Australian employers perspectives on student and graduate entrants and built environment professional bodies

A new generation of members are needed for professional bodies in the built environment and surveying in order to survive and thrive in the 21st century. Wilkinson and Zillante (2007) identified issues of under recruitment and an ageing membership in the Building Surveying profession in Australia; however other built environment professional bodies globally are experiencing similar issues. Not only do professional bodies need to recruit student members into the profession during their studies but they need to convert these student members to full members. Warren and Wilkinson’s (2008) survey of 661 Australian student perceptions of built environment professional bodies showed that students value professional qualifications but that there is a lack of understanding of the role of professional bodies. The second stage of this research examined the perceptions of Australian employers of surveying, property and construction students and graduates and membership of professional bodies. The research sought to identify what measures are currently adopted in terms of encouraging professional body membership in the workplace. This paper presents the results of the employer interviews and reveals another perspective of the critical issue for professional institutions globally.

Clinical risk management and patient safety education for nurses : a critique

Nurses have a pivotal role to play in clinical risk management (CRM) and promoting patient safety in health care domains. Accordingly, nurses need to be prepared educationally to manage clinical risk effectively when delivering patient care. Just what form the CRM and safety education of nurses should take, however, remains an open question. A recent search of the literature has revealed a surprising lack of evidence substantiating models of effective CRM and safety education for nurses. In this paper, a critical discussion is advanced on the question of CRM and safety education for nurses and the need for nurse education in this area to be reviewed and systematically researched as a strategic priority, nationally and internationally. It is a key contention of this paper that without ‘good’ safety education research it will not be possible to ensure that the educational programs that are being offered to nurses in this area are evidence-based and designed in a manner that will enable nurses to develop the capabilities they need to respond effectively to the multifaceted and complex demands that are inherent in their ethical and professional responsibilities to promote and protect patient safety and quality care in health care domains.

Insider research, the process and practice : issues arising from professionals conducting research within their own working environments

This thesis explores the chaotic, dynamic, ambiguous, complex and confusing world of the insider researcher. The proliferating species of insider researcher is common in public sector organisations and is particularly prevalent among post-graduate students who have combined study with work. Insider researchers range from the in-house researcher employed to conduct research to those who are conducting research in addition to their normal duties. This thesis, through five illustrative case-studies, discusses, reflects upon, explains, and clarifies the possibilities, limitations and the issues arising from a consideration of the practice of professionals conducting research in the large government education system in Victoria. The central focus of this thesis, that of exploring issues arising from professionals conducting research in their own working environments, has an importance that hitherto has had little direct recognition in the qualitative education research literature. And yet the practice of insider research is common and has a potentially large impact on the nature of the decision making process in public sector organisations. This relative invisibility in the social research literature of a discussion of issues relating to insider research demands to be made more visible. It is both useful and necessary to explore the particular possibilities, conditions and challenges of insiders conducting research in public organisations as the practice of insider research contines to grow. This thesis adds to the literature by locating insider research in a discussion of the wider soial context of ideology, culture, relationships, politics, language and meaning, and the decision-making process.

Doctoral research and scholarly communication : candidates, supervisors and information literacy

This study investigates information literacy and scholarly communication within the processes of doctoral research and supervision at a distance. Both doctoral candidates and supervisors acknowledge information literacy deficiencies and it is suggested that disintermediation and the proliferation of information may contribute to those deficiencies. Further to this, the influence of pedagogic continuity—particularly in relation to the information seeking behaviour of candidates—is investigated, as is the concomitant aspect of how doctoral researchers practise scholarly communication. The well-documented and enduring problem for candidates of isolation from the research cultures of their universities is also scrutinised. The contentious issue of more formally involving librarians in the doctoral process is also considered, from the perspective of candidates and supervisors. Superimposed upon these topical and timely issues is the theoretical framework of adult learning theory, in particular the tenets of andragogy. The pedagogical-andragogical orientation of candidates and supervisors is established, demonstrating both the differences and similarities between candidates and supervisors, as are a number of independent variables, including a comparison of on-campus and off-campus candidates. Other independent variables include age, gender, DETYA (Department of Education, Training & Youth Affairs) category, enrolment type, stage of candidature, employment and status, type of doctorate, and English/non-English speaking background. The research methodology uses qualitative and quantitative techniques encompassing both data and methodological triangulation. The study uses two sets of questionnaires and a series of in-depth interviews with a sample of on-campus and off-campus doctoral candidates and supervisors from four Australian universities. Major findings include NESB candidates being more pedagogical than their ESB counterparts, and candidates and supervisors from the Sciences are more pedagogical than those from Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, or Education. Candidates make a transition from a more dependent and pedagogically oriented approach to learning towards more of an independent and andragogical orientation over the duration of their candidature. However, over tune both on-campus and off-campus candidates become more isolated from the research cultures of their universities, and less happy with support received from their supervisors in relation to their literature reviews. Ill The study found large discrepancies in perception between the support supervisors believed they gave to candidates in relation to the literature review, and the support candidates believed they received. Information seeking becomes easier over time, but candidates face a dilemma with the proliferation of information, suggesting that disintermediation has exacerbated the challenges of evaluation and organisation of information. The concept of pedagogic continuity was recognised by supervisors and especially candidates, both negative and positive influences. The findings are critically analysed and synthesised using the metaphor of a scholarly 'Club' of which obtaining a doctorate is a rite of passage. Recommendations are made for changes in professional practice, and topics that may warrant further research are suggested.

Work readiness in graduate recruitment and selection : a review of current assessment methods

Graduate recruitment and selection differs from other contexts in that graduate applicants generally lack job-related experience. Recent research has highlighted that employers are placing increasing value on graduates being work ready. Work readiness is believed to be indicative of graduate potential in terms of long term job performance and career advancement. A review of the literature has found that current graduate recruitment and selection practices lack the rigour and construct validity to effectively assess work readiness. In addition, the variety of interchangeable terms and definitions articulated by employers and academics on what constitutes work readiness suggests the need to further refine this construct. This paper argues that work readiness is an important selection criterion, and should be examined systematically in the graduate assessment process, as a construct in itself. The ineffectiveness of current assessment methods in being able to measure work readiness supports the need to develop a specific measure of work readiness that will allow more effective decision practices and potentially predict long term job capacity and performance.

Developing a graduate diploma to cater for career-change adults

A seven-month intensive graduate diploma of teaching course was developed in 2007 to cater for an increasing demand for qualified teachers. The course is developed to university standards and is accredited by teacher registration authorities, with graduates obtaining a qualification as a teacher at the end of the seven month period. The course is tailored to recognise and build on the existing academic attributes and capacifies expected of top tertiary graduates, and to be appropriate to academically-experienced adult learning styles. This paper will discuss the process involved in the course development. Aspects related to the student cohort demographics and leaming styles will be highlighted. A 'nested case study approach' involving both qualitative and quantitative data collection was used. Questionnaires, surveys, and interviews were used to gather the data from stakeholders (post-graduate students) involved in this aspect of the research. The analysis of the data will provide detail on the aspects of the course which enabled mature-aged students to succeed and highlight future challenges.

Management control systems use, organisational capabilities and performance in universities: application of the resource-based view

Invoking the resource-based view (RBV), this study investigates relationships between management control systems (MCSs) use, including information use from performance measurement systems (PMSs), and organisational capabilities in the context of academic units of Australian universities. Increased competition and attention to distinctive capabilities amongst universities, particularly at their strategic operating unit level of Schools 1, provides the setting for application of this theoretic perspective. The objective of this study is to model various relationships between diagnostic and interactive use of MCSs, attention given to centrally-imposed and discretionary types of PMS information, the strength of capabilities of the academic unit and, in turn, performance of the academic units. This objective is investigated using a field survey in which a mail survey instrument is administered to a census of all Heads of Schools in all 39 universities in Australia. Valid responses were received from 166 Heads. Principal components factor analysis finds that Heads conceived capabilities of their unit in functional dimensions, not in generic dimensions as found in prior literature; Heads also considered performance measures in terms of their importance (critical or discretionary) rather than type (financial versus non-financial). Partial least-squares analysis is then used for path modelling, and several significant results are obtained. Highlights are that diagnostic MCS use and centrally-imposed performance measures, i.e., key performance indicators, but not interactive MCS use or discretionary performance measures, significantly relate to some or all of the strength of capabilities in the fields of teaching, research and networking, and in turn indirectly relate to performance of the academic units. The findings have practical implications for styles of control systems use; focus on selected key performance measures; and development of organisational capabilities for achievement of superior performance by academic schools in universities.

Piecing together the puzzle of graduate employment : factors that shape the graduate work expectations of human resource management students

Providing graduates with a set of skills and attributes relevant to their future employment remains a key topic in both higher education policy and research. This paper reports findings from a pilot study of human resource management (HRM) students' perceptions of the graduate work experience. Specifically, it focuses on how these perceptions are shaped, driven by a concern for the uncertainty - and even fear - expressed by the study's participants in relation to their future workplace experiences. The influences of three key factors in shaping participants' expectations are discussed: the graduate recruitment experience, previous work experiences and 'graduate work folklore' from the stories of family and friends. With these influences not always providing students with a realistic picture of their future work experience, we conclude that educators need to improve the opportunities for practical experience and industry knowledge through work placements, stronger links with industry and increased exposure to the practicalities of work within the curriculum.

Future research directions in tourism marketing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to formulate and discuss future research avenues for the marketing of tourism services.

Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken in the paper is to review the relevant literature and focus on the key themes most important for future research on tourism marketing.

Findings – The paper finds that there are a number of research avenues for tourism marketing researchers and marketing practitioners to conduct investigations on but the most important areas are consumer behavior, branding, e-marketing and strategic marketing.

Practical implications – The paper is relevant to tourism firms and destination management organizations in the development of marketing activities/capabilities to increase their customer base. In addition, as this paper takes a global perspective it is also helpful to compare different international research directions.

Social implications – Changing demographics and the aging of the global population mean different marketing approaches will be needed to market tourism services to older consumers and also consumers from developing countries such as China and India.

Originality/value – This paper is a key resource for marketing practitioners wanting to focus on future growth areas and also marketing academics interested in tourism marketing that want to stay at the forefront of their research area of expertise.

Business analytics and competitive advantage : a review and a research agenda

Business analytics has the potential to deliver performance gains and competitive advantage. However, a theoretically grounded model identifying the factors and processes involved in realizing those performance gains has not been clearly articulated in the literature. This paper draws on the literature on dynamic capabilities to develop such a theoretical framework. It identifies the critical roles of organizational routines and organization-wide capabilities for identifying, resourcing and implementing business analytics-based competitive actions in delivering performance gains and competitive advantage. A theoretical framework and propositions for future research are developed.

Identifying capabilities for the IT function to create agility in information systems

In this paper, we identify the necessary capabilities of the IT function to create agility in existing information systems. Agility is the ability to quickly sense and respond to environment perturbations. We contrast the agility perspective from a widely used industry framework with research perspectives on agility in the IS literature. We suggest Beer’s Viable System Model (VSM) is a useful meta-level theory to house agility elements from IS research literature, and apply VSM principles to identify the capabilities required of the IT function. Indeed, by means of a survey of 34 organisations, we confirm that the meta-level theory better correlates with reported agility measures than existing practice measures do on their own. From a research perspective, the incorporation of the VSM mechanism helps to explain ‘why’ the IT function is capable of creating agility. From a practical perspective of ‘how’, the findings point to a new set of capabilities of the IT function for future versions of the industry frameworks to enable agility.

Agility in information systems : enabling capabilities for the IT function

This research identifies how the IT function can create agility in existing information systems. Agility is the capability to quickly sense and respond to environmental perturbations. We contrasted perspectives on agility from a widely used industry framework and that of the IS research literature. Beer’s Viable System Model was a useful meta-level theory to house agility elements from IS research and it introduced cybernetic principles to identify the processes required of the IT function. Indeed, our surveys of 70 organizations confirmed that the applied theory better correlates with reported agility than does existing industry best practice.

The research conducted two quantitative surveys to test the applied theory. The first survey mailed a Likert-type questionnaire to the clients of an Australian IT consultancy. The second survey invited international members of professional interest groups to complete a web-based questionnaire. The responses from the surveys were analyzed using partial-least-squares modeling. The data analysis positively correlated the maturity of IT function processes prescribed by the VSM and the likelihood of agility in existing information systems. We claim our findings generalize to other large organizations in OECD member countries.

The research offers an agility-capability model of the IT function to explain and predict agility in existing information systems. A further contribution is to improve industry ‘best practice’ frameworks by prescribing processes of the IT function to develop in maturity.

Surviving and thriving in postgraduate research

Surviving and Thriving in Postgraduate Research focuses on the effective planning and management of a postgraduate research project, from the inception and commencement of a relationship with supervisors through to the submission and examination of the thesis... This book has been designed specifically for Australian and New Zealand students as well as international students studying in those countries

History researcher development and research capacity in Australia and New Zealand

 This article presents data and discussion on history researcher development and research capacities in Australia and New Zealand, as evidenced in analysis of history PhD theses’ topics. The article is based on two independent studies of history PhD thesis topics, using a standard discipline coding system. It shows some marked differences in the Australian and New Zealand volumes and distributions of history PhDs, especially for PhDs conducted on non-local/national topics. These differences reflect national researcher development, research capacities and interests, in particular local, national and international histories, and have implications for the globalisation of scholarship. Thesis topics are used as a proxy for the graduate’s research capacity within that topic. However, as PhD examiners have attested to the significance and originality of the thesis, this is taken as robust. The longitudinal nature of the research suggests that subsequent years’ data and analysis would provide rich information on changes to history research capacity. Other comparative (i.e. international) studies would provide interesting analyses of history research capacity. There are practical implications for history departments in universities, history associations, and government (PhD policy, and history researcher development and research capacity in areas such as foreign affairs). There are social implications for local and community history in the knowledge produced in the theses, and in the development of local research capacity. The work in this article is the first to collate and analyse such thesis data either in Australia or New Zealand. The comparative analyses of the two datasets are also original.

Exploring the current status of call centre offshoring research : a research agenda and future directions

Call centres have become an important and growing part of the service industry, enabling firms to provide better customer service, extend sales capabilities and manage customer relationships. However, the methods taken by firms around recruitment, training and management of overseas call centre agents have been far more complex, leading to high failure rates with Call Centre Offshoring (CCO) practices. To better understand the current CCO practices, this study reviews a current research status. Through a literature review, we identified a number of themes spanning across disciplines related to CCO. We found that the current literature lacked of understanding of socio-cultural elements such as trust, language, communication, national and organisational culture that positively influenced the stakeholder relationships. We argue that a common link can be established among CCO-related studies across disciplines when approaching the topic from a socio-cultural perspective. Our findings discuss the implications and provide a useful reference for future CCO-related studies.