Building a symbiotic relationship between academia and industry: expectations and observations of construction management graduates

Construction management graduates are employed in job functions such as building and civil engineering contracting, construction and project management consulting, client organisations (public and private) and developer organisations. Considering the diversity of employment opportunities for construction management graduates, they increasingly need to have a portfolio of skills to work effectively and efficiently with other professions in the industry. In exploring this, the objective of the research presented in this paper is to determine if construction management graduates are meeting the expectations of their employers. In considering the competitive forces impacting the construction industry, the authors of this paper sought to establish whether construction managers are able to identify those key skills needed for the future success of the industry. In turn, this information is considered critical for the successful formulation of curricula. Therefore, to establish whether construction management graduates are meeting the expectations of contractors, a survey was distributed to managers to establish their expectations and observations of recent graduates. The survey results indicate that managers are generally satisfied with the skill level of graduate students. The survey also highlighted several important skills that were considered to be lacking in graduates. cknowledging that there is always a need to improve the skill level of graduates, the authors propose a number of recommendations that are considered to improve the content construction management curricula.

Estimating the increasing cost of commercial buildings in Australia due to greenhouse emissions trading

The ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by most industrial nations will result in an international greenhouse emissions trading market by or before 2008. Calculating the quantity of embodied energy in commercial buildings has therefore taken on added significance because it is in the creation of energy that most greenhouse gas that causes global warming is released. For energy efficient commercial buildings in Australia, the embodied energy can typically represent between 10 and 20 years of operational energy. When greenhouse emissions trading is introduced in Australia the cost of energy will rise significantly, particularly electricity which relies primarily on burning fossil fuels for generation. This will affect not only the operating energy costs of buildings (light, power & heating/cooling) but also the cost of building materials and construction. Early estimates of the potential cost of future greenhouse emission permits in Australia vary between $IO/tonne to $180Itonne. This cost would be imposed primarily on the producers of energy and passed on by them to consumers via higher energy costs. For a typical commercial building this could lead to an increase in the total procurement cost of buildings of up to 20% due to the energy embodied during the construction or refurbishment of the building. To assist in evaluating these potential cost increases McKean & Park, Sinclair Knight Merz and Deakin University have developed a web-based Carbon Cost Calculator for commercial buildings.

Sports events and the female market : an investigation of attendance motivations

Over the last five years, attendance at sports events in Australia has grown at a rate of 13%; however, male spectators outnumber female spectators by 25% (ABS 2003). Drawing on a sample of 175 female respondents from the city and suburbs of Melbourne, this study identifies and explores the factors that motivate their attendance at sports events. The results show that social dimensions as well as on site entertainment can have a strong influence in attracting a female audience and that omen will
not attend if the facilities provided are not of a high standard.

Government influence on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in environmental social marketing

There is a need for more effective and efficient social behavioural change programs instigated by public sector environmental management organisations. The concepts of intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation have been shown to provide insights into the environmental behaviour of various groups. The aim of the paper is to investigate the relationship between Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation and Government influence. In particular this study examines the inter-relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in environmental management. A random sample of 566 land managers in South-eastern Australia was obtained. A structural equation model was used to develop a model which identities the relationship between intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and government influence.

Conflict resolution and sustainable water use in the Mekong River Basin

In this paper it is argued that increased demands for water use in the Mekong River Basin makes this region vulnerable to conflict. Strategies to both prevent and manage conflict are necessary for sustainable water use in this region. Community development is integral to sustainable development. Community development strategies are particularly useful in recognising knowledge and expertise within local communities. They also assist in involving local communities - particularly members of minority groups in collaborative efforts for sustainable natural resource use and conflict management. It is essential that local communities are active partners in the development of conflict resolution and sustainable development strategies. Active and meaningful participation of local communities in the planning, and management of local water use development activities will increase the likelihood of sustainable outcomes.

The importance of retail strategy for pharmacies

Limited academic research has focused on the retail management of pharmacies since prior studies have primarily addressed the professional service aspect of pharmacy operations. Particularly absent is the investigation of a pharmacist’s retail strategy and its relationship with non-prescription pharmacy performance. Moreover, this paper postulates that a pharmacy’s natural abilities in the form of organisational characteristics, resources and capabilities are important antecedents to the development of a retail strategy. We propose that the retail strategy and pharmacy performance relationship, which is the focus of this paper, does not operate in isolation and critical organisational antecedents are an influencing factor.

Expanding the buyer-supplier relationship definition: its antecedents and relationship with performance outcomes

This paper aims to contribute to current buyer-supplier relationship literature through conceptually examining associations between the buyer-supplier relationship itself, organisational antecedents and the external environment. Whilst the presence of relational components within the transaction has been acknowledged, there is, has been, and remains, great difficulty in defining and understanding the dynamics of the buyer-supplier relationship itself. This study aims to address current research limitations and further develop understanding of the dynamics between buyers and suppliers, through a grounded theory research approach. The core focus is to understand the basic motivations and considerations for organisations when potentially considering relationship development with a trade partner. Thus, the organisational attributes that must be apparent and those preferred by potential trade partners are studied. Development of a conceptual model leads to the recognition of three key research questions that are to be addressed in future empirical investigation of the model.

A qualitative variant of the friendship scale: bereaved young adults and social isolation

This paper will examine how qualitative research into bereaved young adults’ experiences of social isolation can constitute a qualitative variant on the study of social isolation to Hawthorne’s quantitative ‘Friendship Scale’ (FS). As an instrument for measuring social isolation, the FS derives primarily from a particular dimension of social support; that is, the individual’s sense of connection to other people. This sense of connection to others is similarly a principal concern in the author’s study of bereaved young siblings (aged 18-30). The death of a close family member is commonly identified by researchers as the most debilitating stressor in everyday life. How then does this major life stressor impact on the individual’s sense of social connectedness?