Business Commons^™

Comparing Western Australia And South Australia Public High School’S Cyberbullying Policies – Is There A Need For A Legislative Change, Vanessa Tay

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The internet provides some of the most effective means of communication. Cyberbullying occurs when the internet is used to bully another person. Along with the positive aspects of the internet, cyberbullying is certainly one of the most negative aspects, especially with regard to school students. Victims of cyberbullying may be able to obtain legal sanctions, however, this usually occurs after the harm is done. In Australia, some states such as South Australia have recognised the need for preventive strategies by requiring schools to have an anti-bullying plan in place. Other countries, like Ontario, Canada have implemented similar preventative strategies in …

Maximising Board Governance Effectiveness In Small And Medium-Sized Australian Independent Schools, Matthew Bambach

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

My experience of working with boards of independent schools has led me to conclude that boards often struggle to know how they might make their governance more effective. Very little has been written and few empirical studies have investigated governance of independent school boards in Australia, despite the considerable responsibility and power entrusted to them. This study asks how well such boards are governing and what they could do to engender fully effective governance.

Currently, there are no standards or instruments for assessing the effectiveness of board governance. This study identified seven governance effectiveness factors (GEFs) from the literature on …

Managing Learning In The Workplace: A Study Of The Perceptions And Practice Of Local Government Managers, Jenna Rogers

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In 1995 the Australian Government commissioned the report Enterprising Nation ‘: renewing Australia’s managers to meet the challenges of the Asia-Pacific century (Karpin, 1995), which emphasised the change that was necessary in Australian business to remain competitive in the global and growing economy. The development of flexible organisational cultures, where managers increasingly displayed leadership and developed their staff to generate innovative cultures, was a central premise of the Karpin Report Task Force’s vision. Twenty years later, this study explored the extent to which managers have moved from being ‘cops to coaches’ and integrated the facilitation of employee learning within …

An Exploratory Investigation Into The Impact Of Downsizing On Occupational Stress And Organisational Commitment, Bridget Girak

Theses : Honours

Downsizing has become an increasingly widespread organisational strategy to reduce costs in order to improve performance and remain globally competitive. However, the negative effects associated with survivor syndrome, a term used to describe a set of attitudes, feelings and perceptions that occur in employees who remain within an organisation following involuntary dismissal, continue to plague many organisations post-downsizing. Despite this prevalence of downsizing, little attention has been paid to explore the interrelationships between downsizing, occupational stress and organisational commitment of those who remain. Thus, the purpose of this research is to understand the effects of downsizing on survivors’ occupational stress …

Exploring The Intention Of The South West Of Western Australian Residents To Purchase Solar Panels Using The Theory Of Planned Behaviour Approach, Greg Murray

Theses : Honours

Global warming is a concern for many people around the world (Lorenzoni, Pidgeon, 2006; Searle & Gow, 2010). The negative effect of climate change is increasingly apparent (Belluscio, 2010; Dunlop, 2010; Hirabayashi, Kanae, Emori, Oki & Kimoto, 2008; Oelemans, 1994). In response to growing public concern, governments are implementing legislation and carbon initiatives to decrease the impact of climate change (Crane, 2010; D’Souza, 2005). Although these government actions are important to implement environmental preservation among industries, this study focuses on the intentions of purchasing behaviour of the individual homeowner of the South West region of Western Australia. More specifically, the …

Security Awareness By Online Banking Users In Western Australian Of Phishing Attacks, Nattakant Utakrit

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Phishing involves sending e-mails pretending to be from the legitimate financial institutions to recipients and asking for personal information such as username and password. It also redirects network traffic to malicious sites, deny network traffic to web services, and modify protection mechanisms in the targeted computer systems. Consequences of successful attacks can include identity and financial losses, and unauthorised information disclosure.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of Western Australian bank users in using online banking. The study considered the relationship between the background of the Western Australian bank users and their experience in using online …

An Exploratory Investigation Into Knowledge Management In Western Australian Knowledge-Intensive Small Businesses, Shukrullah Fassehi

Theses : Honours

From a knowledge management (KM) perspective, organisational effectiveness depends on the organisation’s capacity to effectively perform a range of processes that include identifying, acquiring, sharing, and storing valuable knowledge. The literature suggests that the growth of interest in the field of KM is largely centred on large organisations. Small businesses have not received much attention in the literature. This is surprising, given that small businesses (however defined) represent the majority of businesses in most countries and, as is the case in Australia, make a major contribution towards business activity, economic development and employment generation.

This study employed a qualitative exploratory …

Sport Tourism: An Exploration Of The Motivations And Tourism Experiences Of Australian Football League Interstate Sport Tourists Travelling To Western Australia, Grace Rinaldi

Theses : Honours

Sport tourism is a growing sector within both the tourism and sport industries. The majority of research into sport tourism has focussed on definitions, the benefits and impacts associated with hosting a sport event and exploring who these sport tourists are. The motivations behind these sport tourists have been considered, however the associated tourism experience tourists have while at a destination has not been widely explored. There is also a lack of research into the motivations and tourists activities of fans who travel interstate to support a team in a professional national sport league like the Australian Football League (AFL). …

Collaborative Business Relationships And The Use Of Ict: The Case Of The Marine, Defence And Resources Cluster, Western Australia, Helen Cripps

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The research project was developed from an Australian Research Council Grant designed to investigate collaborative commerce and its impact on regional economic development. Through a process of consultation with the industry partner, the South West Group, the research was designed to investigate the drivers and inhibitors of collaborative relationships and the factors that impact on the creation and sustaining of these relationships. The role of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in facilitating and sustaining collaborative relationships and the perceived benefits and drawbacks of collaborative relationships were also investigated. The research sought to identify models of the best adoption of collaborative relationships.

Assessing The Success And Evaluating The Benefits Of Government-Sponsored Regional Internet-Trading Platforms For Small And Medium Enterprises: A Western Australian Perspective, Denise E. Gengatharen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Internet has been viewed as an opportunity for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to efficiently compete in the global arena with their larger counterparts by overcoming distance and size. However, research has shown that actual uptake of Internet e-commerce by SMEs has been lagging behind that of larger companies. Fearing a growing digital divide between large companies and SMEs, some governments have taken specific measures to encourage SME participation in ecommerce. One of the more direct government initiatives to hasten the progression of SMEs on the e-commerce adoption curve is the creation, sponsorship and management of regional Internet trading …

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

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

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

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

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

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

Can B2g Portals Be Used Effectively To Stimulate Business In Smes?: A Case Analysis Of The 2cities Business To Government Portal, Ian Martinus

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have many options when purchasing goods or services. These include personal contacts and networks, familiar centralised supply sources and other ad hoc means. One purchasing possibility is to buy from and sell to other businesses within a similar geographic area. The benefits of buying and selling locally may not occur to SMEs. They seek, like other consumers, to get value for money, fast and efficient service, and a reasonable level of quality. Many factors can impinge upon an SME's decision to purchase locally. It can be assumed that, given a reasonable local option, SMEs wish …

Towards An Understanding Of The Grey Nomad Consumer, Mandy Pickering

Theses : Honours

This exploratory study applied a grounded approach to the collection and analysis of data. The study investigated the consumption behaviours utilised by a sample of Grey Nomads who subscribed to an eco·camping philosophy and who occupied their own caravans for accommodation whilst travelling. The aim was to examine the growing phenomenon of Grey Nomads who travelled in Western Australia in order to obtain insight into the group as consumers. Thirty nine informants (n=39) were interviewed where an understanding of the primary concerns of informants could be achieved. Informants were recruited who were over 60 years of age, travelled for a …

The Impact Of Corporatisation And Management Reform On The Role And Working Life Of Managers In An Australian Electricity Utility: A Triangulated Study, 1994-2002, Desmond E. Lehmann

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

For decades electricity has been a critical source of energy for all major industries, nationally and internationally. In 2002 the Australian electricity supply industry had assets in excess of $86 billion and accounted for more than 1.4 percent of gross domestic product. It is a major employer with more than 33,000 people serving more than 8 million customers. This study explores the impact of corporatisation and management reform on the role and working life of managers within the broader context of this industry. It is an industry identified by academics, commentators and the business media over the past two decades …

Delayed Discharges From An Adult Intensive Care Unit (Icu), Teresa Williams

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Introduction - Maximising efficient and effective use of resources without compromising quality of care is essential in the current healthcare climate. Intensive care unit services are one of the most resource intensive and therefore expensive services within a hospital. Because intensive care unit services comprise a significant portion of hospital costs and resources, appropriate utilisation of intensive care units is imperative. The occurrence of delayed discharges and the reason for the delays is important as they impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of intensive care unit services. Patients who no longer need intensive care unit care block beds for impending …

Non-Business Use Of The World Wide Web : A Study Of Selected Western Australian Organisations, Craig Valli

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Employees undertake a wide range of activities when they use the World Wide Web in the work place. Some of these activities may leave the modem Internet connected organisation vulnerable to undue or unknown risk, potential productivity losses and expense us a result of misuse or abuse or the Internet provision. Much of the existing literature on this subject points to a purported epidemic of misuse in the workplace. If this practice is so prevalent and widespread, what can modem Internet connected organisations do to identify the abuse and reduce the risks and losses that these abuses represent? To what …

Identification And Realisation Of The Benefits Of Participating In An Electronic Marketplace : An Interpretive Evaluation Approach, Rosemary Stockdale

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Electronic marketplaces have proliferated as use of the Internet has become widespread in business. A rapid growth in the number of marketplaces, followed by a period of stringent consolidation, as market makers develop a greater understanding of effective business models, has resulted in a climate of uncertainty and confusion. As with many aspects of e-commerce the drive towards participation is fuelled less by strategy planning than by a fear of lagging behind competitors or losing first mover advantage. In this climate of uncertainty organisations often bypass effective evaluation of the benefits that can be realised from participation in e-marketplaces, thereby …

The Service Delivery Process : An Examination Of How Consumers Evaluate Technology-Assisted Service Encounters In The Retail Banking Industry, Catherine W. Munene

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study examined consumers' perceptions post-adoption of technology and how these perceptions affect their levels of dis/satisfaction and their continued use of technology·assisted service encounters. To this end, this study investigated the criteria that consumers in Western Australia's retail banking industry are likely to use when evaluating banking transactions involving EFTPOS, ATM, telephone, and Online banking modes. II examined whether these criteria changed with the mode of electronic banking in use and whether the significance of the criteria changed with

consumers' demographic characteristics. In addition, this study explored whether consumers who use these modes of electronic banking experience the paradoxes …

Interviewer Questioning Strategies: Small Business: The Implications That Inappropriate Questioning Has For Compliance With The West Australian Equal Opportunity Act, 1984, Kelly Pember

Theses : Honours

No abstract provided.

Corporate Social Disclosure In The Timber Industry In Western Australia 1989-1998 : A Test Of Legitimacy Theory, Theo Christopher

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In recent years, accounting researchers have turned their attention to media agenda setting theory in addition to legitimacy theory as the theoretical framework for researching voluntary social disclosure in the annual report of a company. Their research has tended to show a significant relationship between the extent and change in the number of press media social reports and the extent and level of social disclosure in the annual report of a company based on the same classification of Social items. They have also explored the existence of a time lag between the number of press media reports and disclosure in …

The Call Of The Sirens: The Women Who Support The Fremantle Dockers, Fiona Irvine

Theses : Honours

Australian Football and sport in general is a large part of the Australian culture. In the past men have dominated most aspects of sport as participants, spectators and administrators. Women have fulfilled a submissive role supporting men's sporting pursuits. However, the role of women is more significant and football clubs are recognising the importance of this membership segment by creating clubs within clubs to cater for the needs of female members. This study examined the reasons why women enjoy watching men's sport and if there are specific reasons why they joined a women-only supporter club of a male sport. A …

A Study Of Australian Managers' Perceptions Of The Internet, Roman Vargha

Theses : Honours

Despite its young age the Internet has grown to become a significant new medium for businesses and their customers. The existing literature suggests that some businesses are not going on-line whilst others are: embracing the new technology, but as yet little research has been conducted as to the reasons for this difference in take-up rate. Even less research has been conducted from an Australian perspective, with most research originating in the United States. This preliminary study explored the differing perceptions of eight Perth-based managers of businesses that are on-line compared to those that are not on-line. Of particular interest was …

Attitude And Behaviour Dichotomy In Sme Strategic Alliance: A South West Of Western Australian Study, Dianne Wingham

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Strategic alliances are generally perceived as cooperative relationships constrained within the parameters of bounded rationality, seeking to maximise their levels of control in a turbulent economic environment. They are also commonly conceptualised as a means of creating competitive advantage in business. In regional areas of Western Australia they are favoured by government instrumentalities as a means of making small to medium enterprises (SMEs) more competitive. With the dominant global emphasis in the literature on big business, relatively little is known still about strategic alliances in small to medium enterprises. Moreover, the research on strategic alliances within Australia s also limited, …

Resource Allocation And Efficiency In Public Sector Audits, Kar M. Chong

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In recent years, the push for reform in the Australian public sector audit has placed the Office of the Auditor-General (hereafter OAG) in a more contestable or market- like environment, where the OAG is accountable for an efficient and effective provision of public sector audit. The purpose of this study is to compare the cost efficiency of in-house and contract-out arrangements to deliver financial audits in the public sector. It empirically tests whether there are audit cost and audit fee differences between in-house providers (i.e., the OAG) and contractors (i.e., public accounting firms). The secondary aims of this study are …

An Analysis Of Quality Practices And Business Outcomes In Western Australian Hospitals, Janis Mussett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study aimed at identifying aspects of health care organisational management and activities that produced the highest level of quality care. A Literature review was conducted to determine the most successful quality activities currently used in a wide variety of industries. Using the findings of this review a questionnaire and interview questions were designed to identify factors associated with successful quality activities I health care organisations. Four Western Australian hospitals that were believed to have effective quality activities were randomly selected as a hospital from each of the following categories. A private hospital accredited by the Australian Council on Health …

A Consumption Value Approach To The Factors That Influence Parental Choice Of Secondary School: An Exploratory Study, Penelope J. Welsh

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of the present study was to identify the factors that influenced parents' choice of a secondary school for their children and, in particular, to determine, choice process. Understanding how parents choose secondary schools and what parents value should help established and new private schools develop more effective marketing strategies, including their choices of target markets and location, as well as their educational emphasis, fee structure and disciplinary policies. While a schools marketing efforts must include information about the school facilities and the implied social benefits of attending the particular school, this study found that Emotional Value, feeling good …

The Commercialisation Of Small Firm Technologies In Western Australia : A Case For User-Producer Interaction And The Integration Of Large Industrial Users With Small Technology Producers, Michelle Navaratnam

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to: * examine how grantee firms of the Western Australian Innovation Support Scheme (WAISS) have overcome their impediments to commercialisation; * examine how the process of user-producer interaction has enabled grantee firms to commercialise their technologies; * examine the process of user-producer interaction with large and/or small industrial users, and the subsequent benefits derived; * examine the entry barriers faced by grantee firms in forming interactions with large industrial users. The study examined the literature involving the role of small firms in the development and commercialisation of new technologies. The study adopted a multiple, …

University Preference : A Conjoint Analysis, Julia P. Turner

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The business of tertiary education has become more and more competitive in recent years due to reductions in government funding and higher study fees. As the nature of the environment grows more competitive the role of marketing, previously non-existent in most universities, has grown significantly. One of the key pieces of information that would assist the marketing effort of any university is an understanding of what determines university preference. This study examines university preference in Western Australia. A form of conjoint analysis, known as Adaptive Conjoint Analysis (ACA), was used to investigate the relative importance of a number of attributes …

Perceptions Of Financial Counselling In Western Australia, Natalie Dall

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The development of financial counselling in Australia during the past decade has been complex and fragmented. Financial counselling and rural counselling services within Western Australia are funded from a range of government, non-government and church based groups. This has contributed to problems in the identification of basic definitions of the need for services, the role of the financial counsellor and service models or functions. The failure to define the role of the financial counsellor and the needs to be addressed by financial counselling services, "appears to be the most important historic weakness in the field." (Wyse et al., 1990, p.2). …