The impact of organisational culture on project selection : what is the appropriate culture type?

Project selection is a complex decision making process that is not merely influenced by the technical aspects of the project. Selection of road infrastructure projects in the Indonesian public sector is generally conducted at an organisational level, which involves multiple objectives, constraints and stakeholders. Hence, a deeper understanding of the various organisational drivers that impact on such decisions, in particular organisational culture, is much needed for improving decision-making processes as it has been posited by some researchers that organisational culture can become either an enabler, or a barrier, to the process. One part of the cultural assessment undertaken as part of the research, identifies and analyses the cultural types of relevant and involved organisations in the decision making process. The organisational culture assessment instrument (OCAI) of Cameron and Quinn (2011) was utilized in this study and the data was taken from three selected provinces in Indonesia. The results can facilitate the surveyed (and similar) organisations to improve their performance by moving towards a more appropriate cultural typology that is arguably better suited to their operations and to improving their organisational processes to more closely align with their organisational vision, mission and objectives.

Integrating organisational design with IT design : the Queensland Health payroll case

Most existing requirements engineering approaches focus on the modelling and specification of the IT artefacts ignoring the environment where the application is deployed. Although some requirements engineering approaches consider the stakeholder’s goals, they still focus on the IT artefacts’ specification. However, IT artefacts are embedded in a dynamic organisational environment and their design and specification cannot be separated from the environment’s constant evolution. Therefore, during the initial stages of a requirements engineering process it is advantageous to consider the integration of IT design with organisational design. We proposed the ADMITO (Analysis, Design and Management of IT and Organisations) approach to represent the dynamic relations between social and material entities, where the latter are divided into technological and organisational entities. In this paper we show how by using ADMITO in a concrete case, the Queensland Health Payroll (QHP) case, it is possible to have an integrated representation of IT and organisational design supporting organisational change and IT requirements specification.

Collaborative organisational structures : implications for the accounting profession

The IT systems drive the financial reporting processes in modern business environments. The result is an integrative system of initialing, authorizing, recording, and processing of financial transactions. This IT-related change inextricably links to the overall financial reporting process, requiring a deeper level of understanding and commitment. Firm’s IT governance initiatives provide this commitment by enforcing controls to IT components to ensure compliance to overall financial reporting requirements. The IT governance institute (ITGI) and other authorities have developed a number of frameworks and guidelines (e.g., COBIT) to help management in managing IT-intensive processes.

Qualitative inquiry as transformation and agency : the black sheep and workplace mobbing

This chapter discusses an action research project into the lived experience of the workplace mobbing phenomenon. The action research methodology is based on the exemplarian model (Coenen & Khonraad, 2003) from the Netherlands Group. This model requires positive outcomes for those immersed in the problem to reduce the adversity of their circumstances. The findings challenge the psychological perspective of the existing bullying literature that tends to focus on individual behaviour. This research, undertaken over a three year period with 212 participants, identified the dysfunctional nature of public sector bureaucracies and the power gained through gossip and rumour as some of the key emergent themes to explain the workplace mobbing problem. In addition, resistance, conscientisation, and agency were identified as the key to transformation for those targeted. The discussion focuses on the crystallisation phase of the exemplarian model where the participants identified themselves as the Black Sheep and adopted the motto that “a black sheep is a biting beast” (Bastard, 1565 or 6-1618, p. 90), reflecting a sense of empowerment, individual agency, and a sense of humour in dealing with the serious yet seemingly absurd reality of their situations. The identity of the Black Sheep was consolidated when the group organised a 2 day conference with over 200 attendees to discuss how best to prevent workplace mobbing. This self-affirming action was a proactive step towards metaphorically “biting back” at the problem. A number of positive outcomes were achieved including the conference with over 200 attending leading to national media coverage across Australia and additional interviews with magazines, newspapers, and radio.

The power of malicious gossip

This paper focuses on malicious workplace gossip from the perspective of those targeted by this dark form of organisational communication. Findings from a large exemplarian action research project are reported that suggest malicious gossip can be an influential form of power that strongly contributes to counterproductive organisational behaviour. The discussion draws upon the emergent themes from the research to highlight the negative consequences of malicious gossip for those targeted and their organisations, and in so doing, elaborates on the phenomenon of workplace mobbing. This research highlights the importance of recognising gossip as an effective, though dark, form of power and the value of rational discourse for improving organisational communication.

Quality of work life and turnover intention in primary healthcare organisations : a cross-sectional study of registered nurses in Saudi Arabia

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to improve the retention of primary healthcare (PHC) nurses through exploring and assessing their quality of work life (QWL) and turnover intention. Design and methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising four sections (Brooks’ survey of Quality of Nursing Work Life [QNWL], Anticipated Turnover Intention, open-ended questions and demographic characteristics). A convenience sample was recruited from 143 PHC centres in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A response rate of 87% (n = 508/585) was achieved. The SPSS v17 for Windows and NVivo 8 were used for analysis purposes. Procedures and tests used in this study to analyse the quantitative data were descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, General Linear Model (GLM) univariate analysis, standard multiple regression, and hierarchical multiple regression. Qualitative data obtained from responses to the open-ended questions were analysed using the NVivo 8. Findings: Quantitative findings suggested that PHC nurses were dissatisfied with their work life. Respondents’ scores ranged between 45 and 218 (mean = 139.45), which is lower than the average total score on Brooks’ Survey (147). Major influencing factors were classified under four dimensions. First, work life/home life factors: unsuitable working hours, lack of facilities for nurses, inability to balance work with family needs and inadequacy of vacations’ policy. Second, work design factors: high workload, insufficient workforce numbers, lack of autonomy and undertaking many non-nursing tasks. Third, work context factors: management practices, lack of development opportunities, and inappropriate working environment in terms of the level of security, patient care supplies and unavailability of recreation room. Finally, work world factors: negative public image of nursing, and inadequate payment. More positively, nurses were notably satisfied with their co-workers. Conversely, 40.4% (n = 205) of the respondents indicated that they intended to leave their current employment. The relationships between QWL and demographic variables of gender, age, marital status, dependent children, dependent adults, nationality, ethnicity, nursing tenure, organisational tenure, positional tenure, and payment per month were significant (p < .05). The eta squared test for these demographics indicates a small to medium effect size of the variation in QWL scores. Using the GLM univariate analysis, education level was also significantly related to the QWL (p < .05). The relationships between turnover intention and demographic variables including gender, age, marital status, dependent children, education level, nursing tenure, organisational tenure, positional tenure, and payment per month were significant (p < .05). The eta squared test for these demographics indicates a small to moderate effect size of the variation in the turnover intention scores. Using the GLM univariate analysis, the dependent adults’ variable was also significantly related to turnover intention (p < .05). Turnover intention was significantly related to QWL. Using standard multiple regression, 26% of the variance in turnover intention was explained by the QWL F (4,491), 43.71, p < .001, with R² = .263. Further analysis using hierarchical multiple regression found that the total variance explained by the model as a whole (demographics and QWL) was 32.1%, F (17.433) = 12.04, p < .001. QWL explained an additional 19% of the variance in turnover intention, after controlling for demographic variables, R squared change =.19, F change (4, 433) = 30.190, p < .001. The work context variable makes the strongest unique contribution (-.387) to explain the turnover intention, followed by the work design dimension (-.112). The qualitative findings reaffirmed the quantitative findings in terms of QWL and turnover intention. However, the home life/work life and work world dimensions were of great important to both QWL and turnover intention. The qualitative findings revealed a number of new factors that were not included in the survey questionnaire. These included being away from family, lack of family support, social and cultural aspects, accommodation facilities, transportation, building and infrastructure of PHC, nature of work, job instability, privacy at work, patients and community, and distance between home and workplace. Conclusion: Creating and maintaining a healthy work life for PHC nurses is very important to improve their work satisfaction, reduce turnover, enhance productivity and improve nursing care outcomes. Improving these factors could lead to a higher QWL and increase retention rates and therefore reinforcing the stabilisation of the nursing workforce. Significance of the research: Many countries are examining strategies to attract and retain the health care workforce, particularly nurses. This study identified factors that influence the QWL of PHC nurses as well as their turnover intention. It also determined the significant relationship between QWL and turnover intention. In addition, the present study tested Brooks’ survey of QNWL on PHC nurses for the first time. The qualitative findings of this study revealed a number of new variables regarding QWL and turnover intention of PHC nurses. These variables could be used to improve current survey instruments or to develop new research surveys. The study findings could be also used to develop and appropriately implement plans to improve QWL. This may help to enhance the home and work environments of PHC nurses, improve individual and organisational performance, and increase nurses’ commitment. This study contributes to the existing body of research knowledge by presenting new data and findings from a different country and healthcare system. It is the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, especially in the field of PHC. It has examined the relationship between QWL and turnover intention of PHC nurses for the first time using nursing instruments. The study also offers a fresh explanation (new framework) of the relationship between QWL and turnover intention among PHC nurses, which could be used or tested by researchers in other settings. Implications for further research: Review of the extant literature reveals little in-depth research on the PHC workforce, especially in terms of QWL and organisational turnover in developing countries. Further research is required to develop a QWL tool for PHC nurses, taking into consideration the findings of the current study along with the local culture. Moreover, the revised theoretical framework of the current study could be tested in further research in other regions, countries or healthcare systems in order to identify its ability to predict the level of PHC nurses’ QWL and their intention to leave. There is a need to conduct longitudinal research on PHC organisations to gain an in-depth understanding of the determents of and changes in QWL and turnover intention of PHC nurses at various points of time. An intervention study is required to improve QWL and retention among PHC nurses using the findings of the current study. This would help to assess the impact of such strategies on reducing turnover of PHC nurses. Focusing on the location of the current study, it would be valuable to conduct another study in five years’ time to examine the percentage of actual turnover among PHC nurses compared with the reported turnover intention in the current study. Further in-depth research would also be useful to assess the impact of the local culture on the perception of expatriate nurses towards their QWL and their turnover intention. A comparative study is required between PHC centres and hospitals as well as the public and private health sector agencies in terms of QWL and turnover intention of nursing personnel. Findings may differ from sector to sector according to variations in health systems, working environments and the case mix of patients.

Profit and organisational legitimacy in an emerging market

While there is common acknowledgement that the main aim of organisations is to maximise shareholder wealth, firms also have the obligation to manage the needs of a broader group of stakeholders as these firms are a product of social creation. In this study, we test the notion that the concept, profit, is fundamental to society’s perception of the firm in an emerging market, and the need for a firm to legitimise a level of profit. We evaluate the relationship between the readability of various components of corporate annual reports and the level of profit, and we also take into account the nature of disclosure (mandatory and non-mandatory), the size of the firm and the nature of setup (public enterprises and publicly listed companies). Our findings suggest that, as with developed markets, in emerging markets profit is indeed an important determinant of the nature of operations of a firm, and that firms consider readability of their disclosures in attempting to legitimise a level of profit.

The role of organisational culture, trust and mechanisms in inter-project knowledge sharing

Knowledge has been recognised as a powerful yet intangible asset, which is difficult to manage. This is especially true in a project environment where there is the potential to repeat mistakes, rather than learn from previous experiences. The literature in the project management field has recognised the importance of knowledge sharing (KS) within and between projects. However, studies in that field focus primarily on KS mechanisms including lessons learned (LL) and post project reviews as the source of knowledge for future projects, and only some preliminary research has been carried out on the aspects of project management offices (PMOs) and organisational culture (OC) in KS. This study undertook to investigate KS behaviours in an inter-project context, with a particular emphasis on the role of trust, OC and a range of knowledge sharing mechanisms (KSM) in achieving successful inter-project knowledge sharing (I-PKS). An extensive literature search resulted in the development of an I-PKS Framework, which defined the scope of the research and shaped its initial design. The literature review indicated that existing research relating to the three factors of OC, trust and KSM remains inadequate in its ability to fully explain the role of these contextual factors. In particular, the literature review identified these areas of interest: (1) the conflicting answers to some of the major questions related to KSM, (2) the limited empirical research on the role of different trust dimensions, (3) limited empirical evidence of the role of OC in KS, and (4) the insufficient research on KS in an inter-project context. The resulting Framework comprised the three main factors including: OC, trust and KSM, demonstrating a more integrated view of KS in the inter-project context. Accordingly, the aim of this research was to examine the relationships between these three factors and KS by investigating behaviours related to KS from the project managers‘ (PMs‘) perspective. In order to achieve the aim, this research sought to answer the following research questions: 1. How does organisational culture influence inter-project knowledge sharing? 2. How does the existence of three forms of trust — (i) ability, (ii) benevolence and (iii) integrity — influence inter-project knowledge sharing? 3. How can different knowledge sharing mechanisms (relational, project management tools and process, and technology) improve inter-project knowledge sharing behaviours? 4. How do the relationships between these three factors of organisational culture, trust and knowledge sharing mechanisms improve inter-project knowledge sharing? a. What are the relationships between the factors? b. What is the best fit for given cases to ensure more effective inter-project knowledge sharing? Using multiple case studies, this research was designed to build propositions emerging from cross-case data analysis. The four cases were chosen on the basis of theoretical sampling. All cases were large project-based organisations (PBOs), with a strong matrix-type structure, as per the typology proposed by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) (2008). Data were collected from project management departments of the respective organisations. A range of analytical techniques were used to deal with the data including pattern matching logic and explanation building analysis, complemented by the use of NVivo for data coding and management. Propositions generated at the end of the analyses were further compared with the extant literature, and practical implications based on the data and literature were suggested in order to improve I-PKS. Findings from this research conclude that OC, trust, and KSM contribute to inter-project knowledge sharing, and suggest the existence of relationships between these factors. In view of that, this research identified the relationships between different trust dimensions, suggesting that integrity trust reinforces the relationship between ability trust and knowledge sharing. Furthermore, this research demonstrated that characteristics of culture and trust interact to reinforce preferences for mechanisms of knowledge sharing. This means that cultures that facilitate characteristics of Clan type are more likely to result in trusting relationships, hence are more likely to use organic sources of knowledge for both tacit and explicit knowledge exchange. In contrast, cultures that are empirically driven, based on control, efficiency, and measures (characteristics of Hierarchy and Market types) display tendency to develop trust primarily in ability of non-organic sources, and therefore use these sources to share mainly explicit knowledge. This thesis contributes to the project management literature by providing a more integrative view of I-PKS, bringing the factors of OC, trust and KSM into the picture. A further contribution is related to the use of collaborative tools as a substitute for static LL databases and as a facilitator for tacit KS between geographically dispersed projects. This research adds to the literature on OC by providing rich empirical evidence of the relationships between OC and the willingness to share knowledge, and by providing empirical evidence that OC has an effect on trust; in doing so this research extends the theoretical propositions outlined by previous research. This study also extends the research on trust by identifying the relationships between different trust dimensions, suggesting that integrity trust reinforces the relationship between ability trust and KS. Finally, this research provides some directions for future studies.

Exploring antecedent factors in (Queensland) secondary school teachers’ early retirement intentions

Mature-age secondary teachers offer teaching a wealth of knowledge and skills that can contribute greatly to the quality of education. However, as with the greater workforce, there is an increasing trend for mature-age teachers to elect to retire early or to move into other work. Despite studies suggesting that teachers may be negatively affected by stress, there has been no research into the attitudes of mature-age teachers relating to early retirement and whether these or other factors are instrumental in their decision to retire from teaching. There is, however, a broad range of studies, commentary and analyses on ageing and work that can be utilised to develop a powerful analytical framework to identify the factors that can potentially influence the decision to take early retirement. This study examined the antecedent factors which influenced the early retirement decisions in 16 Queensland secondary school teachers. This study examined factors relating to the teachers decision to retire early and explored school and other factors relating to their decision. In addition, differences between urban and rural secondary school teachers were examined. Given the potentially complex nature of teachers. retirement decisions, the study utilised a qualitative approach. The study found that retired secondary teachers are confronted by ageing realities that are not responded to adequately by the education system, and participants expressed a general dissatisfaction with aspects of school management, especially as it related to bullying and non-inclusion in teaching-related decision making. This study also identified organisational issues within Education Queensland which contributed to system failures that affected mature-age teachers that need to be addressed. This study is one of the first studies to explore the factors influencing early retirement decisions in teachers. The implications of these factors on policy for Education Queensland and for workplace policies in general are discussed.

Transition to intensive care nursing: A state-wide, workplace centred program-12 years on

In November 1999, the Queensland Health (QH) Transition to Practice Nurse Education Program - Intensive Care (TPNEP-IC) was initiated in QH Intensive Care Units (ICUs) across Queensland. This 12-month, state-wide, workplace based education program has set minimum standards for intensive care nursing education and therefore minimum standards for intensive care nursing practice in QH. In the 12 years of operation, 824 nurses have completed TPNEP-IC, 761 achieving academic credit status and 453 utilising this academic credit status to undertake postgraduate study in critical/intensive care nursing at three Queensland universities. These outcomes were achieved through the appointment of nurse educators within ICUs who, through a united and strong commitment to this state-wide approach formed collaborative professional networks, which resulted in the development, implementation and maintenance of the program. Furthermore, these networks enabled a framework of support for discussion and dissemination of evidence based practice, to endorse quality processes for TPNEP-IC and to nurture leadership potential among educators. Challenges to overcome included obtaining adequate resources to support all aspects of the program, gaining local management and administrative support, and embedding TPNEP-IC within ICU culture. The 12 years of operation of the program have demonstrated its long term sustainability. The program is being launched through a new blended learning approach utilising e-learning strategies. To capitalise on the current success, a strong commitment by all stakeholders will be required to ensure the ongoing sustainability of the program.

Organisational knowledge integration: towards a conceptual framework

This study analyses organisational knowledge integration processes from a multi-level and systemic perspective, with particular reference to the case of Fujitsu. A conceptual framework for knowledge integration is suggested focusing on team-building capability, capturing and utilising individual tacit knowledge, and communication networks for integrating dispersed specialist knowledge required in the development of new products and services. The research highlights that knowledge integration occurring in the innovation process is a result of knowledge exposure, its distribution and embodiment and finally its transfer, which leads to innovation capability and competitive advantage in firm.

Variations on a routine : how selection-adaptation-retention dynamics create variety in organisational routines

The question "what causes variety in organisational routines" is of considerable interest to organisational scholars, and one to which this thesis seeks to answer. To this end an evolutionary theory of change is advanced which holds that the dynamics of selection, adaptation and retention explain the creation of variety in organisational routines. A longitudinal, multi-level, multi-case analysis is undertaken in this thesis, using multiple data collection strategies. In each case, different types of variety were identified, according to a typology, together with how selection, adaptation and retention contribute to variety in a positive or negative sense. Methodologically, the thesis makes a contribution to our understanding of variety, as certain types of variety only become evident when examined by specific types of research design. The research also makes a theoretical contribution by explaining how selection, adaptation and retention individually and collectively contribute to variety in organisational routines. Moreover, showing that routines could be stable, diverse, adaptive and dynamic at the same time; is a significant, and novel, theoretical contribution.

A security architecture for cloud storage combining proofs of retrievability and fairness

We investigate existing cloud storage schemes and identify limitations in each one based on the security services that they provide. We then propose a new cloud storage architecture that extends CloudProof of Popa et al. to provide availability assurance. This is accomplished by incorporating a proof of storage protocol. As a result, we obtain the first secure storage cloud computing scheme that furnishes all three properties of availability, fairness and freshness.

Formal complaints of workplace sexual harassment lodged with Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commissions - 1 July 2009 - 31 December 2009

This report presents an analysis of quantitative data collected from the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Anti-Discrimination Commission of Queensland, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, the Anti-Discrimination Board of New South Wales, the Equal Opportunity Commission of South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory Human Rights Commission, the Equal Opportunity Commission Western Australia, the Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commission, and the Office of the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner (Tasmania) (hereafter referred to as the Commissions). The data comprise formal complaints lodged under the various federal, state and territory anti-discrimination laws in the period 1 July 2009 to 31 December 2009 where a complainant had alleged sexual harassment in the area of employment.