bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Management Training and Development: A New Zealand Study
Authors: Selvarajah Christopher , Lau Tammy Sung- Wai , Taormina Robert J
Published: November 2010

Studies have shown that management training and development (MTD) can be a strategic weapon in improving performance and in building and sustaining competitive advantage. However, recent studies suggest that MTD is under-valued and under-used as a strategic tool by New Zealand firms as, despite a managerial skill shortage, New Zealand firms have not invested heavily in MTD. The present paper discusses a study of employer-based MTD in New Zealand that investigated managerial attitudes towards, and propensity to engage in, MTD. The study found several indicators that predict four MTD related variables (the MTD index, the percent of payroll spent on MTD, the increase in training expenditure and expected future increases in the MTD budget). The results suggest organisations that engage in MTD improve organisational effectiveness and implement their business strategy better and that MTD was seen as an important tool in gaining a competitive advantage.
Strategies in Exporting Firms: A Study of Australian Small to Medium Enterprises Exporting to Asia
Authors: Dowling Peter J , Liesch Peter W , Flint Jaqueline A , As-Saber Sharif N , Chan Kwong , Innes Peter A
Published: November 2010

The focus of the present paper is to examine the strategy use in Australian small and medium enterprises exporting to Asia. A selection of strategic issues is examined in order to identify their relative importance to a firm's exporting activities. No attempt is made to establish a causal linkage between strategy and export performance. Rather, the paper attempts to appraise the level of importance of various strategic factors that are often dealt with by an exporting firm. The study was conducted with an expectation of assisting future research endeavours into the relevance of strategies to export-performance. A set of impediments and the extent of their negativity on the exporting activities have also been considered, the understanding of which may help a firm in achieving appropriate strategic direction. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in an attempt to capture the intricacies and challenges of using strategies in a cross-cultural environment.
Opportunistic Behaviour by International Channel Intermediaries
Authors: Karunaratna Amal R , Johnson Lester W
Published: November 2010

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.
Training Performance Raters Through Error-based Experiential Learning
Authors: Debowski Shelda
Published: November 2010

Human resource managers need to understand issues relating to rater error. There are well-established ways to introduce these concepts to those training in the field. However, they require a substantial period of training to be successful. Their use in a tertiary setting can be severely constrained by time limitations. An alternative approach to these traditional training styles is that of error-based experiential learning. This training strategy immerses students in erroneous experiences that are then explored and used as a learning platform to build models of good practice. The training process used to structure the exercise is described in detail, illustrating the various errors committed by the trainees. Student feedback from the exercise and some likely risks attached to the activity are also discussed.
Idealism, Gender and Business Decisions
Authors: Tsahuridu Eva E. , Walker Elizabeth
Published: November 2010

The present study examined women and men's ethical ideologies, as measured by a shorter version of Forsyth's (1980) Ethics Position Questionnaire and individual beliefs about ethical behaviour in organisations using Froelich and Kottke's (1991) instrument. Froelich and Kottke's questions suggest actions that are inconsistent with societal moral values. The sample (N=662) consisted of tertiary students in two Western Australian universities. The data revealed that women are less likely to undertake ethically questionable activities to support and / or protect the organisation. Women are also found to have a more idealistic orientation than men, which partially explains the previous findings. In this study, women are less likely to emphasise organisational interests over societal ethical values.
An Involvement-Based Framework For The Study Of Environmentally Concerned Consumers
Authors: Bloch Peter H , Banjeree Subhabrata Bobby
Published: November 2010

During the 1970's there was considerable research interest in environmentally concerned consumers. Mirroring societal interest levels, such research waned in the 1980's. Today, this topic has regained its relevance, however. Marketers actively target these consumers and public policy makers strive to increase their numbers. In addition, research activity pertaining to these consumers has increased noticeably in recent years. Despite the increased attention to environmental concern, a viable conceptual framework for its study is still lacking. A review of past work indicates that environmental concern has been variously treated as a group of behaviours, attitudes, affect, and intentions. In order to clarify the construct and provide needed theory for its study, a framework of environmental concern is provided here. This framework is drawn from existing work on environmental concern and research pertaining to consumer involvement. The nature, outcomes, and sources for environmental concern are discussed along with marketing and public policy implications.
Growth Models in the New Zealand Wine Industry: Some Case Study Evidence
Authors: Beverland Mike , Lockshin Lawrence S
Published: November 2010

One of the most dominant models for explaining organisational growth is that of organisational lifecycles. Drawing parallels with biology, life cycle theorists argue firms are born, grow, mature and decline. Despite a proliferation of models of organisational lifecycle, there is little empirical support for their general validity. The present study builds a four-stage model of organisational life cycle based on case study research in the New Zealand wine industry. Far from being driven by internal pressures, these cycles seem to be related to the demands of the global wine market, as well as the strategy chosen by each firm.
Take-Home Tests: Educational Fast Food for the New Millennium?
Authors: Hall Liz
Published: November 2010

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.
The Human Side of Small and Medium Enterprises
Authors: Wiesner Retha , McDonald Jim
Published: November 2010

The limited research conducted on Human Resource Management (HRM) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) suggests that acquiring, developing, compensating and retaining employees is a major problem. A Queensland-wide study of Human Resource Management Practices in SMEs (with a sample of 431) found a surprisingly high take-up of human resource management practices. The present paper discusses this study, presents the results obtained and reflects on its implications for human resource management in SMEs.
Student Learning through Case Research and Writing
Authors: Elkin Graham
Published: November 2010

The case method of teaching and learning is prominent in management education. We know little about the processes involved in writing and learning through cases. One element that may help the beginning of a theoretical understanding of these processes comes from an experiment with students entering organisations and writing cases for use with other management students. Students not only gain more knowledge related to management and organisations than in using prepared cases, but they also gain substantial additional process skills that are far more generalisable and to do with life-long learning – than those developed using traditional case learning.
Developing an Understanding of Theory in Organisational Change
Authors: Nelson Lindsay
Published: November 2010

Management literature related to globalisation and the need for organisations to gain a competitive advantage has grown in prominence over the past two decades (Caves 1982; Porter 1985, 1990, 1991, 1998; Barney 1995; Peteraf 1993; Barner 1996; Duncan, Ginter & Swayne 1998; Thomas, Pollock & Gorman 1998; Zahra 1998; Zahra & O'Neil, 1998; Gupta & Govindarajan 2001). Concomitant with globalisation and competitive advantage are issues related to achieving successful organisational change, since it logically holds that any activity to increase an organisation's effectiveness necessarily involves some sort of change. Much of the research attention in the past has focussed on strategies for implementing change, including overcoming resistance, rather than developing theories which lead to a greater understanding of the processes of change. Early research (Coch & French 1948; Ginzberg & Reilly 1957; Lewin 1951) reflect the historical concentration on how best to implement change; this tradition is more recently exemplified by Carnall (1999) who examines practical techniques for achieving change in organisations. However, literature relating to the theory of change remains fragmented and inconclusive.
Disciplining Customers at the Grand Seaside Hotel
Authors: Bunzel Dirk , Clegg Stewart , Teal Greg
Published: November 2010

The Grand Seaside Hotel is a large five-star hotel in an Australian Coastal town. It is a place that not only aspires to provide excellent service but that also seeks to reconcile two apparently divergent demands: the need for customized service and the efficient management of business operations. To commit staff to the provision of service excellence, management has introduced a customer service programme that relies on various forms of training and rewards, as well as a guest response system. The customer service programme, particularly the use of guest questionnaires, appear as disciplinary strategies that aim to produce service encounters in which both staff and guests are ‘normalized’. The main loci of ethnographic data collection for this paper are regular Management Briefings. Through data collected from these, the paper investigates the use of the ‘imaginary’ in constituting service encounters and guest expectations. It interprets these in terms of Foucault's Panoptic analysis to identify the immanent mechanisms of discipline in these customer service programmes.
Management Competencies: An Australian Assessment of Tourism and Hospitality Students
Authors: Dimmock Kay , Breen Helen , Walo Maree
Published: November 2010

Management education has the responsibility to provide industry with graduates equipped with relevant management competencies (Christou 2002). This paper agrees with this view and reports on the first and second stages of a longitudinal study that explores tourism and hospitality students' perceptions of their competency development in the first and final year of the Bachelor of Business in Tourism program. A self-assessment instrument that measures perceived competence in management competencies and roles within the Competing Values Framework (CVF) (Quinn, Thompson, Faerman & McGrath 1996) was used. Results from this investigation indicate that since the outset of their tertiary studies, students perceive they have begun to develop a majority of the competencies and roles tested. Students' perception of improving skills and competencies in these roles indicates they are taking steps towards mastery of management (Quinn et al. 1996), and thereby acquiring competence in areas important to their careers in industry. The outcomes of this research contribute to development of appropriate educational experiences, which in turn assist competency development that enhances student career opportunities and experiences.
Corporate Sustainability: Challenge to Managerial Orthodoxies
Authors: Dunphy Dexter
Published: November 2010

This paper addresses the issue of corporate sustainability. It examines why achieving sustainability is becoming an increasingly vital issue for society and organisations, defines sustainability and then outlines a set of phases through which organisations can move to achieve increasing levels of sustainability. Case studies are presented of organisations at various phases indicating the benefits, for the organisation and its stakeholders, which can be made at each phase. Finally the paper argues that there is a marked contrast between the two competing philosophies of neo-conservatism (economic rationalism) and the emerging philosophy of sustainability. Management schools have been strongly influenced by economic rationalism, which underpins the traditional orthodoxies presented in such schools. Sustainability represents an urgent challenge for management schools to rethink these traditional orthodoxies and give sustainability a central place in the curriculum.
The Institutionalisation of Business Ethics: Are New Zealand Organisations Doing Enough?
Authors: Pajo Karl , McGhee Peter
Published: November 2010

This paper reports the results of a survey investigating the institutionalisation of business ethics among New Zealand's top 200 organisations. A majority of the respondents indicated that steps were being taken by their organisation to incorporate ethical values into daily operations. However, fewer than a quarter of those surveyed indicated that resources were being set aside to accomplish the objective. The most popular tech-nique for institutionalising ethics was the development of a code of ethics. Training in ethics, ethics officers, and ethics committees were not in common use amongst the companies surveyed. Furthermore, very few organisations indicated that ethical behaviour was specifically rewarded. In contrast, a clear majority indicated that they punished unethical actions and made use of disciplinary processes to regulate employee behaviour. Follow-up interviews with a sample of managers from the organisations surveyed high-lighted a preference for the use of informal processes for the institutionalisation of business ethics.
Kiwi International Airlines: Judo Strategy and its Limits
Authors: Bowden Stephen
Published: November 2010

The story of Kiwi International Airlines is a brief one. Begun on a 'shoe-string’ in 1994 by Ewan Wilson, the airline had collapsed by 1996. But during that brief time Kiwi Airlines had a dramatic effect on trans-Tasman airfares. This case is designed to allow a discussion of the reasons behind Kiwi Airlines initial success and ultimate failure. The case is particularly suited to explaining the concept of Judo economics or Judo strategy.
Central Manawatu Timber
Authors: Lawrence John J , Elkin Graham
Published: November 2010

Fred Cowan had spent the first half of his working life in the timber industry in New Zealand. He had worked his way up through the industry with different companies and at a number of mills. At one point, he had been managing one of the largest sawmills in New Zealand. He had also done a fair amount of consulting on sawmill project, both in New Zealand and overseas (see Appendix 1 for an extract from his curriculum vitae), but for some time had wanted to own his own sawmill. He achieved that when the new Central Manawatu Timber (CMT) Edgehill mill opened in May 2001, with Fred as a joint owner with two partners.
Manawatu Knitting Mills: A Management Buy-Out Opportunity
Authors: Cameron Alan , Pech Richard
Published: November 2010

In skating over thin ice, our safety lies in speed (Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803-82)
Growth at Hubbard's Foods?
Authors: Kirkwood Jodyanne , Ruwhiu Diane
Published: November 2010

Dick Hubbard is the founder of Hubbard's Foods Limited. The company is a cereal manufacturer located in Mangere, Auckland. This case highlights the entrepreneurial flair that Dick has, as well as his stance on social responsibility. Hubbard's has grown from a micro-business into a large business with 120 staff, while maintaining a family based culture. It is this question of whether the business should grow further that is the focus of the case.
The Warehouse Group: Entry into Australia
Authors: Bowden Stephen
Published: November 2010

The Warehouse has been a company synonymous with growth and success in New Zealand since Stephen Tindall founded the company in 1982. By 1999, The Warehouse had become the largest retailer in New Zealand and had continued to steam ahead since. In early 2001, incoming CEO Greg Muir faced a real challenge in transferring that success across the Tasman into Australia. In August 2000, The Warehouse had acquired the Clint's Crazy Bargains/Silly Solly's chain of 115 discount variety stores in Australia. Could The Warehouse implement their format in Australia and would it be as successful as in New Zealand?
The Monteith's Affair: Bitter to the Loyal End?
Authors: Walton Sara , Grice Shayne , Catley Bevan
Published: November 2010

“I feel shattered. My soul aches. My stomach is queasy. My heart is in tatters.

Yours in total despair.”

Daniel O'Reagan (2001).”

This case revolves around what would normally have been a seemingly straightforward business decision. Instead, the events surrounding the reported closing of the Monteith's Brewery came to capture the New Zealand public's imagination and attention. Over a period of weeks in March 2001, it soon became clear that there was more at stake than simply the survival of a local brewery. The “Monteith's Affair,” as we shall call it, was to become the site, and catalyst, for an extensive discussion concerning the intersection of ‘good’ business practice, community and globalisation.
St. James Hospital: A Case in Crisis Management
Authors: Patti Charles H.
Published: November 2010

This definitely was not the type of day that St. James Hospital CEO, Paul Ryan, was expecting. As the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Hospital's new addition were about to begin, Paul found himself facing an unsympathetic press and an angry group of protesters. Clearly, he had a crisis on his hands.

St. James Hospital in Parramatta (Western Sydney area of New South Wales, Australia) is a 400-bed multi-specialty community hospital providing ambulatory care, acute care, and psychiatric care services to residents living within the five suburbs of Auburn, Holroyd, Parramatta, Blacktown, and Baulkhaum Hills in the area of Western Sydney. The population of this area is multi-cultural with nearly one-third of the population born overseas and thirty percent speaking a language other than English. The area's population also differs from the population of New South Wales in other demographic characteristics. Table 1 shows some of these differences, although the data do not always allow direct comparisons. These differences have presented the management and staff of St. James Hospital with special socio-cultural, financial, and communication challenges.
Governance and Management: Newton Central School
Authors: Paynter John
Published: November 2010

Vision: A school community founded upon a tiriti based relationship that nurtures enthusiastic learners, values diversity and celebrates success.

Newton Central School is a decile four, multicultural school in the ‘heart’ of Central Auckland close to the Ponsonby/Karangahape Road intersection. The past two to three years have seen a change of the cultural and economic make up of the school community, in part due to the gentrification of the inner city area. Many lower socio-economic Maori and Pacific Island families have moved from the area as change has taken place. However because of its character and programme offered, it attracts diversity and has retained its multicultural make-up.
Guaranteed Sweet or Guaranteed Non–Sweet – Fruit and the Future of Hortical Pty Ltd
Authors: Jackson John
Published: November 2010

We pick up the case as the new venture moves from a decade of dedicated scientific research into the early stages of becoming a commercially viable business. The case considers the potential of the Near Infra Red (NIR) spectroscopy technology to revolutionise the fruit markets of the world as well as the realities of trying to change existing practices and culture. The dilemma of first-mover advantage as compared to learning from the mistakes of early competitors is included. Various possible business models are introduced. The case also asks the students to consider some of the key issues of a new product/service launch.
The MBA at the Crossroads: Design Issues for the Future
Authors: Bubna-Litic David , Benn Suzanne
Published: November 2010

How appropriate is the MBA as the major vehicle for management education in Australia as we enter this new century? This question is explored from two perspectives. First, the implications of the changing social, economic and political context of management education, particularly the emerging needs for a sustainable and reflexive society. The second perspective will explore the recent debates around epistemology and their potentially important implications for related curriculum design issues. Assumptions about the nature of knowledge dominant in the 1960s formed the very rationale behind the design. At this time the assumption that knowledge was cumulative and each discipline had an uncontested knowledge, which could be taught in foundational subjects was central to the MBA's development. We question the ability of such subjects to capture the diversity of the disciplines they seek to represent and whether this design is the best way to develop graduates with the ability for reflexivity in action, who can broach different worldviews and have skills that can negotiate the transformations required of corporate Australia. The MBA is at the crossroads - can it regenerate through an incremental changing of curricula, to incorporate the active engagement of students with these issues? Or do we acknowledge the contested nature of knowledge creation and that the MBA is fundamentally a child of modernism which is no longer appropriate, and create a new holistic and integrated curriculum which is separate from the wide range of assumptions that currently underpin the MBA.
Hunting the Snark or Leading with Purpose? Managing the Enterprise University
Authors: Poole David , Robertson Bob
Published: November 2010

In Lewis Carroll's classic poem, ‘The Hunting of the Snark’, there is little understanding about what a ‘Snark’ actually might be. There is similar disagreement about the ways in which contemporary universities should be led and managed, and few writers move beyond broad generalisations for action. This is particularly truc for writers analysing higher education from the perspectives of sociological analyses (eg. Meek & Wood 1997) political economy, and institutional theory perspectivcs (eg. Marginson & Considine 2000). Building on recent research by Poole (2000, 2001a), the paper charts current understandings of university governance and leadership, identifies research gaps, and begins to explore how apparently dichotomous managerial choices may be reconciled by university leaders confronting the complexities of managing the enterprise university.

To seek it with thimbles, to seek it with careTo pursue it with forks and hopeTo threaten its life with a railway-shareTo charm it with smiles and soap!For the Snark's a peculiar creature that won'tBe caught in a commonplace way.Do all that you know, and try all that you don't:Not a chance must be wasted today!(Carroll 1973)
Careers and Organisations: A Figure–Ground Problem
Authors: Inkson Kerr
Published: November 2010

This paper argues that people's careers have great personal significance for them and energise much organisational activity, but that in the context of organisations and management they often appear irrelevant. Contrasting career metaphors are used to show how careers develop through tensions between organisational and social structure, and individual agency. The findings of a New Zealand research study show how new flexibilities and ambiguities in economic and organisation structures result in people developing careers which, like the Australasian “Big O.E.” institution, are mobile, improvisational, and learning-based. A reflexive model is used to show how careers can create organisations as well as vice versa. The implications of new career theories for workers, managers and management educators are indicated. Greater appreciation of career dynamics results in the subversion of some traditional management ideas and the development of new models of self- and organisational management.
Trust: A Neglected Variable in Team Effectiveness Research
Authors: Kiffin-Petersen Sandra
Published: November 2010

Trust is frequently espoused as being critical to effective team processes and performance. Yet, few studies have investigated the relationship between trust and team processes, or team effectiveness. There is currently a need to locate propensity to trust (a personality composition variable) and intragroup trust (an emergent state) within mainstream team effectiveness models, not only to provide much-needed theoretical and empirical support for trust's central role in team effectiveness, but also to increase our understanding of how trust influences team effectiveness. This paper argues that trust is a neglected variable within team effectiveness research that requires further empirical investigation.
Power and Influence During Advertiser – Agency Creative Briefing & Response: Getting to ‘Yes!’
Authors: Hill Railton
Published: November 2010

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.
What Constitutes Successful Entrepreneurship? An Analysis of Recent Australasian Awards Experiences
Authors: Kearins Kate , Luke Belinda , Corner Patricia
Published: November 2010

Theory about what constitutes entrepreneurial success is explored using case studies of the 2003 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award winners for Australia and New Zealand. Findings suggest the need to more equally emphasize what theory presents as elements of successful entrepreneurship, and importantly, incorporate ethics as a key dimension. Further, the analysis offers insight into how business awards processes in general might be conducted.

Entrepreneurship has long been considered an important economic activity. The past twenty years has witnessed an explosion of research into entrepreneurs and their actions (Venkatarman 1997; Hannafey 2003) with considerable emphasis on the elements that constitute successful entrepreneurship. However, there has been little empirical work substantiating these elements or exploring the extent to which they appear to be considered when judgements are made about entrepreneurial success. Additionally, some entrepreneurs that are judged successful, such as Monty Fu who won an entrepreneur of the year award in the United States, are later shown to be unsuccessful along a number of elements. It may be that some elements are more emphasized when judging entrepreneurial endeavours, than are others. For these reasons, the current paper focuses on the construction of successful entrepreneurship. It addresses the following research questions: Are there some elements of entrepreneurship that appear to be more emphasized than are others when judgements are made about successful entrepreneurs? Would recourse to theory help decide successful entrepreneurship?
Power Dynamics and Learning in Collaborations
Authors: Lotia Nuzhat
Published: November 2010

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.
Comparative Modelling of the Social Processes of Leadership in Work Units
Authors: Parry Ken
Published: November 2010

This research tests the extent to which the social processes of leadership, as derived from the full grounded theory method, may be tapping constructs other than those measured by existing measures of transformational leadership. The impact on work unit outcomes of two measures of transformational leadership and the social processes of leadership scale (SPL) were tested. Comparative structural equation modelling was undertaken. It was found that, with one exception – ‘active management processes’, normally classified as transactional management – measures of transformational leadership are probably pre-existing measures of the social processes of leadership in organisations. The use of the grounded theory method to research leadership is supported. Hierarchy of Abstraction Modelling is useful as a training tool and as a representation of research findings.
Intrapreneurship in Australian Firms
Authors: Fitzsimmons Jason R. , Douglas Evan J. , Antoncic Bostjan , Hisrich Robert D.
Published: November 2010

This paper reports on the nature and extent of intrapreneurship (or corporate entrepreneurship) practiced by Australian businesses. We examined the relationship between measures of corporate entrepreneurship and finn growth and profitability. and utilised measures devised by earlier researchers attempting to assess corporate entrepreneurship, viz: new business venturing, innovativeness, self-renewal, and proactiveness. Control variables included industry, finn age, and finn size. Interestingly, we found that the items measuring corporate entrepreneurship loaded onto not four but five factors, effectively splitting the self-renewal measure into two distinct elements, Profitability was significantly correlated with self-renewal (negative) and organisational support (positive) while growth was found to be significantly and positively related to both new business venturing and environmental munificence.
The Fashionable Adoption of Online Learning Technologies in Australian Universities
Authors: Pratt Jonathan
Published: November 2010

During the 1990s, many Australian universities adopted innovative new online learning technologies without critical examination of their merit to those institutions, leading in some cases to wasted resources, unfulfilled expectations, program and organisational failure. Given that limited theoretical and empirical explanations have addressed this important research problem, this paper discusses and applies a management fashion framework to this research problem and argues that online learning technologies could be conceptualised as a management fashion, following the empirical work of Abrahamson and Fairchild (1999). The major contributions of this paper are to identify an important yet under-researched area in higher education research, demonstrate the utility of a management fashion framework in this context, and propose a number of recommendations for policy makers, university managers and academics confronted with educational innovations.
Using Performance Measures to Assess Performance of Indoor and Outdoor Aquatic Centres
Authors: Howat Gary , Crilley Gary , Murray Duncan
Published: November 2010

A recent trend throughout Australia has been to develop multi-purpose indoor public aquatic centres in favour of outdoor pools. Such major policy and planning decisions often rely on consultants' feasibility studies, yet there is limited comprehensive industry-wide data available on which to base such decisions. The industry-wide performance measures discussed in this paper help fill this void by providing objective data to support the contention that multi-purpose indoor aquatic centres tend to outperform centres with solely outdoor pools. The key indicators of performance are based on financial viability and community participation data for a sample of Australian public aquatic centres.
Scientists, Career Choices and Organisational Change: Managing Human Resources in Cross Sector R&D Organisations
Authors: Turpin Tim , Garrett-Jones Sam , Diment Kieren
Published: November 2010

The resource-based view of the firm has drawn attention to the role of human resources in building innovative capacity within firms. In ‘high technology’ firms, scientific capability is a critical factor in achieving international competitiveness. Science, however, is a costly business and many firms are entering into cross-sector R&D partnerships in order to gain access to leading edge scientific capability. The Australian Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) program is typical of the ways many governments are seeking to promote such cross-sector R&D collaboration. Scientists are key resources in these organisational arrangements. However, there is only fragmentary information available about why and when scientists choose to work in these cross-sector organisations rather than others, or the impact of changing funding regimes on their career choices. Similarly, there has been little research into the impact of such partnerships and career choices on the organisations in which scientists work. This paper presents some findings from two new ARC funded studies in Australia designed to investigate the careers of scientists and the organisational and career implications of participation in cross-sector R&D collaboration. One of our findings is that CRCs may not endure as long term ‘hybrid’ organisational arrangements as some observers have suggested, but rather remain as transitional structure influencing the partners involved and the careers of scientists. This has important implications for the managers of CRCs as well as those responsible for partner organisations.
The Influence of Company Rules, Ethical Climate, and Individual Characteristics on Sales Representative's Honesty
Authors: Grover Steven L. , Enz Cathy A.
Published: November 2010

This study examined the impact of situational and individual characteristics on sales representatives' propensity to lie or to tell the truth. The situational elements were the honesty of the organisation climate and its formal rules about lying to customers. The individual elements were the participants' degree of Machiavellianism and tolerance for ambiguity. The results indicated that more Machiavellian people were more likely to lie and that they were less guided by the rules than people who were low in this trait. In addition, rules and climate work together for people with a high tolerance for ambiguity in a complex manner.
The Outsourcing Debate: Theories and Findings
Authors: Clegg Stewart R. , Burdon Steve , Nikolova Natalia
Published: November 2010

This paper addresses the issue of services outsourcing by looking at both theoretical and empirical arguments. Previous debates have often concentrated on the motives for adopting the practice rather than the outcomes. These various themes can be discussed under the twin concepts of the cost and efficiency argument and the fashion and isomorphism approach. Our research provides strong evidence to support the cost efficiency argument. On average, significant cost advantages were sought and delivered, as well as improvements in service levels and systems. Many organisations in the current environment in Australia look at outsourcing not only as a method of increasing efficiency but also as gaining competitive advantage through harnessing the superior specialist skills and experience of the outsourcing provider who takes someone's back office function and transforms them into their front office. A 10% net cost saving was considered necessary by an organisation before embarking on an organisational change that was disruptive and in some cases involved downside risks. Even if other efficiency gains such as service levels or systems improvements were required, so were 10%+ cost savings. A number of the organisations thought their skills in managing outsourcing had improved considerably such that they were in a position to move from a client/server relationship to a partnership model (i.e. an alliance).
A Conversation on Conversations: A Research Journey with Professor Anne Sigismund Hufe - Technische Universität München (TUM)
Authors: Kemp Sharon
Published: November 2010

Anne S. Huff has a reputation that goes before her for helping other academics, particularly in their endeavours to have their work published. I attended one of Anne's sessions on writing for scholarly publication and had my eyes opened to the traps a researcher can fall into; I was also made aware of ways to focus my effort to maximum effect In the workshop sessions that Anne conducts she shares her successes but also acknowledges she too had difficulties in getting her research accepted for publication. I trusted that her advice was sound because she has been there and done that.

Some time after the workshop I felt the need to bring the conversations that we had during that workshop to a wider audience. I asked Anne if she would consent to an interview that would take readers along one of her research journeys. To my surprise Anne was more than delighted to do the interview and she found the idea of having the focus of our conversation on the process or research journey she undertook rather than the outcomes that are usually reported in journals quite novel. We agreed to meet at the EURAM 2005 conference which she co-organised.

Research is reported in a different way than it was first conceived An interesting (but often undiscussed) aspect of research is the process or journey that is undertaken to reach the reported outcomes. Junior and senior staff alike can learn a great deal from understanding the research journey that eminent scholars have undertaken. In this conversation Professor Huff takes us along the research path she followed in several projects, especially work with Professor Louis Pondy between 1979 and 1986. Anne discusses how the research changed shape over time as well as detailing how and why the research came to an end. She gives us an insight into problems that resulted in deviations from an initial research plan. Through Anne's discussion of the research we discover how issues were handled and with the benefit of hindsight what aspects of the research she would change. Finally, Anne shares some general lessons for undertaking research.
Leadership learning through lived experience: A process of apprenticeship?
Authors: Kempster Stephen
Published: November 2010

This paper develops an understanding of underlying influences shaping leadership learning within a single organization. It is not an exploration of leadership but rather an explanation of how individuals learn how to lead. Through in-depth interviews with six directors of a UK multinational public limited company and, using critical realist grounded-theory, underlying causes have been identified that build upon existing research but then goes further to provide a systemic and integrated explanation of leadership learning. A model is suggested to illustrate how causal influences, operating in a particular context, influence how people develop their ability to lead. I argue that the metaphor of apprenticeship captures the essence of how underlying influences shape the long-term process of leadership learning: an apprenticeship perspective has significant implications to the efficacy and effectiveness of leadership development interventions.
Situational stress and restriction of stylistic repertoire in high potential managerial aspirants: Implications for the implementation of the ‘new organization’
Authors: McAdam Neil
Published: November 2010

The literature on new organizational forms commonly stresses the key role of ‘collaborative individuals’ in delivering the challenging balance of creativity and productivity, vision and focus, openness and decisiveness critical to achieving coherence and responsiveness in the turbulent environment of the 21st Century. This paper reports a recent study that considers these requirements as expressed by competing psychological types/brain styles and assesses the impact of stressors within the task environment on the breadth of stylistic repertoire of high-potential managerial aspirants. It finds that stress significantly shrinks stylistic repertoire and, more critically, moves the focus away from creative, collaborative and ambiguity-tolerant styles towards performance-driven, control-oriented, and grounded styles. The implications of this finding for building the strategically coherent but flexible and developmental cultures advocated in the ‘new organization’ literature are discussed.
The Tertiary Education Advisory Commission (TEAC) reforms
Authors: English Bill
Published: November 2010

In this article Bill English, New Zealand's Shadow Minister for Education, tells the story of New Zealand's tertiary education policy development over the past several years. His perspective comes from time in government and from time in opposition. He concludes with the lessons to be learnt, and his prognosis of the main issues to be confronted by that tertiary sector, in the years to come. The lessons to be learnt are just as valuable for the Australian sector as they are for New Zealand academicians.

In this article, Polytechnics are the equivalent of the old Colleges of Advanced Education in Australia, or roughly between the TAFE and university sectors. MMP (mixed member proportional) is the proportional system of electing the New Zealand Parliament. This system is similar to the method by which Australians elect their federal Senate. A Wananga is a tertiary institution set up by statute to focus on the educational needs of Maori.
Emotional labour and negative job outcomes: An evaluation of the mediating role of emotional dissonance
Authors: Dijk Pieter A Van , Brown Andrea Kirk
Published: November 2010

Conflicting empirical findings in studies assessing the relationship between emotional labour and negative job outcomes are partly due to the lack of clarity regarding the conceptualisation and measurement of emotional dissonance. Emotional dissonance has been variously described and measured as an antecedent or as a consequence of the performance of emotional labour, as well as an inherent component of emotional labour. Recent conceptualisations of dissonance have proposed a mediator role for emotional dissonance between emotional labour and the outcome of emotional exhaustion. Concepts from cognitive dissonance theory support this conceptualisation and were used to empirically test this proposed relationship with a sample of 181 staff from two tourism based organisations providing a range of visitor/customer services. The results demonstrated a significant partial mediation role for emotional dissonance in the relationship between emotional labour and emotional exhaustion, supporting the use of a more theoretically and methodologically consistent measure of emotional dissonance.
The expression of suppression: Loss and emotional labour in narratives of organisational change
Authors: Bryant Melanie , Cox Julie Wolfram
Published: November 2010

This paper focuses on themes of emotionality and emotional labour derived inductively from retrospective narratives constructed by employees who experienced rapid organisational change and specifically addresses the question: ‘How do people talk about the need to “dull down” their emotions during situations of organisational change?’ We highlight themes of loss associated with retrospective displays of emotion and argue that loss and emotion management are most typically associated with issues concerning transition from the past or resistance to the future. We show how emotional labour serves both to mute and, ironically, to heighten emotions in the talk of change and extend studies of emotional labour beyond the service encounter and into the realm of organisational change.
The impact of negative mood on team performance
Authors: Jordan Peter J , Lawrence Sandra A , Troth Ashlea C
Published: November 2010

Although organisations often implement team-based structures to improve performance, such restructuring does not automatically ameliorate poor performance. The study in this article explores the relationship between team members' negative mood and team processes (social cohesion, workload sharing, team conflict) to determine if negative mood has a detrimental effect on team performance via team processes. Two hundred and forty one participants completed surveys and were involved in an independently rated performance task that was completed over eight weeks. Negative mood was found to influence team processes and as a consequence, team performance. The results, however, were not uniformly negative. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
The downside of coping: Work–family conflict, employee burnout and the moderating effects of coping strategies
Authors: Haar Jarrod M
Published: November 2010

This study explored the relationship between work–family conflict and employee burnout, with a sample of 203 New Zealand government workers. Two types of conflict (work–family and family–work) were significant predictors of employee burnout. This supports the bi-directional nature of work–family conflict. In addition, the moderating effects of employee coping strategies were explored. Positive thinking coping had no significant effect on either work–family or family–work conflict and burnout. Direct action coping intensified the negative relationships for both work–family and family–work conflict, with employees coping through working harder suffering intensified burnout effects. In addition, resignation coping also intensified the family–work conflict and employee burnout relationship. The implications for employers and employees are discussed.