The internal validity of web-based studies

Honing and Ladinig (2008) make the assertion that while the internal validity of web-based studies may be reduced, this is offset by an increase in external validity possible when experimenters can sample a wider range of participants and experimental settings. In this paper, the issue of internal validity is more closely examined, and it is agued that there is no necessary reason why internal validity of a web-based study should be worse than that of a lab-based one. Errors of measurement or inconsistencies of manipulation will typically balance across conditions of the experiment, and thus need not necessarily threaten the validity of a study’s findings.

Internal and external motivation factors in virtual and collocated project environments : a principal component investigation

In this study, we explore motivation in collocated and virtual project teams. The literature on motivation in a project set.,ting reveals that motivation is closely linked to team performance. Based on this literature, we propose a set., of variables related to the three dimensions of ‘Nature of work’, ‘Rewards’, and ‘Communication’. Thirteen original variables in a sample size of 66 collocated and 66 virtual respondents are investigated using one tail t test and principal component analysis. We find that there are minimal differences between the two groups with respect to the above mentioned three dimensions. (p= .06; t=1.71). Further, a principal component analysis of the combined sample of collocated and virtual project environments reveals two factors- ‘Internal Motivating Factor’ related to work and work environment, and ‘External Motivating Factor’ related to the financial and non-financial rewards that explain 59.8% of the variance and comprehensively characterize motivation in collocated and virtual project environments. A ‘sense check’ of our interpretation of the results shows conformity with the theory and existing practice of project organization

Free convection in a triangular enclosure with fluid-saturated porous medium and internal heat generation

Unsteady natural convection inside a triangular cavity has been studied in this study. The cavity is filled with a saturated porous medium with non-isothermal left inclined wall while the bottom surface is isothermally heated and the right inclined surface is isothermally cooled. An internal heat generation is also considered which is dependent on the fluid temperature. The governing equations are solved numerically by finite volume method. The Prandtl number, Pr of the fluid is considered as 0.7 (air) while the aspect ratio and the Rayleigh number, Ra are considered as 0.5 and 105 respectively. The effect of heat generation on the fluid flow and heat transfer have been presented as a form of streamlines and isotherms. The rate of heat transfer through three surfaces of the enclosure is also presented.

Reliance on internal autopsies in coronial investigations : a review of the issues

Internal autopsies are invasive and result in the mutilation of the deceased person’s body. They are expensive and pose occupational health and safety risks. Accordingly, they should only be done for good cause. However, until recently, “full” internal autopsies have usually been undertaken in most coroners’ cases. There is a growing trend against this practice but it is meeting resistance from some pathologists who argue that any decision as to the extent of the autopsy should rest with them. This paper examines the origins of the coronial system to place in context the current approach to a death investigation and to review the debate about the role of an internal autopsy in the coronial system.

Not-for-profit ratios for financial resilience and internal accountability : a study of Australian international aid organisations

Not-for-profit (NFP) financial ratio research has focused primarily on organisational efficiency measurements for external stakeholders. Ratios that also capture information about stability, capacity (liquidity), gearing and sustainability, enable an assessment of financial resilience. They are thus valuable tools that can provide a framework of internal accountability between boards and management. The establishment of an Australian NFP regulator highlights the importance of NFP sustainability, and affirms the timeliness of this paper. We propose a suite of key financial ratios for use by NFP boards and management, and demonstrate its practical usefulness by applying the ratios to financial data from the 2009 reports of ACFID (Australian Council for International Development)-affiliated international aid organisations.

Mastering the canonical loop of serine protease inhibitors : enhancing potency by optimising the internal hydrogen bond network

Background Canonical serine protease inhibitors commonly bind to their targets through a rigid loop stabilised by an internal hydrogen bond network and disulfide bond(s). The smallest of these is sunflower trypsin inhibitor (SFTI-1), a potent and broad-range protease inhibitor. Recently, we re-engineered the contact β-sheet of SFTI-1 to produce a selective inhibitor of kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4), a protease associated with prostate cancer progression. However, modifications in the binding loop to achieve specificity may compromise structural rigidity and prevent re-engineered inhibitors from reaching optimal binding affinity. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, the effect of amino acid substitutions on the internal hydrogen bonding network of SFTI were investigated using an in silico screen of inhibitor variants in complex with KLK4 or trypsin. Substitutions favouring internal hydrogen bond formation directly correlated with increased potency of inhibition in vitro. This produced a second generation inhibitor (SFTI-FCQR Asn14) which displayed both a 125-fold increased capacity to inhibit KLK4 (Ki = 0.0386±0.0060 nM) and enhanced selectivity over off-target serine proteases. Further, SFTI-FCQR Asn14 was stable in cell culture and bioavailable in mice when administered by intraperitoneal perfusion. Conclusion/Significance These findings highlight the importance of conserving structural rigidity of the binding loop in addition to optimising protease/inhibitor contacts when re-engineering canonical serine protease inhibitors.

An exploratory study into audit challenges in IT governance : a Delphi approach

Information technology (IT) has been playing a powerful role in creating a competitive advantage for organisations over the past decades. This role has become proportionally greater over time as expectations for IT investments to drive business opportunities keep on rising. However, this reliance on IT has also raised concerns about regulatory compliance, governance and security. IT governance (ITG) audit leverages the skills of IS/IT auditors to ensure that IT initiatives are in line with the business strategies. ITG audit emerged as part of performance audit to provide an assessment of the effective implementation of ITG. This research attempts to empirically examine the ITG audit challenges in the Australian public sector. Based on literature research and Delphi research, this paper provides insights regarding the impact of, and required effort to address these challenges. The authors also present the ten major ITG audit challenges facing Australian public sector organisations today.

An analysis of the differences in audit processes used in the audit of nonprofit and profit organisations

Nonprofits constitute a large part of collective behaviour in society. Presently there is little formal research addressing the role of audits in nonprofit organisations. Before models can be developed for the production of nonprofit auditing information, it is necessary to examine the present conduct of nonprofit audits. The Australian Accounting Research Foundation - Legislation Review Board has released a position paper on the Association Incorporation Acts in Australia - the most frequently used legal form for nonprofit organisations. The Board is addressing the issue of financial statement reporting including audit. This is coinciding with the investigations resulting from the collapse of the National Safety Council (Victorian Division), (NSC). The NSC, a nonprofit organisation formed as a company limited by guarantee, is in liquidation and the auditors are being sued for damages resulting from their alleged failure to perform their duties adequately.

WSUD application audit at Gold Coast City

In recent years, Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) has been strongly promoted in South East Queensland to mitigate quantity and quality issues in relation to stormwater. Gold Coast City Council has implemented WSUD devices widely for stormwater management for a number of years and is planning to continue this practice into the future. According to the planning policy of Gold Coast City Council, the adoption of WSUD practices is now mandatory for any new development within the city. As a result, Council is expected to be in possession of tens of millions of dollars of these assets in the future and will be responsible for their maintenance and long-term management. Any shortcoming in the implementation of best practice can potentially result in substantial liability for the Council in the future. However, there has been limited evaluation of WSUD systems in relation to their performance, long-term maintenance, and current knowledge gaps. It was considered that periodical audits of WSUD applications on the Gold Coast is vital to ensure that Council’s WSUD policies are continually improved to new learning and best practice is implemented and risk to Council is mitigated. After a series of stakeholder interviews within Council to understand current practical issues (weaknesses and strengths) in relation to the implementation of WSUD on the Gold Coast, a field audit comprising of condition assessment of eleven WSUD systems within four suburbs was undertaken to identify weaknesses and strengths in WSUD implementation on the Gold Coast. The outcomes of this study are presented in this paper.

A Delphi study into the audit challenges of IT governance in the Australian public sector

Information technology (IT) has been playing a powerful role in creating a competitive advantage for organisations over the past decades. This role has become proportionally greater over time as expectations for IT investments to drive business opportunities keep on rising. However, this reliance on IT has also raised concerns about regulatory compliance, governance and security. IT governance (ITG) audit leverages the skills of IS/IT auditors to ensure that IT initiatives are in line with the business strategies. ITG audit emerged as part of performance audit to provide an assessment of the effective implementation of ITG. This research attempts to empirically examine the ITG audit challenges in the public sector. Based on literature and Delphi research, this paper provides insights regarding the impact of, and required effort to address these challenges. The authors also present the ten major ITG audit challenges facing Australian public sector organisations today.

Impact of the internal business environment on knowledge management within construction organisations

Purpose: Recent knowledge management (KM) literature suggests that KM activities are influenced by the elements of the internal business environment (BE) of organisations. This paper attempts to provide some unique insights into the contextual input of the KM process through empirically identifying the major factors (i.e. “forces”) within the internal BE of construction organisations operating in Hong Kong, and investigating their impact on the intensity of KM activities. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was administered to a sample of construction contractors operating in Hong Kong to elicit opinions on the internal BE and intensity of KM activities as executed by targeted organisations. A total of 149 usable responses were received from 99 organisations representing about 38 percent of the research population. In parallel, to the survey, a total of 15 semi-structured interviews were undertaken to provide more insights into the phenomenon under investigation. Findings: Supported by the empirical and qualitative evidence, this study established that firstly, both organisational and technical environments have the capacity to either positively or negatively impact the intensity of KM activities, and both environments serve as stimuli in increasing each other's dynamism; secondly, certain types of KM activities are stronger “energy receivers” and easily to be “powered up” by manipulating factors representing these two environments. Then, through interactions between KM activities, the intensity of the whole strategic KM cycle will be increased thus helping to strengthen organisational competitive advantage.

Permeability of high-performance concrete incorporating presoaked lightweight aggregates for internal curing

This paper presents an experimental study on the effect of presoaked lightweight aggregates (LWAs) for internal curing on water permeability, water absorption and resistance of concrete to chloride-ion penetration in comparison with those of a control concrete and a concrete with shrinkage reducing admixture (SRA) of similar water/cement ratios (w/c). In general, the concretes with LWA particles had initial water absorption, sorptivity and water permeability similar to or lower than those of the control concrete and the concrete with SRA. The charges passed, chloride migration coefficient and chloride diffusion coefficient of such concretes were in the same order as those of the control concrete and the concrete with SRA. However, the incorporation of the LWAs for internal curing reduced unit weight, compressive strength and elastic modulus of the concrete. Comparing the LWAs of different sizes for internal curing, finer particles were more efficient in reducing the shrinkage and generally resulted in less reduction in the unit weight, compressive strength, and elastic modulus. However, the increase in the more porous crushed LW particles in concrete seems to increase the penetration of chloride ions in the concrete. The concrete with SRA had initial water absorption, sorptivity, water permeability and resistance to chloride ion penetration comparable with those of the control concrete. The use of SRA in concrete does not affect the elastic modulus of the concrete, except for a minor influence on the compressive strength of the concrete.

From concept to capability : developing design thinking within a professional services firm

Corporate business and management are embracing design thinking for its potential to deliver competitive advantage through helping them be more innovative, differentiate their brands, and bring more customer centric products and services to market (Brown, 2008). As consumers continue to expect more personalisation and customisation from their service providers, the use of design thinking for innovation within organisations is a logical progression. To date however, there is little empirical literature discussing how organisations are setting about integrating design thinking into their culture and innovation practices. This paper is a first step in initiating a scholarly discussion on the integration of design thinking within organisational culture. Deloitte Australia is a large professional services firm employing over 5700 staff in 12 offices across Australia. The company provides a range of services to clients in the areas of audit, tax, financial advisory and consulting. In early 2011 the company made a strategic commitment to introducing design thinking into the organisation’s practices. While it already maintains a strong innovation culture, to date it had largely been operating within an analytical business environment. For Deloitte, design thinking is an opportunity to create better outcomes for the people they serve – both internal and external stakeholders (Brown and Wyatt, 2010). Research was conducted using case study methodology and ethnographic methods from June to September 2011 at the Melbourne Deloitte office. It involved three methods of data collection: semi structured interviews, participant observation and artifact analysis. This paper presents preliminary case study findings of Deloitte’s approach to building awareness and a consistent understanding of design thinking, as well as large scale capability, across the firm. Deloitte’s commitment to transforming its culture to one of design thinking poses significant potential for understanding how design thinking is comprehended, enabled and integrated within a complex organisational environment.

A retrospective cohort investigation of active range of motion within one week of open reduction and internal fixation of distal radius fractures

Distal radius fractures stabilized by open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) have become increasingly common. There is currently no consensus on the optimal time to commence range of motion (ROM) exercises post-ORIF. A retrospective cohort review was conducted over a five-year period to compare wrist and forearm range of motion outcomes and number of therapy sessions between patients who commenced active ROM exercises within the first seven days and from day eight onward following ORIF of distal radius fractures. One hundred and twenty-one patient cases were identified. Clinical data, active ROM at initial and discharge therapy assessments, fracture type, surgical approaches, and number of therapy sessions attended were recorded. One hundred and seven (88.4%) cases had complete datasets. The early active ROM group (n = 37) commenced ROM a mean (SD) of 4.27 (1.8) days post-ORIF. The comparator group (n = 70) commenced ROM exercises 24.3 (13.6) days post-ORIF. No significant differences were identified between groups in ROM at initial or discharge assessments, or therapy sessions attended. The results from this study indicate that patients who commenced active ROM exercises an average of 24 days after surgery achieved comparable ROM outcomes with similar number of therapy sessions to those who commenced ROM exercises within the first week.

β-Actin—an unsuitable internal control for RT-PCR

Despite reports confirming cell-cycle dependent gene expression and a number of studies describing specific circumstances in which β-actin is also regulated, the mRNA for β-actin remains a widely used housekeeping gene internal control. Utilizing differential reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we report here the dose-dependent inhibition of β-actin by matrigel. This was detected by comparison to the very moderate inhibition of the target gene, membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), with results independently confirmed by similar findings on MT1-MMP expression using competitive RT-PCR. Furthermore, RT-PCR of the housekeeping gene 18 Svedberg Units (S) rRNA demonstrated excellent consistency, reproducibility and non-regulation by a matrigel treatment. We conclude that β-actin is highly regulated by matrigel and therefore unsuitable as an internal control in this treatment. Hence, these findings suggest that researchers have a responsibility to ensure that the housekeeping gene of choice is not regulated in their specific application, as such regulation may dramatically affect the accuracy of their results. This study reinforces the necessity for minimally regulated housekeeping genes such as 18S rRNA, and the superiority of competitive templates as internal controls for quantitative applications of RT-PCR.