International examples of large-scale systems-theory and practice IV: B2B e-commerce implementation in the Australian context

Two of the most commonly used classifications in IS research are the factor approach and the process approach. While many studies of IS implementation are undertaken using a factor approach, little research so far examines the process of e-commerce implementation, especially in relation to the implementation of e-commerce in business-to-business (B2B) relationships. A holistic understanding of implementation which combines both the factor and process approaches using a case study method, is suggested as particularly suitable because of its ability to capture the reality of e-commerce implementation in an organisation's natural environment and in much greater detail than is possible using one of these approaches alone. In this paper, therefore, we endeavour to contribute to what we perceive as a gap in the body of theory surrounding the implementation process in the business-to-business e-commerce literature. We describe the findings of multiple case studies involving ten major Australian e-commerce initiators. In addition to confirming our earlier finding of the importance of non-technical factors for the success of the implementation process we also present, through our case studies, the various management and business issues associated with the success or failure of B2B e-commerce implementation.

Applying systems theory to the evaluation of a whole school approach to violence prevention

Issue addressed: Our Watch led a complex 12-month evaluation of a whole school approach to Respectful Relationships Education (RRE) implemented in 19 schools. RRE is an emerging field aimed at preventing gender-based violence. This paper will illustrate how from an implementation science perspective, the evaluation was a critical element in the change process at both a school and policy level. Methods: Using several conceptual approaches from systems science, the evaluation sought to examine how the multiple systems layers – student, teacher, school, community and government – interacted and influenced each other. A distinguishing feature of the evaluation included ‘feedback loops’; that is, evaluation data was provided to participants as it became available. Evaluation tools included a combination of standardised surveys (with pre- and post-intervention data provided to schools via individualised reports), reflection tools, regular reflection interviews and summative focus groups. Results: Data was shared during implementation with project staff, department staff and schools to support continuous improvement at these multiple systems levels. In complex settings, implementation can vary according to context; and the impact of evaluation processes, tools and findings differed across the schools. Interviews and focus groups conducted at the end of the project illustrated which of these methods were instrumental in motivating change and engaging stakeholders at both a school and departmental level and why. Conclusion: The evaluation methods were a critical component of the pilot’s approach, helping to shape implementation through data feedback loops and reflective practice for ongoing, responsive and continuous improvement. Future health promotion research on complex interventions needs to examine how the evaluation itself is influencing implementation. So what? The pilot has demonstrated that the evaluation, including feedback loops to inform project activity, were an asset to implementation. This has implications for other health promotion activities, where evaluation tools could be utilised to enhance, rather than simply measure, an intervention. The findings are relevant to a range of health promotion research activities because they demonstrate the importance of meta-evaluation techniques that seek to understand how the evaluation itself was influencing implementation and outcomes.

Co-evolution path model : how enterprises as complex systems survive on the edge of chaos

In this theoretical paper, we introduce and describe a model, and demonstrate its origins from the disciplines of Enterprise Architecture, cybernetics and systems theory. We use cybernetic thinking to develop a ‘Co-evolution Path Model’ that describes how enterprises as complex systems co-evolve with their complex environments. The model re-interprets Stafford Beer’s Viable System Model, and also uses the theorem of the ‘good regulator’ of Conant and Ashby, exemplifying how various complexity management theories could be synthesised into a cybernetic theory of Enterprise Architecture, using concepts from the generalisation of EA frameworks.

Airport and air cargo operation systems

Analysis of airport and air cargo operations is commonly performed in isolation, sharing only simple information such as flight schedules. Systems theory and Systems methodology can enhance such analysis by considering all aspects of air operations. It provides the decision-maker with an improved understanding of the implication of policy decisions, resource allocations and infrastructure investment strategies, through the capture of emergent behaviours and interdependencies. For example, the term airport operations, initially reminds us of the thought of passengers being transported by aircraft. Deeper thinking would identify activities that affect passenger operations, such as baggage handling systems, aircraft maintenance, and passenger security. In reality, airport operations consist of numerous aspects, including; concourses, runways, airlines, fuel depots, cargo terminal operators, retail, parking, cleaning, catering and many interacting people including travellers, service providers and visitors. For the airport to function effectively, these numerous systems must work together. This talk will focus on new tools and methodologies that are required for model development and analysis. It will then focus on modelling, simulation and analysis of the airport operations, providing greater understanding of airport operation with an emphasis towards security.

Global finite-time stabilisation for a class of stochastic nonlinear systems by output feedback

In this paper, the problem of global finite-time stabilisation by output feedback is considered for a class of stochastic nonlinear systems. First, based on homogeneous systems theory and the adding a power integrator technique, a homogeneous reduced order observer and control law are constructed in a recursive manner for the nominal system. Then, the homogeneous domination approach is used to deal with the nonlinearities in drift and diffusion terms; it is shown that the proposed output-feedback control law can guarantee that the closed-loop system is global finite-time stable in probability. Finally, simulation examples are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.

C'mon guys! A program to facilitate father involvement in the primary school environment

This article is written to provide a case study example of a program developed to encourage fathers' engagement with their children in the primary school environment. C'mon Guys! was delivered in a Primary School in Victoria, Australia (unnamed to protect the privacy of the participants). The article begins by first describing the community in which C'mon Guys! was offered and goes on to outline the literature related to aspects pertinent to the program such as father involvement in the lives of children at school, and the role of the social worker in facilitating this type of groupwork in the school setting. Next, the aims of the program are discussed with particular reference to its design, social learning theory, systems theory and groupwork principles and processes. The outcomes of C'mon Guys! are then discussed noting the limitations of the program as well as identifying the extrinsic and intrinsic benefits for the children, their fathers and the community.

The benefit : a well-written entrepreneurial business plan is to an entrepreneur what a midwife is to an expecting mother

The evaluation of new ventures often involves two key aspects of entrepreneurial business plans: how best to write them and how best to rate (evaluate) them. Ultimately the performance of the venture should be the definitive criterion of quality. Surprisingly, the writing, rating and performance effects of entrepreneurial business plans (EBPs) comprise three related but under researched areas. This article empirically tested principles for writing and rating entrepreneurial business plans to draw inferences on how to improve the private equity investment evaluation process. A simplified perspective of General Systems Theory guided our empirical investigation of the input and outcome of the VC investment decision. Our empirical investigation reveals that entrepreneurial business plans that comport with the writing principles from the literature improve a new venture's likelihood of success.

Is the quality of entrepreneurial business plans related to the outcome of a new venture?

The evaluation of new ventures often involves two key aspects of entrepreneurial business plans: how best to write them and how best to rate (evaluate) them. Ultimately the performance of the venture should be the definitive criterion of quality. Surprisingly, the writing, rating and performance effects of entrepreneurial business plans (EBPs) comprise three related but under researched areas. This paper empirically tested principles for writing and rating entrepreneurial business plans to draw inferences on how to improve the private equity investment evaluation process. A simplified perspective of General Systems Theory guided our empirical investigation of the input and outcome of the VC investment decision. Our empirical investigation reveals that entrepreneurial business plans that comport with the writing principles from the literature improve a new venture’s likelihood of success.

The origins of competency-based training

This article attempts to trace the origins of competency-based training (CBT), the theory of vocational education that underpins the National Training Framework in Australia. A distinction is made between societal and theoretical origins. This paper argues that CBT has its societal origins in the United States of America during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Public debate and government initiatives centred on the widely held view that there was a problem with the quality of education in the United States. One of the responses to this crisis was the Performance-Based Teacher Education movement which synthesised the theory of education that became CBT.The theoretical origins of CBT derive principally from behaviourism and systems theory - two broad theoretical orientations that influenced educational debate in the United States during the fomative period of CBT. Most of the component parts of CBT were contributed by specialists with a background in one or both of these theoretical orientations.

Employer satisfaction with employees with a disability

Previous research that addressed determents of employer satisfaction with employees with a disability (EWDs) mainly targeted employers’ perceptions of workplace performance. This thesis used quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine perspectives of employers and disability employment service providers (DESPs) on the complex nature of employer satisfaction with EWDs within an ecological paradigm. Three studies were undertaken. The first analysed questionnaire ratings for 656 employers of workplace performance of EWDs. Analyses found: (1) employers rated EWDs lower than non-disabled employees (NDEs) on employer satisfaction and work performance; (2) determinants of employer satisfaction differed between EWDs and NDEs; (3) employers were more satisfied with EWDs than NDEs in relation to work performance; (4) lower comparative ratings on employer satisfaction for EWDs influenced future employment intentions toward people with a disability; (5) employers’ perceptions of job-match affected ratings on employer satisfaction and performance; (6) effects of job-match on employer satisfaction were direct and indirect, through work performance; and (7) variables representing job-match were relatively more important to employers’ decisions to hire and retain a person with a disability than variables representing Social Concerns and employer/management items. A theoretical model that depicted the influence of processes (job-match) and outcomes (work performance) on employer satisfaction with EWDs was supported. The second study analysed questionnaire ratings from 36 non-employers of EWDs. Findings indicated very similar responses between employers and non-employers of EWDs on experiences related to employer satisfaction with NDEs. Views about the relative importance of variable related to hiring and retaining a person with a disability suggested that generalising findings from the first study to all employers was reasonable. The third study analysed data from interviews with 50 employers and 40 DESPs; and questionnaire responses for 56 DESPs and 36 non-employers of EWDs. This study validated the importance of job-match to successful employment outcomes; suggesting DESPs were undervaluing their services to the employers. The study also showed that Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory provided a relevant framework with which to interpret complex information from different stakeholders, important to understanding employer satisfaction. In summary, employer satisfaction was shown to be a relative concept that varied with referent, and a developmental phenomenon that was influences by many factors operating and interacting at a number of ecological levels. Policies and practices to promote employer satisfaction with EWDs need co-ordinated approaches that recognise the influence of contexts internal and external to the workplace and the dynamic nature and interrelationships of characteristics within these contexts.

Security as an element in environmental assessment and decision making

he prominence of global warming as an environmental issue has illustrated the close relationship between natural resources, ecosystems and global security. Whilst environmental decision making often uses techniques such as economic valuation and risk management, the security component is often not considered, at least not from a security analyst’s perspective. Yet environmental security considerations can be global, regional and/or national in impact. Environmental change and policy can effect human health and well being as well as initiating conflict; it can affect the existence of life itself. These aspects are firmly in the domain of the security discipline although the protection of the global ecosystem has not traditionally been considered by those who create security policy. The idea of environmental/ecological security ranges from the eco-centric approach which examines the impact of human activities that impact on the security of the natural systems to the more traditional anthropocentric perspectives that look at varied issues such as conflict caused by natural resource competition and environmental degradation, and the greening of military operations. This paper will assert that the inclusion of the security factor in policy creation and environmental assessments is essential to give richer solutions to these complex socio-economic and ecological situations. Systems theory over the last few decades has emphasised the inclusion of as many perspectives on messy problems as possible to provide truly systemic outcomes. It is posited that the addition of such concepts as threat analyses will produce more effective and sustainable outcomes.

Attitude change in employment of people who have a disability

This thesis is set in Ecological Systems Theory and found that direct experience with people who have a disability, rather than constructed scenarios, is the key to positive attitude change. Future research should utilize the powerful role stereotyped groups themselves have in attitude change through their own development and interaction with the environment.

Towards a framework for implementing individual funding based on an Australian case study

Although individual funding is increasingly being used around the globe as a mechanism to fund social care, its implementation is proving to be problematic and implementation strategies are not well developed. This paper proposes a framework for the successful introduction and implementation of individual funding programs based on the analysis of data collected in a qualitative case study conducted in an Australian not-for-profit disability agency over a 4-year period from 2003 to 2007. Data were gathered through participant observation and interviews with program participants and managers, and the findings were validated with those involved. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory is used to analyze the findings from a micro, meso, exo, and macro perspective. The following factors were found to be important for successful implementation: the meaningful involvement of the person with disability in decision-making; adequate resources; access to information and appropriate supports; suitable activities being available; knowledge of policies and procedures; policies ensuring oversight and responsible accountability; employment conditions for workers being safeguarded; and support for staff and managers to adjust to their new roles. Knowledge of effective implementation strategies is important for disability agencies and for governments promoting individual funding because this radically different funding arrangement requires new implementation strategies.