Toward self discovery for an autonomic cluster

Nondedicated clusters are currently at the forefront of the development of high performance computing systems. These clusters are relatively intolerant of hardware failures and cannot manage dynamic cluster membership efficiently. This report presents the logical design of an innovative self discovery service that provides for automated cluster management and resource discovery. The proposed service has an ability to share or recover unused computing resources, and to adapt to transient conditions autonomically, as well as the capability of providing dynamically scalable virtual computers on demand.

Some care, little responsibility? Promoting directors'and managers' legal accountability for Occupational Health and Safety in the workplace

Health and safety at work remains a serious and under-recognised problem in Australia. This paper argues for the importance of increasing the individual responsibility and accountability of senior managers and directors of corporations for the development and maintenance of occupational health and safety (OHS) standards in the workplace. In order to do so, the paper first sets out the range of statutory and general law duties and liabilities to which directors and senior managers are subject, considers to what extent these obligations have relevance in the OHS area and argues for the extension of these duties and liabilities in some circumstances. The paper then goes on to argue for a better legislative model for the legal responsibility of managers and officers, supported by the increased prosecution of individuals in appropriate circumstances, as well as acknowledging the benefits of a broader range of non-legal strategies to improve board level commitment to OHS that will influence corporate compliance overall.

Social innovators or lagging behind: factors that influence managers' time use

Purpose – The broad aim of this paper is to investigate whether managers in Australia allocate their time differently than other occupational groups, and the impact gender and life situation (using marital status and presence or absence of dependent children as a proxy) has on time allocation.
Design/methodology/approach – To address these broad aims, data are drawn from the 1997 Australian Time Use Survey. This is a nationally representative survey that examines how people in different circumstances allocate time to different activities. Findings – The results of this study highlight three important issues. The first is that male and female managers display different patterns of time use. Male managers' time is dominated by paid employment activities, whereas female managers' time is spent predominantly on employment and domestic activities. The second is that life situation impacts on the time use of female managers, but not male managers. The third important find of this study is that managers' time use is different to other occupational groups. Practical implications – These findings have policy implications relating to work-life balance, career progression and changes in patterns of work. In terms of work-life issues, it reveals that male and female managers face a “time squeeze”, with some evidence of a “second-shift” for female managers. In addition, the findings provide insight into the work-life issues faced by male and female managers. Originality/value – The results of this inquiry provide insight into how different individuals spend their time – insight into “lifestyles”. However, in-depth qualitative studies are required to reveal why individuals allocate their time in this way and to understand the opportunities and constraints individuals face in time allocation.

Building autonomic clusters : a response to IBM’s autonomic computing challenge

IBM has announced Autonomic Computing as one of its Grand Challenges. A list of characteristics was generated to describe an autonomic computing system. Many researchers and research group have responded positively to the challenge by initiating research around one or two of the characteristics identified by IBM as the requirements for Autonomic Computing. We have addressed the IBMrsquos request to contribute to the challenge by building an autonomic operating system that possesses nearly all IBM characteristics. This paper contains our response to the IBMrsquos Autonomic Computing Challenge.

Quality managers: beyond 2000?

A review on current quality management literature discloses a conglomeration of sentiments amongst quality managers with regards to the future of their quality profession. These sentiments can primarily be grouped into two categories: (1) that quality managers will no longer play a role in functional management, as quality will become an integral part of the organization; and (2) alternatively, they will play a significantly different role, leading to a specialized job design (Stratton, 1996, Quality Progress, 29, pp. 73-74). Despite the fact that many have voiced their concerns regarding the future of the quality profession, little formal research has been conducted to address this issue. Thus, the significance of undertaking this research is to aim to verify and substantiate their sentiments. Findings of the research may also contribute as a signal to quality managers with regards to their future roles and may inspire them to prepare themselves better for meeting future qualityrelated endeavours. It is important not to prophesy the precise future role of quality managers, as no one outside the psychic industry will claim to be capable of it. Rather, the research endeavours to predict the role of quality manager in the next decade by conducting interviews with various professionals in the quality-related fields, testing the significance of research questions generated from these interviews through surveys and reviewing current quality manager-related literature. Thus, synthesizing the results from the above-mentioned means to predict the role of quality managers in the years beyond 2000.

Building autonomic clusters: a response to IBM's autonomic computing challenge

IBM has announced Autonomic Computing as one of its Grand Challenges. A list of characteristics was generated to describe an autonomic computing system. Many researchers and research group have responded positively to the challenge by initiating research around one or two of the characteristics identified by IBM as the requirements for Autonomic Computing. We have addressed the IBMs request to contribute to the challenge by building an autonomic operating system that possesses nearly all IBM characteristics. This paper contains our response to the IBMs Autonomic Computing Challenge.

Cluster operating system support for parallel autonomic computing

The aim of this paper is to show a general design of autonomic elements and initial implementation of a cluster operating system that moves parallel processing on clusters to the computing mainstream using the autonomic computing vision. The significance of this solution is as follows. Autonomic Computing was identified by IBM as one of computing's Grand Challenges. The human body was used to illustrate an Autonomic Computing system that possesses self-knowledge, self-configuration, self optimization, self-healing, and self-protection, knowledge of its environment and user friendliness properties. One of the areas that could benefit from the comprehensive approach created by the autonomic computing vision is parallel processing on non-dedicated clusters. Many researchers and research groups have responded positively to the challenge by initiating research around one or two of the characteristics identified by IBM as the requirements for autonomic computing. We demonstrate here that it is possible to satisfy all Autonomic Computing characteristics.

Interpersonal trust and control behaviour of Chinese managers

Interpersonal trust is believed to influence the management and control of organisations in China. China's importance as a host country for foreign direct investments (FDIs) through multinational company subsidiaries (MNCs) and international joint ventures (IJVs) is growing rapidly. MNCs and INs located in China often employ local Chinese managers to control their subsidiaries or ventures. This makes it essential for designers of management control systems to have an understanding of the interpersonal trust-sensitive control behaviour of Chinese managers. One of the important aspects of control behaviour is how managers control their subordinates.

This paper examines the relationship between Chinese managers' trust in subordinates and their (Chinese managers') control behaviour towards the subordinates. On the basis of a questionnaire survey of a cohort of managers from Beijing, the study explores the effects of trust on the use of social controls, formal controls, and monitoring.

The findings of this study indicate that a manager's high (low) trust in a subordinate is associated with a low (high) level of monitoring, a high (high) level of social control and a high (low) level of perceived performance. The hypothesis that a superior's high (low) level of trust is associated with a low (high) level of reliance on formal controls was not supported. These findings, while indicative of control behaviour of Chinese managers in particular, also add to the growing academic literature on trust and control in general. In a practical sense, an
understanding of the trust-sensitive control behaviour of Chinese managers is particularly useful in designing and implementing effective control systems for international organisations operating in China.

Can experiential learning improve emotional intelligence and can that, in turn, improve the work performance of middle managers?

A group of middle managers in the Australian arm of a large Global company participated in a program of experiential leadership training over a period of one year. One aim of the program was increased interpersonal skills and awareness. Change was measured using a mixed quantitative and qualitative longitudinal design. Pre and post-training measures of emotional intelligence were obtained using the EIQ (Dulewicz & Higgs, 2000) and compared with content analysis of journals kept by participants during the program. The dependent variable was measured by pre and post training measures of work performance. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for management development as well as for further research.

Integration or collision? : middle managers' concerns for work-life balance

As increased work demands and longer working hours become the reality for many employees, the concept of work-life balance has received increasing attention. This paper presents findings from an exploratory study of Australian middle managers, which investigated the impact of middle managers’ daily organisational experiences on their lives both in and beyond the workplace. We focus on respondents’ concerns for the encroachment of work on their personal lives, both through the advent of new technologies and the introduction of flexibility initiatives in the workplace. The unwelcome effects of frustration, stress and fatigue highlight the need for organisations to gain a better understanding of employees’ experiences related to work-life balance.

Future considerations for the training and development of Australian quality managers

Adequate, appropriate training of quality managers is essential to the development and implementation of effective quality management systems. This study reports on a survey of 235 Australian quality managers to determine their perceptions of their training and development needs, the extent to which these were being met, and their views on the future of their discipline. The study found that there was a general lack of systematization, most programs were short-term and delivered by a fragmented set of providers. Many managers had received no training in the past 5 years. While the respondents were generally satisfied with the training they had received, there was evidence that their insight into their own needs was imperfect. The respondents were divided between those who thought quality management would remain a discrete field and those who saw it being absorbed by other management systems. The challenges of developing an appropriate training and development regime in this environment are discussed.