bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Human Resources on the Waterfront: Managing History
Authors: Whiteley A. , McCabe M. , Savery L. 
Published: November 2010

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.
If Management is ‘Common Sense’, Why is Sense in Management so Uncommon?
Authors: Lamond David 
Published: November 2010

AbstractOne of the more regular observations of management students and managers is that it (management) is all ‘common sense.’ We are left to ponder then, ‘if management is common sense, why is sense in management so uncommon?’ This question is prompted by observations of managers and their decisions and actions over a number of years and reflections about various models of management. It is also a question appropriately asked in light of ‘globalisation,’ which is currently fashionable. Can ‘sense’ in management ever be ‘common,’ or do we need to revise our understanding of what is a ‘sound, practical perception or understanding’ according to the contexts within which the perceptions take place?
Women Working as Casual Academics: A Marginalised Group
Authors: Bassett Penny , Marshall Helen 
Published: November 2010

AbstractOrganisations 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 Two Faces of Authority: A Critique
Authors: Spillane Robert , Spillane Lynda 
Published: November 2010

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.
The Myth of the Disposition: Motivation and Personality in Management
Authors: Spillane Robert , Martin John 
Published: November 2010

AbstractReaders of management books frequently find themselves among experts who claim to know about motivational and personality dispositions. However, they find it impossible to agree on the most basic of details. This paper argues that dispositions are myths derived from an inadequate grasp of their dubious logical and linguistic status. Concepts such as need, motive and trait are logically deficient because of the inherent problem of circularity and linguistically inadequate because of the vagueness of definition that applies to all dispositional theories. Two leading representatives of the motivational dispositional perspective in management [David McClelland and Abraham Maslow] serve as the basis for case studies in which the notions of need and motive are shown to be problematic. Personality traits are also analysed critically and reveal similar deficiencies. An analysis of the authoritarian personality serves as a third case study and reveals an important negative relationship between personality and intelligence. It is argued that personality reflects deficiencies rather than dispositions and an alternative view is offered which treats individuals as pattern perceivers and rational choosers of goals. Such a view, however, works against dispositionalism's scientism, which has found much favour with managers and their consultants for the past fifty years. Why this should be the case is briefly explored.
Black-Box Protection of Core Competencies in Strategic Alliances
Authors: Milgate Michael 
Published: November 2010

AbstractThis 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.
Lessons From the Evolution of the Strategy Paradigm
Authors: O'Shannassy Tim 
Published: November 2010

AbstractA review of the strategy literature suggests there have been five phases in the evolution of the field since the Second World War. The present paper discusses each of these phases, drawing on developments in each decade to determine the key lessons for managers and researchers. In particular, it is suggested that ongoing concerns with the effectiveness of strategy implementation in the 1980s and 1990s have led the field to pay greater attention to managers' thought processes, the use of technology, organisational learning, organisational politics, organisational culture and group dynamics. It also appears that a debate has evolved as to whether strategy should be practiced as art, a science or a combination of both.
Australian Management Attitudes Toward Public Relations: Strategic Opportunities Lost
Authors: Steiner Carol J. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractThis paper reports some empirical research that examines how senior managers in large Australian organisations view and use public relations. The results suggest few Australian organisations practice ‘symmetric public relations,’ which means encouraging stakeholder participation in decisions, especially in corporate strategic planning. This may well represent lost strategic opportunities as it limits the scope of a firm's orientation to its external environment and denies firms the benefit of such an orientation.
Operationalising Vision and Mission
Authors: French Steven N , Kelly Stephen J , Harrison Jennifer L 
Published: November 2010

AbstractThis paper discusses an exploratory investigation into vision and mission, the starting points of the classical strategic planning process (Ginter, Rucks and Duncan 1985). Constructs measuring vision and mission are identified, as well as three other items that are frequently cited in the literature as being critical for effective formulation and implementation of vision and mission statements (latent abilities, market focus and competitor focus). It is argued that clearer definitions of these constructs and others discussed in strategic literature are a necessary step to allow empirical investigation into the interactions inherent in the strategic process.
Is The Sense We Take Equal To The Sense We Make? A Discussion on Sensemaking and Power in Organisations
Authors: Gordon Raymond D 
Published: November 2010

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.
Is the Interaction of International Diversification and Economic Performance a Linear Relationship?
Authors: Mangos Nicholas C. , OBrien Peter W , Damania Richard 
Published: November 2010

AbstractThe current study analyses the effect of an international diversification strategy measured by multi-nationality and country scope, and tests its relationship with economic performance in the context of Australian corporate activity. Evidence from previous US studies on the relationship between international diversification strategy and economic performance was inconclusive, which suggests that research should go further with empirical analysis than testing for a linear relationship and should test for curvilinear relationships resulting from transactions costs analysis. Guided by that evidence a Chow test was used in the current study to establish a cut-off point that divided the sample of Australian firms into two subgroups (low-to-moderate and high level international diversification) to determine whether a non-linear relationship existed between economic performance and international diversification. This approach followed a similar technique used by Hitt, Hosskisson and Kim, (1997) and was used in this study as a method for determining two subgroups. The sample was selected from the population of large firms in Australia over a three-year period covering 1993-1995. The results suggest there is a statistically significant non-linear relationship between economic performance and multi-nationality. The results suggest that Australian corporations may be sensitive to the effect of transaction and managerial processing costs on the relationship between multi-nationality and economic performance resulting in a non-linear relationship.
Telecommuting and Perceived Productivity: An Australian Case Study
Authors: Tamrat Elsabet , Smith Malcolm 
Published: November 2010

AbstractThe concept of widespread “telecommuting” in a community envisages the presence of large numbers of employees who, instead of commuting to work, perform either all or a significant fraction of their tasks at home. It is widely accepted that large-scale adoption of telecommuting is just a matter of time in those countries with the necessary telecommunications infrastructure.This paper reports on the conduct of a telecommuting project in a large Australian organisation. The data and the analyses demonstrate that, overall, the telecommuting project has been successful and brought benefits to both the employees and the organisation. The results also indicate the presence of strong positive links between the relationship/interactions telecommuters had with their supervisors, and the telecommuters' perception both of their own productivity, and their levels of satisfaction with the telecommuting experience. The tasks which telecommuters performed were also related to the employees' perception of productivity and job satisfaction.
The Case of the Bougainville Mine: Success and Failure in the Management of a Multinational Corporation
Authors: Tonks Graeme R , Dowling Peter J 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTAlthough inquiry into the impact of contextual factors on the governance of multinational enterprises (MNEs) has increased, primary attention has centred on MNEs from developed countries, which operate in other industrialised economies. There has been relatively little research into organisations from developed nations involved in less developed countries (LDCs). As this dearth of inquiry is particularly evident in South Pacific economies, this paper examines the management of Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL), an Australian mining company that operated in Papua New Guinea (PNG) until it was violently expelled by local communities in 1990. While this study supports research claiming that MNE performance depends upon the alignment of firms' internal and external environments, it demonstrates that alignment becomes increasingly difficult as characteristics in the host setting deviate from those in the home country. More importantly, it reveals that MNEs cannot survive under extremely divergent home—host conditions despite management efforts to control environmental variables. It also establishes that MNEs should focus contextual congruency on the host society, not the host country as widely suggested in the literature.
Sister State Agreements - Developing a Screening Grid to Aid Public Sector Management in Improving Performance Outcomes
Authors: Gatfield Terry 
Published: November 2010

AbstractAustralia is highly dependent on imports of products and services. The cost of these has to be serviced by exports to achieve a balance of trade. Unfortunately in most years the result is a deficit. Contemporary international trade theory indicates the need for a State government and private industry nexus to initiate and enhance trade outcomes. One of the key aspects of this nexus is the role of Sister State Agreements. However these high level government-to-government agreements are not subject to extensive research. This paper explores the Sister State Agreements of Queensland by designing a screening grid map using two axes each a construct of multiple variables. The map is designed with a view to examining how public sector management can advance the effectiveness of trade outcomes.Note: A conference working paper based on this article was presented at the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2001 conference.
Career Plateauism: End of the Road or Just Another Fork?
Authors: Joseph Jacob , Simmons Bret , Abramowicz Kenneth , Girardi Tonia 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTThis paper is based on a study of a large U.S. multinational corporation, examining the importance of career plateauism, the condition whereby more employees find that opportunities for promotions are limited or non-existent. This phenomenon has gained special attention with corporate downsizing and the emergence of “flatter” organizations. This exploratory study suggests that plateauism is a multi-faceted construct. Plateauism can have adverse effects upon certain employees in the organization; however, a segment of plateaued employees commonly referred to as “solid citizens” can manage to function effectively. Instead of viewing plateauism solely by its traditional definition of hierarchical movement, the assessment of plateauism needs to be expanded to include factors such as the content of the job, change in work responsibilities, and the learning of new skills. “Content” plateauism is contrasted as being distinctly different from the conventional measure referred to as “structural” plateauism. This difference in the assessment of plateauism may explain why one type of plateauism has detrimental effects while the negative repercussions attributable to the other type of plateauism can be moderated; consequently, the different types of plateauism may require different interventions. The implications for managers, organizations, and plateaued employees are discussed.
Proposed Model for Investigating Relationships between Vision Components and Business Unit Performance
Authors: Kantabutra Sooksan , Avery Gayle C. 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTLeaders are widely exhorted to employ visions, yet surprisingly little research has been conducted on what constitutes an “effective” vision. A research model is proposed for investigating relationships between vision components, and business unit performance as measured by employee and customer satisfaction. The model, expressed both graphically and as three propositions, proposes that vision attributes of brevity, clarity, abstractness, challenge, future orientation, stability, and desirability, plus vision content relating to employee and customer satisfaction, can directly affect performance. However, the model also predicts indirect effects on performance mediated by six realization factors and two intervening variables.
Improving Confidence and Accuracy in Performance Appraisals
Authors: Nesbit Paul L. , Wood Robert E. 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTThe paper presents findings of a study evaluating the impact of performance appraisal training on rating accuracy and perceived rating ability. 41 supervisors from a telecommunications firm took part in the training evaluated video vignettes and completed a questionnaire measuring self-efficacy beliefs about rating, goal intentions, and feelings about future rating behaviour. Supervisors in a control group (n = 12) also rated the video and completed the questionnaire. Trained supervisors showed increased accuracy on video ratings of work behaviour over the course of the training and an increase in self-efficacy measures. Control group supervisors by comparison decreased their accuracy of rating over the same time period while self-efficacy ratings remained constant. Impact of training on satisfaction and goals of participants is also presented.
Management Education by Distance Mode: Combining Print and Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) Technologies to Provide Flexible Individual Study and Collaborative Learning Opportunities
Authors: Smith Ann 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTGiven the need to provide increased opportunities for busy managers to learn, but their reduced availability to attend formal on-campus classes, management students and corporate employers have turned to Distance Education (DE) provision as an alternative to face-to-face (FtF) programmes.Providing flexible delivery, however, does not guarantee that the learning requirements of management students will be met, and needs to be considered in terms of the limits and enhancements to learning that different flexible methodologies support. DE comes in many forms and pedagogics, uses a variety of media, and tends to be designed with the individual learner in mind, whereas the demand for work-relevant management skills requires Management Education (ME) programmes to include collaborative as well as individual modes of learning.Managers require integrative knowledge, emotional intelligence, and complex social and perceptual skills and attitudes that increasingly reflect ethical and values-oriented behaviour. At issue in the shift from FtF to DE is the need to provide opportunities for the ongoing social and interpersonal skills development that would normally occur within the classroom. For DE to add value to management learners it needs to offer flexibility that supports quality work-relevant education.In this paper the author explores whether print-based DE combined with Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) technologies provides a solution. CMC is a networked electronic medium; used in conjunction with print-based DE it can provide opportunities for group interactivity and collaborative learning. Since the skills required for effective CMC participation are also synergistic with the socio-cultural and technical skills required of today's ‘networked manager’, the author suggests that there are further advantages to including CMC as part of the ME curriculum. From a review of the literature, the author concludes that there is much benefit in combining the two methodologies provided that:• appropriate pedagogy is designed into the combined media• the flexibility and educational needs of management learners are met• educators and learners learn how to learn by the new media.
Strategic Decision-Making in Japanese Trading Companies: Case Studies of Information Search Activities
Authors: Gilbert David 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTThe paper describes an investigation into the information search activities of senior Japanese executives involved in strategic decision-making in Japanese trading companies. The research task was conducted over a twelve-month period between 2000-2001, at five well-known Japanesekaisha(see Appendix 1 for a list of Japanese expressions used in this paper) headquartered in Tokyo. This paper identifies sources of information that are dev-eloped and used by executive decision-makers in evaluating strategic alternatives. As well modes of access to the identified sources are highlighted and analysed.Results from the study indicate the prominence of distinctive Japanese managerial practices such asnemawashiandsettai, in developing information sources. As well it was found that these practices strongly influence how information sources are accessed. Executive decision-makers from the Presidential level to Divisional Manager level who participated in this study were emphatic in their belief that strategic decision-making in most situations is reliant upon the network of information sources cultivated by decision-makers as well as their skill in accessing the various sources.
Academics as Agents of Change?
Authors: Mathews Pamela 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTOver the last twenty years management courses offered in Australia have undergone considerable change. Most notable is the number of different programmes available and the varied content of these. However, in an environment which is changing rapidly, management education and its provision are under continuous review. Data gathered recently to examine the perceptions of academics in relation to management education, has drawn attention to an issue that warrants consideration. Should management academics be agents of change or should they simply make changes in response to new demands? The answer to this question has significant implications for the future development of management education. This paper seeks to examine the role that the management academic has in a situation of continuous change.
Increasing Women's Participation in Agricultural Leadership: Strategies for Change
Authors: Pini Barbara 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTThis paper uses data from a survey of women involved in the Australian sugar industry to present evidence of the strategies which could be introduced by agri-political groups to increase women's involvement in agricultural leadership. Of the 181 positions of elected leadership in the Australian sugar industry's agri-political group, CANEGROWERS, none is held by a woman. Factor analysis of the 233 returned survey responses revealed that there are five types of strategies that could be implemented to address this inequity. These are: organisational strategies, education and training strategies, remuneration strategies, support strategies and practical strategies. The paper concludes by drawing attention to the fact that few strategies have been adopted by agricultural organizations to address men's numerical dominance of positions of leadership.