Business Commons^™

The `Good Oil': The Role Olive Oil Plays In The Lives Of Western Australian Consumers, Trudie Michels

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Throughout Australia, a great number of resources have been devoted to the burgeoning billion dollar Australian olive industry. Recently a rapid increase in olive oil production has been witnessed. This growth combined with aggressive international competition will see pressure put on Australian producers to supply quality and price-effective olive oil into the Australian market. This will require a detailed understanding of consumers' perceptions of and thoughts about olive oil and a comprehension of how, when, where and why consumers utilise olive oil.

Free To Be Obese In A " Super Nanny State " ?, Nadine Henley

School of Marketing, Tourism and Leisure Publications

Should individuals be free to make lifestyle decisions (such as what, when and how much to eat and how much physical activity to take), without undue interference from the state, even when their decisions may lead to negative consequences (obesity, heart disease, diabetes)?

Sustainability And Company Annual Financial Reporting, Mirela Filipovic

Theses : Honours

This study had two mam objectives. Firstly to measure the level and type of sustainability reporting in companies using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Index. Secondly, to investigate the key characteristics of Australian listed companies that explain the extent of voluntary sustainability information within their annual reports. Based on the positive accounting theory framework and the review of literature six testable hypotheses were developed. The six directional hypothesis developed were related to two aspects of agency and political costs and included ownership diffusion, leverage, audit by big four audit firm, size, profitability and industry type. A stratified sample of 450 …

An Exploratory Study Of Executive Hubris And Its Effect On How Chief Executive Officers In Small To Medium Enterprises Make Strategic Management Decisions, A. S. Parker

Theses : Honours

This exploratory study examined the nature of the recently conceptualised notion of executive hubris; and in particular the effect it may have on how chief executive officers in small to medium sized enterprises make their strategic management decisions. It was designed to explore executive hubris and strategic decision making in a limited sample of executives. On this basis the results are limited to this study and are not generalisable. A core aim of the study however; was to test qualitatively and quantitatively in a fundamental, exploratory way; Hambrick and Hiller's (2005) propositions that executive hubris has an effect on how …

The Agricultural Co-Operative Business Structure In Context: A Western Australian Study, Elizabeth Cheong

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Agricultural co-operative businesses are the focus of considerable academic research overseas, particularly from the perspective of agricultural economics. Research on Australian agricultural co-operatives, however, is very limited. This exploratory study investigates agricultural co-operatives at two inter-related levels. Firstly, the thesis examines the broader political economy shaping the agricultural co-operative sector, specifically policy and institutional arrangements affecting agricultural co-operatives. Secondly, the thesis considers how this external world influences the internal behaviour of the agricultural co-operative business. The study adopts a qualitative research methodology, principally using the case study method. Over 50 in-depth interviews were conducted with actors associated with the agricultural …

What Causes An Organisation To Be What It Is And To Become What It Could Be: A Philosophical Expedition, Alan Byrne

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This work represents the evolution of a thesis asking the question what causes an organisation to be what it is and to become what it could be. The author ' s thought development is integral to the project and is highlighted throughout. Conversation and relationship become privileged as the transformative cause of change; of being. This study faithfully reproduces how a thesis actually happens, with all the inherent uncertainty and messiness. The life experiences of the author are brought to bear in this autoethnographic study of the business world.

Understanding Sustainable Tourism Development From A Complex Systems Perspective: A Case Study Of The Swan River, Western Australia, Janine R. Mcdonald

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Tourism does not operate in a predictable and mechanistic environment and is influenced by unpredictable circumstances. Influences include underlying values and perceptions keeping the system unpredictable and dynamic. Tourism that utilises natural resources is exposed to the additional unpredictability of natural changes and activities and/or decisions of other stakeholders. Tourism research generally adopts reductionist approaches and has not effectively understood tourism as a stakeholder within a complex system of stakeholders. Reductionist approaches have led to interpretations of sustainable tourism development being highly focused and sector specific limiting understanding of the complex systems in which tourism operates and resulting in narrow …

Information Systems In Western Australian Universities, Craig Standing, Janice Burn, Chad Lin

Research outputs pre 2011

Systems (IS) teaching and research within Western Australia (WA). A brief overview of the WA environment is followed by an exploration of teaching and research in the four main Universities. This is examined against the framework for the study and, in particular, the impact of social processes (Ariav et al, 1987; Klein et al, 1991) and local contingencies (Culnan et al, 1993; Checkland and Howell, 1998), which are found to be of relevance to historic developments.

Producing Safety: Evaluating Structuration Theory As A Framework For Exploring The Values In Action Within The Civil Construction Industry In Wa, Susanne Bahn, Llandis Barratt-Pugh

Research outputs pre 2011

In this paper we argue that occupational safety and health (OS&H) in the workplace is a production of values in action. We propose that such relations may best be explored through the structuration lens generated by Giddens (1984). We both use structuration theory to conceptualise the relations that produce safety and evaluate the utility of the theory as a research framework. We provide a detailed discussion of the context of, and rationale for a proposed study. The paper then analyses the components of structuration theory and frames the production of safety within these conceptual relations. The paper argues that the …

Values And M-Services Adoption, Craig Standing, Patricia Mcmanus, Susan Standing, Heikki Karjaluoto

Research outputs pre 2011

The use of mobile services has increased rapidly in recent. Although research has been conducted on which services people use and the benefits they attach to those services, the values associated with the adoption and use of m-services at the individual level is still unclear. This formation systems field various technology adoption models have been proposed and validated in relation to technology adoption within an organisational setting but personal adoption and use of technology is less researched. To help uncover the values behind adoption of m-services we use means-end chains and laddering techniques. The analysis of the interviews shows that …

Free To Be Obese In A 'Super Nanny State'?, Nadine Henley

Research outputs pre 2011

Should individuals be free to make lifestyle decisions (such as what, when and how much to eat and how much physical activity to take), without undue interference from the state, even when their decisions may lead to negative consequences (obesity, heart disease, diabetes)?

Low-Cost Rfid Identification Variation, Koong Lin, Tzu-Chang Yeh, Yao-Yuan Liu, Chad Lin

Research outputs pre 2011

Interests continue to grow in recent years for the adoption of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in many different areas including transportation and supply chain management. Those RFID-included objects can be targeted more efficiently by real-time tracking and instant management. However, because of the contact-less type of RFID remote retrieval, the transmission of data in the air is very vulnerable to eavesdropping or appropriation. A primary security concern surrounding RFID technology is the illicit tracking of consumer location and analyzing of their shopping habits or behavior. This paper proposes a more secure and lightweight RFID variation protection protocol which enhances the …

Developing A Positive Experience Of Introductory Information Systems For Women At Two Australasian Universities, Rosemary Stockdale, Susan Stoney

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper examines how academics can contribute to encouraging greater uptake of IS majors by women. Using a qualitative reflective approach we identify the perceptions and experiences of female undergraduates taking introductory IS courses in two universities, one in Australia and one in New Zealand, and discuss ways in which to improve their learning experience. We examine ways to improve the delivery of introductory IS courses in order to make information systems more relevant and less dreary to women undergraduates. The paper concludes with some recommendations for marketing courses and areas of further research.

An Improved Model Of Structural Changes Resulting From Use Of E-Commerce, Nick Lethbridge

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

not available

From A Slave To A Critical-Thinker-Artistic-Writer: Emancipating A Professional's Anthill Using Action Research Professional Practice With Information Systems Professionals As The Crux: Gnothe Se Auton Non, J Regrette Rien Die Lichtung And All The World's A Stage, Edmond G. La Vertu

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The diagram shown in figure 1 gives an impression of this thesis around the key words slavery, enslavement, emancipation, freedom, power, critical thinker, and artistic writer. The text at the centre reads "my rich model evolution during this thesis." On rereading the text, I wonder if it is referring to my own evolution during the research, which could be described as "rich model," or the evolution of the rich model that encapsulates, and in one sense is, the chief contribution of the thesis.

That I use this sentence and this impressionistic diagram to begin this abstract should signal to you, …

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 …

An Examination Of Facilitators And Inhibitors To Knowledge Sharing In A Policing Environment : Lessons From Intelligence-Led Crime Management Units Of The Western Australia Police Service, Vince Hughes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The objective of this research project was to gain an understanding of the inhibitors and facilitators to knowledge sharing within a policing environment. Although it did not begin with the intention of applying interverntions of any kind, in the course of the thesis it became clear that a form of action research was being employed. Initially, I presented my research proposal as a hermeneutic examination of the facilitators and inhibitors to knowledge sharing in the Western Australia Police. However, somewhere along my research journey I realised that rather than me simply collecting and analysing data from and about my colleagues, …

Accountability And Efficiency And The Decision Of Whether To Appoint The Incumbent Audit Firm To Provide Non-Audit Services, Colleen Hayes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

not available

A Comparative Analysis Of Locally Owned Banks In The United Arab Emirates, Catherine Budd

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

All UAE banks perform the dual role of intermediaries 'for both the money and capital markets. They are entering a crucial stage of banking" development towards global competition with new banking laws imminent and the Basel II Capital acc6'rd being , , effective by December 2006. Within a challenging climate of financial transparency and limited data availability, .this research provides a benchmark and a unique league table of efficiency performances between 1998 and 2003 for comparative analysis between local banks in the UAE for present and future operational policymakers and researchers. This study offers an analysis and insight into UAE …

Communicating Effectively Across The Cultural Barrier : A Cross-Cultural Study Of The Sydney And Atlanta Hotel Industries, Danielle Lacey

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study aimed to look at the importance of cultural awareness across the hospitality industry as a whole and the industry's response to this issue. The research set out three hypotheses based on one main research question. The research question postulated was: What guest services are Sydney and Atlanta hoteliers providing to meet the needs of guests from different cultural backgrounds? The research was carried out using a descriptive qualitative research design, additionally a cross-sectional time frame was used. The research was conducted within the hotel population in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America, and in Sydney, New South Wales. …

The Relationship Between Corporate Social Performance And Financial Asset Characteristics, Ingebjørg Kristoffersen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis explores the theoretical and empirical evidence for a relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) and financial characteristics. An empirical analysis is performed to examine the Australian evidence for such a relationship, from a financial asset perspective. CSP data provided by Corporate Monitor Pty. Ltd. are used in the analysis. Specifically, available measures of environmental, social and governance performance of 237 Australian companies are compared with selected financial asset characteristics, including firm size, book-to-market value, financial performance and risk, covering the period between July 1997 and August 2003. Evidence of relationships is sought using bivariate correlations, group comparisons and …

The More We Sell The Happier We Are: Comparison Of Responsible Alcohol Service In Trained And Untrained Establishments In Perth, Nevil Alexander

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research investigated whether training licensees and approved managers of Perth pubs and taverns resulted in more Responsible Alcohol Service (RAS). Specifically it investigated whether apparently intoxicated customers were refused service. Trained and untrained premises were compared using two methods. Quantitative data was gathered by observers posing as intoxicated customers (pseudo-drunks) while qualitative data was collected during interviews with management, staff, and patrons of trained and untrained premises. No significant difference in the service of alcohol to intoxicated patrons in trained or untrained premises was found. The interviews revealed no distinction between the attitudes and beliefs of management, staff, or …

An Exploratory Study Of The Factors That Impact On The Application Of Online Learning At The Department Of Planning And Infrastructure Of Western Australia, Alex C. Scholz

Theses : Honours

There is a growing necessity in today's globalised and dynamic business environments for learning systems to be capable of generating the continuous learning needs of the workforces within them. In adapting to their changing environments learning workers are not only required to continuously gather new information but also to transform it into understanding within their local contexts. Much praise has been placed on the capability of new learning technologies such as online learning in supporting organisations learning processes. However, relative limited research has been undertaken on how these new learning technologies support workers in learning processes, how these new learning …

A Systems Approach To An Into Organizational Communication Within The Fire And Emergency Services Authority Of Western Australia : An Action Research Study, Ellen Jones

Theses : Honours

Research suggests that a rapidly changing environment due to advancing technology, globalization, expanding world markets, changing populations is resulting in the need for a change to workplace practices. Emerging issues due to an aging population and the anticipated shrinkage of the workforce with the retirement of the baby boomers is indicating the need for the development of new skills. Through a real-life case study, this thesis looks into the aspects of organizational life that impact on effective communication. Through an action research approach implications are drawn from a systems theory view of communication. Action research and systems thinking enables the …

Issues Faced In The Post-Tsunami Recovery Of Small And Medium Tourism Enterprises In Galle District, Sri Lanka : An Exploratory Study, Acushla M. Felix

Theses : Honours

This study identifies the issues faced in the post-tsunami recovery of the tourism industry by Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises in the Galle District of Sri Lanka. Similar to many other countries, Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises form a significant proportion of the Sri Lanka Tourism Industry. However, the significance of this sector of the industry was apparent only subsequent to the tsunami. While Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises account for a diverse range of businesses providing products or services for tourist consumption, this study includes only three such categories, namely; hospitality enterprises; souvenir providers and nature-based enterprises. Further, this …

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 …

On-Line Training For Smes: Final Report, Beth Walker, Beverley Webster, Sue Stoney

Research outputs pre 2011

This research aimed to explore the appropriateness of on-line training delivery methods for small business owner/managers.

It is widely recognised that training and education are effective ways to reduce small business failure. In Australia, small business accounts for 96 percent of Australian private sector, non-agricultural businesses and they employ 47 percent of the private sector, non-agricultural workforce. Not surprisingly then, encouraging the development of the skills of the workforce has emerged as a major priority for government policy. However, what is also recognised is that many small business owner/managers (SBOs) have limited e-competencies.

Results of this research confirmed this and …

Developing A Framework Of Training For The Older Small Business Owner : Final Report, Beth Walker, Beverley Webster, Julia Turner

Research outputs pre 2011

This study was conducted as a result of the critical issue of the ageing population and the implications this will have on the workforce. An employment option for older workers is to become self-employed and to start their own small businesses, rather than to continue working in mainstream employment, which becomes increasing difficult as employees age. The option of self-employment may be a viable option for older people as uncertainty of employment tenure in mainstream employment continues to increases over time and is a way to utilise work skills and competencies that have been acquired over years of work experience. …

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 …

Investigating Information Management Weaknesses In A Local Government Organisation: A Critical Hermeneutic Ethnographic Case Study Of Internet Documents From Information Warfare And Legal Perspective(S), Edward E. Andre

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In this thesis I develop an approach to analyse and interpret internet documents belonging to a particular organisation in a State of Australia. My intention in the research is to find ways to protect a local government organisation from litigation and other threats due to weaknesses in information management on the internet. Based on Gadamer's (1985) approach to the interpretation of text discourse, this thesis is a critical hermeneutic ethnographic case study of one local government organisation investigating internet docunents from information warfare and legal perspective(s).