Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Australian universities'
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1
Collier, Alan James, and not supplied. "Enhancing Australian Universities' Research Commercialisation." RMIT University. Management, 2008. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20081027.163031.
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The Australian Government expects universities to engage in technology transfer and commercialisation (TT&C) and almost all universities have established a technology transfer office (TTO) for this purpose. The primary aim of this research was to identify what would enhance the overall performance of Australian universities in research commercialisation and industry uptake of the university research commercialisation outcomes. Four research questions were enunciated: 1 What are the systemic barriers to research commercialisation within Australian universities? 2 How could Australian universities overcome the systemic barriers to the commercialisation of university research? 3 How, in particular, could Australian smaller and regional universities enhance their research commercialisation capacity and performance? 4 How could the uptake by industry of Australian university research outcomes be improved? Question 1 was answered using a qualitative content analysis on the substantial body of literature available. Questions 2 and 3 were answered using multiple-case analysis involving eight Australian university case studies and comparing Australian university practice with five benchmark universities two from the US, two from Canada, and one from New Zealand. The first major conclusion was that there are three essential criteria upon which university TT&C success is built: institutional and senior executive support for TT&C superior TTO management; and sufficient world-class research being conducted. The second major conclusion was that the same key criteria for success in TT&C apply across the board, whether a university is smaller, regional, technical, new or old, research-intensive or otherwise. Question 4 was answered using case studies developed on five SME companies in the electronics industry in one Australian State and comparing these results with the outcome of a narrative review conducted on the literature to permit methodological triangulation. The research found a rich engagement occurring between universities and industry, with the most important element involving individual personal relationships.
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Eedle, Elizabeth Margaret, and n/a. "Resoure allocation in selected Australian universities." Swinburne University of Technology, 2007. http://adt.lib.swin.edu.au./public/adt-VSWT20070828.164416.
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Australian universities are multi-million dollar operations employing tens of thousands of people. They attract revenue from a variety of government and non-government sources, and yet, as non-profit organisations they are judged by governments, peers and their communities on their performance in teaching and research rather than on a financial bottom line.
In order to achieve these results, university managers must make decisions on how to allocate available funding throughout the university. Faced with competing demands on scarce funds, how do university managers make these choices? One option is to use a resource allocation model to 'crunch the numbers'. Resource allocation models can incorporate a number of elements - student and staff numbers, weightings and performance data, for example - to allocate available funds. These allocation models are used in different ways in different universities, but serve the same basic purpose of assisting decision-making on how much to allocate to different sections of the organisation. Such models operate within a process and context that includes the strategic aims of the University, the organisation structure, its committees and culture.
This thesis contains case studies of resource allocation models and processes used in three Australian universities. It examines the methods used for resource allocation at the first and second levels within each university; that is, from the Vice-Chancellor to Dean (or equivalent), and from Dean to Head of School (or equivalent). Observations and conclusions are drawn on the models used, the processes surrounding the models, and the continuity between the two layers of allocations.
The research finds all the case-study universities operate models at multiple levels in their organisations, and that there is a concerning lack of consistency and flow-through at these different levels. The messages that the university leadership intends to send through the allocations may be lost to managers one-process removed from them. The research also concludes that transparency is the most important element of the resource allocation process. University staff dealing with allocation processes will accept the results, even if they are not ideal, if they can understand how and why decisions were made.
As a professional doctorate thesis, the aim is to provide a practical aid to people with responsibility for resource allocation in universities.
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Eedle, Elizabeth. "Resoure allocation in selected Australian universities." Australasian Digital Thesis Program, 2007. http://adt.lib.swin.edu.au/public/adt-VSWT20070828.164416/index.html.
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Thesis (DBA) - Faculty of Business and Enterprise, Swinburne University of Technology, 2007.Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Business Administration in the Faculty of Business and Enterprise, Swinburne University of Technology, 2007. Typescript. Bibliography: p. 209-227.
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au, P. Reece@murdoch edu, and Philip David Reece. "Universities as Learning Organizations: How can Australian Universities become Learning Organizations?" Murdoch University, 2004. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20040714.134623.
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This thesis examines the research issue of universities as Learning Organization. It examines the research problem of How can Australian universities become Learning Organization? This thesis presents the findings from a qualitative study of two publicly funded universities based in Western Australia, using the convergent interview and multiple case study methodology. The 11 convergent interviews were used to establish the ten key dimensions of what, the researcher considered, are necessary for Australian universities to become Learning Organization. The 32 case studies were then used to confirm or disconfirm these ten key dimensions which are listed below:
Leadership
Vision
Organizational culture
Human resource management
Role in society
Accessibility
Resources
Innovation and creativity
Information Communication Technology
Global reach
Of the ten key dimensions examined some, such as leadership, vision, Human Resource Management and having sufficient resources, were found to be clearly important to Australian universities becoming Learning Organization. While others, such as the global reach of a university and the accessibility to a university, presented with less clear findings, but still remain as part of the overall basis for Australian universities to become Learning Organization. The findings presented in this thesis represent the combined views of 32 staff members of two West Australian universities and provide many meaningful insights to the current state of two contemporary West Australian universities; one noted primarily as a research university and the other as primarily a teaching university. Finally, this thesis presents a model of what Australian universities could be, as Learning Organization.
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Reece, Philip David. "Universities as learning organizations: how can Australian universities become learning organizations?" Thesis, Reece, Philip David (2004) Universities as learning organizations: how can Australian universities become learning organizations? PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2004. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/274/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines the research issue of universities as Learning Organization. It examines the research problem of 'How can Australian universities become Learning Organization'? This thesis presents the findings from a qualitative study of two publicly funded universities based in Western Australia, using the convergent interview and multiple case study methodology. The 11 convergent interviews were used to establish the ten key dimensions of what, the researcher considered, are necessary for Australian universities to become Learning Organization. The 32 case studies were then used to confirm or disconfirm these ten key dimensions which are listed below:
* Leadership
* Vision
* Organizational culture
* Human resource management
* Role in society
* Accessibility
* Resources
* Innovation and creativity
* Information Communication Technology
* Global reach
Of the ten key dimensions examined some, such as leadership, vision, Human Resource Management and having sufficient resources, were found to be clearly important to Australian universities becoming Learning Organization. While others, such as the global reach of a university and the accessibility to a university, presented with less clear findings, but still remain as part of the overall basis for Australian universities to become Learning Organization. The findings presented in this thesis represent the combined views of 32 staff members of two West Australian universities and provide many meaningful insights to the current state of two contemporary West Australian universities; one noted primarily as a research university and the other as primarily a teaching university. Finally, this thesis presents a model of what Australian universities could be, as Learning Organization.
6
Reece, Philip David. "Universities as learning organizations : how can Australian universities become learning organizations? /." Reece, Philip David (2004) Universities as learning organizations: how can Australian universities become learning organizations? PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2004. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/274/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines the research issue of universities as Learning Organization. It examines the research problem of 'How can Australian universities become Learning Organization'? This thesis presents the findings from a qualitative study of two publicly funded universities based in Western Australia, using the convergent interview and multiple case study methodology. The 11 convergent interviews were used to establish the ten key dimensions of what, the researcher considered, are necessary for Australian universities to become Learning Organization. The 32 case studies were then used to confirm or disconfirm these ten key dimensions which are listed below:
* Leadership
* Vision
* Organizational culture
* Human resource management
* Role in society
* Accessibility
* Resources
* Innovation and creativity
* Information Communication Technology
* Global reach
Of the ten key dimensions examined some, such as leadership, vision, Human Resource Management and having sufficient resources, were found to be clearly important to Australian universities becoming Learning Organization. While others, such as the global reach of a university and the accessibility to a university, presented with less clear findings, but still remain as part of the overall basis for Australian universities to become Learning Organization. The findings presented in this thesis represent the combined views of 32 staff members of two West Australian universities and provide many meaningful insights to the current state of two contemporary West Australian universities; one noted primarily as a research university and the other as primarily a teaching university. Finally, this thesis presents a model of what Australian universities could be, as Learning Organization.
7
Stavretis, Lyn, and lstavret@bigpond net au. "The Dance of Compliance: Performance Management in Australian Universities." RMIT University. Management, 2007. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20080521.123556.
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This qualitative study identified the formal and informal performance management (PM) practices in use in Australian public universities for academic staff Levels A, B and C. It asked the following research questions. What PM practices are currently in use in these universities? What are the similarities in approach and what issues does PM raise? How do academic staff who take part in these practices (as either staff or management) experience them? What cultural and contextual factors (if any) contribute to this experience? What are the perceived effects of these practices on the performance of individuals, teams and the organisation? Which system elements do academic staff and academic managers perceive to be most effective in academic cultures and why? The context of substantive change within Australian universities was outlined and literature pertaining to the field of PM in general, and in educational organisations in particular, was explored. The existence, structure, purposes and other factual details of formal PM systems were identified, although the study focused on the opinions, perceptions and attitudes of the respondents. Findings suggested that current PM practice in Australian public universities did little to meet the needs of any of the key stakeholders and remained fundamentally unsatisfying to all concerned. Furthermore, the failure to clearly articulate the purposes and to consider the implementation and ongoing costs of a formal PM system typically resulted in widespread cynicism and a ritual dance of compliance that demonstrated palpably low engagement with systems. Formal PM systems helped to clarify objectives and workload allocation for some staff, but were found to be poorly linked to organisational planning processes, poor at differentiating levels of performance, not valued by academic staff as a vehicle for meaningful feedback, failing to follow through on development outcomes and thus did little to build team, individual or organisational capability. Study recommendations suggested that developmental models of PM were more appropriate and acceptable in academia and that considerable work would be required to incorporate evaluative links such as performance-related pay successfully. More rigorous evaluation, consultation processes regarding user preferences, piloting of PM systems prior to full implementation, and dedicated resources for the PM function and its outcomes (such as staff development), would be required as a part of a comprehensive change management strategy to overcome historical resistance. A thorough capability analysis of the people management skills for Heads of School and above was seen as a priority, given that feedback skill and the management of under-performance were consistently identified as problematic. The costs of under-performance warranted this expenditure. A national evaluation study of PM practice in higher education was recommended to assess the real outcomes, costs and benefits and determine whether continued investment in PM systems was actually merited. Alternative models and approaches such as modular PM systems for the different stages of an academic career, promotion portfolios, reflective practice or peer learning groups were suggested as potentially more successful in enhancing the accountability and performance of academic staff than mandated hierarchical PM.
8
Winter, Richard (Richard Philip) 1957. "Quality of work life of academics in Australian universities." Monash University, Dept. of Management, 2001. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/8748.
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Hicks, Michael John. "IT governance structures and their effectiveness in Australian universities." Thesis, Curtin University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1399.
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This thesis advances the understanding of information technology (IT) governance research by considering the question “How do user stakeholders influence the planning and implementation of IT governance?” IT has become pervasive with organisations increasingly dependent on their information systems to support day to day operations and the achievement of strategic objectives (Bart & Turel, 2010; Parent & Reich, 2009; De Haes & Van Grembergen, 2009). As a result, organisations commit considerable resources into IT assets to meet the needs of their employees and other stakeholders (Nolan & McFarlan, 2005). Although the importance of IT governance to business has increased there has been little research into the influences that help determine the planning and implementation of the mechanisms that shape the IT governance process. In addition, there is a need to develop a better insight into stakeholder relationships to analyse strategic change in organisations (Myllykangas, Kujala, & Lehtimäki, 2010).This thesis addresses these gaps in the IT governance literature by providing a deeper understanding of the relationship between the planning and implementation of IT governance, the mechanisms of IT governance, and user stakeholders, from a stakeholder theory perspective. A mixed methods approach using a quantitative survey and a qualitative case study is employed. The research proposes a conceptual model developed from the literature to represent the influence user stakeholders have on the IT governance planning and implementation process. A positivist paradigm is used to explore the research topic and to confirm and subsequently validate the research model. Stakeholder theory is used to help explain the process represented in the model and to answer the research questions developed from the gaps identified in the literature.The key findings of this research are: (i) users have the potential to add value to the IT governance planning and implementation process; (ii) user support and acceptance is an important contributor to IT governance; and (iii) the influence of user stakeholders should be taken into consideration in IT governance planning and implementation. Universities participating in the study were found to share a common IT related history that evolved over time and was unplanned on a university level. Issues of lack of alignment of IT with business strategies, unmanaged IT related risk, and inefficient use of IT resources had led to comprehensive reviews of the IT function and the subsequent implementation of IT governance. It was found that user stakeholders at the faculty level did influence the planning and implementation of IT governance and the benefits of their involvement are recognized and valued by the IT governance decision makers. In contrast the research found at the individual level user stakeholders wanted to be involved in the IT decision making but felt they had no influence and would have little impact on the decisions that affected them.The application of stakeholder theory to help explain the findings provides a valuable insight into the influence of user stakeholders on the planning and implementation of IT governance. A paradox was found in that although user stakeholders were accepted as legitimate, they were not always involved in decisions that impacted on them. The normative and descriptive contradiction, as described by Sonpar, Pazzaglia, & Kornijenko (2010), was also identified in the IT governance planning and implementation process. The normative and descriptive contradiction was found in that those user stakeholders who received the most attention where not always the ones identified by the IT governance decision makers as those who should have the most influence.The research found the research orientation of the university and the resources available had a direct impact on the degree of centralisation of IT decision making. Centralisation in turn affected the degree of user influence on IT governance planning and implementation and the level at which the influence was exercised. The research highlights to universities that they need to ensure stakeholders, including users, are involved in the design of the IT governance process and its ongoing operation. Failure to fulfil the needs of stakeholders can lead to abhorrent behaviour and adversely affect the IT governance operations. This study provides practical guidance to IT management and university executive on the importance of recognising the key influences on the design and ongoing operations of IT governance. The research model detailed in this study gives an informative guide to the critical user influences and their effect on the IT governance process. The research has demonstrated that IT governance is a complex process and to ensure its success, institutions should consider both the social and economic influences and impacts.This research makes an important contribution to IT governance research and theory by identifying the influence user stakeholders have on the IT governance planning and implementation process. The application of stakeholder theory in the research addresses the gap in the literature relating to understanding the influences on the planning and implementation of IT governance in the context of stakeholder theory. The benefits and issues that arise from user stakeholder influence are also explored and provide a deeper insight into the IT governance planning and implementation process for the guidance of organisations undertaking this process. The research conducted should encourage further research into IT governance and the involvement of user stakeholders in the planning and implementation stage.
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Lane, Tim. "Information security management in Australian universities : an exploratory analysis." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2007. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/16486/1/Tim_Lane_Thesis.pdf.
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Australian Universities increasingly rely on Information Technology (IT) systems for essential business operations, including administration, teaching, learning and research. Applying information security to university IT systems is strategically important to maintaining overall business continuity in universities. However, the process of effectively implementing information security management in the university sector is challenging for security practitioners. University environments consist of a cultural mix of academic freedoms, student needs and compliance mandates. Consequently, unique and divergent demands are placed on securing and accessing university IT systems. This research undertook a qualitative based exploratory analysis of information security management in Australian universities. The aims and objectives of the research (represented as the research questions) were to determine:
1) What is the current status of information security management practices in the Australian university sector?
2) What are the key issues and influencing factors surrounding the effectiveness of information security management practices?
3) How could improvements in information security management be achieved?
The findings from the research led to a comprehensive and insightful examination of the current status, issues and challenges facing information security practitioners in Australian universities. The research findings culminated in the development of a Security Practitioner's Management Model. An essential aim of the model is to assist security practitioners to successfully implement and progress information security in the Australian university environment. The research improves current understanding of information security issues and reinforces the pertinence of information security management as a strategically important business function for Australian universities.
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Lane, Tim. "Information security management in Australian universities : an exploratory analysis." Queensland University of Technology, 2007. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16486/.
Full textAbstract:
Australian Universities increasingly rely on Information Technology (IT) systems for essential business operations, including administration, teaching, learning and research. Applying information security to university IT systems is strategically important to maintaining overall business continuity in universities. However, the process of effectively implementing information security management in the university sector is challenging for security practitioners. University environments consist of a cultural mix of academic freedoms, student needs and compliance mandates. Consequently, unique and divergent demands are placed on securing and accessing university IT systems. This research undertook a qualitative based exploratory analysis of information security management in Australian universities. The aims and objectives of the research (represented as the research questions) were to determine: 1) What is the current status of information security management practices in the Australian university sector? 2) What are the key issues and influencing factors surrounding the effectiveness of information security management practices? 3) How could improvements in information security management be achieved? The findings from the research led to a comprehensive and insightful examination of the current status, issues and challenges facing information security practitioners in Australian universities. The research findings culminated in the development of a Security Practitioner's Management Model. An essential aim of the model is to assist security practitioners to successfully implement and progress information security in the Australian university environment. The research improves current understanding of information security issues and reinforces the pertinence of information security management as a strategically important business function for Australian universities.
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Li, Boli. "Approaches to learning : perceptions about Chinese international undergraduates in Australian Universities." Thesis, Federation University Australia, 2021. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/181912.
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Chinese students constitute the largest cohort of international undergraduates in Australian universities, comprising 37.3% in 2019. However, there is a scarcity of research examining perceptions of how Chinese international students (CIS) learn in Australian universities, from the broader context of the students themselves, their Australian teachers and Australian domestic student (ADS) counterparts. Drawing on the 3P (Presage-Process-Product) framework by Biggs, Kember, and Leung (2001), this thesis explored the perceptions of CIS, and their lecturers and classmates regarding their approaches to learning in Australian universities. Utilising a mixed methods approach (Creswell, 2014), surveys were conducted with 156 CIS and 212 ADS incorporating a validated survey by Biggs et al. (2001) called the R-SPQ-2F. Interviews were also conducted with 10 CIS and 10 Australian academics from two Australian universities, one regional and the other metropolitan. The findings demonstrated that perceptions of CIS were characterised by a unique learning structure that differed from ADS in a number of ways, particularly in relation to group learning, the use of understanding and memorisation strategies, and classroom engagement. It was noted that these disparities did not support the generally held view of CIS as mainly surface oriented learners who preferred rote-learning techniques (Grimshaw, 2007). While adopting similar levels to ADS of deep approach strategies in their learning, CIS also used more surface and achieving approaches than ADS, and tended to incorporate memorising with understanding in their learning process. However, it was also evident that the approaches used by CIS in Australia were often more complex than what was easily observed. For instance, their reticence in class was not necessarily indicative of passive learning, but instead, suggestive of the complexity of context that needs to encompass the ‘whole being’ of these students, i.e., their personality, culture, and most of all, the dynamics of their perceived approaches to their learning. This study also investigated negotiations that occurred between CIS and their Australian lecturers. While CIS’ learning approaches were greatly shaped and determined by academics’ instructional decisions involving curriculum, teaching patterns and assessment procedures, it was also found that academics’ instructional activities were reshaped and counter-determined by CIS’ learning approaches. As a result, a Co-constructed Model of Learning and Teaching (CMLT) for CIS in Australian universities, based on the 3P framework (Biggs et al., 2001), was developed to assist future education experiences for international students. This study is significant in that it has given voice to Chinese students, enabling a greater understanding of their experiences in Australian universities to emerge, in conjunction with and supplemented by insights provided by their Australian student counterparts and educators. It has enabled both international and domestic students the opportunity to reflect on possible cultural impacts on learning, hopefully improving their capacities to act as effective global citizens. It has also afforded an opportunity for academics to reflect on their beliefs and practices in relation to teaching diverse student cohorts, which will hopefully deepen their understanding of the complexities that come with the increasing globalisation of education.Doctor of Philosophy
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O'Meara, Bernard Raymond, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "The recruitment and selection of Vice-Chancellors for Australian universities." Deakin University. Bowater School of Management and Marketing, 2002. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20060818.101656.
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This study addresses the gap in our understanding of the processes used to recruit and select Vice-Chancellors for Australian Universities. There are presently 39 recognised Universities in Australia and between them they provide the nation with the academically qualified leaders of the future. As such one would expect that not only would they be the vessels of our knowledge, but also that they would be managed and led in ways that were similar to those in use in the private sector.
The changes that have taken place in the higher education system have meant that additional pressures have been placed upon the senior executive of each University. The transition from a binary system to the current unified system, the advent of the global community, increased technology and new management practices have created the need for University management to adopt recognised management and leadership practices.
The Federal government has moved to reduce the dependence of the system upon recurrent funding and there has been an increase in managerialism within Universities. One outcome has been the need for the Chief Executive Officer (Vice-Chancellor) to develop additional management and leadership skills in order to cope with the changes occurring and the rate of change.
In the United States, the selection criteria used to recruit Vice-Chancellors (or University Presidents) have changed to reflect the desire for candidates to have backgrounds in management and leadership. The role of the Vice-Chancellor is critical to the success of educational institutions that are now being managed as autonomous business units responsible for budget, growth, mergers as well as maintaining academic credibility.
A literature review revealed that the work undertaken by David Sloper formed virtually our entire knowledge base of Vice-Chancellors in Australia. Sloper identified democratic and incumbency patterns, social characteristics, the legal basis for the role and what incumbents actually do. Thus we know quite a deal about the role and incumbents.
However the same literature review showed that while this data existed, it did not extend to the processes that were used within the Higher Education system, to target, identify and select suitable candidates. Clearly there was also no examination as to the effectiveness of such processes or how they could be improved if necessary. Given the importance of Universities in Australia and their role in Higher Education, this lack of knowledge provided the basis for this study and the systematic review of all available data.
The study also identified a paradox in addition to the lack of research on recruitment and selection practices in this unique microcosm. The paradox concerns the fact that many of the successful candidates do not come from a business discipline as may be expected for a role considered to be the Chief Executive Officer of the institution.
Yet in Australia, previous research indicated that the rules for recruiting Vice-Chancellors have changed little and that traditionally candidates have come from the science disciplines (Sloper, 1994). While this in itself does not indicate that incumbents are lacking in fundamental management and leadership knowledge and expertise, an obvious question arises. Why are Australian Vice-Chancellors not drawn from faculties where this expertise resides or why are they not drawn from the business community?
In order to further examine the processes in place and to a lesser extent the paradox, all available data was collected regarding the roles of Vice-Chancellors, the paths they have taken to the position as well as selection criteria, position outlines, job adverts and related material. This was thoroughly examined and then a brief questionnaire was forwarded to current incumbents and other involved stakeholders. Interviews were conducted to clarify specific issues and case studies prepared accordingly.
Thus this qualitative study thoroughly researches the recruitment and selection practices in use, attempts to determine their effectiveness and addresses the paradox in order to provide a detailed framework that allows these elements to be explained.
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edu, aruddy@indiana, and Annie Ruddy. "Internationalisation: Case studies of two Australian and United States universities." Murdoch University, 2009. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20090416.20912.
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Higher education has undergone significant change as universities have sought to respond to government reforms in a period of globalisation. One major reform that globalisation has introduced is the reduction in state funding for higher education. Universities have turned to other resources to provide funding and one of these is the recruitment of international students. The focus of this thesis is on contrasting the internationalisation policies of two nations, Australia and the United States, by analysing published policies, statistics and carrying out interviews on two campuses. Two universities, one in Australia and the other in the United States, served as case studies to examine the strategies used to implement these policies. Approximately 100 participants were interviewed, including administrators and faculty members, international and domestic students.
Each university featured internationalisation as a goal in its mission statement. By integrating intercultural and global dimensions into the teaching, research and service functions of a university, internationalisation encompasses a multitude of activities that provide an educational experience. While administrators generally stated that the implementation of strategic plans to achieve international goals had been successful, many faculty members, domestic and international students were of the view that international goals were yet to be realised. These contrasting discourses revealed that each university was falling short of achieving its internationalisation goals. Faculty members and domestic and international students expressed dissatisfaction about cultural insensitivity, lack of adequate services that offered housing and emotional/social support, and language barriers. At the same time, each university was achieving some of its internationalisation goals. In conclusion, strategies are suggested that might improve the implementation of internationalisation at both universities.
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Ruddy, Anne-Maree. "Internationalisation : case studies of two Australian and United States universities /." Murdoch University Digital Theses Program, 2008. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20090416.20912.
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Delahunty, Susan. "Portraits of Middle Eastern Gulf female students in Australian universities." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2013. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/585.
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This research explores the experiences and insights of ten Middle Eastern Gulf women as they cross international borders to study in Australian universities. The literature indicates that international students in Australia establish their identity within the context of their overseas existence. This is particularly important as Muslims may feel they are being placed in a precarious situation due to, more often than not, terrorism being linked to Islam. Also, when Muslim women wear Islamic or traditional attire, the general public tends to look upon them with curiosity. With this in mind, the complex and changed contexts faced by ten Middle Eastern Gulf female post-graduate students are investigated using qualitative research methods. Utilising a grounded theory approach to interpret data and identify themes from two online questionnaires and personal interviews, individual portraits are created to illuminate their experiences. The research findings reveal new knowledge indicating that education is a structured mechanism for the participants, resulting in the creation of a new hybrid self as a key instrument for survival. This enables them to better understand cultural contexts and barriers arising from class, tradition, religion and learning. The participants indicate that a two-way agreement between educators and learners is paramount to a smooth transition into the Australian education system and a positive return to their home communities.
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Ruddy, Annie. "Internationalisation: case studies of two Australian and United States universities." Thesis, Ruddy, Annie (2008) Internationalisation: case studies of two Australian and United States universities. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2008. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/469/.
Full textAbstract:
Higher education has undergone significant change as universities have sought to respond to government reforms in a period of globalisation. One major reform that globalisation has introduced is the reduction in state funding for higher education. Universities have turned to other resources to provide funding and one of these is the recruitment of international students. The focus of this thesis is on contrasting the internationalisation policies of two nations, Australia and the United States, by analysing published policies, statistics and carrying out interviews on two campuses. Two universities, one in Australia and the other in the United States, served as case studies to examine the strategies used to implement these policies. Approximately 100 participants were interviewed, including administrators and faculty members, international and domestic students.
Each university featured internationalisation as a goal in its mission statement. By integrating intercultural and global dimensions into the teaching, research and service functions of a university, internationalisation encompasses a multitude of activities that provide an educational experience. While administrators generally stated that the implementation of strategic plans to achieve international goals had been successful, many faculty members, domestic and international students were of the view that international goals were yet to be realised. These contrasting discourses revealed that each university was falling short of achieving its internationalisation goals. Faculty members and domestic and international students expressed dissatisfaction about cultural insensitivity, lack of adequate services that offered housing and emotional/social support, and language barriers. At the same time, each university was achieving some of its internationalisation goals. In conclusion, strategies are suggested that might improve the implementation of internationalisation at both universities.
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Ruddy, Annie. "Internationalisation: case studies of two Australian and United States universities." Ruddy, Annie (2008) Internationalisation: case studies of two Australian and United States universities. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2008. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/469/.
Full textAbstract:
Higher education has undergone significant change as universities have sought to respond to government reforms in a period of globalisation. One major reform that globalisation has introduced is the reduction in state funding for higher education. Universities have turned to other resources to provide funding and one of these is the recruitment of international students. The focus of this thesis is on contrasting the internationalisation policies of two nations, Australia and the United States, by analysing published policies, statistics and carrying out interviews on two campuses. Two universities, one in Australia and the other in the United States, served as case studies to examine the strategies used to implement these policies. Approximately 100 participants were interviewed, including administrators and faculty members, international and domestic students.
Each university featured internationalisation as a goal in its mission statement. By integrating intercultural and global dimensions into the teaching, research and service functions of a university, internationalisation encompasses a multitude of activities that provide an educational experience. While administrators generally stated that the implementation of strategic plans to achieve international goals had been successful, many faculty members, domestic and international students were of the view that international goals were yet to be realised. These contrasting discourses revealed that each university was falling short of achieving its internationalisation goals. Faculty members and domestic and international students expressed dissatisfaction about cultural insensitivity, lack of adequate services that offered housing and emotional/social support, and language barriers. At the same time, each university was achieving some of its internationalisation goals. In conclusion, strategies are suggested that might improve the implementation of internationalisation at both universities.
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Booth, Lois C. "Ageing of academic staff in Australian universities: Mind the gap." Thesis, Booth, Lois C. (2007) Ageing of academic staff in Australian universities: Mind the gap. Masters by Research thesis, Murdoch University, 2007. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/32857/.
Full textAbstract:
Traditionally, Australian universities have been employers of large cohorts of ageing academic staff. Although in the past academic employees usually remained in the workforce until a compulsory retirement age of 65 years, changes in legislation and federal government policy have meant that the retirement age is no longer predictable.
As a result, University management across Australia has had to rethink their staffing policies. A number of practices have been put forward which would enable universities to release their older academics within the bounds of the legislation. For example, pre-retirement contracts and phased retirement options have been used, to encourage staff to commit to a retirement date.
Despite these approaches, a lack of workforce planning to address the often-cited 'unprecedented exodus' from the Australian academic workforce exists.
This thesis will aim to construct an age-planning model for universities to try and address this gap in the field. In order to investigate the factors which influence planning for the loss of older academic staff, two major research phases were undertaken:
• Twelve interviews with Directors and Senior Human Resource Managers, and Senior Executive Staff in nine Australian universities,
and
• A formal survey to a broad group of academic staff from the universities (the sample size was 184 from only five of the participating universities).
The interviews were conducted during 2004 and at that time, the analysis revealed that of the nine universities, only two had workforce planning strategies in place. Despite the Government's focus on quality teaching and research, it proved difficult for the universities to provide information about their outstanding academics, in particular researchers, even though, most had reward and recognition procedures in place such as promotions, Vice Chancellor excellence awards, market loadings, and other measures. This was not a surprising outcome because it was found that performance appraisals were conducted as far apart as four years in some cases (if at all).
With regard to retention of staff, the interview comments indicated that career development, replacement or succession planning were not priorities in the universities. All universities retained many retired staff as honorary staff, but there were mixed views about these appointments. Some interviewees acknowledged their very useful role and others believed that honorary staff were difficult to manage. In general, there was very little appreciation of the extent to which older academic staff contribute to the work of the institutions.
Survey responses from 184 academic staff implied much cynicism towards university managements because little was being done to plan for their imminent departure from the workforce. Only two per cent of respondents were aware of one or more strategies and fifty-four per cent either did not know of any strategies, or did not answer the question. The remaining respondents felt quite strongly about the lack of obvious strategies. In fact, there were numerous negative comments made by the respondents about older staff being seen as a cost rather than investment.
A reasonably high per cent of respondents (35%) had worked in excess of 20 years in an academic career and, not surprisingly, the majority of these were over 55 years of age. The more experienced academics usually willingly coached or mentored newer academic staff, however this was on an informal basis and not acknowledged by their universities.
The lack of attention to regular performance appraisals became obvious. At least eight per cent of responses indicated that these were held more than five years ago and another twenty-six per cent indicated that they had never had a performance appraisal.
The findings support the notion that Australian universities do not have adequate strategies in place to address the potential loss of experience, institutional knowledge, and research opportunities when ageing academic staff exit the workforce. In addition, rather than remaining in the workforce until age 65, the lure of early retirement and work-life balance for ageing academics may be more appealing.
The implication for universities is that instead of focusing on ways to release their older academic staff, of necessity, they will need to consider enticements to retain them. This includes, for example, implementing planning strategies such as recruitment (e.g. reviewing current recruitment policies and procedures to remove disincentives for ageing staff, attracting experienced as well as early career researchers, searching for high calibre staff, offering attractive remuneration and benefits), and retention (e.g. ageprofiling, succession planning, rewards and recognition, honorary appointments for retirees), for an ageing workforce.
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McShane, Ian, and n/a. ""Balanced development" a study of the Murray Committee on Australian Universities." University of Canberra. Education, 1995. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20050509.161344.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is a study of the work of the Committee on Australian Universities of 1957,
usually called the Murray Committee after its chairman.
Interpretations of the Murray Committee's work usually focus on its achievement in
securing funding increases for Australian universities at a time of great financial need, and
establishing an arms-length grants body that assisted what was referred to as the "balanced
development" of the sector. In this thesis I look at the context of the inquiry and the text
of the committee's report to place this outcome within what I consider to be the broader
scope and intent of the committee's work. I argue that the committee was anxious to
secure the position of the universities at the top of an educational hierarchy in a period of
change and challenge. The committee responded to the Commonwealth Government's
request that the future pattern of university development be in the best interests of the
nation by defending what they saw as the traditional role and purpose of the university. I
argue that this response is one that has at various times been put foward by universities to
demands for change, a response that, to paraphrase a view popular in university circles at
the time, seeks to give government what it needs rather than what it wants.
In this instance the committee looked to an English model of a residential university as the
"traditional" template on which Australian institutions should be fashioned. The
committee argued for the value of a broad, liberal education as emblematic of university
pedagogy in an era of increasing knowledge specialisation and increasing confusion of
purpose in the tertiary education system. It considered that a residential university
conducted on liberal principles was the best institutional representation of its ideal of a
community of scholars. The committee set down in its report a range of strategies by
which the ideal might be realised, or at least approached, in the Australian context. It paid
particular attention to the incorporation of first year students - the newest and most
vulnerable members of the community. I also argue that in setting down its ideas on the
institutional form and pedagogy of the university, the committee made assumptions about
the personal characteristics of "the scholar", and I analyse these assumptions.
In redefining the university in the Australian context the committee also engaged in a
process of defining the roles and purposes of other tertiary education institutions. The
committee took a hierarchical view of social organisation to their work, and viewed the
education system in this light. The committee charged the universities with oversight of
the Australian education system and intellectual guardianship of the Australian community.
University graduates, in the committee's view, were the natural leaders of Australian
society, and their education should prepare them to undertake properly this role. In
redefining the university the committee members engaged in a process of boundarysetting,
consolidating an institutional hierarchy in what they saw as a confused and
uncoordinated system. However, they sought to incorporate a commitment to
meritocracy and expansion of education opportunity within this perspective and urged the
creation of pathways between the institutions.
To characterise the committee's work I extend the concept of "balanced development" to
the various areas in which the committee made recommendations. The concept of
balanced development can be seen to refer to the proper development of the individual in
the university system (the production of a balanced personality, or the education of the
whole person); to the balanced development and co-ordination of the university sector; to
the development of the tertiary education system as a whole and its proper articulation
with the labour market; and to the process of reconciling the needs of the universities with
the demands of government
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Xu, Jia. "Implementation of workplace learning in the accountancy schools of Australian universities." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2015. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/84346/1/Jia_Xu_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This exploratory study seeks to further our understanding of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) programs in the Accountancy schools of Australian universities. It emphasises the significance of the role of the university in monitoring and administrating these programs. The study uses a qualitative method with mainly open-ended questions via an online questionnaire. The responses from senior accounting academic decision-makers identified the major forms of WIL used and the most challenging issues. WIL is perceived to be an important program that should be included in degree courses, and strong efforts should be made to overcome the challenges involved in conducting such a program.
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Brown, Robert Maxwell. "Drivers of student satisfaction and student loyalty in an Australian university setting." Connect to this title, 2006. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2007.0060/public/02whole.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Graduate School of Management, University of Western Australia.Title taken from title screen (viewed October 5, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 355-383) and appendices.
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Ichimoto, Takae. "Recrafting 'selves' : identity transformation among Japanese women students studying in Australian universities /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2005. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18904.pdf.
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Gopalkrishnan, Caroline, and n/a. "The Colours of Diversity: Women Educators Turning the Gaze onto Australian Universities." University of Canberra. Education & Community Studies, 2006. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20081009.095141.
Full textAbstract:
The internationalisation of universities has attracted significant political and even
media attention, as well as internal focus. Concurrently, global discourses evolving
around the notion of borders, terrorism, security and identity have taken on a renewed
significance. Today, the articulation of identities has significant and even dire
consequences for many people living in different parts of the world. In Australia, too,
the matter of what it means to be ethnic, indigenous, non-indigenous or mixed-race is
highly contested, controversial and for some groups of people, in particular contexts,
even dangerous. In Australian higher education, the term international is commonly
used to refer to the other - citizens of other countries (including those who visit our
educational institutions). They are seen as the global citizens and we are not. Cultural
diversity is widely celebrated and legislated through the Commonwealth
Government?s Living in Harmony policy. Yet there is a dearth of knowledge and/or
discussion around members of staff who are different in our own universities. This
raises questions about how we come to differentiate between us and them in an
Australian socio-historical context, understanding how race and ethnic difference is
made salient in identification, and the knowledge production process.
This is a small-scale, in-depth qualitative study, which addresses a significant gap in
the literature on higher education by focusing on the experiences of four women
educators of colour, each of whom has brought with her a complex collage of
diasporic experiences, histories, identities and ways of knowing. By employing a
multi-race/ethnic dialogic methodology and a research conversation method, the study
presents the women?s experiences in narrative form, integrating the autoethnographic
writing of the researcher with the women?s stories about difference. The inquiry
provides new insights into what race and ethnic identity mean to the women in an
everyday, professional and ethical practice context.
The women?s stories are not of the traditional career or romantic multicultural kind,
but reach into the realms of the personal, political, philosophical and spiritual
dimensions of human experience. As they traverse the political terrain of the
Academy, the women have looked within and outside the university, navigating
multiple identities to make sense of their work. By documenting four women?s
experiences that have never been documented before, this small-scale study provides
basic research for others to build on.
This research affirms the salience of race and ethnicity in the university and the new
higher education knowledge creation ethos. The study reveals there is little current
evidence that Australian universities are capitalising on and applying opportunities
provided by research on race, ethnicity and difference to higher education debate and
reform. The women?s stories reveal that the issue of under-representation of women
of colour is not unique to the university, but is reflective of the powerful and
constitutive impact of discourses of race and difference in Australian society. By
highlighting the issues of who has the power and authority in the university to
determine what counts as a valid identity and how identity and knowledge boundaries
are policed within the Australian university, this research raises questions about the
wider implications of epistemological racism embedded in university practices in
relation to governance, curriculum, policy, teaching and learning. Through its
development and exploration of a multiple race and ethnic dialogic methodology, and
the use of research conversations as a method, the study sheds new light on the
complexities of Australian race politics in knowledge production and on women?s
differentiated experiences in higher education.
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Marsden, Helen, and n/a. "DEGREES OF CHEATING: AN EXPLORATION OF STUDENT ACADEMIC DISHONESTY IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES." University of Canberra. Psychology, 2008. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20090617.112944.
Full textAbstract:
It can be argued that perceptions of the quality of the nation's universities are
fundamental to Australia's economy. At a time when universities are competing more and more in a global marketplace, reputation is a key factor in attracting students, and therefore funding. When reputations are called into question, the sustainability of institutions becomes uncertain.
Scandals surrounding academic dishonesty in Australia have not been uncommon in recent years. In response, universities have demonstrated an increasing awareness of the problem and a move toward updating or instigating policies to deal with it. However, the evidence base for such policy development is scant. Outside the USA, there have been few studies of academic dishonesty and virtually no large-scale, multi-campus research.
The present research was designed to provide such an evidence base. Three studies were conducted to explore the extent and nature of dishonest academic behaviour, together with an investigation of factors which might precipitate students' engagement in these activities. In addition to variables which had previously been shown to be related to cheating, it was theorised that factors identified by General Strain Theory as being related to delinquency and general deviance, may also be associated with student cheating.
A large-scale multi-campus survey was conducted (N= 9543; 11 universities). Findings were analysed to assess the extent of cheating amongst students and identify factors
which contribute to these behaviours. Two qualitative studies followed which were designed to tap the experiences of, and understandings about, academic dishonesty of both staff and students. Overall the research established that levels of dishonest academic behaviours by the students in this study, while still worryingly high, are somewhat lower than those reported in the international literature. A number of risk factors for student engagement in dishonest behaviour were identified. Chief amongst these were the experience of stressful life events and the presence of dishonest peers. To a lesser, but still significant extent, were factors related to student age, year of enrolment, and field of study. Implications for addressing the problem at the level of policy development and strategic response are discussed.
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Gopalkrishnan, Caroline. "The colours of diversity : women educators turning the gaze onto Australian universities /." Canberra, 2006. http://erl.canberra.edu.au/public/adt-AUC20081009.095141/index.html.
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Peters, Joanna. "What’s it Like? Re-cognising Leadership in Student Support and Development Services in Australian Universities through Cognitive Frames, Phenomenology and Metaphor." Thesis, Griffith University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367342.
Full textAbstract:
Effective leadership is like good sex. It is hard to say exactly what makes it good, but you know when you are experiencing it. It requires the right blend of touch, technique, titillation and tact. Despite what leadership manuals may say, there is no perfect recipe. That right blend calls for different combinations of all of these, at different times, and for different purposes.
Effective leadership in student support and development services in Australian universities also requires a right blend. People holding formal leadership positions play out these roles as mid-level and senior managers in their institutions. They display leadership not only in terms of operational management of their teams, services and programs, but also at the level of organisational strategy and decision-making around positive learning communities, and student engagement and success.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Education and Professional Studies
Arts, Education and Law
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Cooper, Trudi. "Quality management in Australian higher education : A critical review." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2004. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/842.
Full textAbstract:
Quality management in higher education is a politically contentious issue in Australia. as it is in North America, New Zealand, and many European countries. The Australian government has instituted a quality management system for higher education that it claims will improve university efficiency, accountability and quality. Critics assert that the current quality management system is detrimental to universities and undermines the capability of universities to deliver maximal benefits to individuals and to society. Evaluation of the basis of conflicting claims is necessary to enable decisions about the usefulness of current practices and decisions about whether existing quality management arrangements should be retained, modified and developed, or replaced, or, abolished.
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Quann-Youlden, Cathy, and n/a. "Commonwealth Higher Education Policies: Their Impacts on Autonomy and Research in Australian Universities." University of Canberra. Business & Government, 2008. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20081202.151704.
Full textAbstract:
In recent years, the Australian Government's (Commonwealth) relationship to universities has become one of greater involvement as political circles recognise the escalation in the significance of higher education as a key determinant in Australia's economic, social, cultural, and intellectual development. The increasing role of the Commonwealth in Australian universities is largely a consequence of this recognition, but it is also due in part to changes in the way governments approach the public sector and publicly funded institutions.
Both the literature and extensive Commonwealth reports provide an array of details in relation to: what the Commonwealth wants from its universities; why it wants it; what it is doing to ensure that it gets what it wants; and the results of its actions-at least from the perspective of the Commonwealth. But what is missing is how universities themselves perceive the impact of the Commonwealth's increasing involvement in universities. Although academics and managers in Australian universities have much to say about how current and proposed Commonwealth policies affect their working environment they are not given much of a venue to opine. As such there is a lack of literature on how universities perceive the impact of this increasing involvement. This dissertation aims to fill the gap by providing a forum that addresses universities' perceptions of how Commonwealth policies affect their universities.
Specifically, this dissertation sets out to discover if and how Commonwealth policies change universities and focuses on how policies influence autonomy and research in Australian universities through the responses of those who work in the offices of the deputy vice chancellors of research in twelve Australian universities.
One of the most significant findings of the thesis is that the Commonwealth's increasing involvement in universities is viewed by respondents as a consequence of the Commonwealth's mistrust of Australian universities. Furthermore, the Commonwealth is seen as lacking expertise in areas relating to universities-their needs, history, purpose, mission, and how they best relate to and contribute to society-and their need for autonomy. This dissertation offers some insights into perspectives whereby policies built on the Commonwealth's mistrust and lack of expertise in university matters negatively influence autonomy and research productivity in Australian universities. The results indicate decreased productivity which leads to further mistrust that appears to decrease productivity even morea
cycle that respondents fear might be a self-propelling downward spiral. Eight hypotheses and one overarching proposition emerge from the findings. In addition, nine areas are identified as adding to the overall understanding of the affect that Commonwealth policies have on university autonomy and research productivity in Australian universities.
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Zaidi, Atiya H. Education Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences UNSW. "Leadership behaviours of heads of schools and departments in Australian and Pakistani universities." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Education, 2005. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/23315.
Full textAbstract:
This study examines transformational and transactional leadership behaviours of heads of schools/departments, and the individual level cultural dimensions idiocentrism-allocentrism, as perceived by academic staff in Australian and Pakistani universities. The principal research aim was to investigate the relationships between academics??? attributions concerning leadership behaviours of heads of schools/departments and cultural norms in a collectivistic and an individualistic culture. Samples of academic staff were randomly selected from Australian and Pakistani universities. The Australian sample consisted of 117 academics, and the Pakistani sample comprised 120 academics. Analysis was carried out using exploratory factor analysis, multiple regression analysis, and discriminant analysis. Within the context of the research, the results suggested that Australian and Pakistani university academics had similar attribution patterns for entities related to transformational, transactional, and passive leadership behaviours, and the cultural dimension allocentrism. The results also suggested that the academics of both samples did not differentiate between various transformational leadership behaviours, and perceived the transactional leadership behaviour contingent reward as part of the transformational leadership behaviour proactive leadership. Further, the academics of both samples perceived the transactional leadership behaviour passive management-by-exception and laissez-faire leadership as a single dimension, passive leadership. Analyses identified some critical relationships between perceived leadership behaviours of heads of schools/departments and idiocentrism-allocentrism variables for the two samples. The transformational leadership behaviour participative leadership was positively related to allocentrism and self-reliance for the Australian sample. The transactional leadership behaviour active management-by-exception was positively related to positive-competitiveness and negatively related to negative-competitiveness for the Pakistani sample. Passive leadership was negatively related to leadership outcomes for the Pakistani sample. Moreover, active management-by-exception and positive-competitiveness discriminated between the two samples. Leadership of schools/departments in universities has been found to be a multifaceted phenomenon. The research suggests that academics??? perceptions of leadership behaviours, cultural norms, and context have important implications for school/department leadership in universities.
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Steinmetz, Christine Ann Built Environment Faculty of Built Environment UNSW. "Universities as place: an intergenerational perspective on the experience of Australian university students." Awarded By:University of New South Wales. Built Environment, 2009. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/43538.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is an investigation of the Australian university as place. It is an historical analysis of three generations of Australian undergraduate students and their attachment and sense of belonging to the university (Baby Boomers born 1946-1961, Generation X born 1962-1977 and Generation Y born 1978-1993). This thesis specifically looks at place as being experienced through the university campus (built form) and place as experienced through connections with people (teachers, students, professionals and as alumni). This thesis presents literature reviewed and respective theoretical frameworks regarding the history of universities, place theory and its related constructs and generational social theory. In addition to my own heuristic contribution in which I connect my university experiences to the university as place, the thesis documents the experiences of three living generations of Australian undergraduate students through 36 qualitative in-depth interviews and analyses their perspectives on how they experienced the university as place while they were students. It examines the trajectory of the university experience from 1964 when the Baby Boomers first entered the university system to the current university experience with students from Generation Y. The thesis is also a comprehensive blend of progressive commentary from in-depth expert interviews selected from demography, higher education, youth, campus planning, and society. The thesis demonstrates that the university as place can be manifested in attachment to the built form, significant and meaningful connections with members of the university community. However, how each generation felt connected, why they were attached to certain places, who they formed significant relationships with, when they most felt like they belonged, and what they considered meaningful in their undergraduate years at university differed. The thesis contends that generational perspectives on the university as place are inextricably linked to the attitude and beliefs of the generational cohort to which one belongs.
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Balicco, Michelangelo [Verfasser]. "Internationalisation and the Marketing of Higher Education. Australian Universities Best Practices / Michelangelo Balicco." München : GRIN Verlag, 2019. http://d-nb.info/1193802830/34.
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Quann-Youlden, Cathy. "Commonwealth higher education policies : their impacts on autonomy and research in Australian universities /." Canberra, 2006. http://erl.canberra.edu.au/public/adt-AUC20081202.151704/index.html.
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Balapumi, Rohini. "Factors and relationships influencing self-regulated learning among ICT students in Australian Universities." Thesis, Curtin University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1926.
Full textAbstract:
This study examined the factors influencing ICT students’ practices and teaching staff facilitation of self-regulated learning (SRL). Data from students and staff in 34 universities in Australia were analysed using the structural equation modeling (SEM-PLS) approach. Teaching and learning goals and beliefs, Self-Regulated Learning awareness and knowledge and university support systems were found to significantly influences student SRL practices and staff SRL facilitation. These findings inform university academic leaders in providing the necessary guide and support for teaching staff to facilitate and provide opportunities for students to practice self-regulated learning in university education.
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Zeng, Yun-Ting. "The state of sustainability reporting in Australian universities: Overall and across different categories." Thesis, Zeng, Yun-Ting (2018) The state of sustainability reporting in Australian universities: Overall and across different categories. Honours thesis, Murdoch University, 2018. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/42721/.
Full textAbstract:
Over the last decades, sustainability reporting (SR) has gained importance in line with the environmental movements advocating sustainable organisational development. Within this context, universities as one of the main stakeholders of higher education sector (HES) are expected to be at the forefront due to its foremost educational role. The recent literature indicates that the university sector has increasingly embraced sustainability in their curricula, research, operations and reporting. However, there is still little study done on the SR practice made by Australian universities, and therefore, the state of SR in Australian universities is still unclear.
The present study investigates the state of SR in Australian universities through examining the extent of sustainability disclosure in three major reporting media, namely stand-alone sustainability reports, annual reports and official websites. This is also the first study that compares and contrasts the state of SR in Australian universities based on several university categories, including university grouping (i.e., Group of Eight (Go8), Australian Technology Network (ATN), Innovative Research Universities (IRU), and Regional Universities Network (RUN)), year of establishment (i.e., Sandstone Universities and Young Universities under 50), and geographical location, striving for more insight.
Using the Graphical Assessment of Sustainability in Universities (2011) as a set of sustainability reporting guidelines and scoring index adopted from Djajadikerta and Trireksani (2012), this study applies a content analysis approach to analyse the extent of sustainability disclosure made by Australian universities. The Mann-Whitney test and descriptive statistics were employed for analysing the results.
This study finds that the extent of sustainability disclosure made by Australian universities is still overall low, indicating that the state of SR in Australian universities is still at infant stage. The results also reveal that there is no difference in the extent of sustainability disclosure among various university groups and between the older and younger Australian universities. However, significant differences are found in the state of SR among Australian universities at different geographical locations.
This study contributes to the limited SR research in the HES, particularly within the context of Australian universities. The research findings could assist Australian universities to understand the current state of SR for their future planning. Potentially, local governments and policymakers could also use the findings from this study for their future sustainability-related policy or strategy.
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De, Silva Sureetha R. "The changing academic work in universities: Lived experience and perceptions of Australian academics." Thesis, Griffith University, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/394721.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines the changing academic work environment in Australian universities and the impact of this change on academics. In particular, this thesis explores the lived experience and perceptions of university academics working in public universities in Australia. Across the globe, universities are facing complex issues that can lead to transformational change. The main drivers of change are globalisation, burgeoning knowledge-based economies, the rapidity of new technology adoption, and global competition. The impact of these drivers and the subsequent reforms are ultimately reflected in the changing nature of academics’ work and in their analysis.
Over the past four decades since the Australian government reforms in the 1980s, public universities in Australia have been experiencing change, mainly influenced by new political and economic ideologies, including neoliberalism, corporatisation, managerialism, marketisation, and commodification of education. The consequences of these influences are reportedly having detrimental effects on academics, whereby academics’ esteem value, academic identity, academic freedom, and academic autonomy are all undermined. Academics report experiencing intimidation, bullying, mistrust, and harassment. As such there is a need and urgency for a research study, giving voice to Australian academics themselves, to investigate this problem to better understand it.
The public university system in Australia is a vast industry with a large workforce, and the services it provides to the country and economy are many. University academics who play a main role in this industry need to be happy, effective, and efficient in order to be productive. It is therefore important to provide academics with a work environment that enables them to exercise academic freedom, academic autonomy, and an academic professional identity esteemed by their peers. Given the scale of the public university system and the impact of its services on, and economic contribution to the country, this study is relevant and significant. This study emphasises the importance of prioritising attention to academics to ensure that the changing nature of academic work does not result in detrimental effects on academics and that they can effectively operate in a conducive work environment. To date, there is little research that has focused on Australian academics’ lived experience and perceptions relating to their changing academic work environment. Hence this thesis is unique and significant because it explores the lived experience and perceptions of academics in Australian public universities.
The study adopts a qualitative research approach, employing an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore and analyse the lived experience of the participants. To support inductive research and commence a generation of “new” thinking, the data collection method consists of 16 in-depth, one-on-one, and face-to-face interviews with academics working in eight Australian public universities who are experiencing change. The study takes the approach of standpoint theory.
The thesis points to two findings. The first is the formulation of the academic predicament model (APM), which explains the erosion of academic professionalism and how the change de-professionalises academia in Australia. The second is an understanding of the conflicting forces impacting on academics. On the one hand, in the changing learning environments, academics are expected by management to be innovative, collegial and collaborative, and involved in excellent research activities. On the other hand, with changing university governance, academics’ autonomy and academic freedom are challenged. Academics’ esteemed identity is devalued and undermined. Some academics feel a sense of obligation to conform to Senior Management directives and adhere to the introduced mechanisms of accountability. They report being pressured and stressed by what they regard as undue compliance, competition, and university managements’ high expectations of innovative creativity.
The key recommendations of the study call for strategies for enhancing respectfulness and collegiality, strategies to resist constraining ideologies, strategies for resolving work intensification, and strategies for improving existing processes and procedures relating to academics.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School Educ & Professional St
Arts, Education and Law
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Yang, Chunyan. "Learning Strategy Use of Chinese PhD Students of Social Sciences in Australian Universities." Thesis, Griffith University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/366475.
Full textAbstract:
Extensive research into students’ learning strategy use in classroom settings has convincingly established that effective use of learning strategies enables learners to take responsibility for their own learning, promotes learner autonomy, and positively relates to students’ academic performance. However, little research has systematically examined the learning strategy use of PhD students. Consequently, relatively little is known about how students carry out their doctoral learning, in which learner autonomy is of paramount importance. Even less is known about Chinese PhD students in Australian universities and how they cope with independent doctoral study. Few investigations have explicitly focused on the learning processes of this student cohort, and anecdotal evidence has often described Chinese school and university students as passive, dependent and reproductive learners, even though empirical studies assert otherwise.
To better understand the learning processes of Chinese PhD students in Australian universities, this study examines their learning strategy use and the factors influencing their application of learning strategies. Using qualitative research methods, which focused on understanding the phenomenon from the students’ perspectives within the context, this study collected interview data from a group of Mainland Chinese PhD students of social sciences. Computer assisted qualitative analysis was performed to provide an in-depth, grounded understanding of the students, their interactions with the learning environment, and their learning processes. This study shows that the investigation of learning strategies is a powerful tool to reveal how PhD students develop autonomy in the doctoral learning process. The results show that the students adopted a range of learning strategies to improve their learning efficiency, to enhance their self-teaching, and to facilitate development of their research competence. Despite the commonalities in their learning strategy use, the students exhibited significant individual differences in applying specific learning strategies, which were determined by their personal qualities, their perceptions of learning contexts, and the demands of the research tasks. This reveals the idiosyncrasies in the learning behaviours of this group of Chinese students and their learner autonomy. This study demonstrates that theoretical and methodological preparation for PhD study was the most significant influence on the students’ learning experience. By applying effective learning strategies, the students who encountered problems of theoretical deficiency, insufficient methodological knowledge, and underdeveloped research skills were able to develop their knowledge and enhance their research competence through the actual process of doing the research. Nevertheless, it appears that methodological training and support were needed to assist them in further enhancing their learning efficiency. The findings of this study reveal that this group of Chinese PhD students were autonomous learners and their application of learning strategies was a result of dynamic interactions between their personal variables and the contextual demands. This study lends support to the argument that, in cross-cultural settings, it is constructive to develop a contextualised understanding of students’ learning behaviours. Furthermore, from the students’ perspective, supervisors who understand them as individuals at the personal level are better able to assist them in learning. Within the stated limitations, this study recommends that future research on Chinese PhD students’ learning strategy use incorporates the perspectives of both students and their supervisors and involves their counterparts from other ethnic backgrounds in order to further understand the effects of cultural differences on their learning strategy use.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Cognition, Language and Special Education
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Buckby, Sherrena. "Exploring the role of the governing body (board) in information technology governance : a study of Australian universities." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2011. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/43881/1/Sherrena_Buckby_Thesis.pdf.
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In this thesis, I advance the understanding of information technology (IT) governance research and corporate governance research by considering the question “How do boards govern IT?” The importance of IT to business has increased over the last decade, but there has been little academic research which has focused on boards and their role in the governance of IT (Van Grembergen, De Haes and Guldentops, 2004). Most of the research on information technology governance (ITG) has focused on advancing the understanding and measurement of the components of the ITG model (Buckby, Best & Stewart, 2008; Wilkin & Chenhall, 2010), a model recommended by the IT Governance Institute (2003) as ‘best practice’ for boards to use in governing IT.
IT governance is considered to be the responsibility of the board and is said to form an important subset of an organisation’s corporate governance processes (Borth & Bradley, 2008). Boards need to govern IT as a result of the large capital investment in IT resources and high dependency on IT by organisations. Van Grembergen, De Haes and Guldentops (2004) and De Haes & Van Grembergen (2009) indicate that corporate governance matters are not able to be effectively discharged unless IT is being governed properly, and call for further specific research on the role of the board in ITG. Researchers also indicate that the link between corporate governance and IT governance has been neglected (Borth & Bradley, 2008; Musson & Jordan, 2005; Bhattacharjya & Chang, 2008). This thesis will address this gap in the ITG literature by providing the bridge between the ITG and corporate governance literatures.
My thesis uses a critical realist epistemology and a mixed method approach to gather insights into my research question. In the first phase of my research I develop a survey instrument to assess whether boards consider the components of the ITG model in governing IT. The results of this first study indicated that directors do not conceptualise their role in governing IT using the elements of the ITG model. Thus, I moved to focus on whether prominent corporate governance theories might elucidate how boards govern IT. In the second phase of the research, I used a qualitative inductive case based study to assess whether agency, stewardship and resource dependence theories explain how boards govern IT in Australian universities.
As the first in-depth study of university IT governance processes, my research contributes to the ITG research field by revealing that Australian university board governance of IT is characterized by a combination of agency theory and stewardship theory behaviours and processes. The study also identified strong links between a university’s IT structure and evidence of agency and stewardship theories. This link provides insight into the structures element of the emerging enterprise governance of IT framework (Van Grembergen, De Haes & Guldentops, 2004; De Haes & Van Grembergen, 2009; Van Grembergen & De Haes, 2009b; Ko & Fink, 2010).
My research makes an important contribution to governance research by identifying a key link between corporate and ITG literatures and providing insight into board IT governance processes. The research conducted in my thesis should encourage future researchers to continue to explore the links between corporate and IT governance research.
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Dean, Anthony Francis. "Australian universities in the information economy electronic commerce and the business of distance education /." Access electronically, 2004. http://www.library.uow.edu.au/adt-NWU/public/adt-NWU20050929.114913/index.html.
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Christopher, Joseph E. R. "Corporate governance and the role of internal audit : the case of Australian public universities." Thesis, Curtin University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/220.
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Over the last two decades a series of spectacular failures in corporate governance has raised concern about good governance of private and public sector organisations. These concerns inevitably extend to the Australian public university sector, a multi billion revenue earner for the Australian economy. This industry sector has undergone significant changes in strategic and operational direction over the past two decades, affected by a series of governmental reforms and other environmental influencing forces which have inevitably raised questions about governance.These questions have been raised against a background where the ‘traditional’ governance paradigm built on the principles of agency theory is being challenged by academics who have proposed a multi theoretical framework as a basis to take into account the impact of a wider set of influencing forces. A related and growing area within this alternative approach is the evolving role of internal audit as an important governance component. It has been broadly described as an important monitoring mechanism that has a significant role to play in the enhancement of governance.This study was concerned with determining what constituted good governance for the Australian public university sector within this alternative approach. In particular, the study sought to determine an operational governance framework for Australian public universities and the role of internal audit in the enhancement of university governance.The study commenced by examining the theoretical foundations of governance. It critically analysed the literature on the current underpinning theory of governance, agency theory, and recognised growing concerns as to its limitations. These limitations arose out of the inability to recognise wider external and internal influencing forces impacting on an organisation. The researcher in the current study developed a multi theoretical approach to overcome the limitations associated with dependence on the agency theory. A general governance framework was developed based on a multi theory approach. This general governance framework was than used as a basis to develop a specific conceptual governance framework for the Australian public university sector.The role of internal audit was also recognised as an important component of governance. A framework of best practice guidelines in relation to the type and range of activities to be undertaken and the relationship it needed to maintain with management, the audit committee and external auditors was established through a literature review.The university conceptual governance model and the theoretical role of internal audit within the Australian university sector were thereafter subjected to a confirmation and/or refinement and final authentication process with three groups of executive and senior university managers through qualitative and quantitative research processes.Overall there are number of significant implications arising from the results of the study. Firstly an appropriate operational governance framework has been developed for Australian public universities which recognise the wider influencing forces impacting on them. This outcome narrows the theoretical – practical gap for university governance and provides a working framework that can be used by university management and internal auditors to ensure all relevant governance mechanisms and processes are in place and operating efficiently to ensure effective governance. The framework is established against a revised governance concept for the university sector built on the understanding obtained through the research process that it has some distinct differences with the private and public sector and is pursuing a hybrid management approach.Secondly, the results indicate that there are a number of university internal audit functions not adhering to theoretical best practice guidelines established for the enhancement of university governance. This was principally due to a lack of mandatory guidelines in the structural and functional arrangements of internal audit functions across the sector. A related recommendation arising from these findings is for the Commonwealth Government to put in place policies to facilitate consistency in the structural and functional arrangements for internal audit functions. This would assist in the maintenance of quality with respect to internal audit functions in the context of public sector university governance.Thirdly, the findings contribute to the research literature in relation to governance and internal audit. In the governance area, the study has challenged the hegemony of agency theory and recognised a case for a multi theoretical approach to governance. While the model based on this multi theoretical approach has been utilised in this study to develop and authenticate a framework of governance for Australian public universities, there are implications for further research to test the model with a wider array of real life organisational settings to narrow the theoretical – practical gap in this general area. The results have also demonstrated different levels of development and implementation of governance processes within universities. These results provide further research opportunities to examine the relationship between the different levels of impact of the wider influencing forces on universities and development and implementation of governance processes. In the internal audit area, the study has assisted in the development of a quality framework to assess the role of internal audit functions. While this framework has been used and tested in this study, there are opportunities for further research to test the framework with different sectors and refine it, as appropriate.In summary, this thesis makes a modest but original contribution to the higher education literature of Australia. The thesis provides insights into the governance of Australian public universities, its governance paradigms and the role of internal audit in enhancing university governance. The thesis builds on a multi theoretical approach to develop, confirm and authenticate an operational governance model for Australian public universities and also determines the role of university internal audit departments in the enhancement of university governance. The study is exploratory in nature as both areas are relatively new research fields within the Australian public university sector. The findings will therefore assist in filling a knowledge gap in the governance of Australian public universities. The study also contributes to the growing level of literature on both university governance and internal audit, and provides further research opportunities in both these areas.
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North, Sue, and n/a. "Relations of power and competing knowledges within the academy: creative writing as research." University of Canberra. Creative Communication, 2004. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20051025.121424.
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The aim of this thesis is to explore the politics of discourse within Australian universities with particular reference to the position of creative writing as a research discipline. My thesis argues that some discourses have more power than others, with the effect that some forms of knowledge are seen as valid research and others as invalid, at least in research terms. Academic research has been increasingly dichotomised in the short history of research in Australian universities through issues of public versus private funding, and university concern for sector autonomy. The growing influence on university research, stemming from a global market economy, is one that privileges applied research. Creative writing�s position within a basic/applied dichotomy is tenuous as its practitioners vie for a place in the shrinking autonomous research sector of universities. I show the philosophical understanding of creativity (with specific reference to creative writing) from a historical perspective and explore this understanding in the current climate. This understanding of creativity confounds creative writing�s position as research, for this highlights the obstacles faced in certifying it as a valid form of knowledge. I investigate the current status of creative writing in the area of university research in relation to research equivalence, and examine the terminology, the social structures and individual experiences surrounding creative writing as a form of research.
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Bradmore, Donald James, and don bradmore@rmit edu au. "The Quest of Australian Public Universities for Competitive Advantage in a Global Higher Education Environment." RMIT University. Management, 2007. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20080130.144542.
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Adopting a triangulated approach, this thesis consists of three separate but related qualitative studies, the collective objectives of which are to (i) gauge current levels of concern of Australian public universities with rapid intensification of the higher education sector globally; (ii) evaluate strategies developed by universities in response to increasing competition; and (iii) develop a conceptual framework to guide competitive behaviour of universities. Study 1 is a systematic content analysis of published strategic plans of universities using Leximancer (Version 2.20). Relative prominence of concepts identified in this content analysis give rise to propositions relating both to levels of concern with competition and strategies being implemented to protect market position. In Study 2, these propositions are tested in a sample of the universities by means of case studies based on face-to-face interviews with senior academics and administrators. Study 3 draws upon findings of Studies 1 and 2 to develop a strategic model to guide future strategy development. Overall, findings of the studies provide valuable insights into the management of higher education in a dynamic environment in which the intensity of competition is likely to escalate as the pace of globalisation and technological change quickens, as deregulation of the domestic higher education sector continues, as per capita funding is further reduced, as even greater elements of competition and contestability are introduced in the interests of productivity and efficiency, and as overseas student demand slackens in traditional markets.
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Engelbrecht, Carol A. "A case for the inclusion of educational gerontology in adult education programs in Australian universities." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2008. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/16657/1/Carol_Anne_Engelbrecht_Thesis.pdf.
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At the intersection of adult education and social gerontology, and propelled by the ageing phenomenon, educational gerontology has a critical place in the study of older adult education. To contend with older learners' needs, professional adult educators require an enhanced preparation, and concomitance to a reinvigoration of current adult learning programs to include the constructs of educational gerontology and the geragogical imperative. Through survey and interviews, this research investigated evidence of, and the capacity for, Australian Adult Education programs and Ageing Research centres to meet this requirement. Results of this case study indicate a paucity of evidence of educational gerontology in adult education programs, coupled with significant potential for capacity development in this field through collaboration with Ageing Research initiatives. The findings suggest an expansion of current curriculum in adult education programs to include aspects of educational gerontology, professional development of Adult Education academics in the specialized area of educational gerontology, and broader adult education engagement with external stakeholders and the ageing research community as a contribution to social betterment.
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Engelbrecht, Carol A. "A case for the inclusion of educational gerontology in adult education programs in Australian universities." Queensland University of Technology, 2008. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16657/.
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At the intersection of adult education and social gerontology, and propelled by the ageing phenomenon, educational gerontology has a critical place in the study of older adult education. To contend with older learners' needs, professional adult educators require an enhanced preparation, and concomitance to a reinvigoration of current adult learning programs to include the constructs of educational gerontology and the geragogical imperative. Through survey and interviews, this research investigated evidence of, and the capacity for, Australian Adult Education programs and Ageing Research centres to meet this requirement. Results of this case study indicate a paucity of evidence of educational gerontology in adult education programs, coupled with significant potential for capacity development in this field through collaboration with Ageing Research initiatives. The findings suggest an expansion of current curriculum in adult education programs to include aspects of educational gerontology, professional development of Adult Education academics in the specialized area of educational gerontology, and broader adult education engagement with external stakeholders and the ageing research community as a contribution to social betterment.
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Fisher, Marilyn Dale, and m. fisher@cqu edu au. "Staff Perceptions of an Enterprise Resource Planning System Implementation: A Case Study of three Australian Universities." Central Queensland University. Education, 2006. http://library-resources.cqu.edu.au./thesis/adt-QCQU/public/adt-QCQU20060928.144056.
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This study examines staff perceptions of the implementation of an Enterprise
Resource Planning system (ERPs) in three Australian universities. It considers the
growing body of literature on the issues impacting on effective and efficacious
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations in organisations including the
most recent literature on ERPs in the higher education sector. This literature
identifies a number of issues that it is argued, translates from the corporate sector to
the higher education sector including a number that require additional focus in this
sector. It is proposed in this dissertation that effective and efficacious
implementations in Australian universities require particular consideration of
organisational influences related to their context and the perceptions of the users of
the systems.
Case study methodology was used to examine the staff perceptions of the
management of ERP implementations in universities. This involved undertaking
case studies in three Australian universities in the process of implementing ERP
systems. The first phase of the study obtained data through a series of focus groups
at one university to explore staff perceptions of the efficacy of the ERP
implementation at their university. This data and the relevant literature served as a
framework for the development of the research process in the second phase of the
study. This phase involved conducting a series of interviews with staff that enabled
the researcher to undertake a more detailed exploration of the staff perceptions of
influences affecting ERP system implementations at three Australian universities.
The research study identifies the influences impacting on the outcomes of these
implementations of ERPs in the three Australian universities and forms the basis for
the development of guidelines for the effective and efficacious management of ERP
implementations in Australian universities. This set of guidelines for the
management of implementations of ERPs in Australian universities is an outcome
that can have applicability for the higher education sector generally.
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Grewal, Sandeep Kaur, and n/a. "Issues in IT Governance & IT service management - a study of their adoption in Australian universities." University of Canberra. Information Sciences & Engineering, 2006. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060804.092632.
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IT service management (ITSM) has emerged as one of the approaches to implementing IT
Governance in Australian Universities. A number of ITSM frameworks have been proposed
however, IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and Control OBjectives for Information and related
Technology (COBIT) have been most widely accepted and implemented internationally and
within Australia.
The research reported in this thesis was undertaken to shed light on the issues related to ITIL
adoption and implementation within Australian universities. To date academic research in ITIL
adoption and implementation has not been extensive as it is comparatively a new framework,
especially within Australian universities.
The theoretical framework proposed in this thesis has IT service management as the central
concept, implementing IT Governance to align the university and technology. This framework is
used to examine the experience of ITIL adoption in seven Australian universities, plus a detailed
case study on one university�s experience.
This research reveals a complex web of factors relating to ITIL implementation including; the
pre-implementation process; processes implemented; order of implementation; hiring external
expertise;, tool selection;, staff training; ongoing assessments; managing cultural change;
managing learning curve and resource strain. The findings provide an insight into practical
lessons for other Australian universities or similar organisations considering implementing IT
Governance through IT Service management frameworks. The method used in this research may
be useful for other organisations and researchers analysing universities and similar organisations
implementing ITIL. IT Governance and IT service management frameworks are diverse and
important areas which open a poorly researched field for further work.
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Santosh, Banadahally Manjegowda. "Do leaders' characteristics and organisational culture matter while downsizing?: A study of publicly funded Australian universities." Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2011. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/f4aef27942f70b5c0d740f57c605b56fdf5be5fb55e16885144d60371b2c0d74/2204584/64975_downloaded_stream_200.pdf.
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Even after three decades, organisations worldwide have continued the practice of downsizing. Interestingly, the reasons for the differences in leaders' approaches to downsizing still remain unclear. This study therefore, was primarily driven by the central research question: Why would leaders differ in their approaches to downsizing? Within the downsizing literature, the role of some internal factors (e.g. mutual trust, team composition and structure, managerial ideologies) has been analysed and that of others (e.g. dynamic managerial capabilities) has been alluded to, without being followed up by actual research. However, the systematic links between downsizing strategies, and leaders' characteristics and organisational culture have not been empirically established to date, and this study applies the initiative to such efforts. In order to answer the central research question, the present study was conducted under two premises, viz. ideal and practical. Under ideal conditions, the intent was to identify the ideal downsizing strategy types and subsequently the leaders' characteristics and organisational culture dimensions, so as to determine which leaders' characteristics and organisational culture dimensions are favourable for which ideal downsizing strategy type. However, under practical conditions, the intent was to identify the practical downsizing strategy types and only organisational culture dimensions, so as to determine which cultural dimension is favourable for which practical downsizing strategy type. The research data was gathered from 255 mid-level leaders in ten publicly-funded Australian universities through a postal survey, and then analysed using exploratory factor analysis, cluster analyses and one-way ANOVAs. Ideally and practically, three types of downsizing strategies were identified.;Based on these, four clusters were derived and analysed methodically across personality, leadership styles, personal values, and organisational culture. Empirical evidence suggests that leaders who ideally prefer forced downsizing have a higher tendency to make their attitudes clear to the team members - a characteristic of high task-oriented style; leaders who prefer voluntary downsizing have a lower tendency to make their attitudes clear to the team members - a characteristic of low task-oriented style; leaders who prefer student load downsizing have a lower tendency to act with consulting their team - a characteristic of low people-oriented style; leaders who prefer a very limited downsizing have a higher tendency to act with consulting their team - a characteristic of high people oriented style. However, personality, personal values, and organisational culture dimensions are not differentiated by the leaders who prefer different ideal downsizing strategies and also those who prefer a very limited downsizing. Furthermore, leaders who use a forced downsizing tend to have a culture that is less likely characterised by a personal freedom; leaders who use voluntary downsizing tend to have a culture that is less likely characterised by sociable and trusting; leaders who use a very limited downsizing tend to have a culture that is more likely characterised by a personal freedom, sociable and trusting. Interestingly, organisational culture dimensions are not differentiated by the leaders who use student load downsizing. This research makes following three key contributions to the theory and practice of downsizing. First, it has advanced empirical typologies of ideal and practical downsizing; second, it has developed empirical model of differences in approaches to ideal downsizing; third, it has developed empirical model of differences in approaches to practical downsizing.;The present research has addressed a gap in the downsizing literature concerning characteristics of leadership styles and organisational culture as explanatory factors for the differences in approaches to downsizing..
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Aldubaibi, Safa Ali S. "Understanding lecturers' pedagogic practices and perspectives in regard to blackboard utilisation in Saudi and Australian universities." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2018. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/122986/1/Safa%20Ali%20S_Aldubaibi_Thesis.pdf.
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This study explored perceived enablers and barriers of Blackboard utilisation by Saudi Arabian and Australian lecturers. Results revealed that lecturers in both countries used Blackboard as a repository of materials, largely due to the technical problems and lack of training. Results also showed that Saudi and Australian lecturers have different perceptions regarding Blackboard uptake in their teaching and students' learning. Australian lecturers were more likely to incorporate other online platforms than Blackboard in their teaching. Saudi lecturers, particularly women lecturers, were more enthusiastic to use Blackboard as it allowed them to connect with a diversity of students.
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Fiocco, Maria. "'Glonacal' contexts: Internationalisation policy in the Australian higher education sector and the development of pathway programs." Thesis, Fiocco, Maria (2005) 'Glonacal' contexts: Internationalisation policy in the Australian higher education sector and the development of pathway programs. Professional Doctorate thesis, Murdoch University, 2005. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/50/.
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Through a critique of Ball's (1990) policy analysis framework, this dissertation explores the influences that led to the deregulation of international student recruitment ('the policy') and the subsequent development of pathway programs in the Australian higher education sector. In this study Ball's framework is extended to include Marginson and Rhoades' (2002) glonacal heuristic to analyse the global, national and local contexts that contributed to the creation and implementation of 'the policy'. The development of pathway programs is chosen as one aspect of implementation to allow for an exploration that progresses from a macro to a microanalysis of 'the policy' cycle.
The study examines the key 'players' or individuals who contributed to 'the policy's' creation, the ideologies that influenced these individuals and the contexts within which decisions were made. The research found that glonacal influences of neoliberalism, globalisation, internationalisation and commercialisation were paramount in the formation of 'the policy', and in influencing key 'players'. It was also recognized that it was not always possible to definitively describe the role of these 'players' or 'actors' according to a hierarchical structure and separate contexts, confirming Ball's (1990) theory that influence on policy is often ad hoc and trajectory in nature.
Education is an export industry, which contributes an income of $5.6 billion to the Australian economy. In 2004, there were 151,798 international students in the higher education sector, with 10 Australian universities depending on this industry for 15% to 40% of their total income. The development of pathway programs and universities' close association with private providers has contributed significantly to the overall commercial and internationalisation objectives of these universities. The pathway model, delivered through a private provider, examined in this study is quintessentially Australian, and was a local response to the possibilities that 'the policy' created. The model flourished because of Commonwealth and state support, the former providing a national accreditation system in the form of the Australian Qualification Framework ensuring articulation to a university course. From a state perspective, pathway programs and private providers prospered with the support of university partners and successive Western Australian state governments that recognised the commercial gains to be made through co-operative partnerships.
The research concludes that through glonacal influences the recruitment of international students to Australian universities developed into an industry that is uniquely Australian. The development of pathway programs and the involvement of private providers was one of its distinguishing characteristics.
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Fiocco, Maria. "'Glonacal' contexts : internationalisation policy in the Australian higher education sector and the development of pathway programs /." Access via Murdoch University Digital Theses Project, 2005. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20060502.154739.
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