Food Hubs in Australia : Benefits, challenges and potential ICT contributions
- Authors: Kurnia, Sherah , Hill, Serenity , Rahim, Mahbubur , Larsen, Kirsten , Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 19th Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems, PACIS 2015
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Food Hubs have been developed to promote sustainability practices in managing regional distribution of fresh produce in a number of countries including the United States and Australia. They have the potential to support the resilience and sustainability of regional food supply chains by improving the local economy, environmental condition, and community well-being. However, despite the potential benefits, Food Hubs face many challenges that threaten their long-term survival. Currently, limited research has been conducted to investigate benefits and challenges of Food Hubs and how Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which is known as one of the key enablers to facilitate sustainable practices, can help address the challenges. In this research-in-progress paper, we present preliminary findings from an on-going research project that seeks to explore benefits and challenges experienced by Australian Food Hubs and the role of ICT in supporting their operations and growth. Our study enhances the understanding of the contributions of Food Hubs to sustainability and the roles of ICT in supporting sustainability practices.
Being smart and being green : Entrepreneurial innovation in challenging times
- Authors: Braun, Patrice , Lowe, Julian
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 32nd Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship Conference, ISBE 2009, Liverpool, UK : 3rd-6th November 2009
- Full Text:
- Description: In difficult times business operators are looking for clever and affordable ways to grow their enterprises. This paper seeks to make a contribution to a better understanding of proactive environmental and innovation strategies for SMEs and the interaction between demand and supply towards sustainable and innovative business practices. The paper discusses the combined outcomes of the exit survey of a greening small business 2008 pilot program and the entry survey for the 2009 online training and networking version of the program, which fuses environmental, business and ICT- enabled skilling to enhance both SME entrepreneurship and innovation. The study suggests that SME business sustainability cannot be reduced to an oversimplified business case and that pro-environmental strategy adoption and behaviour, and particularly behavioural change, is highly complex. The outcomes of this research are expected to contribute to good practice in environmental and innovation skilling for SMEs, especially skilling that differentiates between supply and demand side skilling and brings together the two sides in a proactive resource acquisition, knowledge transfer and networking environment.
- Description: 2003007572
Going green : Women entrepreneurs and the environment
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 32nd Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship Conference, ISBE 2009, Liverpool, UK : 3rd-6th November 2009
- Full Text:
- Description: In economically challenging times business operators are looking for clever and affordable ways to grow their enterprises. This paper discusses the role of women entrepreneurs’ in proactively greening their small business. The paper highlights the combined outcomes of the exit survey of a greening small business 2008 pilot program and the entry survey for the 2009 online version of the training and networking program, which fuses environmental, business and ICT-enabled skilling to enhance both SME entrepreneurship and innovation. The study suggests that while reported environmental attitudes between male and female entrepreneurs do not differ significantly, women’s motivations differ from male entrepreneurs in terms of greening their business; and women are more proactive in pursuing green networking opportunities, where they can interact with like-minded businesses, access more clients, source alternative resources and expand their green business networks.
- Description: 2003007573
Women entrepreneurs in the digital economy: What skills do they really need?
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 5th International Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship (AGSE) Entrepreneurship Research Exchange
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Through its impact on transactions, communications and problem solving, the digital economy is increasing opportunities for business and changing the nature of how we work - this may provide an advantage to women entrepreneurs. With women entrepreneurs becoming increasingly important to the economy, there is a growing interest in understanding how to better utilise this important resource. This paper presents the results of a literature review of women’s (e) business training needs in the digital economy. The paper concludes with a discussion on providing women entrepreneurs with the meta-competencies they require to reach their full potential via gender-friendly and evidence-based training models that suits both their work and lifestyle needs.
A case study of clustering in regional Australia : Public policies and private action
- Authors: Lowe, Julian , Thompson, Helen , Lynch, David , Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 30th annual conference of the Australian and New Zealand Regional Science Association International, Beechworth, Victoria : 26th September, 2006
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The paper starts with an evaluation of a group of ICT organizations in a regional Victorian town and using a range of qualitative and quantitative data evaluates whether there is a cluster emerging and if so what are the processes of clustering that underpin this. Using archival and interview data the paper then examines key events and turning points in the development of what might be identified as a nascent cluster (Rosenfeld, 1997). In the context of current public policy that directly or indirectly supports ‘clustering’, the paper then assesses the effectiveness of public policy versus private action in the development of regional agglomerations of organisations and institutions that may be called clusters.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001802
A matter of trust : Networks and entrepreneurs
- Authors: Lowe, Julian , Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Regional Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research 2006, Auckland, New Zealand : 8th February, 2006 p. 496-509
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper discusses elements of inter-entrepreneurial trust in regional networks and clusters in terms of influencing business processes and economic viability in today’s economy. The message that can be extracted from the literature is that competitive advantage strongly depends on interfirm collaboration and that networks with a high degree of trust lead to entrepreneurship and innovation. The paper highlights two local Victorian network studies, one in the grains industry and one in the tourism industry, and explores trust based relations in these regional networks. Contrasting sectoral results indicate that social network cohesion and trust were found to be present in the grains community but were absent in the tourism community. Borrowing from the economics and leadership literature, it is proposed that trust fosters certain types of inter-entrepreneurial networks. A description of these networks and related policy implications conclude the paper.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001805
Action research and network development : Creating actionable knowledge
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 7th ALARPM and 11th PAR World Congress, Groningen, Netherlands : 21st August, 2006
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: To make a valuable contribution to our society today, knowledge must be relevant, applicable and actionable. On the side of managers it calls for collaborative approaches to knowledge creation and knowledge transfer between their organisations and knowledge institutions. On the side of academics, it calls for engaged scholarship aimed at knowledge transfer and knowledge contribution to the practical know-how of managers and organisations. Action researchers have long advocated collaborative knowledge creation processes as the way forward, despite the fact that working within an environment that aspires for knowledge to be become applicable and actionable can be complex and challenging. This paper discusses actionable research methods with a focus on networks and learning in a regional development context.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001943
The state we're in : Sharing tourism knowledge online
- Authors: Hollick, Mary , Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at CAUTHE 2006 conference - to the city and beyond, Melbourne, Victoria : 8th - 9th February, 2006 p. 1088-1097
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The success of the tourism industry is highly dependent on the quality of business operations. To run tourism businesses well, operators need to be skilled, flexible and innovative in order to maintain and enhance competitiveness. The aim of this paper is to share the authors’ initial insights into tourism industry capacity building via flexibly delivered online skilling and knowledge sharing. This discussion paper builds on the work of online learning research for small tourism firms conducted in Europe and compares the European approach and considers how the European approach to content development and delivery informed a recently piloted Australian online skilling program. The paper also provides insights into online user behaviour and challenges fundamental research expectations. While both programs have focussed tourism information and skills development, the Australian pilot has been embedded in the Tourism Accreditation Board of Victoria and is being utilised to enable operators to complete tourism industry accreditation. Aiming to raise industry standards and move away from ineffective silo approaches to industry training and capacity building, this pilot reflects the importance of and contributes to the development of an effective national voluntary accreditation system.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001812
Tourism clusters : Uncovering destination value chains
- Authors: Hollick, Mary , Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at CAUTHE 2006 conference - to the city and beyond, Melbourne, Victoria : 6th February, 2006 p. 476-485
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper discusses the role of tourism networks, clustering and destination value chains for micro and small and medium size tourism enterprises (SMEs) in freely assembled destinations. In discussing destination benefits and barriers surrounding SME clustering, SME positioning and performance are highlighted. It is proposed in this paper that SME clustering and value are not always naturally established. Successful destination clusters may be created by upgrading SME performance, analysing local value chains and matching both tangible and intangible sources of value, such as systems, leadership, relationships and brands with demand-side value segmentation.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001808
Creating value to tourism products through tourism networks and clusters : Uncovering destination value chains
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the Global Tourism Growth: a Challenge for SMEs Conference, Paris : 6th September, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001162
Integrating action research methods : Contextual components and constructive choices
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the Acadamy of Management 2005 Annual Meeting: A New Vision of May Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii : 5th -10th August, 2005
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001219
Lifestyle entrepreneurship : The unusual nature of the tourism entrepreneur
- Authors: Hollick, Mary , Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 2nd Regional Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research (AGSE), Hawthorn, Australia : 10th February, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001152
Localisation and regionalisation of skills augmentation : The case of Australian tourism SME
- Authors: Braun, Patrice , Hollick, Mary
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the APEC Seminar On Best Practices for Mentoring Systems: Keys to Reducing APEC SME Loans Default, Bangkok, Thailland : 18th -19th July, 2005
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001220
Small business clustering : Accessing knowledge through local networks
- Authors: Braun, Patrice , McRae-Williams, Pamela , Lowe, Julian
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the CRIC Cluster Conference 2005, Ballarat, Australia : 30th June - July 1st, 2005 p. 57-63
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Over the last decade there has been considerable interest and activity in clustering and the concomitant link to regional development. In the world economy small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are now recognised as playing a pivotal role in regional economic sustainability and growth, yet there is relatively little research that examines SME clustering processes, and in particular the nature of knowledge creation in local/regional SME networks. This paper discusses the topic of small business clustering and local network knowledge transfer. It outlines some of the key literature on clustering within a regional development context and discusses the implications on industry and place vis-à-vis regional cluster learning, knowledge creation and innovation. To illustrate SME clustering and knowledge transfer issues, the paper briefly highlights three regional Australian small business clustering studies. The paper concludes with some future directions for SME clustering in terms of policy, industry and place.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001300
Small business clustering : The benefits of local network learning
- Authors: Braun, Patrice , McRae-Williams, Pamela , Lowe, Julian
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the APEC Symposium on SME Clustering, Taiwan : 8th March - 10th, 2005
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001221
Trust in rural areas
- Authors: Braun, Patrice , Lowe, Julian
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 2nd National Conference on the Future of Country Towns, Bendigo, Australia : 11th July, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001148
Building a better business : A flexibly delivered SME skills program
- Authors: Braun, Patrice , Hollick, Mary
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 12th Annual International High-Technology Small Firms Conference, University of Twente, Netherlands : 24th - 25th May, 2004
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper discusses a recently funded tourism industry capacity building pilot for micro tourism businesses in regional Australia. Skills augmentation, building destination relationships and linkages and industry-wide benchmarking are internationally recognised as leading economic drivers for economic growth in general, and the tourism industry in particular. Small and micro tourism enterprises (SME) face enormous difficulty competing with their larger counterparts. To make matters worse, many SME are often located in peripheral regions where access to skills support is limited. To date self-regulation efforts in the tourism sector have resulted in little evidence that the industry is capable of capacity building without external planning and intervention. With increasing ICT literacy of prospective customers, consumer expectations on product information are rising. In light of this development there is general agreement that SME managers of the future will need to have both business acumen and skills in information and communication technologies (ICT) if they want to exploit its full potential. SME will be lost in the marketplace unless they are assisted in the usage of the tools necessary to participate in the digital economy.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000780
Collaborative learning : An exploration of actionable knowledge creation
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 4th Teaching, Learning, and Research Conference (IERA), Ballarat, Australia : 22th - 24th November, 2004
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000810
Creating actionable knowledge on the periphery
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the Academy of Management Conference, New Orleans, USA : 5th August, 2004
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000783
Government-industry ICT - Partnering regional Australia: Issues surrounding top down e-governance initiatives
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the Australian Electronic Governance Conference, Melbourne : 14th - 15th April, 2004
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000786