bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Criterion Problems in Rehabilitation Outcome Research: A Comment on Allison and Stephens (2004)
Authors: Murphy Gregory C. 
Published: August 2016

The recent article by Allison and Stephens, ‘The assessment of pain beliefs and their role in predicting recovery from repetitive strain injury’, addressed an important issue for both rehabilitation counsellor practitioners as well as for rehabilitation researchers — the role of people's beliefs in influencing their behaviours and achievements while living with chronic conditions or recovering from traumatic injuries (Radnitz, 2000). Using chronic pain patients as study participants, the authors assessed pain beliefs and then correlated belief scores with three indices of ‘recovery’ (function improvement, pain decrease and total improvement). While the study as reported had a number of strengths, there were two aspects of the published article which concerned me as an academic who is heavily involved in teaching and conducting research in the area of understanding factors that influence rehabilitation ‘recovery’. One of my concerns has to do with the design of the study, and my other concern pertains to the conclusions drawn by the authors following the analysis of the (minimal) relationships between the study's key pain and functioning constructs. Both of these concerns are elaborated upon in the following paragraphs.My concern with the design of the study is only important because of the title of the paper and the conclusions that the low obtained correlations seemingly precipitated. The title of Allison and Stephens' paper contains the phrase ‘…predicting recovery …’. Yet the criterion measures used in the study are open to extreme criticism as adequate measures of ‘recovery’. Identifying appropriate criteria in applied research is rarely easy (Ronan & Prien, 1966; Smith, 1976) but ignoring traditional observable measures of rehabilitation progress (such as enhanced self management and increased assumption of normal role responsibilities) means that rehabilitation counsellors reading the article can learn little about the influence of pain beliefs on the reeular behaviours of their clients.
Is it only a matter of time until the Conventional Treatment Simulator becomes obsolete? Critical evaluation of the CT-simulator
Authors: Bichan K. A. 
Published: August 2016

The benefits of employing computed tomography (CT) into the planning process of radiotherapy has been well established over the last 20 years. The cross sectional images provide invaluable information that enable clinicians to plan patients treatment with confidence. More recently there has been the development of the CT-simulator (CT-sim), however its place in the clinical setting has still to be established.One of the most anticipated questions is “will the CT-simulator replace the present conventional treatment simulator as a tool for simulation?” There appear to be tremendous reasons why it should, but there are also many issues that need to be addressed.This discussions aims to critically assess the practical and technical aspects of the new technology, by means of reviewing published literature. The aim is to decipher whether its introduction into the planning process is realistic and appropriate for all radiotherapy patients, and whether it has the possibility to replace the treatment simulator.Issues concerned with image production, simulation (virtual), planning, cost, quality assurance (QA) and patient criteria (i.e. radical and palliative patients) have been reviewed. The Study concludes that the CT-sim has the realistic possibility to dramatically improve the treatment intent of all radiotherapy patients. Although there are situations where the treatment simulator appears to supersede the CT-sim, there still appears to be a place for it within the planning process.
Careers and Organisations: A Figure–Ground Problem
Authors: Inkson Kerr 
Published: August 2016

ABSTRACTThis 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.
Public Sector Managers and Ethical Dilemmas
Authors: Ehrich Lisa Catherine , Cranston Neil , Kimber Megan 
Published: August 2016

ABSTRACTControversies surrounding the behaviour of ministers and high profile leaders seem to be commonplace in public life. That there has been a resurgence of interest in the study of ethics is not surprising. The spotlight on ethics in the public domain has been due in part to the crisis in confidence about government and a lack of public trust in organisations. Furthermore, a complex organisational environment where managers are being required to juggle a ‘multitude of competing obligations and interests’ (Cooper 1998, p. 244) has provided fertile ground for the emergence of ethical dilemmas. In this paper we put forward a tentative model that reveals important inputs that bear upon an individual, such as a public sector manager, who is confronted with an ethical dilemma. In the final part of the paper we illustrate the model's efficacy with an ethical dilemma described by a retired senior public servant to determine whether the model works in practice.
Growth Models in the New Zealand Wine Industry: Some Case Study Evidence
Authors: Beverland Mike , Lockshin Lawrence S 
Published: August 2016

AbstractOne 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.
Is The Sense We Take Equal To The Sense We Make? A Discussion on Sensemaking and Power in Organisations
Authors: Gordon Raymond D 
Published: August 2016

AbstractSensemaking is recognised as one of the key contemporary approaches to organisation studies. It not only responds to current debates in the field, but also appears to offer a way out of the unproductive and misguided paradigm wars of recent times. The sensemaking literature, however, addresses power implicitly. Sensemaking and the power-knowledge nexus is discussed, giving rise to an argument that suggests the sense people make in organizations may not be entirely their own. Rather, the sense people make may be largely constituted for them in the sense criteria (historical antecedents - constituted knowledge and codes of order) and the political context of the setting in and of, which they are making sense. Implications for managers and future research in regard to how people come to make the sense that they do are contemplated.
Training Performance Raters Through Error-based Experiential Learning
Authors: Debowski Shelda 
Published: August 2016

AbstractHuman 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: August 2016

AbstractThe 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.
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: August 2016

AbstractThe 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.
Expanding Management: Issues and Impacts of Women in Management Research
Authors: Pringle Judith 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThis paper reviews women in management research, as it moves from being a specialisation, to a source on influence on the mainstream. Specifically, there has been a shift from women to gender as a conceptual framework, which has led to explorations of identity issues in the workplace. There is a growing acceptance of organisations as manifestations of masculinity that is being differentiated into masculinities. The intersection of identities such as genders, race and ethnicity is beginning to be explored. The extensive work on sexual harassment is broadening to include research into the subtle but explicit presence of sexuality in organisations. Women have moved in management and are poised at the brink of senior management. At this point many women leave and studies are beginning to explore the functioning of women run organisations. Finally the potential ability of women in management research to expand the concept of management is noted.
The Two Faces of Authority: A Critique
Authors: Spillane Robert , Spillane Lynda 
Published: August 2016

AbstractIn the management literature, authority is generally defined as, or confused with, power (legitimate or otherwise) on the one hand, or (less frequently) attributed to subordinate concession on the other. In short, authority is thought to have two faces. The aim of the present paper is to demonstrate the confusions surrounding the use of authority and to suggest that more attention should be directed to the important differences between authority, power and legitimacy. An analysis of managerial authority is discussed that argues for the crucial relationship, recognised by the ancients, between authority and rhetoric. Authority, it is argued, is not legitimate power but a source of power and is established by effective rhetoric.
Technology Policy, Task Uncertainty and Organisational Performance
Authors: Dunk Alan S. , Roohani Saeed J. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractFactors influencing organisational performance have attracted attention, both in the literature and in practice, as a means of responding to increasing market competition. One factor that may enhance performance is a technology policy and a number of organisations have implemented such policies. Technology policy proponents argue that a society's capacity for sustained technological innovation is crucial to its economic well being. The primary purpose of the present paper is to investigate the extent to which organisational performance is influenced by the use of a technology policy. Since the literature suggests that task difficulty and task variability may influence this relationship, the paper also examines these relationships. The results suggest there is an association between technology policy and performance and that this relation is influenced by task difficulty, but not task variability. The relationship between technology policy and performance seems to greater when task difficulty is high than it is when task difficulty is low.
Human Resources on the Waterfront: Managing History
Authors: Whiteley A. , McCabe M. , Savery L. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe present paper examines the introduction of the Conaust (Fremantle) 1991 Enterprise Based Agreement (EBA). It is more about impressions than about ‘facts’, presenting an interpretive view of the likelihood that the environment at Conaust was conducive to the deep change required by the EBA. The paper describes the nature of waterfront workers' (wharfie) work, the employee relations context within which the waterfront culture developed, the history of Conaust in Fremantle and the Conaust EBA. A central focus of the paper is the contradistinction between behaviours that were a part of the strong waterfront history and those that were accepted as part of the future.
Marketing Decision Support Systems and Australian Businesses: A Queensland Case Study and Implications Towards 2000
Authors: Buttery Alan , Tamaschke Rick 
Published: August 2016

AbstractLittle is known about the extent to which the Marketing Decision Support System (MDSS) technology is currently used in Australia, or about the scope for the technology in Australia towards the year 2000. This paper reports the results of recent survey research into MDSS in Queensland by industry sector (agriculture and mining, manufacturing, construction, and services). The results suggest that there is an urgent need to boost the pace of MDSS development in all industry sectors, and that this should be given a high priority in government policy initiatives to enhance Australia's competitive advantage. It is possible, otherwise, that the present gap in information usage between Australia and its competitors will widen, with consequent negative implications for the nation's current account deficit, foreign debt and unemployment.
MBA Graduate Education in the People's Republic of China
Authors: Zhao Shunting 
Published: August 2016

AbstractChina has adopted economic reform and an open door policy and decided to establish a socialist market economy, which has not only strengthened her economic power and accelerated her modernization process, but also promoted her educational development and reform. The development of MBA graduate education in China is a very good example of this. However, it has taken quite a long time for the MBA program to receive attention from government, industry, business circles, colleges and universities and people from all walks of life. On the one hand, the development of the MBA program in China shows that the economic reform and modernization process have had a great effect on the demand for qualified personnel; on the other hand, the MBA program suits the design of China's market economic system and promotes China's social and economic development.
Snakes and Ladders: Relocation and the Dual Career Couple
Authors: Pierce Jennifer , Delahaye Brian L. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe dual career couple is a contemporary and growing phenomenon in western industrialised nations. There are numerous human resource management issues associated with the dual career couple. The focus of this paper is on just one of these issues — employee relocation. The research reported here found that dual career employees are concerned about their partner's career prospects and unless current career levels can be maintained for the trailing partner, organisations may experience relocation resistance. Of specific interest in the Australian context is that organisations with operations in country areas may be particularly affected, since country areas are less likely to offer desirable career opportunities for trailing partners. Further, organisational mobility expectations frequently force couples to decide which partner's career will take precedence. Historically it has been the male partner's career, even in dual career relationships. The findings from this study suggest that such decisions are becoming more complex, with couples placing greater emphasis on economic and quality of life concerns. Traditionally, organisations have relied on employee mobility as a career development strategy. However, greater emphasis on long-term human resource planning is advocated to facilitate career development strategies which are less reliant on geographical relocation. Further, if organisations are to retain their dual career employees, relocation assistance packages may need re-assessment to reflect the needs of those employees who are unwilling to sacrifice their partners' careers for the sake of their own.
Transformational Leadership and Substitutes for Management: An Exploratory Analysis
Authors: Weierter Stuart J. M. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractContemporary writers on management highlight the need for improved leadership within organisations. In this respect, this paper proposes and tests a model that incorporates leadership behaviours, situational variables, and traditional managerial behaviours. The results of this study indicated that, in highly formalised work environments, increasing work group cooperation reduces the need for direction provided by management. Furthermore, the transformational leader behaviours of individualised consideration and intellectual stimulation appeared to impact positively on perceptions of work group cooperation. These findings provide a basis for further research that examines the effects of transformational leader behaviours together with situational variables.
Information Technology Success Factors for Small Business Managers
Authors: Drennan Judy , Bodi Anna 
Published: August 2016

AbstractInformation Technology (IT) provides great scope for small business to gain benefits in terms of customer service, productivity, business growth, return on investment, profits and time based competitiveness. Yet these outcomes are not guaranteed. In this study of 80 small businesses in Victoria, which have been drawn into IT networks by larger organisations and invested in IT, factors which inhibit or promote gains are investigated. One important aspect is whether certain characteristics related to the small business manager show a relationship with ‘success’ or positive outcome indicators. Data analysis indicates that factors such as length of time using computers, accessibility of information and positive attitude towards IT change are associated with the extent to which business benefits are realised.
Organisational Myths and Storytelling as Communication Management: A Conceptual Framework for Learning an Organisation's Culture
Authors: Kaye Michael 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThis paper explains how organisational myths and stories are vehicles of communication management (Kaye 1993; 1994). Contemporary scholars (eg Brown 1992; Boje 1991b) have argued that stories and myths are not only important communicative tools for learning within organisations but also powerful media for bringing about changes in people and in the culture of their workplace. People-associated changes include ways in which professional relationships and interpersonal communication are affected. In turn, the effects of mythologising and storytelling on organisational behaviour and communication are likely to have further-reaching consequences in shaping the culture of human systems.Myth-making in organisations involves the identification of heroic and legendary archetypes. Such archetypes often serve as exemplars or role models for people-in-systems. The telling of stories involving heroic role models can have a marked influence on the shaping of communication between managers and their staff. Often the exploits of heroes become embellished through repeated oral versions. Stories gradually acquire a mythical quality or status. Significantly, the incorporation of stories into an organisation's culture will depend a lot on the credibility of the storyteller. When managers are perceived to have high credibility, they have a powerful means of helping those they supervise to learn, to achieve professional goals, and thus to contribute to the strategic growth of their organisations.In this paper, myth-making and storytelling are considered to be specialised facets of communicative competence and analysed in terms of the Adult Communication Management Model (Kaye 1993; 1994). Attention is given to the effect of myth-making and storytelling on the covert ‘shadow-side’ culture of human systems. It is argued that the understanding and management of shadow-side communication is an integral component of effective organisational behaviour and survival. It is also proposed that such understanding and the ability to manage shadow-side communication is closely related to managers' awareness of prevailing myths and stories within their organisations. Finally, it is argued that managers who are skilled storytellers have the opportunity to help their staff develop communication abilities in a workplace conducive to learning.
LTβR controls thymic portal endothelial cells for haematopoietic progenitor cell homing and T-cell regeneration
Authors: Shi Yaoyao , Wu Weiwei , Chai Qian , Li Qingqing , Hou Yu , Xia Huan , Ren Boyang , Xu Hairong , Guo Xiaohuan , Jin Caiwei , Lv Mengjie , Wang Zhongnan , Fu Yang-Xin , Zhu Mingzhao 
Published: August 2016

AbstractContinuous thymic homing of haematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) via the blood is critical for normal T-cell development. However, the nature and the differentiation programme of specialized thymic endothelial cells (ECs) controlling this process remain poorly understood. Here using conditional gene-deficient mice, we find that lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTβR) directly controls thymic ECs to guide HPC homing. Interestingly, T-cell deficiency or conditional ablation of T-cell-engaged LTβR signalling results in a defect in thymic HPC homing, suggesting the feedback regulation of thymic progenitor homing by thymic products. Furthermore, we identify and characterize a special thymic portal EC population with features that guide HPC homing. LTβR is essential for the differentiation and homeostasis of these thymic portal ECs. Finally, we show that LTβR is required for T-cell regeneration on irradiation-induced thymic injury. Together, these results uncover a cellular and molecular pathway that governs thymic EC differentiation for HPC homing.