Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Commentary: Reflections On The Critical Accounting Movement: The Reflections Of A Cultural Conservative, Mary A. Kaidonis

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The editors described this as provocative and I was eager to be informed and challenged. O'Regan's claim to be sympathetic to Critical Accounting and his promise to "articulate in sober terms" gave way to O'Regan's frustration, distain and ultimately to reveal his confusion. If previous authoritive writers have failed to inform or enlighten, what contribution could I make? Do I respond the emotive phrases used. Do I sensor me responses? Or should I be amused and have some fun too? I have decided to do all three by offering two commentaries; one which takes O'Regans's paper seriously and I also …

Www Sites Vs. Applications Software: The Dais Model, Lejla Vrazalic, Peter N. Hyland

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Since the advent and widespread use of the Internet, it has become apparent that there are significant differences between applications software and WWW sites which warrant a re-examination of HCI design and evaluation methods. Previous research has identified and documented the factors which differentiate between applications software and WWW sites, however a well defined model of these differences and their origins was not available. This paper defines such a model of Distinguishing Attributes for Informational Sites (DAIS). © 2003 ACM.

Simplifying Three-Way Questionnaires - Do The Advantages Of Binary Answer Categories Compensate For The Loss Of Information?, Sara Dolnicar

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Rating scales have become a very common questionnaire answer format in marketing surveys. Apart from problems related to data analysis using ordinal data of this kind, questionnaires producing three-way data are extremely tedious for respondents to answer. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences between binary and ordinally scaled three-way data questionnaires with regard to the duration, the perceived complexity by respondents and the results with regard to the attitude profiles derived. Results indicate that the findings from ordinally scaled questionnaires do not differ sufficiently in terms of profile interpretation to justify the use of such scales …

Political Economy Of Accounting In Intellectual Capital Reporting, Indra Abeysekera

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Several factors shaping intellectual capital reporting (ICR) in the context of the political economy of accounting (PEA) theory were discussed in relation to traditional accounting reporting system, intellectual capital and intellectual reporting definitions, techniques employed to report intellectual capital (IC), and theoretical classification of IC. Reporting intellectual capital enables firms to report them in a fashion that best suits the relationship between the firm and their political, economic, and social arrangement. The unregulated reporting can increase manipulation of ICR in a borderless reporting environment to reduce the tension between the firm and its political, social, and economic arrangement.

Believability And Effectiveness Of Young Adult Safe-Drinking Messages, Natalie Breen, Jennifer Thornton, Sandra C. Jones

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study investigates eight safe-drinking messages, using appeals to the ‘self’ versus appeals about ‘others’, in combination with either a low or high physical threat, or a low or high social threat. The participants were18-25 year old second-year university marketing students. An experimental design was used for data collection, which involved 196 participants, with the groups comprised of participants with homogenous demographic characteristics and drinking behaviour. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the believability and effectiveness of the messages. It was determined that messages about ‘others’ were perceived as more believable and effective than the corresponding appeals used …

A Grounded Theory Of The Leadership Process In A Large Government Bureaucracy, George K. Kriflik, R. Jones

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper presents a theory of the leadership process within the particular substantive setting of a large government bureaucracy. The study organisation (labelled AGRO) possesses a dominant engineering culture and has a history characterised by non- tumultuous change. The research methodology of orthodox grounded theory was employed. The main concern of the participants was found to be a desire to close the gap between their current work reality and that level they perceived themselves to be capable of achieving. This was resolved through the basic social process of Minimising Attainment Deficit. Leadership aspects of charisma and vision where not evident …

A Review Of Unquestioned Standards In Using Cluster Analysis For Data-Driven Market Segmentation, Sara Dolnicar

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Clustering is a highly popular and widely used tool for identifying or constructing databased market segments. Over decades of applying cluster analytical procedures for the purpose of searching for homogeneous subgroups among consumers, questionable standards of utilization have emerged, e.g. the non-explorative manner in which results from cluster analytic procedures are reported, the black-box approach ignoring crucial parameters of the algorithms applied or the lack of harmonization of methodology chosen and data conditions. The purpose of this study is threefold: (1) to investigate whether and which standards of application of cluster analysis have emerged in the academic marketing literature, (2) …

Strategic Brand Image Analysis For Heterogeneous Markets – Applying Dynamic Perceptions Based Market Segmentation (Dynpbms) To Dishwashing Brand Data, Sara Dolnicar

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The aim of this article is to illustrate the usefulness of an exploratory tool called dynamic perceptions based market segmentation (dynPBMS, based on the PBMS approach introduced by Mazanec and Strasser (2000) and Buchta, Dolnicar and Reutterer (2000)) for the investigation of image patterns in the marketplace as well as structural changes of such patterns over time. As starting point for analysis typical brand image data is used: repeated surveys questioning respondents about their evaluation of multiple brands with regard to multiple attributes. The advantages of using dynPBMS as compared to traditional tools applied in market structure analysis include (1) …

The Changing Role Of Tutors: Forming A Community Of Practice In A Distributed Learning Environment, Geraldine E. Lefoe, J. Hedberg, C. Gunn

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) - Papers

An evaluation of a distributed learning environment (DLE) of a regional NSW university provided the context to examine the changing role of tutors in new learning environments. It examines how the tutors started to form a community of practice in the first year of operation. The distance from the main campus made communication difficult for the tutors, lecturers and students and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT), at times, added to the challenge. This paper identifies ways that the tutor role changes in a DLE and how the development of a community of practice can support this change.

Quality Assurance And Online Teaching And Learning: First Steps, Robert M. Corderoy, Ray Stace, R. Pennell

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) - Papers

In the late 90s the University of Wollongong (Australia) recognised the need for the establishment of flexible course delivery. The increasing globalisation of the world of tertiary education has added to the pressure for all institutions to address issues associated with the delivery of a quality education. Many systems have been developed internationally, but to be truly useful in changing the process and ensuring the students (the clients) are happy, quality assurance has to have a local component. To address the issue of QA and online teaching and learning the authors are looking at a two phase process, the first …

Dilemmas Of Defending Dissent: The Dismissal Of Ted Steele From The University Of Wollongong, Brian Martin

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

The summary dismissal of Ted Steele from the University of Wollongong in February 2001 was the most significant case of its type in Australian higher education in half a century. The Steele dismissal case is placed in the context of academic freedom in Australia, the development of the University of Wollongong and Steele's own background. The moves made by key players in the drama - the university administration, the National Tertiary Education Union, the Department of Biological Sciences and Steele - are assessed in the light of possible alternatives. The case shows that rhetoric about free speech and academic freedom …

Adaptive Management: What Does It Mean And How Can It Be Used In Fire Management?, R. J. Whelan

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

‘Adaptive Management’ is becoming a frequently heard term but it is a much misunderstood concept. It does not mean that developments can go ahead and be ‘adapted’ if detrimental effects are discovered! Its greatest value is in defining an experimental approach to land management in situations where scientific knowledge is lacking but where immediate actions are required. This is especially important where doing nothing might conceivably be just as undesirable as applying any of the alternative management options. Given the lack of knowledge of fire responses of much of our native biota, adaptive management is clearly a sensible approach to …

Activity-Based Market Sub-Segmentation Of Cultural Tourists, Sara Dolnicar

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The group of cultural tourists has received a lot of attention in the past decades. Nevertheless only few attempts have been made to study the characteristics of the “culture tourism market segment”. Besides, it is often implicitly assumed that this segment is a homogeneous group of tourists. The contribution of this article is twofold: First, the assumption of one homogeneous market segment is questioned by searching for sub-segment among cultural tourist in a data-driven manner. Second, this data partitioning task is achieved by using a topology representing network (TRN), methodology that allows additional insight into the similarity structure of the …

Minding Your Own Business: Can A Business Excellence Framework Translate To The Education Sector? , Margie H. Jantti

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) - Papers

As the first education and training organisation to be recognised with an Australian Business Excellence Award in the Award’s 14 year history, the University of Wollongong Library has demonstrated how the principles of excellence can readily be translated to the education and service sector.

Many higher education institutions are planning or preparing for the audit process developed by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA). The audit process, particularly the internal self assessment will be firmly focussed on practices and processes aligned with the stated vision and mission of the institution; how plans and objectives are translated into operational activities; how …

Serve Sizes Of Grain Based Foods In Australia, P. G. Williams, B. Gibson, N. Smith

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A survey was conducted of the recommended serve sizes used on the labelling of 807 grain based foods sold in Sydney stores in 2000. These values were compared with the serve sizes used in a variety of food selection guides, including the Australian Guide to Health Eating (AGHE). In most food categories there was a great deal of variation in the serve sizes recommended, sometimes up to 20 fold. The most consistent recommendations were for sliced breads, with most manufacturers recommending two slices as a serve, and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals (one cup). The median values for cereal products were mostly …

Online Role Play As A Complementary Learning Design For The First Fleet Database, Sandra Wills, A. Ip

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) - Papers

Pedagogically, databases of primary source data provide students with a learning experience based on the inquiry learning model however, observations of students and teachers in the past 20 years have indicated that database searching is shallow and investigation perfunctory. Before, we could have blamed unwieldy search engines. The online version of the First Fleet Database has removed this obstacle, but students’ research skills still appear to be limited. Other pedagogical strategies have been added to that of the database strategy, for example a discussion forum to enable learners to publish and debate their opinions on history. However our statistics show …

Diffusion Of R&D Within The Australian Wine Industry, D. K. Aylward

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Streptococcus Pyogenes Prtfii, But Not Sfbi, Sfbii Or Fbp54, Is Represented More Frequently Among Invasive-Disease Isolates Of Tropical Australia, A. Delvecchio, B. J. Currie, Jason D. Mcarthur, Mark J. Walker, K. S. Sriprakash

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus) strains may express several distinct ®bronectinbinding proteins (FBPs) which are considered as major streptococcal adhesins. Of the FBPs, SfbI was shown in Šitro to promote internalization of the bacterium into host cells and has been implicated in persistence. In the tropical Northern Territory, where group A streptococcal infection is common, multiple genotypes of the organism were found among isolates from invasive disease cases and no dominant strains were observed. To determine whether any FBPs is associated with invasive disease propensity of S. pyogenes, we have screened streptococcal isolates from bacteraemic and necrotizing fasciitis patients and …

The Legitimizing Power Of Financial Statements In The Salvation Army In England, 1865 - 1892, H. J. Irvine

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Since its inception The Salvation Army has relied heavily on external funds to survive. There is evidence to suggest that at the time of its founding, in 19th century England, and in its early years, financial statements played a powerful legitimizing role. This was crucial to an organization like The Salvation Army, newly formed and in desperate need of funds. This view is consistent with institutional theory, which emphasizes the importance of such legitimacy. However, it challenges the notion, prevalent in academic literature on accounting in religious organizations, that there is a resistance to the use of accounting as a …

Aerosol Optical Depth At Cape Grim, Tasmania 1986-1999, Stephen R. Wilson, B. W. Forgan

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The aerosol optical depth at 4 wavelengths (368, 500, 778 and 868nm) has been measured automatically at Cape Grim since 1986. The site, on the northwest tip of Tasmania, Australia was chosen to be representative of much of the southern ocean. Fourteen years of measurement have been calibrated and analyzed. The data have been filtered so that only measurements made under on-shore wind conditions are considered. The major feature observed in the record is the eruption of Mt Pinatubo, which resulted in the aerosol optical depth at 500 nm rising to 0.2 – 0.3. If the period of high stratospheric …

Random Selection Of Citizens For Technological Decision Making, L. Carson, Brian Martin

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

Random selection provides a way to overcome some of the usual problems of citizen participation in technological decision making. It offers representativeness with a minimum of bias and susceptibility to vested interests. There are a number of requirements for the effectiveness of the random selection approach, such as that citizens are interested and capable of rational deliberation. A number of recent experiments with policy juries and planning cells are assessed to see how well they satisfy the requirements for the effectiveness of the approach. While random selection shows great promise as a means for involving citizens in technological decision making, …

Assessing The Impact Of Change In Petroleum Prices On Inflation And Household Expenditures In Australia, Abbas Valadkhani, W. F. Mitchell

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

In this paper we examine three broad issues: (a) the expected impact of the recent petrol price rises on prices throughout the economy, (b) the hypothesis that the economy is now less susceptible to oil price rises than it was in the 1970s when the first major oil prices occurred, and (c) the likely distributional impacts of the petrol price rises? A modified input-output (IO) price model is used to simulate the impact of a two-fold increase in petrol prices on the sectoral and aggregate price indices in Australia. The 1996-97 and 1977-78 IO tables are used. Among the results …

Long- And Short-Run Determinants Of The Demand For Money In New Zealand: A Cointegration Analysis, Abbas Valadkhani

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The existence of a stable demand for money is very important for the conduct of monetary policy even in this new era of inflation targeting. It is argued that previous work on the demand for money in New Zealand has been either not very satisfactory in a number of ways or outdated. This paper examines the long-run determinants of the demand for M3 employing the Johansen cointegration technique and quarterly data for the period 1988:1-2002:2. This paper finds, inter alia, that the demand for money is cointegrated with real income, the spread between interest on money and on non-money assets, …

An Examination Of Indexes For Determining The Number Of Clusters In Binary Data Sets, E. Dimitriadou, Sara Dolnicar, A. Weingessel

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The problem of choosing the correct number of clusters is as old as cluster analysis itself. A number of authors have suggested various indexes to facilitate this crucial decision. One of the most extensive comparative studies of indexes was conducted by Milligan & Cooper (1985). The present piece of work pursues the same goal under different conditions. In contrast to Milligan and Cooper's work, the emphasis here is on high-dimensional empirical binary data. Binary artificial data sets are constructed to reflect features typically encountered in real-world situations in the field of marketing research. The simulation includes 162 binary data sets …

Activity-Based Market Sub-Segmentation Of Cultural Tourists, Sara Dolnicar

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The group of cultural tourists has received a lot of attention in the past decades. Nevertheless only few attempts have been made to study the characteristics of the “culture tourism market segment”. Besides, it is often implicitly assumed that this segment is a homogeneous group of tourists. The contribution of this article is twofold: First, the assumption of one homogeneous market segment is questioned by searching for sub-segment among cultural tourist in a data-driven manner. Second, this data partitioning task is achieved by using a topology representing network (TRN), methodology that allows additional insight into the similarity structure of the …

Market Efficiency And The Returns To Simple Technical Trading Rules: New Evidence From U.S. Equity Market And Chinese Equity Markets, Gary Gang Tian, Guang Hua Wan, Mingyuan Guo

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Numerous studies in the finance literature have investigated technical analysis to determine its validity as an investment tool. This study is an attempt to explore whether some forms of technical analysis can predict stock price movement and make excess profits based on certain trading rules in markets with different efficiency level. To avoid using arbitrarily selected 26 trading rules as did by Brock, Lakonishok and LeBaron (1992) and later by Bessembinder and Chan (1998), this paper examines predictive power and profitability of simple trading rules by expanding their universe of 26 rules to 412 rules. In order to find out …

Food Service Trends In New South Wales Hospitals, 1993-2001, R. Mibey, P. G. Williams

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A survey of the food service departments in 93 hospitals throughout NSW Australia (covering 51% of hospital beds in the state) was conducted using a mailed questionnaire and the results compared with those from similar surveys conducted in 1986 and 1993. Over the past eight years there has been a significant increase in the proportion of hospitals using cook-chill food service production systems, from 18% in 1993 to 42% in 2001 (p<0.001). Hospitals with cook-chill systems had lower staff ratios than those with cook-fresh systems (8.3 vs 6.4 beds/full time equivalent staff; p<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the ratio of meals served per FTE. There was no difference between public and private hospitals in terms of ratios of beds or meals to food service staff. Managers using cook-chill systems reported significantly lower levels of satisfaction with the food service system compared to those using cook-fresh. Two aspects of the services have not changed since the last survey: approximately a quarter of food service departments are still managed by staff without formal qualifications and meal times remain the same, with more than 90% of hospitals serving the evening meal before 5.30pm and a median of 14.25 hours gap between the evening meal and breakfast.

Syllable Frequency Effects On Phonological Short-Term Memory Tasks, L. M. Nimmo, Steven Roodenrys

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Recent evidence suggests that phonological short-term memory (STM) tasks are influenced by both lexical and sublexical factors inherent in the selection and construction of the stimuli to be recalled. This study examined whether long-term memory (LTM) influences STM at a sublexical level by investigating whether the frequency with which one-syllable nonwords occur in polysyllabic words influences recall accuracy on two phonological STM tasks, nonword repetition and serial recall. The results showed that recall accuracy increases when the stimuli to be recalled consist of one-syllable nonwords that occur often in polysyllabic English words. This result is consistent with the notion that …

What Australians Eat For Breakfast: An Analysis Of Data From The 1995 National Nutrition Survey, P. G. Williams

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective To analyse data on the patterns of food consumption at breakfast reported in the 1995 National Nutrition Survey.

Design The Australian Bureau of Statistics was commissioned to undertake additional analysis of data on food intake collected using 24-hour recall interviews, a food frequency questionnaire and a food habits questionnaire.

Subjects Nationally representative sample of 13 858 Australians, from age 2 years, surveyed in the 1995 National Nutrition Survey.

Main outcome measures Percentage of people eating breakfast regularly, mean amount of food groups consumed at breakfast, the percentage of respondents consuming each food item, and the mean serve sizes.

Statistical …

Changing Staff Attitudes And Empathy For Working With People With Psychosis, H. J. Mcleod, F. P. Deane, B. Hogbin

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Seventy-seven mental health professionals completed a 3-day cognitive behavioural training course for managing hallucinations and delusions in schizophrenia. A questionnaire measuring attitudes and empathy towards working with people who have these symptoms was administered before and after the course. Significant increases in feelings of adequacy, legitimacy, employment related self-esteem, and expectations of work satisfaction were observed after the course and participants displayed high levels of motivation for working with this clinical population at both time points. In addition, the participants showed significant increases in perceived empathy for the experience of hallucinations and delusions. This was a predicted outcome as the …