The development of a neo-industrial organisation methodology for describing and comparing structural and behavioural characteristics of construction supply chains

The model draws from theories of industrial economics and supply chain literature, and is an attempt to advance the construction supply chain field through the development of an industrial organisational methodology to describe construction supply chains.
Empirical studies have examined the industrial organisation of other industries, typically forming descriptions based upon vertical integration and horizontal market concentration. A review of the trends in the supply chain literature indicate there is a need to develop a model to describe the industrial organisation of the construction industry through supply chain structure. The merging of the supply chain concept with the industrial organisation model as a methodology for understanding the structural characteristics is an important contribution to construction economic theory. The paper begins to develop a language for describing the structure and behaviour of supply chains specific to the construction industry and is so doing suggests a neo-industrial organisation approach.

Corporate codes of ethics in Australia, Canada and USA : measurement and structural properties of a cross-cultural model

The objective is to test the consistency of measurement and structural properties in a model of corporate codes of ethics (CCE) on an aggregated level and across multiple samples derived from three countries, namely Australia, Canada and the USA. The properties of four constructs of CCE are described and tested, these being: surveillance/training, internal communication, external communication, and guidance. The conclusion is that the measurement and structural models on an aggregated level have a satisfactory fit, validity and reliability. Furthermore, they are consistent when tested on each of the three samples (i.e. cross-validated). The cross-cultural model makes a contribution in addition to previous mostly descriptive studies and theory in the field using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

Relating practice to theory in indigenous entrepreneurship : a pilot investigation of the Kitsaki partnership portfolio

In Canada and elsewhere around the world, Indigenous Peoples are struggling to rebuild their "nations" and improve the socioeconomic circumstances of their people. Many see economic development as the key to success. This is certainly true for Indigenous people in Canada (the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit, collectively called Aboriginal or Indigenous people). Among them, participation in the global economy through entrepreneurship and business development is widely accepted as the key to economy building and nation "re-building." As elaborated in the next section, the demand is that this participation must be on their own terms for their own purposes, and traditional lands, history, culture, and values play a critical role. There is an intriguing symmetry between the modernity of the desire for global business competence and competitiveness and the insistence upon the distinctive importance of cultural heritage in developing new enterprise. The way that the two superficially contrasting concepts of innovation and heritage are combined in the field of Indigenous entrepreneurship has been expounded by Hindle and Lansdowne.1

Recognizing the challenges they face in attempting to compete in the global economy on their own terms, Indigenous people are increasingly developing enterprises in the form of partnerships of all types among themselves and with non-Indigenous enterprises. As both a form and a context of business organization, the partnership or alliance model is particularly fraught with the need to blend the old with the new, heritage with innovation. This study is a preliminary investigation of the Kitsaki initiative of the Lac La Ronge Indian band. In it we:

* explore several ventures involved in the partnership, asking key operatives for their opinions about the factors that explain success and failure;

* distill the explanations into as few, all-embracing factors as possible;

* relate the findings to the emerging theory of Indigenous entrepreneurship, with particular reference to the suggested paradigm of Indigenous entrepreneurship developed by Hindle and Lansdowne (2002);

* project the results of the investigation into suggestions for a more structured program of future research.

Understanding success in indigenous entrepreneurship : an exploratory investigation

In Canada there are numerous studies about indigenous Entrepreneurship, most descriptive with little theory development or testing, This leaves a gap in the information available to researchers, policy makers and practitioners. In this paper we describe a research program intended to address this gap beginning with the activities of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, considered an exemplar of successful indigenous entrepreneurship. From these activities, we draw propositions about indigenous entrepreneurship that are compatible with generic theory. Finally, we describe how we will move from these propositions to a model of indigenous entrepreneurship using grounded theory and structural equation modelling.

Only Agamben can save us? Against the messianic turn recently adopted in critical theory

In this paper, I offer a strong criticism of Giorgio Agamben’s recent political texts. I argue that these texts bring to fruition a larger, contentious trend in the theoretical academy coupling one-dimensional, pessimistic accounts of modernity with strands of messianism. Since the political prospects of messianism, as Agamben’s analyses show, are very thin indeed, I reflectively question the presuppositions that lead him to this prescriptive juncture. In Part I, recurring to Scholem’s classic analyses of Jewish messianism, I show how Agamben’s messianism borrows more or less directly (in The Open) from kabalistic, antinomian, utopian messianism. Having established this exegetical point, I argue two theses in parts II and III. The first, specifically theoretical thesis is that Agamben is driven into his political messianism by the transcendental logic of his analyses of ‘the political’, one which by its nature occludes meaningfully political distinctions by instead seeking out their ontological grounds. The second, specifically political thesis is that the widespread embrace of ontological messianism by thinkers in the post-Marxian academy is a symptom of, rather than a cure for, the wider malaise of the political left in the first world. If critical theory is serious about engaging with progressive praxis, one thing it must do is recall the difference between politics and prima philosophia, so that it does not continue to seek out ‘redemption’ – or at least an apology – in the bowels of the latter.

Better use of rhetorical theory in public relations

Some of the most important reflections on rhetorical theory associated with public relations appear in: L’Etang (1996); Toth (1999); and various Robert Heath contributions. This paper will reflect on the importance of that work by briefly scouring the origin of rhetoric among the ancient founders of persuasive communication: the pre-Socratic sophists. The paper will then relate the approaches of the above theorists, as well as Kevin Moloney and James Grunig, to the original meaning of sophistry. The last part of the paper will discuss the confluence of rhetorical and semiotic approaches. The rhetoricsemiotics link has been present since the semiotics of St Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE). Augustine was a professor of rhetoric in his earlier career. The last part of the paper summarises how rhetorical theory, Peircean semiotics and post modern approaches can avoid accusations of relativism and infinite semiosis when they are fitted into a theory of public relations.

Structural change in the Australian trade union movement

This thesis used a 'structural events' approach to examine changes in Australian trade union structure between 1969 and 1996. Broad labour market trends and legal and industrial factors resulted in a high level of union formations and dissolutions between 1969 and 1984. Post-1985, agency factors produced a merger wave.

Study of 'post-critical' thought and religious epistemology : with special reference to Michael Polanyi, Paul Tillich and Thomas F. Torrance

Explores the foundational problem in epistemology posed by Immanuel Kant and illustrates, from the 'post-critical' position, with special reference to Michael Polanyi, Paul Tillich and Thomas F. Torrance, how they serve as alternative philosophical and religious responses to the Kantian critical philosophy.

Policy-based lending, structural adjustment and economic growth in Pakistan

This paper provides an econometric analysis of Pakistan’s structural adjustment program. Introduced in 1980, this program has been supported by the World Bank and IMF under their policy-based lending regimes. Building on recent advances in modelling the impact of policy reform, the paper applies a smooth transitions model to Pakistani real GDP data for the period 1960–2000. Results of this analysis suggest that the adjustment program has not stimulated growth in Pakistan, and that the origins of Pakistan’s post-program growth performance well pre-date this program.

An exploratory survey of Australia's informal venture capitalists : a predicate to theory building in the context of international angel research

In Australia, as it is all over the world, finding and acquiring equity capital is one of the major problems facing entrepreneurs who are starting or growing entrepreneurial ventures. The informal venture capital market, made up of high net worth non-institutional private equity investors (or ‘business Angels’) provides risk capital directly to new and growing businesses and has been shown to be considerably more significant than institutional providers as a source of finance for entrepreneurial businesses. Building upon and comporting with Angel research undertaken overseas, this study generated and evaluated data resulting from an investigation of Australian business Angels which focused upon three primary research questions: (i) Who are Australia's Informal Venture Capitalists (Business Angels)? (ii) How do they behave? (iii) What are their investment criteria? Analysis of answers resulting from a survey of 36 carefully screened respondents produced a descriptive profile, depicted in twelve key graphs, of Australian Angels' identifying characteristics, patterns of investment behaviour and investment criteria. The study initiates Australian Angel research into the developing international continuum of formal Angel research and can serve as the generator of empirically sensible hypotheses for future research and theory development.

Pre- and post-natal development of the diaphragm

Animal models were used to examine properies of the diaphragm (the main respiratory muscle) before and after birth. The study revealed an insufficient blood supply to the fetus can result in structural and functional damage to the diaphragm. Damage was prevented when the mother was supplemented with creatine during pregnancy.

Measurement and structural properties of organizational codes of ethics in private and public Sweden

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the measurement and structural properties in a model of organizational codes of ethics (OCE) in Sweden.

Design/methodology/approach – The measurement and structural properties of four OCE constructs (i.e. surveillance/training, internal communication, external communication, and guidance) were described and tested in a dual sample based upon private and public sectors of Sweden.

Findings – Results show that the measurement and structural models of OCE in part have a satisfactory fit, validity, and reliability.

Research limitations/implications – The paper makes a contribution to theory as it outlines a set of OCE constructs and it presents an empirical test of and OCE model in respect to measurement and structural properties. A number of research limitations are provided.

Practical implications – It provides a model to be considered in the implementation and monitoring of OCE. The present research provides opportunities for further research in refining, extending, and testing the proposed OCE model in other cultural and organizational settings.

Originality/value – The OCE model extends previous studies that have been predominately descriptive, by using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

Comparing multiple discrepancies theory to affective models of subjective wellbeing

The Subjective Wellbeing (SWB) literature is replete with competing theories detailing the mechanisms underlying the construction and maintenance of SWB. The current study aimed to compare and contrast two of these approaches: multiple discrepancies theory (MDT) and an affective-cognitive theory of SWB. MDT posits SWB to be the result of perceived discrepancies between multiple standards of comparison. By contrast, affective-cognitive theory asserts that SWB is primarily influenced by trait affect, and indirectly influenced by personality and cognition through trait affect. Participants comprised 387 individuals who responded to the 5th longitudinal survey of the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index. Results of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) indicated the poorest fit to the data for the MDT model. The affective-cognitive model also did not provide a good fit to the data. A purely affective model provided the best fit to the data, was the most parsimonious, and explained 66% of variance in SWB.

Thai hedging practices : post Asian financial crisis

This paper provides survey evidence captured from a sample of 113 respondents to a 2008 questionnaire that was sent to 344 listed non-financial companies in Thailand. The study examines how Thai companies manage their exchange rate exposure post Asian Financial Crisis.

Thailand is an interesting case study because it was a country at the core of the 1997 financial meltdown and was one of the first forced by the crisis to move from a fixed to a floating exchange rate regime. It is therefore constructive to examine how businesses in Thailand have coped with a shift from a fixed to floating exchange rate and to examine how they manage their exchange rate exposure post 1997.

Findings indicate that companies that use currency derivatives do so to reduce volatile cash flows are less risky and tend to be more profitable than companies that do not use currency derivatives. This is consistent with the theory that hedging increases the value of the firm.

The type of instruments that companies in Thailand use and how they are used is similar to what other studies find in other countries. Matching and the use of forward contracts are the most common ways that companies manage transaction exposure. The study also confirms that companies with higher levels of international business engagement are more likely to use currency derivatives.

What is unique in Thailand is that Thai businesses are less rigorous in their internal control of their currency hedging activities. It is therefore recommended that companies consider a documented hedging policy and that senior management actively monitor the policy and currency hedging activity.