Business Commons^™

An Exploratory Study Of Factors Influencing The Participation In Training And Development Of Engineers In Small Businesses, Pattanee Susomrith, Alan J. Coetzer

Research outputs 2013

The provision of workforce training and development (T&D) has the potential to provide benefits to both employers and employees. However, employees in small businesses receive less access to T&D than employees in large businesses. Prior research into reasons for the relatively low levels of employee participation in formal T&D in small businesses has typically involved surveys of owner-manager opinions regarding ‘barriers’ to T&D. This study explored factors influencing employee participation in T&D from the perspective of employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 15 employees in small engineering businesses. Consistent with the main aim of exploratory research, the study …

Do Political Instability, Terrorism, And Corruption Have Deterring Effects On Tourism Development Even In The Presence Of Unesco Heritage? A Cross-Country Panel Estimate, Ghialy Choy Lee Yap, Shrabani Saha

Research outputs 2013

This article evaluates the effects of political instability, terrorism, and corruption on tourism development, particularly UNESCO-listed heritage destinations. Using a fixed-effects panel data analysis for 139 countries over the period 1999-2009, the result reveals that a one-unit increase in political instability decreases tourist arrivals and tourism revenue between 24% and 31% and 30% and 36%, respectively. Furthermore, in the presence of heritage, terrorism has negative effects on tourism demand even though its effect is lower than that of political instability. However, the study shows that an increase in corruption index would not have an adverse influence on tourist arrival numbers, …

Where To Vocational Education In Kenya? Is Analysing Training And Development Needs The Answer To The Challenges In This Sector?, Susan W. Ngure

Research outputs 2013

This paper examines training and development (T&D) systems in the technical, vocational education and training (TVET) in Kenya. It is in response to the Kenya Vision 2030 document that identifies TVET as the anchor of its economic pillar through science, technology and innovation to boost Kenya’s industrialisation status. The document notes that skills training faces challenges such as mismatch of skills between the training institutions and the industry, and disparities in accessibility at all levels. This paper seeks to explore whether the accurate assessment of training needs is the answer to the challenges faced by the training program. Data for …

The Relationship Between Personal Financial Wellness And Financial Wellbeing: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach, Paul Gerrans, Craig P. Speelman, Guillermo J. Campitelli

Research outputs 2013

We examined the construct of financial wellness and its relationship to personal wellbeing, with a focus on the role of financial literacy. Gender comparisons are made using a structural equation modeling analysis including personal wellbeing, financial satisfaction, financial status, financial behavior, financial attitude, and financial knowledge. Males ranked higher in financial satisfaction and financial knowledge whereas females ranked higher in personal wellbeing. Joo’s (2008) concept of financial wellness as multidimensional is supported though the result is improved when a causal model of sub-components is estimated. The relationship of all variables to personal wellbeing is mediated by financial satisfaction, with gender …

Shut Up And Bill: Workplace Bullying Challenges For The Legal Profession, Maryam Omari, Megan Paull

Research outputs 2013

Competition, work intensification and requirements for efficiency are some of the hallmarks of the modern work environment. Pressures in such settings can result in stress caused by long work hours, a lack of work-life balance and interpersonal conflict. The legal profession is prone to negative impacts due to its highly competitive environment. This, coupled with established hierarchical structures, significant power imbalances and pressure to measure work input rather than output (billable hours), can create 'toxic' settings. This paper reports the findings of a study of dignity and respect in the legal profession. Results indicate that many of the issues arise …

The Determinants Of Capital Structure: Evidence From Thai Banks, David E. Allen, Napaporn Nilapornkul, Robert Powell

Research outputs 2013

The aim of this study is to examine the determinants of the capital structure of Thai banks. The data spans a ten year period from 1999 – 2008. The differentiation point of this study is that, whereas most studies on capital structure focus predominantly on internal bank variables, this study, in addition to internal variables includes market-based risk variables. A range of market-based default and value at risk variables were considered which were then narrowed down to improve the model. Fixed effects panel data analysis is employed, with both market and book leverage used as dependent variables. The Thai bank …

How Do Excellent Companies Stay Excellent?, Alan R. Brown

Research outputs 2013

Organisations throughout the world adopt business excellence frameworks to guide their business strategy and continuous improvement. Some seek and receive awards which recognise high levels of achievement against the criteria of these frameworks. Even at these levels of performance, organisations face challenges to maintaining high levels of achievement and these are the subject of this paper. Using a sample of Australian Business Excellence Award winners, interviews with key managers provide insights into the challenges which these organisations face in their ongoing quest for excellence. Six key themes emerged: embedding excellence, ensuring it is not onerous, engaging people, providing meaning, driving …

It's Not About Believing: Exploring The Transformative Potential Of Cultural Acknowledgement In An Indigenous Tourism Context, Pascal Scherrer, Kim Doohan

Research outputs 2013

This paper directly challenges the persisting argument that in the host-(uninvited) guest relationship of Kimberley coastal tourism in Australia's far northwest, Traditional Owners (the hosts) have a pedagogic responsibility to first educate the tourism industry (the guests) of their impacts on them in order to facilitate culturally appropriate and sustainable tourism experiences. We contend that such an argument reflects a deeply entrenched context of erasure and power imbalance between Australian Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. We highlight, using three decades of public records, the fact that government and industry have ignored and continue to ignore knowledge and learning shared by Kimberley …

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

Research outputs 2013

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

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

Research outputs 2013

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

Generational Differences And Fly-In-Fly-Out (Fifo) Employee Turnover, Pattanee Susomrith, Alan R. Brown, Glenda B. Scott, Helen B. Sitlington

Research outputs 2013

Fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) mining has experienced significant growth in the past decade and is now a typical form of employment in the sector in Australia. Evidence suggests that there are relatively high turnover levels amongst these employees. Whilst there are many contributing causes to this, there may be variances between different generational cohorts at work as arguably their workplace expectation differs. This paper investigates whether turnover intentions vary between different generations of employees. Using a questionnaire, employees were asked about their turnover intentions and this was compared against the groups of Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. Findings show …

Using Research Informed Approaches To Strategic Hrm Teaching, Alan J. Coetzer, Helen B. Sitlington

Research outputs 2013

This paper outlines research that was guided by the broad question: What teaching and learning (T&L) strategies should be employed in SHRM? This question was answered using data gathered in three focus groups involving T&L specialists, business strategy and HRM academics, and HRM practitioners. Through a process of successive focusing, potential T&L strategies were initially identified and then tested and refined in the focus groups. Drawing on literature and input from the participants, we contend that SHRM can be effectively taught through a combination of primarily problem-based and case-based approaches. We also argue that process worksheets are an effective method …

Telework: The Role Of Social Support, Heather Dawson-Howard, Peter P. Standen, Maryam Omari

Research outputs 2013

Telework is a rapidly growing work practice but its effects on employees’ psychological wellbeing have been little studied. A particular problem for remote workers is the potential loss of social support. Much research shows support from supervisors and co-workers increases employee wellbeing and reduces the negative effects of job demands. How telemediated social support functions in telework, and how much home-based support can replace it, have not so far been studied. A framework for research on social support in telework is presented in this paper. Social support can be provided electronically but how affects workers’ wellbeing and performance is an …

Human Resource Planning: Sector Specific Considerations, Adnan S. Al Wahshi, Maryam Omari, Rowena Barrett

Research outputs 2013

The aim of human resource planning (HRP) is to have the right people in the right place at the right time. While the public sector has moved from a civil service to a human resources paradigm, the literature indicates a lack of successful HRP implementation in this sector. This paper explores key issues around HRP in the public sector. Evidence suggests that effective HRP is critical to meeting internal and external organisational challenges, however, relevant processes and practices do not seem to be strategic or integrated in the public sector. If not addressed, the absence of HRP in the public …

Could On-The-Job Embeddedness Help Bind Fifo Workers To Their Jobs?, Glenda B. Scott, Helen B. Sitlington, Pattanee Susomrith, Alan R. Brown

Research outputs 2013

Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) employees in the mining industry in Western Australia have had high levels of turnover, resulting in high costs in recruitment, training and lost production. This research is seeking to understand the reasons for high turnover in this somewhat unusual group of employees. Whilst the research has utilised the more traditional approach to understanding labour turnover, that is that dissatisfaction with job or company and the availability of viable alternatives lead to intention to quit, preliminary results indicate that job embeddedness theory, may provide a better understanding of why FIFO workers choose to stay in their jobs. This …

The Relationship Between Human Capital And Social Capital In Professional-Client Relationships, Yuliani Suseno

Research outputs 2013

Professionals in knowledge-intensive firms rely on their human capital and social capital to deliver value in their professional services to clients. In this study of corporate lawyers and clients, we examine the construct of knowledge acquisition, representing a professional’s human capital, and its relationship with social capital. Quantitative analyses on the survey data reveal significant evidence of relationships between human capital and social capital. The application of both the human and social capital theories to the study of professionals therefore has the potential to advance our knowledge and understanding of the relationships between professionals and their clients.

Sustaining Online Communities In The Charitable Health Sector: How To Keep A Good Thing Going, Leesa N. Costello, Julie S. Dare, Lelia R. Green

Research outputs 2013

What happens when an online community part-funded by a competitive grant process in partnership with a relevant charitable organisation reaches its use-by date? What reasons might an organisation have for continuing (or not) to support the community and its future development? How is ‘ownership’ transferred from the research institution to the not-forprofit organisation, along with any possible risks? These are all good questions: not least because it seems that most communities in this position are not ‘adopted’ by their not-forprofit sponsors, but languish on the sidelines waiting for a benefactor to pick up the potential costs and risks. This paper …

A Moment To Give, No Moment To Take : A Mixed-Methods Study On Volunteer Tourism, Usep Suhud

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The number of research projects (theses and non-theses) on volunteer tourism (VT) has increased significantly over the last twelve years. However, few studies have measured an individual’s intention and stage of readiness to be involved in VT. The main purpose of this thesis is to develop a model to predict intention and stage of readiness to be involved in volunteer tourism by applying variables, including attitudes towards the concept of volunteer tourism (VT), subjective norms, altruistic lifestyle values, the sensation-seeking personality, social class, taking/receiving motivation, giving motivation, past experience in tourism, past experience in volunteering, past experience in VT, perceived …

Understanding Variety In Small Firm Internationalization : The Decison-Making Process Of Small Manufacturing Firms In Indonesia, Maria Y.D.H. Agustini

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Research on small firm internationalization has been conducted intensively over the last few decades. However, knowledge of small firm internationalization varied. This research addresses the question of this variety in small firm internationalization applying the stage models theory, network theory, resource-based theory and international new venture. As the more recent studies showed that researchers have inclined towards one conclusive finding of the central role of the manager in internationalization, the key explanation of the inconclusive knowledge about small firm internationalization possibly resides in the decision made by the manager. Thus, this research explored the process of making an internationalization decision …

Power Relationships And Authentic Organisational Learning : Daring To Break The Silence On Meaningful Dialogue In Policing Organisations, Lindsay B. Garratt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The 21st century presents great opportunities and threats for business: national and global markets are demanding high performance, innovation, creativity, and flexibility. Public sector organisations are continually asked to do more with less, with equal if not greater efficiency and creativity demands as the private sector. Organisational learning is a concept touted as an important and necessary strategy for organisations to keep pace with the rapid changing global environment that now plays host to opportunities as well as great economic and social volatility. However the reality for many is that they become proficient at the kind of organisational learning that …

Obstacles Which Significantly Affect Tourism Development In Jordan, Linda Samardali-Kakai

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Tourism in Jordan is a service industry with enormous potential. However it has not been fully utilised and developed to generate increasing income for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a growing tourist destination. This research examines the current tourism environment to identify obstacles that hinder its enhancement. The study investigates both domestic and international tourism in Jordan and makes recommendations to resolve the obstacles identified.

A previous study highlighted ten main obstacles to tourism in Jordan, and attempted to make viable recommendations to resolve them in the short to medium term. This study involved a series of questions and discussions …

A Model Of Management Learning For Occupational Therapists In Small Business In Australia, Jeannine Millsteed

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research sought to identify factors that contribute to occupational therapists developing management competencies when they become small business owners providing professional clinical services. This is an important for several reasons and precipitated by the Australian government’s introduction of incentives that encourage health professions to move from employment in public hospitals into the private sector, coupled with a recognition that occupational therapists receive no formal business training in their professional education, and the reported high levels of business failure in the small business sector. A review of the literature established the value of small business to the Australian economy, growth …

The Influence Of Business Incubation In Developing New Enterprises In Australia, Phillip Kemp

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Australia was an early adopter of business incubation, and made substantial investments in it in the early 2000s, however local interest has declined with the closure of big government-funded projects, at a time when international interest in business incubation is increasing. This study revisits the question of business incubators and their usefulness in economic development, describing a case study conducted on a university-linked business incubator in Australia. It investigates the impact of its operations on developing start-up businesses operating from within the facility; the motivations, perceptions and priorities of small businesses tenants and former tenants; and the role of the …

Determinants Of Corporate Environmental And Social Disclosure In Chinese Listed Mining, Electricity Supply And Chemical Companies Annual Reports, Junru Zhang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

As the environmental and social disclosing systems have been developed over decades, the climate of corporate environmental and social responsibility is becoming mature nowadays globally. What and how environment-sensitive companies (i.e. companies that are more likely to do environmental damages) disclose such information voluntarily are extensively concerned by the public, especially in China, where strong debatable issues constantly raise as a result of the rapid economic growth. Corporate environmental and social responsibility is no longer an international obligation but a domestic demand for China. This study will enhance our understanding of a very important issue in arguably the world's most …

A Study Of Facility Management Knowledge Classification For The Effective Stewardship Of Existing Buildings, Robert G. Doleman

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of the study was to establish the Facility Management knowledge categories within the life cycle of a building context. The significance of the study stemmed from research undertaken into the compliance to Australian Standards 1851-17:2005 Maintenance of Fire and Smoke Doors within West Australian nursing homes, which demonstrated 87 per cent non-compliance. The level of non-compliance appeared to identify a lack of knowledge, and appropriately qualified and experienced personnel involved within the management of nursing homes (Doleman, 2008). The issues identified prompted the question on how facility management knowledge categories evolves and develops throughout the life cycle of …

An Exploratory Examination Of The Factors Influencing Indonesian Sme's Sustainability Practices In The Textile And Chemical Industries, Bulan Prabawani

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

All firms have an impact on the environment in which they operate, for example in the exploration and processing of environmental resources to make a profit. Manufacturing firms, in particular have the potential to pollute the environment with dangerous liquid and solid wastes. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) make a significant contribution to the global economy in both developing and developed countries. Individually, SMEs appear to have little environmental impact, but accumulatively, they have a considerable impact, not only economically but also environmentally. However, managing environment impact is not usually core business for SMEs.

SMEs often suffer from a …

A Review Of The Policy Development Processes That Relate To The Inclusion Of People With A Disability In Sport : Some Western Australian Evidence, Helen Cunningham

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In the late 1960s, there was a major change in social policy and legislation in developed countries that improved the rights and opportunities for people with a disability in all aspects of society, including sport. In 1992, in concert with the general acceptance of the social model of disability, Australia enacted legislation making it illegal to discriminate against a person with a disability; this encouraged their inclusion into the community (Australian Sports Commission, 2005; Doll-Tepper, 1999; Thomas & Smith, 2009).

In order to meet the obligations of anti-discrimination legislation, Australian sport organisations became active in preparing policy frameworks to guide …

Practice Based Competency Development: A Study Of Resource Geologists And The Jorc Code System, Jacqueline Coombes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The mining industry is a major contributor to the Australian economy. The value of mining and exploration shares traded on the Australian Stock Exchange are contingent on the estimates of mineral deposits, which are disclosed publically in accordance with a reporting code maintained by the Australasian Joint Ore Reserves Committee (the JORC Code). Expert resource geologists, known as Competent Persons, provide classified estimates of mineral endowment that underpin these public statements. The JORC Code requirements for qualifying as Competent Persons are membership of an approved professional association and a minimum of five years’ relevant experience. This research set out to …

An Exploratory Study Of The Benefits And Inhibitors Of Digital Libraries In Iraq, Basima Abdulbari Fezaa

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research study explores the potential of digital libraries (DLS) in Iraq and identifies inhibitors to adoption. Iraq is an ancient civilisation, with a recorded history of more than 5000 years. The Mesopotamian civilisation and the Babylonian Civilisation (both in Iraq) are amongst the most ancient in the world, and have existed from the times of the ancient Egyptian, Indus Valley, Persian civilisations. Iraq has a rich cultural history, with many rare historical manuscripts, antiques etc., on which many treatises have written and still continues to be a popular subject of research. In its recent history, Iraq has had much …

An Investigation Into The Volatility And Cointegration Of Emerging European Stock Markets, Anna Golab

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This dissertation examines the interaction between European Emerging markets including cointegration, volatility, correlation and spillover effects. This study is also concerned with the process of the enlargement of the European Union and how this affects the emerging markets of newcomers. The twelve emerging markets studied are Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungry, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, which are all progressing very rapidly in their reforms and domestic economic stability.

The majority of prior studies on stock market comovements and integration have concentrated on mature developed markets or the advanced emerging markets of the Czech Republic, …