Rethinking public service media and citizenship : digital strategies for news and current affairs at Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS)

This article considers the concept of media citizenship in relation to the digital strategies of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). At SBS, Australia’s multicultural public broadcaster, there is a critical appraisal of its strategies to harness user-created content (UCC) and social media to promote greater audience participation through its news and current affairs Web sites. The article looks at the opportunities and challenges that user-related content presents for public service media organizations as they consolidate multiplatform service delivery. Also analyzed are the implications of radio and television broadcasters’ moves to develop online services. It is proposed that case study methodologies enable an understanding of media citizenship to be developed that maintains a focus on the interaction between delivery technologies, organizational structures and cultures, and program content that is essential for understanding the changing focus of 21st-century public service media.

Rethinking public service media and citizenship: digital strategies for news and current affairs at Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service

This article considers the concept of media citizenship in relation to the digital strategies of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). At SBS, Australia’s multicultural public broadcaster, there is a critical appraisal of its strategies to harness user-created content (UCC) and social media to promote greater audience participation through its news and current affairs Web sites. The article looks at the opportunities and challenges that user-created content presents for public service media organizations as they consolidate multiplatform service delivery. Also analyzed are the implications of radio and television broadcasters’ moves to develop online services. It is proposed that case study methodologies enable an understanding of media citizenship to be developed that maintains a focus on the interaction between delivery technologies, organizational structures and cultures, and program content that is essential for understanding the changing focus of 21st-century public service media.

Slum free India program. Report on the findings and recommendations of QUT BEE workshop to investigate strategies to deliver better outcomes

As a result of a broad invitation extended by Professor Martin Betts, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering, to the community of interest at QUT, a cross-disciplinary collaborative workshop was conducted to contribute ideas about responding to the Government of India’s urgent requirement to implement a program to re-house slum dwellers. This is a complex problem facing the Indian Ministry of Housing. Not only does the government aspire to eradicate existing slum conditions and to achieve tangible results within five years, but it must also ensure that slums do not form in the future. The workshop focused on technological innovation in construction to deliver transformation from the current unsanitary and overcrowded informal urban settlements to places that provide the economically weaker sections of Indian society with healthy, environmentally sustainable, economically viable mass housing that supports successful urban living. The workshop was conducted in two part process as follows: Initially, QUT academics from diverse fields shared current research and provided technical background to contextualise the challenge at a pre-workshop briefing session. This was followed by a one-day workshop during which participants worked intensively in multi-disciplinary groups through a series of exercises to develop innovative approaches to the complex problem of slum redevelopment. Dynamic, compressed work sessions, interspersed with cross-functional review and feedback by the whole group took place throughout the day. Reviews emphasised testing the concepts for their level of complexity, and likelihood of success. The two-stage workshop process achieved several objectives:  Inspired a sense of shared purpose amongst a diverse group of academics  Built participants’ knowledge of each other’s capacity  Engaged multi disciplinary team in an innovative design research process  Built participants’ confidence in the collaborative process  Demonstrated that collaborative problem solving can create solutions that represent transformative change.  Developed a framework of how workable solutions might be developed for the program through follow up workshops and charrettes of a similar nature involving stakeholders drawn from the context of the slum housing program management.

Bushfire sustainability : Strategies for reconciling bushfire and biodiversity with daily life

This exhibition and catalogue provides a visual record of student work exhibited at the Australian Institute of Architects offices in Brisbane from November 15 to 29, 2010. The exhibition features the final design outcomes of the inaugural Bushfire Sustainability unit conducted at QUT in semester two, 2010. The core objective of this unit was to develop our students’ skills in collaborative practice in design, research and presentation. The theme of ‘bushfire sustainability’ was chosen because living sustainably in bushfire prone landscapes presents a number of problems, the nature of which might only be resolved via multidisciplinary collaboration among the design disciplines. The students involved represent the disciplines of Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Industrial Design, Architecture and Sustainability – all from within the School of Design at QUT. 55 students, mostly in their third year of study, worked in teams of five (one from each discipline) to design one of a number of homes in highly bushfire prone sites in either Western Australia or SE Queensland. This year level and the interdisciplinary mix are perhaps the best placed to resolve these problems: being unrestrained from the burdens of professional practice and technical overload they retain the potential for innovative, lateral thinking across the range of spatial scales and philosophical perspectives associated with inhabitation of bushfire prone landscapes. It is envisaged that, through the ‘vehicle’ of this design research, that the students’ work will contribute to understandings of how creative design disciplines might respond to this significant national problem, which hitherto has been attended to primarily by engineering and the sciences.

Adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies predict posttrauma outcomes in ambulance personnel

Attending potentially dangerous and traumatic incidents is inherent in the role of emergency workers, yet there is a paucity of literature aimed at examining variables that impact on the outcomes of such exposure. Coping has been implicated in adjusting to trauma in other contexts, and this study explored the effectiveness of coping strategies in relation to positive and negative posttrauma outcomes in the emergency services environment. One hundred twenty-five paramedics completed a survey battery including the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996), the Impact of Events Scale–Revised (IES-R; Weiss & Marmar, 1997), and the Revised-COPE (Zuckerman & Gagne, 2003). Results from the regression analysis demonstrated that specific coping strategies were differentially associated with positive and negative posttrauma outcomes. The research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding regarding the effectiveness of coping strategies employed by paramedics in managing trauma, with implications for their psychological well-being as well as the training and support services available.

Innovation networks in the construction arena : the strategic management of mixed enterprises

The building and construction sector is one of the five largest contributors to the Australian economy and is a key performance component in the economy of many other jurisdictions. However, the ongoing viability of this sector is increasingly reliant on its ability to foster and transfer innovated products and practices. Interorganisational networks, which bring together key industry stakeholders and facilitate the flows of information, resources and trust necessary to secure innovation, have emerged as a key growth strategy within this and other arenas. The blending of organisations, resources and purposes creates new, hybrid institutional forms that draw on a mix of contract, structure and interpersonal relationship as integration processes. This paper argues that hybrid networked arrangements, because they incorporate relational elements, require management strategies and techniques that not always synonymous with conventional management approaches, including those used within the building and construction sector. It traces the emergence of the Construction Innovation Project in Australia as a hybrid institutional arrangement moulding public, private and academic stakeholders of the building and construction industry into a coherent collective force aimed at fostering innovation and its application within all levels of the industry. Specifically, the paper examines the Construction Innovation Project to ascertain the impact of relational governance and its management to harness and leverage the skills, resources and capacities of members to secure innovative outcomes. Finally, the paper offers some prospects to guide the ongoing work of this body and any other charged with a similar integrative responsibility.

Capturing organisational innovation in construction project procurement

Management of change in construction organisations to capture internal knowledge and maximise innovation is central to construction process re-engineering. Recent international trends toward privatisation and outsourcing of many government functions has seen wholesale changes to the role of government departments. In Brisbane, Australia, the Port of Brisbane Corporation has responsibilities for development and maintenance of all port and harbour facilities in the Brisbane region. The PBC is an acknowledged leader in encouraging internal technical development. Yet 20 years ago, this organisation operated as a small division within a large and bureaucratic Queensland Government public service department. This paper reviews construction project procurement strategies for the port’s civil and structural facilities since a separate organisational entity with responsibilities for Port of Brisbane was formed in 1976. The Port of Brisbane Corporation serves as an initial case study setting for a larger research project studying innovative practices in the context of the trend towards corporatising and privatising public sector organisations.

Strategies for managing osteoarthritis

Background Although there are recommendations for the management of osteoarthritis (OA), little is known about how people with OA actually manage this chronic condition. Purpose The aims of this study were to identify the non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapies most commonly used for the management of hip or knee OA, in a community-based sample of adults, and to compare these with evidence-based recommendations. Methods A questionnaire was mailed to 2200 adult members of Arthritis Queensland living in Brisbane, Australia. It included questions about OA symptoms, management therapies and demographic characteristics. Results Of the 485 participants (192 men, 293 women) with hip or knee OA who completed the questionnaire, most had mild to moderate symptoms. Ninety-six percent of participants (aged 27–95 years) reported using at least one non-pharmacological therapy, and 78% reported using at least one pharmacological therapy. The most common currently used non-pharmacological strategy was range-of-motion exercises (men 52%, women 61%, p=0.05) and the most common frequently used pharmacological strategy was glucosamine/chondroitin (men 51%, women 60%, ns). For the most highly recommended strategies, 65% of men and 54% of women had never attended an information/education course (p=0.04), and fewer than half (46% of women and 42% of men, p=0.03) were frequent users of anti-inflammatory agents. Conclusion The findings suggest that many people with knee or hip OA do not follow the most highly endorsed of the OARSI (Osteoarthritis Research Society International) recommendations for management of OA. Health professionals should be encouraged to recommend evidence-based therapies to their patients.

Innovation, interaction, and inclusion : heritage luxury brands in collusion with the consumer

Many luxury heritage brands operate on the misconception that heritage is interchangeable with history rather than representative of the emotional response they originally developed in their customer. This idea of heritage as static history inhibits innovation, prevents dynamic renewal and impedes their ability to redefine, strengthen and position their brand in current and emerging marketplaces. This paper examines a number of heritage luxury brands that have successfully identified the original emotional responses they developed in their customers and, through innovative approaches in design, marketing, branding and distribution evoke these responses in contemporary consumers. Using heritage and innovation hand-in-hand, these brands have continued to grow and develop a vision of heritage that incorporates both historical and contemporary ideas to meet emerging customer needs. While what constitutes a ‘luxury’ item is constantly challenged in this era of accessible luxury products, up-scaling and aspirational spending, this paper sees consumers’ emotional needs as the key element in defining the concept of luxury. These emotional qualities consistently remain relevant due to their ability to enhance a positive sense of identity for the brand user. Luxury is about the ‘experience’ not just the product providing the consumer with a sense of enhanced status or identity through invoked feelings of exclusivity, authenticity, quality, uniqueness and culture. This paper will analyse luxury heritage brands that have successfully combined these emotional values with those of their ‘heritage’ to create an aura of authenticity and nostalgia that appeals to contemporary consumers. Like luxury, the line where clothing becomes fashion is blurred in the contemporary fashion industry; however, consumer emotion again plays an important role. For example, clothing becomes ‘fashion’ for consumers when it affects their self perception rather than fulfilling basic functions of shelter and protection. Successful luxury heritage brands can enhance consumers’ sense of self by involving them in the ‘experience’ and ‘personality’ of the brand so they see it as a reflection of their own exclusiveness, authentic uniqueness, belonging and cultural value. Innovation is a valuable tool for heritage luxury brands to successfully generate these desired emotional responses and meet the evolving needs of contemporary consumers. While traditionally fashion has been a monologue from brand to consumer, new technology has given consumers a voice to engage brands in a conversation to express their evolving needs, ideas and feedback. As a result, in this consumer-empowered era of information sharing, this paper defines innovation as the ability of heritage luxury brands to develop new design and branding strategies in response to this consumer feedback while retaining the emotional core values of their heritage. This paper analyses how luxury heritage brands can effectively position themselves in the contemporary marketplace by separating heritage from history to incorporate innovative strategies that will appeal to consumer needs of today and tomorrow.

Attribute exclusion strategies in airline choice : accounting for exogenous information on decision maker processing strategies in models of discrete choice

We examine the impact of individual-specific information processing strategies (IPSs) on the inclusion/exclusion of attributes on the parameter estimates and behavioural outputs of models of discrete choice. Current practice assumes that individuals employ a homogenous IPS with regards to how they process attributes of stated choice (SC) experiments. We show how information collected exogenous of the SC experiment on whether respondents either ignored or considered each attribute may be used in the estimation process, and how such information provides outputs that are IPS segment specific. We contend that accounting the inclusion/exclusion of attributes will result in behaviourally richer population parameter estimates.

Teaching design led innovation : the future of industrial design

The profession of industrial design is changing and with that so must industrial design education. The newly derived final year industrial design unit at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) was created to initiate such a change. A designers’ role in industry is no longer limited to the invention process surrounding human cantered design but has now evolved into design led innovation. This paper reflects upon the teaching methods employed over a two-year period and improvements made over that time to the unit. The student project outcome is to produce a design solution that integrates an underlying novel technology into a new product and or service, with business strategies and manufacturing details being fully integrated into the design process. It is this integrated approach to industrial design teaching that will foster a more grounded and resourceful future designer.

The effects of weight loss strategies on gastric emptying and appetite control

The gastrointestinal tract plays an important role in the improved appetite control and weight loss in response to bariatric surgery. Other strategies which similarly alter gastrointestinal responses to food intake could contribute to successful weight management. The aim of this review is to discuss the effects of surgical, pharmacological and behavioural weight loss interventions on gastrointestinal targets of appetite control, including gastric emptying. Gastrointestinal peptides are also discussed because of their integrative relationship in appetite control. This review shows that different strategies exert diverse effects and there is no consensus on the optimal strategy for manipulating gastric emptying to improve appetite control. Emerging evidence from surgical procedures (e.g., sleeve gastrectomy and Roux en-Y gastric bypass) suggests a faster emptying rate and earlier delivery of nutrients to the distal small intestine may improve appetite control. Energy restriction slows gastric emptying, while the effect of exercise-induced weight loss on gastric emptying remains to be established. The limited evidence suggests that chronic exercise is associated with faster gastric emptying which we hypothesise will impact on appetite control and energy balance. Understanding how behavioural weight loss interventions (e.g., diet and exercise) alter gastrointestinal targets of appetite control may be important to improve their success in weight management.

Innovation, interaction, and inclusion : heritage luxury brands in collusion with the consumer

Many luxury heritage brands operate on the misconception that heritage is interchangeable with history rather than representative of the emotional response they originally developed in their customer. This idea of heritage as static history inhibits innovation, prevents dynamic renewal and impedes their ability to redefine, strengthen and position their brand in current and emerging marketplaces. This paper examines a number of heritage luxury brands that have successfully identified the original emotional responses they developed in their customers and, through innovative approaches in design, marketing, branding and distribution evoke these responses in contemporary consumers. Using heritage and innovation hand-in-hand, these brands have continued to grow and develop a vision of heritage that incorporates both historical and contemporary ideas to meet emerging customer needs. While what constitutes a ‘luxury’ item is constantly challenged in this era of accessible luxury products, up scaling and aspirational spending, this paper sees consumers’ emotional needs as the key element in defining the concept of luxury. These emotional qualities consistently remain relevant due to their ability to enhance a positive sense of identity for the brand user. Luxury is about the ‘experience’ not just the product providing the consumer with a sense of enhanced status or identity through invoked feelings of exclusivity, authenticity, quality, uniqueness and culture. This paper will analyse luxury heritage brands that have successfully combined these emotional values with those of their ‘heritage’ to create an aura of authenticity and nostalgia that appeals to contemporary consumers. Like luxury, the line where clothing becomes fashion is blurred in the contemporary fashion industry; however, consumer emotion again plays an important role. For example, clothing becomes ‘fashion’ for consumers when it affects their self perception rather than fulfilling basic functions of shelter and protection. Successful luxury heritage brands can enhance consumers’ sense of self by involving them in the ‘experience’ and ‘personality’ of the brand so they see it as a reflection of their own exclusiveness, authentic uniqueness, belonging and cultural value. Innovation is a valuable tool for heritage luxury brands to successfully generate these desired emotional responses and meet the evolving needs of contemporary consumers. While traditionally fashion has been a monologue from brand to consumer, new technology has given consumers a voice to engage brands in a conversation to express their evolving needs, ideas and feedback. As a result, in this consumer-empowered era of information sharing, this paper defines innovation as the ability of heritage luxury brands to develop new design and branding strategies in response to this consumer feedback while retaining the emotional core values of their heritage. This paper analyses how luxury heritage brands can effectively position themselves in the contemporary marketplace by separating heritage from history to incorporate innovative strategies that will appeal to consumer needs of today and tomorrow.

Media as creative industries : conglomeration and globalization as accumulation strategies in an age of digital media

This chapter will begin by considering some of the distinctive features of media as creative industries, including their assessment of risk and return on investment, team-based production, the management of creativity, the value chain of production, distribution and circulation, and the significance of intellectual property in their revenue strategies. It will then critically appraise three strategies to capture new markets and revenue streams in the context of the rise of the Internet, digital media and globally networked distribution. The three strategies to be considered are conglomeration, networking and globalization, and the focus will be on the media giants such as News Corporation, Disney and Time-Warner. It will be argued that all three present considerable challenges in their application, and digital media technologies are weakening rather than strengthening their capacity to control the global media environment. The chapter will conclude with consideration of some implications of this analysis for questions of media power.