Innovation in construction : experiences from a hypocaust system in Australia

Introducing new technologies poses a particular challenge to the players involved in a project. For a successful low energy building, a new design process is required and players must assume new and additional responsibilities. Hypocaust systems, where conditioned or non-conditioned air is passed through ducts within the concrete floor or ceiling of a building prior to its delivery to the rooms, are starting to appear in new buildings in Australia. This paper describes the lessons learned from the early experiences with a hypocaust system, installed in a new building in Melbourne. It concludes that a more cooperative process among all those involved in introducing and using a new 'technology' is essential if the problems described are to be avoided or at least minimized.

Operating experiences with an advanced fabric energy storage system in Australia

Despite their proven track record in the cold climate countries of northern Europe, there are no reports in the research literature of experiences using advanced fabric energy storage (FES) systems in countries where cooling rather than heating is the main priority. This paper reports some of the experiences with the first known advanced FES system in Australia made over the first full calendar .year of operation. It is located in a three storey building on a university campus in Victoria and has been in operation since mid-2002. Temperature, energy use and operational mode data were recorded during 2003. Airflow measurements through the FES have been made in five areas of the building. On-going operating problems still exist with the system and this has prevented a conclusive evaluation of its suitability for the southern Australian climate.

Student experiences of work placement in school-based vocational programs

Using a sample of 446 secondary students who had participated in a vocational education and training in school (VETiS) program, compares the experiences and perceptions of students who had undertaken a work placement with those who had not. Shows that students who had participated in work placement enjoyed the VETiS experience more than those who had not, and that the work placement had assisted them in their decision whether to stay at school or not. A factor analysis of results showed a factor associated with self-confidence about employability, and a factor associated with assistance in achieving specific post-school employment. Students who had completed a work placement were significantly higher on both these factors than students who had not. Results are consistent with other research in the field, and it is argued that the work placement experience plays a considerable part in developing student agency in the decisions and the journey that they make in their transition from school to work.

The effect of emotions in cross-cultural expatriate experiences

With increased recognition of the existence of emotions in everyday interpersonal interactions, the need for emotions in cross-cultural interactions has become more obvious. Emotions play an important role in cross-cultural expatriate interactions as these experiences are essentially social encounters. Yet, little research addresses the emotions felt and the emotional demands involved in the cross-cultural interaction. Research on expatriate experiences centres solely on the cross-cultural training, sensitivity, and adaptability of expatriates. What fails to be addressed, however, is the emotional aspect of this interaction. In this paper, we examine the cross-cultural expatriate experience, integrating both the cultural and emotional aspects of the interaction. In doing so, we aim to advance understanding of the expatriate experience and the potential reasons underlying expatriate success and failure.

Integrated management system:the experiences of three Australian organisations

Purpose – Management systems and standards have become a key part of the organisation's lifeline and a prerequisite for survival in the twenty-first century. Systems for quality environmental and occupational health and safety (OHS) now form the three main pillars of the organisation, the fourth one being financial accounting. In light of the increasing pressure and demands from different stakeholders, it is becoming necessary for organisations to adopt the different systems/standards. However, to achieve the benefits from the implementation and subsequently maintenance of these systems it is only a practical and logical step that the existing management systems/standards be integrated into a single system.

Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents the experiences of three Australian-based organisations that have successfully undertaken the integration of their management systems/standards. Data for this paper were collected through in-depth interviews conducted with the managers responsible for quality, environment and OHS systems.

Findings – The interviews revealed a number of quantifiable and unquantifiable benefits experienced by the companies from operating one integrated system, such as saving of dollars, better utilisation of resources and improved communication across the organisation, to name a few. However, for the benefits to be realized it is essential that organisations are aware of the challenges and obstacles accompanying integration of systems/standards. If these challenges are not addressed early in the process they can delay the completion of the integration process.

Originality/value – Recommendations for other organisations contemplating integrating their management system include: obtaining commitment from the top management; having adequate resources to integrate the systems; having communication and training across the organisation in aspects of integration; and, last but not the least, having integrated audits. Implementation of these recommendations may vary from one organisation to another; however, it would result in lesser resistance for the organisations following them.

Users` experiences of heroin and methadone treatment

The present study, conducted in 2003, Melbourne, Australia, examined and compared how different personal and social resources related to participants' use of both heroin and methadone, as well as their experiences of stigma and program regulation, and their evaluation of methadone treatment. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants (five men, five women) aged between 25 and 42. Participants who had diverse personal and social circumstances were purposefully sought. Findings showed that users with “non-addict” or “functional” self-concepts had more resources and supportive social relationships that assisted them to develop realistic treatment expectations, avoid the stigma associated with methadone, and focus on the benefits of the treatment. Conversely, “conflicted” users with limited resources, few social connections, and negative self-concept saw methadone as an addiction, and as a highly stigmatizing and disempowering intervention. Social policies that differentiate users and address ways of improving users' personal and social resources are now needed.

The experiences and adjustments of women following their first acute myocardial infarction

Very little is known about cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women and their specific needs throughout their recovery process. This study aimed to explore the experiences and adjustments of women following their first AMI. Naturalistic inquiry was used and six women were interviewed post their first AMI. Two major themes were identified: (1) 'the initial experience/event' which identifies events and emotions leading up to, and during, the hospital admission; and (2) 'support: for who and how' exploring the importance of support throughout the recovery process.

The women in this study did not see themselves at risk of an AMI regardless of their lifestyles and when it did occur they adopted a variety of coping mechanisms in order to adjust to their trauma. The findings highlight the need for an increase in community awareness and education surrounding the risk factors of heart disease and its signs and symptoms, to minimize delayed hospital presentations.

Leisure experiences in tourist attractions : exploring the motivations of local residents

This study was conducted to explore leisure motivations with regard to tourist attractions. A survey of a convenience sample of residents of Melbourne, Australia, was conducted. The sample was then segmented based on the likelihood of visiting a cross-section of Melbourne's tourist attractions in the next 6 months. Analysis using Unger and Kernan's (1983) Subjective Leisure Scale (SLS) was then undertaken to explore whether there were differences across the segments in terms of their leisure motivations. The results highlight that, within this context, intrinsic satisfaction, perceived freedom and arousal emerged as stronger underlying dimensions of motivations to visit tourist attractions, rather than mastery, spontaneity and involvement. This information provides insights for marketers of tourist attractions with regard to what residents are seeking when they visit local tourist attractions. The information can be used to develop more positive experiences at tourist attractions for this important sector of the market.

Acculturation experiences of Iraqi refugees in Australia: the impact of visa category

This paper examines the acculturation challenges facing Iraqi refugees in Australia, and the impact of humanitarian visa category. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) holders and Permanent Protection Visa (PPV) holders living in Melbourne. The findings indicate that TPV holders identify the temporary visa regime as the primary obstacle to successful integration into Australian society. The findings also suggest that TPV refugees have developed a greater level of social ties outside their ethnic groups and are less focused on issues of cultural maintenance than refugees with PPVs. The insecurity associated with the temporary protection regime appears to have led to a decreased focus on cultural maintenance, in favour of the more immediate “survival” focus on material settlement needs and visa status. While the increased social contacts of TPV refugees with some mainstream groups may be considered a partial indicator of successful acculturation, these developments cannot be equated with “settlement” as the social ties are of a temporary or unstable nature. The overriding impact of the temporary visa regime is one of creating obstacles to the effective integration of TPV refugees.

Managing the family`s health: preferences and experiences of women with different work and family arrangements.

Balancing the needs of work and family is a subject of much debate.The purpose of this research was to explore how families manage their children's health within the context of different work and family arrangements.In-depth interviews were conducted with women who were at home full time (8) or in paid work over 30 hours a week (7). Women had at least one child under the five years of age. Findings revealed there was no simple relationship between women's working arrangements and how they managed their children's health. All women, irrespective of their working arrangements, held similar preferences for managing their children's health.However, most women experienced either time or financial constraints that meant they had to compromise their original preferences. In some cases this meant children missed out on receiving health services. Workplace support, extended family support and general satisfaction with work and family arrangements appeared to be important factors for the small number of women who had no problems in managing their children's health. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Environmental management systems auditing:Auditors' experiences in Australia

The last decade of the 20th century witnessed rapid growth in the adoption of various environmental management systems (EMS) within organisations. Environmental consultants and auditors play an intricate role in the  interpretation, implementation and certification of an EMS. This paper presents the experiences of eight leading auditors with respect to the adoption of EMS/ISO 14001 by Australian organisations. The benefits and issues relating to the auditing process are discussed.

Separation of conjoined twins: experiences of perioperative nurses and their recommendations

Background: Within an 8-month period, an unprecedented and historical first in Queensland, Australia, the perioperative nurses were members of teams involved in the surgical separation of two sets of conjoined twins. Little is known about the (dis)stress that some of these perioperative nurses experienced nor how best to support them during such experiences.

Aim: The aim of this paper is to report on the qualitiative study that explored the experiences of those perioperative nurses involved in the surgical separation of cojoined twins and from their stories propose recommendations to support perioperative nurses who are confronted with such workplace experiences.

Methods: Using a narrative methodology, nine perioperative nurses shared their stories of being involved in the surgical separation of conjoined twins in Australia. Narrative and thematic analyses were conducted and recommendations to support perioperative nurses through workplace (dis)stress were identified. Participants validated the findings and recommendations.

Findings: The analyses revealed the themes of professionalism, teamwork, 'them vs. us' and emotional loads.

Discussion: The sensationalism around the rarity of conjoined twins brought an intensive intrusiveness from the world media. As a result, secrecy within the hospital about the conjoined twin cases created divisions between those perioperative nurses on the teams and those not. The processes and outcomes of the two surgical cases were in contrast to each other. For some perioperative nurses this caused distress. It is essential that professional support is offered in a way in which the perioperative nurse can take it up without fear of negative judgement.

Experiences of regional and rural people with cancer being treated with radiotherapy in a metropolitan centre

This paper explores the issues related to rural people with cancer whose choice of radiotherapy treatment necessitated travel and accommodation in a metropolitan centre. Semi-structured interviews with 46 participants, from the Toowoomba and Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, were conducted and the data thematically analysed. The specific themes identified were: being away from loved ones, maintaining responsibilities whilst undergoing treatment, emotional stress, burden on significant others, choice about radiotherapy as a treatment, travel and accommodation, and financial burden. This study supports the need for a radiotherapy centre in the location of Toowoomba as a way of providing some equity and access to such treatment for the rural people of Queensland.