Business Commons^™

Changes In Health-Related Quality Of Life: A Compensating Income Variation Approach, Paul Mcnamee, Silvia Mendolia

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This paper investigates the relationship between negative changes in health and life satisfaction, using a sample from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics of Australia Survey. We use panel data models and estimate the life satisfaction impact of several different changes in health status to calculate the Compensating Income Variation (CIV) of them. Our work innovates with respect to the existing literature by using a more robust CIV method that takes account of the potential measurement error in income. Further, we produce the first set of monetary values for health losses using SF-6D utility values, one of the main measures …

Cultural Capital Of Recruitment Decision‐Makers And Its Influence On Their Perception Of Person‐Organisation Fit Of Skilled Migrants, Shamika Almeida, Marie-France Waxin, Yin Paradies

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This article examines how recruitment decision‐makers' cultural capital can influence their concerns about the organizational fit of skilled migrants (SM). We used survey data and interviews with Information Technology organizations in Australia. The study highlights the decision‐makers' relatively poor understanding of non‐western cultures and how it negatively influences their perception of candidates from non‐western backgrounds. Furthermore, this study also notes how organisational cultural values and decision‐makers' exposure to diverse cultures can influence their assumptions about the value of international qualifications and work experiences. Similarly, it can also influence how they assess the perception of fit based on a candidate's appearance …

The Enduring And Evolving Influence Of Ball And Brown (1968), Karen L. Benson, Millicent M. Chang, Philip Gray, Sue Wright

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Background In this virtual special issue (VSI) we acknowledge the contribution of Ball and Brown (1968) [BB68] and select some key papers from the Australian Journal of Management (AJM), published since its inception in 1976, that demonstrate how Ball and Brown influenced, and in many cases inspired, the research agendas of Australian and New Zealand researchers. AJM is particularly proud to acknowledge the connection with Ray Ball and Philip Brown. Not only did these scholars strongly influence the research agenda of AJM authors but Ray and Philip were both instrumental in the establishment and development of the Journal. The Australian …

Real‐Time Inflation Forecast Combination For Time‐Varying Coefficient Models, Bo Zhang

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

We use real‐time macroeconomic variables and combination forecasts with both time‐varying weights and equal weights to forecast inflation in the USA. The combination forecasts compare three sets of commonly used time‐varying coefficient autoregressive models: Gaussian distributed errors, errors with stochastic volatility, and errors with moving average stochastic volatility. Both point forecasts and density forecasts suggest that models combined by equal weights do not produce worse forecasts than those with time‐varying weights. We also find that variable selection, the allowance of time‐varying lag length choice, and the stochastic volatility specification significantly improve forecast performance over standard benchmarks. Finally, when compared with …

Do Accruals Earnings Management Constraints And Intellectual Capital Efficiency Trigger Asymmetric Cost Behaviour? Evidence From Australia, Yiru Yang

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This study examines whether accruals earnings management constraints and intellectual capital (IC) efficiency affect asymmetric cost behaviour by analysing data for the 1990 to 2016 period on firms listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. The analysis reveals that, on average, anti-sticky cost behaviour occurs when firms have limited ability to engage in accrual earnings management to manipulate earnings in the current year. Further, IC efficiency - particularly human capital efficiency - increases the degree of cost stickiness. This study also finds that the degree of asymmetric cost behaviour is more pronounced in the post-International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) period than …

Loan Financing And Investment In Princeling-Backed Firms, Qing Li, Qigui Liu, Shiguang Ma, Gary G. Tian

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This study investigates the role of princelings in Chinese listed firms. Our findings suggest that princelings ensure better access to bank loans for non-SOEs but bring no significant benefits to SOEs. Our empirical results further indicate that bank lending decisions are distorted for princeling-backed firms due to the privileges and protections they can obtain from the higher levels of the government through princelings' family ties. Moreover, we find that, due to excess long-term bank loans, princeling-backed non-SOEs tend to overinvest, which ultimately results in lower investment efficiency. Furthermore, we use the difference-in-difference method to capture the effect of the exogenous …

Financial Contagion And Economic Development: An Epidemiological Approach, Alberto Bucci, Davide La Torre, Danilo Liuzzi, Simone Marsiglio

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

We develop an epidemiological approach to analyze how financial contagion may affect and be affected by economic activity. We show that, according to specific parameter values, the economy may converge either to a non-speculative or to a speculative equilibrium: in the former situation the level of per capita income is maximal, while in the latter it is reduced by financial contagion. The presence of economic and financial feedback effects may also give rise to macroeconomic fluctuations during the transitional path, clearly showing that such economic and financial links are an important driver of the short run macroeconomic performance. By extending …

Duration Of Equity Overvaluation And Managers' Choice To Use Aggressive Underlying Earnings Disclosure And Accrual-Based Earnings Management: Australian Evidence, Yiru Yang, Indra Abeysekera

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This paper examines whether equity overvaluation duration influences managers' choice of different earnings management mechanisms and how corporate governance and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission's underlying earnings disclosure guidelines influence managers' choices. The study samples Australian Securities Exchange 200 firms from 2009 to 2016. Findings show that on average, firms more likely engage in accrual-based earnings management in the early overvaluation stage. In later stages, firms more likely disclose underlying earnings aggressively to sustain overvaluation. Additionally, firms with a high proportion of independent directors on the board prefer to disclose underlying earnings aggressively to sustain the equity overvaluation; firms …

Financial Loss Of Life: The Homo Sacer In The Third Reich, Erin J. Twyford

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how the Aryanisation program of Nazi Germany created a financial loss of life for Jewish victims. This program led to further losses including political and actual life within the concentration camps and gas chambers.

Design/methodology/approach This paper utilises Agamben's (1995, 2002, 2005) concepts of biopolitics, the homo sacer and the state of exception. I examine business histories of the firm The Interessen Gemeinshaft der Deutschen Teerfarbenindustrie (the 'Community of Interest of the German Dyestuff Industry' known hereafter as 'I.G. Farben'), German legislation and other historical documents to construct a close reading …

Mixed Views In The Academy: Academic And Student Perspectives About The Utility Of Developing Work-Ready Skills Through Wil, Lisa Mcmanus, Laura L. Rook

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Work-integrated Learning (WIL) can be a vehicle for the development of students' work-ready skills. This paper presents the views of undergraduate business students and academics about the role and perceived importance of work-ready skills in the business curriculum and the perceived role of WIL activities in enabling the development of work-ready skills. A total of 50 business students and 24 academics from a number of faculties across the university participated. While students and academics both agree that a combination of on and off campus WIL activities are most effective for developing work-ready skills, students and academics hold different views to …

The Changing Importance Of Vacations: Proposing A Theoretical Explanation For The Changing Contribution Of Vacations To People's Quality Of Life, Melanie J. Randle, Ye Zhang, Sara Dolnicar

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Vacations are assumed to be important to everyone because they improve quality of life through personal growth, self-fulfilment (McCabe & Johnson, 2013), improved mental health (Gilbert & Abdullah, 2004) and physical health (Chen & Petrick, 2013), leading to higher work performance (De Bloom, Geurts, & Kompier, 2013) and greater leisure life satisfaction (Neal, Sirgy, & Uysal, 1999). Vacations also benefit vulnerable groups, such as people with health issues and disabilities, and low-income families (Gump and Matthews, 2000, McCabe and Johnson, 2013, Pritchard et al., 2011). Contradicting the assumption that vacations are important to everyone, some empirical evidence suggests people differ …

Engineering-Based Design Methodology For Embedding Ethics In Autonomous Robots, Lindsay Robertson, Roba Abbas, Gursel Alici, Albert Munoz, Katina Michael

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This paper explores the design process of robotics and autonomous systems using a co-design approach, applied ethics, and values-driven methods. Specifically, the approach seeks to move beyond traditional risk assessment toward a greater consideration of end-user exposure. The goal of the ethics-based co-design approach is to identify end-user and stakeholder values that guide the minimization of end-user vulnerability associated with the employment of autonomous systems. This design process is also used to identify positive consequences that probably increase human wellbeing as opposed to simply avoiding harm. We argue that biomedical autonomous systems design, during the preclinical phase, should bring together …

Making Cause-Related Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr)Count In Holiday Accommodation Choice, Melanie J. Randle, Astrid Kemperman, Sara Dolnicar

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

We test how different presentations of cause-related corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives affect the choice of holiday accommodation bookings. Results of a stated choice experiment indicate that - for the tourist population as a whole - information about CSR initiatives affects choice only minimally. One market segment emerges, however, that is highly responsive to all types of CSR message presentations: positive and negative framing, and local and international causes. This tourist segment is characterized by a distinct socio-demographic profile, thus representing a promising target market for tourism managers engaging in cause-related CSR strategies. Other tourist segments are sensitive to the …

Retaining Health Carers: The Role Of Personal And Organisation Job Resources, Shamika Almeida, Mario Fernando, Albert Munoz, Susan Cartwright

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify key personal and organisational resources that influence the engagement, well-being and job satisfaction of healthcare professionals working in Australia.

Design/methodology/approach: Using the job demands-resources model, this study investigates how employee resources and organisation resources influence engagement, well-being and job satisfaction of health professionals in Australian hospitals. The authors collected survey data from a sample of healthcare professionals (n=217) working in three hospitals in New South Wales, Australia.

Findings: The results confirm the importance of the emotional health of employees on their well-being. The results concur with existing research …

Children And "Junk Food" Advertising: Critique Of A Recent Australian Study, John R. Rossiter

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

A field experiment by Australian public health researchers Norman, Kelly, McMahon, and others allegedly demonstrated that primary school children's physical health is threatened by exposure to "junk food" advertising. Their study was published in the international health journal Appetite and was clearly intended to influence government regulatory policy. The methodology of the study was taken, without acknowledgement, from an earlier American study in the Journal of Consumer Research and much other research on children's consumer behavior, including pioneering studies conducted by the present author‚ was ignored. Also, quite unforgivably, the researchers neglected to cite Australia's already strict regulatory controls on …

Tiered Information Disclosure: An Empirical Analysis Of The Advance Peek Into The Michigan Index Of Consumer Sentiment, Weishao Wu, Wenchien Liu, Sandy Suardi, Yuanchen Chang

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This paper studies market microstructure implications of informed high-frequency traders (HFTs) from two seconds of advance peek into the Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS), provided by Thomson Reuters to its elite customers. Using individual stocks in the NASDAQ data set, we show how HFTs trade around ICS events. We find that liquidity demanders during two seconds of advance peek earn substantive profits, which are consistent with the notion that HFTs' informational advantages may increase adverse selection costs for other market participants. This evidence elucidates the debate on regulatory oversight and its role in circumventing the potentially adverse effects from …

Interdependencies Of Internal Migration, Urbanization, Poverty, And Inequality: The Case Of Urban India, Edgar J. Wilson, Kankesu Jayanthakumaran, Reetu Verma

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

In India, the number of metropolitan cities with a population of around 1 million people and above has increased from 35 in 2001 to 53 in 2011. Around 43% of the urban population resides in metropolitan cities.2 By 2030, the urban population of India is predicted to increase by a total of 163 million, relative to an increase in the rural population by 30.9 million (UN DESA 2014). Unplanned growth in the urban population tends to put pressure on regional/urban disparities and the rapidly increasing slum-dwelling population. In 2011-2012, the headcount ratio (HCR) based on US$ 1.90 per person per …

Trade Credit Use And Bank Loan Access: An Agency Theory Perspective, Liangbo Ma, Shiguang Ma

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

In this study we find that firms' use of trade credit significantly facilitates their access to bank loans in the future, suggesting a complementary relationship. Such a relationship is more profound for firms with higher perceived agency costs, i.e., firms with opaque corporate information, firms located in regions with less developed external institutions, and firms at an early stage of existence. Firms switch from trade credit to bank loans as the main source of debt financing as they age. However, the process is slower for firms with a greater level of corporate information opacity and firms located in regions with …

The New Australian System Of Corporate Governance: Board Governance And Company Performance In A Changing Corporate Governance Environment, Mark Rix

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This paper investigates the changing duties and responsibilities of boards and directors of Australian public companies. The corporate governance environment in Australia is currently going through a period of significant transformation raising the question of whether in this fluid and shifting environment company and board performance can still be assessed largely on the basis of profit, share price and dividends generated over the short term. These almost certainly will continue for some time to be the key metrics of company and board performance and it is hard to see how it could be otherwise. Nevertheless, a growing chorus of influential …

Accounting And Pastoral Power In Australian Disability Welfare Reform, Mona Nikidehaghani, Corinne L. Cortese, Freda C. Hui

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This paper draws on Foucault's concept of pastoral power to explore the role of accounting in the Australian disability welfare reform. We provide an example of the use of individualising and totalising power against a backdrop of neoliberal reform. Our analysis reveals the centrality of accounting practices in transforming the identity of people with disabilities into one consistent with the intentions of neoliberalism ideology. Our findings demonstrate that accounting practices associated with disability welfare reform have been integral in exercising pastoral power. We further demonstrate that accounting, as a technology of the self, facilitates individualising and totalising control and, through …

Assessing The Link Between Cultural Influences And Persuasibility In Online Daily Deals, Morakot Ditta-Apichai, Uraiporn Kattiyapornpong

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Individual's susceptibility to persuasion and cultural values are important factors that influencing consumer buying behaviour. This paper assesses the linkage between an individual's persuasibility to cultural values in online Daily Deals (DD) in their tourism and hospitality deal choices. DD websites are the online platforms that offer a variety of deals and display different types of persuasive information to influence buying decisions. Using correlation analysis of 423 online DD buyers, this paper shows that individual differences in persuasibility significantly link to specific cultural values and thus extends the persuasion literature. It also provides relevant practical implications on the role of …

Incorporating The Concepts Of Sharing-In And Sharing-Out In Csr: Australian Consumers' Perspective, Anjum Amin-Chaudhry, Alan A. Pomering, Lester W. Johnson

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is based on attending to concerns beyond a corporation's shareholders. This concern embraces the concepts of sharing and caring for others. Logically then, the literature on sharing might inform theory and practice around CSR initiatives. To date, however, theory around the theme of sharing is absent from extant CSR literature, and, presumably, it is omitted as a perspective on CSR practice. This paper addresses this gap by empirically investigating consumers' responses to different types of sharing involved in a range of CSR initiatives. We test the sharing theory to provide generalizable conclusions. Data was collected via …

Emissions Pricing Policies And Business Cycles: Fixed Vs. Variable Tax Regimes, Fariba Ramezani, Charles Harvie, Amir Arjomandi

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

As by-products, emissions follow economic fluctuations. Ignoring this fact in environmental policies can lead to unexpected emissions fluctuations and an increase in intervention costs. Using a real business cycle model, we compare two policies: a fixed tax policy where the price is constant over time and a variable tax regime where the tax rate is set at the beginning of each period. We find that while both programs result in lower emissions, a variable tax regime is preferable since first, it can ensure that the maximum welfare is always achieved, and second, it is more effective in stabilising emissions.

In Search Of The "Right Price" For Air Travel: First Steps Towards Estimating Granular Price-Demand Elasticity, Suranga Perera, David Tan

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Identifying price-demand elasticity for air travel using empirical data is fraught with issues. The largest of which is the problem of endogeneity. In this paper, we introduce instrumental variables derived from flow traffic passenger numbers to overcome endogeneity. When analyzing the price-demand relationship using flight date-point of sale and booking date-days to departure level data, flow traffic has the ideal property of influencing ticket prices via an airline's inventory control function yet is uncorrelated with demand shocks in the origin and destination market of interest. Ordinary least square (OLS) regression models report that the demand of the given market is …

Engaging Postgraduate International Students Online: An Autoethnographic Reflection Revealing Lessons Learned As An Early Career Academic, Laura L. Rook

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This article presents an autoethnographic account of a project implemented to increase online student engagement in a postgraduate organisational behaviour subject comprised predominantly of international students. Autoethnography provided a lens to critically explore my andragogical practice as an early career academic (ECR) engaged in teaching across multiple campuses and online in a regional university. Following Brookfield's (2017) process of critical reflection whereby the illumination of power is considered, my reflections are presented and the valuable lessons I learned are highlighted. This account aims to extend our sociological understanding of online student engagement and the challenges experienced as an ECR, while …

General Public Perceptions And Motivations To Adopt Children From Out-Of-Home Care In New South Wales, Australia, Betty Luu, Amy Conley Wright, Melanie J. Randle

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Recent reforms in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, prioritise adoption over long-term foster care. While previous research has examined motivation to foster, less is known about the interest by the general public in adoption from out-of-home care. A general sample of the NSW public (N = 1030) completed an online survey about adoption practices and their willingness to consider adopting from out-of-home care, with background questions on perceived social support and life satisfaction. Barriers to pursuing adoption were identified, including concerns about the characteristics of the child related to their experiences of care and personal impacts including financial costs. Availability …

A Public Health Advocacy Approach For Preventing And Reducing Gambling Related Harm, Jennifer David, Samantha L. Thomas, Melanie J. Randle, Mike Daube

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To develop a framework to guide the application of public health advocacy strategies aimed at preventing and reducing gambling-related harm.

Methods: A narrative review of theories of change and public health advocacy literature.

Results: An eight-step public health advocacy framework was created, which outlines the critical steps and considerations when developing and implementing successful change efforts.

Implications for public health: To date, a clear public health advocacy approach to gambling harm prevention and reduction has not been well established. This study proposes a gambling specific framework to guide future public health advocacy efforts to prevent …

Gastronomic Trails As Service Ecosystems, Namita Roy, Ulrike Gretzel, Gordon R. Waitt, Venkata K. Yanamandram

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Gastronomic trails are a growing phenomenon in the context of gastronomic tourism. Gastronomic trails provide guidance for exploring foodscapes (Hall and Gössling 2016) or culinary terroirs (Croce and Perri 2010), and are therefore considered effective means for enhancing tourist experiences. With the growth in understandings of gastronomic tourism, trails have also been used as an important tourism development tool (Plummer et al. 2005; Bruwer 2003; Boyne et al. 2002). These trails are typically themed around different types of food or beverages. Examples of such trails include 'Craft Beer Trails', 'Wine Trails', 'Chocolate Routes', or 'Cheese Trails'.

Institutional Investors, Controlling Shareholders And Ceo Pay‐Performance Relationship: Evidence From China, Dan Zhang, Shiguang Ma, Xiaofei Pan

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Using a large sample of China's listed firms between 2005 and 2015, we find that domestic mutual funds have a positive effect on the CEO pay‐performance relationship, and this effect becomes stronger when their ownership is higher and closer to the controlling shareholder's ownership. This effect is stronger in non‐state‐owned enterprises (non‐SOEs), firms facing weaker industry competition incentives, and firms located in more developed regions. However, Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (QFIIs) do not have such an influence. Overall, our study contends that the effectiveness of institutional investors' monitoring role is subject to their identity, controlling shareholders and institutional environments.

Financial Liberalisation, Bank Ownership Type And Performance In A Transition Economy: The Case Of Vietnam, Phuong Le, Charles Harvie, Amir Arjomandi, James Borthwick

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Employing a sample of Vietnamese banks covering the period 2005 to 2015, this study investigates the influence of partial, and selective, financial liberalisation on bank efficiency by ownership type in a transition economy. The key findings are: (1) state-owned banks outperformed all other ownership types; (2) selective privatisation of state-owned banks exerted a positive influence on bank efficiency; (3) rural-to-urban private bank transformation decreased banking system efficiency; (4) minority foreign ownership exerted an insignificant impact on bank efficiency; (5) business group ownership improved the provision of intermediation services but deteriorated overall bank operating efficiency. Overall, the findings suggest that the …