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.

Is all cartel activity evil?

The new Australian cartel laws prohibit a provision of a contract, arrangement or understanding that inter alia, results in price fixing and output restriction between competitors in the relevant market. This is subject to a recognition that sometimes such conduct can be in the public interest, in which case the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) may grant an authorisation. One such instance may be an activity characterised by substantial externalised cost. An authorisation application would need to provide suitable evidence in support of the underlying case being argued. Traditionally in Australia, such evidence has been qualitative in nature; however, where possible, the ACCC and its counterparts in the EU and New Zealand encourage quantitative estimates. This is a case study of the welfare impact of output restrictions in the Australian beer industry, which is a source of substantial negative externalities. A standard simulation exercise is utilised as an example of how applicants and the competition regulator might combine theoretical and quantitative concepts to better achieve the objectives of the new legislation.

Economic network structures, growth and poverty

While investors are advised to diversify in order to manage risk, developing countries are advised instead to liberalise their trade regimes and specialise according to their current comparative advantage. This study uses 67 regions of the GTAP database to investigate the effects of unilateral liberalisation and its impacts on countries’ economic structures and the extent to which this affects countries’ vulnerability to an economic shock. While liberalisation resulted in improvements in GDP and welfare on average, there were significant variations. A number of countries experienced contractions in their GPDs and declines in welfare. While there was no evidence of a relationship between the percentage change in GDP and the initial export or output concentration, there was a positive relationship between the percentage change in GDP and the percentage change in export and output concentrations. On average, increases in GDP following liberalisation were associated with increases in concentration in both the export sector and in overall industrial output and also reductions in the fraction of unskilled labour employed by the main export sector. Initial GDP per capita has no significant effect, implying that once concentration measures and the fraction of costs in the main export are accounted for, the per capita income levels of a country show no systematic effects on the percentage change in GDP induced by the liberalisation. For developing countries undergoing unilateral liberalisation, the results imply that they are likely to experience an increase in GDP, but an increase accompanied by more highly concentrated industrial output and exports, and also a lower fraction of main export costs due to unskilled labour. Following liberalisation, the responses of liberalised and non-liberalised versions of the region’s economies to a shock were compared. The rest of the world’s productivity in the country’s main export was increased by 10%, with the liberalised economies faring marginally worse on average in welfare and terms of trade effects, but slightly better on GDP effects. When the net effects of the initial liberalisation and subsequent technology shock were compared, countries were better off on average if they had liberalised. But this average masked important sectoral differences. Countries specialising in sectors with high proportions of own-commodity inputs in their main export’s total cost, such as manufacturing, did best, while those specialising in food tended to suffer welfare declines. Higher levels of export and output concentration also tended to reduce welfare. This suggests that increased concentration does indeed make countries more vulnerable to certain economic shocks. Finally, the economic network structures of the two extreme cases, Tanzania and Vietnam are compared visually as an aid to interpretation.

The emergence and development of specialist courts : lessons for juvenile justice from the history of the children’s court in South Australia?

To illustrate how specialist courts have developed to manage juvenile offenders, this paper provides an overview of the history and development of the youth court in one jurisdiction, South Australia. Drawing on interviews conducted with judicial officers, the paper seeks to highlight some of the changes that have taken place since the Court’s inception, as well as how the Court currently understands its role and positioning within the broader justice and welfare systems. Key discussion points of these interviews included the Youth Court’s guiding principles and how they impact on court procedures and responses to young people in the system, as well as the challenges that limit, or create difficulties for, the effective operation of the Youth Court. It is concluded that the Youth Court system attempts to balance both welfare and justice approaches to dealing with young people, but are sometimes hindered by inadequate procedural, structural and resource-related factors – some of which exist externally to the Youth Court itself.

Harem size and oviposition behaviour in a polygynous bark beetle

1. Harem polygyny can have fitness benefits and costs on females. In bark beetles of the genus Ips the latter may include within-harem competition between larvae. However, earlier competition between females for male care and mating opportunities may also influence oviposition behaviour. There has been relatively little investigation into the relationship between harem size and initial egg output. The present study investigated this relationship in the bark beetle Ips grandicollis.
2. The measure of egg output used was the number of eggs in the gallery with the most eggs in each harem. Mean ( ± SE) harem size of 242 observed harems was 3.25 ± 0.10. A curvilinear relationship was found between egg output and harem size, with females in smaller harems (one to four females) laying more eggs with increased harem size. However, females in larger harems (five to seven females) laid fewer eggs as harem size increased. The optimal harem size (in terms of number of eggs laid) was close to four females.
3. We found no evidence from a behavioural assay that females could preferentially choose unmated males over mated males with harems of two females. Additionally, the distribution of harem sizes suggests that females distribute themselves among males randomly.
4. The results suggest that harem size has effects on female reproduction that extend beyond larval competition and influence patterns of oviposition. The mechanism that determines why egg laying is greatest at intermediate levels is unknown. There is no evidence that smaller harems belong to lower quality males, but females may adjust egglaying behaviour in large harems as a result of reduced male attendance or anticipated larval competition.

Not one of us is without bias : identifying and challenging racism and homophobia

This article reviews a teaching process that aimed to prepare final year social work students for critical practice with diverse and marginalized populations. Alongside lecture input, in small group discussions and in the two sequenced written assignments students were encouraged to personalize questions of bias and stigma by recalling both their experiences of being “other-ed” as well as their participation in practices that “other-ed”, such as racist and homophobic imaging and acting. Feedback to the unit’s first iteration in 2004 was generally positive yet a significant minority of students were clearly dissatisfied. Whilst retaining the same formal content in 2005, greater attention was devoted to generating a supportive group process and a positive environment for “negative” self-disclosure. This milieu acted to contain and normalize the students’ struggle with internalized stereotypes, a stage associated with their greater preparedness to identify and challenge their own personal, cultural and ideological locations. Within the context of the unit remaining explicit about its value stance, by adopting an approach to the teaching / learning process that neither collided nor colluded, as teachers we believe the 2005 revision better achieved the units aims. First, the unit received broader positive appraisal from students and, second, it appeared that the unit more firmly promoted the prospects for students carrying forward a capacity for critical self review post graduation.

A study on small business enterprises in Bangladesh : searching for growth factors and obstacles

Small businesses are the heart of the market-based economy with their business operations in rural and urban areas of developed and developing countries. In Bangladesh, small business enterprises are playing a significant role by contributing to the production and services, employmnet and thereby to GDP. But these are found to face servere competition and different types of constraints. As a result, these have not achieved substantial growth. In view of this, the present study is primarily aimed at identifying factors and obstacles that influence the growth of SBEs. Finally, the paper suggests some policy measures which are expected to excel the growth of SBEs.

Peers and pragmatics : listening to ESL students in a mainstream Australian school

This paper discusses a listening initiative aimed at assisting newly arrived ESL adolescents to meet the sociolinguistic challenges they faced in an Australian school. Proponents of a mainstream approach to ESL learning maintain that immersing students into age appropriate classrooms with native speakers provides superior opportunities for ESL students to those of a language school. Listening to native speaking peers is viewed as a way to accelerate sociolinguistic learning. Yet the school where this study took place acknowledged that many of the ESL students were quickly marginalized rather than supported within the school environment, and their academic success was erratic. A listening based initiative was introduced to raise awareness of pragmatics, the knowledge of meaning in context. Observed instances of communication analysed in this paper typify those likely to isolate ESL adolescents in their early years of mainstream secondary school. Furthermore, the positive impact of the outlined peer listening intervention on social inclusion as a precursor of significant language development is demonstrated. This case study has curriculum and welfare implications relevant to schools offering ESL students mainstream education.

Anthropometric profiling of elite junior and senior Australian football players

Purpose: Body structure and physical development must be addressed when preparing junior athletes for their first season in a senior competition. The aim of this preliminary study was to measure the extent of the assumption that final year junior Australian Football (AF) athletes are at a physical mismatch to their senior counterparts.

Methods: Twenty-one male participants (17.71 ± 0.27 y) were recruited from one state based elite junior AF competition and forty-one male participants (22.80 ± 4.24 y) were recruited from one club competing in the senior elite Australian Football League (AFL), who were subsequently divided into two groups; professional rookies aged 18-20 y (19.44 ± 0.70 y; n = 18) and professional seniors aged 21+ y (25.43 ± 3.98 y; n = 23). Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans of all participants were completed.

Results: Despite being an average 6.0% and 6.1% lighter in total weight and lean mass respectively, no significant difference was found between the elite junior athletes and their professional AFL rookie counterparts. However, significant differences were demonstrated in comparison with the professional AFL senior athletes (P < .01). Both professional AFL groups demonstrated greater than 0.3 kg total bone mineral content (BMC) than the elite junior athletes (P < .01) and significantly greater segmental BMC and bone mineral density (BMD) results (P < .05).

Conclusion: While the results identify the differences in body composition of the elite junior athletes, development in a linear fashion is noted, providing useful information for the creation of age appropriate expectations and training programs.

Disability and disability services

This chapter provides a profile of people who are at various points on this disability continuum, but with an emphasis on those facing more severe limitations. Information is presented on both mainstream and sector-specific service use, and the outcomes associated with the use of these services. The focus in this chapter is on people aged under 65 years.

Comorbidity of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease in Australia

This is the first report of a projected series regarding the comorbidity of cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Australia. Comorbidity refers to any two or more of these diseases that occur in one person at the same time. The questions to be answered in this report include: 1. How many Australians have comorbidity of CVD, diabetes and CKD? 2. What is the proportion of hospitalisations with these comorbidities? 3. How much do these comorbidities contribute to deaths? 4. What is the magnitude of comorbidity in the context of each individual disease? 5. Are there differences in the distribution of these comorbidities among age groups and sexes?

The burden of disease and injury in Australia 2003

The report measures mortality, disability, illness and injury arising from over 170 diseases and injuries. Burden of disease analysis gives a unique perspective on health

The quantification of drug-caused mortality and morbidity in Australia, 1998

The aetiological fraction methodology and the associated fraction estimates enable estimation of the proportion of cases of an illness or injury that can be attributed to a risk factor. This report presents aetiological fraction estimates attributing deaths and hospital separations resulting from a range of specific illnesses or injuries to tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs. The fractions represent a revision of the fractions originally presented by Holman et al. (1990) and later revised by English et al. (1995). Also presented here are estimates of 1998 mortality and 1997–98 hospital separations attributable to alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs based on the revised fractions.

The burden of disease and injury in Australia

This report provides an overview of results from the Australian Burden of Disease and Injury Study undertaken by the AIHW during 1998 and 1999. The Study uses the methods developed for the Global Burden of Disease Study, adapted to the Australian context and drawing extensively on Australian sources of population health data. It provides a comprehensive assessment of the amount of ill health and disability, the ‘burden of disease’ in Australia in 1996.

Mortality, disability, impairment, illness and injury arising from 176 diseases, injuries and risk factors are measured using a common metric, the Disability-Adjusted Life Year or DALY. One DALY is a lost year of ‘healthy’ life and is calculated as a combination of years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLL) and equivalent ‘healthy’ years of life lost due to disability (YLD). This report provides estimates of the contribution of fatal and non-fatal health outcomes to the total burden of disease and injury measured in DALYs in Australia in 1996.

Disease costing methodology used in the Disease Costs and Impact Study 1993–94

Describes in detail the methodology used by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare to measure health services use and expenditure for specific diseases and disease groups in Australia in 1993-94. A companion report, Health System Costs of Diseases and Injury in Australia 1993-94, provides estimates of the health system costs for each disease and injury group and area of expenditure. Other reports will provide detailed estimates for specific National Health Priority Areas - cancer, cardiovascular disease, injury, mental health and diabetes.