Empathy, neutrality and emotional intelligence: a balancing act for the emotional Einstein

Emotions play a central role in mediation as they help to define the scope and direction of a conflict. When a party to mediation expresses (and hence entrusts) their emotions to those present in a mediation, a mediator must do more than simply listen - they must attend to these emotions. Mediator empathy is an essential skill for communicating to a party that their feelings have been heard and understood, but it can lead mediators into trouble. Whilst there might exist a theoretical divide between the notions of empathy and sympathy, the very best characteristics of mediators (caring and compassionate nature) may see empathy and sympathy merge - resulting in challenges to mediator neutrality. This article first outlines the semantic difference between empathy and sympathy and the role that intrapsychic conflict can play in the convergence of these behavioural phenomena. It then defines emotional intelligence in the context of a mediation, suggesting that only the most emotionally intelligent mediators are able to emotionally connect with the parties, but maintain an impression of impartiality – the quality of remaining ‘attached yet detached’ to the process. It is argued that these emotionally intelligent mediators have the common qualities of strong self-awareness and emotional self-regulation.

Use of lifts and refuge floors for fire evacuation in high rise apartment buildings

If current population and accommodation trends continue, Australian cities will, in the future, have noticeable numbers of apartment buildings over 60 storeys high. With an aging population it follows that a significant proportion of those occupying these buildings will be senior citizens, many of whom will have some form of disability. For these occupants a fire emergency in a high rise building presents a serious problem. Currently lifts cannot be used for evacuation and going down 60 storeys in a fire isolated staircase would be physically impossible for many. Therefore, for many, the temptation to remain in one’s unit will be very strong. With an awareness of this behaviour trend in older residents, many researchers have, in recent years, explored the possible wider use of lifts in a fire emergency. So far the use of lifts for evacuation has been approved for a small number of buildings but wide acceptance of this solution is still to be achieved. This paper concludes that even in high-rise apartment buildings where lifts are approved for evacuation, architects should design the building with alternative evacuation routes and provide suitable safe refuge areas for those who cannot use the stairs when the lifts are unavailable.

Towards making a difference through a university-TAFE partnership : mentoring potential teacher aides

Universities promote partnerships as an investment of social capital that may benefit communities. Mentoring of university students in schools has become key to induction of education workplace practices. One such arrangement is the mentoring of students from TAFE who endeavour to become teacher aides. However, there is no theoretical model for mentoring teacher aides and, similar to mentoring preservice teachers, such practices vary in quality and quantity. What are mentors’ perceptions of mentoring potential teacher aides within school settings? This mixed-method research involves a survey with extended responses. The aim is to determine practices and strategies for mentoring potential teacher aides (PTAs). Results indicated that PTAs require induction about the school culture and infrastructure, which includes ethics, values, operational plans, awareness of facilities and a range of other inductions that would aid the PTA’s work practices. Findings also revealed that many of the mentoring practices employed for preservice teachers may be used for mentoring PTAs in school settings. Indeed, mentors require personal attributes to facilitate the mentoring process. They also indicated outlining the education system requirements as fundamental to workplace operations. In addition, as most PTAs work with students in the classroom, the mentor’s pedagogical knowledge can further assist PTAs to develop an understanding of effective pedagogical practices, particularly for small groups or one-on-one sessions. Finally, a mentor’s modelling of practices and providing constructive feedback about the PTA’s practices can assist the development of workplace operations. In conclusion, the survey employed in this study may assist organisations to develop protocols of practice for workplace mentors. PTAs require mentors who are versed in effective mentoring practices that can more readily guide them towards success.

From social butterfly to engaged citizen: Urban informatics, social media, ubiquitous computing, and mobile technology to support citizen engagement

Web applications such as blogs, wikis, video and photo sharing sites, and social networking systems have been termed ‘Web 2.0’ to highlight an arguably more open, collaborative, personalisable, and therefore more participatory internet experience than what had previously been possible. Giving rise to a culture of participation, an increasing number of these social applications are now available on mobile phones where they take advantage of device-specific features such as sensors, location and context awareness. This international volume of book chapters will make a contribution towards exploring and better understanding the opportunities and challenges provided by tools, interfaces, methods and practices of social and mobile technology that enable participation and engagement. It brings together an international group of academics and practitioners from a diverse range of disciplines such as computing and engineering, social sciences, digital media and human-computer interaction to critically examine a range of applications of social and mobile technology, such as social networking, mobile interaction, wikis, twitter, blogging, virtual worlds, shared displays and urban sceens, and their impact to foster community activism, civic engagement and cultural citizenship.

Coordinated research skills training at QUT

Universities are wanting to drive research performance to new levels to increase competitiveness and secure additional research funding. Information technology departments, libraries and research offices are being tasked with the triple role of developing infrastructure, introducing new services, and raising researchers’ awareness and skill levels in the uptake of these services and related eResearch concepts in order to achieve institutional goals. The purpose of this poster is to provide an overview of the coordinated approach to the provision of research skills workshops and seminars provided to researchers and higher degree research (HDR) students at QUT. Seminars and workshops are provided by the Library in collaboration with High Performance Computing and Research Support (HPC) and the Research Students Centre. The sessions are findable and bookable via the Library’s KickStart system. A list of session topics is provided. The Research Support services web site brings together information on a range of research support services provided by the Library and HPC. Seminars and workshops are also available via a research training calendar system into which all sessions are populated, regardless of the provider. The Library and HPC are also undertaking a train the trainer program.

Preparing library staff for research support services at QUT

INTRODUCTION: Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Library is partnering with High Performance Computing (HPC) services and the Division of Research and Commercialisation to develop and deliver a range of integrated research support services and systems designed to enhance the research capabilities of the University. Existing and developing research support services include - support for publishing strategies including open access, bibliographic citation and ranking services, research data management, use of online collaboration tools, online survey tools, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, content management and storage solutions. In order to deliver timely and effective research referral and support services, it is imperative that library staff maintain their awareness of, and develop expertise in new eResearch methods and technologies. ---------- METHODS: In 2009/10 QUT Library initiated an online survey for support staff and researchers and a series of focus groups for researchers aimed at gaining a better understanding of current and future eresearch practices and skills. These would better inform the development of a research skills training program and the development of new research support services. The Library and HPC also implemented a program of seminars and workshops designed to introduce key library staff to a broad range of eresearch concepts and technologies. Feedback was obtained after each training session. A number of new services were implemented throughout 2009 and 2010. ---------- RESULTS: Key findings of the survey and focus groups are related to the development of the staff development program. Feedback from program attendees is provided and evaluated. The staff development program is assessed in terms of its success to support the implementation of new research support services. --------- CONCLUSIONS QUT Library has embarked on an ambitious awareness and skills development program to assist Library staff transition a period of rapid change and broadening scope for the Library. Successes and challenges of the program are discussed. A number of recommendations are made in retrospect and also looking forward to the future training needs of Library staff to support the University’s future research goals.

Sports sponsorship as an integrated marketing communications tool : an Australian sponsor's perspective

Sports sponsorship increasingly provides organisations with the opportunity to reach their target audiences in a manner that facilitates engagement and encourages relationship development. This paper provides an Australian perspective of the value of sports sponsorship using a case study of WOW Sight and Sound’s long-term sponsorship of the Brisbane Broncos rugby league team. The case study investigates WOW’s marketing objectives which centre generating brand awareness using sponsorship with the Brisbane Broncos as an integrated marketing communications tool. WOW believes that the integration of its sponsorship of the Broncos with the team’s total marketing plan is integral to its success. This integration requires the facilitation of two-way communications between WOW, its advertising agency, the Brisbane Broncos and customers to ensure that all parties’ needs are met.

Cyberbullying in social networking sites and blogs : legal issues for young people and schools

This article examines the social networking phenomenon that has been so readily embraced by school-age adolescents, in the context of its potential to contribute further to the mechanisms for and incidence of cyberbullying amongst school students. Cyberbullying in these online for a, as a misuse of technology to harass, intimidate, tease, threaten, abuse or otherwise terrorise peers, teachers and/or the school in general, is discussed from both the psychological perspective and in terms of its legal ramifications (both criminal and civil) in Australia. Some recommendations for proactive and preventative measures, education and policy adoptions are provided, together with general advice to parents, schools and adolescents on awareness of the risks involved and how young people might better protect themselves in light of that knowledge.

International students' experiences of university libraries and librarians

ABSTRACT International students constitute a significant proportion of the Australian university population, and thus of the university library-using population. Drawing on qualitative research findings, this paper discusses the library-related experiences and perceptions of international students at two Australian universities. While the students’ previous library use was limited, at their host university they experienced library using challenges, often associated with unfamiliarity. However, they generally viewed their Australian university library and library staff in a positive light. The findings support recommendations for developing library professionals’ awareness of, and enhancing international students’ library use.

Knowledge-based development for cities and societies : integrated multi-level approaches

Over the past twenty years, the conventional knowledge management approach has evolved into a strategic management approach that has found applications and opportunities outside of business, in society at large, through education, urban development, governance, and healthcare, amongst others. Knowledge-Based Development for Cities and Socieities: Integrated Multi-Level Approaches enlightens the concepts and challenges of knowledge management for both urban environments and entire regions, enhancing the expertise and knowledge of scholars, resdearchers, practitioners, managers and urban developers in the development of successful knowledge-based development policies, creation of knowledte cities and prosperous knowledge societies. This reference creates large knowledge base for scholars, managers and urban developers and increases the awareness of the role of knowledge cities and knowledge socieiteis in the knowledge era, as well as of the challenges and opportunities for future research.

Sustainability and mandatory disclosure in Queensland : an assessment of the impact on home buyer patterns

Sustainability Declarations were introduced by the Queensland State Government on 1 January 2010 as a compulsory measure for all dwelling sales. The purpose of this policy decision was to improve the relevance of sustainability in the home ownership decision making process. This paper assesses the initial impact of this initiative over its first year in operation. In partnership with the Real Estate Institute of Queensland, real estate agents and salespeople in Queensland were surveyed to determine what impact the Sustainability Declaration has had on home buyer decision making. The level of compliance by the real estate industry was also reviewed. These preliminary findings indicate a high level of compliance from the real estate industry, however results confirm that sustainability is yet to become a criterion of relevance to the majority of home buyers in Queensland. The Sustainability Declarations are a first step in raising awareness in home owners of the importance of sustainability in housing. Further monitoring of this impact will be carried out over time.

Deterring drug drivers : a study into the initial impact of oral random roadside drug testing in Queensland

Objective: The global implementation of oral random roadside drug testing is relatively limited, and correspondingly, the literature that focuses on the effectiveness of this intervention is scant. This study aims to provide a preliminary indication of the impact of roadside drug testing in Queensland. Methods: A sample of Queensland motorists’ (N= 922) completed a self-report questionnaire to investigate their drug driving behaviour, as well as examine the perceived affect of legal sanctions (certainty, severity and swiftness) and knowledge of the countermeasure on their subsequent offending behaviour. Results: Analysis of the collected data revealed that approximately 20% of participants reported drug driving at least once in the last six months. Overall, there was considerable variability in respondent’s perceptions regarding the certainty, severity and swiftness of legal sanctions associated with the testing regime and a considerable proportion remained unaware of testing practices. In regards to predicting those who intended to drug driving again in the future, perceptions of apprehension certainty, more specifically low certainty of apprehension, were significantly associated with self-reported intentions to offend. Additionally, self-reported recent drug driving activity and frequent drug consumption were also identified as significant predictors, which indicates that in the current context, past behaviour is a prominent predictor of future behaviour. To a lesser extent, awareness of testing practices was a significant predictor of intending not to drug drive in the future. Conclusion: The results indicate that drug driving is relatively prevalent on Queensland roads, and a number of factors may influence such behaviour. Additionally, while the roadside testing initiative is beginning to have a deterrent impact, its success will likely be linked with targeted intelligence-led implementation in order to increase apprehension levels as well as the general deterrent effect.

Reading nineteenth century schoolbooks online : user behavior in a digitized special collection

Special collections, because of the issues associated with conservation and use, a feature they share with archives, tend to be the most digitized areas in libraries. The Nineteenth Century Schoolbooks collection is a collection of 9000 rarely held nineteenth-century schoolbooks that were painstakingly collected over a lifetime of work by Prof. John A. Nietz, and donated to the Hillman Library at the University of Pittsburgh in 1958, which has since grown to 15,000. About 140 of these texts are completely digitized and showcased in a publicly accessible website through the University of Pittsburgh’s Library, along with a searchable bibliography of the entire collection, which expanded the awareness of this collection and its user base to beyond the academic community. The URL for the website is http://digital.library.pitt.edu/nietz/. The collection is a rich resource for researchers studying the intellectual, educational, and textbook publishing history of the United States. In this study, we examined several existing records collected by the Digital Research Library at the University of Pittsburgh in order to determine the identity and searching behaviors of the users of this collection. Some of the records examined include: 1) The results of a 3-month long user survey, 2) User access statistics including search queries for a period of one year, a year after the digitized collection became publicly available in 2001, and 3) E-mail input received by the website over 4 years from 2000-2004. The results of the study demonstrate the differences in online retrieval strategies used by academic researchers and historians, archivists, avocationists, and the general public, and the importance of facilitating the discovery of digitized special collections through the use of electronic finding aids and an interactive interface with detailed metadata.

A Mouthful of Pins : questioning constructionist therapy frameworks in theatre-making

A Mouthful of Pins constitutes the practical component (50 per cent) of a practice-led Master of Arts through the Creative Industries Faculty of Queensland University of Technology. This research reports on the attempt to create a constructionist/collaborative theatre-making process by incorporating postmodern constructs borrowed from the therapy room. The study asserts that, when applied with awareness, therapeutic frameworks can help members of the creative team . including the director, performers, writer, designers and technicians . to fulfil their artistic capacity, thereby enriching their process, their performance and their collaborative relationship with each other. For this to occur, it is imperative that the director/facilitator stay curious and aware of how they lead their creative team, with particular care around their use of language, as well as an increased awareness of the multiple stories (including the sometimes invisible social, historical, political, theatrical and leadership discourses) that surround and impact the artist.s process. This research is designed to assist students of theatre, as well as established professional practitioners, to find an alternative approach for collaboration that can result in longevity of practice, while at the same time embracing best practice for their outgoing creativity.

What is ERP?

Though enterprise resource planning (ERP) has gained some prominence in the information systems (IS) literature over the past few years and is a significant phenomenon in practice, through (a) a historical analysis, (b) meta-analysis of representative IS literature, and (c) a survey of academic experts, we reveal dissenting views on the phenomenon. Given this diversity of perspectives, it is unlikely that at this stage a broadly agreed definition of ERP can be achieved. We thus seek to increase awareness of the issues and stimulate further discussion, with the ultimate aim being to: (a) aid communication amongst researchers and between researchers and practitioners; (2) inform development of teaching materials on ERP and related concepts in university curricula and in commercial education and training; and (3) aid communication amongst clients, consultants and vendors. Increase transparence of the ERP concept within IS may also benefit other aligned fields of knowledge.