Journal articles on the topic 'Business enterprises Australia Management'
To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Business enterprises Australia Management.
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 journal articles for your research on the topic 'Business enterprises Australia Management.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse journal articles on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Morfesi, David, and Iain Sandford. "Effective Compliance with Trade Law and International Business Integrity Requirements in Australia." Global Trade and Customs Journal 8, Issue 10 (October 1, 2013): 328–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.54648/gtcj2013046.
Full textAbstract:
This article considers the framework of Australian law, policy and institutions that raise compliance issues for enterprises undertaking business into and out of Australia. It provides a brief, practical perspective on the Australian frameworks that regulate: general import and export compliance; compliance with special regimes affecting certain goods, such as defence and strategic items; as well as Australia's strict quarantine requirements for food, biological products and other goods that risk introducing exotic pests and diseases. It also addresses Australia's increasing emphasis on 'business integrity' issues that affect how, where and with whom business is done. The article concludes by suggesting that Australian law requirements should be addressed in the context of the global compliance systems of internationally active businesses.
2
Smith, Andrew, Eddie Oczkowski, Charles Noble, and Robert Macklin. "New management practices and enterprise training in Australia." International Journal of Manpower 24, no. 1 (February 1, 2003): 31–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01437720310464954.
Full textAbstract:
The widespread implementation of new management practices (NMPs) in industrialised countries has had a significant impact on employee training. Examines five NMPs: the learning organisation; total quality management; lean production/high performance work organisations; teamworking; and business process re‐engineering. Focuses on the relationship between organisational change and training at the enterprise level. The research identified important findings in six key areas: small business; the use of the vocational education and training system; the importance of the individual; the nature of training; the importance of behavioural skills; and organisational change. The study confirmed that workplace change is a major driver of improved training provision in enterprises. It showed unambiguously that most NMPs are associated with higher levels of training. The integration of training with business strategy was found to be the most important factor in driving training across a wide range of training activities and appears to lead to an across the board boost to enterprise training in all its forms.
3
Sablok, Gitika, Pauline Stanton, Timothy Bartram, John Burgess, and Brendan Boyle. "Human resource development practices, managers and multinational enterprises in Australia." Education + Training 59, no. 5 (June 12, 2017): 483–501. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/et-02-2016-0023.
Full textAbstract:
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the HRD practices of multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in Australia to understand the value that MNEs place on investment in their human capital, particularly managerial talent. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a representative sample of 211 MNEs operating in Australia, this paper investigates the extent (using frequencies) and determinants (using logistic regression analysis) of training and development expenditure, management development strategies, talent management and succession planning policies. Findings The findings suggest that less than 20 per cent of MNEs operating in Australia are investing over 4 per cent of their annual pay bill on training and development. Furthermore, almost a quarter of firms invest less than 1 per cent in training and development. However, most MNEs invest in their managers and those with high potential through the use of management development programmes, talent management strategies and succession planning. Interestingly, in comparison to US MNEs, Australian MNEs were less likely to use management development or talent management programmes for senior management or high performing staff. Research limitations/implications The current study is cross-sectional and represents a snapshot of MNEs’ HRD practices at one point in time. The study measured the perceptions of the most senior HR manager and did not include the views of other organisational participants. The authors suggest the need for future research studies that incorporate longitudinal research designs and the views of different organisational actors. Practical implications HR managers or HRD specialists need to develop a strong understanding of the Australian institutional context, as well as demonstrate the importance/business case for an integrative approach to HRD. Originality/value This paper fulfils an identified need to study the HRD practices of MNEs operating in Australia, particularly focusing on the value that MNEs place on their human capital.
4
Denny-Smith, George, and Martin Loosemore. "Integrating Indigenous enterprises into the Australian construction industry." Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management 24, no. 5 (September 18, 2017): 788–808. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ecam-01-2016-0001.
Full textAbstract:
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the barriers to entry for Indigenous businesses into the Australian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A national survey was conducted with 33 Indigenous businesses operating in the Australian construction industry. Findings The findings show that Indigenous enterprises face similar challenges to many small non-Indigenous enterprises wishing to enter the industry. These include adjusting to unique construction industry cultures and practices, breaking into existing business networks and building social capital and being under-cut by industry incumbents and competitors when tendering for projects. These barriers are similar to those faced by other non-Indigenous social enterprises, although Indigenous enterprises do appear to experience relatively greater difficulty in starting-up their businesses and in securing sufficient capital, finance and assistance to enable them to scale-up and tender for normal work packages at a competitive price. Research limitations/implications The results are limited to Australian Indigenous businesses. The survey does not allow a comparison of non-Indigenous and Indigenous businesses, although comparison of results with existing non-Indigenous research into small to medium-sized firms in construction does allow some tentative insights. These need to be explored further. Practical implications These results indicate that there are significant barriers to be addressed within the Australian construction industry if government indigenous procurement policies are to achieve their stated aims of increasing the number of Indigenous firms in the industry. The results also have important implications for Indigenous businesses and for non-Indigenous firms operating in the Australian construction industry. Social implications This is an important gap in knowledge to address if countries like Australia are to redress the significant inequalities in income and health suffered by Indigenous populations. Originality/value In countries like Australia, with significant Indigenous populations, governments are seeking to address persistent disadvantage by using new social procurement initiatives to create quasi construction markets for Indigenous enterprises to participate in the construction industry. While there is an emerging body of research into the barriers facing mainstream small to medium-sized enterprises and, to a lesser extent, social enterprises in construction, the barriers to entry facing Indigenous construction enterprises have been largely ignored.
5
Fish, A., and J. Wood. "Cross-cultural Management Competence in Australian Business Enterprises." Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources 35, no. 1 (January 1, 1997): 37–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/103841119703500104.
Full text
6
Xiang, Dong, and Andrew Worthington. "Finance-seeking behaviour and outcomes for small- and medium-sized enterprises." International Journal of Managerial Finance 11, no. 4 (September 7, 2015): 513–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijmf-01-2013-0005.
Full textAbstract:
Purpose – Model finance-seeking behaviour and outcomes by Australian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using firm-level panel data. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – Using firm-level three-year panel data for more than 2,000 SMEs from the Business Longitudinal Database compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the authors estimate separate models for the seeking of finance (debt and/or equity) and the outcomes of finance seeking (successful or unsuccessful). Key explanatory variables include declared business focus (on financial, cost, operational, quality, innovation, and human resource measures), presence of business plans and other documentation related to successful finance seeking, innovation, indicators for family and foreign-owned businesses, and profitability. Control variables include sales, the number of employees, length of operations, export and import activity, government financial assistance, and industry classification. Findings – Business objectives together with a large number of firm-level characteristics, including firm age, size, industry and sales, profits, growth and exports, significantly affect both finance-seeking behaviour and outcomes. The authors find evidence that the pecking-order and agency cost theories of capital structure at least partly explain the financial behaviour of Australian SMEs. Research limitations/implications – Several of the responses in the underlying survey data are qualitative so the authors are unable to assess how the strength of these relationships varies by the levels of sales and profitability. Practical implications – The findings show that business objectives significantly affect SME finance-seeking decisions and outcomes. SMEs that focus on profitability or growth have a strong willingness to seek additional finance; in comparison, SMEs that focus on the quality of their products or services are less likely to apply for additional finance. As only half of the SMEs in the sample considered profitability or growth to be a major business focus, core business objectives greatly affect SME financing decisions. Further, pecking-order theory not trade-off theory better explains the financial behaviour of SMEs, yielding evidence that SMEs continue to face financial constraints when pursuing growth. Some evidence also of agency cost theory in the positive effects of family ownership on debt seeking. Originality/value – One of very few studies to examine finance seeking by SMEs, especially in Australia. Further, only study known to include declared business strategy, presence of business plans and other finance-related documentation and innovation in addition to the usual focus on growth and profitability to explain financing behaviour. Very large panel of longitudinal data used to explain financial decision making over time.
7
Wan, Victor. "The Enterprise Workshop Programme in Australia." International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship 7, no. 2 (January 1989): 23–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026624268900700202.
Full textAbstract:
D R. VICTOR WAN is with the Department of Accountancy and Legal Studies at the University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. The Enterprise Workshop Programme was established in Australia in 1981 as an initiative of the Australian government. Its objective is to provide entrepreneurship training with the main emphasis being placed on the development of business planning skills. To date, the workshop programme has been established in every state in Australia. The workshop programme is currently being funded jointly by the government and private sector organisations. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the nature and effectiveness of the enterprise workshop programme. Data from a recent survey were analysed under the headings of (1) evaluation by past participants, (2) economic benefits of the programme, and (3) comments from sources other than past participants. Within the limitations discussed in the paper, the results of the survey and other sources of evidence are indicative of community support and favourable perceptions of the programme results by the various groups involved. It is concluded that the enterprise workshop programme has been effective in fulfilling its training objective, particularly in the training of business planning skills. However, its effectiveness could be enhanced if more emphasis in the training is placed on the development of personal qualities, rather than concentrating largely on the development of business planning skills. Overall, the workshop programme is seen as having an important demonstrative role to play in entrepreneurship training in Australia, especially in the light of the dearth of entrepreneurship training facilities in the country.
8
Jie, Ferry, and Denise Gengatharen. "Australian food retail supply chain analysis." Business Process Management Journal 25, no. 2 (April 1, 2019): 271–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/bpmj-03-2017-0065.
Full textAbstract:
PurposeThe Australian retail food sector, comprising mostly small enterprises, is undergoing change as a result of the innovative supply chain approach adopted. This change has implications across the entire food value chain in Australia. The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the adoption of supply chain management practices on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Australian food retail industry.Design/methodology/approachThe study surveys 120 SME retailers in the food sector. A stepwise multiple regression using SPSS version 14.0 was performed on the data.FindingsStatistical results suggest that lean thinking and the quality of information shared can lead to greater efficient supply chain performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe small sample is the main limitation. The findings bear important implications for further research as understanding these dimensions can help to position key changes and industry improvement that will increase revenue and reduce cost to the SMEs in the food retail supply chain.Practical implicationsAdopting lean thinking and improving information sharing in the supply chain can reduce the cost for SMEs.Social implicationsThis study has unique implications for social sustainability, especially the smaller food enterprises, which are hard pressed to combat the challenges within the food sector.Originality/valueInnovative supply chain management helps SMEs to see beyond the silo mentality and helps them to focus on greater value addition in the supply chain.
9
Akbar, Skye, and Rob Hallak. "Identifying Business Practices Promoting Sustainability in Aboriginal Tourism Enterprises in Remote Australia." Sustainability 11, no. 17 (August 23, 2019): 4589. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11174589.
Full textAbstract:
Aboriginal tourism entrepreneurs operating in remote regions of Australia draw on their 60,000 years of heritage to offer unique and distinct cultural experiences to domestic and international tourists. Living and operating in remote climates presents challenges to achieving successful and sustainable enterprises, including extreme weather, substandard infrastructure, distance from policy makers, distance from markets and the commercialisation of culture, which is customarily owned by and for use by traditional custodians, to produce and deliver a market-ready tourism product. However, many remote Aboriginal tourism entrepreneurs nevertheless achieve success and sustainability. This paper builds on the work of Foley to identify the characteristics of successful remote Aboriginal tourism enterprises and Aboriginal entrepreneurs in remote areas and the resourceful and creative business practices used by remote Aboriginal entrepreneurs to overcome barriers to success and finds that ongoing connections to community and culture are a key factor in that success. It also draws on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals to identify how the characteristics of remote tourism entrepreneurs and enterprises promote or inhibit the achievement of sustainability and suggests that they offer a framework for effective support of remote Aboriginal entrepreneurs. It concludes by noting that the industry would benefit from further investigation of the contributions made to sustainability by remote Aboriginal tourism enterprises and their stakeholders.
10
Alam, Khorshed, Adewuyi Ayodele Adeyinka, and Retha Wiesner. "Smaller businesses and e-innovation: a winning combination in Australia." Journal of Business Strategy 41, no. 2 (May 6, 2019): 39–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jbs-11-2018-0186.
Full textAbstract:
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand whether or not factors that impact the performance–innovation nexus differ from one percentage level of performance to another among small- and medium-sized enterprises in regional Australia, with a specific focus on e-innovation by strategic and non-strategic firms in the agricultural sector and in other industries. Design/methodology/approach Researchers implicitly assumed that the performance–innovation relationship is uniform across high-level, mid-level and low-level performing small- and medium-sized enterprises. In this study, the authors analysed performance at different percentage levels. Findings The findings indicate that the levels of small- and medium-sized enterprises performance have a significant difference in terms of the factors influencing their performance. The industry may be a determinant of performance, which is similar in the case of the topmost performers in the non-agricultural sector. The major findings of this study are as follows: the performance–innovation relationship differs by the percentage level of small- and medium-sized enterprises performance; and Solow’s productivity paradox exists at the firm level. Practical implications The authors recommend that rural policies should target low-performing firms. Moreover, researchers should adopt methodologies that shed light on the differences in the performance–innovation nexus across performance levels rather than one-size-fits-all methodologies that are often adopted. Originality/value The major contributions of this study are that the performance–innovation relationship differs by the level of small- and medium-sized enterprises performance, and Solow’s productivity paradox exists at the firm level.
11
Chen, Yasheng, and Zhuojun Wu. "Taking Risks to Make Profit during COVID-19." Sustainability 14, no. 23 (November 26, 2022): 15750. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su142315750.
Full textAbstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted substantial losses on a large number of enterprises and brought about the risk of unsustainable operations across the world. However, certain enterprises still managed to grow against the trend prevailing during the epidemic and succeeded in taking risks to make profits. This study discusses how global enterprises adopt a proactive risk management approach to transform crises into sustainable business performance during the period starting from the epidemic outbreak to normalization. By mainly obtaining research data from the Internet news media and official websites of the enterprises using content analysis technique, this paper chose case studies, from December 2019 to December 2021, of eight different companies, namely: BYD (China, Asia), Mafengwo (China, Asia), Xiamen Airlines (China, Asia), Zhijiang Bio (China, Asia), The Bund (United States, America), Walmart (United States, America), Qantas Airways (Australia, Oceania), and Honotel Group (France, Europe), from different industrial sectors including manufacturing, tourism, transportation, technical services, catering, retail, airlines, and accommodation, respectively. The study results show that each enterprise specifically incorporates the method of proactive risk management, to deal with a sudden crisis and take risks to make profits during the epidemic. The study findings provide a feasible way for enterprises to cope with sudden crises and enhance their ability to maintain sustainable operations.
12
Spencer, Rochelle, Martin Brueckner, Gareth Wise, and Banduk Marika. "Australian indigenous social enterprise: measuring performance." Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy 10, no. 4 (October 10, 2016): 397–424. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jec-10-2015-0050.
Full textAbstract:
Purpose Using an integrated framework for performance management of nonprofit organizations, this paper aims to present an analysis of the activities of an Indigenous social enterprise in the town of Yirrkala in northeast Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. The evaluation focuses on the social effectiveness of the organization and its ability to help generate income and employment and drive social capital creation. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is informed by data derived from “yarns” with social enterprise staff and semi-structured interviews conducted with key informants who were selected using snowball sampling. Data were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Findings The analysis reveals that the organization provides a successful community-based pathway for increasing Indigenous economic participation on local terms at a time of regional economic decline and high levels of Indigenous unemployment nationally. Practical implications The measured effectiveness of Nuwul highlights the need for targeted policy support for Indigenous enterprises and that social entrepreneurship is far more likely to be successful in a supportive government policy environment, a critical need for government-initiated policies to encourage the formation of Indigenous social enterprises that are entrepreneurial and innovative in their solutions to poverty and marginalization. Such policies should not only aid the establishment of Indigenous ventures but also facilitate their long-term growth and sustainability. Originality/value Although Indigenous entrepreneurial activities have been found to be effective in addressing Indigenous disadvantage in Australia, little is known about their community impact. The article provides original empirically grounded research on the measurement of Indigenous entrepreneurial activities and their wider community impact. The data show, against the backdrop of mixed results of government efforts to drive Indigenous economic mainstreaming, that the entrepreneurial activities analyzed in this paper are an example of more flexible and culturally appropriate pathways for achieving Indigenous equality in rural and remote regions of Australia.
13
Mathews, Shane, Keith J. Perks, Constanza Bianchi, Hsiu-Li Chen, and Charmaine Glavas. "Leveraging Internet capabilities for international business relationships: a comparison between Australian, Chilean and Taiwanese exporting SMEs." Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development 28, no. 3 (February 22, 2021): 380–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jsbed-12-2018-0385.
Full textAbstract:
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate how Internet capabilities influence international business relationships using the resource-based view and capabilities perspective. Many studies highlight the importance of the Internet in helping smaller firms internationalize. However, few studies actually test how this is happening. The central purpose of this research was to examine and test the impact of Internet capabilities on international information availability, international strategic orientation and international business relationships in a sample of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Australia, Chile and Taiwan.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a structural equation modeling process so as to test the Internet capabilities on international business networks. The empirical research is based on an analysis of a sample of internationalizing SMEs in three export-intensive markets in Australia (215), Chile (204) and Taiwan (130) to test a conceptual model.FindingsThe results demonstrate that Internet capabilities have a distinct effect on the development of international business relationships for SMEs in the three countries. That is, Internet capabilities have a positive impact on a firm's international business relationships, but this varies across Australian and Taiwanese and Chilean SMEs.Originality/valueThese studies give empirical validation on the way in which smaller firms are using Internet capabilities for leveraging networks in internationalization and how this varies across countries. The results demonstrate that Internet capabilities have a distinct and positive impact on the development of international business relationships for SMEs in the three countries. However, there are specific differences between countries in how the Internet is being leveraged for the development of international business networks. Something currently not highlighted in the body of knowledge.
14
Rahman, Shams-Ur. "Total quality management practices and business outcome: Evidence from small and medium enterprises in Western Australia." Total Quality Management 12, no. 2 (March 2001): 201–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09544120120011424.
Full text
15
Seng, Cheaseth. "Relationships between capabilities-strategy alignment and accountability-emphasis in government business enterprises." Journal of Public Administration and Governance 1, no. 1 (July 8, 2011): 252. http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/jpag.v1i1.769.
Full textAbstract:
This study introduces a new research perspective to the investigation of factors affecting management’s attention to the rendering of their organisation’s managerial and public accountabilities. It draws on management studies of the fit between organisational strategy-types and capabilities and extends this literature to a new organisational context of government-owned business enterprises (GBEs) that act as fully competitive profit-making enterprises, but are made strongly accountable to the government minister, the parliament and the public. Sets of capabilities-strategy alignments are modelled, including prospecting GBEs with technology strengths, defender GBEs with market-linking capabilities and analyser GBEs with a balance of capabilities. These sets are then assessed in terms of their consequences for the emphasis given by management to processes and systems for discharging the GBE’s accountability outcomes. Data is collected through a questionnaire to senior managers of 141 GBEs in Australia. The findings are mostly consistent with prior studies conducted in private sector companies, even though strategy-capabilities alignments are related to accountability rather than financial performance. The findings provide insights to GBEs’ management and relevant government ministers concerning the continuing need to appropriately align strategies and capabilities of GBEs and the consequences of such alignment for the rendering of accountability.
16
Mamun, Mehadi. "Human resource management practices and organisational performance: Evidence from small and medium-sized enterprises in Australia." Corporate Ownership and Control 19, no. 4 (2022): 163–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.22495/cocv19i4art14.
Full textAbstract:
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the drivers of economic activities in Australia. The present study provides empirical evidence on the connexion between the four key dimensions of human resource management (HRM) practices and organisational performance, in response to the call by earlier researchers that the influence of specific HRM practices on organisational performance needs to be further investigated across different countries and organisational contexts. A survey among SMEs in the South-Western region of Sydney in Australia was conducted and self-reported measures were applied to attain data on HRM practice aspects and businesses’ performance. Regression analyses were employed to assess the proposed relationships, and it was found that all dimensions except training and development exhibited positive relationships to organisational performance, as hypothesised. Discussion on the findings is underlined, so as are the implications of this study, limitations, and avenues for future researchers.
17
Karim, Shakir, and Ergun Gide. "Barriers to adopting E-commerce with small to midsized enterprises-SMEs in developed countries: An exploratory study in Australia." Global Journal of Information Technology: Emerging Technologies 8, no. 1 (May 15, 2018): 24–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.18844/gjit.v8i1.3438.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractThe paper aims to provide an insight about barriers affecting e‐commerce adoption with small to midsized enterprises (SMEs) in Australia. The objective of this research is also to consolidate the factors and determine the level of influence, either positively or negatively from the adopter’s perspective, on the adoption decision. This study also examines the factors influencing e-commerce adoption decisions in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Australia. Three groups of factors influencing adoption decisions are identified, including organisational, technology and environmental barriers influencing e‐commerce adoption and implementation in Australia. This paper mainly has used secondary research data and methods to provide a broad investigation of the barriers in Australia, how to overcome the hurdles in SMEs of Australia necessary for SMEs to help facilitate e-commerce adoption. The research is subject to academic journal articles, project reports, media articles, corporation based documents and other appropriate information. In future, questionnaire‐based survey and interview will be conducted with small to midsized businesses in Australia about e‐commerce adoption and implementation. The finding says that one of the most vivid implications of e-commerce for SMEs is the potential for external communication and information gathering for market and product research. However, the most common limitation of e-commerce in Australia is that e-commerce is mainly used for payment purposes only. The study has found that the historical relationship problems between Business Link and SMEs are still causing problems. Cost was not seen as an inhibitor to adopting e‐commerce. Some evidence is emerging that e‐commerce may be able to save failing or struggling businesses. Other unexpected outcomes are that e‐commerce had social benefits for SMEs’ owners in reducing working hours yet still increased sales. The findings also show that in Australia, organisations and manager’s characteristics, perceived benefits, organisational culture, organisational IT competence, technological competency, IT support, availability of financial support, management commitment/support, external pressure and cost of adoption are significant predictors of e-commerce acceptance in the SMEs and have significant relationships with e-commerce adoption in Australia
18
Charters, Steve, Marilyn Clark‐Murphy, Nicole Davis, Alan Brown, and Elizabeth Walker. "An exploration of managerial expertise in the Western Australian wine industry." International Journal of Wine Business Research 20, no. 2 (June 6, 2008): 138–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17511060810883768.
Full textAbstract:
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the key management skills for running a successful winery business, which in the Australian industry is predominately a small to medium sized business, and explores the existence of such skills within the industry.Design/methodology/approachThe information was obtained through structured interviews with a range of winery owners and managers in the four main wine regions of Western Australia.FindingsWhilst a set of universal management skills are identified by the industry participants, these are not universally held. The study examines skills and training issues highlighting the diversity of winery owners and managers.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted using qualitative methodology in one state of Australia only.Practical implicationsThe findings require further quantitative testing, but strongly imply that managerial skills in the wine industry are limited, and most managers are more focused on technical expertise than financial, strategic, marketing or HR planning and management.Originality/valueThe paper has benefit for the wine industry showing the strengths and weaknesses of its managers, and also for theorists who seek to understand management processes in a specific sector predominantly comprising small and medium sized enterprises.
19
Lillywhite, Serena. "Ethical Purchasing and Workers' Rights in China: The Case of the Brotherhood of St Laurence." Journal of Industrial Relations 49, no. 5 (November 2007): 687–700. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022185607082216.
Full textAbstract:
As China continues its economic development and integration with the global economy, pressure is building to ensure international enterprises embrace responsible supply chain management and contribute to improved labour and environmental conditions. Despite China's reputation for having a poor regulatory framework, China's labour law is more comprehensive than that of many Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. What is lacking is an adequate system of enforcement. This article draws on the experiences of an Australian non-governmental organization (NGO) in dealing with the Chinese optical industry to consider the important question of corporate social responsibility in China.1 It begins with an overview of the Brotherhood of St Laurence experience and observations in China, examines the challenges and opportunities of responsible supply chain management and ethical purchasing and the impact on workers' rights, and finally looks at implications for an Australia—China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA).
20
Weber, Paull, Louis Andre Geneste, and Julia Connell. "Small business growth: strategic goals and owner preparedness." Journal of Business Strategy 36, no. 3 (May 18, 2015): 30–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jbs-03-2014-0036.
Full textAbstract:
Purpose – This paper aims to identify and empirically test whether growth preparedness and success perceptions are important, discriminating small business owner (SBO) characteristics that influence strategic direction. The intended outcome was to create a strategic typology that resonates with the realities of small business owners, their advisors and policy makers. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data were collected online and by postal survey from 340 small businesses from multiple industry sectors across Australia. Analysis is correlational resulting in the development of a 2 × 2 matrix of strategy types. Findings – This paper provides evidence that although a majority of SBOs are not preparing for growth, many still perceive their business as successful. Further, the empirical data demonstrate that growth preparedness and perceived success can be used to classify SBOs into distinct strategic types. While the categories developed show some similarities with the Miles and Snow (1978) typology, they also highlight divergent qualities. Consequently, this paper identifies circumstances where small business strategy must be treated differently from the larger enterprises for which the Miles and Snow typology was developed. Practical implications – By providing a concise tool for inclusion in surveys, researchers and practitioners can identify varying strategic types within their own targeted business cohorts. Originality/value – The growth/success matrix is original, the value for policy makers and other professionals assisting and supporting SBOs lies in its simplicity as a tool for identifying strategic types in any small business population. Specifically, the matrix provides a valid and reliable empirical analysis tool where none previously existed.
21
Catanzariti, Joseph, and Simon Brown. "Major Tribunal Decisions in 2009." Journal of Industrial Relations 52, no. 3 (June 2010): 289–303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022185610365628.
Full textAbstract:
The year 2009 has seen significant change in Australian industrial relations, in particular, the repeal of the Workplace Relations Act 1996 and its replacement with Labor’s Fair Work Act 2009. From 1 July 2009, a new industrial tribunal, Fair Work Australia, replaced the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. The decisions issued by Fair Work Australia (FWA) since 1 July 2009 have put the provisions of the Fair Work Act into practice and perspective. This article focuses on those decisions which have dealt with enterprise bargaining and the agreement-making process under the Fair Work Act. Those cases demonstrate that the new agreement-making process is procedurally complex, and that FWA lacks discretion to approve enterprise agreements notwithstanding some procedural irregularity. FWA’s lack of discretion in determining whether an enterprise agreement has been ‘genuinely agreed to’ is inconsistent with the discretion reposed in FWA in other matters, including in determining whether an applicant for a protected action ballot order has been ‘genuinely trying to reach an agreement’.
22
Pollack, Julien, and Daniel Adler. "Does Project Management Affect Business Productivity? Evidence from Australian Small to Medium Enterprises." Project Management Journal 45, no. 6 (December 2014): 17–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pmj.21459.
Full text
23
McCarthy, Scott, Barry Oliver, and Martie-Louise Verreynne. "Bank financing and credit rationing of Australian SMEs." Australian Journal of Management 42, no. 1 (June 22, 2016): 58–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0312896215587316.
Full textAbstract:
This paper investigates two aspects of bank financing using a sample of 1,973 Australian small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). We compare the variables that explain why Australian small to medium sized enterprises seek bank finance with those that underpin bank credit rationing of loan applications. Our analysis highlights that little overlap exists between the two sets of variables. Larger small to medium sized enterprises with growth intentions, business plans, and those in the agriculture industry are significantly more likely to seek finance. In contrast, firms in agriculture that are older, and that have incremental product innovation, 40% or more of export sales, and a male Chief Executive Officer, are less likely to be credit rationed. Importantly, having business plans, whether in large or small firms, does not relate significantly to credit rationing.
24
Bian, Yanjie, Juan Xie, Yang Yang, and Mingsong Hao. "Local embeddedness, corporate social capital and Chinese enterprises." Chinese Management Studies 13, no. 4 (November 4, 2019): 860–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/cms-08-2018-0644.
Full textAbstract:
Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of corporate social capital and local embeddedness on perceived business performance of Chinese enterprises operating overseas, whose recent growth resulted from the Belt and Road Initiative. Design/methodology/approach This study reports the results of a sample of 83 Shaanxi outward foreign direct investment (FDI) firms operating in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. In-depth interviews with a few sampled firms are used to develop the survey questionnaire and help interpret the results of statistical analysis. Findings This study proposes two hypotheses and both are supported by the data. First, corporate social capital is a three-dimensional concept, covering governmental, market and personal sources with each source making an equal, positive effect on perceived overseas performance of the surveyed firms. Second, these firms do better when having developed a higher degree of local embeddedness, a measure on local channels used to obtain information and mobilize resources. While local embeddedness indeed mediates some effect of corporate social capital, both variables have shown direct impact on performance. Research limitations/implications Reported findings are from a small sample of 83 firms in an inland Chinese province, and business performance is measured by subjective evaluation rather than economic output. Practical implications The practical implication is that a Chinese FDI firm is expected to maintain all three relational channels – governmental, market and interpersonal – because the firm can gain different kinds of information and resources from these sources and each channel is necessary and equally important for the firm’s development. Importantly, it needs a different strategy to maintain and best use each channel. For the Belt and Road Initiative to be effective, China must establish platforms through which enterprises can strengthen and reconfigure their corporate social capital, as well as to cultivate and sustain their local networks in foreign destinations.
25
Brumfield, Robin G., and Peter F. McSweeney. "A Business Profile of Australian Nurseries." HortTechnology 8, no. 2 (April 1998): 225–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.21273/horttech.8.2.225.
Full textAbstract:
A 1995 study of 22 Australian nurseries 1) developed a profile of production, management, and profitability; 2) compared their performance to relevant U.S. benchmarks; and 3) identified trends and potential areas of improvement in the management of Australian nursery enterprises. The study confirmed that Australian nurseries incur high labor costs (38.8% of sales) comparable to United States nurseries, while costs of materials and supplies were lower than in the United States. Australian managers were concerned with marketing and recruiting and keeping labor rather than increasing capital investment to enhance production efficiency. Capital expenditures were funded from internal cash flow rather than external financing. Many of the nursery managers used relatively simple performance indicators, and most business objectives were stated in general terms. Concerns about the viability of the industry included oversupply, the growth in chain stores' business, factors eroding the demand for nursery products, and greater regulation.
26
Corral de Zubielqui, Graciela, Janice Jones, Pi-Shen Seet, and Noel Lindsay. "Knowledge transfer between actors in the innovation system: a study of higher education institutions (HEIS) and SMES." Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing 30, no. 3/4 (May 1, 2015): 436–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jbim-07-2013-0152.
Full textAbstract:
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand how and why small to medium enterprises (SMEs) access knowledge from external actors in general and from higher education institutions (HEIs) in particular and what is the extent to which these knowledge access pathways affect SME innovativeness. Design/methodology/approach – The paper involved both quantitative and qualitative approaches: a survey of 1,226 SMEs and a mini case study to follow-up on issues arising from the survey analysis. Survey data were analysed using both non-parametric and multivariate Poisson regression analysis. The case study was based on a medium-sized manufacturing firm in South Australia. Findings – While there are significant differences between the micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, the evidence suggests that SMEs generally use “generic” university–industry knowledge transfer pathways (e.g. published research results) rather than university–industry links with high “relational” involvement. More significantly, the results indicate that SMEs are more likely to rely on organisations other than universities and related R&D enterprises for knowledge acquisition like clients/customers or suppliers. While collaboration is most likely to occur within the same state/territory, or Australia, many SMEs also collaborate internationally, usually as part of normal supplier–customer relationships, reinforcing knowledge acquisition from organisationally proximate partners. These findings are also supported by the case study. Research limitations/implications – This research was limited to surveying SMEs in one geographic (metropolitan) region in Australia. It also does not account for the different patterns of HEI–SME interactions in different industry sectors. There is also only one case study. Originality/value – First, the research adds to the few field studies that have investigated accessing knowledge for innovation among SMEs. Specifically, the research contributes to an understanding of the heterogeneous roles that different actors play in facilitating knowledge access for improving innovative SMEs outcomes. Second, the research does not treat all SMEs similarly in terms of size effects but instead accounts for differing SME sizes and how this affects their selection of knowledge access pathways. Third, the research contributes to a small number of studies that attempt to understand how HEIs and SMEs can work better together in the context of a regional innovation system, especially one that is relatively less competitive to the larger economy.
27
Bhaskaran, Suku, and Emilija Gligorovska. "Information communication technology adoption by small-to-medium-sized food enterprises in Australia." International Journal of Enterprise Network Management 3, no. 4 (2009): 332. http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/ijenm.2009.032483.
Full text
28
Garnett, Stephen T., and Jennifer Haydon. "Mapping Research Capacity in North-Western Tropical Australia." Journal of Information & Knowledge Management 04, no. 03 (September 2005): 141–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0219649205001122.
Full textAbstract:
Research capacity in two jurisdictions in tropical northwestern Australia was mapped to a searchable website. The website provides ready access to all research organisations in the region with the underlying database providing a baseline against which developments in research and research networks can be measured. Of 202 research entities entered into the database, 38 were businesses, 12 civil society organisations, five cooperative research centres, 10 government research institutes, 64 government agencies within three jurisdictions and 70 university research groups within seven universities. The data were analysed by sector to describe the size and linkages between organisations, areas of research strength and socioeconomic objectives of research. Most enterprises undertaking research in tropical Western Australia and the Northern Territory are small with the majority having fewer than 10 research staff. The primary area of expertise for research entities in tropical Western Australia and the Northern Territory is agricultural and environmental research, which is also the area where there is greatest breadth of capacity. Similarly, the socioeconomic objective of most research entities is in fields related to environmental management and social development with the breadth of capacity greatest in environmental policy frameworks. There were substantial differences between the skills and direction of research in government and the universities and those in business.
29
Sundjaja, Arta Moro. "Investment Cost Model in Business Process Intelligence in Banking And Electricity Company." ComTech: Computer, Mathematics and Engineering Applications 7, no. 2 (June 1, 2016): 113. http://dx.doi.org/10.21512/comtech.v7i2.2248.
Full textAbstract:
Higher demand from the top management in measuring business process performance causes the incremental implementation of BPM and BI in the enterprise. The problem faced by top managements is how to integrate their data from all system used to support the business and process the data become information that able to support the decision-making processes. Our literature review elaborates several implementations of BPI on companies in Australia and Germany, challenges faced by organizations in developing BPI solution in their organizations and some cost model to calculate the investment of BPI solutions. This paper shows the success in BPI application of banks and assurance companies in German and electricity work in Australia aims to give a vision about the importance of BPI application. Many challenges in BPI application of companies in German and Australia, BPI solution, and data warehouse design development have been discussed to add insight in future BPI development. And the last is an explanation about how to analyze cost associated with BPI solution investment.
30
Brumfield, Robin G., and Peter F. McSweeney. "Business Profile of Australian Nurseries." HortScience 32, no. 3 (June 1997): 456E—456. http://dx.doi.org/10.21273/hortsci.32.3.456e.
Full textAbstract:
We surveyed 22 Australian nurseries in 1995 to: 1) develop a profile of Australian nurseries from a production, management, and profitability perspective; 2) compare the data to relevant U.S. benchmarks; and 3) identify trends and potential areas of improvement in the management of Australian nursery enterprises. The study confirmed that Australian nurseries incur high labor costs (38.8% of sales) that are comparable to United States nurseries, while costs of materials and supplies were lower than their U.S. counterparts. Overall, the costs of the surveyed nurseries appeared lower than their U.S. counterparts. Concerns of managers were directed towards recruiting and keeping labor and marketing rather than increasing capital investment to increase production efficiency. Capital expenditures tended to be funded from internal cash flows rather than external borrowings. Many of the nursery managers used relatively simple performance indicators and most business objectives were stated in general terms. Australian nurseries carried more diverse product ranges than the U.S. nurseries. Many of the nurseries adopted quite vigorous marketing strategies with a stronger emphasis on marketing than in those in the U.S. Concerns about the viability of the industry included oversupply, the growth in chain stores business, factors eroding the demand for nursery products and greater regulation.
31
Stewart, Andrew. "Fair Work Australia: The Commission Reborn?" Journal of Industrial Relations 53, no. 5 (November 2011): 563–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022185611419600.
Full textAbstract:
Fair Work Australia is a new institution created in 2009 to perform a range of functions under the Fair Work legislation – although it is far from the ‘one-stop shop’ that Labor had originally promised. It has much in common with the body it principally replaced, the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, not least in terms of its personnel. Yet, at the same time, it has the freedom to operate in ways that have more in common with two other antecedents, the Workplace Authority and the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This article explores the character of the new agency and the processes it has chosen to adopt for four key functions: the approval of enterprise agreements; the resolution of unfair dismissal claims; wage fixation; and the setting and variation of minimum standards.
32
Kant, Shashi. "Recent global trends in forest tenures." Forestry Chronicle 85, no. 6 (December 1, 2009): 849–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.5558/tfc85849-6.
Full textAbstract:
Wide-ranging changes in forest tenures have occurred globally in recent decades, and the changes in developed countries and transition economies have been dominated by market forces. Market-based forest tenure changes are discussed in 4 categories: (i) forest management by a state-owned company (Sweden); (ii) commercialization, corporatization, and privatization of plantations (New Zealand, South Africa and Australia); (iii) creation of forest enterprises within state forestry agencies (the United Kingdom, Germany, and transition economies); and (iv) changes in forest tenures in economies in transition. The global tenure changes provide no empirical evidence in support of any specific form of tenure. I suggest 9 guiding principles, instead of a specific type of tenure, for forest tenure reform in Canada. Forest reforms should be organized: (i) keeping the future of forestry in perspective; (ii) for multiple attributes of forests; (iii) to provide flexibility, diversity, and adaptiveness; (iv) to foster forest industry competitiveness; (v) for economically optimal timber supply; (vi) to maximize the value of harvested timber; (vii) to recognize and deal with the non-separation of forest management and timber allocation and harvest; (viii) to select an appropriate organizational form, such as state business enterprise, corporation, or state-owned company, based on a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis; and (ix) to seek inputs from an expert group–without direct stakeholders. Key words: Australia, Canada, commercialization, corporatization, forest enterprise, forest tenure, Germany, New Zealand, privatization, South Africa, Sweden, transition economies, United Kingdom
33
Tomasic, Roman, and Jenny Jian Rong Fu. "Government-owned companies and corporate governance in Australia and China: beyond fragmented governance." Corporate Ownership and Control 3, no. 4 (2006): 123–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.22495/cocv3i4p10.
Full textAbstract:
The ownership and control of government owned companies presents a major challenge for the integrity of established corporate law ideas regarding accountability of directors and the independence of government owned companies. Drawing upon experience from China and Australia, the article discusses some of the key corporate governance tensions that have emerged from the corporatization of state owned assets. The attempt to uncritically apply private sector ideas to the corporatisation of state-owned and controlled companies is fraught with difficulties that are discussed in this article. The article also examines attempts to place state owned companies on a sounder conceptual footing through changes to their culture brought about by adopting and embedding guidelines and standards, such as the recent OECD Guidelines on the Corporate Governance of State-owned Enterprises
34
Sablok, Gitika, Timothy Bartram, Pauline Stanton, John Burgess, and Anthony McDonnell. "The impact of union presence and strategic human resource management on employee voice in multinational enterprises in Australia." Journal of Industrial Relations 55, no. 4 (July 23, 2013): 621–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022185613489434.
Full text
35
Walsh, Dionne, and Robyn Cowley. "Optimising beef business performance in northern Australia: what can 30 years of commercial innovation teach us?" Rangeland Journal 38, no. 3 (2016): 291. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj15064.
Full textAbstract:
This paper evaluates three decades of innovation by a leading beef producer in the Barkly region of the Northern Territory. The case study represents a rare published analysis of changes in production, greenhouse gas emissions and land condition metrics for a commercial livestock business. Thirty years ago the property was under-developed and had poor livestock productivity by today’s standards. Between 1981 and 2013, the business has increased carrying capacity through water point development, and achieved a >50% increase in herd size, a 46% improvement in weaning rate, an 82% reduction in breeder mortality rate and an improvement in land condition. Annual liveweight turn-off has increased from 75 kg to 128 kg per adult equivalent (AE) carried. All of this has been achieved while using recommended stocking rates. In contrast, two additional analyses reflecting other management approaches being taken by some north Australian beef businesses resulted in poor productivity, economic, emissions and land condition outcomes. Total greenhouse gas emissions have increased on the case study property since 1981 as a result of increasing herd size. However, the intensity of emissions per tonne of liveweight sold has declined by 43% due to the improvements in livestock productivity. The potential for generating carbon revenue from this emissions intensity improvement was explored. We found that for >95% of northern beef enterprises, current project transaction costs would entirely negate carbon revenue at a carbon price of < $25 tCO2e–1. At $5 tCO2e–1, the minimum herd size needed to cover the project transaction costs would be in excess of 35 000 AE. Although substantial carbon profits appear unlikely at present, the management practices evaluated can deliver substantial economic, emissions and land condition benefits to individual businesses and the wider industry. The paper concludes that cost-effective investment to concurrently increase herd size and livestock productivity per head, in conjunction with safe stocking rate management, is a proven path to economic and environmental sustainability in the north Australian beef industry.
36
Chong, Sandy. "An Empirical Study of Factors That Influence the Extent of Deployment of Electronic Commerce for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Australia." Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research 1, no. 2 (August 1, 2006): 45–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jtaer1020012.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this paper is to present the perceptions and experiences of Electronic Commerce (EC) implementation in Australia. The study is investigated from the perspective of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and the framework of implementation is represented by the extent of deployment. Based on the sample of about 115 small businesses in Australia, this paper uses regression modelling to explore and establish the factors that are related to the extent of deployment in EC. A multiple regression analysis shows that seven factors: perceived relative advantage, trialability, observability, variety of information sources, communication amount, competitive pressure, and non-trading institutional influences, significantly influence the extent of EC deployment by SMEs in Australia. The results and interpretations have some implications for managers in determining the appropriateness of deploying EC strategies to achieve profitability and operational efficiency.
37
Bevan, Emma A. M., and Ping Yung. "Implementation of corporate social responsibility in Australian construction SMEs." Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management 22, no. 3 (May 18, 2015): 295–311. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ecam-05-2014-0071.
Full textAbstract:
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) related activities in small to medium sized construction enterprises within Australia. Reasons behind the implementation level are also evaluated. Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative and qualitative company level data from 28 Australian small to medium sized construction enterprises were collected using an in-depth questionnaire. Levels of CSR implementation in three aspects, namely, environmental, social and ethical, were measured. Each aspect was broken down into sub-areas and implementation scores were aggregated and normalised. Awareness level and concern for economic aspect, the two hypothesised reasons for level of implementation, were also measured. Non-parametric correlation analyses were used to examine the hypotheses. Findings – The findings suggest small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) incorporate some aspects of CSR into their business activities even though they do not refer to the practices as CSR, as none of them have a formal CSR policy in place. Most SMEs in the construction industry implement ethical and economic aspect of CSR; however implementation across environmental and social issues is limited. Non-parametric correlation analyses show that higher awareness of CSR issues leads to higher levels of implementation and that concern about economic aspect is not a reason why CSR is not implemented into business practices. Research limitations/implications – Everett Rogers’ diffusion paradigm can also be applied to CSR implementation, but more research works are required to theoretically and empirically examine the relationships between CSR implementation and economic aspect. Originality/value – It is apparent that there is a significant gap in the research regarding Australian SMEs and sustainability issues as the majority of the literature is focused upon large organisations even though the approaches taken by SMEs towards CSR are very different to those of large corporations. The SME business sector is a significant sector in terms of its environmental, economic and social impacts. Hence recognition of this sector is growing and is now becoming the focus of an agenda to promote the implementation of CSR practices in SMEs. This paper aims to provide useful and detailed information to add to what is currently an underdeveloped body of knowledge in this area.
38
Curtis, Joyce A., Daniel D'Angelo, Matthew R. Hallowell, Timothy A. Henkel, and Keith R. Molenaar. "Enterprise Risk Management for Transportation Agencies." Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 2271, no. 1 (January 2012): 57–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/2271-07.
Full textAbstract:
Risk management is implicit in transportation business practices. Administrators, planners, and engineers coordinate many organizational and technical resources to manage transportation network performance. Transportation agencies manage some of the largest and highest-valued public assets and budgets in federal, state, and local governments. It is the agencies' corporate responsibility to set clear strategic goals and objectives to manage these assets so economic growth and livability of their regions improves and the public gets the best value. Risks can affect an agency's ability to meet its goals and objectives. As network and delivery managers, these agencies must identify risks, assess the possible impacts, develop plans to manage the risks, and monitor the effectiveness of their actions. This paper presents the results of (a) a comprehensive literature review, (b) a state-of-the-practice survey of 43 U.S. transportation agencies, and (c) seven case studies from leading transportation organizations in Australia, England, Germany, the Netherlands, and Scotland. The paper concludes with recommendations for achieving enterprise risk management in U.S. highway agencies. Recommendations pertain to formalizing enterprise risk management approaches, embedding risk management in existing business processes, using risk management to build trust with transportation stakeholders, defining leadership and organizational responsibilities for risk management, identifying risk owners, supporting risk allocation strategies, and reexamining existing policies, processes, and standards through rigorous risk management analysis.
39
Smith, Meg. "Gender Equity: The Commission’s Legacy and the Challenge for Fair Work Australia." Journal of Industrial Relations 53, no. 5 (November 2011): 647–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022185611419617.
Full textAbstract:
Two labour-market variables, wages and hours, are used to review the gender relations record of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and its predecessors. This review informs an assessment of what features of Commission practice and capacity should and can be replicated by Fair Work Australia. Arbitration has been most decisive for women in paid work when it has enjoyed national and industry distribution. Advances in equal pay and leave linked to reproduction are two relevant examples, although these advances have been confronted more recently by frailties in federal gender pay equity regulation and policy shifts to enterprise and individual bargaining. The findings suggest an agenda for Fair Work Australia, notwithstanding the possibilities and limitations posed by the Fair Work Act 2009 and the tendency for changes to the gender contract to be highly contested.
40
Blomson, Dean. "Thinking outside the governance box to the board of the future: Exploring “fit-for-future-purpose” governance operating models." Corporate Board role duties and composition 17, no. 2 (2021): 18–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.22495/cbv17i2art2.
Full textAbstract:
The research aim was to explore whether the dominant style of board model used in Australia was reaching its use-by-date and if so, what more future-ready model/s or features could be considered. This paper represents original thinking and research to generate a new set of “working hypotheses”. We have followed a “grounded research” (an inductive methodology) to produce an emergent theory. We have used semi-structured and qualitative interviewing techniques. The research has generated an initial “theory” and point of view that is directional (not empirical). The focus of the study was on board operating models of the future — taking a much longer-term perspective, more specifically to identify and postulate what “fit-for-purpose” board operating models could look like in 2030 and beyond. By examining possible solutions through an operating model lens, the study has taken a system’s view of boards, going well beyond the constraints of current siloed, domain-specific research. The findings clearly point to a model that for larger and/or more complicated enterprises is under considerable strain. It is fast approaching its use-by-date, especially in the light of 1) a shift toward stakeholder capitalism and 2) the need to operate effectively in faster-moving, less predictable, and significantly more complicated environments than the existing board models were designed for. Having set the context for future governance, the recommendations focus on six elements of board operating models, board structures, key governance processes, management systems, and frameworks, e.g., board charters, technology/systems, participants and skills, and ways of working. The relevance of the paper is that at a time when directors are doubling down on what needs to be done, there is a general absence of consideration of 1) what “fit-for-purpose” governance should be and 2) whether the governance system as we know it in Australia is approaching a breaking point for some major enterprises (not all companies).
41
Doole, Graeme J., Andrew D. Bathgate, and Michael J. Robertson. "Labour scarcity restricts the potential scale of grazed perennial plants in the Western Australian wheatbelt." Animal Production Science 49, no. 10 (2009): 883. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea08284.
Full textAbstract:
Rural populations in Australia are in decline and rural farm businesses now endure chronic labour shortages. Livestock enterprises traditionally require more labour than their cropping counterparts and this threatens future increases in their intensity and scale. The influence that labour scarcity has on the profitability of mixed-farming systems in the Central Wheatbelt of Western Australia is investigated in this study. When labour supply is assumed to be non-limiting, perennial plants are profitable where their out-of-season production sustains a sizeable breeding flock in a prime-lamb enterprise. However, when labour supply is limited and labour demand is defined as a function of enterprise mix, cropping activity increases and livestock production decreases. In addition, the proportion of the farm planted with perennial pasture declines. This has implications for natural resource management, with perennial pasture helping to prevent soil erosion, decrease waterlogging, and reduce recharge to saline watertables. Efforts to improve the labour efficiency of livestock production are therefore highly pertinent if perennial pastures are to offset land degradation on a broader scale.
42
Markey, Raymond, and Joseph McIvor. "Environmental bargaining in Australia." Journal of Industrial Relations 61, no. 1 (January 16, 2019): 79–104. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022185618814056.
Full textAbstract:
An emerging body of research addresses the link between environmental issues, especially climate change, and employment relations. In this article, we examine the ways in which employment relations actors are addressing climate change, particularly focusing on collective bargaining. We begin by surveying the literature linking climate change and employment relations, especially analysing union strategies in this sphere, and develop a conceptual framework linking these threads. We then examine the incidence and content of collective enterprise bargaining over environmental issues in Australia for 2011–2016, applying and adapting Goods' concepts of embedded institutional and voluntary multilateral approaches. The former inserts environmental commitments into formal collective agreements; the latter involves unions and workers more directly in developing emissions-reduction activities in the workplace. We address the potential links between these and the different actors (unions or management) that drive them. We find that environmental clauses in Australian agreements are rare, and that they are as likely to be driven by management as by unions. The institutional, organisational, and particularly the regulatory environment seem responsible. However, exceptions – notably in universities – provide exemplars for substantial, class-based union agency. We also find that collective bargaining may facilitate more ongoing, strategic initiatives of the voluntary multilateral type.
43
Becker, Karen, Frances Jørgensen, and Adelle Bish. "Knowledge Identification and Acquisition in SMEs." International Journal of Knowledge Management 11, no. 3 (July 2015): 1–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijkm.2015070101.
Full textAbstract:
Researchers and practitioners have been preoccupied with identifying ways for larger organizations to acquire and manage knowledge, however far less research attention has been directed towards these same pursuits in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper examines how SMEs engage in knowledge identification and acquisition; in particular how they identify knowledge needs and source this knowledge to enhance their business. The research studied six SMEs in Australia and Denmark. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, the findings suggest that SMEs engage in identification and sourcing of critical knowledge, albeit often with less than formal processes. These organizations relied on business plans to direct knowledge activities and ensure balance between long-range planning and flexibility. The results address a lack of empirical evidence about SME approaches to knowledge identification and acquisition, and demonstrate that although SMEs may approach such activities in an informal way, they are nonetheless deliberate and strategic in their knowledge activities.
44
Berková, Ilona, Markéta Adamová, and Kristýna Nývltová. "Realtionships between Fiancial and Learning and Growth Perspectives in BSC." Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis 65, no. 6 (2017): 1841–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.11118/actaun201765061841.
Full textAbstract:
Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is one of the methods for measuring of the company’s performance, strategy formulation and subsequent management leading to improving competitiveness. Nowadays company performance has an important role because the competitive environment is much more changeable and more difficult to predict because of the influence of globalization. BSC is worldwide used both in large, medium and small businesses regardless of the field of business. According to Knápková, Homolka and Pavelková (2014), this model is used only by 13 % of the enterprises in the Czech Republic. BSC monitors business performance from four perspectives: Financial, Customer, Internal Process, Learning and Growth. The main aim of this paper is to verify whether there is a correlation between Learning and Growth and Financial perspective. Data were obtained from the database Albertina Gold and from quantitative research in companies in 2015. As sample small and medium enterprises in Czech Republic were chosen by random selection. Data were analysed by using regression analysis. Based on the analysis the dependence of some financial indicators on the attitude of the company to the risk and on long‑term or short‑term orientation was proved. BSC is spread in 30 – 50 % companies all over the word, in Australia this method is used even in 88 % companies (Al Sawalqa, Holloway and Alam, 2011). Due to proven dependence it would be appropriate to raise Czech companies’ awareness of advantages of this method.
45
Wiesner, Retha, Jim McDonald, and Heather C. Banham. "Australian small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs): A study of high performance management practices." Journal of Management & Organization 13, no. 3 (September 2007): 227–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1833367200003710.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractWhile there is extensive management and academic literature on the topic area of high performance management internationally, research on high performance management practices in the Australian context is limited. Furthermore, research on high performance management practices has focused predominantly on large organisations and is largely a new direction for research in SMEs. This study attempts to fill some of the gaps in existing studies by considering a wide range of high performance management practices in Australian SMEs. Owing to the dearth of national data on high performance management in Australian SMEs, the results of this study are used to determine whether there is any evidence of a ‘high performing’ scenario in relation to management practices in Australian SMEs. The results, reporting a national study (N = 1435) on employee management in Australian SMEs, reveal a moderate take-up of high performance management practices. The findings by themselves do not support a ‘high’ performing scenario in relation to management practices in SMEs; however the low application of participative practices in the context of low unionization, and a low incidence of collective relations, indicates that many SMEs need a makeover if they are to meet the demands of competition. It is evident from the findings in this study that high performance practices in SMEs stand to benefit from modernisation and improvement.
46
Wiesner, Retha, Jim McDonald, and Heather C. Banham. "Australian small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs): A study of high performance management practices." Journal of Management & Organization 13, no. 3 (September 2007): 227–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.5172/jmo.2007.13.3.227.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractWhile there is extensive management and academic literature on the topic area of high performance management internationally, research on high performance management practices in the Australian context is limited. Furthermore, research on high performance management practices has focused predominantly on large organisations and is largely a new direction for research in SMEs. This study attempts to fill some of the gaps in existing studies by considering a wide range of high performance management practices in Australian SMEs. Owing to the dearth of national data on high performance management in Australian SMEs, the results of this study are used to determine whether there is any evidence of a ‘high performing’ scenario in relation to management practices in Australian SMEs. The results, reporting a national study (N = 1435) on employee management in Australian SMEs, reveal a moderate take-up of high performance management practices. The findings by themselves do not support a ‘high’ performing scenario in relation to management practices in SMEs; however the low application of participative practices in the context of low unionization, and a low incidence of collective relations, indicates that many SMEs need a makeover if they are to meet the demands of competition. It is evident from the findings in this study that high performance practices in SMEs stand to benefit from modernisation and improvement.
47
Xiang, Dong, Andrew C. Worthington, and Helen Higgs. "Discouraged finance seekers: An analysis of Australian small and medium-sized enterprises." International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship 33, no. 7 (January 21, 2014): 689–707. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0266242613516138.
Full text
48
Rolfe, Joe W., Alison E. Larard, Bernard H. English, Emma S. Hegarty, Tim B. McGrath, Niilo R. Gobius, Joanne De Faveri, Joanna R. Srhoj, Michael J. Digby, and Richard J. Musgrove. "Rangeland profitability in the northern Gulf region of Queensland: understanding beef business complexity and the subsequent impact on land resource management and environmental outcomes." Rangeland Journal 38, no. 3 (2016): 261. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj15093.
Full textAbstract:
The farm-gate value of extensive beef production from the northern Gulf region of Queensland, Australia, is ~$150 million annually. Poor profitability and declining equity are common issues for most beef businesses in the region. The beef industry relies primarily on native pasture systems and studies continue to report a decline in the condition and productivity of important land types in the region. Governments and Natural Resource Management groups are investing significant resources to restore landscape health and productivity. Fundamental community expectations also include broader environmental outcomes such as reducing beef industry greenhouse gas emissions. Whole-of-business analysis results are presented from 18 extensive beef businesses (producers) to highlight the complex social and economic drivers of management decisions that impact on the natural resource and environment. Business analysis activities also focussed on improving enterprise performance. Profitability, herd performance and greenhouse emission benchmarks are documented and discussed.
49
Dang, Vu Hung, and Valerie Lindsay. "Determinants of hedging strategy in foreign exchange risk management by exporting small and medium-sized enterprises: The mediating role of resources." Journal of General Management 48, no. 1 (October 2022): 3–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/03063070211063310.
Full textAbstract:
Foreign exchange risk management is well researched in the context of multinational enterprises, but how small and medium sized exporting firms manage their forex risk is still largely unexplored, especially through an international business lens. This study investigates how New Zealand and Australian exporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) manage foreign exchange (forex) risk, and the impact of increasing internationalisation on this. The study draws on two theoretical perspectives to assist the investigation: the resource-based view and internationalisation theory. The surveys were distributed to New Zealand and Australian exporting firms across a full range of industry sectors represented in the business database provided by Kompass. Statistical analyses, including exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to test the measurement model, structural model and research hypotheses. The study identifies four determinants of forex risk strategy of exporting SMEs: degree of internationalisation, forex exposure, perceived forex risk and resources. Organisational and human resources are shown to have a key mediation role in the model. The study provides insights into key determinants of forex risk management and their interrelationships in the little examined context of exporting SMEs.
50
Hall, Richard. "Australian Industrial Relations in 2005 - The WorkChoices Revolution." Journal of Industrial Relations 48, no. 3 (June 2006): 291–303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022185606064786.
Full textAbstract:
Industrial relations in Australia in 2005 were dominated by the introduction of the WorkChoices reforms, the most fundamental recasting of the industrial relations system in over 100 years. This analysis examines the rhetoric and reality of the reforms and identifies and summarizes the main features of the changes. It is argued that the implications of the reforms will include an expanded low wage sector, a contraction in collective bargaining and the greater use by employers of individual contracts. The reforms represent a ‘corporatisation’ of industrial relations (McCallum, 2006), commit Australia to a low road labour market development path and signal a new level of politicization of industrial relations. The rhetorical strategies employed by the principal author of the reforms, Prime Minister John Howard, reveal a distinctive construction of the emergent Australian worker - the ‘enterprise worker’ - that is central to Howard’s vision of the future.