Earnings management and the role of the audit committee: an investigation of the influence of cross-listing and government officials on the audit committee

This paper extends research on the corporate governance practices of transitional economies by examining whether the ability of the audit committee to constrain earnings management in Chinese firms is associated with the listing environment and the presence of government officials on the audit committee. Despite considerable regulatory reforms by the Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission, there remain incentives for Chinese firms to manage earnings. However, government initiatives to encourage domestic firms to cross-list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are accompanied by improved governance. We find that the expertise and independence of the audit committee for cross-listed (CL) Chinese firms are associated with lower abnormal accruals, our measure of earnings management. Both domestic only listed firms and CL Chinese firms appoint government officials as independent members on the audit committee. However, due to the political connection between government officials and the controlling shareholder (the State), these appointments can severely mitigate audit committee independence. Subsequently, we find a significant and positive association between audit committee independence and experience and earnings management when there are government officials on the audit committee.

Public policy, disaster risk management and climate change adaptation

Public policymakers are caught in a dilemma : there is a growing list of urgent issues to address, at the same time that public expenditure is being cut. Adding to this dilemma is a system of government designed in the 19th century and competing theories of policymaking dating back to the 1950s. The interlinked problems of disaster risk management and climate change adaptation are cases in point. As the climate changes, there will be more frequent, intense and/or prolonged disasters such as floods and bushfires. Clearly a well integrated whole of government response is needed, but how might this be achieved? Further, how could academic research contribute to resolving this dilemma in a way that would produce something of theoretical interest as well as practical outcomes for policymakers? These are the questions addressed by our research via a comparative analysis of the 2009 Victorian bushfires, the 2011 Perth Hills bushfires, and the 2011 Brisbane floods. Our findings suggest that there is a need to: improve community engagement and communication; refocus attention on resilience; improve interagency communication and collaboration; and, develop institutional arrangements that support continual improvement and policy learning. These findings have implications for all areas of public policy theory and practice.

Rethinking emergency management and climate adaptation policies

Emergency management and climate change adaptation will increasingly challenge all levels of government because of three main factors. First, Australia is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, particularly through the increasing frequency and/or intensity of disasters such as floods and bushfires. Second, the system of government that divides powers by function and level can often act as a barrier to a well-integrated response. Third, policymaking processes struggle to cope with such complex inter-jurisdictional issues. This paper discusses these factors and explores the nature of the challenge for Australian governments. Investigations into the 2009 Victorian bushfires, the 2011 Perth Hills bushfires, and the 2011 Brisbane floods offer an indication of the challenges ahead and it is argued that there is a need to: improve community engagement and communication; refocus attention on resilience; improve interagency communication and collaboration; and, develop institutional arrangements that support continual improvement and policy learning. These findings offer an opportunity for improving responses as well as a starting point for integrating disaster risk management and climate change adaptation policies. The paper is based on the preliminary findings of an NCCARF funded research project: The Right Tool for the Job – Achieving climate change adaptation outcomes through improved disaster management policies, planning and risk management strategies involving Griffith University and RMIT.

Welfare surveillance, income management and new paternalism in Australia

This article discusses the situation of income support claimants in Australia, constructed as faulty citizens and flawed welfare subjects. Many are on the receiving end of complex, multi-layered forms of surveillance aimed at securing socially responsible and compliant behaviours. In Australia, as in other Western countries, neoliberal economic regimes with their harsh and often repressive treatment of welfare recipients operate in tandem with a burgeoning and costly arsenal of CCTV and other surveillance and governance assemblages. Through a program of ‘Income Management’, initially targeting (mainly) Indigenous welfare recipients in Australia’s Northern Territory, the BasicsCard (administered by Centrelink, on behalf of the Australian Federal Government’s Department of Human Services) is one example of this welfare surveillance. The scheme operates by ‘quarantining’ a percentage of a claimant’s welfare entitlements to be spent by way of the BasicsCard on ‘approved’ items only. The BasicsCard scheme raises significant questions about whether it is possible to encourage people to take responsibility for themselves if they no longer have real control over the most important aspects of their lives. Some Indigenous communities have resisted the BasicsCard, criticising it because the imposition of income management leads to a loss of trust, dignity, and individual agency. Further, income management of individuals by the welfare state contradicts the purported aim that they become less ‘welfare dependent’ and more ‘self-reliant’. In highlighting issues around compulsory income management this paper makes a contribution to the largely under discussed area of income management and welfare surveillance, with its propensity for function creep, garnering large volumes of data on BasicsCard user’s approved (and declined) purchasing decisions, complete with dates, amounts, times and locations.

Positioning change management and international human resource management

This concept paper examines the positioning of Change Management (CM) in relation to IHRM, and suggests that the emerging field of CM should be seen as collaborative with HRM in providing for the dynamic needs of organisations in contemporary international conditions of uncertainty and environmental turbulence.

Analysis of interrelationships between critical waste factors in office building retrofit projects using interpretive structural modelling

The number of office building retrofit projects is increasing. These projects are characterised by processes which have a close relationship with waste generation and therefore demand a high level of waste management. In a preliminary study reported separately, we identified seven critical factors of on-site waste generation in office building retrofit projects. Through semi-structured interviews and Interpretive Structural Modelling, this research further investigated the interrelationships among these critical waste factors, to identify each factor’s level of influence on waste generation and propose effective solutions for waste minimization. “Organizational commitment” was identified as the fundamental issue for waste generation in the ISM system. Factors related to plan, design and construction processes were found to be located in the middle levels of the ISM model but still had significant impacts on the system as a whole. Based on the interview findings and ISM analysis results, some practical solutions were proposed for waste minimization in building retrofit projects: (1) reusable and adaptable fit-out design; (2) a system for as-built drawings and building information; (3) integrated planning for retrofitting work process and waste management; and (4) waste benchmarking development for retrofit projects. This research will provide a better understanding of waste issues associated with building retrofit projects and facilitate enhanced waste minimization.

Towards networked governance : improving interagency communication and collaboration for disaster risk management and climate change adaptation in Australia

Major disasters, such as bushfires or floods, place significant stress on scarce public resources. Climate change is likely to exacerbate this stress. An integrated approach to disaster risk management (DRM) and climate change adaptation (CCA) could reduce the stress by encouraging the more efficient use of pooled resources and expertise. A comparative analysis of three extreme climate-related events that occurred in Australia between 2009 and 2011 indicated that a strategy to improve interagency communication and collaboration would be a key factor in this type of policy/planning integration. These findings are in accord with the concepts of Joined-up Government and Network Governance. Five key reforms are proposed: developing a shared policy vision; adopting multi-level planning; integrating legislation; networking organisations; and establishing cooperative funding. These reforms are examined with reference to the related research literature in order to identify potential problems associated with their implementation. The findings are relevant for public policy generally but are particularly useful for CCA and DRM.

Voltage regulation, power balancing and battery storage discharge control by smart demand side management and multi-objective decision making

A novel intelligent online demand side management system is proposed for peak load management. The method also regulates the network voltage, balances the power in three phases and coordinates the battery storage discharge within the network. This method uses low cost controllers with low bandwidth two-way communication installed in costumers' premises and at distribution transformers to manage the peak load while maximizing customer satisfaction. A multi-objective decision making process is proposed to select the load(s) to be delayed or controlled. The efficacy of the proposed control system is verified through an event-based developed simulation in Matlab.

Relationship between expectation management and client retention in online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Background Engaging clients from the outset of psychotherapy is important for therapeutic success. However, there is little research evaluating therapists’ initial attempts to engage clients. This article reports retrospective analysis of data from a trial of online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for depression. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to evaluate how therapists manage clients’ expectations at the outset of therapy and its relationship with client retention in the therapeutic intervention. Aims To develop a system to codify expectation management in initial sessions of online CBT and evaluate its relationship with retention. Method Initial qualitative research using conversation analysis identified three different communication practices used by therapists at the start of first sessions: no expectation management, some expectation management, and comprehensive expectation management. These findings were developed into a coding scheme that enabled substantial inter-rater agreement (weighted Kappa = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.52 to 0.94) and was applied to all trial data. Results Adjusting for a range of client variables, primary analysis of data from 147 clients found comprehensive expectation management was associated with clients remaining in therapy for 1.4 sessions longer than those who received no expectation management (95% CI: -0.2 to 3.0). This finding was supported by a sensitivity analysis including an additional 21 clients (1.6 sessions, 95% CI: 0.2 to 3.1). Conclusions Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, this study suggests a relationship between expectation management and client retention in online CBT for depression, which has implications for professional practice. A larger prospective study would enable a more precise estimate of retention.

Nanopowder management and control of plasma parameters in electronegative SiH4 plasmas

The nanopowder management and control of plasma parameters in electronegative SiH4 plasmas were discussed. The spatial profiles of electron and positive/negative ion number densities, electron temperature and charge of the fine particles were obtained. It was found that management of powder charge distribution is also possible through control of the external parameters.

Nanopowder management and plasma parameters in nanofabrication of low-dimensional quantum structures in reactive silane-based plasmas

Management of nanopowder and reactive plasma parameters in a low-pressure RF glow discharge in silane is studied. It is shown that the discharge control parameters and reactor volume can be adjusted to ensure lower abundance of nanopowders, which is one of the requirements of the plasma-assisted fabrication of low-dimensional quantum nanostructures. The results are relevant to micro- and nanomanufacturing technologies employing low-pressure glow discharge plasmas of silane-based gas mixtures.

Development and evaluation of the Ontrack Diabetes Program : an automated, web-based type 2 diabetes self-management and dysphoria intervention

This research was conducted in the area of Clinical and Health Psychology. The study involved the development and evaluation of a novel, web-based program aimed to improve Type 2 diabetes self-management and mood. The program was developed as an original technological intervention aimed to improve access to support for rural and remote communities, and is currently being trialled across Australia with a larger sample size. The researcher aims to continue research into the field of clinical psychology, and in particular is interested in working on further interventions to support those with comorbid physical and mental health conditions.

Waste generations and efficiency measures in Japan

This study measures the efficiencies incorporating waste generation using Japanese prefecture level data. We apply and compare several models using directional distance functions. There are wide variations in the efficiency scores between the two orientations, "input, desirable and undesirable output orientation" and "undesirable output orientation". However, the difference in abatement factor does not result in wide variations in the efficiency scores. Our results show that there are wide differences in the efficiency scores among prefectures. © 2012 Springer.