Enviropreneurial marketing in greening corporate activities : Evidence from four Chinese green firms
- Authors: Song-Turner, Helen , Polonsky, Michael
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: European Business Review Vol. 28, no. 5 (2016), p. 506-531
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- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the enviropreneurial marketing approach used by firms in China and its impact on the success of green marketing actions, with the aim of drawing useful lessons from the literature and successful green firms. Design/methodology/approach: This study follows the inductive case study approach, and the qualitative data come from a study of four firms engaging in enviropreneurial marketing activities. Interview data were triangulated with qualitative data from other sources. Findings: The evidence from this study indicates that enviropreneurial marketing plays a central role in developing innovative product or services, adopting an innovative and pragmatic green marketing mix that differentiates and creates changes within industry and markets. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of this study is that data samples are from successful firms labelled as “green” by the Chinese authorities, based on winning “official” awards. These do not necessarily represent the opinions of a cross section of firms within China with respect to enviropreneurial marketing. Future studies should include a mixed population of firms. Practical implications: Policy makers and marketing practitioners need to consider drivers to ensure that Chinese firms integrate enviropreneurial marketing activities, which need to complement the delivery of functional value. Social implications: Green initiatives/changes within the firm seem to be partly driven by the environmental orientation of these firms’ founders, thus, developing an environmental orientation in managers may be important to drive enviropreneurial marketing activities. Originality/value: This study contributes by confirming the current literature on green marketing and examining the positive impact of enviropreneurial marketing on firms’ performance in the context of marketing in emerging markets. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Bangladesh accountants and Continuing Professional Development : Views from a less developed country
- Authors: Halabi, Abdel , Chowdhury, Mohammad
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies Vol. 8, no. 4 (2018), p. 514-526
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- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine professional accountant’s views on their satisfaction with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) offered by members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB). While there is a great deal of research on CPD and accountants in developed countries, less developing countries are absent from this literature, and there have been calls for this type of research. Design/methodology/approach: The present study employed a survey of members of the ICAB. Findings: Results show that accountants in Bangladesh are satisfied with the CPD provided by their profession, and when satisfaction is compared with more developed countries, Bangladesh is greater on a number of measures. ICAB members would like to also be provided with opportunities to undertake CPD in more ways than just face to face. Practical implications: The study has important implications not only for accountants from emerging economies such as Bangladesh, but also for the International Federation of Accountants and other less developed countries (LDCs). The results advance the understanding of professional accounting bodies from an international perspective. Originality/value: This is the first study of CPD and accounting professionals in LDCs. The information obtained can inform the development and practice of other professional accounting bodies in emerging economies.
The role of convenience in a recreational shopping trip
- Authors: Reimers, Vaughan , Chao, Chih‐Wei (Fred)
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: European Journal of Marketing Vol. 48, no. 11-12 (2014), p. 2213-2236
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- Description: Purpose - The purpose of this study is to determine the role of convenience in a recreational shopping trip. In an effort to address the shopping strip’s forfeiture of market share to the mall and the Internet, retail planners have utilised a variety of intervention strategies. One such strategy is to differentiate the strip by emphasising its hedonic attributes. An often overlooked alternative is to compete with both of these formats in a key area of competitive disadvantage - convenience. Whereas these two alternatives have traditionally been regarded as separate strategies, this study examines whether convenience actually serves as a source of satisfaction in a hedonic shopping context. Design/methodology/approach - A recreational shopping trip to a shopping strip (also referred to as Main Street or the High Street) in Melbourne, Australia, served as the context for this study. The study used a quantitative survey approach to collect its data and structural equation modelling to analyse it. Findings - Surprisingly, the hedonic attributes of a shopping strip do not influence trip satisfaction in the context of a recreational shopping strip. Contrary to a significant body of academic research, it is instead the time-saving and distance-minimising properties of a shopping strip, as well as its overall convenience, which determine satisfaction. Originality/value - The results have important implications for Town Centre Management schemes because they suggest that responsibility for providing a hedonic shopping experience rests with its individual retailers. Instead, the role of strip planners is to facilitate the other side of the value-equation by minimising the hassles involved in strip shopping. The results of this study also question the traditional belief that hedonic- and convenience-based rejuvenation strategies should be treated as two distinct strategies. Instead, convenience should be regarded as a prerequisite to a satisfying recreational shopping trip. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
The drivers of economic growth in South Asia : Evidence from a dynamic system GMM approach
- Authors: Rahman, Mohammad , Rana, Rezwanul , Barua, Suborna
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Economic Studies Vol. 46, no. 3 (2019), p. 564-577
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- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the drivers of economic growth in South Asia region for the period of 1975–2016 using the World Bank data. Design/methodology/approach: Panel corrected standard error (static estimation) approach and one-step system generalised method of moments (dynamic estimation) approach are used. Findings: Both the static and dynamic estimations indicate that energy use, gross capital formation and remittances are the main drivers of economic growth in South Asian countries. The effects of all these variables are positive and significant. The extent of the effect of energy use is much higher than that of other two variables on the economic growth. A 1 per cent increase in the growth of energy consumption can expedite the gross domestic product growth by approximately 3 per cent in South Asia. However, the key variables, such as trade, government expenditure and foreign direct investment demonstrate no significant effect. Originality/value: The current research is original in the sense that it investigated the issue with a new data set using improved econometric techniques. Moreover, in South Asia as a whole, this kind of study is totally absent, particularly with panel data of a large number of years. Furthermore, this study has taken into account the problem of heterogeneity and the biases created by cross-section dependence, which were mostly absent in previous studies. Therefore, the findings of this research are new contributions to the existing literature.
Is nursing student personality important for considering a rural career?
- Authors: Terry, Daniel , Peck, Blake , Smith, Andrew , Stevenson, Tyrin , Baker, Ed
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Health Organization and Management Vol. 33, no. 5 (2019), p. 617-634
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- Description: Purpose: Identifying and measuring personality traits assists to understanding professional career choices, however, what impact personality traits have on nursing student rural career choice remains absent. The purpose of this paper is to identify personality traits among nursing students that may be predictive of pursuing a rural career. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional design was used to examine the importance Bachelor of Nursing students place on undertaking rural careers. All nursing students (n=1,982) studying a three-year bachelor’s degree were invited to complete a questionnaire examining personality traits and rural practice intentions. Findings: Students who saw themselves working rurally after graduation had higher levels of conscientiousness than those who wanted metropolitan careers. Students with higher levels of agreeableness or open-mindedness were more likely to consider rural practice when individual community factors were carefully considered. Finally, students with higher levels of neuroticism were less likely to consider rural practice as a future career pathway. Research limitations/implications: The cohort had high numbers of student from rural and regional settings, which may limit the ability to generalise the findings. In addition, student respondents of the survey may not be representative of the whole student cohort given the low response rate. Originality/value: Key personality traits are identifying factors that contribute to nursing student decision making regarding rural practice. Students who displayed higher levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness and open-mindedness have traits that are most likely to impact the consideration of rural practice across their nursing career, which gives additional insight into targeted recruitment strategies. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Mentoring for pre-service teachers and the use of inquiry-oriented feedback
- Authors: McGraw, Amanda , Davis, Robert
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education Vol. 6, no. 1 (2017), p. 50-63
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- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of feedback offered by school mentors in three primary and secondary rural schools during pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) professional placements. In the context of discussions about the need for more integrated theory/practice connections for PSTs which are “mutually reinforced by all programme components” (Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group, 2014, p. ix), it aims to examine whether certain contextual features of school environments have an impact on the nature of feedback offered to PSTs. Design/methodology/approach: Through a phenomenological analysis of semi-structured interviews, this paper explores the relationship between certain contextual features of school environments and their impact on the effectiveness of mentor feedback practices. Findings: It is suggested that teacher mentors are more likely to offer inquiry-oriented feedback informed by well-developed personal theories and values if they teach in schools where feedback processes are promoted as a central part of teachers’ ongoing professional learning. Professional learning experiences, which include classroom observations, peer feedback and a focus on using feedback to enhance students’ learning, extend and deepen teachers’ understandings and beliefs about feedback as well as their repertoire of strategies. Consequently, they are more informed and better able to work with PSTs using inquiry-oriented approaches. Originality/value: Through an examination of teacher narratives, this paper presents two frameworks for considering the nature of feedback offered to PSTs by their teacher mentors: inquiry-oriented and instructional-oriented feedback. It argues that teacher mentors are better equipped to use inquiry-oriented feedback approaches and build growth-fostering relationships if they are engaged in ongoing professional learning experiences in their schools based on classroom observations and non-judgemental peer feedback. © 2017, © Emerald Publishing Limited.
Equivalent or not? : Beyond measuring teaching and learning standards in a transnational education environment
- Authors: Lim, Chooey , Bentley, Duncan , Henderson, Fiona , Pan, Shin , Balakrishnan, Vimala
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Quality Assurance in Education Vol. 24, no. 4 (2016), p. 528-540
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- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine issues academics at importing institutions face while delivering Australian degrees in Malaysia. Transnational higher education (TNE) has been widely researched. However, less widely researched is the area of understanding what academics at the offshore locations need to uphold the required academic standards of their partnered exporting universities. This area warrants close attention if Australian and other transnational education universities are to sustain their growth through a partnership model with offshore academics delivering a portion (often a substantial portion) of the teaching. Design/methodology/approach: Two focus groups were conducted with a mix of long standing and newly recruited Malaysian lecturers who taught into an Australian degree through a partnership arrangement. The semi-structured questions which were used were derived from a preliminary literature review and previous internal institutional reports. Findings: The findings from the focus groups indicate that TNE is largely “Australian-centric” when addressing the standard of academic quality and integrity. The findings pointed not so much to any sustained internationalisation of curriculum or administration or personnel but more as internationalisation as deemed required by the local academic. Originality/value: To a greater extent, the findings highlighted that equivalent student outcomes do not necessarily equate to equivalent learning experiences or teaching workload. In fact, the frustration of the interviewees on the tension to fulfil the home institution curriculum and helping students to “comprehend” an Australian-centric curriculum translates to “additional and unrecognised workload” for the interviewees. © 2016, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Duncan Bentley” is provided in this record**
Rethinking microaggressions and anti-social behaviour against LGBTIQ+ Youth
- Authors: Roffee, James , Waling, Andrea
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Safer Communities Vol. 15, no. 4 (2016), p. 190-201
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- Description: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to further the understanding of experiences of anti-social behaviour in LGBTIQ+ youth in university settings. Design/methodology/approach - The discussion reflects on qualitative interviews with LGBTIQ+ young people studying at university (n = 16) exploring their experiences of anti-social behaviour including harassment, bullying and victimisation in tertiary settings. Findings - The findings demonstrate that attention should be paid to the complex nature of anti-social behaviour. In particular, LGBTIQ+ youth documented experiences of microaggressions perpetrated by other members of the LGBTIQ+ community. Using the taxonomy of anti-social behaviour against LGBTIQ+ people developed by Nadal et al. (2010, 2011), the authors build on literature that understands microaggressions against LGBTIQ+ people as a result of heterosexism, to address previously unexplored microaggressions perpetrated by other LGBTIQ+ people. Research limitations/implications - Future research could seek a larger sample of participants from a range of universities, as campus climate may influence the experiences and microaggressions perpetrated. Practical implications - Individuals within the LGBTIQ+ community also perpetrate microaggressions against LGBTIQ+ people, including individuals with the same sexual orientation and gender identity as the victim. Those seeking to respond to microaggressions need to attune their attention to this source of anti-social behaviour. Originality/value - Previous research has focused on microaggressions and hate crimes perpetrated by non-LGBTIQ+ individuals. This research indicates the existence of microaggressions perpetrated by LGBTIQ+ community members against other LGBTIQ+ persons. The theoretical taxonomy of sexual orientation and transgender microaggressions is expanded to address LGBTIQ+ perpetrated anti-social behaviour. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
The workforce demographic shift and the changing nature of work : implications for policy, productivity, and participation
- Authors: Earl, Catherine , Taylor, Philip , Roberts, Chris , Huynh, Patrick , Davis, Simon
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Age Diversity in the Workplace : an organizational perspective p. 3-34
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- Description: Population ageing, coupled with economic uncertainty and a shifting workforce structure, has directed the attention of public and organizational policy makers toward the potential contribution of older workers and skilled migrants in meeting labor supply shortages in ageing populations. This chapter presents labor supply and demand scenarios for 10 OECD countries and examines trends in the labor force participation of older workers against the backdrop of changes to the nature of work in an era of globalization, casualization, and, increasingly, automation. Brief analysis of each country's situation and policy responses indicates that China, Japan, and Korea stand out as being at particular risk of being unable to maintain growth without undertaking drastic action, although their areas of focus need to differ. A limitation of the study is that GDP projections used in labor demand analysis were based on historical rates and represented past potential and a long-run average of historic economic output. Future research might also undertake comparative analysis of case studies addressing different potential solutions to workforce ageing. A key implication of the study is that there is a need to take a blended approach to public policy regarding older workers in a changing labor market. Where migration has historically been a source of labor supplementation, this may become a less viable avenue over the near future. Future shortfalls in labor imply that economies will increasingly need to diversify their sources of workers in order to maintain economic growth. For public policy makers the challenge will be to overcome public antipathy to migration and longer working lives. Copyright © 2017 by Emerald Publishing Limited All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
Loyal employees in difficult settings : the compounding effects of inter-professional dysfunction and employee loyalty on job tension
- Authors: Rice, Bridget , Knox, Kathy , Rice, John , Martin, Nigel , Fieger, Peter , Fitzgerald, Anneke
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personnel Review Vol. 46, no. 8 (2017), p. 1755-1769
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- Description: Purpose: Employee loyalty is generally a very positive trait. However, when loyal employees are confronted with dysfunctionality in the workplace the impact on their well-being can be significant. The purpose of this paper is to assess the interaction of employee loyalty and employee experience of inter-professional dysfunction in a hospital setting to predict employee job tension. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on the analysis of a cross-sectional attitudinal survey of employees within a hospital setting in Australia. The authors use OLS regression and an SPSS macro (by Hayes, 2013) to assess the regions of significance of the interaction effects. Findings: The authors find, as anticipated, significant direct effects for employee loyalty and inter-professional dysfunction on employee job stress. The authors further find significant interaction effects that suggest that highly loyal employees who experience inter-professional dysfunction also experience disproportionately high levels of job tension. Research limitations/implications: The main research implication of this research relates to the confirmation of the presence of an interaction effect between loyalty and inter-professional dysfunction in predicting employee job stress. Further, the zone of significance analysis (following Johnson and Neyman) suggests that this effect is evident at even low levels of inter-professional dysfunction. Practical implications: Organisations should appreciate employee loyalty but should also be aware that loyal employees are more vulnerable to the negative consequences of organisational dysfunction than are employees with limited organisational loyalty. Social implications: The paper confirms the importance of managing organisational cooperation between groups in organisations as a precursor to positive employee outcomes. Originality/value: This is the first paper to investigate this interaction and to apply Johnson-Neyman analysis to confirm the regions of significance for the interaction effects noted. © 2017, © Emerald Publishing Limited.
Differences in personality and the sharing of managerial tacit knowledge: an empirical analysis of public sector managers in Malaysia
- Authors: Abdul Manaf, Halimah , Harvey, William , Armstrong, Steven , Lawton, Alan
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Knowledge Management Vol. 24, no. 5 (2020), p. 1177-1199
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- Description: Purpose: This study aims to identify differences in knowledge-sharing mechanisms and personality among expert, typical and novice managers within the Malaysian public sector. Strengthening knowledge sharing function is essential for enabling public institutions around the world to be more productive. Design/methodology/approach: This quantitative study involves 308 employees from management and professional groups within 98 local authorities in the Malaysian local government. Stratified random sampling techniques were used and the sampling frame comprised 1,000 staff using postal surveys. Data analyses were carried out using analysis of variance and correlations to test the research hypotheses. Findings: The findings reveal that expert managers are more proactive in sharing their knowledge, particularly those with the personality traits of conscientiousness and openness. These two personality traits were also related to expert behaviours such as thoroughness, responsibility and persistence, which led to work competency and managerial success. Originality/value: This study provides theoretical insights into how managerial tacit knowledge differs and can accumulate, depending on the personality traits of middle managers. The paper shows the different mechanisms of knowledge sharing, tacit knowledge and personality among expert, typical and novice managers. Practically, this study is important for guiding senior managers in their attempts to identify the most appropriate personalities of their middle managers. This study found that the expert group was higher in conscientiousness, openness and overall personality traits compared with the typical and novice groups. The paper also highlights the value of sharing managerial tacit knowledge effectively. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Failure to unify Australia’s leading accounting professional bodies
- Authors: Sidhu, Jasvinder , Stevenson-Clarke, Peta , Joshi, Mahesh , Halabi, Abdel
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Management History Vol. 26, no. 4 (2020), p. 491-514
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- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical account of four unsuccessful merger attempts between Australia’s two major professional accounting bodies over a 30-year period (1969 to 1998), each of which ultimately failed. An analysis of the commonalities and differences across the four attempts is provided and social identity theory is used to explain the differences between members level of support for these merger bids. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopts a qualitative approach using a historical research methodology to source surviving business records from public archives and other data gathered from oral history interviews. Findings: The study found that, across all four merger attempts between Australia’s two professional accounting bodies, there was strong support from society members (the perceived lower-status group) and opposition exhibited by institute members (the perceived higher-status group). This study also found that the perceived higher-status organisation always initiated merger discussions, while its members rejected the proposals in the members’ vote. Research limitations/implications: This paper focusses on the Australian accounting profession, considering a historical account of merger attempts. Further research is required that includes interviews and surveys of those involved in making decisions regarding merger attempts. Originality/value: This paper is the first to examine in detail these four unsuccessful merger attempts between the largest accounting organisations in Australia. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Impact of quality management tools and techniques : case of Namibian municipal water distributors
- Authors: Silombela, Timothy , Mutingi, Michael , Chakraborty, Ayon
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering Vol. 24, no. 1 (2018), p. 2-21
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- Description: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding on the impact of quality management (QM) tools and techniques in water supply infrastructure maintenance and the generation of non-revenue water (NRW) by Namibian Municipal Water Distributors. Design/methodology/approach - In-depth interviews were selected as the primary data collection method, while secondary data were collected using document review and observations. In-depth interviews as primary method provided rich data and details on the subject matter from the respondents. Document review and observations provided a holistic perspective and understanding of the context within which the maintenance projects are handled by municipal water distributors. Findings - The study found that as the number of QM tools employed to analyze maintenance data increases, the generation of NRW by the municipality decreases. However, for the tools to be effective, they should cover applications such as problem identification, data analysis, process analysis, decision making, planning, quality control and statistical process control, this helped Namibian municipalities to produce low volumes of NRW. In contrast, municipalities using QM tools arbitrarily lead to high quantities of NRW generation. Originality/value - The World Bank recommends that NRW should be less than 25 percent of the total water produced, while in many countries NRW is up to 60 percent. Developed economies have made efforts to reduce NRW but efforts are still at nascent stage in emerging economies. This is the first study providing evidences of QM tools application in maintenance process and effect on NRW. © 2018 Emerald Publishing Limited.
Exploring the adoption of lean principles in medical laboratory industry: Empirical evidences from Namibia
- Authors: Isack, Hilma , Mutingi, Michael , Kandjeke, Hileni , Vashishth, Abhishek , Chakraborty, Ayon
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Lean Six Sigma Vol. 9, no. 1 (2018), p. 133-155
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- Description: Purpose: As the demand for efficiency and quality in the health-care industry has increased over the past few years, adoption of Lean principles and tools in the medical laboratory industry has become increasingly crucial. The purpose of this study is to explore the level of adoption, barriers and enablers of Lean principles and tools in the Namibian medical laboratory industry. Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out to examine the level of usage, barriers and enablers, impact of Lean tools and to suggest appropriate strategies for adopting Lean in the Namibian medical laboratory services. Findings: Research findings reveal that Lean tools are moderately implemented in most laboratories. Standard operating procedures, root cause analysis, overall equipment effectiveness and visual management are the important Lean tools used in the industry. Results of the survey also show that Lean tools had a positive impact on operational performance, employee motivation, turnaround time and cost reduction. Furthermore, top management involvement, adequate training and proper planning emerged as important enablers, while lack of support from the management, financial constraint and staff resistant to change are major barriers to the adoption of Lean principles in the Namibian medical laboratory industry. Research limitations/implications: The paper has inherent limitations of survey research, which the authors will overcome by using case studies with medical laboratories. Practical implications: The findings of the authors’ work will help in widening the application of Lean principles in more medical laboratories in Namibia and in other parts of the world. Originality/value: The paper is based on numerous health-care studies on Lean. This is one of the few papers investigating the adoption of Lean principles, specifically in medical laboratories, from an emerging economy such as Namibia. © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Two dimensional efficiency measurements in vocational education : evidence from Australia
- Authors: Fieger, Peter , Villano, Renato , Rice, John , Cooksey, Ray
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management Vol. 66, no. 2 (2017), p. 196-215
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- Description: Purpose: In Australia, the vocational education and training (VET) sector accounts for approximately A$8 billion of public spending, of which around A$6.6 billion is spent on government providers that include Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes. The TAFE institutes in Australia are large, public VET providers, generally funded and managed by state government. Measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of TAFE institutes is of great interest to policy makers, regulators, consumers and to the institutions themselves. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach: In this study the authors use data relating to student cohort demographics, institutional characteristics and educational outcome data, while employing stochastic frontier analysis, to develop two distinct efficiency measures and models. The first model examines institutional efficiency in the transformation of financial resources into teaching loads. The second model evaluates efficiency in the transformation of institutional resources into post-study employment outcomes. K-means cluster analysis is used to establish groupings of similar institutes and subsequent canonical discriminant analysis is employed to develop a typology of these clusters. Findings: In both models the authors find significant inefficiencies in the Australian TAFE system. The relationship between both efficiency measures is then assessed. While there is no direct linear relationship, a distinct pattern could be detected. Finally the authors develop a typology of efficient institutions. Originality/value: This study contributes to the existing research by defining efficiency in vocational education in two distinct ways and by the utilisation of the derived efficiencies in the development of a typology of efficient institutes. In doing so, this research makes an original contribution to the understanding of the drivers of efficiency in vocational education. © 2017, © Emerald Publishing Limited.
Whistle-blowing in the Australian Public Service : the role of employee ethnicity and occupational affiliation
- Authors: Fieger, Peter , Rice, Bridget
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personnel Review Vol. 47, no. 3 (2018), p. 613-629
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- Description: Purpose: Whistle-blowing has the important role of reducing the prevalence and impact of wrongdoing in organisations. The purpose of this paper is to utilise a very large survey of Australian Public Service (APS) workers to replicate the findings of previous studies in relation to whistle-blowing likelihood and to extend the quantitative findings in relation to whistle-blowing antecedents to include ethnicity or cultural marginalisation and occupational and professional role and affiliation. Design/methodology/approach: The authors utilise the 2014 APS Census, a large data set containing 100,000 observations relating to employee engagement, leadership, health, satisfaction and general impressions of the public service. Logistic regression is employed to obtain estimates and marginal effects in respect to predictors for whistle-blowing. The authors determine the Bayesian information criterion to assess the impact of ethnicity on the probability of whistle-blowing. Findings: The findings support the notion that organisational “outsiders” tend to report perceived wrongdoing less than those who feel assured of their cultural or organisational status. The authors further find support for the notion that membership of small organisational groupings, primarily measured by organisational size, also tends to reduce the whistle-blowing likelihood. Opportunities for further research and potential policy and practical issues are discussed briefly in conclusion. Originality/value: While confirming the predictors seen in many previous studies, the authors identify groups who report more or less than expected that have not been reported in previous research. These include employees from a non-English speaking background and various occupational and professional groups “at risk” of low reporting. © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Assessment of critical failure factors (CFFs) of lean Six Sigma in real life scenario : evidence from manufacturing and service industries
- Authors: Sreedharan, Raja , Gopikumar, V. , Nair, Smitha , Chakraborty, Ayon , Antony, Jiju
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Benchmarking Vol. 25, no. 8 (2018), p. 3320-3336
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- Description: Purpose: Many projects focus on the reliable operation of the activities in the project. Any failure in the process activities leads to major problems resulting in waste, defects, equipment damage, which has a direct impact on the consumers. In addition, Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is not new to this issue. LSS projects have faced an interruption in the process flow and unforeseen defects. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify the vital failure factors of LSS projects. Design/methodology/approach: Through extant literature review, the researchers found 44 critical failure factors (CFFs) of LSS. Using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) SIMOS approach, the decision makers’ (DMs) rating and weight for each factor were collected. Moreover, the study was conducted in both the manufacturing and service industries to identify the impact of CFFs in LSS projects. Findings: CFFs and their evaluation have received little attention in the literature. Most of the previous studies deal only with the identification of the success factors in general. Therefore, the study identified 44 CFFs and ranked them through DMs. In addition, the TOPSIS SIMOS approach ranked the vital failure factors enabling the management to avert the LSS project from failures. Research limitations/implications: The study focused on project failures due to CFFs of LSS. Nevertheless, it did not consider other failure factors of project and knowledge management. Further, the sample used to test the approach was considerably small. Therefore, the study can be repeated with significant samples and the vital failure factors compared. Practical implications: In real-life application, all the parameters in the LSS project need to be understood in a better manner. In such a condition, the practitioner needs to know that the project never fails due to the CFFs and TOPSIS SIMOS approach can prevent the LSS project failures. Originality/value: The study applied TOPSIS SIMOS approach to rank the CFFs in an LSS project, which is first of its kind and aids the practitioners to make the right decisions in the business environment. © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.
A review and recommendations for the integration of forensic expertise within police cold case reviews
- Authors: Chapman, Brendan , Keatley, David , Oatley, Giles , Coumbaros, John , Maker, Garth
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Journal of Criminal Psychology Vol. 10, no. 2 (2019), p. 79-91
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- Description: Purpose: Cold case review teams and the processes that they adopt in their endeavour to solve historic crimes are varied and largely underreported. Of the limited literature surrounding the topic of cold case reviews, the focus is on clearance rates and the selection of cases for review. While multiple reports and reviews have been undertaken and recommend that the interface between investigators and forensic scientists be improved, there is little evidence of cold case teams comprised of a mixture of investigators and scientists or experts. With the growing reliance on forensic science as an aide to solvability, the authors propose that the inclusion of forensic scientists to the central cold case investigation may be a critical factor in future success. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach: To support the proposed approach, the authors conducted a review of the current literature seeking insight into the reported make-up of cold case teams. In conjunction with this, the authors reviewed a number of commissioned reports intended to improve cold case reviews and forensic services. Findings: While many of the reviewed reports and recommendations suggested better integration with scientists and external expertise, little evidence of this in practice was reported within published literature. Open dialogue and cross pollination between police investigators and forensic scientists are likely to mitigate biases, inform case file triage and better equip investigations with contemporary and cutting-edge scientific solutions to the evidence analysis for cold cases. Furthermore, with respect to scientists within academia, large pools of resources by way of student interns or researchers may be available to assist resource-sparse policing jurisdictions. Originality/value: To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first peer-reviewed recommendation for the consideration of integrated forensic scientists within a cold case review team. Multiple reports suggest the need for closer ties, but it is the anecdotal experience of the authors that the benefits of a blended task force approach may yield greater success. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Exploring adolescent-parent interaction strategies for accessing alcohol at home
- Authors: Dresler, Emma , Whitehead, Dean , Weaver, Kelly
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Health Education Vol. 117, no. 6 (2017), p. 566-580
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- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which youth have ready access to alcohol and the extent to which immediate family influence affects consumption. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative descriptive exploratory study undertook semi-structured peer-group interviews with 20 participants from four New Zealand high schools. The interviews centred on exploring the “general” experiences of youth related to alcohol access – but with a focus on alcohol access “at home” and the parental role. Findings: The study confirmed that the home unit was the main source of alcohol for most youth and parents were the most common source of provision. Parents provided financial access to alcohol by giving their child money to purchase it themselves through older family members or friends. It was also found that youth used negotiation strategies with their parents to influence their consumer purchases of alcohol. Research limitations/implications: Youth frequently used strategies such as pressure tactics, exchange tactics, ingratiating tactics and consultation tactics to influence their family’s decision-making process and to pressure their parents into supplying them with alcohol. Practical implications: It is important to recognise the role that family play as “gatekeepers” for readily allowing access and supplying youth with alcohol – and the reasons for doing so. Social implications: Alcohol plays an important part in many societies. It is important to understand how young people consume and access alcohol – particularly when the family plays a major role in access and consumption. Originality/value: Many studies have been conducted in relation to youth and alcohol consumption. Very few, as far as we can tell, explore the role of the family from the young consumers’ perspective and especially from a qualitative narrative perspective. © 2017, © Emerald Publishing Limited.
The experiences of New Zealand-based children in consuming fruits and vegetables
- Authors: Dresler, Emma , Whitehead, Dean , Mather, Aimee
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Health Education Vol. 117, no. 3 (2017), p. 297-309
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- Description: Purpose: It is known that the consumption of fruits and vegetables in children is declining despite wide-spread national and international policy attempts to increase consumption. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables so as to facilitate better health education targeting. Design/methodology/approach: In this qualitative descriptive exploratory study, peer group interviews were undertaken with 18 girls and 18 boys, aged 8-11, from schools in the Manawatu region of New Zealand. Findings: The results show that children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables is dependent on balancing risk and reward. Children know and understand the importance of eating fruits and vegetables; however, the perceived risks are typically the prevailing determinant of consumption. These perceived risks often stem from children’s uncertainty about whether the fruits and vegetables will meet the child’s sensory preferences. To mitigate the risks perceived in eating fruits and vegetables, children employ a range of avoidance strategies. Originality/value: This study’s results indicate that a model of “associated” risk is a valuable tool to explain children’s fruit and vegetable consumption and preference behaviour and to assist in the development of future health education intervention campaigns. © 2017, © Emerald Publishing Limited.