Do Australian public and nonprofit nurses cope with administrative stressors?

The nursing profession in Australia and other OECD countries such as the USA and the UK, have focused on ways to recruit and retain nurses (e.g., Bartram, Joiner, & Stanton, 2004). Research has shown that the most common factors impacting negatively on retention include sources of nursing stress such as workload and work environment. While the literature has shown that nursing staff encounter these stressors, studies do not examine the effects of stress caused by an increasing degree of administrative demand placed on nurses, caused by the new public management (NPM) reform in public and nonprofit (PNP) health care organizations. At best, some studies have alluded to some aspects of administrative related stressors (vis-a-vis nursing related stressors such as death, sickness, etc), but they have not been examined in any detail. Similarly, extant research has not examined how nurses cope with these administrative stressors. These will be the main aims of the present study.

Measuring and monitoring soil organic carbon stocks in agricultural lands for climate mitigation

Policies that encourage greenhouse-gas emitters to mitigate emissions through terrestrial carbon (C) offsets – C sequestration in soils or biomass – will promote practices that reduce erosion and build soil fertility, while fostering adaptation to climate change, agricultural development, and rehabilitation of degraded soils. However none of these benefits will be possible until changes in C stocks can be documented accurately and cost-effectively. This is particularly challenging when dealing with changes in soil organic C (SOC) stocks. Precise methods for measuring C in soil samples are well established, but spatial variability in the factors that determine SOC stocks makes it difficult to document change. Widespread interest in the benefits of SOC sequestration has brought this issue to the fore in the development of US and international climate policy. Here, we review the challenges to documenting changes in SOC stocks, how policy decisions influence offset documentation requirements, and the benefits and drawbacks of different sampling strategies and extrapolation methods.

Introducing a small and medium enterprises syllabi design: an enterprise systems hands-on approach

There is increasing attention to the importance of Enterprise Systems (ES) and Information Systems (IS) for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The same attention must be addressed in IS graduate curriculum. Studies reveal that despite healthy demand from the industry for IS management expertise, most IS graduates are ill-equipped to meet the challenges of modern organizations. The majority of contemporary firms, represented by SMEs, seek employees with a balance of business process knowledge and ES software skills. This article describes a curriculum that teaches Information Technology (IT) and IS managementconcepts in a SMEs context. The curriculum conceptualises a ‘learn-by-doing’ approach, to provide business process and ES software specific knowledge for its students. The approach recommends coverage of traditional content related to SMEs’’ operations, strategies, IT investment and management issues while providing an increased focus on strategic use of enterprise IT. The study addresses to an extent, the perennial challenge of updating IS curriculum, given the rapid pace of technological change.

Enhancing employment services for people with severe mental illness: the challenge of the Australian service environment

Objectives:  Comparatively few people with severe mental illness are employed despite evidence that many people within this group wish to obtain, can obtain and sustain employment, and that employment can contribute to recovery. This investigation aimed to: (i) describe the current policy and service environment within which people with severe mental illness receive employment services; (ii) identify evidence-based practices that improve employment outcomes for people with severe mental illness; (iii) determine the extent to which the current Australian policy environment is consistent with the implementation of evidence-based employment services for people with severe mental illness; and (iv) identify methods and priorities for enhancing employment services for Australians with severe mental illness through implementation of evidence-based practices. Method:  Current Australian practices were identified, having reference to policy and legal documents, funding body requirements and anecdotal reports. Evidence-based employment services for people with severe mental illness were identified through examination of published reviews and the results of recent controlled trials. Results:  Current policy settings support the provision of employment services for people with severe mental illness separate from clinical services. Recent studies have identified integration of clinical and employment services as a major factor in the effectiveness of employment services. This is usually achieved through co-location of employment and mental health services. Conclusions:  Optimal evidence-based employment services are needed by Australians with severe mental illness. Providing optimal services is a challenge in the current policy environment. Service integration may be achieved through enhanced intersectoral links between employment and mental health service providers as well as by co-locating employment specialists within a mental health care setting.

Knowledge-based urban development processes of an emerging knowledge city : Brisbane, Australia

In the global knowledge economy, to attract and retain knowledge-intensive industries and workers, cities produce various development strategies. Such strategising is an important development mechanism for cities to complete their transformation into knowledge cities. This paper discusses the critical connections between knowledge city foundations and integrated knowledge-based urban development strategies, and scrutinises Brisbane’s strategies in attracting and retaining investment and talent. The paper introduces a knowledge-based urban development assessment framework and uses this framework to provide a clearer understanding of Brisbane’s knowledge-based development processes and knowledge city transformation experience. The assessment framework particularly focuses on examining Brisbane’s four development processes, institutional, economic, socio-cultural and urban development, in detail. The findings reveal that although Brisbane is still in early stages of its transformation into a fully-fledged knowledge city, global orientation and achievements of Brisbane in strategising knowledge-based urban development are noteworthy.

Moving towards a knowledge city? Brisbane's experience in knowledge-based urban development

: In the global knowledge economy, knowledge-intensive industries and knowledge workers are extensively seen as the primary factors to improve the welfare and competitiveness of cities. To attract and retain such industries and workers, cities produce knowledge-based urban development strategies, where such strategising is also an important development mechanism for cities and their economies. This paper investigates knowledge-based urban development strategies of Brisbane, Australia that support generation, attraction, and retention of investment and talent. The paper puts forward a clear understanding on the policy frameworks, and relevant applications of Brisbane’s knowledge-based urban development experience in becoming a prosperous knowledge city, and concludes by providing invaluable insights and directions for other cities seeking knowledge-based urban development.

Drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction for overseas service consumers : a critical incident technique approach

This is one of the few studies in the academic literature that directly addresses inward exporting of customer services, which is a topic that has gained less attention from an international services marketing point of view. The objective of this study is to explore the drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction for overseas service customers of higher education in Australia. Critical incident technique (CIT) method was used to collect and analyse the data and a total of 107 critical incidents were collected. Findings from this study show that service satisfaction and dissatisfaction for international students derive from: elements of the core service (educational service performance), personal sources (international student performance), and the external environment (socialization and host environment performance). Additionally, results show that the drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction for international students are not necessarily the same. Limitations relating to the specific sector of higher education and the cross sectional natures of the data are addressed.

Book review : "Carbon Capture and Storage Emerging Legal and Regulatory Issues" edited by Ian Havercroft, Richard Macrory, Richard B Stewart, Oxford, Hart Publishing, 2011

As the international community struggles to find a cost-effective solution to mitigate climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, carbon capture and storage (CCS) has emerged as a project mechanism with the potential to assist in transitioning society towards its low carbon future. Being a politically attractive option, legal regimes to promote and approve CCS have proceeded at an accelerated pace in multiple jurisdictions including the European Union and Australia. This acceleration and emphasis on the swift commercial deployment of CCS projects has left the legal community in the undesirable position of having to advise on the strengths and weaknesses of the key features of these regimes once they have been passed and become operational. This is an area where environmental law principles are tested to their very limit. On the one hand, implementation of this new technology should proceed in a precautionary manner to avoid adverse impacts on the atmosphere, local community and broader environment. On the other hand, excessive regulatory restrictions will stifle innovation and act as a barrier to the swift deployment of CCS projects around the world. Finding the balance between precaution and innovation is no easy feat. This is an area where lawyers, academics, regulators and industry representatives can benefit from the sharing of collective experiences, both positive and negative, across the jurisdictions. This exemplary book appears to have been collated with this philosophy in mind and provides an insightful addition to the global dialogue on establishing effective national and international regimes for the implementation of CCS projects...

Performance evaluation of eight contemporary passive solar homes in subtropical Australia

Subtropical south-east Queensland’s expanding population is expected to lead to a demand for an additional 754,000 dwellings by 2031. A legacy of poor housing design, minimal building regulations, an absence of building performance evaluation and various social and market factors has lead to a high and growing penetration of, and reliance on, air conditioners to provide comfort in this relatively benign climate. This reliance impacts on policy goals to adapt to and mitigate against global warming, electricity infrastructure investment and household resilience. Based on the concept of bioclimatic design, this field study scrutinizes eight non-air conditioned homes to develop a deeper understanding of the role of contemporary passive solar architecture in the delivery of thermally comfortable and resilient homes in the subtropics. These homes were found to provide inhabitants with an acceptable level of thermal comfort (18-28oC) for 77 – 97% of the year. Family expectations and experiences of comfort, and the various design strategies utilized were compared against the measured performance outcomes. This comparison revealed issues that limited quantification and implementation of design intent and highlighted factors that constrained system optimisation.

The effect of lumbar support on the trunk muscle activity and pelvic tilt in a passenger vehicle car seat

In order to gain a competitive edge in the market, automotive manufacturers and automotive seat suppliers have identified seat ergonomics for further development to improve overall vehicle comfort. Adjustable lumbar support devices have been offered since long as comfort systems in either a 2-way or 4-way adjustable configuration, although their effect on lumbar strain is not well documented. The effect of a lumbar support on posture and muscular strain, and therefore the relationship between discomfort and comfort device parameter settings, requires clarification. The aim of this paper is to study the effect of a 4-way lumbar support on lower trunk and pelvis muscle activity, pelvic tilt and spine curvature during a car seating activity. 10 healthy subjects (5 m/f; age 19-39) performed a seating activity in a passenger vehicle with seven different static lumbar support positions. The lumbar support was tested in 3 different height positions in relation to the seatback surface centreline (high, centre, low), each having 2 depths positions (lumbar prominence). An extra depth position was added for the centre position. Posture data were collected using a VICON MX motion capture system and NORAXON DTS goniometers and inclinometer. A rigid-body model of an adjustable car seat with four-way adjustable lumbar support was constructed in UGS Siemens NX and connected to a musculoskeletal model of a seated-human, modelled in AnyBody. Wireless electromyography (EMG) was used to calibrate the musculoskeletal model and assess the relationship between (a) muscular strain and lumbar prominence (normal to seatback surface) respective to the lumbar height (alongside seatback surface), (b) hip joint moment and lumbar prominence (normal to seatback surface) respective to lumbar height (alongside seatback surface) and (c) pelvic tilt and lumbar prominence (normal to seatback surface) respective to the lumbar height (alongside seatback surface). This study was based on the assumption that the musculoskeletal human model was seated at the correct R-Point (SgRP), determined via the occupant packaging toolkit in the JACK digital human model. The effect of the interaction between the driver/car-seat has been investigated for factors resulting from the presence and adjustment of a 4-way lumbar support. The results obtained show that various seat adjustments, and driver’s lumbar supports can have complex influence on the muscle activation, joint forces and moments, all of which can affect the comfort perception of the driver. This study enables the automotive industry to optimise passenger vehicle seat development and design. It further more supports the evaluation of static postural and dynamic seat comfort in normal everyday driving tasks and can be applied for future car design to reduce investment and improve comfort.

Contextualising the teaching and learning of measurement in Torres Strait Islander schools

This paper reports on a mathematics project conducted with six Torres Strait Islander schools and communities by the research team at the YuMi Deadly Centre at QUT. Data collected is from a small focus group of six teachers and two teacher aides. We investigated how measurement is taught and learned by students, their teachers and teacher aides in the community schools. A key focus of the project was that the teaching and learning of measurement be contextualised to the students’ culture, community and home languages. A significant finding from the project was that the teachers had differing levels of knowledge and understanding about how to contextualise measurement to support student learning. For example, an Indigenous teacher identified that mathematics and the environment are relational, that is, they are not discrete and in isolation from one another, rather they mesh together, thus affording the articulation and interchange among and between mathematics and Torres Strait Islander culture.

Shikumidukuri vs. one best (no) way! Project and Programme Management for Enterprise Innovation (P2M) : towards a new paradigm?

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the Japanese answer to the 90’s depression by (i). presenting a case study of the framework developed to address the new business challenges and value creation in complex, ambiguous and uncertain environment, i.e., Development of Project and Programme Management for Enterprise Innovation (P2M) and Project Management Association Japan (PMAJ) in Japan; and (ii). Exposing what in our view are the underlying theoretical bases supporting this framework and from this drawing some theoretical lessons learnt which could be helpful to the development of sound PM standards and PM competence model. This theoretical approach is assumed to be useful to transpose the Japanese experience to other analogical contexts and situations.

Internal and external motivation factors in virtual and collocated project environments : a principal component investigation

In this study, we explore motivation in collocated and virtual project teams. The literature on motivation in a project set.,ting reveals that motivation is closely linked to team performance. Based on this literature, we propose a set., of variables related to the three dimensions of ‘Nature of work’, ‘Rewards’, and ‘Communication’. Thirteen original variables in a sample size of 66 collocated and 66 virtual respondents are investigated using one tail t test and principal component analysis. We find that there are minimal differences between the two groups with respect to the above mentioned three dimensions. (p= .06; t=1.71). Further, a principal component analysis of the combined sample of collocated and virtual project environments reveals two factors- ‘Internal Motivating Factor’ related to work and work environment, and ‘External Motivating Factor’ related to the financial and non-financial rewards that explain 59.8% of the variance and comprehensively characterize motivation in collocated and virtual project environments. A ‘sense check’ of our interpretation of the results shows conformity with the theory and existing practice of project organization

Becoming a 'Bastion Against Tyranny' : Australian legal education and the government of the self

Research into legal education suggests that many students enter law school with ideals about using the law to achieve social change, but graduate with some cynicism regarding these ideals. It is often argued that law schools provide a negative, competitive, and conservative environment for students, pushing many away from social justice ideals towards more self-interested, vocational concerns. This article uses Michel Foucault’s work on the government of the self to suggest another way of understanding this process. It examines a range of prescriptive texts that provide students with advice about how to study law and ‘survive’ law school. In doing so, it posits that this apparent loss of social ideals does not necessarily always signify that the student has become politically conservative or has had a negative educational experience. While these legal personae may appear outwardly conservative, and indeed still reflect particular gendered or raced perspectives, by examining the messages that these texts offer students, this article suggests that an apparent loss of social ideals can be the result of a productive shaping of the self. The legal persona they fashion can incorporate social justice ideals and necessitate specific ways of acting on those ideals. This analysis adds to the growing body of research that uses Foucault’s work to rethink common narratives of power and the shaping of the self in legal education, and provides legal educators with new ways of reflecting on the effects of legal education.