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1
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.
2
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.
3
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.
4
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.
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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Lane, Tim. "Information security management in Australian universities : an exploratory analysis." Queensland University of Technology, 2007. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16486/.
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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.
10
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.
11
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.
12
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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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.
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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
14
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.
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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.
15
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.
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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.
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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.
18
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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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.
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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.
20
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.
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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.
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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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Cargill, Barbara J. "Models of organizational and managerial capability for the entrepreneurial university in Australia." Australasian Digital Thesis Program, 2007. http://adt.lib.swin.edu.au/public/adt-VSWT20070423.094131/index.html.
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Dale, Andrea. "Wrestling with a fine woman : the history of postgraduate education in Australia, 1851-1993." Title page, table of contents and summary only, 1997. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phd139.pdf.
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Errata pasted onto front fly leaf. Bibliography: leaves 329-355. Studies the expansion of postgraduate education in Australia, particularly the research degree. Analyses the credentialling role of the postgraduate degree and the influence of overseas models of postgraduate education. Argues that the changing relationship between the state, the universities and the research sector has had a strong impact on the postgraduate sector.
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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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Sinclair-Jones, Janet A. "The idea of the university in Australia in the 1990s." Curtin University of Technology, School of Social Sciences and Asian Languages, 1996. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=11499.
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Over the past ten years Australian higher education has undergone a transformation from a binary structure, marked by a division of 'traditional universities' and colleges of advanced education, to a uniform university structure. This transformation was first proposed in 1987 by the Hon. John Dawkins, Minister for Employment, Education and Training in the Hawke Labor Government. The proposals appeared in the form of a 'Green' policy discussion paper which drew substantial amounts of criticism from the academy, but nonetheless were swiftly transformed into policy as a 'White' paper or policy statement. Since that time, Australian higher education institutions have been subject to a series of changes that have fundamentally changed the patterns of tertiary education provision established over the previous forty years. They have experienced a re-allocation of research funds which has eroded the established advantage of the traditional universities; they have been obliged to accept amalgamations; and, student numbers have expanded at a rate and to a proportion never previously imagined. All of this has been achieved under the banner of improving Australia's place in the highly competitive international economy. The champions of a restructured higher education sector have argued that this competitiveness is greatly dependent upon Australia's ability to improve the scientific and technical base of its human capital: higher education must move towards a more efficient and effective provision of education which will meet the needs of the market.The transformation of higher education has been achieved without the unanimous blessing of the academy. Many of the most strident critics of what have come to be known as the Dawkins Reforms are academics who have expressed dismay at these changes. In particular there has been as strongly argued case that the reforms, with their ++emphasis on science and technology, mark the end of liberal education in Australia. Australian higher education is now, they declare, the site of mass education based upon a new instrumentalism in which the liberal arts have no significant place.This dissertation takes such criticisms as its focus. In particular it attempts to show that the critique founded upon a defence of the inherent role of liberal education in the Australian university sector has been misguided. Furthermore, the dissertation argues that because so much of the attack on the restructuring policy took this form there was little place for a substantial critical appraisal of the validity of restructuring based upon an imperative of the market.The idea of the university in Australia as one fundamentally defined by liberal education is examined at two levels. First, it is argued that the notion of liberal education used to defend the university against new instrumentalism is an idealised notion which both ignores the historical construction of such an idea at a time when liberalism itself was undergoing transformation, and, wrongly assumes the absence of instrumentalism, within it. Second, the history of the establishment of the university in Australia is reviewed to show that whilst the founders of the universities often had sympathies for the liberal arts, from the outset Australian universities were consistently conditioned by the drive for instrumental education.Higher education policies in the post-WWII era are given particular attention in order to show that mass higher education is no new phenomenon, but the continuation of the drive towards expanded education provision. Just as with the expansion of schooling to mass schooling, a greatly expanded higher education sector has been necessary to fulfil the continued demands of the social democratic consensus. The thesis concludes with the argument ++
that the critique of higher education reforms has been hobbled by the absence of a critical sociology of education which could place the restructuring of Australian higher education in the context of the transformation of social to market democracy.
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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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Hill, John Orford. "Scientific literacy and the reform of science education in Australia a chemistry perspective /." Connect to this title online, 2006. http://eprints.unimelb.edu.au/archive/00001298/.
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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." 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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Gunasekara, Chrys. "The role of universities in the development of regional innovation systems in Australia /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2004. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe17678.pdf.
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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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Fazaeli, Ahmad, of Western Sydney Nepean University, and Faculty of Education. "Academic culture, attitudes and values of leaders, and students' satisfaction with academic culture in Australia's universities." THESIS_FE_XXX_FAZAELI_A.xml, 1998. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/126.
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This study examined staff and leadership's attitudes to their work organisation and its environment, and, in particular, the extent to which they preferred a human or task orientation. The study then defined and measured the 'academic culture' of the institution and explored the different effects of emphasising human or task orientations on this academic culture. Finally, the relationship between academic culture and student satisfaction within the institution was explored in the research. The measure of academic culture encompassed 3 domains - planning, the way of doing things, and relationships. A set of survey research instruments was developed and piloted. These instruments measured, in addition to background characteristics of respondents, aspects of attitude to the organisation and perceptions of its academic culture. The results of the study provided evidence that stronger task-oriented attitudes of leaders and staff were associated with academic culture subscales based on 'clarity of the job' and 'goal setting' within the planning domain and 'job performance' within the way of doing things domain. Although the relationship was much weaker, stronger human-oriented attitudes were related to the academic culture subscales of 'communication and relationship' and 'social acceptance' within the relationship domain, and 'leader-subordinate interaction' in the way of doing things domain. In as much as a strong academic culture needs an emphasis on the 3 domains (planning, the way of doing things in an organisation, and relationships), the research suggested that staff and leadership need to be versatile and incorporate both task-oriented and human-oriented approaches. A number of measures of attitudes and perceptions of academic culture were significantly related to the demographic backgrounds of the participants. This emphasised the importance of treating the constructs as multi-dimensional and the leaders, staff, and students as heterogeneous groups. Finally, and importantly, student satisfaction measures were associated with higher academic culture scoresDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Fazaeli, Ahmad. "Academic culture, attitudes and values of leaders, and students' satisfaction with academic culture in Australia's universities /." View thesis, 1998. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20030821.110738/index.html.
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Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Western Sydney, Nepean, 1998.Submitted to the Faculty of Education, The University of Western Sydney, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy April 1998. Bibliography : p. 331-384.
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Rossiter, Darien Elizabeth. "Embedding e-learning in universities : analysis and conceptualisation of change processes." Queensland University of Technology, 2006. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16223/.
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E-learning has acquired the status of a "radical innovation" in higher education over the past decade. This claim is contestable, but certainly as the latest educational innovation, it can be attributed with introducing significant disruption into many facets of university life, reaching well beyond the traditional activities associated with the classroom pedagogies. In Australian universities, there are many now who simply take e-learning for granted as accepted teaching and learning practice (Oliver, 2004). Conversely, there are others who forecast its demise, claiming that, like previous educational technological innovations, it is another passing fad (Noble, 1998b). This thesis does not primarily engage this debate. Instead the purpose of this thesis is to gain insight into how universities can realise sustained benefits from the considerable investments to date that have been made in educational technological innovations. The inquiry seeks to understand better change within contemporary universities, in particular the process of embedding the e-learning innovation effectively. The intention is to produce an analysis useful to university executives, managers, teachers and researchers, as well as to make a more general contribution to knowledge about innovations in organisations. The research literature on change and innovation in organisations is relevant but is reviewed and assessed as of limited value to the enquiry. This is because: * the literature mainly focuses on the objective characteristics of an innovative product which cannot encompass the socially constructed value of e-learning * it fails to differentiate between the concept of "embedding" and other change phases and constructs, mostly examining the precursory and innovation-producing processes * the context of research into innovation has been primarily industrial, not university-based * its variable analytic paradigm fails to produce holistic analyses which can be appreciated and enacted on by decision makers and practising managers. For these reasons and because suitable research on innovation in universities is lacking, an introductory investigation based on grounded theory building was undertaken. To this end, four qualitative, descriptive case studies of contrasting Australian universities embedding e-learning were compiled. The four case universities (their identities protected through use of pseudonyms) assessed were: * Gamma University - a multi-campus institution, geographically spread across urban and regional locations * Lambda University - an established university, with the majority of students located at a single urban campus * Epsilon University - a younger, multi-campus amalgamated university with a strong reputation for distance education * Delta University - a relatively young multi-campus, urban university, although its parent bodies provide a longer history. The cases were based on interviews and focus group sessions with 74 participants, and electronic resource and document analyses over two phases; the first conducted in 1998-1999 and the second in 2002-2003. These analyses provided holistic pragmatic accounts that encapsulate a number of issues. One issue was about the importance of creativity in the innovating process. A second set of issues centred on the theme of complexity and the multifarious nature of the e-learning innovation. Other themes included the significance of the innovation context, partnerships and collaborations, and the emerging polarisation of issues such as standardisation versus diversification. These issues provoked three major propositions about the process of embedding and prompted the development of two systems-based analytical frameworks; one focusing on the nature of system relationships and interactions and the second providing a longitudinal perspective of system change. The propositions are: * the ability of a university to negotiate system intersections and transitions influences the degree to which e-learning can be embedded in that university * complexity is an integral part of an innovation, therefore cannot be ignored or eliminated without destroying the kernel of the innovation itself, and its longterm viability * the efficacy of the innovation is related, in some measure, to the ability to sustain partnerships and collaborations. The analysis suggested that there are number of key influences which affect the embedding process and the ability of an organisation, such as a university, to manage the processes associated with the e-learning innovation. The key system influences which affect embedding include: * the nature of the interactions and transactions occurring within the system, at the boundaries and between the phases of transition * the importance of organisational context (cultural, technological, strategic, geographic) * the pervasive impact of complexity on all dimensions of the research problem (the e-learning innovation, the change process and the university environment) * the necessity for collaboration. The implications of this study for university executives, managers and beyond are far reaching, and in some respects contradict accepted contemporary management practice. They include: seeking ways to maximise organisational tensions to achieve positive outcomes; enhancing decision making by allowing more flexibility and personal judgement into the process; developing greater tolerance for system fuzziness and uncertainty; and encouraging better utilisation of previous knowledge gained about innovation practices and processes.
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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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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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Ward, Beverley Lorraine. "The female professor : a rare Australian species, the who and how /." Ward, Beverley Lorraine (2003) The female professor: a rare Australian species, the who and how. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2003. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/387/.
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Although many studies have been made of female academic staff in Australia, there has been no discrete study of Australian female professors as an occupational class or of the relatively rare incumbents of this important position. This thesis makes a contribution to this previously unexplored area by providing a descriptive profile of current professors at Australian universities and an insight into female professors' perspectives on how they managed their entry into the Australian professoriate. It responds to the twin central questions: 'Who are the female occupants in the Australian professoriate and how have they managed their way through the academic hierarchy'?
A profile of current female Australian professors, constructed via a questionnaire, provides the study with a foundation -- a background from which to view the interpretative data. This part of the research also makes a contribution to the social arithmetic of higher education, by presenting systematic demographic information on female professors in Australian universities. Subsequently 13 in-depth interviews were conducted, giving a 'voice' to the professors. This enabled the research to identify and explore six major themes - career, role, significant others, gender, change, and reflection.
The thesis presents the data collected in the questionnaire and interviews, discusses and interprets the research findings, and provides an insight into the milieu in which the female professors function. It includes an overview of some of the critical literature pertinent to the topic - female professors and their working lives - from both an Australian and an international perspective. It also details the methodology used in the study, which included both quantitative and qualitative research tools, and describes the theoretical position which frames the qualitative part of the research, symbolic interactionism, which is located within the hermeneutic/interpretive paradigm in social research.
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Brown, Robert Maxwell. "Drivers of student satisfaction and student loyalty in an Australian university setting." University of Western Australia. Graduate School of Management, 2007. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2007.0060.
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[Truncated abstract] The Australian higher education sector has changed markedly in the last two decades. The size of the sector has swelled in size as new universities have been created from former Colleges of Advanced Education and Institutes of Technology, and succeeding governments have introduced policies that have embedded increasingly corporate and commercial practices into university administration. This has caused the creation of what are becoming known as ‘enterprise universities’. This thesis examines hypotheses arising from two fundamental questions. (i) Given the increasingly market-oriented higher education environment in Australia, will a model developed from the study of services marketing (which has developed since the 1970s as a distinct sub-branch of the Marketing discipline) show itself to be applicable to universities operating in the Australian sector? (ii) If so, are there demonstrable differences in the way in which ‘student customers’ respond in terms of the antecedents of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty within different types of university? . . . The study found that the model tested was highly appropriate for indicating the major antecedents of satisfaction and loyalty in this setting. It showed that the institutional image was a relatively stronger antecedent of perceived value and customer satisfaction than were elements of service quality, and that the model was effective in accounting for a large proportion of the variance found in students’ loyalty to their institution. It also found that there was relatively little difference between students attending different types of university in these matters. It argues that there is an important imperative for Australian universities to take a strategic image management approach to their marketing initiatives, and also issues related to the nature of higher education as a positional and public good.
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au, J. Taylor@murdoch edu, and Jeannette Taylor. "The Impact of Performance Indicators on the Work of University Academics: A Study of Four Australian Universities." Murdoch University, 1999. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051129.154225.
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In 1988, the Australian Federal Government released the document Higher Education: A Policy Statement which was intended to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the higher education sector. This paved the way for the application of performance indicators (Pls) across higher education, most notably the creation of a link between Pls (called the Composite Index) and the research component of the annual government funding to universities. Although PIS for teaching became popular, funding for the teaching component was not directly attached to PIS and remained largely based on student enrolments.
The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of university academics in Australia on the effects of research and teaching as a result of the introduction of funding based on research Pls. The academic literature suggests that Pls can bring about desirable effects but it also warns that their imposition, particularly by the government on universities, may lead to unintended and undesirable effects, such as goal displacement and strategic manipulation, which may be designed to enhance apparent research performance. To guide the investigation, it was hypothesised that the government's Pls which focus on research will be integrated into the universities' internal policies; will encourage universities to place a high priority on the research activities funded by the Pls; will lead to significantly more paperwork; will contribute to a significant change in the approach to research but not to teaching; and will result in academics adopting negative attitudes towards Pls.
Two basic sources of information were obtained to evaluate these hypotheses. First, the administrations of selected universities were consulted, and staff interviewed, to gauge the degree of change that had been implemented by the universities. Second, a questionnaire was constructed in order to assess academics' attitude towards Pls, and their perceptions of an association between Pls and their institutional reward system. The questionnaire also assessed changes in research, teaching and paperwork activities.
The universities selected characterised the different kinds of universities found in the Unified National System of the Australian higher education system. One hundred and fifty-two academics from these universities were surveyed by the questionnaire. Thirty percent of these academics participated in a structured interview. The disciplines from which the academics were selected for participation included arts/humanities, science, and professional studies which included a natural science based profession and a social science based profession. In addition, a case study of one of these universities was carried out.
The institutions were found to have reorganised their internal policies to incorporate and focus on the Pls in the government's Composite Index. The academics surveyed were generally found to have negative attitude towards their institutional Pls, although staff of higher rank had relatively more positive views. Reasons for their dissatisfaction included the inability of Pls to capture the various dimensions of academic work and privileging research over teaching. For a majority of the academics, the introduction of Pls was associated with a rise in paperwork load and a change in the approach to research in terms of focusing on publications and external research grant applications, particularly those counted in their institutional PI-based funding schemes. The time devoted to these activities, as well as the number of publications and grants for which they were expected to apply, have significantly increased. It was found that staff did use various strategies to maximise their PI scores, such as writing shorter papers in order to increase the quantity of publications. The proportion who changed their approach to teaching was also sizeable; most of them were concerned about getting students through their courses with minimum fuss by having lower ambitions for students and pandering to their superficial needs. However, the proportion who changed their teaching was significantly less than those who changed their research. One possible reason could be the lack of special incentives to increase their emphasis on teaching.
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Taylor, Jeannette. "The impact of performance indicators on the work of university academics : a study of four Australian universities /." Taylor, Jeannette (1999) The impact of performance indicators on the work of university academics: a study of four Australian universities. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 1999. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/340/.
Full textAbstract:
In 1988, the Australian Federal Government released the document Higher Education: A Policy Statement which was intended to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the higher education sector. This paved the way for the application of performance indicators (Pls) across higher education, most notably the creation of a link between Pls (called the Composite Index) and the research component of the annual government funding to universities. Although PIS for teaching became popular, funding for the teaching component was not directly attached to PIS and remained largely based on student enrolments.
The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of university academics in Australia on the effects of research and teaching as a result of the introduction of funding based on research Pls. The academic literature suggests that Pls can bring about desirable effects but it also warns that their imposition, particularly by the government on universities, may lead to unintended and undesirable effects, such as goal displacement and strategic manipulation, which may be designed to enhance apparent research performance. To guide the investigation, it was hypothesised that the government's Pls which focus on research will be integrated into the universities' internal policies; will encourage universities to place a high priority on the research activities funded by the Pls; will lead to significantly more paperwork; will contribute to a significant change in the approach to research but not to teaching; and will result in academics adopting negative attitudes towards Pls.
Two basic sources of information were obtained to evaluate these hypotheses. First, the administrations of selected universities were consulted, and staff interviewed, to gauge the degree of change that had been implemented by the universities. Second, a questionnaire was constructed in order to assess academics' attitude towards Pls, and their perceptions of an association between Pls and their institutional reward system. The questionnaire also assessed changes in research, teaching and paperwork activities.
The universities selected characterised the different kinds of universities found in the Unified National System of the Australian higher education system. One hundred and fifty-two academics from these universities were surveyed by the questionnaire. Thirty percent of these academics participated in a structured interview. The disciplines from which the academics were selected for participation included arts/humanities, science, and professional studies which included a natural science based profession and a social science based profession. In addition, a case study of one of these universities was carried out.
The institutions were found to have reorganised their internal policies to incorporate and focus on the Pls in the government's Composite Index. The academics surveyed were generally found to have negative attitude towards their institutional Pls, although staff of higher rank had relatively more positive views. Reasons for their dissatisfaction included the inability of Pls to capture the various dimensions of academic work and privileging research over teaching. For a majority of the academics, the introduction of Pls was associated with a rise in paperwork load and a change in the approach to research in terms of focusing on publications and external research grant applications, particularly those counted in their institutional PI-based funding schemes. The time devoted to these activities, as well as the number of publications and grants for which they were expected to apply, have significantly increased. It was found that staff did use various strategies to maximise their PI scores, such as writing shorter papers in order to increase the quantity of publications. The proportion who changed their approach to teaching was also sizeable; most of them were concerned about getting students through their courses with minimum fuss by having lower ambitions for students and pandering to their superficial needs. However, the proportion who changed their teaching was significantly less than those who changed their research. One possible reason could be the lack of special incentives to increase their emphasis on teaching.
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Orford, Hill John. "Scientific literacy and the reform of science education in Australia : a chemistry perspective /." Connect to thesis, 2005. http://eprints.unimelb.edu.au/archive/00001298.
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Rivers, Gary James. "University selection in Singapore : a case study of students' past and intended decision-making." University of Western Australia. Graduate School of Management, 2005. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2005.0072.
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This research focussed Singaporean student decision-making when choosing an institution for university studies. It is contended that if a university does not understand the dimensions of how prospective students make decisions when choosing an institution it cannot meaningfully offer representation to these potential customers. Fittingly, this thesis drew on past research from buyer behaviour and college choice studies. Adapting an established model of consumer decision-making (Engel, Blackwell and Miniard, 1990), the study investigated the degree of compliance with the Extended Problem Solving concept (Howard, 1963), including what factors determined and influenced choices, and whether students learn from past decisions. To this end, an exploratory / descriptive study used mixed methods (Creswell, 1994) to map out the dimensions of student decision-making within an Australian University and Singaporean Association case. Results indicated students? decision-making was closely aligned to simple models and their decision-making steps could be best described as (1) having a need, (2) searching and gathering information, (3) evaluating alternatives, (4) making choice/s, and (5) accepting an offer and enrolling in a university program. Further, respondents did not necessarily engage in extensive searching and gathering activities, as theorised, demonstrated limited learning and had few discernible influences on their choices. The implications for the University-Association case included the need to guide students through their decision-making processes by providing relevant data on which they could make informed choices, relative to career and income advancement. For those indicating that they would choose an institution for postgraduate studies, ensure undergraduate post-choice regret is minimised and offer more choices of management programs so that respondents would consider continuing their studies with the same institution. The study contended that, despite delimits and limitations, contributions to both theory and practise had been made and concluded with several ideas for future research, including proposing two alternative hypotheses.
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Kendal, Stephen Leslie, and n/a. "THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC POLICY. UNIVERSITY AMALGAMATIONS IN AUSTRALIA IN THE 1980s AND 1990s." University of Canberra. Business and Government, 2006. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20071005.123202.
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This thesis considers the adequacy of existing theories of implementation of tertiary education policy, in relation to university amalgamations in the 1980s and 1990s in Australia. In particular the thesis examines the difficulties of mergers attempted in the case of Monash University (a successful amalgamation), the University of New England (a partially successful amalgamation), and the Australian National University (an amalgamation which never took place). The thesis argues that the best available model of policy implementation in the tertiary education sector is that set out by Cerych and Sabatier (1986), and that even this is less than adequate through its omission of several relevant factors, notably the factor of leadership. The thesis accordingly presents a modification of the Cerych and Sabatier (1986) model as well as suggestions for inclusion of factors omitted in the broader implementation literature.
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Philpott, Rodger Frank. "Commercializing the university: The costs and benefits of the entrepreneurial exchange of knowledge and skills." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/186730.
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The emergence of the global economy has forced the Australian government to revise economic strategies and to seek institutional changes. Higher education's new roles in research and human resource development, have been manifested in university commercialization activities. Mindful that Universities are prestige rather than profit maximizers, this study applies Schumpeter's (1942) theoretical model for the survival of a firm under financial stress. The model's responses, extended to education by Leslie and Miller (1973), include new products, new markets, restructuring, increased productivity and new supply factors. University entrepreneurial activities have monetary and non-monetary impacts. The non-monetary costs and benefits of Australian university enterprise were studied by Leslie (1992) and Leslie and Harrold (1993). In this study, academics at Curtin University of Technology (Perth, Western Australia) were selected as entrepreneurial or non-entrepreneurial subjects and surveyed on the non-monetary costs and benefits of entrepreneurial activities affecting Curtin's teaching, research and public service mission. This data were analyzed and subsequently compared with data obtained by Leslie (1992). Differences in academic perceptions were found among the Curtin respondents by gender, academic status, discipline area, entrepreneurship and non-entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial revenue importance. Using the Leslie data inter-institutional differences were examined and an order of entrepreneurial institutional types proposed, with Curtin University described as a frontier entrepreneurial university. The taxonomy of costs and benefits developed by Leslie (1992) was revised with the addition of personal social costs, stress, networking and professional development. An estimate was made of the dollar value of non-monetary items; non-monetary benefits were three times the dollar value of monetary benefits; non-monetary costs were less than half the monetary cost levels. The ratio of non-monetary costs to benefits was 1:3.5. Academics in the disciplines of engineering and science had more favorable perceptions of entrepreneurial costs and benefits than respondents in business studies. Health science respondents were described as having pessimistic perceptions. Future research may look at the levels of commercial revenue and investigate the effects of the amount of financial success or failure on the entrepreneurial efforts of academics. In university enterprise successes seem to foster success and the favorable perceptions of academics.
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Sherren, Katherine Dove (Kate), and katesherren@yahoo com au. "Sustainability Bound? A study of interdisciplinarity and values in universities." The Australian National University. Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, 2008. http://thesis.anu.edu.au./public/adt-ANU20080507.100919.
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The United Nations declared 2005 to 2014 to be the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. This agenda is being implemented enthusiastically in university facilities management and operations, and while research in sustainability is increasingly common, tertiary curriculum has not experienced a similar push. This thesis undertakes to explore the expressions of sustainability in the academic activities of universities, and to determine what sort of change (if any) is appropriate. It also seeks to mediate what has become a polarised debate between idealists and pragmatists around the implementation of EFS. Two key features of the work are: 1) the investigation of sustainability in the aggregate student experience, rather than individual subjects; and 2) returning to first principles to avoid a normative stance a priori.¶
A range of methods is employed adaptively through the process of this alternately broad and deep exploratory study, including: participant observation, interviews, content analysis, questionnaires, social network analysis, bibliometrics, and data clustering. A systemic approach to Canadian and Australian case work captures the diversity of institutional roles and academic motivations at play in adaptation to the EFS agenda.¶
A stasis exists between the literature around higher education curriculum for sustainability and its implementation. The problem is exacerbated by the lack of pedagogical training in most university academics. A long-standing utilitarian sectoral culture and an increasingly job-focused student market further challenge such public-good concepts as sustainability in the academy. Four simple ideas sit at the heart of 35 years of environmental and sustainability education literature, despite changes in jargon: liberal education and broad foundations; interdisciplinarity in problem-solving; cosmopolitan philosophies; and civic action. Relevant disciplinary content includes biology, environmental science, policy, philosophy, human society, economics, and culture. Most of these elements are rare in the Australian sector, which instead offers science and technology-focused environmental programs with flexible requirements. A transition to the human realm is evident in programs targeting sustainability.¶
Curriculum cannot be viewed in isolation, however, as it concerns only one of a universitys many constituencies, and one facet of academic staff scholarship. For example, even in higher education sectors more sympathetic to a diversity of university niches and curricular models, like Canadas, sustainability offerings operate at a tension from low-cost and low-effort teaching models. So-called umbrella networking structures on cross-cutting topics must walk a careful line to be comprehensive yet non-competitive. They present great opportunities for sustainability teaching but are almost uniformly research-focused. A distinct sense emerges that the erosion of the collective identity and activities of academe has weakened the ability of universities to respond to new information and challenges in anything but corporate, isomorphic ways.¶
Two detailed Australian cases of research, research training and curriculum development activities around sustainability paint a rich picture of the agenda. The intractability of fragmentation between disciplines is evident, even in so-called interdisciplinary units. Problem-based topics often do not have an established social network or committee structure, and priorities can differ by budget unit. Disciplines provide identity, peers and cohesive research directions that can be compelling for individual academics. The most fascinating pattern that arises during the mapping of research co-authorship and co-supervisory relationships around sustainability is the bi-directional orientation: academics collaborate outside their departmental home on papers, but within that home to mentor research students. This combination unifies two contrasting theories of social capital transmission those preferring dense and sparse networks, respectively and may be ideal. Students then receive consistent messages while gaining access to the largest (non-redundant) set of human and technical resources via their supervisors personal networks. This hypothesis should be explored further: if supported, it would have major impacts on the rhetoric around collaboration in interdisciplinary units in particular.¶
Curriculum design processes in utilitarian universities are subject to the same fallibilities in adapting to sustainability as other institutions and the wider society. Change is motivated and moderated by financial imperatives and the scale of thought is often coincident with budgets. Engagement processes are often incomplete or undemocratic, hampered by inadequate leadership and shifting membership. Group learning via research, experimentation or vigorous debate is surprisingly rare. Finally, ad-hoc or project-based academic teams are rarely mandated to tackle the causes of problems, some of which can be intractable, and are limited to treating the symptoms. Incremental pragmatism may be a necessary element to university adaptation for EFS.¶
A number of recommendations are offered to improve interdisciplinarity and university values more generally. Individual academics should: offer additive alternatives to metrics and incentive schemes that maintain existing functions; act on common ground to rebuild a community of scholars; wield to the fullest the freedom in the classroom, and the opportunity to reflect, that university teaching allows; and, continue to debate ideas with passion and rigour, avoiding academic correctness. University management can contribute by: establishing a clear academic identity for the university beyond excellence, and supporting firm foundations for students based on that particular vision; taking a proactive view of course review and development and facilitating experimentation in those settings; intentionally fostering interdisciplinary units differently to disciplinary ones; and, establishing and recognising equivalence across a range of successful academic career archetypes.¶
This methodologically innovative work also suggests opportunities for extending the research, including: refining and testing the sustainability canon developed here; better understanding collaborative behaviour and the impact of various models of supervisory teams on student career paths; and, finding better ways of defining, modelling and evaluating interdisciplinary scholarship. Sustainability is likeliest to emerge from a healthy and independent tertiary sector, than one operating as an overt policy instrument.
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Weller, Stephen Adrian. "A study of organisational justice and participative workplace change in Australian higher education." full-text, 2009. http://eprints.vu.edu.au/2028/1/weller.pdf.
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This thesis explores employee participation in the management of workplace change through an organisational justice framework within the context of the Australian Higher Education (HE) sector. The thesis examines the extent to which the Australian HE sector makes provisions for participative workplace change, the extent to which participants within the sector perceive participative workplace change as providing fairness, and practices that can facilitate and foster participative workplace change. The provisions for participative workplace change are examined through a longitudinal study of enterprise bargaining agreements across all public universities in Australia for the period of 1997-2006. The research findings identify a decline in both the degree and form of employee participation in workplace change across this decade. The perceptions of participative workplace change are examined through an altitudinal survey of management and union executives within all public universities in Australia. The research findings identify considerable divergence between management and union executives in relation to employee participation, workplace change and organisational justice. The practices for participative workplace change are examined through twenty semi-structured interviews with management and union executives drawn from amongst the respondents to the attitudinal survey. The research findings identify areas of convergence around organisational justice dimensions and workplace change practices between management and union executives. The thesis concludes that it is a combination of fair processes and fair interactions which are most effective in facilitating workplace change and fostering employee participation in the Australian HE sector and which in turn are seen to be able to contribute to shared perceptions of organisational justice.
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Roche, Vivienne Carol. "Razor gang to Dawkins : a history of Victoria College, an Australian College of Advanced Education." Connect to digital thesis, 2003. http://eprints.unimelb.edu.au/archive/00000468.
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Stafford, Sally. "Strengthening institutional management of transnational higher education : implications derived from a thematic analysis of the Cycle 2 audit reports of the Australian Universities Quality Agency." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2015. http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/2043939/.
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Transnational higher education (TNE) involves the offering overseas of ‘home university’ award courses by, or with, overseas partners, or directly through an overseas branch of the university. TNE is growing in significance in the context of the internationalisation of higher education and the increasing mobility of information and people in a more globalised world. TNE has become an important and distinctive avenue of access for many students. However, TNE is a complex and demanding activity for institutional managers. The context for the study is the relative paucity of research on the management of TNE, compared with the teaching-learning area, coupled with my own professional interest in understanding and improving TNE management. The study involved a thematic analysis of documentary sources in the form of institutional audit reports by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA). The specific objectives were to identify and analyse the patterns and themes in AUQA’s concerns and commendations, in order to draw out the implications for improving the development and management of TNE. Finally, using a strategic management perspective, the main challenges confronting senior institutional managers in TNE initiatives were examined. A total of 204 concerns and 31 commendations were identified by a systematic review of TNE management in 27 university audit reports. The concerns and commendations were categorised using a structured, 6-dimensional analytical framework to produce a comprehensive overview of management issues in TNE. Almost half the concerns and commendations related to institutional strategy and management, with significant numbers also relating to governance and quality assurance. In relation to the 235 concerns and commendations, 21 themes, or areas of recurring concern, were identified. Major themes included weaknesses in academic and corporate governance processes, alignment of TNE initiatives with overall university strategy, and senior management oversight. For each theme, implications for improving management practice were developed by drawing on relevant literature and my own professional experience. Adopting a strategic management perspective suggested that the 21 themes could be grouped meaningfully into 3 clusters relating to: Integrating the TNE venture into institutional structure and processes; Determining the nature and form of the TNE partnership and associated contract; and Managing and sustaining the TNE initiative. A model was developed to illustrate the interrelationship between the 3 clusters and the role of strategic leadership. The study contributes to developing a deeper and more systematic understanding of the nature of TNE and the sources for concerns that arise from its inherent complexity and risk. The study also extends the broad knowledge base for consultants, institutional managers, practising academics and quality assurance and accreditation agencies in Australia and other countries. Finally, the study contributes to strengthening my own professional knowledge and practice as a consultant to Australian and overseas universities and private higher education institutions who are developing TNE programs.