Reflections on damaged modernity: Lessons from the iconic architecture industry

For Adorno writing in 1953, Hollywood cinema was a medium of “regression” based on infantile wish fulfillment manufactured by the industrial repetition of the filmic image that he called a modern “hieroglyphics”—like the archaic language of pictures in Ancient Egypt, which guaranteed immortality after death in Egyptian burial rites. From that 1953 essay Prolog zum Fernsehen to Das Schema der Massenkultur in 1981, Adorno likened film frames to cultural ideograms: What he called the filmic “language of images” (Bildersprache) constituted a Hieroglyphenschrift that visualised forbidden sexual impulses and ideations of death and domination in the unconscious of the mass spectator. In his famous passage he writes, “As image, the image-writing (Bilderschrift) is a medium of regression, where the producer and consumer coincide; as writing, film resurrects the archaic images of modernity.” In other words, cinema takes the spectator on a journey into his unconscious in order to control him from within. It works, because the spectator begins to believe the film is speaking to him in his very own image-language (the unconscious), making him do and buy whatever capitalism demands. Modernity for Adorno is precisely the instrumentalisation of the collective unconscious through the mediatic images of the culture industry.

The shifting value of design in the Australian Architecture Industry

Architects regularly employ design as a problem-solving tool in the built environment. Within the design process, architects apply design thinking to reframe problems as opportunities, take advantage of contradictory information to develop new solutions, and differentiate outcomes based on context. This research aims to investigate how design can be better positioned to develop greater differentiated value to an architect’s current service offering, and how design as a strategy could be applied as a driver of business innovation within the Australian architecture industry. The research will explore literature relating to the future of architecture, the application of design thinking, and the benefits of strategic design. The future intent of the research is to develop strategies that improve the value offering of architects, and develop design led solutions that could be applied successfully to the business of architecture.

Using global formulary apportionment for international profit allocation: The case of Indonesia's mining industry

My thesis examined an alternative approach, referred to as the unitary taxation approach to the allocation of profit, which arises from the notion that as a multinational group exists as a single economic entity, it should be taxed as one taxable unit. The plausibility of a unitary taxation regime achieving international acceptance and agreement is highly contestable due to its implementation issues, and economic and political feasibility. Using a case-study approach focusing on Freeport-McMoRan and Rio Tinto's mining operations in Indonesia, this thesis compares both tax regimes against the criteria for a good tax system - equity, efficiency, neutrality and simplicity. This thesis evaluates key issues that arise when implementing a unitary taxation approach with formulary apportionment based on the context of mining multinational firms in Indonesia.

Aging-in-place: Perspectives from the construction industry

Older adults report a desire to remain within the preferred environment for as long as possible. This desire is referred to as aging-in-place. Aging-in-place integrates housing and care options. Factors affecting the ability to remain within the preferred environment include current home designs, access to housing choices, social support networks, and community services, to name a few. Research supports physical and psychosocial benefits of aging-in-place for the individual. Home modifications have the potential to influence the quality of life in a number of positive directions that range from personal mobility to community engagement. Modifications range from minor to significant. Financial resources, contractor interest and expertise, consumer awareness and consumer opportunity affect the degree of change. Increasingly, construction professionals express an interest in learning more about aging-in place. Queries ranged from obtaining a greater understanding of the meaning of the concept, impact of demographic change on housing stock, and increased awareness of universal design features. This paper presents findings from a survey administered to current members of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association – Calgary Regional Office. Within this presentation, we report findings on members understanding of demographic change and the effect of this change on the current and future housing stock. We discuss perceived barriers and benefits of the development of business models to support aging-in-place. Finally, we conclude with discussion of educational support to enhance the understanding of aging-in-place.

Building personas of students accessing a peer-facilitated support for learning program

The modern student represents a change from the traditional learner. More than ever before, additional resources are available online and yet personalised learning and peer-assistance programs are becoming an essential part of tertiary education delivery. This paper presents the first stage in a user-centred design approach to the analysis of the completeness and efficacy of such a personalised, peer-based support for learning program. This approach used an iterative design methodology based on contextual interview, workshops and focus groups to develop personas representing students visiting the program. Initial uses of these developed personas have included training of new personnel as well as the evaluation of the program. Overall the use of this user-centred approach and iterative persona development methodology has yielded an invaluable resource for the design of support for learning programs across the higher education industry within Australia and beyond.

Job-related diversity and team performance: An empirical analysis of the US music industry

A significant amount of research has been carried out to investigate the existing bonds between team characteristics and team outcomes in contexts of social creativity. Specifically, how work group diversity affects its performance is of great relevance but unfortunately, there is no clear understanding of the diversity-performance relationship. Therefore, to improve our understanding of this phenomenon, it would be worthwhile to investigate further empirical settings. For this reason, we decided to study the music industry that, to our knowledge, has never been chosen as empirical setting for the application of the theoretical constructs linked to the topic of team diversity and performance. Our research aims at analyze the US music industry to study the relationship between job-related characteristics of team diversity and team performances.