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University of Wollongong

Era2015

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Articles 31 - 60 of 73

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Is For Government Climate Change Adaptation Activities: An Exploratory Case Study, Stephen Smith, Donald Winchester, Helen M. Hasan, Patrick Finnegan Jan 2011

Is For Government Climate Change Adaptation Activities: An Exploratory Case Study, Stephen Smith, Donald Winchester, Helen M. Hasan, Patrick Finnegan

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper reports a case study of climate change adaptation activities of the New South Wales Government’s Climate Change Working Group where ten agencies have responsibility for thirty-five long-term activities. A concurrent Data-Centre Consolidation project has highlighted the mammoth amount of data held by different agencies that must be integrated into information to adequately support these adaptation activities. Our analysis of data collected from interviews and documents reveals the potential of a retrospective ontology capability, and a unique citizen record in enabling this integration. Adaptation activities require resolution of differences in the perspectives of government agencies and citizens and changes …


The Impact Of Job Loss On Family Dissolution, Denise Doiron, Silvia Mendolia Jan 2011

The Impact Of Job Loss On Family Dissolution, Denise Doiron, Silvia Mendolia

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The impact of involuntary job displacements on the probability of divorce is analysed using discrete duration models. The analysis uses the sample of couples from the British Household Panel Survey and distinguishes between types of displacements. Results show that couples in which the husband experiences a job loss are more likely to divorce. Redundancies have small, positive, often insignificant and short-lived effects while dismissals and temporary job endings have larger positive impacts. This is consistent with the interpretation of redundancies as capturing negative income shocks while other types of job loss also convey new information about potential future earnings and …


Political Connection And Managerial Entrenchment: Evidence From Ceo Turnovers In China, Jerry Cao, Xiaofei Pan, Meijun Qian, Gary G. Tian Jan 2011

Political Connection And Managerial Entrenchment: Evidence From Ceo Turnovers In China, Jerry Cao, Xiaofei Pan, Meijun Qian, Gary G. Tian

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Firms seek political connection by hiring politicians and ex-bureaucrats as top executives in China, especially in privately controlled firms. One unintended consequence of establishing political connection is management entrenchment. Political connected CEOs have smaller equity holding than CEOs without political background. Political connection significantly lowers the CEO turnover probability and turnover-performance sensitivity. Firm performance improves after political connected CEOs are replaced, particularly if replaced by new ones not politically connected. Overall, our findings suggest that political connection in association with management entrenchment destroys shareholder value, harms firm performance, and exacerbates corporate governance in emerging economies.


Investigating Chinese And Australian Student's Awareness And Interpretation Of Csr, And The Influence Of Studying 'Socially Innovative Commerce' Over Time, Zhengfeng Li, Alan A. Pomering, Gary I. Noble Jan 2011

Investigating Chinese And Australian Student's Awareness And Interpretation Of Csr, And The Influence Of Studying 'Socially Innovative Commerce' Over Time, Zhengfeng Li, Alan A. Pomering, Gary I. Noble

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study compares Chinese students studying in Australia and Australian domestic students on awareness and interpretation of, and attitude and behavioural intention towards the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR), and the influence on both of studying within an environment termed "socially innovative commerce". While previous research has found that age, gender, and study major of students may influence perceptions of CSR, this rsearch found these variables are not as significant as cultural background. These findings are presented and discussed along with future research directions.


Reflections On Interpretive Supply Chain Research, Tillmann Boehme, Paul Childerhouse, Eric Deakins, Denis Towill Jan 2011

Reflections On Interpretive Supply Chain Research, Tillmann Boehme, Paul Childerhouse, Eric Deakins, Denis Towill

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

A key purpose of this paper is to stimulate researchers into utilising a more balanced portfolio of research methods when generating supply chain theory. The supply chain/logistics literature overwhelmingly exhibits objectivist/positivist philosophical assumptions, indicating that this is what researchers believe constitutes valid discipline knowledge. In contrast, this paper demonstrates that an interpretive perspective is capable of yielding a comprehensive picture of the relationship between the supply chain and the ‘messy’ environment within which it is embedded (contingency theory). By reflecting on lessons learned through many years of practical researcher experience with such a methodology, this paper serves to motivate the …


A Comparison Of Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr) Practiced With Employees In Chinese And Multinational Private Financial Intermediation And Accounting Companies In China, Zhengfeng Li, Shaun Powell, Alan Pomering Jan 2011

A Comparison Of Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr) Practiced With Employees In Chinese And Multinational Private Financial Intermediation And Accounting Companies In China, Zhengfeng Li, Shaun Powell, Alan Pomering

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been introduced to the Chinese in the past decadethrough requirements to comply for example with Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000 is astandard of behavior deemed suitable to show respect for and accountability to society).Compliance has been required by buyers in western markets and by multinational companiesas they have entered the Chinese market. Still a clear concept of CSR is not yet widespreadamong Chinese corporations and employers. Problems raised by unethical behaviors ofcorporations continue to exist in China. As Klein (2002)1 once famously stated, it couldperhaps be argued that the entire western society has been influenced by …


The Effect Of Corporate Governance, Corporate Financing Decision And Ownership Structure On Firm Performance: A Panel Data Approach From Kuwait Stock Exchange, Helen M. Hasan, Mohammad Al Mutairi Jan 2011

The Effect Of Corporate Governance, Corporate Financing Decision And Ownership Structure On Firm Performance: A Panel Data Approach From Kuwait Stock Exchange, Helen M. Hasan, Mohammad Al Mutairi

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The aim of this paper is to examine the effect of corporate governance, corporate financing decision, and ownership structure on firm performance. The study uses panel based regression approach; the analysis is based on a sample of 80 listed Kuwait Stock Exchange Market firms, over a period of 9 years, from 2000 to 2008. Findings suggest that there is no association between ownership structure (identity, types or mix) and firm performance, using both measures of firm performance, ROA and Tobin’s Q. This study also finds that government ownership is insignificantly positively related to ROA using pool data; the result for …


Professional Learning In The Business Curriculum: Engaging Industry, Academics And Students, Michael Zanko, Theo Papadopoulos, Tracy Taylor, Eveline Fallshaw, Romy Lawson Jan 2011

Professional Learning In The Business Curriculum: Engaging Industry, Academics And Students, Michael Zanko, Theo Papadopoulos, Tracy Taylor, Eveline Fallshaw, Romy Lawson

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Professional Learning has become a feature of business curricula in universities around the world. The term "professional learning" (PL) is often used to encapsulate dimensions of educational programs that highlight contemporary industry issues explicitly linked to industry and professional bodies. PL encompasses the skills, qualities and attributes that are required by industry and the processes through which those skills are acquired. It encourages deep learning in relation to the student's future profession, and includes industry engagement, work-integrated learning and authentic learning environments.This paper describes a typology of approaches to PL derived from a national study of good practices in business …


A Centre Of International Trade And Transport Logistics, Eric Deakins, Paul Childerhouse, Tillmann Boehme Jan 2011

A Centre Of International Trade And Transport Logistics, Eric Deakins, Paul Childerhouse, Tillmann Boehme

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Achieving superior productivity and growth, and understanding how to best manage cost-efficient, environmentally-friendly modes of integrated transport is of vital importance to a nation's strategic interests. Yet in an era of increasing sensitivities toward greenhouse gas emissions and the ‘greening’ of business many countries lack educational facilities which are dedicated to understanding multi-modal transport logistics and sustainable supply chains that can extend to international trading partners. This paper explains in detail a proposed centre of excellence concept that was developed for the New Zealand Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CiLT). By facilitating intensive business collaborations and engaging industry directly …


Suggesting A Practical Agenda For Green Is - Recent Solutions Within A Framework Of Efficiency, Information, And Effectiveness, Helen M. Hasan, Irit Alony Jan 2011

Suggesting A Practical Agenda For Green Is - Recent Solutions Within A Framework Of Efficiency, Information, And Effectiveness, Helen M. Hasan, Irit Alony

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Awareness of environmental sustainability and ecological issues is growing, and different industry sectors are seeking ways to address them effectively. The Information Systems (IS) community is in a position to make a significant contribution to environmental efforts, not only by mitigating its own impact, but also by guiding the activities of other communities. To support environmental efforts, or to become more ―Green‖, several Green fields and research streams have emerged. Previous Green IT research focused on mitigating and reducing the impact of IT production and manufacturing, whereas Green IS research has the ability to re-design modern activities to support environmental …


Accounting For Corruption: Abuse Of Rank And Privilege, Kathleen A. Cooper, Ian K. Fargher Jan 2011

Accounting For Corruption: Abuse Of Rank And Privilege, Kathleen A. Cooper, Ian K. Fargher

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Rank, privilege and responsibility should be inseparable. However, investigations ofcorporate scandals typically reveal rank, privilege and irresponsible behaviour gohand in hand. The publicity and recriminations surrounding corporate scandals tendto focus first on corporate executives implicated in poor management or otherinappropriate behaviour and then on the relevant regulators. Where financialmanipulation is revealed, the external auditor also comes under scrutiny. Thedeficiencies in corporate regulation including accounting and audit standards aresubject to less public inspection but are often the subject of enquiry by governmentappointedbodies. Recommendations for regulatory reform follow and the public isassured the risk of similar scandals is minimised or at least …


The Role Of The United States Coast Guard In Marine Environmental Protection: The Uscgc Alex Haley Example, Ted Watts, Carol J. Mcnair-Connolly Jan 2011

The Role Of The United States Coast Guard In Marine Environmental Protection: The Uscgc Alex Haley Example, Ted Watts, Carol J. Mcnair-Connolly

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Few countries in the world task their military with the role of marine pollution response in addition to its responsibility as a military service. One country that does is the United States of America. The United States Coast Guard has, in addition to its military and security missions, the task of marine pollution response and enforcement. This program includes the prevention of oil and chemical spills, unauthorized ocean dumping and to prevent the introduction of invasive marine species into the maritime environment . This paper considers the operational and environmental costs associated with a major oil spill and the revenue …


Guiding The Use Of Grounded Theory In Doctoral Studies – An Example From The Australian Film Industry, Michael Jones, Irit Alony Jan 2011

Guiding The Use Of Grounded Theory In Doctoral Studies – An Example From The Australian Film Industry, Michael Jones, Irit Alony

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Selecting the most appropriate research method is one of the most difficult problems facing a doctoral researcher. Grounded Theory is presented here as a method of choice as it is detailed, rigorous, and systematic, yet it also permits flexibility and freedom. Grounded Theory offers many benefits to research in Information Systems as it is suitable for the investigation of complex multifaceted phenomena. It is also well equipped to explore socially related issues. Despite existing criticism, it is a rigorous and methodical research approach capable of broadening the perceptions of those in the research community. This paper provides detailed and practical …


The Impact Of Corporate Financing Decision On Corporate Performance In The Absence Of Taxes: Panel Data From Kuwait Stock Market, Helen M. Hasan, Mohammad Al Mutairi, Elizabeth A. Risik Jan 2011

The Impact Of Corporate Financing Decision On Corporate Performance In The Absence Of Taxes: Panel Data From Kuwait Stock Market, Helen M. Hasan, Mohammad Al Mutairi, Elizabeth A. Risik

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study examines the relationship between financing decisions such as capital structure, capital budgeting techniques and dividend policy along with the firm’s attributes. We examined the impact of industrial sectors and financial performance using the panel data of 80 listed companies in Kuwait. The results of this study suggest that, contrary to the Trade-off Theory of capital structure, there is a negative association between the level of debt and financial performance. This can be attributed to the high cost of borrowing and the underdeveloped nature of the debt market in Kuwait. Given the unique tax environment in Kuwait, using debt …


Civil War, Stock Return, And Intellectual Capital Disclosure In Sri Lanka, Indra Abeysekera Jan 2011

Civil War, Stock Return, And Intellectual Capital Disclosure In Sri Lanka, Indra Abeysekera

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study examines the effect of current-period intellectual capital disclosure on earnings and current annual stock return during a civil-war period. Using the top 30 firms by market capitalization listed on Colombo Stock Exchange over six years (from 1998 to 2003), this study finds that firms do not include the current-period intellectual capital disclosure in the current stock return, and the increase in the current-period intellectual capital disclosure activity has no influence on earnings included in the current stock return. Future accounting-based earnings, if stated in the current period, by contrast are included in the current stock return. The findings …


Nsw Local Council Investment Exposures, Gregory Jones, Graham D. Bowrey Jan 2010

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 …


Service Quality Of Mhealth: Development And Validation Of A Hierarchical Model Using Pls, Shahriar Akter, John D'Ambra, Pradeep Ray Jan 2010

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 …


The Relationship Between Spiritual Well-Being And Ethical Orientations In Decision Making: An Empirical Study With Business Executives In Australia, Mario Fernando, Rafi Chowdhury Jan 2010

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 …


Working At The Coalface: Being A Miner In Times Of Change, Peter D. Mclean, Patrick M. Dawson Jan 2010

Working At The Coalface: Being A Miner In Times Of Change, Peter D. Mclean, Patrick M. Dawson

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

A case study analysis of the introduction of a new system for appraising worker performance in an Australian coal mine is used to explore the related concepts of identity and culture that are central to explaining individual and group behaviour in organizational context (Irrmann, 2002: 164). The change initiative was initiated by management following a search and evaluation of the general business environment to see what other organizations were doing to improve their operations. There was no prior consultation with employees, nor were any attempts made to involve mine workers before implementing what management described as a more ‘scientific’ and …


Customer Relationship Management And Firm Performance, Tim Coltman, Timothy M. Devinney, David F. Midgley Jan 2010

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 …


Strategic Ambiguity And Ethical Actions, Ah Ba Sim, Mario Fernando Jan 2010

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 …


Pathway For Student Self-Development: A Learning Orientated Internship Approach, Bonnie Amelia Dean, Michael D. Clements Jan 2010

Pathway For Student Self-Development: A Learning Orientated Internship Approach, Bonnie Amelia Dean, Michael D. Clements

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Higher education is facing new challenges in preparing students for the workforce. As demands increase for students to differentiate themselves when seeking employment, it becomes necessary for higher education and vocational providers not only to understand these challenges, but also to provide a pathway for students to develop the skills necessary to become sought-after employees. This paper presents a learning orientated internship approach as one such pathway that aims to provide students, as adult learners, with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and gain new skills in a work context. The paper provides insight into students self-reported learning outcomes after …


Destination Choice By Young Australian Travellers: A Theoretical Explanation To A Practitioner Problem, Clifford Lewis, Gregory Kerr, Alan Pomering Jan 2010

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.


Predicting Online Consumer Information Needs Using Heuristics, Robert G. Grant, Rodney J. Clarke, Elias Kyriazis Jan 2010

Predicting Online Consumer Information Needs Using Heuristics, Robert G. Grant, Rodney J. Clarke, Elias Kyriazis

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper proposes a new approach to online behaviour modelling based on heuristic patterns of behaviour. Such patterns of behaviour reflect the consumer’s needs and limited information processing capabilities enabling more effective serving of information relevant to the consumer’s needs in real time. Using website interactivity or data exchange with consumers through a purchase process offers previously untapped opportunities for value cocreation. The paper concludes with an outline of the requisite research to implement a realtime, needs-based information serving system and the theoretical advances that are likely to be gained from such research.


Conceptualising A Contemporary Marketing Mix For Sustainable Tourism Marketing, Alan Pomering, Lester W. Johnson, Gary Noble Jan 2010

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 …


Footy Mates And Football Professionals: A Case Study Of Change At An Australian Rules Football Club, Thomas Cole, Patrick M. Dawson Jan 2010

Footy Mates And Football Professionals: A Case Study Of Change At An Australian Rules Football Club, Thomas Cole, Patrick M. Dawson

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper examines how culture, structure and practice can impede processes of organisational change in examining the formation and development of the Adelaide Football Club (AFC). It charts processes of professionalisation and innovation from the initial formation of the club through to current operations as a South Australian club within the Australian Football League (AFL). A processual framework is utilised in exploring processes of change and the influence of substantive issues, contextual conditions and political decision-making within a local and national sporting environment. Particular attention is given to the history and culture of AFL developments and the transition of AFC …


Strategic Ambiguity And Leaders' Responsibility Beyond Maximising Profits, Mario Fernando, Ah Ba Sim Jan 2010

Strategic Ambiguity And Leaders' Responsibility Beyond Maximising Profits, Mario Fernando, Ah Ba Sim

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Australia has the world‟s highest number of documented cases of mesothemilia, a lung cancer caused by asbestos, and the building products manufacturer, James Hardie (Australia) has been accused for causing over half of these cases (Hills, 2005). The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) sued several executives of James Hardie for misleading stakeholders on asbestos victim compensation, and failing to act with care and diligence (ASIC, 2009). In a landmark decision in Australian corporate governance, the New South Wales Supreme Court held in April 2009 that James Hardie‟s chairwoman, nine directors and executives violated the law by approving and issuing …


What Do Managers Do During Major Organisational Change, Michael L. Jones Jan 2010

What Do Managers Do During Major Organisational Change, Michael L. Jones

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Management texts have long been prescriptive regarding management practice, recommending managers do this, and managers do that, to ensure greater and greater effectiveness. Only a relatively minor proportion of management researchers have gone into the field to observe just what managers actually do. Change management literature tends to be prescriptive regarding how organisations should manage change, and why some leaders are better than others. There is a relative paucity of empirical information discussing what effective change managers actually do. This paper aims to present empirical data from a longitudinal change management research study to develop an enhanced understanding of what …


Local Government Investing: A Form Of Gambling?, Gregory Jones, Graham D. Bowrey Jan 2010

Local Government Investing: A Form Of Gambling?, Gregory Jones, Graham D. Bowrey

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Currently in the state of New South Wales (NSW) local government councils have the authority to invest ratepayers‟ money. At the end of 2006-07 financial year local councils in NSW had invested $590 million dollars in structured financial products such as collateralised debt obligations (CDO). Six months later the market value of these investments dropped $200 million to $390 million. In the light of these significant losses the NSW state government commissioned a review of the financial investments of NSW local councils to be undertaken. The Review, Cole Report, published in 2008 found that while acting within the parameters of …


Dispersed Agency And Improvisation During The Strategic Management Of Change, Kathryn Charles, Patrick Dawson Jan 2010

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 …