Business Commons^™

An Ambience Of Power? Challenges Inherent In The Role Of The Public Transport Transit Officer, Christine Teague, Lelia Green, David Leith

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Small Business Owners: Too Busy To Train?, Elizabeth Walker, Janice Redmond, Beverley Webster, Megan Le Clus

Research outputs pre 2011

Purpose – The reason often cited for the poor relationship between small businesses and their uptake of vocational education and training is that small business owner-managers claim that they are too busy to engage in training or any type of learning activity and that most training is of little value to them. The aim of the research is to examine the relationship between these factors.

Design/methodology/approach – Using qualitative research methods the study collected data of the knowledge, attitudes and needs of small business owner-managers, both before and after participation in a training program.

Findings – This study has indicated …

2005 Survey Report On The Wellbeing Of The Professions: Policing, Nursing And Teaching, Institute For The Service Professions, Edith Cowan University

Research outputs pre 2011

This report assesses the wellbeing of the professions of policing, nursing and teaching in Western Australia. The findings are derived from surveys of how individuals think about their occupations, their colleagues and employers. The level of wellbeing affects the ease of attracting and retaining staff and the quality of delivered services.

We present and discuss summary results of responses to questionnaires sent in 2005 to 5,180 police, 6,000 nurses and 9,000 teachers. Each of the professions is here regarded as a single group. The number of respondents is sufficient to allow many more detailed analyses to be performed and reported …

The Interactive Effects Of Different Accounting Controls On Subordinates' Behaviour And Performance, Chong M. Lau

Research outputs pre 2011

Prior research suggests that goal setting and an emphasis en meeting tight budget targets may influence the extent of subordinates' performance and slack creation. This study hypothesizes that other accounting controls may moderate these relationships. Specifically, it hypothesizes that: (i) budgetary performance is increased and (ii) budgetary slack creation is decreased when an emphasis on setting and meeting tight budget targets is complemented with a high extent of cost control. The results support a significant two-way interaction between Emphasis on setting and meeting tight budget targets and Cost control affecting budgetary performance. A significant two-way interaction between Emphasis en setting …

Women And Leadership Working Paper Series: Paper No. 12: Career Barriers And The Older Woman Manager, Leonie V. Still, Wendy Timms

Research outputs pre 2011

The removal of the age retirement barrier has led to expectations that more and more older workers will remain in the workforce past the usual retirement age of 65. Women make up an increasing proportion of older workers, and Patrickson and Hartmann ( 1996) have shown that Australian women are planning not to retire in order to improve their retirement income.

An important section of the older workers group are the managerial and professional women, aged in their 50s, who are part of the first generation of women to have long-term careers like men i.e. full-time careers extending over 25 …

Women And Leadership Working Paper Series: Paper No. 11: The Employment Status Of Women In The Australian Finance Industry, Leonie V. Still

Research outputs pre 2011

The finance industry is the seventh largest employer of women in Australia !Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force Australia, 1996, p46). Yet despite its importance to women as a source of employment, no major review of the general overall employment status of women in the industry has occurred. Instead, research has concentrated on particular aspects of the sector - for example, part-time employment in banking !Alexander & Frank, 1990; Manning, 1990; Britt, 1995; Junor, Barlow & Patterson, 1993, 1994)...

Homework And Telework: A Guide To Best Practice In Human Resource Management, Peter Standen, Maryam Omari

Research outputs pre 2011

In Australia today there is widespread interest in homeworking and teleworking as flexible work options with significant advantages to both employers and employees. In the research behind this guide we surveyed 500 Australian organisations, finding employer interest in these advantages, along with uncertainty about how to implement homeworking, and some worries about potential drawbacks. Significantly, those organisations that had implemented homeworking reported positive outcomes. In an interview study, homeworkers themselves reported improved work performance, and were appreciative of the flexibility. This guide shows how to implement homework and telework to achieve such outcomes while avoiding the problems that concern managers.

Glass Ceilings, Glass Walls And Sticky Floors: Barriers To Career Progress For Women In The Finance Industry, Leonie V. Still

Research outputs pre 2011

Interest in the employment status of women has been an on-going research topic in Australia since the 1975 Royal Commission into Australian Government Administration conducted the first status review of the Australian federal public service (Taperell, Fox and Roberts, 1975). Since then numerous report have examined the position of women in the professions, particular occupations, tertiary institutions, state public services and industry and commerce. Despite the passage of time a similar finding emerges from these investigations: namely, that irrespective of the area being examined within Australian society, women's employment is still primarily confined to certain occupational groupings while they are …

Women And Leadership Working Paper Series: Paper No. 4: Women As Leaders, Leonie V. Still

Research outputs pre 2011

Leadership is a term that is not normally associated with women. This is despite the fact that throughout history women have often played a prominent role. Those that have gained prominence have done so in four main ways (Apfelbaum and Hadley, 1986):

• through charismatic leadership: the unique example being Joan of Arc.

• through inherited leadership positions: examples include the women who become heads of family businesses or queens by succeeding to monarchs.

• through the achievement of professional eminence: women who become leading figures in their disciplines because of their professional and / or scientific achievements - examples …

Women And Leadership Working Paper Series: Paper No. 7: Gender Issues In Management Education: Redressing The Imbalance, Catherine R. Smith, Barbara Vitoria

Research outputs pre 2011

In 1992 the Federal government appointed an Industry Task Force on Leadership and Management Skills !hereinafter referred to as the Task Force) to review Australia's management and leadership capabilities, and advise on measures to strengthen management practices, in an effort to improve economic performance. An international leadership expert advising the Task Force alleged that 'corporate Australia's Achilles' heel' is its all-male monoculture, whose 'rugby-serum mentality' makes boardroom entry difficult for women, and non-traditional men who do not fit the stereotypically masculine image IMant, 1994:3). Mant emphasised that, because new ideas result from diversity, Australian management culture needs to embrace a …

Women And Leadership Working Paper Series: Paper No. 8: Career Transitions Of Dual-Career Couples: An Empirical Study, Catherine R. Smith

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Brave New World? Women And Part-Time Employment: The Impact On Career Prospects And Employment Relations, Leonie V. Still

Research outputs pre 2011

Part-time employment is a growing segment of the labour force, a trend that has been discernible in all OECD countries over the past thirty years (Thurman and Trah, 1990). According to Burgess, Gleisner and Rasmussen (1996,p95), part-time employment growth has been widespread across all sectors, occupations and demographic groups. Both Australia and New Zealand have recorded such a growth in the numbers of part-time workers and a growing part-time employment share, that nearly one quarter of the workforce in both countries is employed on a part-time basis. Among OECD countries Australia is one of the larger employers of part-time labour, …

Women And Leadership Working Paper Series: Paper No. 9: The Dual-Career Phenomenon: Employer Awareness And Responses, Catherine R. Smith

Research outputs pre 2011

Over the past thirty years, Western industrialised nations have witnessed major changes in their labour force characteristics. Of particular significance has been the steady increase of women in the paid workforce. Equal employment opportunity legislation, higher educational achievements and increasing numbers of female role models have fuelled women's career possibilities and aspirations. Consequently, growing numbers of women are pursuing longer-term careers, often through the ranks of management. A career implies a longer term developmental occupation or profession, with a sequence of connections and networks over time, although this does not preclude lateral or downward moves or temporary withdrawals, in response …

Human Resource Management Manual For Children's Services, Vicki Banham, Les Evans, Lynda Pragnell

Research outputs pre 2011

A Children's Services Human. Resource Management is based on the policies and procedures that define the staffing requirements for the effective operation of the children's service. The total process of staffing, from advertisement to employment, is based upon the specific criteria that is determined for the particular position required. Thus, the entire process is designed to provide the children's service with the best information necessary to select the most appropriate person for each staff position in the team.

Consequently, well defined inclusive personnel policies and procedures enable each member of staff to understand the duties, skills, knowledge and responsibilities of …

Women And Leadership Working Paper Series: Paper No. 3: Merit Or Obligation, Leonie V. Still

Research outputs pre 2011

The issue of merit or obligation concerning women's progress in employment in general, and in organisations in particular, gained renewed impetus in late 1994 with the push to have more women in politics. Australia and New Zealand led the world when establishing the right of women to vote, but are at present only slightly ahead in terms of women's representation in national and State Parliaments despite the centenary of women's suffrage (Coopers and Lybrand, 1994). Partly as a result of this lack of progress, the Australian Labor Party, at its 1994 National Conference, passed a motion to guarantee women a …

Women And Leadership Working Paper Series: Paper No. 2: Managerial Women And Enterprise Bargaining, Leonie V. Still, Denis Mortimer

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Women And Leadership Working Paper Series: Paper No. 1: Self-Employed Women: Four Years On, Leonie V. Still, Bill Chia

Research outputs pre 2011

Entrepreneurial or self-employed women are a growing component of the workforce worldwide. Australian statistics reveal that women are establishing their own businesses (in particular in self-employment) at a approximately twice the rate of men. In 1991-92 more than one million (41 per cent) of the 2.6 million people working in small business were women. Less than one third of these were self-employed or employers, while women accounted for 46 per cent of small business employees (Employment and Skills Formation Council, 1994)...

Women In Leadership Project 1994: Public Lecture Series, Pauline Carroll (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Women In Leadership Program 1993: Public Lecture Series, Pauline Carroll (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Women In Leadership Program 1993: National Conference: Women's Voices: Challenging For The Future, Pauline Carroll (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

The Women in Leadership Program is an exciting development initiative that, over a three year period, has had a visible effect on attitudes towards leadership and the role of women in organisations. As part of the program, through the generous funding support of the Commonwealth Staff Development Fund, the goodwill of staff and the commitment of women examining the leadership challenges facing Australian society today, Edith Cowan University has hosted a National Women in Leadership Conference for the past two years. This Conference provides an ongoing opportunity for women from varied and diverse roles to contribute to our knowledge and …

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 …

Women In Leadership Program 1993: Shaping The Culture, Catriona Pyner

Research outputs pre 2011

In discussing Women in Leadelrship one member of the Management Group sometimes used the term "Program", and sometimes "Project". This was not a mere slip of the tongue. One useful way to conceptualise "Women in Leadership" is as a Project- which seeks to strategically engage with a changing institution, and which is both organic and structured. Part of the Project structure is the Program. The Program is made up of three formal elements: The Collegial Groups; the Public Lecture Series and the National Conference. And yet, part of the Purpose of the Program is to engage with, shape and respond …

Women In Leadership National Conference 1992: Women, Communication And Power, Margaret Butterworth (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

Victorian feminist lawyer and social activist, Dr. Jocelynne Scutt, confronted the issue of women and power by drawing upon a powerful reading of stories from women. These stories, drawn from ordinary and not so ordinary women, showed the barriers that face women as they attempt to deal with a daily reality infused with masculine power, violence, fright, shame, and self-realization. She spoke poignantly of a world that is all to familiar to women; women whose capacities have been curbed sharply by a common theme in their lives: domination and coercion...

The Flexible Organization Design: Advantages And Pitfalls, Chris Du Boulay

Research outputs pre 2011

Organization design, mission statements and management strategy are not often given the emphasis they deserve within the human service sector. These issues are given a great deal of emphasis within the mainstream commercial sector.

In the minds of many human service boards of management these issues are seen as secondary, behind the primary aim of assisting clients. While this priority is commendable, the secondary issues are rarely addressed sufficiently. The result is that the organization loses direction and fails to remain abreast of the changing demands of the client population.

The Potential For Work Redesign Within Contemporary Organizations, Chris Du Boulay

Research outputs pre 2011

Work redesign is not only important for the wellbeing of the employee, but it has also captured the imagination and zeal of some employers. Recent studies (Hendry, 1990 ; Cordery, Mueller & Smith, 1991) have indicated that employees become more positive and enthusiastic towards their jobs and employers experience gains in productivity. Over the years many people have examined the concept and need for work redesign (Hackman & Oldham, 1976; Galbraith, 1984; Pasmore, 1988). Concepts such as work simplification, job enrichment, job enlargement, socio-technical redesign, alternative work arrangements and quality of work life programmes have been introduced, developed and implemented. …

Children In The Entertainment And Advertising Industries, Gary Partington

Research outputs pre 2011

This survey of the employment of children in the entertainment and advertising industries has described the nature and process of employment of children in the following areas:

a) film dramas and documentaries

b) television commercials

c) radio commercials and dramas

d) print advertising

e) live theatre

f) modelling.

The survey was limited in its scope, and any conclusions based on it must be regarded as tentative until a more thorough investigation based on a larger, more representative sample is conducted. Even so, some companies appear to maintain high standards of conduct in relation to the employment of children, judging from …

Employment Status Of 1978 Graduates From Churchlands College Of Advanced Education, Frank Wilson

Research outputs pre 2011

In 1979, Churchlands College graduates participated for the second time in the Graduate Career Council's graduate employment survey.

Detailed results of the 1979 survey have now been published and appear in the report: First Destinations of 1978 University and College Graduates as at April 30, 1979. Complementary copies of this report have been distributed to all Heads of Department.

In addition to the standard eleven item G.C.C.A. questionnaire, Churchlands graduates also received a supplementary set of questions. This collected additional employment information from graduates.

To be reported in this memo are:

1. The major G.C.C.A. findings of relevance to Churchlands; …