Dissertations / Theses: 'Commerce – Australia'

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Park, Young-Il. "Australia-Korea trade, 1962-1981." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 1986. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09php235.pdf.

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Maguire, David W. "The role of communicative creativity in starting regional trade relationships with China: An action research practitioner case study." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2005. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/651.

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The Action Research project studies the role of information management and knowledge generation in establishing overseas political and trade activity to assist regional development in Australia. It is the work of a researcher whose background in information management ranges across more than 30 years working in the newspaper and regional economic development industries. It applies a hybrid term called “communicative creativity” – distilled from Wieman’s (1963) Doctrine of Creative Interchange and Habermas’s (1984) Theory of Communicative Action – to the researcher’s professional practice of facilitating the development of two entities – the economic development organization and its method of facilitating opportunities in China – against Nonaka and Takeuchi’s (1995) Five-Phase Model of the Organisational Creation Process. The thesis describes how the researcher’s previous career and life experience in China are used in the establishment of a model that will assist his current career in regional economic development. It explains the reasons for choosing the Participatory Action Research method and uses the researcher’s personal and professional voices in a multi-vocal, neopragmatic style blended with visual rich picture presentation involving graphics and photos to tell the story. The thesis – with its style and voices – is a soft systems picture in its own right. The research outcome is a knowledge management model for promoting. Selling, organising and conducting a trade mission into China.

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Škrabáková, Romana. "Komparácia e-commerce na Slovensku a v Austrálii." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2015. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-201674.

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This diploma thesis provides insight into the current status of Slovakian and Australian electronic commerce markets and differences between them. The main objective is to evaluate the level of development of e-commerce in Slovakia. For evaluation of the situation, we use comparison with Australia. Partial objective is to provide full picture of the e-commerce in Slovakia and its competitiveness, to describe opportunities and to point out the prospects for future development, as well as weaknesses and shortcomings in this area. The work is divided into three chapters. The first chapter is theoretical, defines the concepts of e-commerce, its history, subjects and applications. In the second chapter, which is already analytical, we select and evaluate differences between those two countries in the areas that determinate the growth of e-commerce in the country. The last chapter analyzes and evaluates the state of electronic commerce particularly from the perspective of businesses and especially from the perspective of companies.

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Stockdale, Rosemary. "Identification and realisation of the benefits of participating in an electronic marketplace : An interpretive evaluation approach." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2003. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1333.

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Electronic marketplaces have proliferated as use of the Internet has become widespread in business. A rapid growth in the number of marketplaces, followed by a period of stringent consolidation, as market makers develop a greater understanding of effective business models, has resulted in a climate of uncertainty and confusion. As with many aspects of e-commerce the drive towards participation is fuelled less by strategy planning than by a fear of lagging behind competitors or losing first mover advantage. In this climate of uncertainty organisations often bypass effective evaluation of the benefits that can be realised from participation in e-marketplaces, thereby exacerbating the process facing them and hampering effective decision-making. Evaluation is perceived as a fraught subject within the Information System field, and particularly within the business community which adheres to tried and trusted, albeit often inappropriate, methods such as financial or technical evaluation. The difficulties involved in effective evaluation of systems are well documented; these will increase as systems become more pervasive throughout organisations and those of their trading partners. Calls for a more holistic approach to evaluation are increasing, based on a developing appreciation of interpretive methods of research within the Information Systems discipline. However, the understanding that the social, political and cultural factors affecting and organisation have an impact on the uses and advantages of systems is by no means universal, and empirical evidence of this view is only slowly emerging. This research examines the benefits that can be realised from participation in an electronic marketplace by taking an interpretive approach to the evaluation. It examines the nature of electronic marketplaces to provide clarity to a confused and dynamic environment. The study then focuses on the development of evaluation studies within the IS discipline to identify how an effective evaluation method for assessing the benefits of e-marketplace participation can be achieved. An empirical examination of an organisation’s participation in an electronic marketplace is used to identify the benefits that are realisable and the issues that impact on them. The case study is conducted through an interpretive lens, using a content, context, process (CCP) approach based on existing IS literature. This enables a crucial understanding of the internal and external environments influencing the organisation and its realisation of potential benefits. To allow for the range of interpretations and reflections required to fully address the complexity of the issues involved in such a case study, a variety of research influences such as dialect hermeneutics, critical realism and case study theory are drawn into the research model. The case study organisation’s motivation for participating in an e-marketplace was primarily cost savings. Over the two years of the study, several more potential benefits were identified, such as supply chain efficiencies, greater market awareness and a widening of the supplier base. However, the organisation’s commitments to its local and regional communities, its need to retain status and some consideration of existing relationships needed to be balanced against the gains that might be realised. In some cases the organisation chose to forgo a potential benefit in favour of socially or politically motivated actions. Cultural factors also influenced their actions, particularly as they moved towards extending participation in the marketplace to gain from a global sourcing strategy. The contribution of this research lies in two areas. Firstly, it was existing evaluation literature to development a framework for the evaluation of benefits in the complex area of electronic marketplaces, thereby extending and informing the call for more inclusive and interpretive evaluation studies. Secondly, the research contributes empirical evidence to support the recognition of benefits to be gained from electronic marketplaces and shows how the realisation of the economic benefits is impacted by the social, political and cultural factors that influence an organisation.

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McLean, Kathleen Ann 1952. "Culture, commerce and ambivalence : a study of Australian federal government intervention in book publishing." Monash University, National Centre for Australian Studies, 2002. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/7566.

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Ryan, Ernest Leslie, and Not available. "The bunyip and the dragon the psychodynamics of Australian and South Korean business encounters." Swinburne University of Technology, 1997. http://adt.lib.swin.edu.au./public/adt-VSWT20050506.152251.

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This study attempts to identify and explore the psychodynamics of Australian and Korean business encounters in Seoul, Republic of Korea, by describing and discussing 'Australian-ness' and 'Korean-ness' as representations of what I will call 'National character in-the-mind'. A guiding hypothesis is that in highly charged emotional settings, like those associated with foreign business encounters, National character in-the-mind acts as a psychological and emotional container, and a protective screen to hide more intricate institutional anxieties and defences. The data supporting the study is drawn from my interviews with 12 Australian and 6 Korean business people conducted between 3 and 14 June 1996 in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The study also reflects my experience and role as researcher in the research as a source, creator and interpreter of data through the exploration of my own introspection. The findings demonstrate how Australian-ness and Korean-ness appear to represent projections of the human imagination, willed within the bounds of individual experience and perception. A model for evaluating Cultural Misunderstanding and Defensive/Adaptive Behaviour is proposed with the aim of seeking improved understanding of the Australian and Korean National character. The model applies learning from the research experience which emphasises the need for Australian and Korean business people to take a more adaptive approach to the contrary behaviours they encounter. The model also acknowledges the value of investing time to establish and maintain cross-cultural business relationships based on access, whereby Australian and Korean business people see themselves as resources of mutual gain, reducing the potential for misunderstanding, fear and mistrust and the subsequent invocation of defensive responses.

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Brown, Diane. "Publishing Culture : Commissioning Books in Australia, 1970-2000." Connect to this title online, 2003. http://eprints.vu.edu.au/304/1/Brown_Diane.pdf.

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This study primarily examines the cultural and commercial practices of editors and publishers who commission and acquire content in independent Australian publishing houses. My research spans a 30-year transitional period in book publishing from 1970 to 2000 - a period marked by rapid and unstable shifts in publishing culture, reflecting wider social, political, economic and technological change. In a global market economy, more than ever before, the acquisition of local content is critical in fostering original ideas and works by Australian authors. A series of semi-structured interviews with editors and publishers provides a direct source of personal experience and professional industry-based knowledge. These narratives address and engage with individual and collective values, beliefs, assumptions and attitudes which reflect particular personalities and publishing styles. They also contribute to an understanding of the editors' and publishers' commissioning role, where knowledge and content are taken up and developed and publishing decisions are made. An analysis of editors' and publishers' responses further explores the diversity of commissioning and acquisitions environments in which they live and work. Publishing houses are profiled and works of fiction and non-fiction are identified and discussed in an attempt to unpack how and why they were commissioned and developed for publication, and to what social and cultural effect. The dynamics of organisational structure and publishing culture are explored by analysing general and specific publishing models. Editors and publishers discuss how publishing companies operate and offer insights into, and perceptions of, organisational structure and publishing culture and, importantly, how both impact on commissioning practice. Issues of identity, representation and institutionalisation are identified as they relate to developments and trends within publishing and public culture, as a whole, and the ways in which they intersect. This nexus of culture and power is explored through the cultural production of Australian content, and in particular, in Chapters Five and Six, with the impact of second-wave feminism on Australian publishing culture and cross-currents in the production and publication of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works.

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Gall, Peter. "Creating new instruments to advance research into virtual organisations." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/193.

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This study reviews the literature in relation to virtual strategic alignment models and strategies. From this the researcher develops a framework to test two new strategic alignment instruments designed to measure the espoused preparedness of organisations to operate virtually and the readiness of an organisation to collaborate virtually. These instruments are designed to assist organisations in recognising and exploiting their degree of virtuality and can support organisations in developing new organisational forms that fully leverage the value of their ICT assests. Prior research has attempted to address strategic alignment issues either internally, externally or holistically. A new approach was necessary.

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Brown, Diane. "Publishing Culture : Commissioning Books in Australia, 1970-2000." Thesis, Connect to this title online, 2003. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/304/.

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This study primarily examines the cultural and commercial practices of editors and publishers who commission and acquire content in independent Australian publishing houses. My research spans a 30-year transitional period in book publishing from 1970 to 2000 - a period marked by rapid and unstable shifts in publishing culture, reflecting wider social, political, economic and technological change. In a global market economy, more than ever before, the acquisition of local content is critical in fostering original ideas and works by Australian authors. A series of semi-structured interviews with editors and publishers provides a direct source of personal experience and professional industry-based knowledge. These narratives address and engage with individual and collective values, beliefs, assumptions and attitudes which reflect particular personalities and publishing styles. They also contribute to an understanding of the editors' and publishers' commissioning role, where knowledge and content are taken up and developed and publishing decisions are made. An analysis of editors' and publishers' responses further explores the diversity of commissioning and acquisitions environments in which they live and work. Publishing houses are profiled and works of fiction and non-fiction are identified and discussed in an attempt to unpack how and why they were commissioned and developed for publication, and to what social and cultural effect. The dynamics of organisational structure and publishing culture are explored by analysing general and specific publishing models. Editors and publishers discuss how publishing companies operate and offer insights into, and perceptions of, organisational structure and publishing culture and, importantly, how both impact on commissioning practice. Issues of identity, representation and institutionalisation are identified as they relate to developments and trends within publishing and public culture, as a whole, and the ways in which they intersect. This nexus of culture and power is explored through the cultural production of Australian content, and in particular, in Chapters Five and Six, with the impact of second-wave feminism on Australian publishing culture and cross-currents in the production and publication of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works.

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Bode, Shirley A. "Designing a framework for the alignment of e-business strategy and consultant engagement processes for Australian SMEs : a cross-case analysis." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2002. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/715.

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The majority of SMEs have neither the internal expertise nor financial resources to enable in-house development of electronic commerce and therefore turn to the services of website design consultants to assist them. Unfortunately, they often engage consultants without any clear idea of their intended e-business strategy and without due care as to effective engagement processes. This frequently leads to ineffective e-business development and a highly disaffected group of small entrepreneurs. The study suggests that there is a significant gap between the intended strategies of SMEs and the actual e-business strategy implemented. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between Australian Small and Medium Enterprises, Internet strategy and the engagement of website design consultants. The objectives of the research project were firstly, to identify factors including SME engagement of website design consultants, and other factors presented in previous research that may influence the success of online organizations. Secondly, to construct a framework for analysing those factors' which may influence the success of online organizations. Finally, to provide a set of critical development factors that may be used by Australian SMEs to implement the online organisation. The research methodology chosen used an interpretivist perspective and incorporated a multiple cross-case study approach. Four research instruments were employed in the study to enable triangulation of data and to increase validity and reliability. A pilot study was conducted and the results were used to refine and develop the data collection methods, procedures and theory development for the main study. The expected outcomes of the research project included developing a framework to enhance negotiations between website design consultants and Australian SMEs; to design a set of critical development factors, in relation to Internet strategy and consultant engagement, that may be used by Australian SMEs and consultants to facilitate the implementation of the online organization; and to provide a summarised report to Dow Digital in fulfilment of the requirements of the research funding, and to publish a number of papers based on the research project.

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Laupase, R. "Perceptions of web site design characteristics: A Malaysian/Australian comparison." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1999. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1204.

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The study compared the perceptions of Malaysians, representing Asian culture, and Australians, representing Western culture, for four Web design characteristics (atmospherics, news stories, signs, products and services), as part of the Integrated Internet Marketing model. Under controlled laboratory conditions, two groupings of thirty subjects evaluated eight Web sites in the retail and services sectors located equally in Malaysia and Australia. This study hypothesised that the predominant culture would not be generalised to another culture. Significant differences found for Web design characteristics were typically for one site only and not across all sites. In other words, consistent differences did not eventuate. This appears to indicate that members of both groups are citizens of the Web's global village in which consumer behaviours and values are converging. There were some specific perceptual differences between Australians and Malaysians of Web design characteristics and their impact on the overall effectiveness of Web sites. For example, differences for the Web design characteristic products and services were clearly perceived for Dewsons Supermarket (DS) and Netcard Station (NS). The graphical presentation on the DS Web site appears to encourage Australians to examine the products and services in more depth. Products were presented in bright colours and photographic views. On the other hand, for the NS Web site, products were represented in descriptive, technical words, which appealed more to Malaysians. The study found that Malaysians would emphasize the atmospherics for seeking to obtain an indication of integration (tolerance, non-competitiveness) by examining virtual presence. Australians give emphasis to articulate news stories as both products and services and news stories attracted inter-group significant differences in Café St. Tropez Restaurant and Netcard Station sites. For the extent to which the Web is used to locate products, services or information, there was no impact of these on the way Malaysians perceived the Web design characteristics and their impact on the overall effectiveness of Web sites. On the other hand, the extent to which the Web was used to locate products, services or information impacted on the way Australians perceived the Web design characteristics and the impact of these on the overall effectiveness of Web sites. The study makes recommendations for Australian Web designers, for example, that they should give emphasis to graphical and photographic pictures for attracting Australian Web users. On the other hand, Malaysians Web designers should, for example, employ technical words in order to attract Malaysian Web users. The study recognises the strength and the limitations of the controlled laboratory method of research, which are in the main that results cannot easily be generalised and that procedures may appear to be artificial. Suggestions for further study are offered.

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Madugoda, Gunaratnege Senali. "Consumers’ payment preference at Point-of-Sale (POS) in Australia, China and Sri Lanka." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2021. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2438.

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Payment methods have been expanding rapidly in recent years. To develop effective strategies and to meet individuals’ payment satisfaction, financial institutions need to understand the factors that influence the payment preferences of individuals from different cultural backgrounds. This study aims to investigate the drivers of payment preference at the Point-of- Sale (POS) and the moderating effects of cultural dimensions. Drawing on the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) Theory and contextual factors a conceptual framework was developed and tested using a two phases approach. In the qualitative phase, focus groups were conducted to explore the similarities and differences amongst Australians, Chinese, and Sri Lankans in terms of salient attitudes toward payment methods at the point-of-sale (POS). Two focus groups were conducted for Australia (n=12) and Sri Lanka (n=12), and individual interviews were carried out with 11 Chinese participants (total n=35). As a result, the initial framework (derived from the literature) was revised. In the quantitative phase, the developed framework for the study was tested. A questionnaire was developed using the key factors identified from the literature review and focus groups. An online survey was employed to collect data from Australia (n= 292), China (n= 358), and Sri Lanka (n= 309) using a convenience sampling technique. The partial least squares (PLS) technique was used to analyse 959 valid responses. The results showed that perceived relative advantage and social influence are positively associated, and perceived risks and perceived rewards are negatively associated, with payment preference. The effects of perceived compatibility and perceived situations on consumers’ payment preferences were non-significant. In terms of cultural dimensions, uncertainty avoidance positively moderated the negative relationship between perceived risks and payment preference. Furthermore, long-term orientation positively moderated the negative relationship between perceived rewards and payment preferences. The findings help banks and other financial institutions to design efficient payment methods and develop effective strategies to promote particular payment methods. In particular, the findings provide useful insights for financial companies in changing the way of offering rewards to their consumers by differentiating themselves from their competitors, thus enhancing the capacity to both acquire and retain consumers. These outcomes supported the conceptual framework developed based on DOI theory and contextual factors and extend the literature on payment preference. Furthermore, the drivers of consumers’ payment preference for different cultures suggests important implications for global marketers

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Soko, Milford Sibusiso. "Re-engaging with the global trading system : the political economy of trade policy reform in post-apartheid South Africa, 1994-2004." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2004. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/50693/.

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The thesis examines the political economy of trade policy reform in post-apartheid South Africa. It challenges mainstream accounts of contemporary trade policy in South Africa, which have advanced a solely economic rationale to explain the policy choices made by the ANC governments since 1994. The thesis argues that, far more than these accounts concede, international and domestic political economy considerations have also played a central part in the ANC governments' calculations to undertake trade reform to the degree it has. Trade reform in South Africa has been the linchpin of a global adjustment strategy pursued by the domestic political elites by which they have sought to fulfill South Africa's global, regional and domestic political and economic objectives. At the global level, the South African state has vigorously pursued trade liberalisation in order to shed its past image of international pariah and reintegrate itself into the global economy on the basis of outward-oriented growth. Restoring South Africa's international political respectability has been as important as reversing its economic marginalisation in the international division of labour. At the regional level, the South African state has used trade policy reform as a foreign economic policy tool not only to rebuild political and diplomatic relations with African countries strained during the apartheid era - but also to advance its hegemonic ambitions, particularly in Southern Africa, as well as reinforce the region's ability to engage with the forces of economic globalisation. The extent to which South Africa's regional hegemonic ambitions can be achieved, however, lies ultimately with how adeptly the country can reconcile these regional aspirations with its domestic pressures. At the domestic level, trade reform has been deployed by the decision-making elites not only to lock in the government's austere macroeconomic policy but also to curtail the power of domestic interests that have benefited from trade protectionism in the past. In return for their co-operation, the South African state has allowed these interests, notably business and labour, enhanced institutional representation in economic policymaking. In this sense trade policy has been employed to serve domestic as much as foreign political and economic policy ends.

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Ash, Colin. "Exploring The Antecedents Of Successful E-business Implementations Through ERP : A Longitudinal Study of SAP-based Organisations 1999-2003." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2003. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1486.

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This research was carried out between 1999 and 2003 on the use of e-business applications in ERP-based organisations. A composite research method based on structured case studies was developed for this study. It combined the application of case methods by Carroll et al. (1998], Klein and Myer (1998), and Eisenhardt (1989). This was used to provide a focused, yet flexible structure, as a dynamic approach to case study interpretive research. The research method used three distinct models at three progressive stages of the study, to provide a multi-faceted view of each case. This composite case-based method was developed to maintain the balance between research rigour and relevance. A pilot case study of nine Australian SAP sites helped ground the theory of the study. This was followed by three stages of study of eleven international cases within a diverse industry context. The method revealed the antecedents of e-business success using the findings from case analyses against three separate research models B2B interaction, e-business change, and virtual organising. A final conceptual framework was developed as new theory of e-business transformation. The theory views e-business transformation as realising the benefits from virtual organising within complex B2B interactions by utilising the facilitators of successful e-business change. The research demonstrates that successful e-business transformation with ERP occurs when value propositions are realised through integration and differentiation of technologies used to support new business models to deliver products and services online. The associated management practice evolves through efficiency from self-service, effectiveness through empowerment towards customer care, and value enhancement from extensive relationship building with multiple alliances. The new theory of e-business transformation identifies the stages of e-business growth and development as a comprehensive plan that should assist managers of ERP-based organisations in migrating their company towards a successful e-business organisation. The detailed analysis of the findings offers a foundational per11pectlve of strategies, tactics and performance objectives for e-ERP implementations. The strength of the theory lies in the synthesis of multiple case analyses using three different lenses over three separate time periods. The triangulation of the three research frameworks provides a method for study at appropriate levels of complexity. It is evolutionary in nature and is content driven. Other researchers are urged to apply similar multi-viewed analysis.

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Standing, Susan. "Creating business value through e-marketplace trading." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2013. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/584.

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Electronic marketplaces (e-marketplaces) have been researched over many years from the study of electronic data interchange (EDI) systems to the current internet based trading platforms. Early e-marketplaces connected a buyer and supplier using proprietary systems that established a market hierarchy. The buyer was responsible for the system, established the terms of trade and the electronically enabled supplier could connect to the system. These systems were costly to build, which limited their use, and only organisations with an integrated system could use them. The web based e-marketplaces opened up the possibility of connecting many buyers and suppliers and enabling electronic transactions. The e-marketplace offers opportunities for establishing trade relationships with many organisations across the world. Business to business (B2B) e-commerce is a significant part of the Australian economy and there are opportunities to take advantage of e-marketplace trading. One of the advantages of electronic trading is the ability of the technology to deliver transaction benefits; these can have a significant impact on organisations regardless of organisational size. However, despite the potential of the e-marketplace to deliver organisational benefits there have been limited studies which consider the strategic implementation of e-marketplace trading. Organisational strategy and the implementation of strategic initiatives involve interactions between organisational structures and agents. The analytical dualism this represents complicates uncovering the fundamental causes of e-marketplace participation. Not only does the adoption of e-marketplace trading impact on the buyer and supplier organisations, it introduces the e-marketplace vendor organisation and the e-marketplace technology into the participation decision. The complexity of the interactions across organisational structures and between organisational agents and technology adoption can produce a diversity of outcomes. The philosophical underpinning of critical realism for the study is supported by the lack of understanding as to why, and in what circumstances, organisations successfully participate in e-marketplace trading. The critical realist philosophy provides the opportunity to understand the interrelationships between context, organisational structures and agents and identify the causal mechanisms involved in producing various outcomes. It allows for the development of middle level theory as existing theories are examined to explain the perceived phenomena. Large organisations operating in Western Australia are used as case studies to uncover the causal relationships between context, structures and agents that can produce successful, strategic implementation of e-marketplace participation. Existing literature in relation to e-marketplaces and IT adoption is used to develop the research questions and formulate the interview questions. The structured case methodology is used to analyse each case and relate the findings to possible explanatory theories. Context, mechanism and outcome patterns, identified in each case, are presented. Building on economic market, institutional and network theories the research identifies organising vision theory and community discourse as explanations for organisational legitimation that can circumscribe the use of e-marketplace trading. Six types of community group that influence organisational adoption of e-marketplace technology are identified. The research suggests that the influence of these groups within the organisation, the fit with organisational culture and strategic objectives can prevent or instigate change. Further, the decision making process supported by the group (or group member) is more influential in the strategic adoption of the e-marketplace than the ability of the technology to deliver efficiency or transaction processing gains. This implies that technology adoption studies should include contextual and environmental issues and practitioners should examine how much their decision making is influenced by organisational and environmental features. The thesis contributes to the discussion on organising vision theory, e-marketplace trading and business value creation. It demonstrates the application of the structured case study methodology to research that is underpinned by critical realism.

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Wong, Antonietta Pui-Kwok. "A comparative study of the taxation of business profits - especially 'online' profits - in Australia and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China." Monash University. Faculty of Business and Economics. Department of Business Law and Taxation, 2009. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/56990.

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There are two main principles under which jurisdictions tax income – source and residence. The point of these two principles is to establish a ‘nexus’ or link between a taxable transaction, operation or activity and a taxing state. It is this nexus which is used to justify the imposition of taxation by the jurisdiction on a particular taxpayer. Where a taxpayer is a ‘resident’ of a jurisdiction, then that person often becomes liable to pay tax on income derived from all sources. Where a taxpayer is a ‘nonresident’ of a jurisdiction, then that person often becomes liable to pay tax on income derived from sources within a particular, relevant jurisdiction. The concept of source of income is fundamentally important to both Australia and Hong Kong. Australia adopts a worldwide tax system that taxes its residents on Australian and foreign income and non-residents on Australian income, whilst Hong Kong adopts a territorial tax system that forgoes taxing foreign income irrespective of who has derived it. The fundamental basis for taxation under a territorial tax system is the source of income; while the fundamental basis for taxation under a worldwide tax system is the concept of residence. In both jurisdictions, the decisions of the courts on the meaning of source have been crucial in defining the concept of ‘source of income’ for tax purposes. The foundations of source-based taxation are less stable today. There is no universal set of source rules that can readily be applied to every circumstance to determine the source or locality of profits. The growth in international trade, supported by the development of electronic commerce, has substantially increased source-related revenue risks. Entities are increasingly able to structure their finances and conduct their affairs without being constrained by geography or national boundaries. Anticipated profits may be shifted to a related party and from one jurisdiction to another to arrive at a reduced overall tax burden. It is becoming increasingly difficult to determine from what and where income originates. The thesis examines the nature of the current source rules in Australia and Hong Kong and analyses the fundamental adequacy of the source principle generally when confronted, especially, with the challenge of rapidly growing Internet-based commercial activities. Australia and Hong Kong have been chosen for comparative study for the following reasons: the two jurisdictions are good examples of small-medium advanced economies; they are similar in the sense that they are, primarily, knowledge capital-importing jurisdictions; their approaches to ‘source’ differ markedly; and these approaches tend towards each end of the ‘source spectrum’. The thesis identifies certain principal research questions. The basic responses to these questions are: The concept of source of income is, essentially, less clear today in the domestic tax law of Australia and Hong Kong than before. Determining the source of income in Australia and Hong Kong can be a very complex issue. The difficulty related to making such determinations is growing. Searching for the real source of income has become still more problematic with the increase in globalisation and the rapid growth of Internet-based commerce. The traditional concept of source of income has ‘lost traction’ as a fundamental basis for effectively imposing income taxation, especially, in today’s globalised economy. Existing source rules do not deal adequately with certain ‘revenue-leakage’ issues confronting us today and, even more, the likely issues of tomorrow. We need to reconsider how we can better address these issues. The thesis establishes that this is so for Australia and Hong Kong. It also reasons that this proposition generally holds true for most developed tax jurisdictions. The thesis concludes with a detailed review of three of the most prominent optional approaches for addressing the source challenge: (A) a move to a new refundable withholding-tax-based method of taxing cross-border electronic commerce; (B) a shift to far greater reliance on the use of the residence principle of taxation; and (C) a shift to notably greater reliance on (indirect) consumption taxation. Option C, it is argued, offers the best prospects for dealing in the least bad way with the identified issues.

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Utakrit, Nattakant. "Security awareness by online banking users in Western Australian of phishing attacks." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2012. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/503.

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Phishing involves sending e-mails pretending to be from the legitimate financial institutions to recipients and asking for personal information such as username and password. It also redirects network traffic to malicious sites, deny network traffic to web services, and modify protection mechanisms in the targeted computer systems. Consequences of successful attacks can include identity and financial losses, and unauthorised information disclosure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of Western Australian bank users in using online banking. The study considered the relationship between the background of the Western Australian bank users and their experience in using online banking security. The research analysed phishing through case studies that highlighted some of the experiences of phishing attacks and how to deal with the problems. Emphasis was placed on knowledge of phishing and threats and how they were actually implemented, or may be used, in undermining the security of users’ online banking services. The preferences and perspectives of Western Australian bank users about the deployment of online banking security protection and about future online banking services, in order to safeguard themselves against phishing attacks, are presented. The aim was to assist such Australian bank users through exploring potential solutions and making recommendations arising from this study. Research respondents had positive attitudes towards using online banking. Overall, they were satisfied with the security protection offered by their banks. However, although they believed that they had adequate knowledge of phishing and other online banking threats, their awareness of phishing attacks was not sufficient to protect themselves. Essentially, the respondents who had experienced a phishing attack believed it was due to weak security offered by their banks, rather than understanding that they needed more knowledge about security protection of their personal computers. Further education is required if users are to become fully aware of the need for security within their personal online banking.

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Ramage, Paul. "Factors impacting on the adoption and operation of corporate governance reform in Australian state government departments." Thesis, full-text, 2009. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/1992/.

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Corporate governance reforms are increasingly common in public sector organisations. Despite the scope of recent and ongoing public sector change, the processes used to adopt and operate public sector corporate governance reform are not clearly documented. In some cases there is evidence of reform failure. This study sought to identify and describe the variables associated with corporate governance change in Australian state government departments, particularly the factors that impact on the adoption and operation of reform. Concepts associated with scientific management (rational/technocratic influences) and organisational culture (political/cultural influences), and their impact on change, were combined to produce a framework that was tested in two phases. Phase one focused on the collection of qualitative data relating to corporate governance reform in the Victorian Department of Human Services. The second phase involved the collection of quantitative data from chief executives and senior executives in all Australian state government departments. The qualitative data collected in phase one was used to validate the conceptual framework which was then further tested using quantitative methods during phase two. Phase one and two findings were consistent with the conceptual model. In particular, a factor analysis of phase two results identified the adoption of change being influenced by leadership capability; external improvement drivers; internal improvement drivers; organisational politics; the capacity of an organisation to interpret knowledge; and changes in an organisation’s operating environment. The operation of reform was influenced by continuity of leadership; actions taken to embed change and build supportive attitudes to change; management of organisational politics; and the capacity of an organisation to understand change. The immediate implication of this research is the definition of a new model to manage corporate governance change. The rational/scientific and political/cultural factors identified by this project provide an integrated approach that can be drawn upon by change actors. It acknowledges the significance of the rational/scientific and political/cultural factors that come into play during corporate governance reform. This study has filled a gap relating to how public sector organisations go about making corporate governance changes and provides customised and practical recommendations for future corporate governance reforms in Australian state government departments. These include giving priority to corporate governance reform training (the research found that only around one in two senior officers had been trained in corporate governance reform) and further strengthening organisational leadership (leadership was identified as a critical factor at both the adoption and operation stages of corporate governance reform). This research provides new insight into understanding corporate governance change in an Australian public sector context and provides a model to more effectively manage future reform.

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AlHinai, Yousuf Salim. "The adoption of advanced mobile commerce services by individuals: investigating the impact of the interaction between the consumer and the mobile service provider." The University of Melbourne, 2009. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/6748.

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This research investigates the impact of the interaction between the consumer and mobile service provider on the adoption of advanced mobile commerce services by existing consumers of mobile technology. These factors include: 1) Perceived Relationship Quality (PRQ), which is the consumer’s evaluation of the quality of his/her relationship with the mobile service provider, and 2) Perceived Value of the Adoption Incentive (PVI), which is the consumer’s evaluation of the value of incentives that are offered by the service provider to entice him/her to adopt the mobile service. The influence of these factors on consumer attitudes and intentions towards adopting mobile commerce services is studied and compared with three other well-known adoption factors including perceived usefulness, ease of use and the subjective norm.
This study was undertaken in three parts. Firstly, a conceptual study was conducted to investigate and analyse the existing literature on consumer adoption of mobile commerce services. This phase started with a general review of the existing studies using a novel model: the Entities-Interactions Framework, EIF. The EIF explains adoption behaviour in terms of interactions between the consumer and the other entities including the mobile service, the service provider and the social system. This framework was used to analyse the extent to which important adoption factors have been covered by past research and therefore identify the research questions. The conceptual study resulted in the development of a research model and relevant hypotheses.
Secondly, a large-scale questionnaire survey was conducted to test the research model and the proposed hypotheses. This part of the research helped give a broad picture of the influence of consumer-service provider factors on consumer adoption of mobile commerce services. Thirdly, face-to-face interviews with mobile phones users were conducted in order to validate the survey results and provide an understanding of the mechanisms that control the impact of the investigated factors. The research found that PRQ and PVI have an important influence on the attitude and intention of existing mobile phone users towards accepting and using advanced mobile commerce services. Furthermore, the research found that these newly introduced factors are more influential on consumer adoption perceptions than other well-established factors.
The study enriches our understanding of technology adoption by individuals because it explains why an existing user of a technology, such as mobile technology, will or will not adopt advanced versions of that technology. The findings affirm that in the context of communication technologies, which are interactive by nature, understanding the interaction between consumers and service providers is a key to understanding the progressive adoption by consumers of advanced forms of these technologies. The thesis provides practitioners (particularly mobile service providers) with a better understanding of the impact and implication of their interaction with consumers on consumers’ acceptance and use of mobile services. The study emphasises the importance of incorporating this understanding throughout the mobile service provision process, starting from the conceptualisation of the service to the actual provision of the service to the market. The study also offers a novel comprehension of how to view each mobile service offer as a consequence of the previous offer and a precedent of the next in order to enhance consumer adoption of mobile service in the short and long runs.

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Weller, Stephen Adrian. "A study of organisational justice and participative workplace change in Australian higher education." Thesis, full-text, 2009. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/2028/.

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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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21

Martinus, Ian. "Can B2G portals be used effectively to stimulate business in SMEs?: A case analysis of the 2Cities Business To Government portal." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2004. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1611.

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Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have many options when purchasing goods or services. These include personal contacts and networks, familiar centralised supply sources and other ad hoc means. One purchasing possibility is to buy from and sell to other businesses within a similar geographic area. The benefits of buying and selling locally may not occur to SMEs. They seek, like other consumers, to get value for money, fast and efficient service, and a reasonable level of quality. Many factors can impinge upon an SME's decision to purchase locally. It can be assumed that, given a reasonable local option, SMEs wish to buy from and sell to other local businesses. It can also be reasonably expected that if government purchasers were willing to purchase within their geographic area, SMEs would be interested in supplying local government as well. This study investigates SMEs in the Wanneroo and Joondalup Regions of Western Australia and considers the factors that may influence their decision to use the 2Cities Business-to-Government (B2G) portal. The study is concerned with gaining an insight into particular phenomena from a participants' perspective (SME) with the researcher as the primary instrument for data collection and analysis. The study requires the researcher to get close to the natural setting of the study and interact with the small business owners. This study triangulated results from three major sources. One source of data was contemporary Wanneroo and Joondalup secondary data gathered from research reports relating to local SME matters. This was combined with the semi-structured interviews of forty SMEs and two focus groups. Participant SMEs were invited to discuss factors affecting their decision to use or not use the 2Cities B2G portal. SMEs have a clear perception of what impedes and assists them in running their business and this comes through strongly. The problem facing the 2Cities portal management board is the extent to which it can influence the SME decision to buy and sell within the local area using the portal. The results form the basis of an improved model for B2G participation.

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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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23

Leith, Andrew R., of Western Sydney Hawkesbury University, and Faculty of Management. "Competitiveness of Australian small to medium enterprises in Indonesia." THESIS_FMAN_XXX_Leith_A.xml, 2000. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/512.

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The purpose of this research is to determine whether Indonesian business practices and culture inhibit the competitiveness of Australian small to medium enterprises in Indonesia. Prior to the current economic demise of the Indonesian economy, Australia's trade relations with its closest Asian neighbour were not as significant as trade with countries far removed from Australia's shores. Previous research has identified that cultural problems and inadequate communication contribute towards the lack of competitiveness of international small to medium enterprises.However there has been no rigorous and comprehensive research specially related to Australian entrepreneurs and the problems they encounter in Indonesia.Several key themes emerged from this study which indicated that thorough planning and market research are more important than a comprehensive understanding of business practices and culture. What the research brings to extant literature is a rigorous and methodological analysis of Indonesian business practices from an Australian entrepreneur's perspective. This provides a structured link between the parent disciple of cross cultural communications, the plethora of information on Asian business practices, and the reality of Australian small to medium enterprises attempting to enter the Indonesian market
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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24

Jensen, Joan, and n/a. "Electronic Commerce and Small and Medium Business Enterprises." University of Canberra. n/a, 2005. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20070517.130605.

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The aim of this research was to discover the issues influencing the adoption of e-commerce by small and medium business enterprises (SMEs) in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The demand aspect of the theory of diffusion of innovation enabled the formulation of a number of research propositions which formed the focus for this research. Seventy-five randomly-selected SMEs within the ACT were interviewed. Of these seventy five, fifty had adopted e-commerce and twenty-five had not. Findings complemented results from other studies, but also added to them. Factors from the demand aspect of the theory of time, resources (personnel, financial, technological), business organisation, size, return on investment, push by outside agencies or clients, and communication channels were found to be of little importance. Of greater importance were characteristics of the SME operators themselves (such as their innovativeness, their relative youth and educational level), the size of their business, the number of years it had been operating, and marketing issues. A prime consideration was that of attaining and maintaining a competitive edge over their competitors. Security and privacy issues were of little consideration prior to the adoption process, but became of much greater importance once SMEs had adopted e-commerce. Some things discovered by this research that have not appeared in the reporting of other studies included: � The importance of tertiary education for the primary decision-makers in the organisation; � The role banks played in the adoption process; � The high cost and difficulty of compliance with government regulations, especially regarding the employment of staff; and � The lack of use of specifically established communication channels, set up by government bodies or associated industry organisations to educate and inform SMEs about the potential and process of e-commerce. Results of this research have implications for a large number of associated stakeholders � government, educational institutions, and trade, industry and professional associations � and as such deserve to be widely disseminated.

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Shahwan, Yousef Said. "The Australian market perception of goodwill and identifiable intangibles /." View thesis, 2002. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20030925.150453/index.html.

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Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2002.
A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, June, 2002. Text missing p. 64. Bibliography : leaves 208-221.

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Prananto, Adi. "Electronic business stages of growth : a definition and evaluation in an Australian context /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2004. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18073.pdf.

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27

Gengatharen, Denise Evangaline. "Assessing the success and evaluating the benefits of government-sponsored regional internet-trading platforms for small and medium enterprises a Western Australian perspective /." Connect to thesis, 2006. http://portal.ecu.edu.au/adt-public/adt-ECU2006.0017.html.

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28

Le, Roux Géraldine. "Création, réception et circulation internationale des arts aborigènes contemporains : ethnographie impliquée et multi-située avec des artistes de la côte est de l'Australie." Paris, EHESS, 2010. http://www.theses.fr/2010EHES0431.

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La thèse examine les formes d’interaction développées par des artistes aborigènes de la côte est de l’Australie avec des marchands d’art et des commissaires d’exposition. A partir d’observations ethnographiques menées entre 2003 et 2008 auprès de Boomalli, une coopérative aborigène fondée en 1987 à Sydney, du Lockhart River Art Gang, un groupe de peintres du Cap York constitué en 1996 et de proppaNOW, un collectif aborigène institué à Brisbane en 2004 , j’ai observé la manière dont leurs œuvres sont représentées dans les expositions et la réaction critique des artistes à cette représentation. Je fais l’hypothèse que le soutien institutionnel et le développement d’une industrie de l’art ont entraîné une agentivité spécifique et des réponses créative de la part de certains artistes résidant en ville. A partir d’une analyse systématique des expositions organisées en France depuis 1979, j’examine la place qu’occupent les marchands d’art et les membres associatifs dans la circulation des œuvres en France et réalise une analyse détaillée de la réception de l’art aborigène. L’analyse ethnographique de mon rôle de commissaire d’exposition indépendante offre une intéressante perspective sur une figure majeure du monde de l’art contemporain, un intermédiaire encore peu étudié en sciences sociales. Mon positionnement multi-sites (géographique) et multi-situé (domaine d’activité) me permet de retracer un vaste ensemble de rapports de concurrences et d’alliances entourant les différentes étapes de valorisation culturelle et économique de l’art aborigène, de sa production locale et à sa réception internationale
This thesis examines the forms of interaction that Aboriginal artists from the east-coast of Australia have with art dealers and curators. This study stems from ethnographic observations made between 2003 and 2008 and undertaken among artists from Boomalli – an Aboriginal cooperative which was founded in 1987 in Sydney -, painters from Lockhart River Art Gang created in 1996 and founding members of proppaNOW – another Aboriginal collective established in Brisbane in 2004. This thesis examines the criticisms expressed and the explanations given by urban artists in commenting upon their representation in national and international art exhibitions. I postulate that the development of an art industry brings an agency specific to certain urban-based artists. Through a systematic analysis of exhibitions organised in France since 1979, I examine the role of art dealers and members of organisations and civil society in the circulation of these artworks in France and I carry out a detailed analysis of the reception of Aboriginal artwork. The Ethnographic analysis of my role as an independent curator provides an interesting perspective on a major figure of the contemporary art world, an intermediary who still remains underexplored in the social sciences. My own positioning, which is multi-sited (in terms of geography) and multi-situated (in terms of areas of activity), enables me to reconstitute a large composite of competitive and collaborative relations which surround the different stages of cultural and economic promotion and development of Aboriginal art, from its local production to its international reception

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Sims, Ian Michael. "An examination of institutional factors in the implementation of public sector e-commerce : the Western Australian government electronic marketplace." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2010. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1832.

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This thesis presents a case study regarding the adoption and use of an eMarketplace in the public sector. It has been has been used to examine the factors which affected the implementation of a major information systems initiative within the Western Australian public sector, the Government Electronic Marketplace (GEM). Procurement, Purchasing and Supply Management is a complex topic as it interlinks with most areas of business. In order to understand supply management’s impact and implications, a multi-disciplinary approach is essential. The thesis addresses this context by addressing theoretical aspects of Economics, Public Sector Management, Procurement, Management Information Systems and Accounting, developing a model which provides insight into the complex interaction which occurs between these disciplines. A theoretical dual lens under which to examine institutional/organisational process is embedded within this multidisciplinary meta-theoretical model. The theoretical positioning of this thesis emphasises the complementarity of structuration theory (Giddens, 1979, 1984) and institutional theory. The former is concerned with the process of change in structures through time (Schultze & Orlikowski, 2004) whereas institutional theory examines the implications of the structures. While institutional theory provides insight in to the way institutions are at a particular point, incorporation of aspects of structuration theory provides greater insight for a study which addresses change over time. The case study examines a number of units of analysis which have a primary role in this framework as either an “institutional constituent” (source of institutional structures) or “subject organisation”. Central agencies which influenced the system are considered primarily as “institutional constituents”, government departments that used the system and suppliers to government are considered as “subject organisations”. Levels of conformity and non-conformity with information systems decisions are not easy to predict.This case demonstrates that initial acquiescence to a decision can give way to non-conformity when legitimating external forces are not present. The resulting analysis (using the dual lens) provides insight into causation in addition to outcomes. The study makes a contribution to organisational research in several related areas. It is a study of the use of systems to deliver a public sector agenda that involves a government agency acting as a technology champion. It is also a study of conformity and nonconformity in an institutional environment and the reasons why and how institutional response changes over time. It also establishes an integrated model for the investigation of enacted technology over time which is particularly suited for public sector organisations.

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Sato, Keiko. "Privacy on the internet : Investigation into corporate privacy policy of Australian large private sector organisations on the internet." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2001. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1032.

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The popularity of the Internet has been dramatically increased over recent years. The rapid growth of this technology and its international use has made it almost impossible to regulate the internet. As a result, the Internet has certainly provided freedoms to people and it has led to some abusing systems. Privacy is one of the major issues in the development of Electronic Commerce using the Internet. As an enormous amount of personal information is transmitted to several hosts connecting to the Internet, the information can be accessed by both authorised and unauthorised people. Although it is certain that there are several existing problems of using the Internet for business activities, many organisations have already started using it. It is believed that the Internet provides efficiency and effectiveness for various activities Although much research has been described the business use of the Internet in many countries, these studies have not specifically investigated Australian organisations. Therefore, this research investigates the current use of the Internet by Australian organisations and their associated privacy policies, as a means of seeking their privacy concerns. Using a benchmark provided by Australian privacy commissioners, it evaluates their privacy policies to see how well they are established to protect privacy of users. The study utilises the top 100 Australian large private sector organisations as the sample. The current practice of the sample organisations on the Internet was observed by exploring their Web sites. Privacy policies were also collected from their Web sites. Moreover, a letter requesting corporate privacy policy was sent to each organisation that collects personal information on the Internet. The result showed that the majority of Australian organisations were using the Internet today, but a surprisingly few organisations showed their privacy policy on the Internet. Also, this research showed that many organisations did not actually have a corporate privacy policy. Many organisations are using the Internet without apparent concern for customers' privacy. The organisations proactively involved in the Internet Commerce are more concerned about security side of the Internet. Hence, they appear to believe that the technology itself protects information sent on the Internet. It has become clear that technology by itself does not provide the security needed for users of the Internet as unethical act of authorised parties could harm privacy of individuals. There is an argument that the Internet needs to be regulated. However, the process of international regulation on the Internet has not been started. Thus, it is ideal that organisations proactively protect clients' personal information accessible by the use of the Internet technology. This study looks at the methods of obtaining privacy of individuals and suggests the ideal conduct of organisations.

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31

Braun, Patrice. ".comUnity : a study on the adoption and diffusion of internet technologies in a regional tourism network." University of Ballarat, 2003. http://archimedes.ballarat.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/15657.

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This thesis describes the initiation and evolution of an action research project, which investigates the adoption and diffusion of Internet technologies in a regional Australian tourism network. The research evolved out of a portal development consultancy. The aim of the study was two-fold: to investigate the nature of the change process when a collaborative network seeks to adopt e-commerce; and to determine how the change process differed in the face of incremental change (adding some e-commerce solutions to the network), or radical change (changing the overall business model). The purpose of the study was to gain a better understanding of the economic, strategic and social potential of regional business networks in the current techno-economic climate. The study builds on Rogers' (1995) seminal work on the diffusion of innovations and makes a unique contribution to existing diffusion studies by its focus on the nature of the network links as the unit of analysis; and by its application of an action-oriented methodology to untangle the effects of the embedded network structure on diffusion. The study suggests a strong relationship between diffusion and network positioning, both in terms of place (status and position in the network) and space (the geographic make-up of the network). Diffusion further hinged on network cohesion, actors' trust in and engagement with the network. Adoption of e-commerce was obstructed by actors’ worldview; lack of time, reflexive learning, and commitment to change. The incorporation in the study’s diffusion framework of contextual moderators such as network position, worldview, trust, time and commitment considerably extends Rogers’ traditional diffusion framework. Based on its emergent analysis framework, the study introduces a dynamic change model towards sustainable regional network development. It is suggested that both the diffusion framework and the regional innovation model developed in this study may, either jointly or separately, be applicable beyond the tourism and service sector.
Doctor of Philosophy

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32

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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33

Ramage, Paul. "Factors impacting on the adoption and operation of corporate governance reform in Australian state government departments." full-text, 2009. http://eprints.vu.edu.au/1992/1/Paul_Ramage_PhD_3521847_2009.pdf.

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Corporate governance reforms are increasingly common in public sector organisations. Despite the scope of recent and ongoing public sector change, the processes used to adopt and operate public sector corporate governance reform are not clearly documented. In some cases there is evidence of reform failure. This study sought to identify and describe the variables associated with corporate governance change in Australian state government departments, particularly the factors that impact on the adoption and operation of reform. Concepts associated with scientific management (rational/technocratic influences) and organisational culture (political/cultural influences), and their impact on change, were combined to produce a framework that was tested in two phases. Phase one focused on the collection of qualitative data relating to corporate governance reform in the Victorian Department of Human Services. The second phase involved the collection of quantitative data from chief executives and senior executives in all Australian state government departments. The qualitative data collected in phase one was used to validate the conceptual framework which was then further tested using quantitative methods during phase two. Phase one and two findings were consistent with the conceptual model. In particular, a factor analysis of phase two results identified the adoption of change being influenced by leadership capability; external improvement drivers; internal improvement drivers; organisational politics; the capacity of an organisation to interpret knowledge; and changes in an organisation’s operating environment. The operation of reform was influenced by continuity of leadership; actions taken to embed change and build supportive attitudes to change; management of organisational politics; and the capacity of an organisation to understand change. The immediate implication of this research is the definition of a new model to manage corporate governance change. The rational/scientific and political/cultural factors identified by this project provide an integrated approach that can be drawn upon by change actors. It acknowledges the significance of the rational/scientific and political/cultural factors that come into play during corporate governance reform. This study has filled a gap relating to how public sector organisations go about making corporate governance changes and provides customised and practical recommendations for future corporate governance reforms in Australian state government departments. These include giving priority to corporate governance reform training (the research found that only around one in two senior officers had been trained in corporate governance reform) and further strengthening organisational leadership (leadership was identified as a critical factor at both the adoption and operation stages of corporate governance reform). This research provides new insight into understanding corporate governance change in an Australian public sector context and provides a model to more effectively manage future reform.

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34

Boriraj, Jumpoth. "Analysing and modelling international trade patterns of the Australian wine industry in the world wine market." full-text, 2008. http://eprints.vu.edu.au/2037/1/boriraj.pdf.

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Since the mid-1980s, trade liberalisation has encouraged the growth of Australia’s international trade. The Australian wine industry has been successful in the world wine market, achieving a significant growth in production and export sales since the 1990s. In this context, this thesis attempts to provide a comprehensive analysis of the patterns and determinants of Australia’s international trade in wines for the period 1980-2004. The general aim of this thesis is to analyse the Australian wine industry based on the economic theories of inter-industry trade and intra-industry trade and to model wine export and import relationships. Indicators of Australia’s trade performance in wines in terms of trade specialisation index, export propensity, import penetration, and the ratio of exports to imports indicate that Australia has become a net-exporter and has experienced a specialisation in wine trade since 1987. This signifies a high degree of international trade competitiveness in Australia’s wines. The results of Balassa’s revealed comparative advantage index and Vollrath’s revealed competitive advantage indexes suggest that, among the wine producing countries, Australia has a comparative advantage and competitive advantage in wines. The significant year was 1987 when Australia first experienced comparative and competitive advantage. The important explanation for this turning point is Australia’s trade liberalisation policy in the mid-1980s. Based on econometric concepts of unit root and cointegration, the unrestricted error correction model is applied to analyse the determinants of Australia’s wine exports and imports separately in the models of export supply, export demand, and import demand. The results suggest that the relative price of wine exports and the long-run production capacity have had a positive influence on the supply of wine exports. However, Australia’s wine exports are not very responsive to changes in export price. Although the trade liberalisation shows a positive impact on the supply of wine exports, it is not statistically significant. Foreign demand for Australia’s wine exports has had a significant negative response to changes in the relative price of exports and a significant positive response to the depreciation of the Australian dollar in both the short run and long run. A low value of the price elasticity of foreign demand may reveal that Australia has some market power in relation to its exports of differentiated or unique wines to the world market. The demand for wine imports by Australia is inelastic with respect to the relative price of wine imports but more elastic to Australia’s income. The standard Grubel-Lloyd index is used to examine the extent of intra-industry trade of Australia and major world-wine trading countries. The index is also applied to Australia’s bilateral intra-industry trade in wines with its major trading countries. To measure the growth of intra-industry trade for Australia’s wines, the concept of marginal intra-industry trade is applied, together with Menon-Dixon’s approach. The results indicate that the world wine industry is more likely to be characterised by inter-industry trade which is based on the significance of comparative advantage and factor endowments rather than intra-industry trade. Australia has a relatively small intra-industry trade in wines. This is due to the fact that the values of Australia’s wine exports are very much higher than those of its imports. The extent of bilateral intra-industry trade in wines between Australia and its major trading partners is also small. However, the levels of bilateral intra-industry trade between Australia and New Zealand are relatively high. The growth of intra-industry trade in wines between Australia and most of the major wine-producing countries is due to the contributions of export growth to the growth in intra-industry trade, which imply that Australia is a net importer of wines from these countries. On the other hand, the percentage growth of intra-industry trade in wines between Australia and Germany, the U.S., the U.K., New Zealand, Canada, and Japan is due to the contributions of import growth to the growth in intra-industry trade, which imply that Australia is a net exporter of wines to these countries. The extent of Australia’s intra-industry trade with the rest of the world will be higher when the industry gains more scale economies. Contrary to the theoretical suggestions, product differentiations, degree of trade openness, and exchange rate have had negative relationships with Australia’s intra-industry trade in wines. With regard to Australia’s bilateral intra-industry trade with its nine major wine trading partners (France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the U.S., South Africa, New Zealand, the U.K. and Japan), the intensity of intra-industry trade in wines is statistically and positively related to the ratio of capital to labour, trade openness, common culture, and the regional trade arrangements. The policy implications of the analysis of the determinants of Australia’s intra-industry trade in wines are that the government policy should be oriented towards increases in the production capacity of the Australian wine industry in order to achieve higher economies of scale. In addition, the Australian government should promote regional economic integration and trade liberalisation involving wine trade between close and economically similar economies.

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Prokop, Ingrid. "La gestion des ressources marines en perliculture dans la zone pacifique : au Japon, en Australie et en Polynésie française, les leçons de l'expérience japonaise." Paris 7, 2005. http://www.theses.fr/2005PA070049.

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Alors que le Japon est le pays inventeur des techniques de production des perles de culture et que l'image des perles blanches est bien souvent associée à des noms comme Mikimoto ou Tasaki, très peu de travaux académiques ont été menés sur ce sujet et encore moins sont disponibles en langues occidentales. L'image romantique des pêcheuses de perles ramassant les perles sur les fonds marins est démantelée face à une industrie perlière basée sur les dernières techniques de pointe et qui génère des dizaines de milliards de yens par an à l'export. Le rôle central du Japon dans le commerce mondial de la perle est en perte de vitesse en raison de la structure-même de l'industrie perlière japonaise, une structure monopolistique du Japon sur la production et la distribution perlières avec une production axée uniquement sur la perle akoya. Une "nouvelle structure " est en train d'émerger remettant en cause l'ancienne et prenant en compte les réalités du marché mondial. La chute catastrophique de la production perlière japonaise due à des taux de mortalité anormalement élevés des huîtres perlières nous rappelle également que cette industrie dépend du maintien des conditions environnementales à leur optimum. La stabilité de la production est donc inextricablement liée à la réglementation d'accès à la mer ainsi qu'aux multiples utilisations du milieu. Il apparaît nécessaire que toute l'industrie perlière se réadapte au cœur-même de son industrie : la production. Les perles de culture sont issues d'un processus intimement lié au respect des limites supportables du milieu marin afin de produire ce que le marché demande : des perles de qualité
Even though Japan is the first country to have produced cultured pearls with corporate names like Mikimoto and Tasaki becoming synonymous with the pearl industry itself, little academic work bas been done on the subject with even fewer Works being available in occidental languages. The traditional image of Japanese women divers gathering pearls from the seabed is dismantled in the face of a Japanese industry based on the latest techniques in biotechnology and generating tens of billions of yen per year. Japan's position at the center of the world pearl business bas faded due essentially to the structure of the Japanese pearl industry itself. A structure, reflecting Japan's monopoly of production and distribution, focused almost uniquely on production with an over emphasis on the akoya pearl is being forced to restructure to one recognising competitive production from abroad, a diversification of pearl products and vigorous attention to marketing and distribution in the global economy. The decline in akoya pearl production resulting from a high mortality rate of the pearl oyster reminds us that this industry is dependant upon the maintenance of a marine environment at its optimal natural condition. Production stability is inextricably connected to both the regulation of access to the sea and to the competing alternative usages of the sea which in some cases have brought about degradation of the marine environment. There is a need to readapt the whole pearl industry to a new paradigm: pearl culture is a unique process irrevocably demanding total respect for natural boundaries in the marine environment so as to produce what the market is asking for : quality pearls

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36

Blaszkiewicz, Hélène. "Économie politique des circulations de marchandises transfrontalières en Afrique australe. Les régimes de circulations dans les Copperbelts." Thesis, Lyon, 2019. http://www.theses.fr/2019LYSE3052.

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Cette thèse analyse les circulations commerciales transfrontalières grâce au concept de régimes de circulations. Les régimes sont des articulations durables d’idéologies, de politiques, d’acteurs, d’infrastructures matérielles et immatérielles permettant ou empêchant les circulations des marchandises. Basé sur une méthode ethnographique menée en Zambie et République démocratique du Congo, ce travail a permis de caractériser trois régimes de circulations : - le régime de direction assistée, fondé sur un ensemble de technologies et de valeurs partagées qui permettent aux marchandises d’être déplacées rapidement ; la vitesse représentant la valeur positive principale. Ce régime se base sur des infrastructures extraverties dont le schéma principal date de la colonisation européenne en Afrique australe.- le régime de roue de secours se déploie en contexte d’urgence fiscale, devenu permanent avec l’application des politiques néolibérales. Ce régime est basé sur des infrastructures au rôle ambigu, à travers lesquelles le gouvernement tente de trouver un équilibre entre la promotion du libre-échange, et le développement de politiques néo-mercantilistes. - le régime hors-piste se distingue, par sa modularité : ses caractéristiques rendent ardues sa détection et sa comptabilisation pour les infrastructures classiques de contrôle. Les circulations bénéficient d’une plus grande flexibilité dans leur utilisation des routes, et peuvent contribuer à la réorganisation de l’espace du commerce par l’utilisation pionnières de nouveaux itinéraires. La catégorisation par régime permet d’analyser plus spécifiquement l’utilisation différenciée du réseau d’infrastructures créé pendant la colonisation, ainsi que le rôle des acteurs publics et privés dans la bureaucratisation du commerce
This dissertation analyzes cross-border commercial circulations through the concept of circulations regimes. Regimes are defined as lasting articulations of ideologies, policies, actors, hard and soft infrastructures, material and immaterial that enable or prevent the circulations of things. Thanks to an ethnographic study conducted in Central African Copperbelts (in Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo), this research identified three circulations regimes: - the power-steering regime is founded on a set of technologies that enable goods to move quickly, as speed represents the major positive value actors use to legitimate their actions. This regime is based on extraverted infrastructures whose organization was created during European colonization of Southern Africa. - the spare wheel regime is deployed in case of emergency which is virtually all the time given the permanent fiscal emergency in which the Zambian State is. This regime is based on ambivalent infrastructures through which the government has to find a balance between promoting free trade, as it is expected to do on the global stage and developing neo-mercantilist policies.- the off-trail regime is marked by its modularity: its characteristics make it difficult for the traditional infrastructures to detect and count these circulations. The latter then have the possibility to move more flexibly along non-traditional paths and can contribute to change the general patterns of trade in the long-term. The categorization by circulations regimes allows to analyze more specifically the differentiated use of the same infrastructure network and the role of public and private actors in the bureaucratization of trade

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37

Boriraj, Jumpoth. "Analysing and modelling international trade patterns of the Australian wine industry in the world wine market." Thesis, full-text, 2008. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/2037/.

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Since the mid-1980s, trade liberalisation has encouraged the growth of Australia’s international trade. The Australian wine industry has been successful in the world wine market, achieving a significant growth in production and export sales since the 1990s. In this context, this thesis attempts to provide a comprehensive analysis of the patterns and determinants of Australia’s international trade in wines for the period 1980-2004. The general aim of this thesis is to analyse the Australian wine industry based on the economic theories of inter-industry trade and intra-industry trade and to model wine export and import relationships. Indicators of Australia’s trade performance in wines in terms of trade specialisation index, export propensity, import penetration, and the ratio of exports to imports indicate that Australia has become a net-exporter and has experienced a specialisation in wine trade since 1987. This signifies a high degree of international trade competitiveness in Australia’s wines. The results of Balassa’s revealed comparative advantage index and Vollrath’s revealed competitive advantage indexes suggest that, among the wine producing countries, Australia has a comparative advantage and competitive advantage in wines. The significant year was 1987 when Australia first experienced comparative and competitive advantage. The important explanation for this turning point is Australia’s trade liberalisation policy in the mid-1980s. Based on econometric concepts of unit root and cointegration, the unrestricted error correction model is applied to analyse the determinants of Australia’s wine exports and imports separately in the models of export supply, export demand, and import demand. The results suggest that the relative price of wine exports and the long-run production capacity have had a positive influence on the supply of wine exports. However, Australia’s wine exports are not very responsive to changes in export price. Although the trade liberalisation shows a positive impact on the supply of wine exports, it is not statistically significant. Foreign demand for Australia’s wine exports has had a significant negative response to changes in the relative price of exports and a significant positive response to the depreciation of the Australian dollar in both the short run and long run. A low value of the price elasticity of foreign demand may reveal that Australia has some market power in relation to its exports of differentiated or unique wines to the world market. The demand for wine imports by Australia is inelastic with respect to the relative price of wine imports but more elastic to Australia’s income. The standard Grubel-Lloyd index is used to examine the extent of intra-industry trade of Australia and major world-wine trading countries. The index is also applied to Australia’s bilateral intra-industry trade in wines with its major trading countries. To measure the growth of intra-industry trade for Australia’s wines, the concept of marginal intra-industry trade is applied, together with Menon-Dixon’s approach. The results indicate that the world wine industry is more likely to be characterised by inter-industry trade which is based on the significance of comparative advantage and factor endowments rather than intra-industry trade. Australia has a relatively small intra-industry trade in wines. This is due to the fact that the values of Australia’s wine exports are very much higher than those of its imports. The extent of bilateral intra-industry trade in wines between Australia and its major trading partners is also small. However, the levels of bilateral intra-industry trade between Australia and New Zealand are relatively high. The growth of intra-industry trade in wines between Australia and most of the major wine-producing countries is due to the contributions of export growth to the growth in intra-industry trade, which imply that Australia is a net importer of wines from these countries. On the other hand, the percentage growth of intra-industry trade in wines between Australia and Germany, the U.S., the U.K., New Zealand, Canada, and Japan is due to the contributions of import growth to the growth in intra-industry trade, which imply that Australia is a net exporter of wines to these countries. The extent of Australia’s intra-industry trade with the rest of the world will be higher when the industry gains more scale economies. Contrary to the theoretical suggestions, product differentiations, degree of trade openness, and exchange rate have had negative relationships with Australia’s intra-industry trade in wines. With regard to Australia’s bilateral intra-industry trade with its nine major wine trading partners (France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the U.S., South Africa, New Zealand, the U.K. and Japan), the intensity of intra-industry trade in wines is statistically and positively related to the ratio of capital to labour, trade openness, common culture, and the regional trade arrangements. The policy implications of the analysis of the determinants of Australia’s intra-industry trade in wines are that the government policy should be oriented towards increases in the production capacity of the Australian wine industry in order to achieve higher economies of scale. In addition, the Australian government should promote regional economic integration and trade liberalisation involving wine trade between close and economically similar economies.

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38

Buhr, Klaus. "Volatility, price-discovery and trading volume in Australian equity index and option markets : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Finance at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1202.

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This dissertation investigates the information considerations of volatility, pricediscovery and the relationship change in volume and volatility resulting from index derivatives transactions on financial markets in Australia. The impact of information on volatility was investigated in the essay one, as volatility is a key factor for accurately pricing derivative securities. I assessed the forecast accuracy, unbiasedness and information content of volatility forecasts, based on implied volatility and conditional volatility models for the S&P/ASX 200 Index Options market in Australia. The conditional volatility models produce the most accurate forecasts and are robust when forecasting into short time horizons. Essay two, investigates the information content of the index and option markets in the price-discovery process. Based on the above volatility results, the long-run equilibrium relationship between the share price index and the implied price of the share-price-index option was investigated. Causality was determined to show which market leads the other. Information share measures were used to gauge the contribution of the share price index and index option markets to the price-discovery process. Unambiguous evidence shows the index market leads the options market and the former contributes more to price-discovery than the latter. In essay three, I investigate the dynamic relationship between the future price volatility of the S&P/ASX 200 Index and the trading volume of the S&P/ASX 200 Index Options to explore the informational role of option volume in predicting price volatility. I found the contemporaneous call options volume have a significant strong positive feedback effect on the implied volatility, but the contemporaneous feedback effect of volume on the TARCH volatility is insignificant. The contemporaneous feedback effects from the implied volatility and the TARCH volatility to the call options volume are positive, significant and strong.

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39

Perraudeau, Yves. "Approche de la problématique du redéploiement de la grande pêche industrielle française : l'exemple des îles Kerguelen." Paris 1, 1986. http://www.theses.fr/1986PA010062.

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Dans les années 1980, la grande pêche industrielle française risque de disparaitre, confirmant ainsi une tendance séculaire. La survie des terre-neuvas et l'existence d'une main-d’œuvre et outils performants ne parviennent pas à endiguer la progression du déficit commercial français en produits de la mer. Si la récente évolution du droit maritime international aggrave cette situation, avec l'éventuelle éviction des Français des eaux canadiennes, elle engendre néanmoins la naissance d'un "empire" maritime, substantiel pour la France. Une solution apparaît : la potentialité halieutique des îles Kerguelen. L'expérience australe, avec ses spécificités juridique, climatologique, géographique et halieutique s'est effectuée avec : - une aide initialement étatique, privée ensuite ; - un maintien de la présence soviétique ; - un effort de pêche rapidement déclinant. Ainsi la production australe de 1980 à 1985 ne représente environ que le vingtième de celle de la grande pêche. La faiblesse de l'activité australe, puis le retrait des armements, se révèle a la lecture de leurs divers comptes d'exploitation qui enregistrent un lourd déficit. L'écueil essentiel du dossier Kerguelen est d'ordre commercial. Au-delà des contraintes océanographiques, cet échec s'explique par l'insuffisance d'une approche globale et cohérente : tant au niveau des entreprises que de l'état, jamais des stratégies, microéconomique ou macroéconomique, n'ont été précisément définies. Fermer le dossier Kerguelen, ce serait oublier les autres intérêts de ces terres (scientifique, administratif, militaire. . . ), ignorer de nouvelles voies d'activités (pêche chalutière dans un cadre repensé, élevage de saumons, production d'algues. . . ), enfin sous-estimer l'économique et le social dans la synergie globale.

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40

Forbes, Sharon L. "The influence of individual characteristics, product attributes and usage situations on consumer behaviour : an exploratory study of the New Zealand, Australian, UK and US wine markets : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Marketing at Lincoln University /." Diss., Lincoln University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/901.

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Previous research has suggested that the country of origin cue is important to consumers during their purchase decision making process; the cue is utilised as an indicator of product quality and thus has an effect on purchase decisions. However, country of origin research has been heavily criticised in terms of methodology and has tended to focus on durable, manufactured products such as automobiles, electronics and apparel. This research investigates whether consumers do utilise the country of origin cue during actual wine purchase decisions and whether consumer perceptions of wine will vary based upon the country from which it originates. In addition, this study also seeks to identify all of the product attributes which are utilised by wine purchasers, and the degree to which these attributes are important to them during the purchase decision process. Finally, the research seeks to understand the influence that individual consumer characteristics (i.e. demographic variables, product knowledge and product involvement) and usage situations will have upon attribute utilisation and importance. In order to examine these broad research questions, a structured survey was developed and administered to respondents in four countries immediately following an actual wine purchase. Analysis of the collected survey data revealed that consumers typically utilised only a small number of attributes during their purchase decisions, and that the attributes which were most frequently utilised were not necessarily the most important to wine consumers. The country of origin cue was the eighth most frequently utilised attribute and the fourth in terms of importance. The majority of consumers could accurately identify the country of origin of the wine they had just purchased and their perceptions of wines were found to vary based upon the country of origin. Individual consumer characteristics were found to have varying effects upon attribute utilisation and importance ratings. Three-quarters of all wine purchases were made to resolve just four usage situations, and these situations were found to moderate the origin of the wine that the consumer selected during their purchase decision. From a theoretical standpoint, this study supports the idea that consumers utilise only a small number of attributes during their decision making process, and that this number will increase as product knowledge and product involvement levels increase. The most important attributes for consumers were found to be intrinsic in nature. Country of origin theory has also been advanced by this study; consumers were found to hold stereotyped perceptions of wine based upon its national origin, and both the nationality and education level of the consumer were found to moderate the utilisation of the country of origin cue. Whilst earlier researchers had suggested that any home country bias may be product specific, this study suggests that it may actually be a product dimension specific phenomenon. The high reliability of the product involvement and subjective knowledge scales should also be of value to future consumer behaviour researchers. Similarly, the idea that the usage situation influenced which product was purchased, but not how it was selected, expands current knowledge. Practical implications arising from this study include the identification of the importance of having previously tried a wine; marketers could increase sales through the provision of wine tasting opportunities for consumers. The significant correlation between involvement and the frequency of wine consumption also provides wine producers with an opportunity to increase sales through initiatives which will increase consumer involvement with wine. The results indicate that the wine industry should focus on the production and marketing of wines which are suitable for consumption in the identified four dominant usage situations and should seek to increase consumption in dining situations in the US. Finally, promotional strategies linking New Zealand wines with high quality appear to have been successful, but these messages will need to be repeated in order to reinforce the positive consumer perceptions.

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41

Opara, Opimba Lambert. "L'impact de la dynamique de l'intégration régionale sur les pays de la SADC : une analyse théorique et empirique." Phd thesis, Université Montesquieu - Bordeaux IV, 2009. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00468711.

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Cette étude fait un examen théorique et empirique approfondi des effets de l'intégration économique régionale dans un espace en développement. En prenant le cas de la SADC (Southern African Developpment Community - Communauté des Etats de l'Afrique australe), l'objet est de vérifier si cette coopération Sud-Sud vérifie un ensemble des effets attendus de la régionalisation, à savoir, la création et la déviation de commerce, l'attractivité des investissements directs étrangers, la croissance endogène régionalisée et la synchronisation de l'évolution des économies intégrées. Après avoir présenté la trajectoire du régionalisme austral et les difficultés ainsi que les asymétries des gains liés à ce regroupement basé sur l'hétérogénéité des pays, nous montrons ensuite que l'intégration économique de la SADC génère des effets de création de commerce qui ne découlent pas forcément des effets de détournement, pour cause de raison structurelle. En effet, la SADC est un bloc commercial dont la structure productive ne permet pas de détourner ses échanges avec l'Extérieur, même si certains de nos résultats estiment un léger effet de détournement de commerce de la zone. Dans un autre contexte, nous justifions économétriquement que la SADC est un argument crédible en matière d'attractivité des investissements directs étrangers. La région a fait des efforts pour rendre ses économies attractives. Nos résultats montrent que l'intégration pourrait expliquer les 1/3 des IDE entrants au sein de la région depuis la refondation de l'organisation australe. Le reste des flux entrants serait dû aux effets spécifiques nationaux. On retient également de cette étude que la constitution d'un capital spatial austral semble valider l'hypothèse d'une croissance endogène régionalisée. Autrement dit, la SADC en tant qu'organisation régionale et spatiale serait un facteur de croissance économique pour les pays membres. Les principaux effets induits par la création du bloc austral (créations commerciales et flux des IDE, etc.) ont un impact favorable sur le PIB/tête des pays. Ceci nous amène alors à vérifier si les différents effets issus de la régionalisation australe permettent de surcroît la synchronisation des économies membres dans l'esprit de la théorie de l'endogénéité des critères de la ZMO. D'après nos estimations et nos résultats, il ressort que la teneur de ces effets est insuffisante pour permettre une même trajectoire convergente des économies de la SADC. Cependant, certains signes empiriques montrent que la SADC est une zone disposée à endogénéiser les critères d'optimalité en termes de convergence économique. Autrement dit, elle semble répondre à l'argument de Frankel et Rose (1998), puisque l'effet commercial a un signe négatif malgré le fait qu'il ne soit pas significatif. Enfin, contrairement à ce que l'on peut croire, la création d'une union monétaire au sein de la SADC n'est pas forcément favorable à la synchronisation de l'évolution des économies membres si l'on tient compte de l'évolution actuelle des choses.

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42

Fletcher, Richard. "Countertrade and the internationalisation of the Australian firm." 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/2100/1083.

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This thesis seeks to broaden our understanding of the nature, causes and consquences of countertrade in the context of the internationalisation of the firm. A comprehensive review and assessment of previous research is presented, including a discussion of how countertrade fits within the context of the various models of the internationalisation process. An analytical framework is presented for studying a number of dimensions of internationalisation (viz forms of international behaviour and international orientation) and possible causes and effects. The forms of internatioalisation invole outward, inward linked forms (such as countertrade). Based on the literature relating to internationalisation, a number of hypotheses are developed relating various management and firms' characteristics to predisposition to countertrade. These were tested using both bi-variate and multi-variate techniques which involved the use of data generated from a nationwide sample of Australian manufacturing firms. Generally the results of the bi-variate analysis supported the hypothesis showing that the factors which predict outward driven internationalisation also tend to predict countertrade. The analysis involved three measures of internationalisation and four measures of countertrade. Firms were then grouped according to various measures of predisposition towards countertrade. Using discriminant analysis, these groups of firms were profiled according to factors found to predict countertrade in the bivariate analysis. In order to further explore the relationship between internationalisation and countertrade, firms were also grouped according to their degree of internationalisation and strength of their predisposition towards countertrade. Firms in each group were then profiled using bi-variate and multi-variate analysis. These profiles provide potentially useful classifications of firms as possible bases for targeting and designing government assistance programs. Finally, three case studies of countertrade transactions by Australian firms were undertaken using the network approach which facilitates a deeper understanding of countertrade in the context of internationalisation. In each case the networks of relationships involved were analysed at both inception and maturity, to further explore how countertrade influenced the internationalisation of the Australian firm. It was found that although the transactions would not have occurred without countertrade, in all cases countertrade led to further international business which in some instances did not require countertrade.

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43

Esposto, Alexis S. "Dimensions of Earnings Inequality in Australia." 2005. http://eprints.vu.edu.au/554/1/Template.pdf.

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Over the last three decades, Australia and many other industrialised nations have seen major social and economic changes. For Australia, two of these have been increasing inequality of earnings and the growth in alternative forms of employment arrangements. For the US and a number of other countries, the prevailing explanation for the increase in inequality centres on the notion of skill-biased technological change (SBTC). This view is based on the consensus that technical change favours more skilled workers, as new technologies evolve and are introduced into workplaces. This explanation relates the increases in earnings inequalities to a shift in demand towards highly skilled workers and away from less skilled workers, and centres around the concept and measure of skill. In this context, this thesis investigates three central issues that relate to dimensions of inequality in the Australian labour market. First, has there in fact been increasing skill bias in the demand for labour, and how should skill best be measured in addressing this issue? Second, if increasing skill bias is confirmed, is there any evidence that this increase in relative demand for high skill labour is an important explanatory factor in the rise in earnings inequality? Third, can the increasing role of casual and part-time work in Australia be interpreted as, in substantial part, a response to skill bias in the demand for labour, and as indicative of rising inequality in the labour market? The main findings of the thesis are as follows. For the first question, there is evidence of skill-bias in the demand for labour both in the long and short term in total and full-time employment. Although there was clear evidence of skill bias in full-time employment for men and women, the extent was not homogenous across different job types. Secondly, earnings inequality continued to increase in occupations for men and women between 1989-1995 and 1997-2002, irrespective of the type of inequality measures employed. Moreover, in trying to explain the causes of increasing earnings inequality in full-time work, the analysis found that the O*NET measures of skill and knowledge provided some tentative evidence that supports the skill bias hypothesis in Australia. Thirdly, in the exploration of the relationship between skill bias, alternative job types and earnings inequality, the thesis finds some indicative evidence to suggest that the process of job type creation may imply a new dimension of increasing earnings inequality in the Australian labour market. The broad implications of these findings are tied to both increasing earnings inequality in full-time earnings and in household income inequality. This is particularly so for those households whose majority of members are low skilled and are dependent on casual and part-time work, and who on average work a small number of hours.

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44

Kuzich, Joze. "Enablers and inhibitors of electronic commerce: an Australian study." Thesis, 2002. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/15316/.

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The research undertaken for this thesis identifies the benefits, challenges and success factors of electronic commerce in Australian companies. This research was conducted in four phases: literature review; semi-structured interviews with seven well-established companies located in Melbourne and Sydney; postal questionnaire survey of top 500 Australian companies; data analysis and findings. This research identified and described the considerable benefits that companies engaged in electronic commerce have achieved. The major benefits of electronic commerce identified included improved image, competitive advantage, business efficiency, increased automation of processes and customer loyalty.

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45

Lindsay, Amelia Ann. "Comparative advantage in manufacturing trade between Australia and Taiwan, 1965-94." Master's thesis, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/144525.

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46

Rollins, Adrian David. "The power to deal : the domestic origins of the shift in Australia's trade policy in the 1990s and early 2000s." Phd thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/110269.

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In mid-1997 the Cabinet of the Howard government decided to approve the negotiation of explicitly preferential trade agreements, overturning a political consensus that had developed over the preceding five decades that trade policy should be non·discriminatory. The move indicated a fundamental shift in the intent of trade policy, from being primarily a tool for productivity-enhancing domestic economic reform to become much more closely integrated with the government's domestic and international political aims. The purpose of this thesis is to assess how and why this polit,-y shift, with its far-reaching implications for economic development, occurred. In seeking to develop an account of the Howard government's decision to negotiate preferential trade agreements, two propositions regarding state behaviour and trade policy formation are examined. The first, which was espoused by the Howard government itself, is that the decision to negotiate preferential trade agreements was a pragmatic response to a changing international policy environment characterized by faltering progress toward multilateral trade liberalization and the proliferation of preferential trade agreements. The second proposition, which owes much to work in the field of political economy, is that trade policy is driven and shaped by the demands of politically influential material-based societal interests. In examining these propositions this study concludes that the international environment is a necessary, but not in itself a sufficient, factor in explaining the policy shift. Similarly, although organized economic interests were important in helping implement the government's decision to negotiate preferential trade agreements, they did not drive it. Instead, the evidence gathered indicates that the Howard government's decision to negotiate preferential trade agreements, though influenced by developments in international trade policy and supported by some private interests, was driven by partisan political considerations. The findings of this study indicate that Prime Minister John Howard and senior colleagues viewed trade policy primarily as an instrument to help advance geopolitical goals and domestic political and electoral ascendancy rather than as a means to drive economic development and reform, and used it to that end. In executing this strategy Howard and his advisers were aided by a political institutional architecture in which an electorally-successful prime minister could wield substantial trade policymaking authority - an arrangement that fostered policy entrepreneurship of the kind that led to the negotiation of the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement.

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Al-Lehaidan, Ibrahim. "Audit committee effectiveness Australia and Saudi Arabia /." 2006. http://eprints.vu.edu.au/1438/1/Al_Lehaidan.pdf.

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The mere presence of the audit committee does not necessarily translate into an effective monitoring body. As a result, the search for mechanisms to enhance corporate governance and increase the quality of financial reports has mostly focused on the structure of audit committees. This thesis empirically investigates whether there is an association between audit committee effectiveness (ACE) and the selection of a high quality auditor for both Australian and Saudi listed companies using their local guidelines to enhance ACE as benchmarks. In addition, the association between ACE and non-audit services (NAS) purchases is examined only for Australian listed company as providing such services by the incumbent auditors is not allowed for Saudi listed companies. Moreover, this thesis also empirically examine the relationships between six audit committee characteristics, namely, independence, size, activity, charter, expertise and literacy and the selection of a high quality auditor for both Australian and Saudi listed companies. Also the relationships between the six audit committee characteristics and NAS purchases are empirically tested only for Australian listed companies. While there was a positive (negative) association between ACE and the selection of a specialist auditor (the magnitude of NAS purchases) for the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) listed companies, there was no association between ACE and the selection of a specialist auditor for the Saudi Stock Market listed companies. Because both countries have very similar recommendations regarding enhancing audit committee effectiveness, the findings of this thesis indicate that there are other factors such as different audit committee framework, different market development and cultural factors that might affect ACE. In addition, the findings indicate that audit committee independence is the most important determinant of both audit quality and NAS purchases for the ASX listed companies. Because complying with audit committee recommendations is costly especially for small companies, which have limited resources, audit committee independence should have the priority when locating the limited resources.

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48

Esposto, Alexis S. "Dimensions of Earnings Inequality in Australia." Thesis, 2005. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/554/.

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Over the last three decades, Australia and many other industrialised nations have seen major social and economic changes. For Australia, two of these have been increasing inequality of earnings and the growth in alternative forms of employment arrangements. For the US and a number of other countries, the prevailing explanation for the increase in inequality centres on the notion of skill-biased technological change (SBTC). This view is based on the consensus that technical change favours more skilled workers, as new technologies evolve and are introduced into workplaces. This explanation relates the increases in earnings inequalities to a shift in demand towards highly skilled workers and away from less skilled workers, and centres around the concept and measure of skill. In this context, this thesis investigates three central issues that relate to dimensions of inequality in the Australian labour market. First, has there in fact been increasing skill bias in the demand for labour, and how should skill best be measured in addressing this issue? Second, if increasing skill bias is confirmed, is there any evidence that this increase in relative demand for high skill labour is an important explanatory factor in the rise in earnings inequality? Third, can the increasing role of casual and part-time work in Australia be interpreted as, in substantial part, a response to skill bias in the demand for labour, and as indicative of rising inequality in the labour market? The main findings of the thesis are as follows. For the first question, there is evidence of skill-bias in the demand for labour both in the long and short term in total and full-time employment. Although there was clear evidence of skill bias in full-time employment for men and women, the extent was not homogenous across different job types. Secondly, earnings inequality continued to increase in occupations for men and women between 1989-1995 and 1997-2002, irrespective of the type of inequality measures employed. Moreover, in trying to explain the causes of increasing earnings inequality in full-time work, the analysis found that the O*NET measures of skill and knowledge provided some tentative evidence that supports the skill bias hypothesis in Australia. Thirdly, in the exploration of the relationship between skill bias, alternative job types and earnings inequality, the thesis finds some indicative evidence to suggest that the process of job type creation may imply a new dimension of increasing earnings inequality in the Australian labour market. The broad implications of these findings are tied to both increasing earnings inequality in full-time earnings and in household income inequality. This is particularly so for those households whose majority of members are low skilled and are dependent on casual and part-time work, and who on average work a small number of hours.

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Al-Lehaidan, Ibrahim. "Audit committee effectiveness: Australia and Saudi Arabia." Thesis, 2006. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/1438/.

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The mere presence of the audit committee does not necessarily translate into an effective monitoring body. As a result, the search for mechanisms to enhance corporate governance and increase the quality of financial reports has mostly focused on the structure of audit committees. This thesis empirically investigates whether there is an association between audit committee effectiveness (ACE) and the selection of a high quality auditor for both Australian and Saudi listed companies using their local guidelines to enhance ACE as benchmarks. In addition, the association between ACE and non-audit services (NAS) purchases is examined only for Australian listed company as providing such services by the incumbent auditors is not allowed for Saudi listed companies. Moreover, this thesis also empirically examine the relationships between six audit committee characteristics, namely, independence, size, activity, charter, expertise and literacy and the selection of a high quality auditor for both Australian and Saudi listed companies. Also the relationships between the six audit committee characteristics and NAS purchases are empirically tested only for Australian listed companies. While there was a positive (negative) association between ACE and the selection of a specialist auditor (the magnitude of NAS purchases) for the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) listed companies, there was no association between ACE and the selection of a specialist auditor for the Saudi Stock Market listed companies. Because both countries have very similar recommendations regarding enhancing audit committee effectiveness, the findings of this thesis indicate that there are other factors such as different audit committee framework, different market development and cultural factors that might affect ACE. In addition, the findings indicate that audit committee independence is the most important determinant of both audit quality and NAS purchases for the ASX listed companies. Because complying with audit committee recommendations is costly especially for small companies, which have limited resources, audit committee independence should have the priority when locating the limited resources.

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Oh, Kok-Boon. "An empirical analysis of financial issues in the Australian electronic commerce sector." Thesis, 2001. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/16085/.

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E-commerce is a new phenomenon in the financial markets. The rapid advances in the information and communications technology sector have facilitated the advent of e-commerce and has resulted in global market euphoria over technology stocks in financial markets. This thesis is based on the premise that an initial characterisation of the e-commerce sector is necessary as a precursor to a more profound understanding of the market mechanism and asset pricing process. The development of e-commerce as a consumer market is reviewed in this thesis. The issues and factors contributing to this development are identified, analysed and the implications for equity valuation of e-commerce related stocks are discussed and explained. Various economic variables that influenced Australian e-commerce stock returns from July 1999 to June 2000 are examined. A critical review of existing theories of stock valuation and their empirical relevance to e-commerce is presented.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Commerce – Australia'

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