Interviewer experience, vocal skills and the recruitment of telephone survey respondents

Although telephone interviewing is the main market research method used in Australia, response rates are often low and possibly declining overall. Interviewers are the means by which respondents are recruited and it was hypothesised that their verbal skills and experience would affect response rates. Using data from four market research companies, interviewer experience was shown to be positively related to strike rate (interviews per hour). Apart from having a discernible accent which dampened strike rates and increased refusals, other verbal characteristics had only a weak effect on response rates.

Response rates in telephone surveys: managing contactability

Telephone interviewing is the major data collection method for the market research industry. Although social trends such as mobile phones and call screening make it harder to contact people, better technology and contact regimes can assist companies to ameliorate the situation. A study of fieldwork managers responsible for over 75% of all phone interviews in Australia revealed limited use of contact enhancing strategies such as longer survey periods and more callbacks. Commercial imperatives for timely surveys and a lack of end-user concern for response rate issues, along with costs concerns, were believed to be responsible.

Environmental factors and product adaptation in Middle Eastern markets : the experience of Australian companies

This paper examines the impact that environmental factors have on the decision of Australian companies to adapt products for Middle Eastern markets. It  concludes that of all product aspects, labeling requires the greatest amount of adaptation and that socio-cultural factors have the greatest influence on overall product adaptation. Furthermore, environmental factors impact on product   adaptation in different ways, reflected in the adaptation of different aspects of the overall product.

Information disclosure and corporate governance in listed companies in China: from Yinguangxia to Enron

China's path to the development of a modern securities market has not been a smooth one. This article argues that efforts to impose Western securities market models on China have been fraught with difficulty. This is especially clear from the adoption of information disclosure principles and practices. While the integrity of disclosure practices is a fundamental element in maintaining investors' confidence in securities markets, disclosure practices need to be attuned to China '5 systemic features, especially in regard to its legal structure and rules. Market failures, such as the collapse of Enron in the United States, have led to a realisation that US disclosure models have their own difficulties and that these should not be uncritically used. This article reviews recent Chinese law andpractice (using the Yinguangxia false disclosure scandal as an example) in this area and calls for the adoption of a more critical approach towards the use of Western models with particular regard to China's own distinctive pathways of reform.

Towards manadatory shareholder committees in Australian companies

A common objective in recent Australian and international corporate governance reform programs is the enhancement of shareholder participation. Active shareholder involvement brings account- ability to the board and management, and is appropriate considering that shareholders are the ultimate owners of the company. Curiously, however, while shareholder participation and representation has become a priority in the contemporary corporate governance arena, the bulk of recent governance reform initiatives operate on the assumption that there is a clear separation of the board and management from the general body of shareholders, and that this is necessary to achieve optimal performance. The requirement that directors be 'independent' of the company and its shareholders is a prime example. In this article, the authors propose the establishment of a mandatory shareholder committee in Australian companies as a way of enhancing shareholder participation and representation.]

Piloting the feasibility and effectiveness of print- and telephone-mediated interventions for promoting the adoption of physical activity in Australian adults

This study examined the feasibility and effectiveness for increasing physical activity of a print-based intervention, and a print- plus telephone-mediated intervention among mid-life and older Australian adults. A randomised controlled trial study design was used. In mid-2002, 66 adults (18 men, 48 women) aged 45–78 years, who identified themselves as underactive, were recruited through advertisements and word-of-mouth at two sites (Melbourne and Brisbane), and randomised to either the print or print-plus-telephone mediated intervention group. Participants in both groups attended an initial briefing session, and over the 12-week intervention period received an instructional newsletter and use of a pedometer (both groups), and individualised telephone calls (print-plus-telephone group only). Self-reported physical activity data were collected at baseline, 12 and 16 weeks. Measures of self-reported global physical activity, moderate-vigorous intensity activity and walking all showed increases between baseline and 12 weeks for both intervention groups. These increases were generally maintained by 16 weeks, although participants in the print-plus-telephone group maintained slightly higher levels of global reported activity and walking (by approximately 30 mins/wk) than those in the print group. These interventions show potential for promoting initial increases in physical activity among mid-life and older Australian adults, and should be evaluated across more extended time periods.

Removal of directors of public companies takes centre stage in Australia : an exploration of the corporate law and governance issues

Increasing attention is being given to the legal and governance issues relating to the removal of directors in Australian public companies. This has been due mainly to the difficulties experienced by the board of National Australia Bank in attempting to remove one of its fellow directors, and the subsequent development of public companies entering into so-called 'prenuptial agreements' with new directors, requiring that the director 'resign' if the board pass a vote of no-confidence in the director. In this article, the author revisits the area of director removal in Australian public companies for two reasons. The first reason, which covers the majority of the article, is to engage in a detailed analysis of whether the pre-nuptial agreements which some public companies have indicated that they support using to remove directors, are in fact enforceable under Australia's Corporations Act The second reason is to outline a law reform proposal to enable public companies to remove directors without requiring the vote of shareholders at a general meeting. The proposal involves providing Australia' corporate  regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) with the power to grant relief from the statutory removal provisions to public companies, but in a way which balances the competing objectives of commercial efficiency and shareholder participation and, very importantly, encourages good corporate governance practices by companies in relation to the performance assessment  of directors.

It is in the interests of both shareholders and directors to agree on a set of ground rules for the effective supervision of companies that reconciles the rights of the owners to overall control with the much tougher demands on modern directors

Managing contactability in telephone surveys

The Australian market research industry relies on telephone interviewing as one of its major data collection methods. Through Its LIST initiative, the industry has committed to best practice In research methods in order to address various concerns, especially the decline in response rates for telephone interviews. Response rates are determined by the co-operation of eligible respondents and their degree of contactabllity. The reported study is concerned with the way the industry attempts to manage contactabiIity. A study of fieldwork managers responSible for over 75% of all phone interviews in Australia revealed a limited use of contact enhancing strategies such as longer fieldwork periods and more callbacks. Commercial imperatives for timely surveys and a lack of end-user concern for response rate issues, along with cost issues, were believed to be responsible.

Environmental management system auditing within Australasian companies

Reviews the literature on environmental management auditing, and surveys 132 ISO 14001 certified organizations in Australia and in New Zealand. Identifies the main reason for internal environmental audit, and the most frequent actions that result from the audit process, such as formation of a preventive plan. Looks at review procedures by top management, and the frequency of audit. Reveals the length of time an audit takes and the method of documentation adopted, by different industries. Notes six major findings and recommends sharing the findings of audits with employees and  suppliers so that improvements can be identified and implemented.

How acceptable is a referral and telephone-based outcall programme for men diagnosed with cancer? A feasibility study

The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a referral and outcall programme from a telephone-based information and support service, for men newly diagnosed with colorectal or prostate cancer. A block randomized controlled trial was performed involving 100 newly diagnosed colorectal and prostate cancer patients. Patients were referred to the Cancer Information Support Service (CISS) through clinicians at diagnosis. Clinicians were randomized into one of three conditions. Active referral 1: specialist referral with four CISS outcalls: (1) ≤1 week of diagnosis; (2) at 6 weeks; (3) 3 months; and (4) 6 months post diagnosis. Active referral 2: specialist referral with one CISS outcall ≤1 week of diagnosis. Passive referral: specialist recommended patient contacts CISS, but contact at the patient's initiative. Patients completed research questionnaires at study entry (before CISS contact), then 4 and 7 months post diagnosis. Overall, 96% of participants reported a positive experience with the referral process; 87% reported they were not concerned about receiving the calls; and 84% indicated the timing of the calls was helpful. In conclusion, the referral and outcall programme was achievable and acceptable for men newly diagnosed with colorectal or prostate cancer.

Can the use of foreign currency derivatives explain variations in foreign exchange exposure? Evidence from Australian companies

We investigate the role of foreign currency derivatives (FCD) in alleviating foreign exchange rate exposure of Australian firms. While there is some evidence that the use of FCD reduces the level of ex-post short-term exposure, such an effect is absent with regard to the degree of foreign operations. Our results support the view that FCDs are used to hedge existing exchange rate exposures and that Australian firms, generally, are extensively exposed to currency fluctuations in the long run. While monthly exposure appears to be a function of a firm's size and financial hedging, exchange rate exposure of shorter horizons (1 and 3 months) appears to be negatively related to a firm's price earnings ratio (proxying growth opportunities)—thereby supporting the ‘underinvestment’ hypothesis. Further, the exposure of longer horizons (12 and 24 months) is positively related to a firm's liquidity, supporting the view that liquidity is a substitute for hedging.

On the determinants of derivative usage by Australian companies

This paper provides an examination of the determinants of derivative use by Australian corporations. We analysed the characteristics of a sample of 469 firm/year observations drawn from the largest Australian publicly listed companies in 1999 and 2000 to address two issues: the decision to use financial derivatives and the extent to which they are used. Logit analysis suggests that a firm's leverage (distress proxy), size (financial distress and setup costs) and liquidity (financial constraints proxy) are important factors associated with the decision to use derivatives. These findings support the financial distress hypothesis while the evidence on the underinvestment hypothesis is mixed. Additionally, setup costs appear to be important, as larger firms are more likely to use derivatives. Tobit results, on the other hand, show that once the decision to use derivatives has been made, a firm uses more derivatives as its leverage increases and as it pays out more dividends (hedging substitute proxy). The overall results indicate that Australian companies use derivatives with a view to enhancing the firms' value rather than to maximizing managerial wealth. In particular, corporations' derivative policies are mostly concerned with reducing the expected cost of financial distress and managing cash flows. Our inability to identify managerial influences behind the derivative decision suggests a competitive Australian managerial labor market.

Pharmaceutical companies' public relations and representation by internet

This paper is part of study of how the adoption of the Internet is affecting the traditional public relations practices of Australian pharmaceutical companies. It suggests that Australian pharmaceutical companies are behind both America and Europe, not only in their adoption of the Internet, but also in their application of Internet technologies for public relations. It also suggests that direct interpersonal communication remains the preferred option for Australian pharmaceutical companies to communicate and build relationships with doctors and pharmacists. The paper is the result of interviews with pharmacists and doctors and one pharmaceutical industry representative. It also involved a survey of pharmaceutical companies’ web sites.