Business Commons^™

Career Values And Proactive Career Behaviour Among Contemporary Higher Education Students, Denise Jackson, Michael Tomlinson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The paper draws on evidence from a survey of Australian and UK students (N = 433) on students’ career values and their relationship to their proactivity in career self-management. Much of the dominant approaches to careers have focused on career competencies and adaptability in the context of increased movement from traditional to more self-managed career trajectories. Limited attention has been given to the role of career values in shaping individuals’ approaches to career management, particularly among higher education students. This study reveals data on a range of career values among students on a continuum between intrinsic and extrinsic careers. It …

Innovating Authentically: Cultural Differentiation In The Animation Sector, Susan Standing, Craig Standing

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper examines the concept of authentic innovation and the development of the animation industry in Malaysia. Authenticity is a concept that has been investigated from philosophical and institutional perspectives in the quest to explain the role of self-fulfillment and decision-making. It links with systems thinking because authenticity as a strategy requires a holistic approach since it is based upon values that influence action. The desire for authenticity can create expression outside the norms and produce innovation. We present interpretations of authenticity, explain the concept of authentic innovation and relate this to three case studies of Malaysian animation studios. We …

Industrial Modernisation Through Institutional Upheaval In A Transition Economy, Anton Klarin, Pradeep Kanta Ray

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of Russian institutional upheavals on industrial development. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a longitudinal case study analysis of three Russian pharmaceutical firms exploring the role of state support in developing a self-sustained competitive innovation-dependent industry. Findings Russia’s shock therapy transition to a newly liberalised economy the 1990s without a supportive institutional framework led to severe setbacks in its modernisation process. A weak institutional context was not conducive to development of its fledgling organisations. In late 2000s, Russian Government initiated large-ranging institutional support in favour of strategic industries. This resulted in …

Strategic Institutional Approaches To Graduate Employability: Navigating Meanings, Measurements And What Really Matters, Ruth Bridgstock, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Despite ongoing efforts by universities, challenges and tensions continue to exist in academic discourse, policy and practice around graduate employability. These factors can militate against the sector’s capacity to prepare learners for life and work, because they promote unclear, and sometimes counterproductive and competing, courses of action. This article suggests that higher education institutions’ approaches to graduate employability reflect at least three aims. The aims relate to: (i) short-term graduate outcomes; (ii) professional readiness; and (iii) living and working productively and meaningfully across the lifespan. The commitment to each of these aims is often tacit and ill-defined and varies within …

Evidencing Student Success And Career Outcomes Among Business And Creative Industries Graduates, Denise Jackson, Ruth Bridgstock

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The teaching performance of higher education institutions is increasingly gauged by graduate employment outcomes. Measuring outcomes in full-time employment terms does not capture the complexities of underemployment, the rise of portfolio careers, the constraints of the labour market and graduate motivations for working arrangements that can allow greater flexibility and work-life balance. This study explores the career outcomes of Business and Creative Industries graduates using both traditional measures (full-time employment outcomes) and a suite of broader measures that examine career satisfaction, perceived employability, perceived career success, underemployment, and graduate motivations for seeking new roles. Findings confirm disciplinary differences in graduate …

Cattle As A Consistently Resilient Agricultural Commodity, Robert Powell, Duc H. Vo, Thach N. Pham

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study compares a range of agricultural commodities over periods of varying economic circumstances. These commodities are examined over three categories, including returns, risk, and contribution to portfolio optimisation. Consistency in these categories is determined over four equal three-year stages which comprise pre-GFC (Global Financial Crisis), GFC, post-GFC and post-post GFC. To demonstrate resilience in the most extreme circumstances, the study uses Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR), which measures extreme risk in the tail of a distribution, as the risk measure and risk-return optimiser. The study thus provides a unique and comprehensive extreme-risk based focus which identifies and ranks the …

How Organizational Boundary Choices Impact Capability Development, Peter Galvin, Stephane Tywoniak

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

As construction-oriented public sector agencies have outsourced more and more of their construction-related activities, they have often suffered from an inability to provide appropriate oversight due to degraded capabilities. This had led to calls for these agencies to rebuild capabilities across different technical areas. A firm’s boundary choices—make, buy, ally and dual modes (make and buy simultaneously)—may impact the ability of a firm to maintain and even build new capabilities, and in this article, we seek to investigate the impact that boundary choices have upon rebuilding capabilities and the extent to which organizations may make sub-optimal choices economically to potentially …

Contextualising Social Capital In Online Brand Communities, Stephanie Meek, Madeleine Ogilvie, Claire Lambert, Maria M. Ryan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Online brand communities (OBC) are growing in number and becoming an increasingly important interface where marketers can effectively facilitate the relationship between their brand and consumers. A qualitative study using a four-month netnography over three OBCs followed by focus groups with OBC members explored the dynamics of social capital in these communities. Findings indicate that social capital is an important driver in the success of OBCs, and all the elements of social capital including a shared language, shared vision, social trust and reciprocity are evident. Moreover, results from this study indicate that these elements are crucial in developing the network …

Heat Exposure And Adaptation Strategies Of Outdoor Informal Sector Workers In Urban Bulawayo - Zimbabwe, Bigboy Ngwenya

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Ambient temperatures have risen over the past few decades and are expected to increase even further due to climate change impacts. Extreme temperatures, accompanied by high humidity levels, will exacerbate occupational heat stress, heat related illnesses and mortality amongst vulnerable groups, particularly among outdoor workers in developing countries in the tropics. In Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, a large portion of the population work outdoors in the informal sector as street vendors (hawkers) due to a lack of employment opportunities. These hawkers spend long hours in the sun or under makeshift sheds with poorly developed adaptation strategies, and no access to cooling systems …

Job Embeddedness And Turnover Intentions: The Moderating Role Of Affectivity Traits, Career Stages And Perceptions Of Organisational Politics, Emmanuel Twumasi Ampofo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The study tested the applicability of job embeddedness (JE) theory in Ghana. It also examined moderating effects of affectivity traits, career stage and perceptions of organisational politics (POP) on the JE–turnover intentions relationship. Analyses revealed that composite JE and its dimensions and sub-dimensions (except community fit) were negatively related to turnover intentions. Affectivity traits, POP and career stages moderated the JE–turnover intentions relationship. The study expands the predictive validity of JE to Ghana and adds to the few moderators that have been identified in previous studies. Strategies for increasing managerial employees’ embeddedness and reducing their turnover are proposed.

Halal Accreditation And Certification In A Non-Muslim Country Setting: Insights From Australia Halal Meat Supply Chain, Mohd Hafiz Zulfakar, Caroline Chan, Ferry Jie, Veera Pandiyan Kaliani Sundram

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

It is a known fact that most halal food products, especially meat are now sourced from various part of the world and the majority of halal food exporters/producers come from non-Muslim countries. This has led to growing concerns from the halal consumers, especially the Muslim communities with regards to whether the halal status of these food products can really be guaranteed throughout the supply chain in these countries and whether the halal foods claimed are authentic. This study aims to better understand the current halal meat certification in Australia, a predominantly non-Muslim country. By adopting a case study approach, this …

Training And Development In Small Professional Services Firms, Pattanee Susomrith, Alan Coetzer, Emmanuel Ampofo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether participation in training and development (T&D) events is associated with employees’ affective commitment and propensity to enact innovative behaviours in small professional services firms. The study also investigates associations between both attitudes towards T&D and policy and practice supportive of T&D and levels of participation in T&D events.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from 203 employees in small professional services firms employing 50 or fewer staff were analysed using regression analysis and PROCESS macro.

Findings

Only policy and practice supportive of T&D was associated with participation levels. Participation in T&D events was positively related to affective …

Encouraging Students To Draw On Work Experiences When Articulating Achievements And Capabilities To Enhance Employability, Denise A. Jackson, Susan Edgar

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Employability drives higher education policy yet despite the investment in developing ‘rounded’ graduates, students experience difficulties in articulating their achievements and capabilities during graduate recruitment. The purpose of this research was to trial and evaluate a career development intervention aimed at drawing on work experiences when applying for graduate roles. Students (N = 136) from two contrasting disciplines, Business and Physiotherapy, and two institutions participated in a two-staged intervention. A focus group was also conducted with career advisors (N = 9) to examine student engagement with career development learning. Findings indicated that students were confident in their ability …

Offline Versus Online Travel Experience Sharing: The National Profile Of China, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Xiang Wei

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: This study aims to examine the demographic differences of Chinese nationals’ travel experience sharing through different offline and online platforms.

Design/methodology/approach: Cross-tabulation analysis was applied on a national sample of 6081 respondents in China.

Findings: The study found that Chinese women tend to share travel experience more often than Chinese men; old people in China tend to use the face-to-face approach more than online or social media to share their travel experience. About 66.5 per cent of the survey sample used WeChat Moments to share their travel experience, highlighting WeChat as the dominating social media platform in China for …

The Owner-Manager’S Role As A Facilitator Of Informal Learning In Small Businesses, Alan Coetzer, Andreas Wallo, Henrik Kock

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Few studies have examined the owner-manager as a facilitator of learning in small businesses. Furthermore, these studies are typically not framed by distinctive characteristics of small businesses. These limitations of the literature stimulated us to ask: How do the situational opportunities and constraints that emanate from the distinctive characteristics of small businesses affect the small business owner-manager’s role as a facilitator of learning? To address this question, we first conducted a narrative review of existing research on the owner-manager as facilitator of learning in small businesses (10–49 employees). Four themes emerged from our analysis of research findings, including a theme …

Fake News And Propaganda: Trump’S Democratic America And Hitler’S National Socialist (Nazi) Germany, David E. Allen, Michael Mcaleer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper features an analysis of President Trump’s two State of the Union addresses, which are analysed by means of various data mining techniques, including sentiment analysis. The intention is to explore the contents and sentiments of the messages contained, the degree to which they differ, and their potential implications for the national mood and state of the economy. We also apply Zipf and Mandelbrot’s power law to assess the degree to which they differ from common language patterns. To provide a contrast and some parallel context, analyses are also undertaken of President Obama’s last State of the Union address …

Faking Heroism As A Mechanism Of ‘Mafia Offer’: A Critical Realism Perspective On The Abuse Of Heroism, Layla Al-Hameed

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

No abstract provided.

The Moderation Of Gender And Generation In The Effects Of Perceived Destination Image On Tourist Attitude And Visit Intention: A Study Of Potential Chinese Visitors To Australia, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Robert Van Der Veen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The overall purpose of this study is to examine the moderating roles of gender and generation in the effects of perceived destination image on tourist attitude and visit intention among Chinese potential tourists to Australia. Australia is one of the preferred destinations to Chinese tourists, and the China market emerges to be increasingly important to destination marketing organizations in Australia. Echoing the call for more gender studies in the tourism literature and also based on the generation theory, this study employed a cross-sectional questionnaire survey design and used structural equation modelling in its analysis. Survey data were collected through convenience …

Tackling Social Media Data Analysis: Comparing And Contrasting Qsr Nvivo And Leximancer, Violetta Wilk, Geoffrey N. Soutar, Paul Harrigan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to offer insights into the ways two computer-aided qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) applications (QSR NVivo and Leximancer) can be used to analyze big, text-based, online data taken from consumer-to-consumer (C2C) social media communication.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used QSR NVivo and Leximancer, to explore 200 discussion threads containing 1,796 posts from forums on an online open community and an online brand community that involved online brand advocacy (OBA). The functionality, in particular, the strengths and weaknesses of both programs are discussed. Examples of the types of analyses each program can undertake and the visual output available …

Barriers To Grassroots Innovation: The Phenomenon Of Social-Commercial-Cultural Trilemmas In Remote Indigenous Art Centres, Janice Jones, Pi-Shen Seet, Tim Acker, Michelle Whittle

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Despite substantial research on grassroots innovation, there is a lack of understanding on the barriers to grassroots innovation. We examine paradoxes that arise as a consequence of multiple, often conflicting, objectives in remote art centres, social enterprises that are key sites for grassroots innovations. We investigate how social, commercial and cultural logics in remote Indigenous art centres contribute to an on-going trilemma that acts as a barrier to the development of grassroots innovation. We also explore the challenges and opportunities managers encounter in reconciling these multiple, often conflicting, logics. The results indicate that although art centres have dual social and …

Exchange Rate Volatility And Disaggregated Manufacturing Exports: Evidence From An Emerging Country, Duc Hong Vo, Anh The Vo, Zhaoyong Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The link between export performance and exchange rate policy has been attracting attention from policymakers, academics, and practitioners for some time, particularly for emerging countries. It has been recently claimed that implementing a policy that devalues the currency in Vietnam is an important factor for enhancing its export performance. However, it is also argued that such a policy could result in the harmful consequence of exchange rate volatility. This study analyzes the link between exchange rate devaluation, volatility, and export performance. The analysis focuses on the manufacturing sector and 10 of its subsectors that were engaged in the export of …

Volatility Timing In Cpf Investment Funds In Singapore: Do They Outperform Non-Cpf Funds?, Xiaoyi Shen, Albert K. Tsui, Zhaoyong Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The purpose of this study is to examine the volatility-timing performance of Singapore-based funds under the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Investment Scheme and non-CPF linked funds by taking into account the currency risk effect on internationally managed funds. In particular, we empirically assess whether the funds under the CPF Investment Scheme outperform non-CPF funds by examining the volatility-timing performance associated with these funds. The volatility-timing ability of CPF funds will provide the CPF board with a new method for risk classification. We employ the GARCH models and modified factor models to capture the response of funds to market abnormal conditional …

The Prospect Of 'Chindia' As A World Power, Jonathan D. James

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A significant global development in the first decade of the 21st Century has been the rise of several nationshitherto not considered key players in the international scene. The following up and coming nations have recentlybeen grouped respectively as BRIC and BASIC: Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC); and Brazil, South Africa,India, and China (BASIC) (Wilson & Purushothaman, 2003). Noticeably, the two nations featured in both thesegroupings are China and India. China’s and India’s meteoric rise to the global arena, and the sheer magnitude oftheir populations, has led some scholars to assert that there is an ‘irresistible’ shift of global power …

Relationships Between Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions And Tourist Satisfaction: A Cross-Country Cross-Sample Examination, Songshan (Sam) Huang, John Crotts

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Culture has been assumed to influence tourist behavior but due to the difficulty of measuring culture values directly at the individual level, the relationship between national culture and visitor satisfaction remains yet to be empirically attested. This study used two national level inbound tourist samples, i.e., Tourism Research Australia's 2017 International Visitor Survey holiday/pleasure travellers’ sample and the Hong Kong Tourist Satisfaction Index Project 2016 sample, to test the relationships between Hofstede's six cultural dimensions (Power Distance, Individualism/Collectivism, Masculinity/Femininity, Uncertainty Avoidance, Long Term Orientation/Short Term Normative Orientation, and Indulgence/Restraint) and visitor satisfaction. Bivariate correlation with bootstrapping tests show consistent correlations …

Political Connections And Strategic Choices Of Emerging Market Firms: Case Study Of Russia’S Pharmaceutical Industry, Anton Klarin, Pradeep Kanta Ray

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of political connections in the emerging market context.

Design/methodology/approach – A case study analysis of three Russian pharmaceutical firms is conducted to uncover how they performed through the Russian transition – the institutional upheaval of the 1990s – and the ongoing state-led industrialization.

Findings – In the early years of transition, firms heavily rely on political networking to gain legitimacy and fill institutional voids. As institutions strengthen, the need for political networking is being substituted by arm’s length networking. Strengthening of institutions also results in a more stable …

Does Job Embeddedness Predict Turnover Intentions In Smes?, Alan Coetzer, Chutarat Inma, Paul Poisat, Janice Redmond, Craig Standing

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: There is an absence of research examining job embeddedness in SMEs. Results of job embeddedness studies may not apply to SMEs, because the process of managing a SME differs from that of the large firm. The purpose of this paper is to examine relationships between on-the-job embeddedness, as well as each of its sub-dimensions, and turnover intentions; and group cohesion, on-the-job embeddedness and turnover intentions. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 147 employees in SMEs located in Perth, Western Australia and 350 employees from SMEs operating in four business centres in South Africa. After invariance testing, data from the two …

Toward A Model Of Destination Resident–Environment Relationship: The Case Of Gulangyu, China, Lujun Su, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Joanna Pearce

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study tested an integrative model to better understand residents’ environmentally responsible behaviour (RERB) and willingness to sacrifice for the environment (WTS) using a sample of 430 residents on Gulangyu Island in China. Results show that destination environmental quality and eco-friendly reputation directly affected resident environmental identification and environmental commitment. Destination eco-friendly reputation directly influenced RERB and WTS. Both resident environmental identification and commitment directly affected RERB and WTS. Furthermore, environmental identification and environmental commitment fully mediate the effects of environmental quality on RERB and WTS, and partially mediate the effects of destination eco-friendly reputation on RERB and WTS. © …

Is Cannabis Tourism Deviant? A Theoretical Perspective, Tianyu Ying, Jun Wen, Hairong Shan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

With the growth of cannabis tourism, destinations such as the Netherlands have begun to offer cannabis- related products and services to visitors, including tourists from countries where all drugs are strictly prohibited. Yet limited research has sought to understand cannabis-oriented tourists' efforts to neutralize deviant connotations, namely by justifying or rationalizing misbehavior, when deciding to participate in cannabis tourism. This research note proposes a framework of deviant consumption behavior (DCB) constructed of geographic shifting, self-identity shifting, and moral identity shifting from the perspective of cannabis-oriented tourists to delineate tourists' decision-making process around engaging in deviant behaviors. The proposed framework suggests …

The Effect Of Company Financial Performance And Company Characteristics On Greenhouse Gas (Ghg) Emission Disclosure, Indah Fajarini Sri Wahyuningrum, Hadrian Djajadikerta, Ema Suprapti

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study aims to examine the effect of company financial performance (profitability), company characteristics (PROPER rating, firm size, and institutional ownership) on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission disclosure using all listed companies in Indonesia Stock Exchange in from 2015 to 2017. The GHG emission disclosure variable is measured using the disclosure index approach. The result indicates that on average, the total number of companies disclose their GHG emission disclosure is increased from 30% in 2015 to 32% in 2017, even though the disclosure of GHG emissions is still relatively low. On average, in this study, companies as a sample are in …

Online Brand Advocacy (Oba): The Development Of A Multiple Item Scale, Violetta Wilk, Geoffrey Norman Soutar, Paul Harrigan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: Despite an increasing interest in online brand advocacy (OBA) and the importance of online brand conversations, OBA’s conceptualization, dimensionality and measurement are unclear, which has created confusion. This paper aims to answer calls from researchers and practitioners for a better understanding and measurement of OBA. The development and validation of a parsimonious and practical OBA scale is outlined in this paper.

Design/methodology/approach: A multi-methods, multi-stage approach was followed to develop a parsimonious OBA scale. From an initial pool of 96 items obtained from qualitative research and from items used in prior general brand advocacy scales, a test-retest reliability study …