Business Commons^™

The Australian Firearms Buyback And Its Effect On Gun Deaths, Wang-Sheng Lee, Sandy Suardi

Sandy Suardi

The 1996-1997 National Firearms Agreement (NFA) in Australia introduced strict gun laws, primarily as a reaction to the mass shooting in Port Arthur, Tasmania, in 1996, where 35 people were killed. Despite the fact that several researchers using the same data have examined the impact of the NFA on firearm deaths, a consensus does not appear to have been reached. In this paper, we reanalyze the same data on firearm deaths used in previous research, using tests for unknown structural breaks as a means to identifying impacts of the NFA. The results of these tests suggest that the NFA did …

Nonstationarity, Cointegration And Structural Breaks In The Australian Term Structure Of Interest Rates, Sandy Suardi

Sandy Suardi

This article examines the unit-root property of the Australian short- and long-term interest rates using unit-root tests that accommodate a single or two breaks under the null and/or alternative hypothesis. Two breaks in interest rates are found to coincide with the 1982/83 and 1990/91 recessions or the 1993 inflation targeting period. We further investigate the implications of these structural breaks on the cointegrating relationship implied by the single, linear expectations hypothesis of the term structure of interest rates. While there is evidence that the data are consistent with the expectations hypothesis at the shorter end of the term structure, breaks …

The Effect Of Chronic Pain On Life Satisfaction: Evidence From Australian Data, Paul Mcnamee, Silvia Mendolia

Silvia Mendolia

Chronic pain is associated with significant costs to individuals directly affected by this condition, their families, the healthcare system, and the society as a whole. This paper investigates the relationship between chronic pain and life satisfaction using a sample of around 90,000 observations from the first ten waves of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics of Australia Survey (HILDA), which is a representative survey of the Australian population that started in 2000. We estimate the negative impact on life satisfaction and examine the persistence of the effect over multiple years. Chronic pain is associated with poor health conditions, disability, decreased …

Why Do Companies Fail? Considering The Key Problems And Success Factors In Modelling Failure Prediction In An Australian Context, William Wilkinson

Bill Wilkinson

Corporate failure is a regularly recurring problem for stakeholders, particularly investors, creditors and customers. Early attempts at predicting such failure typically relied on analysis of individual performance measurements such as accounting ratios; it was not until the late 1960s that a modelling approach to the problem started to evolve. Altman's Z-score model was the first approach to combine a series of weighted ratios using the statistical technique of multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) to arrive at a final score, which was used to determine whether or not a company was likely to fail. Substantial research has followed over the subsequent 40 …

A Comparison Of Theory And Practice In Market Intelligence Gathering For Australian Micro-Businesses And Smes, Pauline Ross, Carol Mcgowan, Lee Styger

Lee Styger

Recent government sponsored research has demonstrated that there is a gap between the theory and practice of market intelligence gathering within the Australian micro, small and medium businesses (SMEs). Typically, there is a significant amount of information in literature about "what needs to be done", however, there is little insight in terms of how market intelligence gathering should occur. This paper provides a novel insight and a comparison between the theory and practices of market intelligence gathering of micro-business and SMEs in Australia and demonstrates an anomoly in so far as typically the literature does not match what actually occurs …

The Development Of A Multi Variant Model For Market Intelligence Data Gathering For Australian Micro Businesses And Smes - A First Step In Unravelling The Paradox Of Big Picture Thinking By Small Market Players, Pauline Ross, Lee Styger

Lee Styger

Micro businesses and SMEs have typically been encouraged to develop and implement "professional" business processes that will enable them to understand their business environment. The driver of this trend has typically come from a growth in the use of external "expert" sources (i.e. consultants and sponsored agents) who are not always fully associated with the business. This growth in external intervention has typically triggered an evolution in contemporary thinking and literature, that would lead us to believe that micro businesses and SMEs operate in a similar way, and with a similar structure, as larger organisations. This paper focuses on some …

Rationalism's Irrationality - An Example From Australian Mental Health Policy, Ciorstan J. Smark

Ciorstan Smark

This article reflects on the way in which accounting-related thinking influenced one particular historical event: the process of deinstitutionalisation from mental hospitals in New South Wales. The article suggests that accounting (via economic rationalism and other allied philosophical lenses ) led to the under funding of the deinstitutionalisation process to the detriment of society as a whole. Some of the societal difficulties inherent in using such rationalist calculus (biased towards quantified, monetary, accounting entity assumptions) as a means of evaluating social policies are then considered.

Employment Effects Of Army Service And Veterans' Compensation: Evidence From The Australian Vietnam-Era Conscription Lotteries, Peter Siminski

Peter Siminski

Exploiting Australia's National Service lotteries of 1965 to 1972, I estimate the effect of army service on employment outcomes. Population data from military personnel records, tax returns, veterans' compensation records, and the Census facilitate a rich and precise analysis, identified by 53,000 complying conscripts. The estimated employment effect is -12 percentage points (95% CI: -13, -11) overall, -37 for those who served in Vietnam and 0 for those who served only in Australia. It emerged in the 1990s, mirrored by veterans' disability pension effects. These results contrast with those for the United States, possibly reflecting employment disincentives associated with Australia's …

Australian School Funding And Accountability: History Imploding Into The Present, Kathleen M. Rudkin

Kathy Rudkin

This paper examines historical origins of accountability for public funding in the Australian school education system. Understandings of accountability have developed unique to the Australian context, embedding institutions and ideas from a colonial past. It is shown that the funding arrangements used to distribute and account for public education funds are political devices to mediate enduring historic relationships between government and non-government schools, while at the same time masking these relationships in the veiled rhetoric of a broader Australian cultural imperative of egalitarianism. It concludes the current funding and accountability of school education in Australia is a simulacrum of accountability. …

Development And Validation Of An Australian Video Speed Test (Avst), Jennifer Ann Algie, John R. Rossiter

John Rossiter

Anti-speeding educational campaigns (in television commercials, print ads, and outdoor ads, mostly) are constantly being tried but it is difficult to determine which ads are effective in reducing speed. A promising solution to this problem is to use a behavioural simulation such as the Video Speed Test, the VST (Horswill and McKenna, 1999). The driving simulation test involves getting drivers to view video excerpts of a person driving a vehicle in real driving situations. The drivers then are asked to estimate the speed that they would use in the same situations, that is, how many kilometres/hour slower or faster they …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Research Management In Australian Commerce And Business Faculties: The View From Within, Mark Rix, David Aylward, Rob Macgregor, John Glynn

Mark Rix

No abstract provided.

Australian Tax Analysis: Cases, Commentary, Commercial Applications And Questions, Cynthia Coleman, Geoffrey Hart, Brett Bondfield, Margaret Mckerchar, John Mclaren, Kerrie Sadiq, Antony Ting

John McLaren

No abstract provided.

Should The International Income Of An Australian Resident Be Taxed On A Worldwide Or Territorial Basis?, John Mclaren

John McLaren

Many countries impose income tax on the worldwide income of their residents or citizens. This is the case in Australia where 'Australian residents for tax purposes' must pay income tax on their worldwide income including statutory income such as capital gains and dividends. If the government of a country adopts a 'worldwide' basis for imposing income tax on its residents then the existence of tax havens and offshore financial centres becomes an important issue because income from passive investments may not be disclosed and subsequently taxed in Australia. The Australian Government has recently funded 'Operation Wickenby', in an attempt to …

What Does The Future Hold For Pacific Tax Havens: A Critical Review Of The Campaign Being Mounted Against These Small Nations By The Australian Government And The Oecd?, John Mclaren

John McLaren

No abstract provided.

What Does The Future Hold For Pacific Tax Havens: A Critical Review Of The Campaign Being Mounted Against These Small Nations By The Australian Government And The Oecd, John Mclaren

John McLaren

No abstract provided.

Australian Online Public Information Systems: A User-Centred Study Of An Evolving Public Health Website, Helen Hasan, Joseph Meloche, Sumayya Banna

Helen Hasan

The strategic, transformational nature of many information systems projects is now widely understood. Large-scale implementations of systems are known to require significant management of organisational change in order to be successful. Moreover, projects are rarely executed in isolation - most organisations have a large programme of projects being implemented at any one time. However, project and value management methodologies provide ad hoc definitions of the relationship between a project and its environment. This limits the ability of an organisation to manage the larger dynamics between projects and organisations, over time, and between projects. The contribution of this paper, therefore, is …

Institution Building And Variation In The Formation Of The Australian Wool Market, David Merrett, Simon Ville

Simon Ville

The relocation of the wool market from London to the major Australian port cities from the late nineteenth century required the formation of an institution to govern the auction business, namely the wool brokers' association. Regional variations, among Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, occurred in the structure and effectiveness of the institution despite each regional association having been formed around the same time, for the same purpose, and with an overlap of participating firms. We draw on institution theory to guide our account and find that the impact of legacy factors and differences in market conditions explain the regional variations.

The Australian Corporate Closet, Why It's Still So Full: A Review Of Incidence Rates For Sexual Orientation Discrimination Gender Identity Discrimination In The Workplace, Ian Smith, Lindsay G. Oades, Grace Mccarthy

Grace McCarthy

The paper reviews the extant Australian literature on sexual orientation (SO) discrimination within the Australian workplace. In the research, there is variation in organisational workplace and a bias towards health and educational sectors as a research setting, which raises some methodological considerations such as poor generalisability to other organisational contexts. The small body of Australian research into SO discrimination encompasses; (i) varied methodological and theoretical approaches, (ii) disparate authors selecting a varied range of aspects of discrimination thus absenting a unifying framework to guide research and lacking as yet seminal authorship providing focus, iii) limited sampling of participants making comparisons …

The Institutional Legacy And The Development Of An Australian National Innovation System, Simon Ville

Simon Ville

Institutions are the rules of the game that help to shape the long-term historical development of societies. They mediate human interaction and can be more or less formal (or tangible) in nature ranging from systems of government to common modes of behaviour. Most formal institutions can be distinguished as economic, social, political or cultural in nature although such distinctions are more difficult to make for informal institutions. What is certain is the pervasive impact of all types of institutions on a country’s multifaceted development. Thus, economic performance may be shaped as much by a nation’s legal system as by its …

A Comparison Of Supply Integration And End-To-End Communication Theory And Practice - An Australian Perspective, Fadi Kotob, Lee Styger

Lee Styger

The concept of supply chain integration and end-to-end communication are well established in supply chain theory. Typically, because of the depth of publications, an axiom has developed that all supply networks are fully integrated and have end-toend communication protocols. Recent research into Australian supply networks has highlighted a somewhat different scenario, where many networks are fragmented and lack the connectivity that would be expected. This paper offers a comparison of theoretical supply chain management and the actual practices found in Australian businesses. As a result of this grass root research, a scenario is offered that suggest there is a significant …

An Analysis Of The Sustainability And The Future Of Innovation Readiness Within The Australian Supply Base: A Cross-Sectorial, Cross-Regional Snapshot, Lee Styger

Lee Styger

Recently, there has been unprecedented disturbance in the core supply base of many Australian organisations. Supply networks that were once considered robust are in many cases vulnerable. Traditional supply chain development methodologies appear to offer little improvement opportunity due to critical gaps developing at core supply nodes and/or within the critical mass of supply. This paper discusses the data derived from a series of novel cross-sectional and cross-regional supply chain focus groups and OEM feedback interviews. This paper highlights the potential embedded risks within the supply base of Australia. Importantly this paper demonstrates a disconnect between supplier and customer, a …

(Re)Form With Substance? Restructuring And Governance In The Australian Health System 2004/05, Mark Rix, Kathy Eagar, Alan Owen

Alan G Owen

No abstract provided.

Performance Auditing: The Jurisdiction Of The Australian Auditor General - De Jure Or De Facto? A Comment, John Glynn

John J Glynn

As Parker and Guthrie (1991) state, the question of the Australian Auditor- General’s performance audit mandate has become an issue of much debate over the last two decades.

The initial development of performance auditing by the Australian Audit Office (AAO) can be traced back to the early 1970s. In part this was due to the application of existing powers provided by Section 54 of the Audit Act 1901. These investigations were termed by the AAO ‘project audits’. Amendments to the Act, in 1979, additionally permitted the AAO to undertake efficiency audits in addition to fiscal regularity audits. The problem, since …

Australian Federal Financial Control And Accountability - A Review, J Glynn, M Mccrae

John J Glynn

Westminster systems of government are often typified by public sector organisations which act as agents of production and distribution. Their activities may be limited either to the provision of ‘public’ goods in situations of market failure or, as is more popularly the case under Westminster systems of government, they may be required to act as direct instruments for the implementation of the economic and welfare policies of the government of the day, as in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Recent years have seen severe criticism in all these countries of the effectiveness of the financial control and accountability processes …

Assessing Sme Innovation Within Different Cluster Models: Lessons From The Australian Wine Industry, David Aylward, John Glynn

John J Glynn

This paper assesses core innovation activity among SMEs within different levels of cluster development. The aim of the paper, using empirical data from the Australian wine industry, is to demonstrate that innovation levels and activity intensify as an industry cluster develops. By dividing wine clusters into ‘innovative’ (highly developed) and ‘organised’ (less developed) models, the paper uses selected core indicators of innovation activity to explore levels of integration within each model. This integration is examined in the context of Porter’s theory of ‘competitive advantage’, with implications for SMEs in particular, and lessons for industry clusters in general.

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Research Management In Australian Commerce And Business Faculties: The View From Within, Mark Rix, David Aylward, Rob Macgregor, John Glynn

John J Glynn

No abstract provided.

Ranking Australian Economics Departments By Research Productivity, Frank V. Neri, Joan R. Rodgers

Joan Rodgers

This study ranks Australian economics departments according to the average research productivity of their academic staff during 1996-2002. It also ranks departments according to the variability of research productivity among their members, the assumption being that, ceteris paribus, the less variable is productivity within a department, the better. Research productivity is found to be highly skewed within all departments. A few departments have high average research productivity because of just one or two highly productive members. However, in general, research productivity is more evenly distributed within those departments that have relatively high average research productivity than within departments with relatively …

Ranking Australian Economics Departments By Research Productivity, Frank V. Neri, Joan R. Rodgers

Frank Neri

This study ranks Australian economics departments according to the average research productivity of their academic staff during 1996-2002. It also ranks departments according to the variability of research productivity among their members, the assumption being that, ceteris paribus, the less variable is productivity within a department, the better. Research productivity is found to be highly skewed within all departments. A few departments have high average research productivity because of just one or two highly productive members. However, in general, research productivity is more evenly distributed within those departments that have relatively high average research productivity than within departments with relatively …

Portfolio Management: The Australian Experience, Aileen Koh

Aileen Koh

The increasing use of project and programs by organizations to achieve business strategy and goals have led to the need to understand project portfolio management. Along with the increasing diffusion of portfolio management, a new managerial role evolves: the portfolio manager. This new role is pivotal in planning and controlling complex project landscapes more effectively and efficiently. This study is to investigate the governance structures and the roles, responsibilities and practices of portfolio managers. A sequential mixed method approach under a realism paradigm is used. This paper presents the first stage qualitative study, using an inductive interview based approach with …

The Ilo And The Australian Contribution To The International Labour Standards Debate, Chris Nyland, Robert Castle

Robert G. Castle

Summarizes the debate between those who are urging the World Trade Organization to adopt a social clause that links the right to engage in international trade with basic labour rights, and those who believe that this would harm the ability of developing countries to compete with the advanced economies because it would prevent them paying lower wages to their workers. Sets out the background to this debate, before examining how it has been carried forward in Australia, looking at the submissions made to the Duffy Report, published in 1996, and the subsequent debate. Analyses the positions taken by the Australian …