bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Judeo-Arab House-Deed from Ḥabbān
Authors: Serjeant R. B.
Published: August 2016

The Jewish community of Ḥabbān is no more. The Yemenite Jews have emigrated almost wholesale to Palestine, taking with them, indeed, a number of their books and documents, but they cannot now be studied in their homeland. For the further history of the Yemenite Jews Professor S. D. Goitein's article on the “Transplantation of the Yemenites” may be consulted, but my own brief and crowded six days in Ḥabbān during December, 1947, were probably one of the last visits paid by an orientalist to such a curious medieval community. In the melting-pot of the new state of Israel it is probable that the unique culture of the Yemenite Jews will not long survive the passing of the older generation.
HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENTS REPORTING COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE IMPLANTATION
Authors: Kularatna Sanjeewa , Byrnes Joshua , Mervin Merehau Cindy , Scuffham Paul A.
Published: August 2016

Objectives: Made available since 2002, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a minimally invasive new intervention which can provide significant survival improvement to patients with aortic stenosis. However, TAVI is expensive and currently not reimbursed by many governments. Some governments and institutions have been conducting health technology assessments (HTAs) to inform their reimbursement decisions. The aim of the present study is to review HTAs that have relied on a cost-effectiveness analysis to inform reimbursement decisions of TAVI.

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted among published literature as well as reports released by HTA agencies. Predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, following the Preferred Reporting System for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, were used to select relevant HTAs. The selected papers were assessed against the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards.

Results: HTAs on TAVI from three countries were available for this review: Canada, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. All three HTAs used the Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valve (PARTNER) trial data with Markov models to estimate the incremental cost effectiveness ratio. The three HTAs recommended conditional reimbursement for TAVI for otherwise inoperable patients. The HTAs did not use clear methods to estimate the health-related utility which ultimately affected their cost-effectiveness results. The UK HTA showed the best value for money (US$20,416 per quality-adjusted life-year).

Conclusion: All studies found TAVI to be more costly and less effective for high-risk patients suitable for surgery, whereas TAVI was consistently found to be cost effective for otherwise inoperable patients.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) for Hypothermic Cardiac Deterioration: A Case Series
Authors: Niehaus Matthew T. , Pechulis Rita M. , Wu James K. , Frei Steven , Hong John J. , Sandhu Rovinder S. , Greenberg Marna Rayl
Published: August 2016

Accidental hypothermia can lead to untoward cardiac manifestations and arrest. This report presents a case series of severe accidental hypothermia with cardiac complications in three emergency patients who were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and survived after re-warming. The aim of this discussion was to encourage more clinicians to consider ECMO as a re-warming therapy for severe hypothermia with circulatory collapse and to prompt discussion about decreasing the barriers to its use.

NiehausMT, PechulisRM, WuJK, FreiS, HongJJ, SandhuRS, GreenbergMR. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for hypothermic cardiac deterioration: a case series. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(5):570–571.
Response to Gregory C. Murphy: Criterion Problems in Rehabilitation Outcome Research
Authors: Allison Lucinda
Published: August 2016

I agree with Murphy that the title of our article is ambitious and we have not covered many aspects of recovery. The losses attributed to repetitive strain injury (RSI) are numerous and variable and are experienced not just by the person in pain but by friends, family, work colleagues and insurance companies to name a few. Measuring recovery from these losses is very complex. In our study we have chosen to focus on only two areas of recovery — decrease in pain and increase in function. In doing so, we have not defined recovery specifically in the title and we have implied, although not explicitly stated, our definition throughout the text. We are glad of the opportunity to clarify this here.

Our definition of recovery depends on context and client. If we work in educating counsellors we may believe that observable behaviours are important indicators of recovery. I work with people in chronic pain and for most of them decrease in pain and increase in function are the most important indicators of recovery. As these changes take place, other changes follow. For example, their mood improves and they can assume normal role responsibilities (or redefined role responsibilities). If, however, they assume normal role responsibilities without increase in function and decrease in pain, the behaviour is often not sustainable long term and more losses are incurred. If we choose to measure recovery from the perspective of the person in pain it seems reasonable to use a questionnaire that measures improvements from that perspective. We cannot assume that the observations of counsellors are more objective, comprehensive, reliable or valid than the person with RSI, particularly in view of the fact that the person with RSI lives with the condition 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Development and Validation of the Work Outcomes Coding Scale
Authors: Matthews Lynda R.
Published: August 2016

This article describes the development and validation of a new measure of post-accident work outcome and adjustment, the Work Outcomes Coding Scale (WOCS), whose items were derived from rehabilitation indices used individually by the Workcover Authority of New South Wales. Psychometric qualities of the 4-item scale were determined using two samples of hospitalised accident survivors who returned to work following their accident. The WOCS showed excellent internal consistency, correlated moderately to highly with other measures of role functioning and had low, significant correlations with factors connected with work adjustment. Low range WOCS scores were shown to be indicative of poor work outcomes and increasing need for vocational rehabilitation interventions.
The Dilemma of the Case Manager in Workers' Compensation: Decision-Maker, System Player, Para Legal/Medical Specialist, Mediator or Enemy?
Authors: Roberts-Yates Christine
Published: August 2016

This paper explores the complexities of the role of the workers' compensation case manager working for claims agents in South Australia. It provides a brief outline of the many skills required by case managers as they deal with the worker's injury, issues of compliance, the legislation, the social and psychological aspects of the worker's claim and the treatment and management of the worker's welfare. It describes the tensions brought about by the dual nature of the case manager's role that encompasses claims processing and injury management, and the conflicts between human and organisational motivations. These findings, although imprecise, demonstrate that in order to achieve sustainable return to work outcomes, case managers need to be competent, well-trained and team players capable of acting as mediators or brokers across the stakeholders. The aim of this paper is to explore the different views of the problems and possibilities of the role of the claims/injury manager from the perspective of the major stakeholders. Some views on the redesign of the role incorporating a partnership and holistic emphasis rather than the claims processing focus are suggested.
Vocational Evaluation and Schizophrenia: A Critique of Rybak's Five Stage Model
Authors: O'Neill Veronica , Murphy Patricia
Published: August 2016

The ability to secure and maintain gainful employment for people who have a mental disorder (such as schizophrenia) is limited and often complicated by personal, environmental and social barriers. The administration of inappropriate vocational evaluation tools for people who experience schizophrenia, has been identified as further contributing to this dilemma (Rybak, 1998). In an attempt to address this issue, Rybak (1998) developed a five-stage model for promoting successful vocational outcomes for people who experience schizophrenia. The purpose of this article is to review Rybak's model in terms of its appropriateness for this population. As a result of several shortcomings in Rybak's approach there is a need to develop an alternative vocational evaluation approach that is responsive to the characteristics unique to these individuals.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Risk Factor for Poor Work Outcomes in Survivors of Road Trauma
Authors: Matthews Lynda R. , Chinnery Darien L. , Blaszczynski Alex , Silove Derrik , Hillman Ken
Published: August 2016

Risk factors associated with post-injury return to work are well documented. Less is known of the impact of PTSD on work outcomes. Information on worker and accident risk factors was obtained by survey, hospital records and personal interview with 40 road trauma survivors two years post-accident: Results suggest that while PTSD was an independent risk factor for negative work outcomes, PTSD also significantly contributed to the overall adverse impact of anxiety, depression and pain on work outcomes. The lack of improvement in work outcomes between from 12 weeks post-accident for those with PTSD indicated that early vocational interventions are critical for this population.
Spirituality as a Determinant of Health for those with Disabilities
Authors: Faull Kieren , Kalliath Thomas J.
Published: August 2016

Disability is commonly viewed as permanent loss of physical, cognitive and social aspects of self. Rehabilitation interventions are aimed to return the individual to full health by either restoration of past physical, cognitive or social capabilities or strengthening aspects of self to counter such loss. However, rehabilitation interventions do not result in a complete return to past physical, mental or social health. Does this mean that people with disability can never be healthy? Or does it indicate that our perception and definition of health does not reflect the essence of health? We argue that when people with disability redefine themselves in terms other than levels of physical, social and cognitive functioning, good health is an attainable goal. We discuss evidence that suggests why spirituality could be a primary determinant of health.
The Coach Approach
Authors: Todd Tracey
Published: August 2016

In the developing field of Life Coaching, Rehabilitation Counsellors can find an approach that when applied in the Rehabilitation setting can get real results. The profession of life coaching is discussed with regard to its origins and applications, and then compared to the field of psychology and rehabilitation counselling. The ‘Coach Approach’ is offered as an exciting new paradigm that creates an effective partnership in assisting clients to reach their full potential.
Childhood Sexual Abuse and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Considerations for Rehabilitation Counsellors
Authors: Dearn Kylie , Matthews Lynda R.
Published: August 2016

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a frequently occurring event that has a strong and lasting impact on adult functioning. A significant percentage of adults who are sexually abused as children subsequently meet the diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and demonstrate an increased vulnerability toward further traumatisation. Despite the likelihood that rehabilitation counsellors will encounter clients with this history, published literature on the contribution of rehabilitation counsellors to work with adults who were abused as children is limited. This report discusses ways rehabilitation counsellors can contribute to the inter-professional collaboration required to achieve a reduction in impact of disability and handicap associated with the long-term impact of CSA.
The Role of the Rehabilitation Provider in Occupational Rehabilitation: Providing for Whom? Part 2: Perceptions of Key Stakeholders
Authors: Kenny Dianna T.
Published: August 2016

This paper is the second part of a two part series that examines the perceived roles and effectiveness of rehabilitation providers. The first paper examined the perceptions of rehabilitation providers regarding their roles in, and perceived barriers to, occupational rehabilitation. In this paper, key stakeholders' perceptions of the role of rehabilitation providers in the management of workplace injury were assessed via interviews and surveys. Forty-nine injured workers were interviewed and 407 returned a survey questionnaire. Two surveys of employers were conducted: one in the Newcastle/Hunter region of NSW, Australia (N = 93), the other a state-wide survey (N = 612) of a representative sample of employers in NSW. In addition, nine treating doctors and 14 insurers were interviewed. Results indicated that two thirds of workers were satisfied with the service they had received from the rehabilitation provider. The major concerns of injured workers were the rehabilitation providers' lack of knowledge of the demands of particular workplaces, the problems associated with particular injuries and the pressure on rehabilitation providers from employers and insurers to return the injured worker to work. Sixty percent of employers reported that rehabilitation providers were effective in restoring injured workers to work. Treating doctors were generally hostile to rehabilitation providers, claiming that they were unprofessional, inexpert and poorly trained. Finally, insurers complained of stereotypical case management plans, role confusion, and over-servicing.
Enhancing Successful Employment Outcomes for People with a Psychiatric Disability
Authors: Ashton Maxie , Dowsett Josephine
Published: August 2016

Work, for most people with psychiatric disability, is their most important goal and yet they often have more difficulty getting work and maintaining work than other disability groups. Six focus groups were held with consumers of mental health services to explore the reason for this and identify what rehabilitation services should do about this problem. The groups recommended many strategies which have been divided by the authors into three rehabilitation phases. Three check lists have been developed to assist service providers address the range of needs with consumers during the rehabilitation process and to identify service gaps.
Training Needs and Concerns of Personnel Working in Disability Support Programs in Australian Tertiary Education Institutions
Authors: Leung Paul , Hauff Renee
Published: August 2016

The increase in students with disabilities in Australian tertiary education settings has placed significant stress on institutions to provide adequate and appropriate support. Disability liaison officers have the responsibility on many Australian campuses but little is known about their training needs and concerns. This study surveyed disability liaison officers about their training needs and concerns. The majority of respondents indicated a need for availability of further training as well as concerns related to the resources available to adequately support students with disabilities. There is a need for the development of appropriate training and for policies that enable adequate resourcing of students with support needs.
Application of a Systems Approach to the Rehabilitation Assessment of Clients with an Occupational Stress-Related Injury
Authors: Nowland Leonie
Published: August 2016

Occupational stress has become a critical issue for many organisations and individuals in terms of costs to productivity and health. Effective rehabilitation intervention can markedly reduce these costs, yet a successful return to work is often fraught with difficulty due to the plethora of issues contained under the heading of occupational stress. An approach to case analysis and individual assessment has been developed in New South Wales, Australia to assist case managers employed by the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service in the provision of efficacious rehabilitation programs, with the focus on return to work, for individuals with occupational stress.
Social influences on eating and physical activity behaviours of urban, minority youths
Authors: Anderson Steeves Elizabeth T , Johnson Katherine A , Pollard Suzanne L , Jones-Smith Jessica , Pollack Keshia , Lindstrom Johnson Sarah , Hopkins Laura , Gittelsohn Joel
Published: August 2016

Objective

Social relationships can impact youths’ eating and physical activity behaviours; however, the best strategies for intervening in the social environment are unknown. The objectives of the present study were to provide in-depth information on the social roles that youths’ parents and friends play related to eating and physical activity behaviours and to explore the impact of other social relationships on youths’ eating and physical activity behaviours.

Design

Convergent parallel mixed-methods design.

Setting

Low-income, African American, food desert neighbourhoods in Baltimore City, MD, USA.

Subjects

Data were collected from 297 youths (53 % female, 91 % African American, mean age 12·3 (sd1·5) years) using structured questionnaires and combined with in-depth interviews from thirty-eight youths (42 % female, 97 % African American, mean age 11·4 (sd1·5) years) and ten parents (80 % female, 50 % single heads of house, 100 % African American).

Results

Combined interpretation of the results found that parents and caregivers have multiple, dynamic roles influencing youths’ eating and physical activity behaviours, such as creating health-promoting rules, managing the home food environment and serving as a role model for physical activity. Other social relationships have specific, but limited roles. For example, friends served as partners for physical activity, aunts provided exposure to novel food experiences, and teachers and doctors provided information related to eating and physical activity.

Conclusions

Obesity prevention programmes should consider minority youths’ perceptions of social roles when designing interventions. Specifically, future research is needed to test the effectiveness of intervention strategies that enhance or expand the supportive roles played by social relationships.
Two-Color, Two-Photon Imaging at Long Excitation Wavelengths Using a Diamond Raman Laser
Authors: Trägårdh Johanna , Murtagh Michelle , Robb Gillian , Parsons Maddy , Lin Jipeng , Spence David J. , McConnell Gail
Published: August 2016

We demonstrate that the second-Stokes output from a diamond Raman laser, pumped by a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser, can be used to efficiently excite red-emitting dyes by two-photon excitation at 1,080 nm and beyond. We image HeLa cells expressing red fluorescent protein, as well as dyes such as Texas Red and Mitotracker Red. We demonstrate the potential for simultaneous two-color, two-photon imaging with this laser by using the residual pump beam for excitation of a green-emitting dye. We demonstrate this for the combination of Alexa Fluor 488 and Alexa Fluor 568. Because the Raman laser extends the wavelength range of the Ti:Sapphire laser, resulting in a laser system tunable to 680–1,200 nm, it can be used for two-photon excitation of a large variety and combination of dyes.
Clinical implementation of intensity modulated radiotherapy: initial experiences
Authors: McNair H. A. , Selous-Hodges J. , Convery D. , Cosgrove V. , Balyckyi J. , Dearnaley D. P. , Nuttings C.
Published: August 2016

The development of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has allowed the delivery of concave dose distributions. Planning studies have demonstrated the potential clinical benefit of IMRT in the treatment of the prostate and pelvic nodes in patients with advanced prostate cancer. As a consequence, IMRT was clinically implemented in the Royal Marsden NHS Trust in September 2000, using Elekta Sli series linear accelerators and NOMOS Corvus v3.0 planning system. As a relatively new treatment procedure in the United Kingdom, the clinical implementation involved developing appropriate quality assurance and verification procedures as well as training staff. This paper describes the practicalities of implementing IMRT into the routine workload of the radiotherapy department.
Measuring the effect of an astrobiology course on student optimism regarding extraterrestrial life
Authors: Morgan David L.
Published: August 2016

Students in an introductory undergraduate Astrobiology course were given a pre/post-test based on the Drake Equation in an attempt to measure changes in their perceptions regarding the prevalence of life in the Galaxy after taking the course. The results indicated that, after taking the course, the students were considerably more optimistic, by a 2 to 1 margin or more, about the prospect of habitable planets, the origin of life, and the evolution of intelligence in other planetary systems. The results suggest that, while it may not be the explicit goal of an astrobiology course to change student beliefs about the abundance or rarity of extraterrestrial life, such changes in opinion can and do occur.
About time: gender equality in Malta's working-time regime?
Authors: Camilleri-Cassar Frances
Published: August 2016

To what extent does Malta's social policy support gender equality, in the use of time? How much do state policies assume that men and women both need time to care, as well as for paid work? Does Malta's full-time paid work structure allow time for the equal sharing of unpaid care responsibilities between women and men, that in turn enhances gender equity in the workplace and domestic sphere? Themes that emerge in the study rest largely on women's voices. The study finds that women need to shift their full-time economic activity to shorter and flexible working hours when they become mothers, with negative consequences of loss in income and career regression. Labour market exit and financial dependence on men is also a frequent occurrence. The findings of the study suggest that strong pressure to assume traditional roles is embedded not only in Maltese culture and social norms, but also in the state's own social policy.
Power and Influence During Advertiser – Agency Creative Briefing & Response: Getting to ‘Yes!’
Authors: Hill Railton
Published: August 2016

Exploratory research into the expectations of advertising managers concerning agency creative work was undertaken as the first stage of a grounded longitudinal study. A series of depth interviews revealed how major advertisers attempt to obtain desired creative work through an extensive agency briefing and response process. ‘Power and influence’ during this process emerged as a key issue for these managers. Analysis of depth interviews with managers with direct responsibility for the commissioning of creative work for major advertisers suggested a range of influence strategies were used in their pursuit of the desired work. Such strategies seemed to follow a pattern of rapid escalation similar to a pattern observed in the management of urgent change.
Power Dynamics and Learning in Collaborations
Authors: Lotia Nuzhat
Published: August 2016

This paper examines the learning process within collaborations from a political perspective and explores the implications of power for the process of learning. The central argument is that the processes of collaboration and collaborative learning are inherently influenced by dynamics of power that occur at the organisational, collaboration and collaboration-environment levels. These power dynamics develop as a consequence of the interactions among collaborating organisations and their power bases. The paper presents a theoretical basis for considering the nature and impact of power dynamics at the various levels on the collaborative learning process and outcomes and sets forth some propositions that provide an agenda for future research.
Interview with John Hood, Vice Chancellor, Auckland University
Authors: Campbell-Hunt Colin
Published: August 2016

In late 2004 a New Zealander, John Hood, will become the first external appointment to head Oxford University in its 900-year history. Napier-born and raised, Dr Hood studied engineering at Auckland University where he took his doctorate in 1976. He then took up a Rhodes scholarship at Oxford, where he added an MPhil in management and played cricket for the University. These two universities continue to command a special place in his affections. A 19-year career in industry with Fletcher Challenge – at the time New Zealand's largest corporation – took him to senior group responsibilities as CEO of Fletcher Challenge Paper. In 1999, he took on his present role as Vice Chancellor of Auckland University. His record there of innovative and dynamic leadership has surely been instrumental in attracting the attention of his other alma mater, and in attracting him back to Oxford.
Organisational Change Stories and Management Research: Facts or Fiction
Authors: Dawson Patrick
Published: August 2016

Organisational change stories are often constructed around a linear series of ‘successful’ events that serve to show the company in a positive light to any interested external party. These stories of company success sanitize complex change processes and offer data for change experts to formulate neat linear prescriptions on how to best manage change. This article criticizes this position and argues that change is a far more dynamic political process consisting of competing histories and ongoing multiple change narratives which may vie for dominance in seeking to be the change story. A central aim is to identify and unpack narratives of change in order to highlight a number of theoretical and methodological implications for management research. It is argued that post-hoc rationalized stories should not be used as a knowledge base for prescriptive lessons or theoretical developments, nor should research data simply be presented as a single authentic story of change. The need to study change overtime and to accommodate multiple stories that may be reshaped, replaced and modified raise critical issues of data collection and data analysis, as well as important questions on the place of the conventional case study as a conveyor of research findings. As such, the article calls for the more widespread use of the concept of ‘competing histories’ and ‘multiple change narratives’ in longitudinal studies that seek to explain processes of organisational change.
Calling on Compensation in Australian Call Centres
Authors: Crone Gary , Carey Lorraine , Dowling Peter
Published: August 2016

While there is a growing body of research on telephone call centre management in the U.K. and the U.S.A., empirical studies in Australia are at an embryonic stage. To date, most of the studies have focussed on the management of employee performance. The principal aim of this study was to provide data on current compensation practices in Australian call centres and to determine the extent of their strategic and best-practice orientation. A second aim was to explore whether the strategic management of compensation can help to balance the tension between commitment to customer service and commitment to employee motivation.

Using data collected through a mail questionnaire survey of telephone call centres operating in a range of industries in Australia, the paper explores the effect of compensation practices on employee performance, absenteeism and turnover. Following a review of the literature on call centre management and the literature on compensation strategies, the findings are presented. Key findings include: a) a significant negative correlation between annual salary and the number of calls handled by full-time customer service representatives (CSRs); b) a significant positive correlation between casual CSRs' pay rates and turnover; c) a significant negative correlation between full-time CSRs' pay and absenteeism; d) a highly significant difference between the compensation strategies currently practiced in Australian call centres and the strategies call centre managers think should be practiced and e) Australian call centre managers report their compensation strategies are not very effective in increasing performance or employee satisfaction.
Take-Home Tests: Educational Fast Food for the New Millennium?
Authors: Hall Liz
Published: August 2016

Changes such as a ‘user pays’ philosophy in tertiary education and the student loan scheme have placed pressure on New Zealand academics and students alike. Teachers of adults may need to adjust to the ‘new breed’ of student and the faster paced semesterised education system. It is proposed that focussing on the learner and creating a learning environment that encourages students to assume responsibility for their own learning is more important in the new educational environment.

The present paper conceptualises take-home tests as being analogous to an educational fast food - a familiar, made-to-order commodity - that curiously appears to be missing from the educational smorgasbord outside the United States of America. Results of a pilot study using take-home tests in a first year management class at the University of Otago suggested they fit the proposed new mood of education. Students in the self-selected experimental group (n=35) achieved a higher course grade than those in the control group (n=35). The students recommended that take-home tests be used more frequently and they saw them as having ‘learning’ and ‘anxiety reducing’ benefits.
Opportunistic Behaviour by International Channel Intermediaries
Authors: Karunaratna Amal R , Johnson Lester W
Published: August 2016

The relationship between exporters and independent foreign channel intermediaries (FCIs) is complex. The present paper analyses and discusses the potential types of opportunistic behaviour that might be engaged in by foreign agents or distributors (FCIs) using an agency theory approach. A classification framework of opportunistic behaviour is developed and a detailed qualitative examination of the content of five agency-distributor agreements between Australian exporters and their FCIs. A five-category classification scheme for opportunistic behaviour was found that included (1) product, (2) price, (3) information, (4) logistical, and (5) legal opportunism. The implications of each type of opportunism for an exporter are discussed using examples obtained from ways to control opportunistic behaviour are discussed.
Black-Box Protection of Core Competencies in Strategic Alliances
Authors: Milgate Michael
Published: August 2016

This article presents a conceptual framework that participants in cooperative ventures may use to protect core competencies and proprietary information, while allowing the cooperative venture to benefit from these. While strategic alliances, in various forms, are becoming more common (Beamish and Delios, 1997), a potentially issue that often remains unresolved is how to protect your core competencies, while still cooperating openly with your partner, particularly when advanced technology is involved. It can be difficult for partners in an alliance to cooperate and openly share strategic know-how. Cooperation and openness are necessary, however, if a joint venture is to succeed. Since the success of any strategic alliance is based on cooperation, trust and an open sharing of competencies, potentially sensitive knowledge might be exposed through the joint venture. This is why many executives regard strategic alliances with reservation (Lorenz, 1992). They resist giving away core strategic competencies that might be misused in other contexts.
Is Strategic Planning Worth the Effort? A Study of Firm Performance Versus Planning Comprehensiveness in Australia
Authors: Devenish Peter , Fisher Tom
Published: August 2016

The planning-performance literature suggests that there is a weak positive correlation between strategic planning and financial performance. This study has been undertaken to determine whether this weak positive correlation is true for Australian firms.

Strategic planning for the purposes of this study is arranged in three levels of planning complexity. A sample of 77 listed firms was surveyed to determine their level of planning complexity, and this was correlated with the firm's financial performance over a three year period.

A range of statistical tests did not reveal any significant correlation between strategic planning at any of the three levels and the financial performance of the firm. This negative finding is generally in line with other recent studies conducted in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

However, positive correlations were found with several subjective performance measures, suggesting that respondents generally believe that strategic planning is helping their company.
Diversity is not the Problem – Openness to Perceived Dissimilarity is
Authors: Härtel Charmine E J , Fujimoto Yuka
Published: August 2016

The diversity of internal and external customers continues to increase with social, economic and global changes. This presents an array of opportunities and challenges for organisations. In the present paper we argue that whether interactions between diverse individuals results in benefits or deficits for the organisation depends largely on the level of openness to dissimilarity present in the exchange. This proposition is developed and presented in a model linking types of diversity to organisational group process and outcome effects. Implications for interactions with diverse internal and external customers are suggested. Structural and management characteristics expected to enhance dissimilarity openness in the workforce are offered.
Debating the Ambiguous Enterprise of Management
Authors: Hardy Cynthia , Palmer Gill
Published: August 2016

There are significant ambiguities surrounding the academic discipline of management, which can be analysed in terms of three major debates. First the professional status of management brings with it questions about restriction or access to management education, the control of curricular and the relative importance of basic, applied and consultancy-driven research. Second, there are debates about the changing nature of management research, which require the accomodation of increasing diversity within management theory. Finally, the ambiguities associated with these debates can be seen to have impacted on the development of management education, its accessibility and diversity. The ambiguities associated with these debates must be carefully managed if the discipline is to prosper. New organisational forms are needed to embed management teaching and research within the complex collaborative relationships of the many stakeholders involved.
Strategic Choices and Business Performance: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Sharma Bishnu , Fisher Tom
Published: August 2016

The paper reports research within Australian manufacturing companies that investigated the perceived importance and interrelationships of functional and business strategies. Seven functional strategies were postulated (operations, research and development, technology, marketing, human resources, organisational, and financial). Porter's (1980) generic strategies were used to define business strategies because of their ability to simplify complex strategic patterns and because of their popularity in the strategic management literature (Miller and Dess, 1993). The research found that Australian manufacturers operations strategy was the most preferred and effective functional strategy. Australian manufacturers also have a preference for combined generic strategies. However, an analysis of performance suggests that the adoption of a single generic strategy may be preferable.
Acknowledging Student Diversity: Modifying the MBA Experience for International Students
Authors: Dunwoodie Karen , Ainsworth Murray
Published: August 2016

Most international students entering RMIT's MBA program have relatively limited work experience and lack self-presentation skills. Some shortcomings in self-confidence in a western culture, job-seeking skills, networking experience and personal presentation skills are also evident. In these qualities the international students are notably different from the older Australian part-time students with whom they study. This visible diversity provided the catalyst for developing several “internationalising components” to better meet the needs of international students to enable international students to present themselves as informed, capable, culturally aware and desirable graduates. This paper describes how program changes were made with the objectives of building team interaction and problem solving skills, as well as cross-cultural awareness, building self-awareness of “me as a manager in the global marketplace” and exploring cultural diversity in business practices. In addition, the “competencies” stream was modified, with emphasis being placed on students' ability to assess the appropriateness and cultural fit of western models and theories in their own countries.
Women Working as Casual Academics: A Marginalised Group
Authors: Bassett Penny , Marshall Helen
Published: August 2016

Organisations are becoming increasingly flexible in staffing, often using a small core of permanent staff and a peripheral contingent of contract, casual and temporary employees. Recent Australian and overseas studies suggest that this is also true in the higher education sector, with a casualisation of the academic workforce, particularly in the lecturer and below range. This is creating a large group of marginalised academics, the majority of whom are women. Such academics' opportunities may be limited because of the values implicit in the university culture. The possibility of a model of permanent academics on the one hand and a ‘casual’ underclass on the other has the potential to cause significant problems and to affect the quality of education provided.
The Impact of Networking on Marketing
Authors: Buttery E. Alan , Buttery E.M.
Published: August 2016

The paper provides a typology of networks, identifies key attributes of business networking and explains how they impact on marketing. The paper demonstrates the potential advantages that accrue to organisations that combine networking with marketing skills. It also provides a framework for developing such a combination.
Locus of Control and the Assessment of Managerial Skills
Authors: Spillane Lynda , Spillane Robert
Published: August 2016

There are considerable differences in perception of one's behaviour as externally controlled or as the result of personal choice (ie external or internal locus of control). This study assesses the influence of the external/internal locus of control on subordinates' perceptions of their managers' technical and people skills. Internal subordinates were found to criticise external managers for their technical skills, while external subordinates criticised their internal managers' people skills. The implications of these outcomes for the assessment of work performance are also discussed.
Determinants of Organisational Size: Bhp and Vertical Integration 1885–1915
Authors: Blackmur Douglas
Published: August 2016

Abstbact

One of the most important strategic issues for managers involves deciding the size of the organisation. Factors which influence this decision include economic, social and political change. The boundaries of the organisation are thus not fixed, and are in part contingent upon the particular characteristics of the environmental context. Theoretical progress in the discipline of strategic management, as far as it relates to matters of organisational size (and structure), requires that serious consideration be given to the analysis of the dynamics of vertical integration which is available in the New Institutional Economics literature. One of the most interesting strands in this literature is the Transactions Costs Economics developed by R.H. Coase and O.E. Williamson. This paper provides an overview of the Coase-Williamson theory of vertical integration. It then uses this theory as a point of departure in conducting an empirical discussion of decisions to integrate vertically taken by one of the world's largest mining enterprises, The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited, during the first 30 years of its existence. The paper seeks to demonstrate that theorising in strategic management is enriched if analytical (albeit critical) attention is paid to advances in the economics of organisation.
The Impact of CEO Role Behaviour on Firm Performance
Authors: Zakliki Mohammad , Christodoulou Chris
Published: August 2016

The impact of executive leadership on organisational performance has been the focus of study for many years. This study, of CEOs of Australian publicly listed companies, used the Competing Values Framework developed by Hart and Quinn (1993) to measure CEO role behaviour. It consists of four competing roles: Vision Setter, Motivator, Analyser, and Task Master. These roles were tested against three dimensions of firm performance: Financial, Business, and Organisational Effectiveness Performance. The results showed that there was little functional connection between executive leadership and firm performance.

Further, the organisational effectiveness factor was the domain of firm performance most influenced by CEOs. Task Master role was the only role behaviour which had a positive relationship with any domain of firm performance.

Behavioural complexity of leadership behaviour had a positive relationship with organisational effectiveness performance in large firms and for firms following an analyser type of strategy. Behavioural complexity also had a positive relationship with business performance for firms following an analyser type of strategy. However, there was no association between behavioural complexity and financial performance regardless of situational factors.

These findings suggest that effective CEOs are required to demonstrate paradoxical skills, and that any approach for developing management skills must involve a heavy dose of practical application.
Management Characteristics, Attitudes and the Decision to Export
Authors: Philp Norman E. , Wickramasekera Rumintha
Published: August 2016

The incessant trend towards the internationalisation of the marketplace will continue to dominate the agendas of managers of Australia's manufacturing establishments as they approach the next millennium. Empirical studies of the determinants of the firm's export marketing behaviour have been quite prolific and internationally comprehensive (Aaby and Slater 1989) and the characteristics and attitudes of the firm's main decision makers are often posed as important explanatory variables. The current study also examines the significance of managerial characteristics, commitment and attitudes towards exporting behaviour, by concentrating on a sample of firms drawn from a single industry (food and beverage processors) and with similar size and locational characteristics (small-medium firms located in regional Victoria).

A logistic regression model with a binary dependent variable (ie current exporter vs non-exporter) and, initially, 19 independent variables was formulated and estimated. An optimal model utilising only six of the most significant, management-related variables was able to predict the probability of a firm being an exporter with an accuracy of over 90% . The importance of management's willingness to commit both its mind and its firm's resources to the export endeavour and its recognition of the importance of price competitiveness were significant discriminators of active export behaviour. Exporting managers were also found more likely to be tertiary educated and foreign language fluent but not necessarily any younger than their non-exporting counterparts.
Business Ethics Education: Should We? Can We?
Authors: McKenna Richard J
Published: August 2016

Emanating from some of the major business failures of the 1980s has been a growing disquiet at the absence of a concern for ethics in the business community. A possible cause for the apparent immorality of actions taken by some businesses is the absence of ethics from the training programs provided to business managers and professionals. It may be that whilst some practices of the 1980s were those of immoral persons, the wider and underlying problem is one of amoral behaviour. That is, our business system operates without an ethical base, and this occurs, in part, because business ethics is excluded from the curricula of the institutions responsible for the training and further education of business managers and professionals.

The successful introduction of business ethics into the curricula requires a sufficient body of academics who believe that the learning of business ethics is both necessary and possible. Research data shows that few Australian universities have a formal program in business ethics. This paper reports an exploratory examination of the attitudes of business academics toward the need for inclusion of ethics in the business curriculum. The response to the survey suggests that while there is, as yet, no centre of concentrated will and ability to set the process of curricula change in motion, there is widespread interest and recognition of the need. Several constraints are identified, including the instrumentalist ethos of our institutions.
AGU Student Travel Grants Help Underrepresented Groups
Authors: Meisenhelder Kelsey , Hankin Erik
Published: August 2016

Financial support from the American Geophysical Union's travel grants programs increases opportunities for women, underrepresented minorities, and international students to attend Fall Meeting.
Zero-temperature quantum annealing bottlenecks in the spin-glass phase
Authors: Knysh Sergey
Published: August 2016

A promising approach to solving hard binary optimization problems is quantum adiabatic annealing in a transverse magnetic field. An instantaneous ground state—initially a symmetric superposition of all possible assignments of N qubits—is closely tracked as it becomes more and more localized near the global minimum of the classical energy. Regions where the energy gap to excited states is small (for instance at the phase transition) are the algorithm’s bottlenecks. Here I show how for large problems the complexity becomes dominated by O(log N) bottlenecks inside the spin-glass phase, where the gap scales as a stretched exponential. For smaller N, only the gap at the critical point is relevant, where it scales polynomially, as long as the phase transition is second order. This phenomenon is demonstrated rigorously for the two-pattern Gaussian Hopfield model. Qualitative comparison with the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model leads to similar conclusions.
Core-Shell Silver/Polymeric Nanoparticles-Based Combinatorial Therapy against Breast Cancer In-vitro
Authors: Elbaz Nancy M. , Ziko Laila , Siam Rania , Mamdouh Wael
Published: August 2016

The current study aimed at preparing AgNPs and three different core-shell silver/polymeric NPs composed of Ag core and three different polymeric shells: polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Thereafter, the core/shell NPs were loaded with a chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (DOX). Finally, the cytotoxic effects of the different core-shell Ag/polymeric NPs-based combinatorial therapeutics were tested in-vitro against breast cancer (MCF-7) and human fibroblast (1BR hTERT) cell lines. AgNPs, Ag/PVA and Ag/PVP NPs were more cytotoxic to MCF-7 cells than normal fibroblasts, as well as DOX-Ag, DOX-Ag/PVA, DOX-Ag/PEG and DOX-Ag/PVP nanocarriers (NCs). Notably, low dosage of core-shell DOX-loaded Ag/polymeric nanocarriers (NCs) exhibited a synergic anticancer activity, with DOX-Ag/PVP being the most cytotoxic. We believe that the prepared NPs-based combinatorial therapy showed a significant enhanced cytotoxic effect against breast cancer cells. Future studies on NPs-based combinatorial therapy may aid in formulating a novel and more effective cancer therapeutics.