Meaningful and effective consultation and the construction industry of Victoria, Australia
- Authors: Ayers, Gerard , Culvenor, John , Sillitoe, Jim , Else, Dennis
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Construction Management and Economics Vol. 31, no. 6 (2013), p. 542-567
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Consultation between employers and employees is mandated under Australian occupational health and safety legislation. For consultation to be considered meaningful and effective, it is generally accepted that moral and ethical principles such as trust, honesty, commitment and respect need to be recognized and applied by individuals during consultation. It is also considered that an organization's level of cultural maturity is an important element in the ability of individuals to freely engage in meaningful and effective consultation. If the value of consultation is best reflected in the degree of input and control that workers have regarding the very decisions that affect them, and if the level of worker involvement is a reflection of an organization's level of cultural maturity, it is debateable whether the notion of applying moral and ethical principles during consultation, and the adoption of the paradigm of organizational and cultural maturity, have been successfully developed and embraced in the commercial and industrial sector of the construction industry of Victoria, Australia. © 2013 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
- Description: C1
Herbicide efficacy for aquatic Alternanthera philoxeroides management in an early stage of invasion : Integrating above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass and viable stem fragmentation
- Authors: Clements, Daniel , Dugdale, Tony , Butler, Kym , Florentine, Singarayer , Sillitoe, Jim
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Weed Research Vol. 57, no. 4 (2017), p. 257-266
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Alternanthera philoxeroides is a problematic invasive plant in many regions of the world that is difficult to control once naturalised. It poses a threat to agricultural productivity, biodiversity and social amenity values of aquatic environments. Significant research has been conducted internationally, regarding the efficacy of different herbicides for control of A. philoxeroides. However, no studies have looked at key aspects of control for effective management in an early stage of invasion of aquatic environments, hindering eradication and control programmes. This study evaluates the efficacy of herbicides and surfactants on key A. philoxeroides response metrics, including control of above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass and production of viable stem fragments. This study concluded that glyphosate (isopropylamine salt) minimises viable stem fragment production post-herbicide application, compared with imazapyr and metsulfuron, thus reducing the potential for dispersal throughout catchments and waterways. In contrast, imazapyr and metsulfuron provided more effective control than glyphosate for A. philoxeroides growing on exposed embankments. We propose that an effective management strategy for early invasion of aquatic A. philoxeroides, using herbicides, would be to conduct initial applications of glyphosate to control overwater biomass and limit dispersal of viable stem fragments. Once infestations have been forced back to the embankment, imazapyr or metsulfuron treatments will provide longer term control. © 2017 European Weed Research Society
Quantifying values : A sampling methodology for use in assessing the impacts on tourism, local community, and businesses of Victoria's marine protected areas
- Authors: Hall, Nina , Sillitoe, Jim
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Tourism in Marine Environments Vol. 5, no. 2-3 (2008), p. 121-130
- Full Text: false
- Description: A sampling methodology has been devised to facilitate the selection of a purposeful sample of marine parks and sanctuaries for the investigation of their impacts on tourism, local community, and businesses. The methodology is based on multiattribute utility theory used for comparing complex alternatives in decision making and takes into account those key attributes of Victoria's 13 marine national parks and 11 marine sanctuaries that have been identified through both published and draft management plans, government policies, and relevant strategies. The attributes are: tourism services, activities, community engagement, visitation, values, interpretation, access, location, conservation significance, and regional context. Values of each marine protected area are quantified and establishment of a total attribute value score for a "typical area" enables the comparison between individual marine parks and sanctuaries. To strengthen the methodology, a panel of independent experts representing tourism, local government, and community organizations were invited to express their views with regard to these attributes, and their responses have been incorporated into the research.
Quantifying values: A sampling methodology for use in assessing the impacts on tourism, local community and businesses of Victoria's marine protected areas
- Authors: Hall, Nina , Sillitoe, Jim
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings
- Full Text: false
- Description: A sampling methodology has been devised to facilitate the selection of a purposeful sample of marine parks and sanctuaries for the investigation of their impacts on tourism, local community and businesses. The methodology is based on multi-attribute utility theory used for comparing complex alternatives in decision making and takes into account those key attributes of Victoria's thirteen marine national parks and eleven marine sanctuaries that have been identified through both published and draft management plans, government policies and relevant strategies. The attributes are: tourism services, activities, community engagement, visitation, values, interpretation, access, location, conservation significance, and regional context. Values of each marine protected area are quantified and establishment of a total attribute value score for a typical area enables the comparison between individual marine parks and sanctuaries. To strengthen the methodology, a panel of independent experts representing tourism, local government and community organisations have been invited to express their views with regard to these attributes, and their responses have been incorporated into the research.
Ethical considerations when using online datasets for research purposes
- Authors: Kopp, Christian , Layton, Robert , Gondal, Iqbal , Sillitoe, Jim
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Automating Open Source Intelligence: Algorithms for OSINT p. 131-157
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Internet has become an important community communications platform, supporting a range of programs and virtual environments. While there are many ways in which people choose to develop personal interactions over the Internet, one of the most popular manifestations is the creation and maintenance of social relationships using social and dating websites. In this chapter, the collection and use of data from such sites is assessed from an ethical frame, and key concepts such as informed consent, information, comprehension, and voluntariness are outlined.
The role of love stories in Romance Scams : A qualitative analysis of fraudulent profiles
- Authors: Kopp, Christian , Layton, Robert , Sillitoe, Jim , Gondal, Iqbal
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Cyber Criminology Vol. 9, no. 2 (2016), p. 205-216
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Online Romance Scam is a very successful scam which causes considerable financial and emotional damage to its victims. In this paper, we provide a perspective that might be helpful to explain the success of this scam. In a similar way to the "The Nigerian letter", we propose that the scam techniques appeal to strong emotions, which are clearly involved in Romantic relationships. We also assume that the same success factors found in normal relationships contribute to the success of the romance scam. In an exploratory study using a qualitative analysis of fraudulent profiles from an international dating website, we examined this assumption. The findings show that personal affinities related to personal romantic imaginations, which are described by personal love stories, play an important role in the success of a romance scam. © 2016 International Journal of Cyber Criminology (IJCC).
Perspectives on instituting change management in large organisations
- Authors: Lawler, Alan , Sillitoe, Jim
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Universities? Review Vol. 52, no. 2 (2010), p. 43-48
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Abstract: Australian universities are currently undergoing significant and deep-seated change to their funding models through their relationship to Federal government social development and research agendas. Consequently, changes are being instituted at all levels of university activity. Such changes are often accompanied by considerable disruption to traditional and accepted practices. This has had the effect of introducing unanticipated institutional difficulties and is causing some significant levels of personal uncertainty for staff. We suggest that such difficulties might be mitigated by more effective, efficient and transparent change management strategies.
Facilitating 'organisational learning' in a learning institution'
- Authors: Lawler, Alan , Sillitoe, Jim
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Higher Education Policy and Mangement Vol. 35, no. 5 (2013), p. 495-500
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The term ‘organisational learning’ was popularised by Peter Senge in ‘The Fifth Discipline’, his seminal book from 1990. Since then, the term has become widely accepted among those interested in organisational learning and change management. However, partly due to the somewhat ambiguous situation which arises in a university which is a ‘learning organisation’ in a different sense, academic staff may experience some confusion when this term is used in a higher education institutional context. Further, the embedded notions of single- and double-loop learning and tacit and explicit knowledge, which are features of organisational learning, are not widely understood by those affected by organisational learning initiatives, leading again to some unintended confusion of purpose in situations of change.
Investigations into the effects of elevated carbon dioxide and drought on the growth and physiology of carpet weed (Galenia pubescens Eckl. & Zeyh.)
- Authors: Mahmood, Ako , Florentine, Singarayer , Fernando, Nimesha , Wright, Wendy , Palmer, Grant , McLaren, David , Sillitoe, Jim
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings
- Relation: 20th Australasian Weeds Conference 2016; Perth, Western Australia; 11th-15th September 2016 p. 347-350
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The present study aimed to examine the interactive effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and drought stress on the growth and some of the physiological processes of Galenia pubescens. Photosynthetic rate of plants increased under elevated CO2 concentration, however drought caused significant reduction in net photosynthetic rate by (45% in 400 ppm CO2) and (27% in 700 ppm CO2) after five days simulating the drought treatment when compared with well-watered plants. Plants grown under elevated CO2 level and well-watered produced a greater biomass (17.5 ± 0.5 g per plant) compared to the plants which were grown under the ambient CO2 concentration.
Underpinning practice-based creative research with quality supervision
- Authors: Mann, Allan , Button, Loris , Sillitoe, Jim
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Thinking the future: Art, design and creativity Conference, Melbourne : 26th - 29th September, 2006
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In the past few years, there has been some interestingdebate on the notion of postgraduate research by the exegesis route, which is currently the most favoured approach to higher degree qualification in the creative arts arena. The production of an artwork, which is accompanied by scholarly written exposition, has become a well-accepted way in which cultural and social knowledge is generated within the creative disciplines. Some problems, however, still remain with the quality supervision of creative arts postgraduate students because of the concurrent requirements of having a supervisor with a significant reputation in the student's field of creative endeavour and the skills to advise on the preparation of the scholarly document that expounds on the creative work. In addition, because of the recent history of the exegesis route to higher degrees, there are relatively few experienced research staff in creative arts departments. At the University of Ballarat's Arts Academy, we have been developing an approachto the supervisionof creative Masters and Doctoral exegeses in the context of small staff numbers, a wide variety of practice areas, and a relatively large number of enrolled students. Results to date have been encouraging, and this paper will report on the way in which we are attempting to provide each studnet with the best educational experience possible and produce world-class creative higher degree graduates within a school that has a limited financial and personnel resource base
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003002054
Health effects associated with inhalation of airborne arsenic arising from mining operations
- Authors: Martin, Rachael , Dowling, Kim , Pearce, Dora , Sillitoe, Jim , Florentine, Singarayer
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Geosciences (Switzerland) Vol. 4, no. 3 (2014), p. 128-175
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Arsenic in dust and aerosol generated by mining, mineral processing and metallurgical extraction industries, is a serious threat to human populations throughout the world. Major sources of contamination include smelting operations, coal combustion, hard rock mining, as well as their associated waste products, including fly ash, mine wastes and tailings. The number of uncontained arsenic-rich mine waste sites throughout the world is of growing concern, as is the number of people at risk of exposure. Inhalation exposures to arsenic-bearing dusts and aerosol, in both occupational and environmental settings, have been definitively linked to increased systemic uptake, as well as carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health outcomes. It is therefore becoming increasingly important to identify human populations and sensitive sub-populations at risk of exposure, and to better understand the modes of action for pulmonary arsenic toxicity and carcinogenesis. In this paper we explore the contribution of smelting, coal combustion, hard rock mining and their associated waste products to atmospheric arsenic. We also report on the current understanding of the health effects of inhaled arsenic, citing results from various toxicological, biomedical and epidemiological studies. This review is particularly aimed at those researchers engaged in the distinct, but complementary areas of arsenic research within the multidisciplinary field of medical geology. © 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Internationalisation of Australian tertiary education in the hospitality industry: Reflections on cross-cultural issues in postgraduate research projects
- Authors: O'Mahony, Barry , Sillitoe, Jim
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Internationalising Education: Global Perspectives on Collaboration and Change p. 157-166
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: In recent years, there has been an increasing number of international students engaged in Doctoral studies in the fields of Hospitality and Tourism at Australian universities. In particular, many students come' from our near neighbours in Asia such as Malaysia and Thailand, which coincidentally reflects the growing number of major international hotel chains establishing or growing their property portfolios across the Asian Pacific region. Whilst the increase in student postgraduate by-research numbers is a welcome and a valuable development for Australian universities, it nevertheless has proved to be somewhat problematic for both the postgraduate student and their supervisors with respect to the pragmatic outcomes of the studies. For example, there is still some uncertainty about the precise nature of the benefits to the student and their home institution, to the hosting university, and to the respective countries, that accrue from these intensive studies. We suggest that, in order to advance our own contributions and impact in this area, there is more work that we need to do in further enhancing or capitalising on the research findings of the studies and the experiences which have attended the students' candidature. We are, therefore, proposing that we need to spend some time reconceptualising the meta meaning of this kind of international research experience at the postgraduate level. In the light of the degree and significance of cultural differences which regularly emerge during the supervision process, and given the paucity of fundamental and applied research into crosscultural hospitality provision, we believe that we need to re-examine the question of how our programs and procedures which are required for postgraduate level studies should be structured to provide both a quality scholarly developmental experience for students in the discipline while simultaneously generating practical benefits for relevant stakeholders, particularly those in the Hospitality industry. Consequently, what we have set ourselves the task of doing here is to focus on the link between the formal intellectual requirements of the doctoral process and the pragmatic interests of the students and all their supporting institutions in order to make more use of the three plus years of engagement with tightly focussed research problems which underpin a postgraduate by-research qualification. Our aims, in terms of the outcomes of this reflection, are to: (i) better understand differences in the nuances of cultural meanings of hospitality and help embed these meanings in future scholarly studies, (ii) contribute to an enhancement of the quality of the Hospitality practices of students' sponsoring institutions as a result of the student's doctoral experience, (iii) make closer ties between the hosting university and relevant authorities who oversee the hospitality standards of neighbouring countries in respect of international visitors, and (iv) develop closer institutional ties with hospitality training organisations, both educational and professional, in these neighbouring countries. Specific issues that will command attention in this reflection will include: the development of theoretical models of hospitality procedures which explicitly involve crosscultural dimensions; clearer definitions of critical processes of hospitality practice which involve cross-cultural understandings such as loyalty, respect, and trust; the development of perspectives on internationalisation in the hospitality industry that can be built into our own practices; and to capitalise upon the areas of difference between Western and Eastern notions of hospitality that can be shared with hospitality providers who seek to develop or enhance cross cultural training programs for their staff.
An integrated customer relationship model to improve retention in hospitality services
- Authors: Prachayakupt, Suvenus , O'Mahony, Barry , Sillitoe, Jim
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Opportunities and Challenges for Tourism and Hospitality in the BRIC Nations Chapter 7 p. 95-116
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Customer retention has received ongoing academic focus and scholars have specifically recognized the importance of customer loyalty within the services sector. There is general agreement within this body of work that achieving customer satisfaction alone is not sufficient to develop customer loyalty, particularly in a competitive business environment. Relationship development between businesses and customers is a key contributor to customer loyalty; however, many of the models that are presented within the literature are either product specific or business to business in nature. This chapter presents the results of an examination of a series of relationship development models that was designed to identify the antecedents of relationship development that are likely to have a positive impact on the delivery of hospitality services. We synthesize the key mediating variables of these models into a single customized model that has the capacity to influence relationship development in a hospitality setting. Within this model we emphasize the importance of trust, commitment and cross cultural communication in order to achieve repeat business and to facilitate positive word of mouth communication. © 2017 by IGI Global. All rights reserved.
The need for speed: Timely prevention of the dispersal of noxious weeds in relief fodder using efficient sampling procedures
- Authors: Weller, Sandra , Florentine, Singarayer , Sillitoe, Jim , Grech, Charles , McLaren, David , Chauhan, Bhagirath
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Crop Protection Vol. 70, no. (2015), p. 21-27
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Invasive and noxious weeds are well known as a pervasive problem, imposing significant economic burdens on all areas of agriculture. Whilst there are multiple possible pathways of weed dispersal in this industry, of particular interest to this discussion is the unintended dispersal of weed seeds within fodder. During periods of drought or following natural disasters such as wild fire or flood, there arises the urgent need for 'relief' fodder to ensure survival and recovery of livestock. In emergency situations, relief fodder may be sourced from widely dispersed geographic regions, and some of these regions may be invaded by an extensive variety of weeds that are both exotic and detrimental to the intended destination for the fodder. Pasture hay is a common source of relief fodder and it typically consists of a mixture of grassy and broadleaf species that may include noxious weeds. When required urgently, pasture hay for relief fodder can be cut, baled, and transported over long distances in a short period of time, with little opportunity for prebaling inspection. It appears that, at the present time, there has been little effort towards rapid testing of bales, post-baling, for the presence of noxious weeds, as a measure to prevent dispersal of seeds. Published studies have relied on the analysis of relatively small numbers of bales, tested to destruction, in order to reveal seed species for identification and enumeration. The development of faster, more reliable, and non-destructive sampling methods is essential to increase the fodder industry's capacity to prevent the dispersal of noxious weeds to previously unaffected locales.
An investigation of the effects of stage of ensilage on Nassella neesiana seeds, for reducing seed viability and injury to livestock
- Authors: Weller, Sandra , Florentine, Singarayer , Sillitoe, Jim , Grech, Charles , McLaren, David
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 6, no. (2016), p. 1-7
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The noxious weed Nassella neesiana is established on a wide range of productive land throughout southeastern Australia. N. neesiana seeds, when mature, are sharp, causing injury to livestock, thus posing a problem in fodder bales. To reduce infestations of agricultural weeds in situ, production of silage from weed-infested pastures is practised as part of integrated weed management (IWM). However, there is little data to demonstrate whether this process is useful to reduce infestations or the harmful properties of N. neesiana. Therefore, the minimum duration of ensilage required to reduce the viability of N. neesiana seeds was investigated, both with and without addition of ensilage inoculants in this process. Also, the decreasing propensity of the seeds to injure livestock, after various times and conditions of ensilage, was assessed. Ensilage inoculant reduced seed germination probability to zero after 35 days. When no inoculant was added, zero viability was achieved after 42 days. A qualitative assessment of the hardness of ensilaged seeds found seed husks were softer (and therefore safer) after 42 days, whether inoculant was used or not. Therefore, we suggest that both the viability of N. neesiana seeds and hardness of seed casings are significantly reduced after 42 days, thereby reducing the risks of seed dispersal and injury to livestock.
Detecting the seeds of Nassella neesiana in large round hay bales, by means of non-destructive core sampling
- Authors: Weller, Sandra , Florentine, Singarayer , Sillitoe, Jim , Grech, Charles , McLaren, David , Chauhan, Bhagirath
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Plos One Vol. 10, no. 9 (2015), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In the last three decades or so there has been a significant increase in fodder trading, both in terms of the quantity of fodder traded and in terms of its economic value to the industry. Often, this fodder type may be supplied free of charge to graziers in distress due to circumstances that follow natural disasters such as bushfires, drought, and flood. However, because of the obvious urgency arising from these situations, it is suspected that much relief fodder may unintentionally pose an elevated risk for dispersal of weeds since it may be supplied from pasture not normally used for trade in fodder, and therefore is of unknown quality. Previous destructive method to detect weed propagules in bales of fodder are cumbersome, time consuming and of limited ecological and statistical value. Therefore, objective of this paper was to development of a convenient method to assess round pasture hay bales for the presence of weed propagules, to prevent unintentional spread of noxious species in hay bales. To examine this objective known quantity of seeds were added in a series of distributions to bales of seed free pasture hay, and a positive correlation for the amount of seed added per bale with that recovered in core samples was observed. Whilst the number of seeds detected per bale varied according to the distribution of seeds within the bales and the number of cores analysed, the absolute detection of seeds suggests that this sampling method is worthy of further examination. In addition, a pragmatic estimation of bale remnants after stock feeding has been investigated to more closely estimate the potential size of the remaining seed bank. The authors propose that development of this approach is timely, in the light of future climatic uncertainty driving extreme weather events that increase the need for relief fodder, which can be a potential vector for the spread of noxious weed seeds.