Banking regulation and market forces in Australia

The purpose of this paper is to use Kane's notion of the regulatory dialectic to analyse the changing nature of bank regulation in Australia. Throughout Australia's economic history, economic regulation of the Australian banking system has not been static but has responded to changes in technology, market forces, and the behaviour of regulated institutions. From this analysis, some inferences about general banking principles and policy can be made.

Convergence in the gender wage gap in Australia over the 1980s: identifying the role of counteracting forces via the Juhn, Murphy and Pierce Decomposition

The paper utilises the Juhn Murphy and Pierce (1991) decomposition to shed light on the pattern of slow male-female wage convergence in Australia over the 1980s. The analysis allows one to distinguish between the role of wage structure and genderspecific effects. The central question addressed is whether rising wage inequality counteracted the forces of increased female investment in labour market skills, i.e. education and experience. The conclusion is that in contrast to the US and the UK, Australian women do not appear to have been swimming against a tide of adverse wage structure changes.

Artificial formation forces for stable aggregation of multi-agent system

This paper introduces, a robust and stable algorithm based on artificial formation forces, for multi-agent system (MAS) aggregation in 2D space. The MAS model with artificial forces; consists of inter-member collision avoidance element, formation generation element and a velocity based damping element; is analysed for stability and convergence. Computer simulations are used to illustrate stability and convergence, and to demonstrate effectiveness of the algorithm.

Enslaved by market forces

The backlash against globalisation appears to have some sections of our business community very worried.

The impact of external forces on cartel network dynamics : Direct research in the diamond industry

This paper describes the impact of external environmental forces on cartel networks. Using a case research approach, this report examines two leading business networks within one industry, over time. The results suggest that (a) bargaining power of intermediaries increases with the advent of new and powerful actors, (b) process activities that cartels previously controlled are being outsourced to new actors sometimes based in developing countries, (c) other actors are acquiring resources once dominated by a cartel, (d) external forces triggered by the illegal diamond trade, such as international regulatory constraints, no longer favour cartels like De Beers, and (e) over time, these and additional environment factors are forcing actors like De Beers who perform rigid process activities to become more flexible. For example,forces are moving cartels which relied previously on hand-picked intermediaries in highly controlled networks to market their products to adopt a flexible market-focused expansion of operations in retail contexts.

What are seating clinicians thinking?

In response to an influx of commercially available seating product, research was undertaken to examine how clinicians, experienced in seating prescriptions make decisions when assisting their clients to choose the most appropriate seating systems for their wheelchairs. This paper will present findings from research undertaken in 2005, into the decision-making processes (known as Clinical Reasoning) used by six clinicians working in Victoria. The paper will discuss the successes and barriers these clinicians encounter when selecting ready-made products, off the shelf, to trial and what parameters arose that required custom-made products. The research findings illuminate the clinicians' considerations for successful client collaboration and the essentials for effective supplier-clinician partnerships when selecting from an overwhelming array of new products and available technologies to accommodate generally a more informed consumer base. The availability of ready-made product has altered consumer perceptions that wheelchair seating is no longer a specialized area and that all clinicians should be competent to prescribe. This paper will reveal how experience seating clinicians assess, make decisions and evaluate the client's needs when undertaking equipment trials and prescribing seating products for complex consumer needs. This is of interest to all who are involved in prescribing and supplying products for wheelchair consumers.

Combining the forces of science and conservation to turn around the fortunes of shorebirds

At the start of the 21st century the majority of migratory wader (shorebird) populations are faced with serious threats. This commonly results from the continuous destruction of wetlands, their key habitat. Healthy wetlands are highly biodiverse and extremely vulnerable, and as functioning ecosystems particularly important for us humans for a sustained livelihood (artisanal fisheries, small-scale farming) and our well-being (effective water filtering and cleaning systems). In many parts of the world, wetlands have been seen as wastelands, or even as a source of threat (malaria). Many freshwater wetlands have been drained for agricultural use and mudflats have been reclaimed for settlement and urbanization. Wetlands are continuously squeezed by economic development and increasingly used for recreational activities, and their resources are, in general, notoriously overexploited.