Description:
This study examines the impact of prior learning experience on students' approaches to learning (SAL). It compares SAL of accounting students admitted to university in Australia on the basis of Institutes of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) qualifications (TAFE-to-university) and through direct entry mode (Year 12-to-university). The motivation for the study lies in the need to understand potential learning differences to inform learning interventions for optimal learning outcomes for all students—regardless of entry mode. The findings suggest that prior TAFE learning experience impacts SAL in university. However, the findings question the stereotypical view of the TAFE learning context as fostering surface approaches to learning, as higher scores on deep and achieving approaches were recorded by TAFE-to-university students. The level of adoption of a surface approach was found to be less among students undertaking predominantly third-year units regardless of entry mode. This study's findings have important implications for designing curricula and assessment for accounting units to cater for all students from different educational pathways, for university teachers to adopt an inclusive approach, and for higher education access policy.
Description:
Direct democracy is seen as a means of reengaging citizens in the political process. However, it is a contested concept that requires further development by being grounded in a specific context. This article reports on research undertaken in Victorian local government where the New Public Management (NPM) has been in evidence for a number of decades which according to the literature has impacted on accountability to the broader community. The possibility of consultation and citizen participation in the local government budgetary process was examined. The results reported suggest that participation in the budgetary decisions in local government is possible.
Description:
The higher education landscape is undergoing major transformation, with a significant impact on the work and family practices of academics and professional staff. The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine the extent to which (1) time-related, (2) strain-related and (3) demographical variables impact on the work/family balance of academic and professional staff in Victorian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes. Our findings reveal that university employees experience greater work/family imbalance. The results of this research demonstrate how the three constructs contribute to work/family imbalance in academia, especially within the university sector. This paper is believed to be the first to explore work/family balance from an Australian cross-sectoral perspective. It provides an agenda for future theory and research to increase understanding of work/family balance from a cross-sectoral perspective.
Description:
Purpose – Higher education is influenced, to an increasing extent, by changing student demographics. This requires educators to design and deliver learning systems which will enhance students’ learning experience with innovative, real world and engaging resources. The authors predict that transformations in the learning systems will increase as higher learning institutions seek to add educational value. The authors maintain that current pedagogies in cross-cultural education are insufficiently adapted to student learning-style needs. This problem is particularly noticeable in one cross-cultural setting. This study aims to explore games, as an alternate pedagogy, to enhance learning systems. Design/methodology/approach – Students’ feedback formed the primary qualitative data for this study. The paper develops a conceptual model which provides an organised framework to manage intercultural differences, using games. The Mapping, Bridging, Integrating (MBI) model creates an opportunity for students to appreciate differences and understand the model's implications for their careers in international management. Findings – Participants’ responses to the games were overwhelmingly positive. Participants’ responses indicated games as a preferred method for developing the intercultural competence, team work, decision making and self awareness skills essential for business and entrepreneurship. Practical implications – There is a growing need to consider and align the relationship between education, the increasing cultural diversity in student populations, and the learning and teaching styles of a changing student population in order to enhance the extent of expected knowledge transfer. Originality/value – In this study, the authors adopted a qualitative approach to trialling the use of games in a cross-cultural context with the view to reducing international cross-cultural barriers and developing skills in intercultural competence, self awareness, collaborative working and decision making. This study shows the need for alternative, more integrative models of education comprising elements of complexity that fit with an increasingly complex world.
Description:
Purpose – Higher education is influenced, to an increasing extent, by changing student demographics. This requires educators to design and deliver learning systems which will enhance students’ learning experience with innovative, real world and engaging resources. The authors predict that transformations in the learning systems will increase as higher learning institutions seek to add educational value. The authors maintain that current pedagogies in cross-cultural education are insufficiently adapted to student learning-style needs. This problem is particularly noticeable in one cross-cultural setting. This study aims to explore games, as an alternate pedagogy, to enhance learning systems. Design/methodology/approach – Students’ feedback formed the primary qualitative data for this study. The paper develops a conceptual model which provides an organised framework to manage intercultural differences, using games. The Mapping, Bridging, Integrating (MBI) model creates an opportunity for students to appreciate differences and understand the model's implications for their careers in international management. Findings – Participants’ responses to the games were overwhelmingly positive. Participants’ responses indicated games as a preferred method for developing the intercultural competence, team work, decision making and self awareness skills essential for business and entrepreneurship. Practical implications – There is a growing need to consider and align the relationship between education, the increasing cultural diversity in student populations, and the learning and teaching styles of a changing student population in order to enhance the extent of expected knowledge transfer. Originality/value – In this study, the authors adopted a qualitative approach to trialling the use of games in a cross-cultural context with the view to reducing international cross-cultural barriers and developing skills in intercultural competence, self awareness, collaborative working and decision making. This study shows the need for alternative, more integrative models of education comprising elements of complexity that fit with an increasingly complex world.
Description:
Motivating employees is one of the most important managerial functions. Successfully motivating employees is essential in the quest to utilise the full potential of people. This helps to maximize the quality of products and service. In Australia, being such a multi-cultural society and with a very diverse workforce, motivation is a vert complex issue. This is owing to the uniqueness of people and the wide range of internal and external factors that impact on it. Motivation is interdisciplinary and therefore cannot be separated from other branches of social sciences. An example is leadership, which is the ability to inspire people to voluntarily and enthusiastically work towards the attainment of organisational goals. But what is motivation? And how does one motivate people? The purpose of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive approach to the question of employee motivation. First, we explore the meaning of motivation. We investigate the practical application of various content and process theories in the workplace. The role of goal setting in motivation is examined, and the power of money as a motivator is considered. We also consider new developments in the study of motivation.
Description:
Public sector organizations have existed for thousands of years and have long been equated with bureaucracy. Andreski (1984, p.104) cites the Chinese and Roman empires as classic examples of bureaucracy, describing them as "administrative machines," while Gaebler (1996) states that bureaucratic structure originated with the Roman army around 2,500 years ago. This gave rise to the concept of a bureaucracy based on traditional military ideals and "good administration" (Hood 1991) and paved the way for the modernist concept of the bureaucracy. Traditional organizations depended on bureaucratic structures to ensure that work was completed efficiently by removing error and idosyncrasy and reinforcing conformity and obedience. Bureau-cratic, or mechanized, structures rely upon centralized decision-making, formalized rules, and highly specialized tasks (Taylor 1911, 1913 and Weber 1947, cited in Sadler 1999)
Description:
Over the years the new institutionalism in public sector analysis has contributed significantly to our understanding of the dynamics of public sector institutions. While it has moved research away from behavioural explanations to recognizing political and cultural contexts, the focus on public sector institutions has been minimal. This research examines, by self-report questionnaire from employees in two government organizations, how institutional mechanisms shape whistle-blowing intentions within the context of a developing country. Despite the country context, findings from this study are encouraging in that participants’ intentions to blow the whistle were found, generally, to be strong.
Description:
Background-Against the backdrop of significant migration changes and the further growth projected in the diversity of the workforce, we explore the trans-national challenges of migrant workers, from a cultural perspective. Aim-Drawing from sociological and administrative theory,we seek to understand how different cultural settings influence transnational experiences. Method-We report the results of a qualitative exploratory study through the lens of institutional anomie theory. Results-Drawing on this evidence, and on sociological and administrative theory, our findings and theoretical explanation lends strong support to understanding that the greater the gap in the cultural orientation of the worker’s home country and new country, the greater the disequilibrium and anomie in work family interface. This study also confirms that cross cultural variables has a direct impact on trans-national challenges experienced by migrant workers. Conclusion-Our findings assist in developing strategic understanding of how trans-national challenges may improve current practices and policies.
Description:
The purpose of this paper is to use quantitative data to describe corruption in the SANPS, and use Luo's ([Luo, Y., 2005]) institutional theory to gain insights into how corruption develops and remains entrenched despite the introduction of anti‐corruption legislation. A total of 1,500 questionnaires were distributed to public servants in nine provinces, but predominantly in Kwa Zulu Natal and Gauteng. There were 702 returned giving a response rate of 47%. We conclude that the findings discussed in this paper lend support for Luo's theoretical model being able to provide insight into the development of corruption, its consequences and possible remedies.
Description:
Stress has been defined as a relationship between a person and the environment in which the factors within that environment exceed the person's abilities, thus putting his or her health or well-being at risk (Lazarus & Folkman 1984). Lazarus and Folkman (1984) emphasize the interplay between the person and his personal charcteristices and events occuring within the environment, recognizing the degree to which an event or events are described as stressful depend on the person's cognition of those events and how he evaluates them relative to his abilities to cope with the situation. Stress occurs when competing demands leads to overload (Lazarus & Folkman 1984)
Description:
Public sector organisations worldwide have been subject to transformation as governments have placed them on a commercial footing, positioning many of them in the private sector. Intended by-products have included increased efficiency and value-adding as well as opportunities for revenue. Some organisations are reluctant to relinquish their bureaucratic practices. The pressure to operate using two mutually exclusive paradigms has made it difficult for staff as the paradigms are often contradictory. Organisations attempting to conform to opposing paradigms often fail to conform to any isomorphist model. This has implications for institutional theory. Most research into this topic has focused on public sector executives or quantitatively examined lower level staff. This paper studies lower level public servants from a personal viewpoint utilising autoethnography, providing insight into the circumstances resulting from Australian governments’ implementation of new public management. Derived from anthropology and ethnography autoethnography provides insights drawn from personal experience to illustrate and extend extant theory.
Description:
In this paper we examine predictors of job satisfaction within the call centre industry. Using a qualitative methodology, we investigate the nature and extent of job satisfaction of customer service representatives in two large Australian call centres. The findings from the study confirm that monitoring, personal privacy and flexibility correlate to workers' wellbeing and job satisfaction.
Description:
This paper advances our understanding of the variables contributing towards the consistent performance of employees in the SMEs of U.A.E. No such study has been conducted in the Arab world yet. This study applies concepts examined in developed countries (with regards to the large organizations) to the SMEs in a developing country. Data was collected from 107 SME managers/owners working in U.A.E. Results indicated that the variables studied in developed countries are valid in U.A.E as well; a country with predominantly Arab culture. Findings suggest that all the variables discussed in this research are positively correlated with the consistent performance of the SMEs’ employees in U.A.E.
Description:
Against the backdrop of significant migration changes and the further growth projected in the diversity of the workforce, we explore the experiences of the work life interface amongst migrant workers, from a cultural perspective. We seek to understand how different cultural settings influence such experiences. We aim to guide future research in this area of inquiry, especially as the workforce becomes increasingly multicultural. We report the results of a qualitative exploratory study through the lens of institutional anomie theory. Our findings and theoretical explanation lend strong support to understanding that the greater the gap in the cultural orientation of the worker’s home country and new country, the greater the disequilibrium and anomie in the work-family interface. This study also demonstrates that cross-cultural variables have a direct impact on the work-life interface experienced by people moving from one cultural orientation to another.