Promotion and succession management and associated retention issues in Australian law firms

The focus of this research was promotion and succession management in Australian law firms. Two staff retention issues currently faced by the Australian legal industry were identified as suggesting possible failures in this area: 1) Practitioners are leaving law firms early in their careers, 2) Female representation is disproportionally low at partnership level. The research described current Australian law firm promotion and succession practices and then explained their possible relevance to the two retention issues. The overall aim of the research was to uncover key findings and present practical recommendations to law firm managers and partners ready for incorporation into their future promotion and succession planning practice. In so doing the research aimed to benefit the Australian legal community as a whole. Four areas of literature relevant to the topic were reviewed, 1) law firm governance concluding that the fundamental values of the P²-Form remained constant (Cooper, Hinings, Greenwood & Brown, 1996; Morris & Pinnington, 1998) with ownership and strategic control of law firms remaining in the hands of partners; 2) the importance of individual practitioners to law firms concluding that the actual and opportunity costs relating to practitioner turnover were significant due to the transient nature of knowledge as a key asset of law firms (Gottschalk & Khandelwal, 2004; Rebitzer & Taylor, 2007); 3) generational differences concluding with support for the work of Finegold, Mohrman and Spreitzer (2002), Davis, Pawlowski and Houston (2006), Kuhnreuther (2003), and Avery, McKay, and Wilson (2007) which indicated that generational cohort differences were of little utility in human resources management practice; and 4) previous research relating to law firm promotion and succession practices indicating that five practices were relevant in law firm promotion outcomes; 1) firm billing requirements (Gorman & Kmec, 2009; Phillips, 2001; Noonan & Corcoran, 2004; Webley & Duff, 2007); 2) mentoring programs (Phillips, 2001; Noonan & Corcoran, 2004); 3) the existence of female partners (Gorman & Kmec, 2009; Beckman & Phillips, 2005); 4) non-partner career paths (Phillips, 2001; Corcoran & Noonan, 2004); and 5) the existence of family friendly policies (Gorman & Kmec, 2009; Phillips, 2001; Noonan & Corcoran, 2004; Webley & Duff, 2007.) The research was carried out via a sequential mixed method approach. The initial quantitative study was based upon a theoretical framework grounded in the literature and provided baseline information describing Australian law firm promotion and succession practices. The study was carried out via an on-line survey of Australian law firm practitioners. The results of the study provided the basis for the second qualitative study. The qualitative study further explained the statistically generated results and focused specifically on the two identified retention issues. The study was conducted via one-on-one interviews with Australian law firm partners and experienced law firm managers. The results of both studies were combined within the context of relevant literature resulting in eight key findings: Key findings 1) Organisational commitment levels across generational cohorts are more homogenous than different. 2) Law firm practitioners are leaving law firms early in their careers due to the heavy time commitment behaviour demanded of them, particularly by clients. 3) Law firm promotion and succession practices reinforce practitioner time commitment behaviour marking it as an indicator of practitioner success. 4) Law firm practitioners believe that they have many career options outside law firms and are considering these options. 5) Female practitioners are considering opting out of law firms due to time commitment demands related to partnership conflicting with family commitment demands. 6) A masculine, high time commitment culture in law firms is related to the decision by female practitioners to leave law firms. 7) The uptake of alternative work arrangements by female practitioners is not fatal to their partnership prospects particularly in firms with supportive policies, processes and organisational culture. 8) Female practitioners are less inclined than their male counterparts to seek partnership as an ultimate goal and are more likely to opt out of law firms exhibiting highly competitive, masculine cultures. Practical recommendations Further review of the data collected in relation to the key findings provided the basis for nine practical recommendations specifically geared towards implementation by law firm managers and partners. The first recommendation relates to the use of generational differences in practitioner management. The next six relate to recommended actions to reduce the time commitment demands on practitioners. The final two recommendations relate to the practical implementation of these actions both at an individual and organisational level. The recommendations are as follows: 1) "Generationally driven," age based generalisations should not be utilised in law firm promotion and succession management practice. 2) Expected levels of client access to practitioners be negotiated on a client by client basis and be included in client retention agreements. 3) Appropriate alternative working arrangements such as working off-site, flexible working hours or part-time work be offered to practitioners in situations where doing so will not compromise client serviceability. 4) The copying of long working hour behaviours of senior practitioners should be discouraged particularly where information technology can facilitate remote client serviceability. 5) Refocus the use of timesheets from an employer monitoring tool to an employee empowerment tool. 6) Policies and processes relating to the offer of alternative working arrangements be supported and reinforced by law firm organisational culture. 7) Requests for alternative working arrangements be determined without regard to gender. 8) Incentives and employment conditions offered to practitioners to be individualised based on the subjective need of the individual and negotiated as a part of the current employee performance review process. 9) Individually negotiated employment conditions be negotiated within the context of the firm’s overall strategic planning process. Through the conduct of the descripto-explanatory study, a detailed discussion of current law firm promotion and succession practices was enabled. From this discussion, 7 eight key findings and nine associated recommendations were generated as well as an insight into the future of the profession being given. The key findings and recommendations provide practical advice to law firm managers and partners in relation to their everyday promotion and succession practice. The need to negotiate individual employee workplace conditions and their integration into overall law firm business planning was put forward. By doing so, it was suggested that both the individual employee and the employing law firm would mutually benefit from the arrangement. The study therefore broadened its practical contribution from human resources management to a contribution to the overall management practice of Australian law firms. In so doing, the research has provided an encompassing contribution to the Australian legal industry both in terms of employee welfare as well as firm and industry level success.

Developing a predictive contractor satisfaction model (CoSMo) for construction projects

Over the last few decades, construction project performance has been evaluated due to the increase of delays, cost overruns and quality failures. Growing numbers of disputes, inharmonious working environments, conflict, blame cultures, and mismatches of objectives among project teams have been found to be contributory factors to poor project performance. Performance measurement (PM) approaches have been developed to overcome these issues, however, the comprehensiveness of PM as an overall approach is still criticised in terms of the iron triangle; namely time, cost, and quality. PM has primarily focused on objective measures, however, continuous improvement requires the inclusion of subjective measures, particularly contractor satisfaction (Co-S). It is challenging to deal with the two different groups of large and small-medium contractor satisfaction as to date, Co-S has not been extensively defined, primarily in developing countries such as Malaysia. Therefore, a Co-S model is developed in this research which aims to fulfil the current needs in the construction industry by integrating performance measures to address large and small-medium contractor perceptions. The positivist paradigm used in the research was adhered to by reviewing relevant literature and evaluating expert discussions on the research topic. It yielded a basis for the contractor satisfaction model (CoSMo) development which consists of three elements: contractor satisfaction (Co-S) dimensions; contributory factors and characteristics (project and participant). Using valid questionnaire results from 136 contractors in Malaysia lead to the prediction of several key factors of contractor satisfaction and to an examination of the relationships between elements. The relationships were examined through a series of sequential statistical analyses, namely correlation, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-tests and multiple regression analysis (MRA). Forward and backward MRAs were used to develop Co-S mathematical models. Sixteen Co-S models were developed for both large and small-medium contractors. These determined that the large contractor Malaysian Co-S was most affected by the conciseness of project scope and quality of the project brief. Contrastingly, Co-S for small-medium contractors was strongly affected by the efficiency of risk control in a project. The results of the research provide empirical evidence in support of the notion that appropriate communication systems in projects negatively contributes to large Co-S with respect to cost and profitability. The uniqueness of several Co-S predictors was also identified through a series of analyses on small-medium contractors. These contractors appear to be less satisfied than large contractors when participants lack effectiveness in timely authoritative decision-making and communication between project team members. Interestingly, the empirical results show that effective project health and safety measures are influencing factors in satisfying both large and small-medium contractors. The perspectives of large and small-medium contractors in respect to the performance of the entire project development were derived from the Co-S models. These were statistically validated and refined before a new Co-S model was developed. Developing such a unique model has the potential to increase project value and benefit all project participants. It is important to improve participant collaboration as it leads to better project performance. This study may encourage key project participants; such as client, consultant, subcontractor and supplier; to increase their attention to contractor needs in the development of a project. Recommendations for future research include investigating other participants‟ perspectives on CoSMo and the impact of the implementation of CoSMo in a project, since this study is focused purely on the contractor perspective.

Towards an understanding of Australian genre cinema and entertainment : beyond the limitations of ‘Ozploitation’ discourse

While Australian cinema has produced popular movie genres since the 1970s, including action/adventure, road movies, crime, and horror movies, genre cinema has occupied a precarious position within a subsidised national cinema and has been largely written out of film history. In recent years the documentary Not Quite Hollywood (2008) has brought Australia’s genre movie heritage from the 1970s and 1980s back to the attention of cinephiles, critics and cult audiences worldwide. Since its release, the term ‘Ozploitation’ has become synonymous with Australian genre movies. In the absence of discussion about genre cinema within film studies, Ozploitation (and ‘paracinema’ as a theoretical lens) has emerged as a critical framework to fill this void as a de facto approach to genre and a conceptual framework for understanding Australian genres movies. However, although the Ozploitation brand has been extremely successful in raising the awareness of local genre flicks, Ozploitation discourse poses problems for film studies, and its utility is limited for the study of Australian genre movies. This paper argues that Ozploitation limits analysis of genre movies to the narrow confines of exploitation or trash cinema and obscures more important discussion of how Australian cinema engages with popular movies genres, the idea of Australian filmmaking as entertainment, and the dynamics of commercial filmmaking practises more generally.

Efficient safety information retrieval on construction sites : a preliminary methodology

IT-supported field data management benefits on-site construction management by improving accessibility to the information and promoting efficient communication between project team members. However, most of on-site safety inspections still heavily rely on subjective judgment and manual reporting processes and thus observers’ experiences often determine the quality of risk identification and control. This study aims to develop a methodology to efficiently retrieve safety-related information so that the safety inspectors can easily access to the relevant site safety information for safer decision making. The proposed methodology consists of three stages: (1) development of a comprehensive safety database which contains information of risk factors, accident types, impact of accidents and safety regulations; (2) identification of relationships among different risk factors based on statistical analysis methods; and (3) user-specified information retrieval using data mining techniques for safety management. This paper presents an overall methodology and preliminary results of the first stage research conducted with 101 accident investigation reports.

The People's House : Queensland Parliament House

22 mins documentary

TiltZoom : tilt-based zooming control for easy one-handed mobile interactions

In this paper, we present TiltZoom, a collection of tilt-based interaction techniques designed for easy one-handed zooming on mobile devices. TiltZoom represents novel gestural interaction techniques, implemented using rate-of-rotation readings from a gyroscope, a sensor commonly embedded on current generation smart phones. We designed and experimented three variants of TiltZoom - Tilt Level, Tilt and Hold and Flip Gesture. The design decisions for all three variants are discussed in this paper and their performance, as well as subjective user experience are evaluated and compared against conventional touch-based zooming techniques. TiltZoom appears to be a worthy addition to current established collection of gesture-based mobile interaction techniques for zooming controls, especially when user has only one hand available when moving about.

Nutritional status in Parkinson's disease patients undergoing deep-brain stimulation surgery : a pilot study

People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are at higher risk of malnutrition due to PD symptoms and pharmacotherapy side effects. Poorer outcomes are associated with higher amounts of weight loss (>5%) and lower levels of fat free mass. When pharmacotherapy is no longer effective for symptom control, deep-brain stimulation (DBS) surgery may be considered. People with PD scheduled for DBS surgery were recruited from a Brisbane neurological clinic (n=11 out of 16). The Scale for Outcomes of Parkinson’s disease –Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT), Modified Constipation Assessment Scale (MCAS), and a 3-day food diary were mailed to participants’ homes for completion prior to hospital admission. During admission, the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), weight, height and body composition were assessed. Mean(±s.d.) PD duration from diagnosis and time since occurrence of PD symptoms was 9.0(±8.0) and 12(±8.8) years, respectively. Five participants reported unintentional weight loss (average loss of 15.6%). PD duration but not years since symptom onset significantly predicted PG-SGA scores (β=4.2, t(8)=2.7, p<.05). Both were positively correlated with PG-SGA score (r = .667, r=.587). On average, participants classified as well-nourished (SGA-A) (n=4) were younger, had shorter disease durations, lower PG-SGA scores, higher body mass (BMI) and fat free mass (FFMI) indices when compared to malnourished participants (SGA-B) (n=7). They also reported fewer non-motor symptoms on the SCOPA-AUT and MCAS. Three participants had previously received dietetic advice but not in relation to PD. These findings demonstrate that malnutrition remains unrecognised and untreated in this group despite unintentional weight loss and a high prevalence of malnutrition.

Prevalence of malnutrition in community-dwelling adults with Parkinson's disease

People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) have been reported to be at higher risk of malnutrition than an age-matched population due to PD motor and non-motor symptoms and pharmacotherapy side effects. The prevalence of malnutrition in PD has yet to be well-defined. Community-dwelling people with PD, aged > 18 years, were recruited (n = 97, 61 M, 36 F). The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PGSGA) was used to assess nutritional status, the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) was used to assess quality of life, and the Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to measure depression. Levodopa equivalent doses (LEDs) were calculated based on reported Parkinson’s disease medication. Weight, height, mid-arm circumference (MAC) and calf circumference were measured. Cognitive function was measured using the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination. Average age was 70.0 (9.1, 35–92) years. Based on SGA, 16 (16.5%) were moderately malnourished (SGA B) while none were severely malnourished (SGA C). The well-nourished participants (SGA A) had a better quality of life, t(90) = −2.28, p < 0.05, and reported less depressive symptoms, t(94)= −2.68, p < 0.05 than malnourished participants. Age, years since diagnosis, cognitive function and LEDs did not signifi cantly differ between the groups. The well-nourished participants had lower PG-SGA scores, t(95) = −5.66, p = 0.00, higher BMIs, t(95) = 3.44, p < 0.05, larger MACs, t(95) = 3.54, p < 0.05 and larger calf circumferences, t(95) = 2.29, p < 0.05 than malnourished participants. Prevalence of malnutrition in community-dwelling adults with PD in this study is comparable to that in other studies with community-dwelling adults without PD and is higher than other PD studies where a nutritional status assessment tool was used. Further research is required to understand the primary risk factors for malnutrition in this group.

Risk factors for malnutrition in community-dwelling people with Parkinson’s disease

In the elderly, the risks for protein-energy malnutrition from older age, dementia, depression and living alone have been well-documented. Other risk factors including anorexia, gastrointestinal dysfunction, loss of olfactory and taste senses and early satiety have also been suggested to contribute to poor nutritional status. In Parkinson’s disease (PD), it has been suggested that the disease symptoms may predispose people with PD to malnutrition. However, the risks for malnutrition in this population are not well-understood. The current study’s aim was to determine malnutrition risk factors in community-dwelling adults with PD. Nutritional status was assessed using the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). Data about age, time since diagnosis, medications and living situation were collected. Levodopa equivalent doses (LDED) and LDED per kg body weight (mg/kg) were calculated. Depression and anxiety were measured using the Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) and Spielberger Trait Anxiety questionnaire, respectively. Cognitive function was assessed using the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE-R). Non-motor symptoms were assessed using the Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's disease-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT) and Modified Constipation Assessment Scale (MCAS). A total of 125 community-dwelling people with PD were included, average age of 70.2±9.3(35-92) years and average time since diagnosis of 7.3±5.9(0–31) years. Average body mass index (BMI) was 26.0±5.5kg/m2. Of these, 15% (n=19) were malnourished (SGA-B). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that older age (OR=1.16, CI=1.02-1.31), more depressive symptoms (OR=1.26, CI=1.07-1.48), lower levels of anxiety (OR=.90, CI=.82-.99), and higher LDED per kg body weight (OR=1.57, CI=1.14-2.15) significantly increased malnutrition risk. Cognitive function, living situation, number of prescription medications, LDED, years since diagnosis and the severity of non-motor symptoms did not significantly influence malnutrition risk. Malnutrition results in poorer health outcomes. Proactively addressing the risk factors can help prevent declines in nutritional status. In the current study, older people with PD with depression and greater amounts of levodopa per body weight were at increased malnutrition risk.

Malnutrition in a sample of community-dwelling people with Parkinson’s disease

Objective: Malnutrition results in poor health outcomes, and people with Parkinson’s disease may be more at risk of malnutrition. However, the prevalence of malnutrition in Parkinson’s disease is not yet well defined. The aim of this study is to provide an estimate of the extent of malnutrition in community-dwelling people with Parkinson’s disease. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of people with Parkinson’s disease residing within a 2 hour driving radius of Brisbane, Australia. The Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and scored Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) were used to assess nutritional status. Body weight, standing or knee height, mid-arm circumference and waist circumference were measured. Results: Nineteen (15%) of the participants were moderately malnourished (SGA-B). The median PG-SGA score of the SGA-B group was 8 (4 – 15), significantly higher than the SGA-A group, U=1860.5,p<.05. The symptoms most influencing intake were loss of appetite, constipation, early satiety and problems swallowing. Conclusions: As with other populations, malnutrition remains under-recognised and undiagnosed in people with Parkinson’s disease. Regular screening of nutritional status in people with Parkinson’s disease by health professionals with whom they have regular contact should occur to identify those who may benefit from further nutrition assessment and intervention.

Nutritional status in Parkinson’s disease patients undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery : a pilot study

Objectives: People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are at higher risk of malnutrition due to PD symptoms and pharmacotherapy side effects. When pharmacotherapy is no longer effective for symptom control, deep-brain stimulation (DBS) surgery may be considered. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status of people with PD who may be at higher risk of malnutrition related to unsatisfactory symptom management with optimised medical therapy. Design: This was an observational study using a convenience sample. Setting: Participants were seen during their hospital admission for their deep brain stimulation surgery. Participants: People with PD scheduled for DBS surgery were recruited from a Brisbane neurological clinic (n=15). Measurements: The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), weight, height and body composition were assessed to determine nutritional status. Results: Six participants (40%) were classified as moderately malnourished (SGA-B). Eight participants (53%) reported previous unintentional weight loss (average loss of 13.3%). On average, participants classified as well-nourished (SGA-A) were younger, had shorter disease durations, lower PG-SGA scores, higher body mass (BMI) and fat free mass indices (FFMI) when compared to malnourished participants (SGA-B). Five participants had previously received dietetic advice but only one in relation to unintentional weight loss. Conclusion: Malnutrition remains unrecognised and untreated in this group despite unintentional weight loss and presence of nutrition impact symptoms. Improving nutritional status prior to surgery may improve surgical outcomes.

Comparison of two methods to assess malnutrition in community-dwelling people with Parkinson's disease

Nutritional status in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) has previously been assessed in a number of ways including BMI, % weight loss and the Mini-Nutritional Assessment(MNA). The symptoms of the disease and the side effects of medication used to manage them result in a number of nutrition impact symptoms that can negatively influence intake. These include chewing and swallowing difficulties, lack of appetite, nausea, and taste and smell changes, among others. Community-dwelling people with PD, aged >18 years, were recruited (n=97, 61 M, 36 F). The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment(PG-SGA) and (MNA) were used to assess nutritional status. Weight, height, mid-arm circumference(MAC) and calf circumference were measured. Based on SGA, 16(16.5%) were moderately malnourished (SGA B) while none were severely malnourished (SGA C). The MNA identified 2(2.0%) as malnourished and 22(22.7%) as at risk of malnutrition. Mean MNA scores were different between the three groups,F(2,37)=7.30,p<.05 but not different between SGA B (21.0(2.9)) and MNA at risk (21.8(1.4)) participants. MAC and calf circumference were also different between the three groups,F(2,37)=5.51,p<.05 and F(2,37)=15.33,p<.05 but not between the SGA B (26.2(4.2), 33.3(2.8)) and MNA at risk (28.4(5.6), 36.4(4.7)) participants. The MNA results are similar to other PD studies using MNA where prevalence of malnutrition was between 0-2% with 20-33% at risk of malnutrition. In this population, the PG-SGA may be more sensitive to assessing malnutrition where nutrition impact symptoms influence intake. With society’s increasing body size, it might also be more appropriate as it does not rely on MAC and calf circumference measures.

Minimum important difference between patients with rheumatoid arthritis : the patient's perspective

OBJECTIVE: To determine the point at which differences in clinical assessment scores on physical ability, pain and overall condition are sufficiently large to correspond to a subjective perception of a meaningful difference from the perspective of the patient. METHODS: Forty patients with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis participated in an evening of clinical assessment and one-on-one conversations with each other regarding their arthritic condition. The assessments included tender and swollen joint counts, clinician and patient global assessments, participant assessment of pain and the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) on physical ability. After each conversation, participants rated themselves relative to their conversational partner on physical ability, pain and overall condition. These subjective comparative ratings were compared to the differences of the individual clinical assessments. RESULTS: In total there were 120 conversations. Generally participants judged themselves as less disabled than others. They rated themselves as "somewhat better" than their conversation partner when they had a (mean) 7% better score on the HAQ, 6% less pain, and 9% better global assessment. In contrast, they rated themselves as "somewhat worse" when they had a (mean) 16% worse score on the HAQ, 16% more pain, and 29% worse global assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Patients view clinically important differences in an asymmetric manner. These results can provide guidance in interpreting results and planning clinical trials.

An extended theory of planned behavior intervention for older adults With Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease

A randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of a 4-wk extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) intervention to promote regular physical activity and healthy eating among older adults diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease (N = 183). Participants completed TPB measures of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention, as well as planning and behavior, at preintervention and 1 wk and 6 wk postintervention for each behavior. No significant time-by-condition effects emerged for healthy eating. For physical activity, significant time-by-condition effects were found for behavior, intention, planning, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm. In particular, compared with control participants, the intervention group showed short-term improvements in physical activity and planning, with further analyses indicating that the effect of the intervention on behavior was mediated by planning. The results indicate that TPB-based interventions including planning strategies may encourage physical activity among older people with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Subacute effects of ecstasy on mood : an exploration of associated risk factors

Ecstasy use may result in lowered mood, anxiety or aggression in the days following use. Yet, few studies have investigated what factors increase the risk of experiencing such symptoms. Ecstasy users (at least once in the last 12 months) who subsequently took ecstasy (n=35) over the next week, were compared on measures of mood, sleep, stress and drug use, with those who abstained (n=21) that week. Measures were administered the week prior to ecstasy use and 1 and 3 days following use, or the equivalent day for abstainers. Mood symptoms were assessed using the Kessler-10 self-report psychological distress scale, a subjective mood rating (1-10), and the depression, anxiety and hostility items of the clinician-rated Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Timeline followback methods were used to collect information on drug use and life stress in the past month. Self-reported sleep quality was also assessed. Ecstasy use was not associated with subacute depressive, anxiety or aggressive symptoms. Rather, lowered mood and increased psychological distress were associated with self-reported hours and quality of sleep obtained during the 3-day follow up. These findings highlight the importance of considering sleep disruption in understanding the short-term mood effects of ecstasy use.