M-learning in an off-campus environment : using iPods in accounting education

The widening availability of the internet and the popularity of handheld devices such as Apple’s iPod are creating a generation of tech-savvy students who are becoming more demanding for innovative ways of accessing information. In this study thirty iPods were distributed to students studying an exclusively online graduate level accounting program at a mid-sized Australian university. The students were required to use their iPods as part of the course’s online learning environment. At the end of the semester students were given two questionnaires: (1) to illicit their opinions on the usefulness of the iPod as a learning tool, and (2) to establish their learning styles (using a VARK© questionnaire). The findings indicate that flexibility the perceived benefit of using iPods allowing more efficient and effective study time. In particular the mobility (m-learning) that allowed students to take advantage of what would otherwise be down-time such as travelling on public transport. Disadvantages related to the difficulty in reading text on a small screen and the ability to move to particular parts of a recorded lecture with precision. These comments were consistent for all demographics however students with a more visual learning style rated the iPod more important to their learning than other students. This study involved a small sample but the generally positive response to the use of iPods indicates that there would be value in further studies with larger groups.

Challenges of inter-generational succession in the Chinese Australian family business

Chinese immigrants have long been a feature of Australia's population mix and play a critical role in the country's economic activities, with particular contribution by Chinese family-owned businesses. Although these family-owned businesses can generate and significantly improve the financial wealth which stems from the family's original fortune, most Chinese family businesses are relatively short-lived, rarely extending beyond one generation. The high mortality rate in family businesses points primarily to the challenges of management succession. There is recognition that inter-generational succession is essential for both the profitability of Chinese family businesses and the welfare of the family as a whole. However, the intentions of inter-generational pursuit of continuity can be subject to the different goals and interests of key participants, as well as the surrounding context in which the business develops. This paper presents issues pertaining to the inter-generational diversity that might challenge the business continuity of Chinese family businesses, through the identification of how individuals perceive, relate to and initiate the succession process.

Enriching student experience and inter-professional learning of inclusive design with Second Life

This position paper reflects rapid advances in immersive 2D and 3D eLearning technologies and the expanding pool of ideas and applications in higher education across two professions. Inspiration has been drawn from examples in design learning, and various multidisciplinary collaborative projects through developmental research in Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs). Linden Lab's Second Life (SL) is the most mature and popular of the ‘persistent’ virtual worlds. The study described in this paper aims to increase the authenticity of student learning through a range of SL simulated ‘life experiences’ relating to accessibility and mobility in the built environment. Significantly, the successes of such initiatives lie in several elements: teaching champions with vision and courage; detailed scripting of precise role-play encounters for first-time users to provide supportive ‘blended learning’ contexts; careful and vigilant strategic management of facilities and resources, and a robust design program. This paper focuses on the crucial alignment of these elements to the specific challenges of designing and navigating conception and development processes, to enable the execution and delivery of a tightly defined script for meaningful and memorable learning outcomes. This innovative pedagogical approach lacks time-tested outcomes, but is recognised equally as opportunity and challenge; risk and reward.

Inter-relationships between innovation and market orientation in SMEs

Purpose – This study aims to explore the nature of the interactions between two strategies, innovation and market orientation. By examining the components of these constructs the paper seeks to identify key components of market orientation that are antecedent factors of the innovation performance of the firm.

Design/methodology/approach – Correlation analysis was undertaken on data from a survey of 73 manufacturing firms in the Greater Western Sydney economic development zone in Australia. The data were supplemented by information obtained from the firm's annual reports.

Findings – Innovation was found to be positively correlated to market orientation (customer orientation, competitor orientation and inter-functional co-ordination) and both of these constructs were found to be positively correlated to firm performance and the degree of change in the firm's competitive environment.

Research limitations/implications – Possible limitations are: the low survey response rate; the nature of the sampled population; and the spread of industries involved, which could limit the generalisability of the results. The next steps will be to conduct deeper analysis into the factors that make up the subscales of the two constructs and to determine how market orientation or its associated activities interact with the innovation process.

Practical implications – In order to maximize a firm's financial performance, organizations should increase both their market orientation and their innovation activities as these factors operate synergistically.

Originality/value – This study is arguably the first to establish the finding that the degree of change in the competitive environment and the level of market orientation are linked, and the identification of the components of market orientation that are linked to firm innovation. These findings suggest that firm innovation and firm market orientation are strategic reactions to changes in the firm's competitive environment.

Accountancy and academic/professional inter-dependency (or mutual exclusivity?)

This paper is a report on an Accounting Education Symposium held during the 2009 Annual Congress of the EAA in Tampere, Finland. This was the fourth occasion on which there has been an Accounting Education Symposium (or similar) within an EAA Annual Congress. Previous events were as follows:

2005 (Gotenburg, Sweden) EAA Accounting Educators' Forum
2006 (Dublin, Ireland) 'Universities and Professional Bodies: Complementary or Colliding Roles in Educating and Training Future Accounting Practitioners?' (sponsored by the Irish Accountancy Educational Trust)
2008 (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) 'Accounting Education: The Common Content Project' (sponsored by Royal NIVRA).

Prescription medication hoarding and borrowing or sharing behaviours in older residents in the Illawarra, New South Wales, Australia

Aim: To examine prescription medication hoarding and borrowing or sharing (PMHBS) behaviours in older people, particularly which medications are subject to these behaviours and the circumstances that enable these behaviours.

Methods: A mixed methods triangulation design, using consecutive qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (survey) methodologies in a convenience sample of people older than 65 years, living independently in the Illawarra region (New South Wales).

Results: Focus group participants (n= 28) acknowledged PMHBS behaviours were widespread; however, very few survey respondents (n= 226) admitted to engaging in these behaviours. Main findings in the study were enablers for these behaviours: the prescription medication is considered the same as that prescribed previously; and self-medicating for pain relief.

Conclusions: The prevalence of PMHBS behaviours in this study was low, although it was acknowledged such behaviours occurred in the wider community. Sharing strong pain medication and the same prescription medication appeared to be acceptable in this population.

Inter-bonded fibrous matrices for 3D tissue engineering scaffolds

The thesis established a stable three-dimensional fibrous tissue scaffold that has controlled pore structure and inter-bonded fibrous structure, and also examined the effects of the 3D fibrous matrices and functional surfaces including nano-scale topography, bioactive CaP coating and antibacterial treatment on the cell growth behavior for tissue engineering application.