The nature of professional small business advisor knowledge and the knowledge transmission process : A regional Australian perspective
- Authors: Labas, Alan
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis specifically examines the relationship between professional business advisor (PBA) knowledge and the knowledge transmission actions undertaken by such advisors when addressing the knowledge requirements of businesses, specifically Regional Australian small businesses. The thesis adopts a qualitative research approach to explore perceptions of individuals who provide advisory services to small businesses, within the context of Regional Australia. The analysis undertaken is a practical application of the critical realist research paradigm to explain how human agency, social structures, and mechanisms interact in the process of creating a knowledge transmission event by PBAs. The conceptual framework developed in this thesis brings together key concepts from scholarly research disciplines of knowledge management, information management, communications, services marketing and business advice. The conceptual framework reflects the research aims and provides the basis for the research methodology. The framework is of a unique critical realist research design that allows the study to progress through sequential world views. Each world view allows the continual broadening of the reality being studied, enabling more focused answers to the research questions posed. This study focuses on PBAs who service small businesses operating in four inner regional and two outer regional locations within the State of Victoria. Over the six regions, a total of 29 face-to-face interviews were conducted, along with one focus group in each region. The findings from this database, using the conceptual framework as a guide, identified a complex, heterogeneous, open environment in which PBA knowledge transmission occurs. This research process recognises PBAs as social structures with causal powers whose knowledge stock is the primary mechanism through which these powers are exercised to generate a knowledge transmission event. A significant conclusion emerges that PBA tacit (and not explicit) knowledge is a conditional mechanism which gate-keeps whether the PBA knowledge transmission event is enacted.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Labas, Alan
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis specifically examines the relationship between professional business advisor (PBA) knowledge and the knowledge transmission actions undertaken by such advisors when addressing the knowledge requirements of businesses, specifically Regional Australian small businesses. The thesis adopts a qualitative research approach to explore perceptions of individuals who provide advisory services to small businesses, within the context of Regional Australia. The analysis undertaken is a practical application of the critical realist research paradigm to explain how human agency, social structures, and mechanisms interact in the process of creating a knowledge transmission event by PBAs. The conceptual framework developed in this thesis brings together key concepts from scholarly research disciplines of knowledge management, information management, communications, services marketing and business advice. The conceptual framework reflects the research aims and provides the basis for the research methodology. The framework is of a unique critical realist research design that allows the study to progress through sequential world views. Each world view allows the continual broadening of the reality being studied, enabling more focused answers to the research questions posed. This study focuses on PBAs who service small businesses operating in four inner regional and two outer regional locations within the State of Victoria. Over the six regions, a total of 29 face-to-face interviews were conducted, along with one focus group in each region. The findings from this database, using the conceptual framework as a guide, identified a complex, heterogeneous, open environment in which PBA knowledge transmission occurs. This research process recognises PBAs as social structures with causal powers whose knowledge stock is the primary mechanism through which these powers are exercised to generate a knowledge transmission event. A significant conclusion emerges that PBA tacit (and not explicit) knowledge is a conditional mechanism which gate-keeps whether the PBA knowledge transmission event is enacted.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Sustainable practices in small and medium sized enterprises in regional Australia
- Authors: Salimzadeh, Parisa
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Global warming, through rising greenhouse gas emissions, is not only impacting on human populations and ecosystems; it is also causing negative impacts on economic development. Commercial activities of businesses are contributing to global warming through unethical social behaviours, so businesses have a role to play by adopting environmental friendly practices in their actions and strategies, so as to reduce their impact on ecosystems. Also, successful businesses to be sustainable need to consider the social concerns within their local communities. Socially friendly businesses attempt to increase human capital through skill improvement and contribute to social capital in a way that community and social groups respect their social responsibility and support them. Sustainability adoption refers to the actual implementation of sustainable practices in currently operating businesses. Such adoption in terms of ecology and community has been commonly accepted as a requirement for large businesses under the rubric of corporate social responsibility. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have not been scrutinised anywhere near to the same level in terms of their attention to sustainability adoption in their business mission and strategies. Owner/managers of SMEs are no more exempt from environmental and social ethics than anyone else in society. Furthermore, SMEs are significant regional development agents contributing to the increased productivity and an improved quality of local life. Especially in Regional Australia where SMEs constitute approximately 95% of businesses in services and industry sectors, so for Regional Australian SMEs to adopt sustainability and regional economic strategies at the same time, enables local communities to benefit from sustainable development, innovation and economic development in their regions. In the SME literature, there is a lack of appreciation of the sustainability issue and its connection with its local community. Bringing together the relevant literature, this research develops a sustainability assessment framework for SMEs by determining the internal and external drivers and inhibitors affecting the adoption of social and environmental friendly practices in SMEs within the regional context. This framework can be used as a basis for application in regional development. It will also be a valuable tool for evaluation and monitoring of strategies for sustainability adoption. To gain a deep understanding of sustainability adoption by regional SMEs, this research investigates social and environmental practices adopted by regional SMEs in order to respond to the sustainability challenge. This research explores factors affecting the sustainability adoption by regional SMEs. Also the research undertaken seeks to identify whether some demographic variables (i.e. business size, business category, business age, owners/managers‟ experience and educational level) have any significant impact on the adoption of social and environmental practices. This quantitative research has a response rate of 28.77% and stands on pre-test, a pilot study and the main study. It draws on the response of 233 SME owner/managers within the regional city of Ballarat. The research uses descriptive statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression and is guided by the conceptual framework. The results show that the SMEs are actively engaged in employee support and they tend to be close to the local community while lacking environmental practices. However, despite being active in the areas of recycling, energy efficiency, and using environmentally friendly products, these SMEs showed an inability to grasp the strategic importance of overall environmentally sustainable policy and practice. Moreover, findings reveal that business size and owner/managers‟ education have significant positive effects on the adoption of socially responsible practices. The results of this research contribute significantly to understanding of sustainability adoption by SMEs in a regional context. This research is one of the first empirical studies undertaken to investigate the factors affecting the sustainability adoption by regional SMEs in Australia. Thus, this research builds a platform for future research in relation to understanding better the factors that are barriers to adoption of sustainable practices outside major metropolitan regions, and a theoretical framework to guide such future research. The findings of this research highlight significant implications for both theory and practice in the context of a non-metropolitan urban setting. These implications include addressing practices in a way that brings business operators together to network and collaborate with the communities in the region.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Salimzadeh, Parisa
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Global warming, through rising greenhouse gas emissions, is not only impacting on human populations and ecosystems; it is also causing negative impacts on economic development. Commercial activities of businesses are contributing to global warming through unethical social behaviours, so businesses have a role to play by adopting environmental friendly practices in their actions and strategies, so as to reduce their impact on ecosystems. Also, successful businesses to be sustainable need to consider the social concerns within their local communities. Socially friendly businesses attempt to increase human capital through skill improvement and contribute to social capital in a way that community and social groups respect their social responsibility and support them. Sustainability adoption refers to the actual implementation of sustainable practices in currently operating businesses. Such adoption in terms of ecology and community has been commonly accepted as a requirement for large businesses under the rubric of corporate social responsibility. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have not been scrutinised anywhere near to the same level in terms of their attention to sustainability adoption in their business mission and strategies. Owner/managers of SMEs are no more exempt from environmental and social ethics than anyone else in society. Furthermore, SMEs are significant regional development agents contributing to the increased productivity and an improved quality of local life. Especially in Regional Australia where SMEs constitute approximately 95% of businesses in services and industry sectors, so for Regional Australian SMEs to adopt sustainability and regional economic strategies at the same time, enables local communities to benefit from sustainable development, innovation and economic development in their regions. In the SME literature, there is a lack of appreciation of the sustainability issue and its connection with its local community. Bringing together the relevant literature, this research develops a sustainability assessment framework for SMEs by determining the internal and external drivers and inhibitors affecting the adoption of social and environmental friendly practices in SMEs within the regional context. This framework can be used as a basis for application in regional development. It will also be a valuable tool for evaluation and monitoring of strategies for sustainability adoption. To gain a deep understanding of sustainability adoption by regional SMEs, this research investigates social and environmental practices adopted by regional SMEs in order to respond to the sustainability challenge. This research explores factors affecting the sustainability adoption by regional SMEs. Also the research undertaken seeks to identify whether some demographic variables (i.e. business size, business category, business age, owners/managers‟ experience and educational level) have any significant impact on the adoption of social and environmental practices. This quantitative research has a response rate of 28.77% and stands on pre-test, a pilot study and the main study. It draws on the response of 233 SME owner/managers within the regional city of Ballarat. The research uses descriptive statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression and is guided by the conceptual framework. The results show that the SMEs are actively engaged in employee support and they tend to be close to the local community while lacking environmental practices. However, despite being active in the areas of recycling, energy efficiency, and using environmentally friendly products, these SMEs showed an inability to grasp the strategic importance of overall environmentally sustainable policy and practice. Moreover, findings reveal that business size and owner/managers‟ education have significant positive effects on the adoption of socially responsible practices. The results of this research contribute significantly to understanding of sustainability adoption by SMEs in a regional context. This research is one of the first empirical studies undertaken to investigate the factors affecting the sustainability adoption by regional SMEs in Australia. Thus, this research builds a platform for future research in relation to understanding better the factors that are barriers to adoption of sustainable practices outside major metropolitan regions, and a theoretical framework to guide such future research. The findings of this research highlight significant implications for both theory and practice in the context of a non-metropolitan urban setting. These implications include addressing practices in a way that brings business operators together to network and collaborate with the communities in the region.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Influence of demographic variables on sustainability in regional Australian SMEs
- Courvisanos, Jerry, Nayak, Ravi, Salimzadeh, Parisa
- Authors: Courvisanos, Jerry , Nayak, Ravi , Salimzadeh, Parisa
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Proceedings of the Australasian Conference on Business and Social Sciences
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role in the economy of Regional Australia.They are significant regional development agents contributing to the increased productivity and the improved quality of local life.However,global warming and unethical social behavioursare increasingly being attributed to commercial activity. While, large businesses have accepted the need to adopt sustainability in their management process, SMEs have not paid enough attention to the sustainability issues in their management strategies.There are some demographic variables which are affectingthe adoption on sustainable practices by SMEs. This paper investigates the effects of fourdemographic variables (business size, business category, owners/managers’ experienceand educationallevel) on the sustainability adoption by SMEs in a regional context.One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyse the survey data from 233 SMEs in the regional city of Ballarat which is located in Western Victoria, Australia.Findings reveal that business size and owners/managers’ education have a significant impact on the adoption of socially responsible practices.This paper contributes to the investigation of impacting variables on sustainable business development within SMEs, highlighting significant implications for both theory and practice in the context of a non-metropolitan urban setting.
Bearing the risk : Learning to be drier mid-river
- Golding, Barry, Angwin, Jennifer
- Authors: Golding, Barry , Angwin, Jennifer
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 49, no. 3 (2009), p. 472-496
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper investigates learning related to the phenomena of drying over the past decade in the southern Murray-Darling Basin in Australia, as perceived in a mid-river site within the western Riverina of New South Wales, Australia. The insights from audio-recorded interviews, with a wide range of adults across the water-dependent community, mostly relate to the catchment of the Murrumbidgee River in the Shire of Hay. Our overarching theme is about how people are learning about, understanding and bearing the risks, of what is widely regarded as a prolonged drought. For some, the learning is about how to cope with less water in the Basin, and particularly from the river, as predicted in the climate change literature. Our narrative-based, empirical research registers the felt experience of those located, in situ, as a severe 'irrigation drought' extends into 2009. The paper dramatises the many obstacles to learning how to think and act differently, in difficult and rapidly changing ecosocial circumstances.
- Description: 2003007973
- Authors: Golding, Barry , Angwin, Jennifer
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 49, no. 3 (2009), p. 472-496
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper investigates learning related to the phenomena of drying over the past decade in the southern Murray-Darling Basin in Australia, as perceived in a mid-river site within the western Riverina of New South Wales, Australia. The insights from audio-recorded interviews, with a wide range of adults across the water-dependent community, mostly relate to the catchment of the Murrumbidgee River in the Shire of Hay. Our overarching theme is about how people are learning about, understanding and bearing the risks, of what is widely regarded as a prolonged drought. For some, the learning is about how to cope with less water in the Basin, and particularly from the river, as predicted in the climate change literature. Our narrative-based, empirical research registers the felt experience of those located, in situ, as a severe 'irrigation drought' extends into 2009. The paper dramatises the many obstacles to learning how to think and act differently, in difficult and rapidly changing ecosocial circumstances.
- Description: 2003007973
Learning to be drier : A case study of adult and community learning in the Australian Riverland
- Brown, Michael, Schulz, Christine
- Authors: Brown, Michael , Schulz, Christine
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 49, no. 3 (2009), p. 497-519
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This article explores the adult and Community learning associated with 'learning to be drier' in the Riverland region of South Australia. Communities in the Riverland are currently adjusting and making changes to their understandings and practices as part of learning to live with less water. The analysis of adult and community learning derived from this research identified six different forms of learning. These are, learning to produce, learning to be efficient, learning to survive, learning to live with uncertainty, learning to be sustainable and learning to share. These forms of learning do not occur in isolation and separately from each other but to the contrary are occurring simultaneously with and alongside each other. Further, it is argued that the people and communities in the Riverland, through learning to live with the effects of climate change and less water, are at the forefront of learning to be drier.
- Authors: Brown, Michael , Schulz, Christine
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 49, no. 3 (2009), p. 497-519
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This article explores the adult and Community learning associated with 'learning to be drier' in the Riverland region of South Australia. Communities in the Riverland are currently adjusting and making changes to their understandings and practices as part of learning to live with less water. The analysis of adult and community learning derived from this research identified six different forms of learning. These are, learning to produce, learning to be efficient, learning to survive, learning to live with uncertainty, learning to be sustainable and learning to share. These forms of learning do not occur in isolation and separately from each other but to the contrary are occurring simultaneously with and alongside each other. Further, it is argued that the people and communities in the Riverland, through learning to live with the effects of climate change and less water, are at the forefront of learning to be drier.
Learning to be drier in dryland country
- Smith, Erica, Campbell, Coral
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Campbell, Coral
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 49, no. 3 (2009), p. 520-543
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This research project, part of a much larger study, considered how people in regional communities learnt to deal with the impact of reduced water availability as a result of drought or climate change. The communities in the Mallee-Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia, were the focus of this study and a range of local people from different sectors of the communities were involved in interviews, which became our main data source. We recognise the limitation that not all viewpoints could possibly be accessed in the participant selection process. The resultant data indicated that significant changes were being made to local practices as a result of the learning taking place and that there were a range of processes which enabled adult learning across the communities.
- Description: 2003007933
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Campbell, Coral
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 49, no. 3 (2009), p. 520-543
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This research project, part of a much larger study, considered how people in regional communities learnt to deal with the impact of reduced water availability as a result of drought or climate change. The communities in the Mallee-Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia, were the focus of this study and a range of local people from different sectors of the communities were involved in interviews, which became our main data source. We recognise the limitation that not all viewpoints could possibly be accessed in the participant selection process. The resultant data indicated that significant changes were being made to local practices as a result of the learning taking place and that there were a range of processes which enabled adult learning across the communities.
- Description: 2003007933
Water, weeds and autumn leaves : Learning to be drier in the Alpine region
- Foley, Annette, Grace, Lauri
- Authors: Foley, Annette , Grace, Lauri
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 49, no. 3 (2009), p. 451-471
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Our paper explores how and what adults living and working in the Alpine region of Victoria understand and are learning about the changes to water availability, in a time when the response to water availability is subject to extensive debate and policy attention. Interviews for this study were conducted in the towns of Bright and Mount Beauty, with participants drawn from across the Alpine region. The interviews focused on what local stakeholders from the Alpine region understood about water availability in the region and how and what they had learned about living and working with climatic changes in their local area. The findings of our study see that there was evidence of a strong understanding of the direct and indirect impact of climate change oil participants' local community area. The study also sees evidence of learning through a community frames of reference' as outlined by Berkhout, Hertin and Dann et al.
- Description: 2003007972
- Authors: Foley, Annette , Grace, Lauri
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 49, no. 3 (2009), p. 451-471
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Our paper explores how and what adults living and working in the Alpine region of Victoria understand and are learning about the changes to water availability, in a time when the response to water availability is subject to extensive debate and policy attention. Interviews for this study were conducted in the towns of Bright and Mount Beauty, with participants drawn from across the Alpine region. The interviews focused on what local stakeholders from the Alpine region understood about water availability in the region and how and what they had learned about living and working with climatic changes in their local area. The findings of our study see that there was evidence of a strong understanding of the direct and indirect impact of climate change oil participants' local community area. The study also sees evidence of learning through a community frames of reference' as outlined by Berkhout, Hertin and Dann et al.
- Description: 2003007972
Wicked learning : Reflecting on Learning to be drier
- Golding, Barry, Brown, Michael, Foley, Annette, Smith, Erica, Campbell, Coral, Schulz, Christine, Angwin, Jennifer, Grace, Lauri
- Authors: Golding, Barry , Brown, Michael , Foley, Annette , Smith, Erica , Campbell, Coral , Schulz, Christine , Angwin, Jennifer , Grace, Lauri
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 49, no. 3 (2009), p. 544-566
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this final, collaborative paper in the Learning to be drier edition, we reflect on and draw together some of the key threads from the diverse narratives in our four site papers from across the southern Murray-Darling Basin. Our paper title, Wicked learning, draws on a recent body literature (Rittel & Webber 1973) about messy or 'wicked problems' as characterised by Dietz and Stern (1998). It picks up on our identification of the difficulty and enormity of the learning challenges being faced by communities, associated, at best, with a decade of record dry years (drought) and severely over-committed rivers. At worst, drought is occurring in combination with and as a precursor to recent, progressive drying of the Basin associated with climate change. Our research is suggestive of a need for much more learning across all segments of the adult community about '... the big picture, including the interrelationships among the full range of causal factors ...' (Australian Public Service Commission, APSC 2007: 1) underlying the presenting problem of drying. We conclude that solutions to the messy or wicked problem of drying in an interconnected Basin will lie in the social domain. This will include building a wider knowledge and acceptance of the problems and likely future risks across the Basin including all parts of communities. The problem of drying as well as its causes and solutions are multidimensional, and will involve comprehensive learning about all five key characteristics of other 'wicked' policy problems identified in previous research in the environmental arena. The narratives that we have heard identify the extreme difficulty in all four sites of rational and learned responses to being drier as the problem has unfolded. All narratives about being drier that we have heard involve a recognition of a combination of the five characteristics common to wicked problems: multidimensionality, scientific uncertainty, value conflict and uncertainty, mistrust as well as urgency. All narratives identify the importance of social learning: to be productive, to be efficient, to survive, to live with uncertainty, to be sustainable and to share. Combating the extent and effects of drying, causality aside, will require new forms of learning through new community, social and learning spaces, apart from and in addition to new technological and scientific learning.
- Description: 2003007975
- Authors: Golding, Barry , Brown, Michael , Foley, Annette , Smith, Erica , Campbell, Coral , Schulz, Christine , Angwin, Jennifer , Grace, Lauri
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 49, no. 3 (2009), p. 544-566
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this final, collaborative paper in the Learning to be drier edition, we reflect on and draw together some of the key threads from the diverse narratives in our four site papers from across the southern Murray-Darling Basin. Our paper title, Wicked learning, draws on a recent body literature (Rittel & Webber 1973) about messy or 'wicked problems' as characterised by Dietz and Stern (1998). It picks up on our identification of the difficulty and enormity of the learning challenges being faced by communities, associated, at best, with a decade of record dry years (drought) and severely over-committed rivers. At worst, drought is occurring in combination with and as a precursor to recent, progressive drying of the Basin associated with climate change. Our research is suggestive of a need for much more learning across all segments of the adult community about '... the big picture, including the interrelationships among the full range of causal factors ...' (Australian Public Service Commission, APSC 2007: 1) underlying the presenting problem of drying. We conclude that solutions to the messy or wicked problem of drying in an interconnected Basin will lie in the social domain. This will include building a wider knowledge and acceptance of the problems and likely future risks across the Basin including all parts of communities. The problem of drying as well as its causes and solutions are multidimensional, and will involve comprehensive learning about all five key characteristics of other 'wicked' policy problems identified in previous research in the environmental arena. The narratives that we have heard identify the extreme difficulty in all four sites of rational and learned responses to being drier as the problem has unfolded. All narratives about being drier that we have heard involve a recognition of a combination of the five characteristics common to wicked problems: multidimensionality, scientific uncertainty, value conflict and uncertainty, mistrust as well as urgency. All narratives identify the importance of social learning: to be productive, to be efficient, to survive, to live with uncertainty, to be sustainable and to share. Combating the extent and effects of drying, causality aside, will require new forms of learning through new community, social and learning spaces, apart from and in addition to new technological and scientific learning.
- Description: 2003007975
Flexibility and community engagement in the delivery of engineering education for regional Australia
- Authors: Hall, Stephen
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 4th International Forum on Engineering Education: Integration of Teaching & Research with Community Service, Sharajah, United Arab Emirates : 25th-27th April 2006
- Full Text: false
- Description: Skill shortage in many areas has been identified as a significant factor limiting sustainable development in regional Australia. In engineering, this is impacting mining projects, transport and water infrastructure, and even manufacturing in regional centers. It is proving increasingly difficult to attract urban-bred and educated graduates into regional engineering careers. Many students entering University from regional Australia are from lower socio-economic groupings; meaning that the normal four-year Bachelor of Engineering program is a durational and financial barrier that many fail. The University of Ballarat has over the past five years moved in consultation with industry and the professional body (Engineers Australia) to a linked three-year Bachelor of Engineering Science and follow-on coursework Masters of Engineering Technology (similar to the European Bologna process). These programs are accredited at Engineering Technologist and Professional Engineer levels respectively. This structure allows the three-year graduates to enter the work place with a recognized award if they wish, and/or to continue their engineering education. Community engagement is an increasingly important element of the curriculum process, both in training the engineers of the future in this area together with leadership skills. Collaborative agreements with industry are also being entered into to formalize staff development through higher education programs on-site, on-campus and via distance delivery. This paper will discuss the structures of the academic programs, the modes of delivery, industry uptake of graduates, the use of single units for continuing education purposes and the potential for student exchange.
- Description: 2003001623
Understanding the regional demand for ambulance services
- Authors: Lowe, Julian
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 2006 ANZRSAI Conference, Beechworth, Australia : 26th September, 2006 p. 208-218
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001799
Cultural heritage meets contemporary practice in a regional context
- Button, Loris, Gervasoni, Clare
- Authors: Button, Loris , Gervasoni, Clare
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Rhapsody 21: The future of university museums and art galleries in the new century Conference, Launceston, Australia : 25th - 28th May, 2005
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001472
Small firms and regional towns : Towards a typology
- Authors: Lowe, Julian , Henson, Sam
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 2nd National Conference on the Future of Australian Country Towns, Bendigo, Australia : 11th -13th July, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The dominant forms of enterprise in Small Towns are, not surprisingly, small firms. But are these small firms different to their metropolitan counterparts, and are these differences related to their location in regional towns? In addition, are these regional small firms governed by different rules and principles? Overseas studies, generally focusing on firm start-ups, have identified differences between regional and urban enterprises, but the differences are usually small (Westhead, 1995). The explanatory variables identified vary from study to study but include access to finance, physical resources, employment levels, population density, industry structure, regional externalities, human capital, knowledge spillovers, and resource munificent regions as possible explanations for the variations (Armington & Acs, 2002; Keeble, 1997). In this paper, the basic proposition is that regional firms in Australia may be different, but they are not necessarily disadvantaged. Focusing on issues of firm behaviour and competitiveness the paper presents a typology of firms that attempts to explain the fit between a small firm and its regional location. The typology is illustrated and discussed, using preliminary findings from a qualitative, case-based study of small, Western Victorian firms.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001146
- Authors: Lowe, Julian , Henson, Sam
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 2nd National Conference on the Future of Australian Country Towns, Bendigo, Australia : 11th -13th July, 2005
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The dominant forms of enterprise in Small Towns are, not surprisingly, small firms. But are these small firms different to their metropolitan counterparts, and are these differences related to their location in regional towns? In addition, are these regional small firms governed by different rules and principles? Overseas studies, generally focusing on firm start-ups, have identified differences between regional and urban enterprises, but the differences are usually small (Westhead, 1995). The explanatory variables identified vary from study to study but include access to finance, physical resources, employment levels, population density, industry structure, regional externalities, human capital, knowledge spillovers, and resource munificent regions as possible explanations for the variations (Armington & Acs, 2002; Keeble, 1997). In this paper, the basic proposition is that regional firms in Australia may be different, but they are not necessarily disadvantaged. Focusing on issues of firm behaviour and competitiveness the paper presents a typology of firms that attempts to explain the fit between a small firm and its regional location. The typology is illustrated and discussed, using preliminary findings from a qualitative, case-based study of small, Western Victorian firms.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001146
Looking for a C-change : Factors contributing to regional development and change
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia Conference, Hamilton, Australia : 30th June - July 3th, 2004
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000781
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia Conference, Hamilton, Australia : 30th June - July 3th, 2004
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000781
Sharing tourism knowledge : Regional capacity building through online skills
- Braun, Patrice, Hollick, Mary
- Authors: Braun, Patrice , Hollick, Mary
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 28th Australian New Zealand Regional Science Association International (ANZRSAI) Annual Conference: The Regional Development Cocktail, Wollongong, Australia : 28th September - October 1st, 2004
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Skills augmentation, through individual and collective learning, building destination relationships and network linkages through knowledge sharing and industry-wide benchmarking are internationally recognised as leading economic drivers for regional growth in general and the tourism industry in particular. The aim of this paper is to share the authors' initial insights into regional tourism industry network and capacity building via online skilling and knowledge sharing. Applying an ICT and Internet-enhanced platform for the delivery of business skills, this paper discusses an online learning pilot for micro tourism businesses in regional Australia designed to offer tourism information and skills development towards industry accreditation. While a tripartite university-government-industry partnership was successfully established to share knowledge towards regional capacity building and industry benchmarking, the authors also highlight silo politics, cultural differences, lack of leadership and lack of trust as some of the main barriers to effective and bilateral knowledge sharing towards regional industry capacity building.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000784
- Authors: Braun, Patrice , Hollick, Mary
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 28th Australian New Zealand Regional Science Association International (ANZRSAI) Annual Conference: The Regional Development Cocktail, Wollongong, Australia : 28th September - October 1st, 2004
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Skills augmentation, through individual and collective learning, building destination relationships and network linkages through knowledge sharing and industry-wide benchmarking are internationally recognised as leading economic drivers for regional growth in general and the tourism industry in particular. The aim of this paper is to share the authors' initial insights into regional tourism industry network and capacity building via online skilling and knowledge sharing. Applying an ICT and Internet-enhanced platform for the delivery of business skills, this paper discusses an online learning pilot for micro tourism businesses in regional Australia designed to offer tourism information and skills development towards industry accreditation. While a tripartite university-government-industry partnership was successfully established to share knowledge towards regional capacity building and industry benchmarking, the authors also highlight silo politics, cultural differences, lack of leadership and lack of trust as some of the main barriers to effective and bilateral knowledge sharing towards regional industry capacity building.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000784
.comUnity : ICT innovation in a regional Tourism Network
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 2003 Sustainable Economic Growth in Regional Australia (SEGRA) Conference, Brisbane : 14th - 17th September, 2003
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000572
Community building via online communities and regional web-portals
- Authors: Thompson, Helen
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 5th International Conference on IT in Regional Areas, Rockhampton, Australia : 15th - 17th December, 2003
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Despite a rise of interest in information communications technology (ICT) and in community informatics (CI) initiatives, these are not ‘magic bullets’ or ‘quick-fix solutions’ for SMEs or even larger organisations, communities, or industries (McGrath and More 2002). There is growing recognition of the need to go beyond anecdotal evidence and to assess more effectively the change brought about by providing access to and utilisation of ICT in communities. Denison et al. (2002) have presented a taxonomy which differentiates between various types of ICT and community networking initiatives. The application of this schema to a cluster of community informatics originating from the Central Highlands region of Victoria proves to be useful. A case study is then presented which reviews the evolution of one of the online communities within that cluster. The diverse factors which are involved in establishing sustainable online services are examined. Access to a comprehensive toolset specifically designed to meet the skills and infrastructure gaps which often exist in regional areas has been important. The active involvement of community members in designing, implementing and sustaining web-based services has also been important. By generating debate and discussion and by sharing the critical learning from specific cases it is hoped that others can be better informed about the major characteristics and the diverse factors which impact on the effectiveness and long-term sustainability of CI initiatives in a regional and rural context.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000569
- Authors: Thompson, Helen
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 5th International Conference on IT in Regional Areas, Rockhampton, Australia : 15th - 17th December, 2003
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Despite a rise of interest in information communications technology (ICT) and in community informatics (CI) initiatives, these are not ‘magic bullets’ or ‘quick-fix solutions’ for SMEs or even larger organisations, communities, or industries (McGrath and More 2002). There is growing recognition of the need to go beyond anecdotal evidence and to assess more effectively the change brought about by providing access to and utilisation of ICT in communities. Denison et al. (2002) have presented a taxonomy which differentiates between various types of ICT and community networking initiatives. The application of this schema to a cluster of community informatics originating from the Central Highlands region of Victoria proves to be useful. A case study is then presented which reviews the evolution of one of the online communities within that cluster. The diverse factors which are involved in establishing sustainable online services are examined. Access to a comprehensive toolset specifically designed to meet the skills and infrastructure gaps which often exist in regional areas has been important. The active involvement of community members in designing, implementing and sustaining web-based services has also been important. By generating debate and discussion and by sharing the critical learning from specific cases it is hoped that others can be better informed about the major characteristics and the diverse factors which impact on the effectiveness and long-term sustainability of CI initiatives in a regional and rural context.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000569
Innovation for regional communities : A research framework
- Authors: Courvisanos, Jerry
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at SEGRA 2003: Seventh National Conference, Brisbane : 15th - 17th September, 2003
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The paper outlines a research framework that can serve as a guide to regional research. This is an inter-disciplinary framework allowing all researchers from any discipline to focus on the regional problematic with the objective of serving a regional community. No research can begin without a perspective on the broad issue for study and deliberation. This presentation begins with the “vulnerability/inability” problematic of the domestic regional (non-urban) situation and the innovation strategy required in addressing the factors underlying this problematic. The framework around this problematic-strategy dimension is an economic model by Micha
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000578
- Authors: Courvisanos, Jerry
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at SEGRA 2003: Seventh National Conference, Brisbane : 15th - 17th September, 2003
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The paper outlines a research framework that can serve as a guide to regional research. This is an inter-disciplinary framework allowing all researchers from any discipline to focus on the regional problematic with the objective of serving a regional community. No research can begin without a perspective on the broad issue for study and deliberation. This presentation begins with the “vulnerability/inability” problematic of the domestic regional (non-urban) situation and the innovation strategy required in addressing the factors underlying this problematic. The framework around this problematic-strategy dimension is an economic model by Micha
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000578
SME networks : Clustering for regional innovation purposes
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the SEAANZ 16th Conference, Ballarat, Australia : 28th September - October 1st, 2003
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000573
- Ruyg, Sharon, Payne, Warren, Swan, Peter
- Authors: Ruyg, Sharon , Payne, Warren , Swan, Peter
- Date: 2002
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Who's Looking After the Bush?, Rockhampton, Australia : 14th June, 2002 p. 142-149
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Rural and regional Victorians, like most Australians, face a complex set of issues that challenge their capacity to lead active lifestyles. Such issues are Compounded by the myriad of changes to the structure of communities through policies resulting in declining services and support from centralised government and the private sector during the 1990's. Crucial to the sustainability of communities is the need for a better understanding of how policies influence and impact upon them. A study in Regiona/ Victoria investigated how policies relating to physical activity influence community well being and analysed government policies in the sport and health sectors. The application of critical policy analysis techniques (Taylor et al, 1997; Chalip, 1996) using a critical interpretive approach (Berkovifz, 2000) provided the framework for the problematization of physical activity and the use of legitimation (Chalip, 1996) in the analysis of policies. The research found that greatest government interest in physical activity was linked to the economic benefits that can be attributed to improved rates of participation in sport and other forms of physical activity. Policy is further influenced by the interplay between sectors, levels of government and the availability of funding. The research found that inconsistencies exist between the language and available resources at all levels despite the knowledge of potential health benefits. Of significance to the research is the investigation of structures to support the development of sport and physical activity opportunities. Victoria's Regional Sports Assemblies (RSAs) provide an approach reflective of the needs of communities through sport and physical activity. The capacity for greater collaboration lies at the local level where direct community relationships afford opportunities to engage individuals and organisations in sport and physical activity.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000262
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