Media pressures and corporate disclosure of social responsibility performance : a case study of two global clothing and sports retail companies

This paper investigates the social and environmental disclosure practices of two large multi-national companies, specifically Nike and Hennes and Mauritz. Utilising a joint consideration of legitimacy theory and media agenda setting theory, we investigate the linkage between negative media attention, and positive corporate social and environmental disclosures. Our results generally support a view that for those issues attracting the greatest amount of negative media attention, corporations react by providing positive social and environmental disclosures. The results were particularly significant in relation to labour practices in developing countries – the issue attracting the greatest amount of negative media attention for the companies in question.

Management framework for corporate telecommunication and data centre information security

Network security, particularly Internet security, is at the forefront of business and government networks. This research has discovered weaknesses in current professional practice, particularly in mitigation strategies to reduce the impacts of security violations in corporate telecommunications and data centres. The importance of integrating security policies, processes and operational practice is demonstrated. Leadership models and innovation mechanisms best suited to improved security design are also identified.

Integrated advertising and sponsorship in corporate marketing through televised sport

To determine how integrated TV advertising and event sponsorship should be managed, a theoretical framework derived from exploratory research was validated by 16 experts and used in 12 case studies. The research identified the key techniques that led to increased corporate sales - 4 key campaign steps and four key objectives with necessary performance measures,

Attitude change in employment of people who have a disability

This thesis is set in Ecological Systems Theory and found that direct experience with people who have a disability, rather than constructed scenarios, is the key to positive attitude change. Future research should utilize the powerful role stereotyped groups themselves have in attitude change through their own development and interaction with the environment.

Institutional effects of corporate planning : the case of Australian universities

This thesis presents a longitudinal analysis of the strategic behaviour of Australian universities between 1993 and 2000. The findings suggest that Australian universities enunciate similar goals and objectives in their strategic planning, and that the activities of universities are largely determined by the patterns of activities undertaken in previous years. The empirical evidence suggests there is only a small amount of differentiation in the activities of Australian universities, despite a Government policy platform that identified institutional diversity as a primary goal.

Contracting-agency analysis of the association between firm risk, investment opportunity set, corporate governance and firm performance

Tests the efficiency of corporate controls (board monitoring and incentive contracts) for growth or risk firms. By exploring the implications of controls and studying their interactive effects on firm performance, this study demonstrates how and why different firms use corporate governance controls to align managers' and shareholders' interests.

Online corporate social responsibility communication by Australian SMEs : a framework for website analysis

There has been almost no IS related corporate social responsibility (CSR) research on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and most non-IS research does not examine how SMEs use websites to communicate their CSR initiatives. This paper develops and applies a framework to report on the results of an exploratory content analysis of 33 Australian SME websites in the Information Media/Telecommunications and Accommodation/ Food Services sectors which communicate CSR initiatives online.

An empirical investigation of hybrid corporate governance systems in large firms : evidence from India

The heightened pace of corporate governance reforms has focussed attention on countryspecific governance models. In relation to India, scholars have observed that a hybrid of the outsider Anglo-Saxon system and the insider Continental system is likely. This paper reports
the results of a study that investigated the corporate governance system of five large firms in 2008. It presents evidence based on publicly available documents and twelve key executive interviews. The paper initially presents a literature review and establishes six propositions
based on the distinguishing features of the two major systems, and then presents the methodology, findings and discussion. The governance characteristics of the Indian firms are classified in terms of the two systems with a view to assessing the extent and nature of hybridization. The findings endorse the hybrid corporate governance system in India.
However, the scope of this study was limited to large listed companies and business groups. Future research should use a larger and more diverse sample including private and unaffiliated firms for outcomes that can be generalized.