City of Wanneroo. The study commenced in March 1993 and concluded in November of the same year. The overriding objective of this study was to provide WEDA and the Wanneroo Goes for Jobs Employment Task Force with an empirical data base from which appropriate polices and programmes could be devised.

This reports details the findings of this study highlighting the real need for …

The Evaluation Of Pe Personnel 1992: A Report Of A Values-Based Evaluation Of A Competitive Employment Training And Placement Service For People With Disabilities: Purpose, Methodology, Outcomes And Recommendations, Errol Cocks, Robert L. Jackson

Research outputs pre 2011

Late in 1991, the Managing Director of PE Personnel, Ms Susan Robertson, approached the Director of the Centre for the Development of Human Resources (CDHR) at Edith Cowan University, Mr Errol Cocks, to discuss the possibility of an evaluation for PE Personnel. Over a period of three or four months, the purposes and shape of a proposed evaluation developed through clarification and negotiation, and in March, 1992, an agreement was reached for Mr Cocks and Mr Bob Jackson from the CDHR to carry out the evaluation. The results of the evaluation, as described in this report, cover the period up …

Inaugural Professorial Lecture: "Education For Business: The Way I Saw It And The Way I See It", Val Pervan

Research outputs pre 2011

I feel honoured in being asked to give this address as one of the the University's foundation professors in 1991. I am grateful for this opportunity, particularly as it comes in the year of my retirement from full-time teaching and as Dean of the Faculty of Business of this University. The title of this talk, "EDUCATION FOR BUSINESS- THE WAY I SAW IT AND SEE IT", implies that much of what I am going to say this evening comes from personal experience of 32 years of involvement in the education of business students, that is, from 1960 through 1991. Besides …

History Of The School Of Business Churchlands College / Western Australian College Of Advanced Education, Western Australian College Of Advanced Education

Research outputs pre 2011

The contents of this document, entitled "History of the School of Business", covers the significant events and statistics relating thereto experienced by the School of Business during its existence from 1975 to 1989 inclusive.