The multifaceted and ever-changing directions of information security - Australia get ready!

In recent years, we have witnessed many information security developmental trends. As a consequence, the dimensions of information security - once single disciplinary area - have become multifaceted and convoluted. This paper aims to (1) recapitulate these key developments: (2) argue that the emergence of many complex information security dimensions are the result of 'constant change agents' (CCAs); (3) discuss the implications on Australia's society, i. e. government, companies and individuals; and (4) propose key consideration areas and possible solutions thereof. We hope that the discussion presented here will position Australia to make better aligned information security and strategic plans, such as choosing appropriate investments and adopting effective solutions to strengthen and secure Australia's national information security posture.

Interpersonal trust and control behaviour of Chinese managers

Interpersonal trust is believed to influence the management and control of organisations in China. China's importance as a host country for foreign direct investments (FDIs) through multinational company subsidiaries (MNCs) and international joint ventures (IJVs) is growing rapidly. MNCs and INs located in China often employ local Chinese managers to control their subsidiaries or ventures. This makes it essential for designers of management control systems to have an understanding of the interpersonal trust-sensitive control behaviour of Chinese managers. One of the important aspects of control behaviour is how managers control their subordinates.

This paper examines the relationship between Chinese managers' trust in subordinates and their (Chinese managers') control behaviour towards the subordinates. On the basis of a questionnaire survey of a cohort of managers from Beijing, the study explores the effects of trust on the use of social controls, formal controls, and monitoring.

The findings of this study indicate that a manager's high (low) trust in a subordinate is associated with a low (high) level of monitoring, a high (high) level of social control and a high (low) level of perceived performance. The hypothesis that a superior's high (low) level of trust is associated with a low (high) level of reliance on formal controls was not supported. These findings, while indicative of control behaviour of Chinese managers in particular, also add to the growing academic literature on trust and control in general. In a practical sense, an
understanding of the trust-sensitive control behaviour of Chinese managers is particularly useful in designing and implementing effective control systems for international organisations operating in China.

E-government: a possible solution to the problems of the agricultural input market in Bangladesh?

Although e-government offers unique opportunities for streamlining good governance, there remains considerable skepticism about its applicability in developing countries due to their lack of required level of infrastructural, technological, legal and human development. This paper argues that developing countries can introduce e-government practices by re-engineering their existing infrastructure rather than waiting for massive investments and perfect technological advancements. Using Bangladesh- a developing country- as an exemplar, this paper assesses the applicability and prospects of e-government practices in dealing with the problems in the agricultural input sector which is predominantly associated with poor, marginalised and semi-illiterate farmers. The utilization of the Bangladesh case study has important implications for examining and highlighting the probable introduction of e-government practices in developing countries.

The effectiveness of seminars in educating adults in financial literacy

In Australia, financial literacy is not given prominence within the education system, and it is a general view that financial literacy is gained through ‘hands on’ experience in earning and spending money; further, financial education seems to occur only when people take a loan or experience financial difficulties (Hajaj, 2002). This is not sufficient if people need to make informed decisions about their investments and, because of a number of social factors, it has become necessary to educate the majority of the adult population in Australia in Financial Literacy over a relatively short period of time. Given the large numbers requiring such an education, the seminar approach is being widely used, however is it effective? Drawing on the adult education literature, this study examined the effectiveness of the seminar approach by surveying adult participants in a Financial Literacy seminar. The survey found that while a majority of participants (50%) expressed none or weak financial knowledge prior to attending the seminar and 45% expressed that they only had a moderate rate of financial knowledge, a majority of 63% strongly agreed or agreed to the seminar improving their knowledge of the need for retirement savings. Furthermore, 58% of participants were either confident or very confident of being able to apply what they learned in the seminar to achieving their retirement savings goal. These findings suggest that the seminar approach was effective in educating adults and improved their level of financial literacy. Future research could investigate whether the level of financial knowledge gained during the seminar is retained over a considerable period of time.

The bio-economy and the competition state : transcending the dichotomy between coordinated and liberal market economies

This article examines the role of the state in the emerging bio-economy. The starting point is that state interventions, including supportive regulatory arrangements and the shaping of public attitudes, constitute core assets in the evolution of bio-industrial complexes. Public policy in the bio-economy, across advanced industrial countries, is well captured by the “competition state” concept. This type of state takes different forms, analogously with the historical variants of the Keynesian welfare state. The article compares patterns of governance of the biotechnology sector in Finland and Sweden, the USA and the UK, and Australia. It is concluded that the bio-industry sector does not fit with the “models of capitalism” paradigm which postulates coherence within, and systemic divergences between, national models of economic governance. The bio-economy displays trends toward convergence, in particular mounting public investments in health care and in research and development. On the other hand, countries differ in their approach to market regulation, industrial support, and ethical restrictions. These differences do not follow the dichotomy between “liberal” and “coordinated” models of capitalism.

Developing business community portals for SMEs-Issues of design, development and sustainability

Governments worldwide are using funding initiatives to encourage small businesses to adopt e-commerce technology. In Australia both State and Federal Governments have encouraged e-commerce uptake through the funding of Internet portal developments that have a specific community or business focus. The success of such portals, as with many Web developments, has been mixed and there is little evidence of any evaluation of the effectiveness of such investments. This paper reports on research into an Australian B2B business community portal from launch to closure. A survey and in-depth interviews with portal participants were undertaken. The research sought to understand how the portal had been developed, and what factors may have contributed to its demise. The findings identified a number of factors, not discussed in the literature, that are important in portal development. These include: how the development process is undertaken; technological readiness of the small business owners; meeting business expectations; and understanding the business community stakeholders. The results from this study suggest that portal projects such as this are problematic and funding bodies such as governments need to understand the factors that contribute to success before funds are committed.

Advanced manufacturing technology adoption - the German experience

The decision process that organisations utilise when evaluating technology investment opportunities is a complex and even political process; however, the correct decision can provide the organisation with considerable operational and competitive benefits. The research presented in this paper presents the findings of a postal survey of the benefits provided by technology investments to large German manufacturers. It was found that only where middle management generated the idea for the advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) investment was success in that investment significantly more likely. Respondents who established a project team to plan the technology proposal, regardless of the department which generated the ideas for technology investment, were not significantly associated with a greater likelihood for success.

The respondents typically took between 3 and 12 months before making the final decision to invest, irrespective of the department generating the idea for the AMT, and a further 6 months to implement the AMT. Respondents who utilised a discounted cashflow analysis took significantly longer to make the final decision to invest. The greatest number of manufacturing outcomes of significantly higher importance was identified for respondents where Engineering, IT or R&D generated the AMT ideas. It was also determined that the respondents most frequently considered AMT investments in computer hardware or software and technical training for process workers to be necessary at the time of considering the investment. Middle management were found to be significantly more concerned than managers on other levels about opposition of workers to the AMT, while the process workers were significantly more concerned about interruptions to the process during installation.

Opting out of shareholder governance rights: a new perspective on contractual freedom in Australian corporate law

One of the classic debates in corporate law relates to whether the rules of corporate law are ar should be 'mandatory', in that companies must comply, or 'enabling' - meaning a set of default rules which companies have the choice of adopting or 'opting out' of through alternative contractual arrangements. The so-called 'mandatory/enabling' debate has been especially prominent in the United States fro numerous reasons, yet has also received some attention in Australia. That said, the extent to which companies can 'opt out' of corporate law has rarely been considered as a practical issue in Australia - particularly whether Australian companies can 'opt out' of provisions under the Corporations Act ("the Act"). However, just recently, two high-profile events in Australia have made 'opting out' of corporate law a relevant issue, especially the question of whether companies are free to 'opt out' of provisions of the Corporations Act  which provide express governance rights to shareholders. These events were Boral's constitutional amendment in 2003 to restrict the ability of shreholders to propose amendments to the company's constitution, and the contemplation and introduction of so-called 'pre-nuptial' agreements- designed to by-pass the right of shreholders to vote on removing directors in public companies. In the light of these two recent events, in this article the authors revisit the mandatory/enabling debate. However, rather than going over old ground as to whether a mandatory or enabling approach to corporate regulation is desirable, the authors approach the issue from a fresh perspective: that Australian Securitiesand Investments Commission's ("ASIC") existing relief powers under the Act should be extended to provide a means for companies to opt out of provisions containing shareholder governance rights.

Measuring the walkability of local communities using geographic information systems data

Researchers are working to identify and promote environment and policy initiatives to encourage more active and healthy communities. Measuring environmental attributes through objective means can verify which physical environment factors are most important. We describe how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) may be used to measure objectively, the features of the built environment that may influence walking. We show how four key attributes currently believed to be of most relevance to walking for transport may be used to create a ‘walkability’ index. These are dwelling density (higher-density neighbourhoods support greater retail and service variety, resulting in shorter, walkable distances between facilities; driving and parking are more difficult); street connectivity (higher intersection density provides people with a greater choice of potential routes, easier access to major roads where public transport is available and shorter times to get to destinations); land use mix (the more varied the land use mix and built form, the more conducive it is to walk to various destinations); and net retail area (people who live near multiple and diverse retail opportunities are able to make more frequent and shorter shopping trips by walking and can walk to more local employment opportunities). The potential relationships between each of the objective environmental-attribute measures and walking behaviours is discussed, together with suggestions as to how such measures might be used to guide community infrastructure planning. GIS mapping can assist decision makers in where to focus transportation investments and where to guide future growth. Readily accessible GIS data can be used to guide and support urban planning and infrastructure investment decisions in both the private and public sectors, to increase walking in communities.

An econometric model of the determinants of private investment and a CGE model of the impact of democracy on investment and economic growth in Fiji

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to construct an econometric model of the determinants of private investment with a particular focus on the impact of democracy on investment.

Design/methodology/approach – The first step was to econometrically derive the long-run elasticities; then to modify the Fiji computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to incorporate the investment function. Also the econometrically derived long run elasticities in the CGE model were used.

Findings – It was found that democracy has a positive and statistically significant impact on private investment in Fiji. The paper's simulation of Fiji becoming a fully democratic country on investment and other macroeconomic fundamentals, based on a CGE model, reveals that real gross domestic product and real national welfare increase by around 0.01 and 0.05 per cent, respectively; government savings and revenue performance improves; there is a trade balance surplus; and both private consumption and disposable income increase by around 0.05 and 0.12 per cent, respectively.

Originality/value – This is the first study that uses a CGE model to examine the impact of democracy, via investment, on other macroeconomic fundaments. No other study is known to have modelled democracy in a CGE framework.

An empirical investigation of the relationship between government revenue and expenditure : the case of the Fiji Islands

Purpose – Understanding the relationship between government revenue and government expenditure is important from a policy point of view, especially for a country like Fiji, which is suffering from persistent budget deficits. The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between government revenue and expenditure for Fiji.

Design/methodology/approach – The Johansen test for cointegration and Granger causality test are used to conduct the empirical analysis.

Findings – The key findings are that: government revenue and government expenditure in both the aggregate and disaggregate sense are cointegrated; in the short-run government expenditure Granger causes government revenue in an aggregate sense, departmental expenditure Granger causes aggregate revenue, and there is bidirectional causality running between government expenditure and customs duties; and in the long-run there is evidence of fiscal synchronization, implying that expenditure decisions are not made in isolation from revenue decisions.

Research limitations/implications – This fiscal synchronization has not been able curb the current account deficit in Fiji. Moreover, the confirmation of the spend-tax attitude of the government does not bode well for the level of investments and skilled human capital in Fiji as this may perpetuate tax increases in the future. Given that the Fiji Government is currently trying to rein in the escalating level of fiscal deficit, it is an opportune time for them to engage in extensive expenditure reforms.

Originality/value – The findings of this paper should allow policy makers to make informed decisions. Furthermore, the paper is different from others because apart from examining the revenue and expenditure in an aggregate sense, it also considers the different components of revenue and expenditure.

Biopharmaceutical innovation and industrial developments in South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan

South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan are well known as export-oriented developmental states which for decades employed industrial policy to target particular industries for government support. In the past fifteen years, these three countries all identified the biopharmaceutical industry as a strategic sector. This article explores, through economic analysis, the rationale for this decision and the strategies chosen for linking into the global bio-economy with the objective of catching up in biopharmaceuticals. The paper identifies three comparative advantages enjoyed by these countries in the biopharma sector: (1) public investments in basic research; (2) private investments in phase 1 clinical trials; and (3) a potentially significant contract research industry managing latter-stage clinical trials. Governments employ a range of industrial policies, consistent with these comparative advantages, to promote the biopharmaceutical industry, including public investment in biomedical hubs, research funding and research and development (R&D) tax credits. We argue that the most important feature of the biopharmaceutical industry in these countries is the dominant role of the public sector. That these countries have made progress in innovative capabilities is illustrated by input measures such as R&D expenditure as share of gross domestic product, number of patents granted and clinical trials, and volume of foreign direct investment. In contrast, output indicators such as approval of new chemical entities suggest that the process of catching up has only just commenced. Pharmaceutical innovation is at the stage of mainly generating inputs to integrated processes controlled by the globally incumbent firms.

The roles of social bonds in the Australian tourism network

There is limited published research on the social bonds between employees in two organizations. This paper aims to examine 1) relationships in the Australian tourism industry, 2) the nature and role of social bonds and commercial friendships, 3) the nature and roles of the investments in economic and social resources, and 4) the nature of personal relationships in the tourism network. The perspective and attitudes of the tourism network participants become clear and their vested interests are highlighted. Network pictures are developed for the 5 key sectors of this industry. The adaptations of these sectors are also discussed. The nature and role of social bonds and commercial friendships is examined. The Leximancer program is used to qualitatively analyze interview transcripts. Findings show the centrality of relationships in this industry and the importance of social bonds to the travel agency sector. This study provides additional insight into the nature of social bonds in the development of successful business to business relationships. A discussion of antecedents and outcomes of social bonds will be further developed.

Where do entrepreneurs have the best chances of success? The Asia-Pacific regulatory environment for entrepreneurial Micro And Medium Sized Enterprises (MMES)

Why do some entrepreneurs succeed while others fail in international competition? Perhaps it is better to turn the question around and ask, why is it that a particular country or economy becomes the home base for competitive globally-oriented entrepreneurs? What makes Australia a global leader in wine exports? How did New Zealand make it to global ranks in the creative industries? Why does Singapore have the most businessfriendly environment for entrepreneurs? Why is it “location, location, location”? One of the most powerful factors is the regulatory environment.

Asia-Pacific country-specific and region-specific regulations are diverse, and they seriously affect the climate for start-up entrepreneurs. They range from best-in-the world (e.g. Australia, New Zealand and Singapore) to the dreadful (Indonesia), according to the World Bank. Costs and profits can be affected as much by a government regulation as by a management decision. Fundamental entrepreneurial decisions--such as which lines of business to go into, which products and services to produce and introduce, which investments to finance, how and where to make goods and how to market them, and what prices to charge--are increasingly subject to governmental control.

In this short paper, we examine World Bank and Transparency International data on Asia-Pacific regulatory environments and make statements about how the economies compare to best practice. While I use data collected by other sources, I believe the added value comes through comparing and contrast the regulatory environments of our region in a justifiable and easily understood manner.

Getting the complete picture : combining parental and child data to identify the barriers to social inclusion for children living in low socio-economic areas

Background: Childhood mental health problems are prevalent in Australian children (14–20%). Social exclusion is a risk factor for mental health problems, whereas being socially included can have protective effects. This study aims to identify the barriers to social inclusion for children aged 9–12 years living in low socio-economic status (SES) areas, using both child-report and parent-report interviews.

Methods: Australian-born English-speaking parents and children aged 9–12 years were sampled from a low SES area to participate in semi-structured interviews. Parents and children were asked questions around three prominent themes of social exclusion; exclusion from school, social activities and social networks.

Results: Many children experienced social exclusion at school, from social activities or within social networks. Overall, nine key barriers to social inclusion were identified through parent and child interviews, such as inability to attend school camps and participate in school activities, bullying and being left out, time and transport constraints, financial constraints and safety and traffic concerns. Parents and children often identified different barriers.

Discussion: There are several barriers to social inclusion for children living in low SES communities, many of which can be used to facilitate mental health promotion programmes. Given that parents and children may report different barriers, it is important to seek both perspectives.

Conclusion: This study strengthens the evidence base for the investments and action required to bring about the conditions for social inclusion for children living in low SES communities.