Education and training deficits in industrial clusters : empirical evidence that managers can use to rectify the skills gap in Auckland precinct

Tertiary institutions should seek continuous feedback from industries to keep track of the needs of businesses to provide education and training. In designing programmes and upgrading curricula, there are important factors to bear in mind so that programmes "cater" for all levels of learners. The Auckland City Council financed this study, focussing on Auckland's Rosebank Business Precinct (ARBP). Surrounding communities, particularly Maori, Pacific peoples and recent migrants, experience disparities in employment. The target population were 500+ businesses operating on Rosebank Road. A total of 529 businesses were identified. Interviews with 102 companies with a 36-question questionnaire were conducted. Areas were identified and covered in this paper in the ARBP for developing programmes and curricula for tertiary institutions to provide employable students with the right knowledge, skills and attributes to grow and manage existing ventures. In the analysis we point out what education or training is necessary for ARBP to provide greater efficiencies and improvement in profit levels. Recommendations and conclusions are provided.

Increasing professionalism of higher education managers and administrators : Focusing on research managers and administrators

The aim of this paper is to discuss the increasing professionalism of research managers and administrators. The paper firstly discusses recent changes to the research environment and follows with changes to research administration. Then follows with the discussion of the research method and research findings. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with research managers and administrators working in various Higher Education Institutions in the North West of England during the period from June to August 2005. Four interviewees were research managers and administrators working in research support and another four working in research students support areas. Two research support officers and two research student administrators have research backgrounds while the other two have administration background. The interview questions aim to seek the interviewees comments on the development of knowledge and skills that facilitate them to perform their role and the preference modes for delivering the professional development events. The interviewees working on different areas have different requirement on their knowledge requirement. The interviewees working in research student support area think it is important to develop their knowledge on their understanding of students needs. While, the interviewees working in research support suggested that it is important to be kept updated on changes to the research environment and relevant policies. The interviewees with different backgrounds have different skills training needs. Interviewees with research background suggested it is important to provide research skills training for colleagues who do not have research background. On the other hand, interviewees with administration background think their administration skills should be further enhanced. All interviewees prefer that professional development events be delivered in informal mode, such as conference and workshops.

The study of ethical perceptions of construction managers

Ethics is important for business, individual career and image of industry. However, construction companies do not show high ethical standards. Studying ethical perception of manages is a popular topic at generic level, in particular professions and on construction-related professionals, but there is lack of research on studying ethical perceptions of construction managers. The aim of this research is to study the ethical perceptions of construction managers and how do demographic factors influence it. The method for conducting this study is through questionnaire survey among the UK construction managers. Three hundred and seven questionnaires were distributed and ninety-three completed questionnaires are completed and returned. The construction managers who appear to pay most concern on ethics are male, at middle age, at middle position in their organisations, having more than 21 years experience and are educated up to at least at degree level. The results show that the construction managers found ‘producing falsifying reports,’ ‘over-claiming expenses’ and ‘having low level of personal honesty’ as the most unethical perceptions. The findings also show that the ethical perceptions of construction managers are different from other construction-related professionals such as surveyors and engineers.

An investigation of the differences in ethical perceptions among construction managers and their peers

Previous research on ethical perceptions of managers and their peers show a consistent result, managers think they have higher ethical standards than their peers. The aim of this paper is to study the ethical perceptions of construction managers and their peers. The method for conducting the study is through a questionnaire survey among UK construction managers. Three hundred and seven questionnaires were distributed; ninety-three completed questionnaires were completed and returned. The overall results show that the construction mangers believe they have higher ethical standards than their peers. The ethical perceptions which are exceptions to this are cooperation between firms to establish common prices is an unfair act and whistleblowing, the respondents think their peers have higher ethical standards on these two issues. The managers in the current and previous studies think they are more ethical than their peers on dealing with the issue such as having low level of personal honesty. The difference between the current and previous studies is that the construction mangers think they have much higher ethical standards than their peers on the issue providing trade secrets in order to exchange for personal benefits.

Earth resources activities on Crown land: guidelines and procedures for land managers

The purposes of this document are to:
• outline some processes in relation to the administration and/or handling of earth resources activities (particularly exploration and mining for minerals) on Crown land;
• provide Crown land managers with guidelines and procedures to assist in administration of exploration and mining cases;
• provide a broad framework within which regional or localised guidelines and procedures can be developed or utilised;
• provide guidance to proponents wishing to undertake exploration or mining for minerals on Crown land.

The TrueBlue model of collaborative care using practice nurses as case managers for depression alongside diabetes or heart disease: a randomised trial

Objectives:
To determine the effectiveness of collaborative care in reducing depression in primary care patients with diabetes or heart disease using practice nurses as case managers.

Altered cardiac autonomic nervous function in depression

Background:
Depression is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease. Autonomic instability may play a mediating or moderating role in this relationship; however this is not well understood. The objective of this study was to explore cardiac autonomic function and cardiac arrhythmia in depression, the correlation between depression severity and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) related indices, and the prevalence of arrhythmia.

Methods:
Individuals (n = 53) with major depression as assessed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, who had a Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) score ≥20 and a Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale score > 53 were compared to 53 healthy individuals, matched for age and gender. Multichannel Electrocardiograph ECG-92C data were collected over 24 hours. Long-term changes in HRV were used to assess the following vagally mediated changes in autonomic tone, expressed as time domain indices: Standard deviation of the NN intervals (SDNN), standard deviation of 5 min averaged NN intervals (SDANN), Root Mean Square of the Successive Differences (RMSSD) and percentage of NN intervals > 50 ms different from preceding interval (pNN50). Pearson’s correlations were conducted to explore the strength of the association between depression severity (using the SDS and HRV related indices, specifically SDNN and low frequency domain / high frequency domain (LF/HF)).

Results:
The values of SDNN, SDANN, RMSSD, PNN50 and HF were lower in the depression group compared to the control group (P<.05). The mean value of the LF in the depression group was higher than the in control group (P<.05). Furthermore the ratio of LF/HF was higher among the depression group than the control group (P<.05). A linear relationship was shown to exist between the severity of the depression and HRV indices. In the depression group, the prevalence of arrhythmia was significantly higher than in the control group (P<.05), particularly supraventricular arrhythmias.

Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that depression is accompanied by dysfunction of the cardiac autonomic nervous system, and further, that depression severity is linked to severity of this dysfunction. Individuals with depression appear to be susceptible to premature atrial and/or ventricular disease.

Factors affecting SME owner-managers' willingness to share knowledge online in rural local business networks

This article integrates typically separate SME research on e-commerce, business networking, and knowledge management into a model explaining factors influencing the willingness of SME owner-managers to share knowledge online in business networks in rural districts. This is important because e-commerce can assist owner-managers, often dispersed in rural districts, to share knowledge between face-to-face networking events. The main factors associated with willingness to share knowledge online were their willingness to share knowledge face-to-face and their intensity of Internet use. Entrepreneurial factors such as owner-managers' expectations of rapid growth, trading outside the district, and seeking information about customers/competitors were indirectly associated with online sharing via intensity of Internet use only. The model suggests network coordinators could encourage online knowledge sharing by assisting owner-managers to see the business value of e-commerce and by ensuring that networking events are suitable for owner-managers, whether or not they have entrepreneurial goals, to facilitate face-to-face knowledge sharing.

Factors affecting commitment and satisfaction of project managers in the construction industry

Construction project managers normally need develop their professional knowledge and practical skills in construction technologies and management on the basis of long term work experience. Their organizational commitment and job satisfaction level significantly influence their performance attitudes and job achievements. Keeping construction project managers highly committed to and satisfied with the employed companies is extremely vital to employed construction companies but is really difficulty due to the non-attractive job circumstances. This research investigates the major demographic variables that affect the organizational commitment and job satisfaction of project managers in the construction industry. Based on an empirical study, the statistical results indicate that some demographical variables play a substantial role in construction project managers' organizational commitment and job satisfaction. With this knowledge, construction organizations can draw up operational strategies to retain their project managers.

Client self-assessment in community aged care: A comparative study involving older Australians and their case managers

Self-assessment of support needs is a relatively new and under-researched phenomenon in domiciliary aged care. This article outlines the results of a comparative study focusing on whether a self-assessment approach assists clients to identify support needs and the degree to which self-assessed needs differ from an assessment conducted by community care professionals. A total of 48 older people and their case managers completed a needs assessment tool. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were used to ascertain older people’s views and preferences regarding the self-assessment process. The study suggests that while a co-assessment approach as outlined in this article has the potential to assist older people to gain a better understanding of their care needs as well as the assessment process and its ramifications, client self-assessment should be seen as part of a co-assessment process involving care professionals. Such a co-assessment process allows older people to gain a better understanding of their support needs and the wider community aged care context. The article suggests that a co-assessment process involving both clients and care professionals contains features that have the capacity to enhance domiciliary aged care.