Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'South east Queensland'

This research study explores the issue of teacher leadership in South-East Queensland Anglican schools. An initial exploration of the context of Anglican education in South-East Queensland confirmed that both nationally and within the Anglican system, hierarchical understandings of school leadership were being challenged amidst a growing expectation of teacher leadership. However, despite this expectation of teacher leadership, there was little in respect to formal policy and resource support for teacher leadership within South-East Queensland Anglican schools. This research study seeks to gain a more informed and sophisticated understanding of teacher leadership, with particular focus on the perspective of classroom teachers. A comprehensive analysis of key literature in educational change, professionalism in education and educational leadership, revealed a number of key insights that informed this study. Significant socio-economic change in recent decades has brought about corresponding educational change. This has resulted in a call for greater professionalism in education and a new paradigm of educational leadership. Within this context, there is new interest in distributing leadership beyond the formal role of the principal and into the hands of teacher leaders. However, a further review of the literature highlighted the lack of a clear conceptualisation of teacher leadership. While teacher leadership is predominantly considered in the literature as the domain of those in formal, positional roles, less is known about informal, in-class teacher leadership. Based on these insights, the researcher identified one major research question: How do teachers, who are recognised as teacher leaders in South-East Queensland Anglican schools, conceptualise teacher leadership? To answer this research question, four research sub-questions were posed: Behaviour of teacher leaders - What do they do? Purpose of teacher leadership - Why do teachers strive for this? Feelings of teacher leaders - How do they feel about what they do? Support for teacher leaders - What do they need? This research study is situated within the theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism. As both a perspective and a method, symbolic interactionism is situated within a pragmatic constructivist research paradigm. This research study explored a restricted group of 16 teachers within three South-East Queensland Anglican schools, and employed qualitative research methods including Experience Sampling Method and focus group interviews. The findings of this research study suggest that teacher leaders in South-East Queensland Anglican schools have a confused conceptualisation of teacher leadership, with little common symbolic language to delineate the phenomenon. This study made the following conclusions in relation to teacher leadership in South-East Queensland Anglican schools: The broad understanding of teacher leadership is unrecognised in the field of education. Teacher leadership is a complex phenomenon. Teacher leadership is principled action in support of learning. There is untapped potential for teacher leaders to act as change agents in school revitalisation. Collegial relationships, the provision of time, relevant professional development and administrative support enable teacher leadership There is a need for a role-making policy to support teacher leadership. The development of teacher leadership in South-East Queensland Anglican schools requires support from the Anglican Schools Commission, school principals and the teachers themselves, through deliberate action in developing appropriate policy and practice.

This research study explores the issue of teacher leadership in South-East Queensland Anglican schools. An initial exploration of the context of Anglican education in South-East Queensland confirmed that both nationally and within the Anglican system, hierarchical understandings of school leadership were being challenged amidst a growing expectation of teacher leadership. However, despite this expectation of teacher leadership, there was little in respect to formal policy and resource support for teacher leadership within South-East Queensland Anglican schools. This research study seeks to gain a more informed and sophisticated understanding of teacher leadership, with particular focus on the perspective of classroom teachers. A comprehensive analysis of key literature in educational change, professionalism in education and educational leadership, revealed a number of key insights that informed this study. Significant socio-economic change in recent decades has brought about corresponding educational change. This has resulted in a call for greater professionalism in education and a new paradigm of educational leadership. Within this context, there is new interest in distributing leadership beyond the formal role of the principal and into the hands of teacher leaders. However, a further review of the literature highlighted the lack of a clear conceptualisation of teacher leadership. While teacher leadership is predominantly considered in the literature as the domain of those in formal, positional roles, less is known about informal, in-class teacher leadership.;Based on these insights, the researcher identified one major research question: How do teachers, who are recognised as teacher leaders in South-East Queensland Anglican schools, conceptualise teacher leadership? To answer this research question, four research sub-questions were posed: Behaviour of teacher leaders - What do they do? Purpose of teacher leadership - Why do teachers strive for this? Feelings of teacher leaders - How do they feel about what they do? Support for teacher leaders - What do they need? This research study is situated within the theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism. As both a perspective and a method, symbolic interactionism is situated within a pragmatic constructivist research paradigm. This research study explored a restricted group of 16 teachers within three South-East Queensland Anglican schools, and employed qualitative research methods including Experience Sampling Method and focus group interviews. The findings of this research study suggest that teacher leaders in South-East Queensland Anglican schools have a confused conceptualisation of teacher leadership, with little common symbolic language to delineate the phenomenon. This study made the following conclusions in relation to teacher leadership in South-East Queensland Anglican schools: The broad understanding of teacher leadership is unrecognised in the field of education. Teacher leadership is a complex phenomenon. Teacher leadership is principled action in support of learning. There is untapped potential for teacher leaders to act as change agents in school revitalisation. Collegial relationships, the provision of time, relevant professional development and administrative support enable teacher leadership There is a need for a role-making policy to support teacher leadership.;The development of teacher leadership in South-East Queensland Anglican schools requires support from the Anglican Schools Commission, school principals and the teachers themselves, through deliberate action in developing appropriate policy and practice.

Pregnancy is a state of constant physiological compensation, processes that simultaneously account for the physical needs of both mother and foetus. These changes create a complex and continuously evolving environment, one which depends on essential elements for continued optimal function. While these processes are vital to the maintenance of pregnancy, they are also pivotal to parturition, a process which relies on the actions of numerous micronutrients for essential endocrine and inflammatory pathways. As such, proper maternal nutrition is pivotal to optimal birth outcomes. Global, national and state agencies address nutrition within theoretical and conceptual frameworks; these interact with governance, clinical, and consumer factors to create complexities individuals must navigate when making nutrition-related decisions. This decision-making becomes more complicated during pregnancy due to social influences, such as advertising and peer pressure, and cultural factors such as food avoidance, traditions and beliefs. The confluence of these determinants influences each woman’s nutrition state, with the potential to result in transgenerational health consequences. Malnutrition is associated with suboptimal perinatal outcomes, a situation not restricted to low and middle-income countries. Although outcomes in these regions have improved with supplement interventions, research is yet to determine the efficacy of supplementation in high-income countries. However, despite the lack of evidence surrounding their safety and efficacy, and recommendations relating to the use of supplements during pregnancy, the pregnancy supplement market is estimated to reach a value of $673.8 million by the year 2025. This quantitative research explored data collected from three cross-sectional cohorts in order to explore the associations between micronutrient supplementation and birth outcomes in South-East Queensland women. The first of these datasets – the Environments for Healthy Living cohort - was a longitudinal birth cohort study with self-reported perinatal data collection undertaken between 2006 and 2011. The second was the Gold Coast Health and Hospital Service Maternity Information System cohort; a clinician controlled digital perinatal database with data available from 2014 to 2017. The third was the Maternal Outcomes and Nutrition Tool database, a cohort recruited explicitly for this study between 2016 and 2018, self-declaring data using a specially designed digital data collection tool. Collectively, these three cohorts examine the relationships between demographics, socio-cultural factors, micronutrition status, supplement use, dietary decision-making and their influence on the birth outcomes of 9300 women from South-East Queensland over the twelve years from 2006 to 2018. Six research aims informed three formative enquiries addressing the central research question. These aims examined evidence informing current recommendations regarding micronutrient supplements during pregnancy in Australia, determined if evidence of benefit exists regarding micronutrient supplements and birth outcomes in South-East Queensland women and explored the human factors affecting nutrition-related decision making in the study population. This research aimed to determine relationships between socio-cultural determinants of health, micronutrition, supplement use and birth outcomes in pregnant women of South-East Queensland. A literature review was conducted, highlighting current limitations and knowledge gaps relating to the influence of supplementation in nutritionally replete and high-income populations. Furthermore, current data collections were found to exhibit significant limitations inhibiting accurate determination of causal relationships. As such evidence informing current recommendations during pregnancy was determined to be neither robust nor contemporary. Driving dietary decision making were several social, health, cultural and economic factors. These include smoking, income, education, cultural and linguistic diversity, access to maternity care models, the range of maternity care models and providers, and health service resources. In particular, women from low-socioeconomic backgrounds - including women who smoke and women from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds - reported nutrition motives that position health factors as a low priority. While these women did not demonstrate evidence of benefit from micronutrient supplements, they did declare nutrition decision-making behaviours that would benefit from dietary counselling and support strategies. The synthesis of information afforded by this research has determined that micronutrient supplementation is not appropriate in pregnant women of South-East Queensland. Further, supplementation did not improve birth outcomes in either the general population or in women from demographic groups considered to be at risk for suboptimal outcomes. Conversely, non-therapeutic use demonstrated the capacity for detrimental effects across all three cohorts, particularly concerning the effect of micronutrient supplements on overweight women and the incidence of prolonged pregnancy. Determination of what constitutes sustainable, safe and effective nutrition interventions in women at risk of suboptimal birth outcomes requires further empirical research.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Medical Science
Griffith Health
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This thesis attempts to describe the experiences of adult African immigrants in South East Queensland, who, as a relatively recent and growing immigrant group in Australia, have not been the subject of significant research attention. The empirical study explores their lived experiences by focusing in particular on the role of racialised ‘black skin’ identity constructions in their migration and settlement experiences. Specifically, the study examines the mediating effects of race and skin colour, and how differences in ‘race’ and ‘racialised’ identity constructions interact to impact their experiences as visible immigrants in Australia. The central research question asks how African immigrants define their identity, personal and socioeconomic well-being in white majority Australia. The study examines also these related sub-questions: How do African immigrants describe the impacts of racialised black skin colour on their everyday lives in Australia? What does living in a black body mean for African immigrants in Australia?
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science
Arts, Education and Law
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It is becoming increasingly evident for business and industry that integrating the principles of sustainable development into their policies and practices is essential to stay competitive and successful in the coming years. Industrial Ecology is one of the mechanisms available for business and industry to adopt and apply the principles of sustainable development. In its simplest forms, IE suggests that one industry's byproduct can be the raw material for another industry. This way, industries can achieve greater material efficiency and collaborating with other industries can create new businesses. The diversity of industries within an IE network helps the group for wider options and hence larger profitability. In this regard, greater economic viability can be achieved if the industries operate in the close proximity of each other to save transportation costs. The main objective of this study was to examine the concepts of industrial ecology and waste exchange and their potential applications to industrial parks in South East Queensland. To achieve the objectives of the study, a survey of businesses and industries in three key industrial estates in the region; Carole Park, Gateway Ports and Narangba, was conducted and the data were analysed in this thesis. The three estates provided a good sample of industries in this region. The survey results were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively to provide an overall view of the potential for Industrial Ecology in Southeast Queensland. The study also involved obtaining information from various industries and government organizations through semistructured interviews. These interviews were used to develop an updated and more informed assessment of the current status with regards to IE in Southeast Queensland. Twenty-four out of 81 industries in the Carole Park Industrial Estate participated in the survey. Metal related industries constituted 44% of total participating companies, forming the largest group in the Carole Park estate. From 60 industries in the Gateway Ports industrial estate, 19 firms participated in the survey. Chemical related industries constituted 27% of total participating companies, forming the largest group in the Gateway Ports. The metal manufacturing industries were the second largest group, constituting 21 % of the total. The survey forms were sent to 43 industries in the Narangba estate, and responses were received from twenty-seven of them. Petroleum and chemical manufacturing industries together with metal related industries fonned the largest industry groups in the Narangba estate. The most common reason for not participating in the survey by the industries in the three estates was lack of time. The results revealed that most of the surveyed businesses and industries in the three estates were interested in the industrial ecology concept, but were uncertain about its practicality and economic viability. Most companies favoured minimizing waste by efficiency in material use for improving environmental performance. But economical or tax incentive were the most popular options for improving environmental performance amongst industries. Legislative requirement, productivity, and economical advantages/disadvantages were the most important factors influencing environmental management policies and practices. Evidence of manufacturing and distribution networks were found in the three estates, but there were concerns over industrial ecology networks being economically disadvantageous for individual companies in terms of the potential loss to their competitiveness and the quality of their products and services. Most companies considered the cost and economical issues as limiting factors for implementing environmental performance changes. The results also revealed that to enhance the opportunity for IE to succeed, participating industrial estates needed to be large enough and to contain a diverse range of businesses and industries to warrant viable exchanges.

Prescribed burning can play an important role in forest maintenance and management worldwide. Australia is one of the few countries around the world with knowledge and experience in the use of controlled fire for fuel management and ecological purposes. In Australia, prescribed burning, has been used to meet several objectives including protection of forests against wildfires through managing fuel loads, ecosystem maintenance by increasing vegetation, and elimination of pests and diseases. Climate change and the increases in the incidence and severity of wildfire push forest managers to establish prescribed fire regimes with low severity prescribed burning to protect housing and infrastructure from wildfire damage. Prescribed burning has become a more frequent management tool in suburban forests, leading to alteration in the physical, chemical, and biological properties of forest soils. Fire influences ecosystem patterns and processes by affecting vegetation diversity and structure, carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and other nutrients cycles, but these effects are dependent on fire regimes (e.g. frequency and severity). The interval between fires is critical in forest management because the long interval period burns may allow a potentially severe fire hazard to exist, while burning frequently with short interval period may result in loss of soil fertility leading to ecosystem vulnerability.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Natural Sciences
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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Information is required on the ecological value of all urban land types in order to provide an ecological basis for urban zoning decisions, to predict development impacts and to identify much needed opportunities for off-reserve conservation. One land type (the suburban golf course) has experienced a dramatic global proliferation in recent decades, as courses are increasingly constructed as part of new housing developments and resorts. Golf courses account for a growing proportion of the urban land area in Australia and will have an increasingly significant impact on urban biodiversity. The nature of their influence is however contentious. While many suggest golf courses have a negative impact on biodiversity, others believe they can provide refugial habitat for native wildlife. This potential refuge value has been nurtured by the golf industry as a way to improve its environmental reputation. However while the industry has initiated programs to enhance the quality of habitats on golf courses, it is uncertain whether such small-scale conservation efforts can have more than a cosmetic effect. The ubiquity of suburban golf courses makes their possible ecological contribution more significant and thus worthy of investigation. This study assessed the conservation status of suburban golf courses in south-east Queensland Australia between 2001-2004, by comparing assemblages of birds, reptiles, mammals and amphibians on 20 representative golf courses with those in 10 nearby eucalypt remnants and with bird assemblages in 10 suburban areas. The ecological characteristics of wildlife utilising golf courses were compared with those shared by animals common to residential areas and to native eucalypt forest. Local changes in bird diversity were assessed following the clearance of small vegetation remnants on a suburban golf course. Finally, the ecological value gained by increasing the size and complexity of native habitats on golf courses was assessed, by investigating the extent to which differences in biodiversity among golf courses were attributed to the size, shape and complexity of local, landscape and regional habitats on and adjacent to golf courses. Golf courses displayed extreme variation in conservation value. While a number of golf courses had significant refuge value, supporting high densities of regionally threatened vertebrates, most supported only common urban-adapted species and therefore failed to realise that potential. Wildlife assemblages in residential areas and on most golf courses were more homogenised than those in eucalypt forests and were generally dominated by species with broad ecological tolerances. In contrast, ecological specialists were restricted to eucalypt forests and a minority of golf courses. The clearance of even small remnants of native vegetation on a single golf course had a significant homogenising effect on local bird assemblages with a diverse range of regionally threatened birds being replaced by a small number of urban-adapted species. Golf courses that did have refuge value had the capacity to accommodate most regionally threatened species. In general, golf courses were a better refuge for threatened birds and mammals than for threatened reptiles and amphibians. The relative absence of threatened herpetofauna may reflect heightened sensitivity to habitat isolation, faster rates of local decline, to increased local threats (i.e. predation or herbicide exposure) or a difference in the extent to which their habitats have been compromised. Differences in biodiversity among golf courses were attributed to environmental factors acting at local, landscape and regional scales. While the local diversity of all vertebrates was partly determined (and therefore restricted by) regional influences, the local abundance and species richness of threatened vertebrates still closely reflected the size and structural complexity of on-course habitats. The diversity of all vertebrates increased with the area of native vegetation retained locally. Species-area curves were observed among reptiles, birds and mammals. Contrary to other studies, there was no distinct threshold in the species-area relationship. Threatened species gradually disappeared from the landscape as patch sizes decreased below 5ha. The lack of any distinct threshold highlights the dangers of proposing spatially explicit guidelines to ecologically sound development. Patches should always be as large as possible if they are intended to provide refuge to threatened vertebrates. Remnant size was however, co-correlated with structural complexity, with the understorey of smaller remnants often cleared to increase course playability. Biodiversity in small remnants (less than 5ha) may therefore be increased by enhancing the structural complexity of local habitats. Bird diversity increased with foliage height diversity and native grass cover. Mammal diversity increased with tree density, native grass cover and the abundance of hollows. Reptile diversity increased with the abundance of woody debris and declined with the proportion of turfgrass cover. The diversity of amphibians increased with waterbody diversity, the complexity of aquatic and riparian vegetation, the number of connecting streams and declined with the steepness and proportion of turfgrass cover on waterbody banks. Golf courses can evidently provide locally valuable refuges for threatened vertebrates and have a clear opportunity to make an important localised contribution to urban wildlife conservation in SEQ. The extent to which this potential is realised will however depend on the extent to which ecological criteria are incorporated into golf course design and management practices. The current low conservation status of most existing golf courses reflects a historic lack of regulation and formal Environmental Impact Assessment within the golf industry. This has seen few golf courses retain any substantial area of complex core vegetation. While the industry is aware of its conservation potential, the economic pressures affecting modern course designs will tend to restrict the area of native vegetation that can be retained (particularly among housing development courses where there is pressure to maximise the area of land available for housing). Legislation recognising and protecting the value of small remnants in new golf developments may be required if the golf industry is to realise its conservation potential.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Centre for Innovative Conservation Strategies
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Landslides occur annually worldwide from natural and man-made influences with high levels of destruction. The prediction and mitigation of landslide occurrences can be largely beneficial in minimizing destruction and loss of life due to such occurrences. Observations on the causes of landslides, ranging from earthquakes, geological instabilities and human excavations and cuttings from slopes, have detailed rainfall of a prolonged or heavy nature has been deemed the primary cause, often occurring in mountainous terrain. Documented devastating occurrences of rainfall-induced landslides causing destruction to infrastructure and property, along with loss of human life, have occurred in many European countries, America, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Nepal and India. Australia is not free of landslide risk with a summarised cataloguing detailing over 114 known landslides causing injury or death and damage to infrastructure between 1842 to December 2011. One particularly devastating landslide in Australia occurred in Thredbo, New South Wales, in 1997, causing the death of 18 people as a result of heavy rainfall coupled with snowmelt. This historical evidence of landslide activity indicates a need for the monitoring of landslides within Australian mountainous regions. The mountainous regions between Mudgeeraba and the Currumbin Valley of south-east Queensland are particularly susceptible to shallow landslides during large rainfall weather events, due to the general steepness of slopes and weathered top layers of soil overlaying bedrock. As roadways are limited through these mountain passes, rainfall-induced shallow landslides can leave people stranded either in dire need of resources or medical aid. A prime example of a weather event leading to rainfall-induced shallow landslides in south-east Queensland was ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie, on the 31st of March, 2017. Local government reported an excess of some 25 major landslides along road corridors of the mountainous areas. Rainfall of the event saw in excess of 700 mm over 2 days. Though not always cyclonic in nature, weather patterns like these are exhibited in the region yearly, causing slope instabilities. Although landslides can occur annually in south-east Queensland, there has been limited investigation undertaken into the causes and effects of this phenomenon within the region. This means there is an ongoing risk to economy and human life, requiring the identification of key indicators of rainfall-induced shallow landslides in the region. This thesis presents a comprehensive investigation into the relationships between rainfall, slope and soil characteristics and the identification of the role they play for the initiation of rainfall-induced shallow landslides occurring in south-east Queensland. Through this thesis’ analysis, the development of predictive methods for future patterns in rainfall-induced shallow landslides for the south-east Queensland region is accomplished. The thesis scope is limited to the analysis of rainfall-induced shallow landslides occurring in the coarse-grained sandy soil typically observed between Mudgeeraba and the Currumbin Valley mountainous regions. Approaches to prediction of rainfall-induced shallow landslides are limited to the use of laboratory flume-based investigations, rainfall intensity-duration thresholds and limit equilibrium method for slope stability analysis of the region. A key mechanism finding for the onset of landslides in south-east Queensland is the observation of drastic reduction in shear strength due to increased moisture content of the soil tested. Knowing this, moisture content was found to be a suitable predictor of landslide initiation when monitored using appropriate measuring devices. From this study, it was identified that slopes in the region exhibiting slope angles between 45 to 55° are susceptible to failure when impacted by rainfalls in the range of 40 to 100 mm/h. This information aided in the development of simple predictive modelling techniques. The information obtained through the research of this thesis is beneficial for local government authorities and roadway contractors and engineers in the industry that can utilise simple tools for the prediction of rainfall-induced shallow landslides in south-east Queensland. Furthermore, from the observation of moisture content being a suitable predictor of landslide initiation, field monitoring setups could be put in place by government or researchers to further watch and study the phenomenon. These findings are applicable and can be extrapolated to other regions of the world potentially allowing for proactive risk management and reduction in destruction and damage to persons.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Eng & Built Env
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
Full Text

The thermal behaviour of rocks has recently become an important topic for rock engineering due to developments in deep underground applications. Because of the extensive depth of these applications, more hazards occur such as rock bursts, external fires and gas explosions. The main reasons behind these underground rock disasters are the high temperatures and pressures. Therefore, the research focus on the thermal behaviour of rock is important for the safety and maintenance of underground applications. A good deal of research has been conducted so far about the thermal behaviour of rocks. The existing literature on the thermal behaviour of rocks in Australia is currently restricted to a few regions, largely in New South Wales and Victoria. The literature suggests that the mechanical properties of heated rock behave differently due to various geological and stress conditions, even for the same rock types. The thermal behaviour of common rocks (basalt, argillite, and sandstone) in South East Queensland has not yet been identified. The aim of the present research is to study the thermal behaviour of common rocks in South East Queensland and to develop a damage model. In this, the physical and mechanical properties of thermally treated rocks have been investigated by conducting porosity tests, point load tests, uniaxial compressive strength tests, and triaxial tests. These outcomes were further examined in X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micro-computed tomography (CT) analyses of the mineral composition and microstructure. It was found that the mineral composition and microstructure determine the engineering properties of rock under high temperatures. The critical temperature obtained using a thermal damage coefficient may vary significantly from the threshold temperature, and thus, for deep geological applications, it is recommended to determine both parameters. It was observed that high temperature treatment can significantly affect rock damage, more so than thermal cycle treatment. To predict the total damage of the rock, a thermomechanical damage model was proposed and applied to sandstone. This research will contribute to both theory and practice by providing a laboratory database, empirical correlations, and coupled thermo-mechanical damage model for common rocks in South East Queensland. More importantly, the outcome of this research will help to enhance the safety of deep underground projects.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Eng & Built Env
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
Full Text

Headwater streams are extremely vulnerable to the consequences of land-use change as they are tightly coupled with the surrounding landscape. Understanding the natural processes that influence the structure and function of these ecosystems will improve our understanding of how land-use change affects them. Benthic substratum habitat was investigated in a sub-tropical headwater stream by quantifying temporal change to sediment texture of surface sediments (less than 10cm), over four years. Hydrological characteristics were also surveyed in detail, as hydrological regime is a primary determinant of sediment transportation. Additionally, measures of hydro-geological features - hydraulic conductivity and groundwater depth were made in order to explore features of sediment habitat that extend beyond the sediment-water interface. Whilst the typical discharge pattern was one of intermittent base flows and infrequent, yet extreme flood events associated with monsoonal rain patterns, the study period also encompassed a drought and a one in hundred year flood. Rainfall and discharge did not necessarily reflect the actual conditions in the stream. Surface waters were persistent long after discharge ceased. On several occasions the stream bed was completely dry. Shallow groundwater was present at variable depths throughout the study period, being absent only at the height of the drought. The sediments were mainly gravels, sand and clay. Changes in sediment composition were observed for fine particulates (size categories less than 2mm). The grain size change in the finer sediment fractions was marked over time, although bedload movement was limited to a single high discharge event. In response to a low discharge regimen (drought), sediments characteristically showed non-normal distributions and were dominated by finer materials. High-energy discharge regimes (flood) were characterised by coarsening of sands and a diminished clay fraction. Particulate organic matter from sediments showed trends of build-up and decline with the high and low discharge regimes, respectively. Benthic habitats were described according to prevailing hydro-geological parameters. Faunas from sediment substratum samples were associated with identified habitat categories. The fauna reflected the habitat variability in terms of hydrological disturbance of the substratum structure and intermittency of discharge. An applied multivariate procedure was used to correlate temporally changing environmental parameters and faunal abundance data. Faunas were correlated with a group of variables dominated by either discharge variables or sediment textural parameters. Sediment characteristics that affect substratum quality and substratum preference at the micro-scale were investigated via hypotheses testing. A model of carbon loss was used to determine how long particulate organic matter could potentially sustain microbial activity under experimental conditions. An estimate of up to 200 days was determined from this laboratory experiment. Secondly, enriched carbon isotopes were used in a field-based experiment to establish a link between sediments and macrofauna. Enrichment via organic sediments was found for various detritivorous and carnivorous taxa. In the 'third' experiment, artificial treatments were applied to elucidate substratum preference. Fauna was offered the choice of variable quantities of clay and/or quality of organic matter. There were no significant preferences found for the different substratum treatments, although further investigation is needed and a different outcome from this method may be achieved under more benign field conditions than those encountered during this experiment. Finally, the study was set within a context of the primary features of scale. Climate and hydrological features, including linkages with the alluvial aquifer and terrestrial ecosystem, and their potential to change within 'ecological time' are perceived as critical to understanding the role of benthic sediment substratum.

This project examined the potential for historical mapping of land resources to be upgraded to meet current requirements for natural resource management. The methods of spatial disaggregation used to improve the scale of mapping were novel and provide a method to rapidly improve existing information. The thesis investigated the potential to use digital soil mapping techniques and the multi-scale identification of areas within historical land systems mapping to provide enhanced information to support modern natural resource management needs. This was undertaken in the Burnett Catchment of South-East Queensland.

Moreton Bay, in South East Queensland, Australia, is a Ramsar wetland of international significance. A decline of the bay’s ecosystem health has been primarily attributed to sediments and nutrients from catchment sources. The Healthy Country (HC) project, a Queensland Government funded ‘proof of concept’ initiative, is dedicated to reducing rural diffuse sediments and nutrients entering waterways and ultimately Moreton Bay. Three focal catchments, Blackfellow Creek, Knapp Creek and the Upper Bremer River, were selected to trial rehabilitation techniques for the region. Sediment budgets for these focal catchments, developed using catchment scale modelling (SedNet), indicated gully erosion dominates the supply of sediment in Knapp Creek (90%) and the Upper Bremer River (80%) whereas erosion from cultivated soils is the primary sediment source in Blackfellow Creek (40%). These sediment budgets, that include predictions of both the spatial sources of sediment and the primary erosion processes, form a series of hypotheses in each focal catchment that are tested in this thesis. Fallout-radionuclide activity concentrations (137Cs and 210Pbex) of in-stream sediment sampled in each focal catchment were used in conjunction with regional source data to test hypotheses pertaining to dominant erosion processes, specifically the relative sediment contributions from surface and subsoil (gully and channel bank) sources. Distribution modelling results indicated subsoil erosion processes dominate the supply of sediment in both Knapp Creek (100%) and the Upper Bremer River (100%). In Blackfellow Creek, the similarity of cultivated (surface) and subsoil source fallout-radionuclide activity concentrations resulted in no discrimination between these sources that were modelled in combination to contribute >90% of sediments. Importantly there was no discrimination between gully and channel bank erosion sources in Knapp Creek and the Upper Bremer River.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Environment
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
Full Text

Headwater streams are extremely vulnerable to the consequences of land-use change as they are tightly coupled with the surrounding landscape. Understanding the natural processes that influence the structure and function of these ecosystems will improve our understanding of how land-use change affects them. Benthic substratum habitat was investigated in a sub-tropical headwater stream by quantifying temporal change to sediment texture of surface sediments (less than 10cm), over four years. Hydrological characteristics were also surveyed in detail, as hydrological regime is a primary determinant of sediment transportation. Additionally, measures of hydro-geological features - hydraulic conductivity and groundwater depth were made in order to explore features of sediment habitat that extend beyond the sediment-water interface. Whilst the typical discharge pattern was one of intermittent base flows and infrequent, yet extreme flood events associated with monsoonal rain patterns, the study period also encompassed a drought and a one in hundred year flood. Rainfall and discharge did not necessarily reflect the actual conditions in the stream. Surface waters were persistent long after discharge ceased. On several occasions the stream bed was completely dry. Shallow groundwater was present at variable depths throughout the study period, being absent only at the height of the drought. The sediments were mainly gravels, sand and clay. Changes in sediment composition were observed for fine particulates (size categories less than 2mm). The grain size change in the finer sediment fractions was marked over time, although bedload movement was limited to a single high discharge event. In response to a low discharge regimen (drought), sediments characteristically showed non-normal distributions and were dominated by finer materials. High-energy discharge regimes (flood) were characterised by coarsening of sands and a diminished clay fraction. Particulate organic matter from sediments showed trends of build-up and decline with the high and low discharge regimes, respectively. Benthic habitats were described according to prevailing hydro-geological parameters. Faunas from sediment substratum samples were associated with identified habitat categories. The fauna reflected the habitat variability in terms of hydrological disturbance of the substratum structure and intermittency of discharge. An applied multivariate procedure was used to correlate temporally changing environmental parameters and faunal abundance data. Faunas were correlated with a group of variables dominated by either discharge variables or sediment textural parameters. Sediment characteristics that affect substratum quality and substratum preference at the micro-scale were investigated via hypotheses testing. A model of carbon loss was used to determine how long particulate organic matter could potentially sustain microbial activity under experimental conditions. An estimate of up to 200 days was determined from this laboratory experiment. Secondly, enriched carbon isotopes were used in a field-based experiment to establish a link between sediments and macrofauna. Enrichment via organic sediments was found for various detritivorous and carnivorous taxa. In the ‘third’ experiment, artificial treatments were applied to elucidate substratum preference. Fauna was offered the choice of variable quantities of clay and/or quality of organic matter. There were no significant preferences found for the different substratum treatments, although further investigation is needed and a different outcome from this method may be achieved under more benign field conditions than those encountered during this experiment. Finally, the study was set within a context of the primary features of scale. Climate and hydrological features, including linkages with the alluvial aquifer and terrestrial ecosystem, and their potential to change within ‘ecological time’ are perceived as critical to understanding the role of benthic sediment substratum.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Australian School of Environmental Studies
Faculty of Environmental Sciences
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Soft soils are deposited globally, especially in estuarine or coastal areas. In recent years, the land resource has lessened due to rapid urbanisation and population growth around the globe. It is crucial to develop land on poor ground conditions to solve the issue of land shortage due to urbanisation. South East Queensland is a particular region where soft soils are widely deposited. More construction is expected to be carried out on its soft soil deposits as the urbanisation continues. However, the existence of soft soils can cause construction complications because of the following reasons: having high compressibility and water content, accompanied by low shear strength and permeability. Therefore, the study of the mechanical behaviour of reconstituted and stabilised soft soils is significant in geotechnical engineering practice. There are limitations in previous research regarding the properties of soft soils. For example, the common particles in soft soils are clay, silt, and sand particles. The behaviour of clay and sand particles are unique and easy to identify. However, the behaviour of silt particles lies in between the behaviours of clay and sand. It is important that some previous studies found that the behaviour of silt is not in accordance with the critical-state framework adopted for clay and sand. It is suggested that the behaviour of silts is a transitional form between clay and sand. Some silts exhibit sand-like behaviour, while some exhibit clay-like behaviour. Consequently, it is important to understand silt’s physical, mineralogical, strength and microstructural behaviour, as it is presently recognised that gaps in understanding its fundamental behaviour exist. In addition, soft soils need to be stabilised by suitable ground improvement techniques before any structure can be safely constructed on it. It is widely known that in-situ soil mixing or stabilisation (e.g., mass mixing or deep soil mixing) has been proven to be an effective ground improvement technique in improving the engineering properties of soft soils. Cement is one of the commonly used cementitious materials which can be used to treat soft soil in the application of in-situ soil mixing. It can increase the soil mix strength and decrease the water content by triggering the hydration of cement and pozzolanic reactions. The use of cement to stabilise soft soils and the behaviour of cement-stabilised soils has been extensively investigated in many previous studies. However, the use of cement can cause environmental issues as the production of cement results in high emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). Hence, it is essential also to consider other suitable types of stabilisation additives to reduce the amount of cement used in the stabilisation of soft soil. Fly ash and a commercially available additive DuraCrete, were investigated in this study as partial replacements of cement. The behaviour of specimens stabilised by cement, fly ash-blended cement, and DuraCreteblended cement under both unconfined compressive (UC) and consolidated isotropic undrained (CIU) conditions were investigated in this study. The experimental results proved that fly ash and DuraCrete can be used as partial replacements of cement to achieve more remarkable improvement results than just cement alone in stabilising soft soils. DuraCrete is more effective compared to fly ash because the addition of DuraCrete can reduce the amount of cement needed for the stabilisation while also improving the strength of stabilised specimens. This project seeks to investigate a) the mechanical behaviour of South East Queensland soft soil stabilised by cement with different cement content; b) the effect of the presence of silt particles on the mechanical behaviour of soft soils, such as evaluating the behaviour of silty soils within the critical-state framework; c) the effect of the presence of silt particles on the mechanical and microstructural of soft soils after stabilised by cement; and d) the use of fly ash and DuraCrete as partial replacements of cement in soft soil stabilisation. A series of laboratory tests consisting of consolidated isotropic undrained (CIU) triaxial tests, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests were conducted in this study to achieve these objectives. South East Queensland soft soil was collected and stabilised by cement with varying initial soil water content and cement content. The mechanical and microstructural behaviour of natural and cement-stabilised South East Queensland soft soil was investigated. Some empirical equations were derived to estimate the strength of South East Queensland soft soil specimens with different cement content. The microstructure of cement-stabilised soil specimens was also analysed and interpreted. A series of triaxial compressive tests were conducted in this study on five types of soft soils with varying clay and silt contents, and therefore the effect of silt contents on the strength and critical state behaviours of soft soils were investigated. The empirical equations were proposed to evaluate the effect of silt content on the stress paths of reconstituted soft soils under consolidated isotropic undrained triaxial tests and the critical state parameters. Based on the observations from the CIU triaxial compression tests, it can be concluded that 1. For silty soils which have a plasticity index above 29%, even the soils are classified as silt by Atterberg limit testing results, but the soils show clay-like behaviour in the critical state framework, evidenced by the corresponding normally consolidated line (NCL) and critical state line (CSL) are parallel. 2. For silty soils, which have a plasticity index between 19% and 29%, the soils show a transitional behaviour between the clay-like and sand-like behaviour, as the corresponding normally consolidated line (NCL) and critical state line (CSL) are becoming non-parallel. 3. For silty soils, which have a plasticity index lower than 19%, it shows typical sand-like behaviour. These types of soft soils were then stabilised by cement with varying cement content. A further series of unconfined compression tests were conducted for each group of cement-stabilised soil specimens. As the silt content might exhibit a different influence on the strength of cement-stabilised samples, a varying dosage of cement content was considered in this study. The experimental results indicate that silt content plays a different role in soil stabilisation under different cement contents. The effect of cement content and silt content on the microstructure development of stabilised soils were also analysed by utilising the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images. With the increase of cement dosage, the number of cementitious products, such as reticulated CSH and needle-shaped ettringite, was notably increased, resulting in a denser structure. This can be attributed to the hydration of cement and the pozzolanic reactions. As for the effect of silt content, since particle size plays a significant role in microstructure development, both cement and silt contents can dramatically affect the pore size distribution. When the cement content is lower than 10%, clay platelets can fill the pore spaces and the cementitious products can enhance the inter-cluster bond strength by aggregating clay and silt platelets together to form larger and denser aggregates responsible for the strength improvement. When the cement content is between 10% and 20%, the stabilised soil strengths increase with the increase of silt content and then decrease when silt contents are higher than 50%. This is because the strength gained from cementitious product enhancement was partially countered by the increment of pore size caused by the excessive cement and silt contents. When the cement content is higher than 20%, the strength shows a negative correlation with silt content, which can be attributed to the incomplete reaction of cement due to the reduction of clay content. Regarding the partial replacement of cement by adopting fly ash and DuraCrete, the UCS and CIU testing results show that both fly ash and DuraCrete are very effective as partial replacements of cement to reduce the cement content and CO2 emission. Fly ash can the provide the highest reduction in the cement replacement content, and it can also provide the highest reduction in CO2 emission. However, at the same mixture content (e.g., 25%), the UCS of the specimens stabilised by fly ash-blended cement is lower than that stabilised by cement only. Thus, more material is needed when using fly ash to partially replace cement to maintain the same UCS. Even though, the CO2 footprint can still be reduced because the CO2 emission rate of fly ash is much lesser than that of pure cement. Therefore, fly ash is effective as a partial replacement of cement to reduce the use of cement and CO2 emission. Compared to fly ash, DuraCrete is more effective as a partial replacement of cement in some circumstances. For example, the total mixture content is reduced to achieve a target strength of 500 kPa when using DuraCrete-blended cement instead of pure cement only. The reduction in total mixture content is an essential advantage by using DuraCrete compared to using fly ash. Comparing the proportional quantities of fly ash and DuraCrete required, the quantity of fly ash required is between 6.1 times and 9.7 times the proportional quantity of DuraCrete required. Even though the use of DuraCrete can reduce the amount of cement used and reduce the total mixture content, it cannot provide as much reduction in cement as fly ash does. This is because there is a ‘saturation point’ with the DuraCrete replacement ratio. If this saturation point is exceeded, DuraCrete will not be as effective anymore, being mainly a magnesiumbased additive. Therefore, when the maximum reduction in cement is the only factor under consideration, fly ash is more suitable than DuraCrete, as it facilitates a greater reduction in cement. However, suppose both reduction in cement and the total mixture content are considered. In that case, DuraCrete might be more appropriate, as it not only reduces the use of cement but also reduces the total mixture content required. Most importantly, unlike cement and fly ash, the production of DuraCrete is not carbon-intensive. The production of DuraCrete does not produce carbon emission as it does not require a furnace, nor is it a by-product of a carbon emitting process. These critical outcomes can help engineers reliably customise the soil stabilisation design to achieve optimal strength, environmental friendliness, and cost-saving. As such, engineers can have more design options to meet the strength requirement while having the opportunity to minimise the negative impact on the environment by reducing the use of cement. They can also achieve a balance between the reduction in cement and the budget, hence the important contribution of this study.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Eng & Built Env
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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This study gathered data from 14 four to five-star hotels in South-East Queensland, Australia, in an attempt to examine the nature and degree of influence organisational climate has upon the performance of hotels. Employee perception of customer satisfaction was studied both as an index of performance and as an intervening variable between organisational climate and financial performance as indexed by revenue per available room (REVPAR). The data provided a description of a young, relatively gender balanced, well educated and trained work force which received relatively low levels of financial remuneration and displayed very high levels of turnover. A new instrument was used to measure the dimensions of organisational climate across the hotels. This instrument represented a modification of that presented by Ryder and Southey (1990), which itself was a modification of the 145 item psychological climate questionnaire of Jones and James (1979). The instrument represented a subset of 70 items of the Ryder and Southey instrument. Responses to all items within the instrument were on a 7 point anchored scale. Principal components analysis (PCA) produced results consistent with earlier versions of the instrument, which had been reported elsewhere. This analysis described organisational climate within the sample to be composed of 7 underlying dimensions; Leader facilitation and support, Professional and organisational esprit, Conflict and ambiguity, Regulations, organisation and pressure, Job variety, challenge and autonomy, Workgroup co-operation, friendliness and warmth, and Job standards. These dimensions were judged to be consistent with those reported earlier by Jones and James, and by Ryder and Southey. Poor support was found for the first structural model that proposed that employee demographic variables would affect organisational climate and that organisational climate would affect customer satisfaction (although the latter link was quite strong). The most important finding of the study was the support for a second structural model when it was found that variation in the 7 dimensions of organisational climate accounted for 30% of the variation in Employee Perception of Customer Satisfaction. Furthermore, that Employee Perception of Customer Satisfaction accounted for 23% of the variation in REVPAR between the hotels. Possible extensions of this study using direct measures of customer satisfaction and expanding it to include hotels of different star ratings are discussed.

The study focuses on an alluvial plain situated within a large meander of the Logan River at Josephville near Beaudesert which supports a factory that processes gelatine. The plant draws water from on site bores, as well as the Logan River, for its production processes and produces approximately 1.5 ML per day (Douglas Partners, 2004) of waste water containing high levels of dissolved ions. At present a series of treatment ponds are used to aerate the waste water reducing the level of organic matter; the water is then used to irrigate grazing land around the site. Within the study the hydrogeology is investigated, a conceptual groundwater model is produced and a numerical groundwater flow model is developed from this. On the site are several bores that access groundwater, plus a network of monitoring bores. Assessment of drilling logs shows the area is formed from a mixture of poorly sorted Quaternary alluvial sediments with a laterally continuous aquifer comprised of coarse sands and fine gravels that is in contact with the river. This aquifer occurs at a depth of between 11 and 15 metres and is overlain by a heterogeneous mixture of silts, sands and clays. The study investigates the degree of interaction between the river and the groundwater within the fluvially derived sediments for reasons of both environmental monitoring and sustainability of the potential local groundwater resource. A conceptual hydrogeological model of the site proposes two hydrostratigraphic units, a basal aquifer of coarse-grained materials overlain by a thick semi-confining unit of finer materials. From this, a two-layer groundwater flow model and hydraulic conductivity distribution was developed based on bore monitoring and rainfall data using MODFLOW (McDonald and Harbaugh, 1988) and PEST (Doherty, 2004) based on GMS 6.5 software (EMSI, 2008). A second model was also considered with the alluvium represented as a single hydrogeological unit. Both models were calibrated to steady state conditions and sensitivity analyses of the parameters has demonstrated that both models are very stable for changes in the range of ± 10% for all parameters and still reasonably stable for changes up to ± 20% with RMS errors in the model always less that 10%. The preferred two-layer model was found to give the more realistic representation of the site, where water level variations and the numerical modeling showed that the basal layer of coarse sands and fine gravels is hydraulically connected to the river and the upper layer comprising a poorly sorted mixture of silt-rich clays and sands of very low permeability limits infiltration from the surface to the lower layer. The paucity of historical data has limited the numerical modelling to a steady state one based on groundwater levels during a drought period and forecasts for varying hydrological conditions (e.g. short term as well as prolonged dry and wet conditions) cannot reasonably be made from such a model. If future modelling is to be undertaken it is necessary to establish a regular program of groundwater monitoring and maintain a long term database of water levels to enable a transient model to be developed at a later stage. This will require a valid monitoring network to be designed with additional bores required for adequate coverage of the hydrogeological conditions at the Josephville site. Further investigations would also be enhanced by undertaking pump testing to investigate hydrogeological properties in the aquifer.

The study focuses on an alluvial plain situated within a large meander of the Logan River at Josephville near Beaudesert which supports a factory that processes gelatine. The plant draws water from on site bores, as well as the Logan River, for its production processes and produces approximately 1.5 ML per day (Douglas Partners, 2004) of waste water containing high levels of dissolved ions. At present a series of treatment ponds are used to aerate the waste water reducing the level of organic matter; the water is then used to irrigate grazing land around the site. Within the study the hydrogeology is investigated, a conceptual groundwater model is produced and a numerical groundwater flow model is developed from this. On the site are several bores that access groundwater, plus a network of monitoring bores. Assessment of drilling logs shows the area is formed from a mixture of poorly sorted Quaternary alluvial sediments with a laterally continuous aquifer comprised of coarse sands and fine gravels that is in contact with the river. This aquifer occurs at a depth of between 11 and 15 metres and is overlain by a heterogeneous mixture of silts, sands and clays. The study investigates the degree of interaction between the river and the groundwater within the fluvially derived sediments for reasons of both environmental monitoring and sustainability of the potential local groundwater resource. A conceptual hydrogeological model of the site proposes two hydrostratigraphic units, a basal aquifer of coarse-grained materials overlain by a thick semi-confining unit of finer materials. From this, a two-layer groundwater flow model and hydraulic conductivity distribution was developed based on bore monitoring and rainfall data using MODFLOW (McDonald and Harbaugh, 1988) and PEST (Doherty, 2004) based on GMS 6.5 software (EMSI, 2008). A second model was also considered with the alluvium represented as a single hydrogeological unit. Both models were calibrated to steady state conditions and sensitivity analyses of the parameters has demonstrated that both models are very stable for changes in the range of ± 10% for all parameters and still reasonably stable for changes up to ± 20% with RMS errors in the model always less that 10%. The preferred two-layer model was found to give the more realistic representation of the site, where water level variations and the numerical modeling showed that the basal layer of coarse sands and fine gravels is hydraulically connected to the river and the upper layer comprising a poorly sorted mixture of silt-rich clays and sands of very low permeability limits infiltration from the surface to the lower layer. The paucity of historical data has limited the numerical modelling to a steady state one based on groundwater levels during a drought period and forecasts for varying hydrological conditions (e.g. short term as well as prolonged dry and wet conditions) cannot reasonably be made from such a model. If future modelling is to be undertaken it is necessary to establish a regular program of groundwater monitoring and maintain a long term database of water levels to enable a transient model to be developed at a later stage. This will require a valid monitoring network to be designed with additional bores required for adequate coverage of the hydrogeological conditions at the Josephville site. Further investigations would also be enhanced by undertaking pump testing to investigate hydrogeological properties in the aquifer.

Atmospheric temperatures are increasing and precipitation ranges are generally believed to become more variable and more extreme, with a general reduction in rainfall expected across South-eastern Australia. Additionally, increases in evapotranspiration are expected, resulting in an expected prevailing net loss in the terrestrial water balance. Changes in climate are bringing increasing uncertainty to ecological systems, where the predicted changes to climate are likely to have impacts on amphibians due to the close ecological associations of amphibians to temperature and environmental water balances. Amphibians largely have a dependency upon free-standing water to enable recruitment, which for many species is dependent upon the occurrence of seasonally ephemeral, low predator ponds. While climate change is recognised to affect species along gradients, many gradients occur at smaller spatial scales than that of latitudinal and altitudinal gradients.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Environment
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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This study examines teacher stress, as it is perceived by the individual teacher. Teacher stress is a well-researched topic with research findings attesting to a range of negative consequences that work-related stress has for the individual teacher and for the education system as a whole. The adoption of a phenomenographic research design enabled the researcher to engage in a process of empirical discovery whereby individuals' descriptions of the phenomenon were elicited and the conceptions identified. Participants for the study were selected from 5 state primary schools in the South East region of Queensland. Individual interviews were conducted with fourteen teachers who conceived their teaching role as being stressful. The phenomenographic interviews provided information about teachers' experiences of work-related stress, the ways in which the sources of that stress are perceived, and the meanings that the participants in the study attribute to their experiences of stress. The data in the form of verbatim transcripts were analysed by selecting quotations and grouping them into six categories of description. These represent the differing conceptions that emerged from the participants' discourses with each of the categories highlighting different themes. The categories of description identified were: 1. Teacher stress as an internalised teacher reaction. 2. Teacher stress as an externalised teacher reaction. 3. Teacher stress as a consequence of time and workload pressures. 4. Teacher stress as a consequence of student attitudes and behaviour problems. 5. Teacher stress as a consequence of administrators' attitudes and responses. 6. Teacher stress as a consequence of parental attitudes and actions. The final stage of data analysis involved the mapping of the 'outcome space'. The depiction of the outcome space using a visual metaphor of an apple burrowed into by worms reflects the totality of awareness held by the participants about the phenomenon of teacher stress. The visual image illustrates the impact that work induced stress has on teachers' physical and psychological well-being, on teachers' professional self-esteem, and ultimately on their effectiveness in achieving quality outcomes in teaching and the facilitation of learning. The construction of the six categories of description together with the mapping of the 'outcome space' provides new insights into ways of understanding the phenomenon of teacher stress. For the individual teacher, the 'outcome space' provides a simple visual image to facilitate the examination of personal understandings. At the organizational and systemic levels, the framework could be usefully employed to enhance awareness and understanding, to initiate discussion and to generate practical solutions for reducing teacher stress. The insights gained from this research suggest a range of strategies and interventions for the reduction and management of teachers' stress. These indicate that at a personal level, teachers might be encouraged to seek personal and professional support from colleagues. The skills of Guidance Officers could also be utilised in teacher mentoring programs and in assisting teachers with the management of their stress. The mistaken belief expressed by many teachers that stress in teaching is an inevitable aspect of the work role must also be challenged. At the school level, the targeting of behaviour management as a whole school issue rather than an individual teacher responsibility can have positive effects. Better information flow within schools and a supportive and interested administration that values teachers' contributions as professionals is seen as a further proactive measure. At a systemic level, positive outcomes can be achieved by concerted efforts to elevate the profile of schools and the professional standing of teachers. Educational authorities also have a role in examining the impact of educational changes and in establishing the extent to which particular systemic and curriculum changes are necessary, purposeful, and beneficial. Furthermore, the implementation of change requires strategic planning to ensure that teachers are confident with the newly introduced courses and practices. This research lends strong endorsement to the findings of earlier studies that work-related stress has serious implications not only for individual members of the profession but also for the effectiveness of teaching and learning outcomes within the school system. The researcher contends that the creation of a low stress work environment for the teaching profession is highly desirable. The realization of this goal requires a commitment by teachers, administrators, and the educational hierarchy to the implementation of viable solutions for reducing teacher stress.

Water is one of the most vital resources on earth. Changing climate conditions coupled with growing populations has resulted in an escalating urban water demand thereby making water a scarce resource in many regional and urban centres. Scarcity of water and the ability to meet future water demands is one of the greatest concerns for many governments and public utilities. Residential water consumption represents a significant component of overall water demand. A deeper understanding of residential water consumption variability and its determinants at an end-use level enables the design and implementation of better targeted and more effective urban water conservation strategies, programs and policies. Specifically, it allows for the development of more accurate forecasting models and decision support tools for ensuring urban water security over the long term.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Engineering.
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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Background Warfarin is an oral anticoagulant widely prescribed for several thromboembolic indications including stroke associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). Warfarin control is influenced by a number of genetic and environmental factors which, combined with a narrow therapeutic index, results in a need for close monitoring using the International Normalised Ratio (INR). Maintaining INR values within the therapeutic range can reduce adverse effects such as bleeding and stroke, with time in therapeutic range (TTR) commonly used as a measure of the quality of anticoagulation with warfarin. Increased TTR directly correlates to the efficacy and safety of warfarin and improved patient outcomes. Many patients with AF are either ineffectively managed with warfarin or not candidates for warfarin therapy. This led to the development of alternate non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) which were compared to warfarin in patients with AF through large randomised controlled trials. Meta-analyses of these trials demonstrated the NOACs to be either non-inferior or slightly superior to warfarin in terms of stroke and associated with a lower risk of intracranial haemorrhage. However, sub-analyses of these trials highlighted concerns regarding the mean warfarin TTR in these trials and the differences in TTR according to geographical location and management systems. Variation in warfarin TTR impacts the clinical outcomes of warfarin therapy including the comparative outcomes with NOACs. The choice between anticoagulants requires consideration of likely warfarin control which may be influenced by patient demographics and clinical characteristics together with health care management systems. In Australia, this prompted the Australian Government to commission a review of anticoagulant therapies in AF. This review identified a need for national guidelines for AF and therapeutic management algorithms for individual anticoagulants including warfarin. However, this review also identified a barrier to producing these management algorithms was the lack of information regarding the quality of warfarin management in Australia and factors which may influence TTR including patient variables and management systems. Aims The overall aim of this study was to determine predictors of warfarin control in patients with AF in South-East Queensland and Singapore. Singapore was chosen as a comparator site in the Asia-Pacific region to assist with applicability of results across the multi-cultural population of Australia given potential factors influencing warfarin TTR include patient demographics, ethnicity and management systems. Specific objectives of the study were to: (1) establish the prescribing of warfarin in AF since the introduction of the NOACs (2) determine the quality of warfarin control in Queensland achieved by different warfarin management systems; (3) identify factors influencing warfarin TTR in patients with AF in Queensland as compared to Singapore; and (4) establish the efficacy of risk models recommended in AF guidelines to predict warfarin control. Methods Ethics approval was granted (PHM/09/14HREC,2015/863 and 2015/2435). A retrospective observational study was conducted of patients receiving warfarin for AF at two study sites, Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology (SNP) in Queensland and the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS). PBS data was utilised to establish prescribing rates of oral anticoagulants since the introduction of the NOACs, Data was collected as of 30 September 2014 at SNP and between 1 January and 30 June 2014 at the NHCS. Data collected was INR test results, together with patient demographics such as age, gender, co-morbidities and concurrent medications. Warfarin control for individuals was determined by calculation of percentage of INR tests within target range and TTR via a linear interpolation method. Patients were excluded if TTR could not be calculated, that is less than two INR tests, or if less than thirty days of treatment. Patient data categorised patients according to specific factors, including gender, age, concurrent comorbidities and medication, bleed an stroke risk scores, and a predictor score for warfarin control. Mean patient data was used for analysis and comparison between groups with analysis of specific factors on TTR conducted using chi-squared, Tukey-Kramer, or a one-way analysis of variance tests via nonparametric methods including Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn’s multiple comparisons test with GraphPad Instat Version 3. Significance was defined at p<0.05(*), p<0.01(**), p<0.001(***), and p<0.0001(****). Results Warfarin prescribing decreased since introduction of the NOACs but it remains widely prescribed with almost 1.5 million units prescribed in Australia (2017/8 financial year), of which 250,478 units were prescribed in Queensland. In Queensland, the number of patients with AF managed by SNP decreased from 10,806 patients in July 2012 to 5524 patients in July 2017. During this time, 3036 patients exited the warfarin program to commence NOAC therapy but almost 5% (n=141) reverted to warfarin. In these patients, no significant difference in mean TTR was found before or after NOAC treatment but significantly more frequent testing and lower doses were required to obtain this level of control. In Queensland, warfarin control in patients with AF was above recommended minimum targets of 65% with a mean TTR of 68.5±16.2% by general practitioner (GP) and 81.5±9.1% by SNP with significant differences (p < 0.0001) in frequency of testing between management systems. Warfarin control in Singapore was significantly lower than Queensland (mean TTR 82.3±15.6% vs 57.6±34.2%, p < 0.0001). There were significant differences (p < 0.0001) in mean frequency of testing between Queensland and Singapore (16.9 vs 29.3 days). Patients with chronic kidney disease in both Queensland and Singapore had significantly lower TTR (77.2±16.8%, p<0.01 and 50.9±32.9%, p<0.05 respectively). Age less than 60 years (p<0.05) in Queensland and use of a platelet inhibitor in Singapore (p < 0.01) also significantly reduced TTR. After excluding interacting drugs with warfarin, a significantly reduced TTR (p<0.05) was found in Queensland for patients taking concurrent non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and aspirin In Singapore, a predictor score could identify poor warfarin control as patients with a score > 2 had significantly lower TTR than other patients (55.8±34.1% vs 63.2±34.1%, p<0.001). Discussion and conclusion Warfarin requires regular monitoring to maintain INR levels within range and minimum targets of 65% TTR are recommended to optimise benefits from warfarin therapy. This study demonstrated that warfarin is well controlled in Queensland with TTR levels above this minimum by both GP and dedicated warfarin management systems but, in contrast, Singapore has poor control. Frequency of INR testing strongly contributed to warfarin control with increased warfarin monitoring leading to improved control in Queensland compared to Singapore but also by the dedicated warfarin management system compared to GP management in Queensland. In this study, patient factors which consistently influenced warfarin TTR in both Queensland and Singapore were chronic kidney disease and the concurrent administration of NSAIDs and aspirin, whilst age < 60 years also influenced TTR in Queensland. Based on these factors, prescribing guidelines have been proposed which highlight these subsets of patients as being at risk of poor warfarin control and who may benefit from the additional intervention of a dedicated warfarin management system to optimise control. In addition, a risk model combining these factors into the mnemonic WARFARIN (Warfarin management program available, AF valvular, Renal Function normal, Age > 60 years, Race = Caucasian, Intolerance to NOAC, NSAIDs or aspirin not concurrently used) has been proposed as a method of identifying patients likely to obtain good warfarin control and best suited to warfarin therapy. In conclusion, despite the introduction of the NOACs, warfarin remains widely prescribed and is currently the only anticoagulant option available for patients with valvular AF. Dedicated warfarin management programs can improve warfarin control and use of proposed algorithms or guidelines can identify subsets of patients at risk of reduced control who may benefit from additional intervention to improve warfarin TTR. This addresses recommendations from an Australian government report and may help optimise anticoagulant therapy for patients with AF.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Pharmacy and Pharmac
Griffith Health
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Coastal wetlands are dynamic ecosystems that are highly susceptible to change due to natural and human factors. The study area, located within the Native Dog Creek sub-catchment of the Logan River - which drains into Moreton Bay, south east Queensland - holds a detailed history of environmental change spanning most of the Holocene epoch. This history is preserved in the estuarine sedimentary record and is a valuable indicator of natural environmental change. More recently, human-induced changes within the study area have been superimposed on the natural process of environmental change. In order to develop a conceptual bio-geomorphic model of the coastal wetlands of Native Dog Creek, this thesis examined - on an integrated catchment basis - the evolution and connectivity of four coastal wetland community types (Melaleuca, Casuarina, saltmarsh and mangroves). The research consisted of four discrete studies within the study area: a geomorphic investigation that provided a framework for understanding how the wetlands evolved during the Holocene epoch; an acid sulfate soil (ASS) study that surveyed the distribution and concentration of sulfides; a palynological study that examined the natural directions of ecosystem change; and an investigation of the impact of specific human activities on these ecosystems. Detailed stratigraphic modelling found that the Logan River system (and its Native Dog Creek sub-catchment) has evolved from an infilling estuary since the peak of the Holocene transgression 6500 years before present. Recognition of the major controls that influenced geomorphic coastal development during the Holocene, provided important insights into the distribution and genesis of estuarine pyritic sediments which strongly influence the soils within the study area. In general, the estuarine central basin and fluvial delta sediments posed the greatest risk to the environment from acidification if disturbed. The major focus of the ASS study was to survey the distribution of ASS and to identify other areas most vulnerable to acidification. A predictive approach that combined chemical and stratigraphic analysis was used. Results showed that these areas are intrinsically related to their environment of deposition. The study found, for example, that the alternation of excessively wet and dry conditions - combined with high organic carbon levels and variations in microtopography - provided ideal conditions for the re-formation of pyrite in the stream channel within the Melaleuca wetlands. The palaeo-environmental study reconstructed the evolution of Holocene coastal wetland vegetation during the marine transgression and subsequent shoreline progradation. Pollen records from the four representative wetland communities (previously mentioned) were examined. The results found the mid-late Holocene vegetation history was controlled by the development of geomorphic features that have affected freshwater input, drainage and salinity. In response to the progradation of the shoreline after sea level stabilised, changes in fossil pollen from mangroves and saltmarsh taxa during the early-mid Holocene, to freshwater taxa during the late Holocene, are estimated to have taken 800 years. Thus, pollen analysis when used in combination with stratigraphic modelling, provided an important point of reference for rates of natural ecological change in response to evolutionary changes to the physical environment. The wetlands within the study area have suffered varying degrees of disturbance since European settlement in the 1820s. The most significant changes occurred during early European settlement, when vast areas of coastal lowlands were cleared for timber, sheep and cattle grazing and for agricultural purposes. A second period of change occurred from 1989 to 1995, when the Melaleuca community suffered dieback in response to hydrological modifications to Native Dog Creek for the development of a golf course. Results indicate that human-induced changes over the past 170 years have occurred at a rate far beyond the ability of the natural ecosystem to adapt or move to a more ecologically sustainable state, at least in the short-term. Hence the current environment is experiencing degradation through both decline in health and loss of indigenous species. The development of a conceptual bio-geomorphic model was based on the integration of results from all four studies, in an effort to provide a holistic understanding of the coastal wetland environment and of the impact of human-induced changes upon that environment. If these vulnerable ecosystems are to be maintained, successful and sustainable coastal management strategies must rely on a sound scientific understanding of the response of a coastal ecosystem to both human and environmental changes.

Broccoli is a vegetable crop of increasing importance in Australia, particularly in south-east Queensland and farmers need to maintain a regular supply of good quality broccoli to meet the expanding market. However, harvest maturity date, head yield and quality are all affected by climatic variations during the production cycle, particularly low temperature episodes. There are also interactions between genotype and climatic variability. A predictive model of ontogeny, incorporating climatic data including frost risk, would enable farmers to predict harvest maturity date and select appropriate cultivar - sowing date combinations. The first stage of this research was to define floral initiation, which is fundamental to predicting ontogeny. Scanning electron micrographs of the apical meristem were made for the transition from the vegetative to advanced reproductive stage. During the early vegetative stage (stage 1), the apical meristem was a small, pointed shoot tip surrounded by leaf primordia. The transitional stage (stage 2) was marked by a widening and flattening to form a dome-shaped apical meristem. In the floral initiation stage (stage 3), the first-order floral primordia were observed in the axils of the developing bracts. Under field conditions, the shoot apex has an average diameter of 500 micro m at floral initiation and floral primordia can be observed under a light microscope. Sub-zero temperatures can result in freezing injury and thereby reduce head yield and quality. In order to predict the effects of frosts, it is desirable to know the stages of development at which plants are most susceptible. Therefore, the effects of sub-zero temperatures on leaf and shoot mortality, head yield and quality were determined after exposure of plants to a range of temperatures for short periods, at different stages of development (vegetative, floral initiation and buttoning). Plants in pots and in the field were subjected to sub-zero temperature regimes from -1 C to -19 C. Extracellular ice formation was achieved by reducing temperatures slowly, at a rate of -2 C per hour. The floral initiation stage was most sensitive to freezing injury, as yields were significantly reduced at -1 C and -3 C, and shoot apices were killed at -5 C. There was no significant yield reduction when the inflorescence buttoning stage was subjected to -1 C and -3 C. Although shoot apices at buttoning survived the -5 C treatment, very poor quality heads of uneven bud size were produced as a result of arrested development. The lethal temperature for pot-grown broccoli was between -3 C and -5 C, whereas the lethal temperature for field-grown broccoli was between -7 C and -9 C. The difference was presumably due to variation in cold acclimation. Freezing injury can reduce broccoli head yield and quality, and retard plant growth. Crop development models based only on simple thermal time without restrictions will not predict yield or maturity if broccoli crops are frost-damaged. Field studies were conducted to develop procedures for predicting ontogeny, yield and quality. Three cultivars, (Fiesta, Greenbelt and Marathon) were sown on eight dates from 11 March to 22 May 1997, and grown under natural and extended (16 h) photoperiods in a sub-tropical environment at Gatton College, south-east Queensland, under non-limiting conditions of water and nutrient supply. Daily climatic data, and dates of emergence, floral initiation, harvest maturity, together with yield and quality were obtained. Yield and quality responses to temperature and photoperiod were quantified. As growing season mean minimum temperatures decreased, fresh weight of tops decreased while fresh weight harvest index increased linearly. There was no definite relationship between fresh weight of tops or fresh weight harvest index and growing season minimum temperatures greater than 10 C. Genotype, rather than the environment, mainly determined head quality attributes. Fiesta had the best head quality, with higher head shape and branching angle ratings than Greenbelt or Marathon. Bud colour and cluster separation of Marathon were only acceptable for export when growing season mean minimum temperatures were less than 8 C. Photoperiod did not influence yield or quality in any of the three cultivars. A better understanding of genotype and environmental interactions will help farmers optimise yield and quality, by matching cultivars with time of sowing. Crop developmental responses to temperature and photoperiod were quantified from emergence to harvest maturity (Model 1), from emergence to floral initiation (Model 2), from floral initiation to harvest maturity (Model 3), and in a combination of Models 2 and 3 (Model 4). These thermal time models were based on optimised base and optimum temperatures of 0 and 20 C, respectively. These optimised temperatures were determined using an iterative optimisation routine (simplex). Cardinal temperatures were consistent across cultivars but thermal time of phenological intervals were cultivar specific. Sensitivity to photoperiod and solar radiation was low in the three cultivars used. Thermal time models tested on independent data for five cultivars (Fiesta, Greenbelt, Marathon, CMS Liberty and Triathlon) grown as commercial crops on the Darling Downs over two years, adequately predicted floral initiation and harvest maturity. Model 4 provided the best prediction for the chronological duration from emergence to harvest maturity. Model 1 was useful when floral initiation data were not available, and it predicted harvest maturity almost as well as Model 4 since the same base and optimum temperatures of 0 C and 20 C, respectively, were used for both phenological intervals. Model 1 was also generated using data from 1979-80 sowings of three cultivars (Premium Crop, Selection 160 and Selection 165A). When Model 1 was tested with independent data from 1983-84, it predicted harvest maturity well. Where floral initiation data were available, predictions of harvest maturity were most precise using Model 3, since the variation, which occurred from emergence to floral initiation, was removed. Prediction of floral initiation using Model 2 can be useful for timing cultural practices, and for avoiding frost and high temperature periods. This research has produced models to assist broccoli farmers in crop scheduling and cultivar selection in south-east Queensland. Using the models as a guide, farmers can optimise yield and quality, by matching cultivars with sowing date. By accurately predicting floral initiation, the risk of frost damage during floral initiation can be reduced by adjusting sowing dates or crop management options. The simple and robust thermal time models will improve production and marketing arrangements, which have to be made in advance. The thermal time models in this study, incorporating frost risk using conditional statements, provide a foundation for a decision support system to manage the sequence of sowings on commercial broccoli farms.

This thesis focuses on the African migrant and refugee community in South East Queensland to investigate how community members use digital technologies for accessing health information. It demonstrates that African community members in Australia access and use digital technologies differently to non-African members of the community. The thesis highlights that an information sharing culture, especially via instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, prevails in the African community. The thesis also shows that digital technologies, which convey health information and services around the world, are not equally experienced by people and this has implications for health providers and policy makers.

Complementary and alternative medication (CAM) use during menopause is a growing public and women's health issue. The use of CAMs is increasing and evidence of CAM use in the general population suggests that women in the menopausal age range are more likely to use CAMs. In the context of menopause, preliminary research has indicated that women are using a number of CAMs to address symptoms. In a study of American women aged 45 to 65 years, 22% of women used CAMs during menopause, specifically herbal or naturopathic remedies (13%), relaxation techniques (9%) and dietary soy supplements (7%). Fourteen percent (14%) of women strongly agreed with the proposition that approaches such as nutrition and vitamins were better than hormones (Newton et al., 2002). The term 'menopause' is a concept of varying perceptions and perspectives. From the biological perspective, menopause is constant, however from the individual perspective, menopause is a unique experience shaped by cultural, emotional, psychological and physical characteristics. Symptoms commonly cited during menopause include hot flushes, night sweats palpitations, irregular menses and muscle and bone pain. The use of CAMs during menopause has the potential to address current symptoms and promote long term health and wellness. The reviewed literature indicated that while a preliminary understanding of CAM use during menopause is evident, further research is needed to clarify and contextualise current prevalence rates and types used. In addition, an understanding of the reasons and factors that influence women to use CAMs during this transition is crucial to understanding women's menopausal experience. This project aimed to explore the prevalence of CAM use during menopause and to identify the reasons that influence women to use these therapies during the transition. To address this question, a two phase study was designed to incorporate both quantitative and qualitative research methods. For Phase 1, a secondary data analysis was undertaken on a dataset that explored women's menopausal experiences and therapies used to address symptoms and for phase 2, focus groups were used to explore women's personal experiences and perceptions of CAM use during menopause. The secondary data analysis was undertaken on a population based sample of 886 women aged 47-67 years. Women were randomly selected from the electoral roll on the basis of gender, age and postcode, which were selected to ensure representation of urban and rural and varying socioeconomic status. From this analysis, the findings indicated that 80% of women used at least one type of CAM with therapeutic techniques (activities such as walking and swimming) the most commonly used (83.0%), followed by nutrition (66.8%), phytoestrogens (55.8%), herbal therapies (41.3%) and CAM medications (25.1%). Women who used CAMs were more likely to experience anxiety and vasomotor (hot flushes and night sweats) symptoms, have higher education levels, be low to middle income earners, be aged under 55 years, be previous users of hormone therapy (HT) and have participated in self breast examinations. CAM users were 40 to 90% less likely to be currently using HT or to smoke more than 20 cigarettes per day. The results of the secondary data analysis indicated the prevalence and factors associated with CAM use, however the factors that influence women to use CAMs during the menopause were unclear. A series of three focus groups and two telephone interviews were undertaken with a group of 15 women, who were current users of CAMs, aged 47-67 years and fluent in English. Women were recruited through an advertisement placed in a newsletter distributed by a large metropolitan hospital; a flyer displayed on noticeboards of libraries and shopping centres; and a media release through the local community newspaper and on a state wide radio station. Analysis of the transcripts indicated that a number of factors interact to influence a woman's decision to use CAMs. Influences included relationships with family, friends and health practitioners, effects of symptoms, information on CAMs and menopause, current menopause research, personal perceptions of health, wellness and effectiveness of CAM therapies to alleviate symptoms. Taken together, the results of the Phase 1 and 2 combined with the literature indicated that women were using multiple forms of CAMs. A post hoc analysis was undertaken and the CAM questions analysed in Phase 1 were critiqued within this new knowledge of CAM use. As a consequence, CAMs were redefined into four groups to enhance current understandings. After reclassification, the use of at least one CAM was 71.6%, with the most commonly used dietary phytoestrogens (60.0%), followed by dietary supplements (47.0%), herbal therapies (35.9%) and phytoestrogen supplements (33.0%). Sociodemographic, health and symptom characteristics were further profiled against the redefined categories of dietary phytoestrogens, dietary supplements, herbal therapies, phytoestrogen supplements and users of multiple CAMs. The consistency of associations varied according to the CAM category with no significant association present across all four CAM categories. This post hoc analysis clarified CAM categorisation and highlighted the high prevalence of women who were using multiple forms of CAMs. Additionally, multivariable analysis validated and confirmed the results of Phase 1 as similar profiles of a CAM user were found. This research has identified the prevalence of CAM use during menopause in Queensland women and has begun to elucidate the reasons that influence women to use these therapies during this transition. The utilisation of both quantitative and qualitative methods has provided a comprehensive and holistic depiction of women's use of CAMs during menopause. The results and conclusions drawn from this research have highlighted areas that need addressing within the research and health service domain. For future research, development of a comprehensive CAM survey instrument is required and clarification of the definition of CAMs is also needed. Multiple definitions are currently used to describe CAM use, creating confusion in classifying types of CAMs and comparing prevalence rates between studies. With regard to health service recommendations, there is a need for increased access to information on menopause and alternative therapies for women. Open, active and participatory relationships between health practitioners and menopausal women are essential and health practitioners need to be aware women are using a variety of CAMs during the menopause and are likely to continue to do so even if health practitioner support is not apparent.

Complementary and alternative medication (CAM) use during menopause is a growing public and women's health issue. The use of CAMs is increasing and evidence of CAM use in the general population suggests that women in the menopausal age range are more likely to use CAMs. In the context of menopause, preliminary research has indicated that women are using a number of CAMs to address symptoms. In a study of American women aged 45 to 65 years, 22% of women used CAMs during menopause, specifically herbal or naturopathic remedies (13%), relaxation techniques (9%) and dietary soy supplements (7%). Fourteen percent (14%) of women strongly agreed with the proposition that approaches such as nutrition and vitamins were better than hormones (Newton et al., 2002). The term 'menopause' is a concept of varying perceptions and perspectives. From the biological perspective, menopause is constant, however from the individual perspective, menopause is a unique experience shaped by cultural, emotional, psychological and physical characteristics. Symptoms commonly cited during menopause include hot flushes, night sweats palpitations, irregular menses and muscle and bone pain. The use of CAMs during menopause has the potential to address current symptoms and promote long term health and wellness. The reviewed literature indicated that while a preliminary understanding of CAM use during menopause is evident, further research is needed to clarify and contextualise current prevalence rates and types used. In addition, an understanding of the reasons and factors that influence women to use CAMs during this transition is crucial to understanding women's menopausal experience. This project aimed to explore the prevalence of CAM use during menopause and to identify the reasons that influence women to use these therapies during the transition. To address this question, a two phase study was designed to incorporate both quantitative and qualitative research methods. For Phase 1, a secondary data analysis was undertaken on a dataset that explored women's menopausal experiences and therapies used to address symptoms and for phase 2, focus groups were used to explore women's personal experiences and perceptions of CAM use during menopause. The secondary data analysis was undertaken on a population based sample of 886 women aged 47-67 years. Women were randomly selected from the electoral roll on the basis of gender, age and postcode, which were selected to ensure representation of urban and rural and varying socioeconomic status. From this analysis, the findings indicated that 80% of women used at least one type of CAM with therapeutic techniques (activities such as walking and swimming) the most commonly used (83.0%), followed by nutrition (66.8%), phytoestrogens (55.8%), herbal therapies (41.3%) and CAM medications (25.1%). Women who used CAMs were more likely to experience anxiety and vasomotor (hot flushes and night sweats) symptoms, have higher education levels, be low to middle income earners, be aged under 55 years, be previous users of hormone therapy (HT) and have participated in self breast examinations. CAM users were 40 to 90% less likely to be currently using HT or to smoke more than 20 cigarettes per day. The results of the secondary data analysis indicated the prevalence and factors associated with CAM use, however the factors that influence women to use CAMs during the menopause were unclear. A series of three focus groups and two telephone interviews were undertaken with a group of 15 women, who were current users of CAMs, aged 47-67 years and fluent in English. Women were recruited through an advertisement placed in a newsletter distributed by a large metropolitan hospital; a flyer displayed on noticeboards of libraries and shopping centres; and a media release through the local community newspaper and on a state wide radio station. Analysis of the transcripts indicated that a number of factors interact to influence a woman's decision to use CAMs. Influences included relationships with family, friends and health practitioners, effects of symptoms, information on CAMs and menopause, current menopause research, personal perceptions of health, wellness and effectiveness of CAM therapies to alleviate symptoms. Taken together, the results of the Phase 1 and 2 combined with the literature indicated that women were using multiple forms of CAMs. A post hoc analysis was undertaken and the CAM questions analysed in Phase 1 were critiqued within this new knowledge of CAM use. As a consequence, CAMs were redefined into four groups to enhance current understandings. After reclassification, the use of at least one CAM was 71.6%, with the most commonly used dietary phytoestrogens (60.0%), followed by dietary supplements (47.0%), herbal therapies (35.9%) and phytoestrogen supplements (33.0%). Sociodemographic, health and symptom characteristics were further profiled against the redefined categories of dietary phytoestrogens, dietary supplements, herbal therapies, phytoestrogen supplements and users of multiple CAMs. The consistency of associations varied according to the CAM category with no significant association present across all four CAM categories. This post hoc analysis clarified CAM categorisation and highlighted the high prevalence of women who were using multiple forms of CAMs. Additionally, multivariable analysis validated and confirmed the results of Phase 1 as similar profiles of a CAM user were found. This research has identified the prevalence of CAM use during menopause in Queensland women and has begun to elucidate the reasons that influence women to use these therapies during this transition. The utilisation of both quantitative and qualitative methods has provided a comprehensive and holistic depiction of women's use of CAMs during menopause. The results and conclusions drawn from this research have highlighted areas that need addressing within the research and health service domain. For future research, development of a comprehensive CAM survey instrument is required and clarification of the definition of CAMs is also needed. Multiple definitions are currently used to describe CAM use, creating confusion in classifying types of CAMs and comparing prevalence rates between studies. With regard to health service recommendations, there is a need for increased access to information on menopause and alternative therapies for women. Open, active and participatory relationships between health practitioners and menopausal women are essential and health practitioners need to be aware women are using a variety of CAMs during the menopause and are likely to continue to do so even if health practitioner support is not apparent.

Paropsis atomaria Olivier (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Paropsini), is a major pest of commercially grown eucalypts in South-East Queensland. Current management of paropsine beetles involves regular inspection and the application of chemical sprays if defoliation is severe. However, non-chemical control of plantation pests is highly desirable given the requirement to certify forest practices for sustainability, and community concerns over the use of pesticides. One way of reducing pesticide use is through conservation biological control, which requires detailed knowledge of the life history of the pest and its natural enemies. This thesis documents aspects of P. atomaria phenology, including life tables, sex ratios and damage estimates; identifies the predators, parasites, and egg and larval parasitoids of P. atomaria; and examines the ecology of the most promising natural enemy, Neopolycystus Girault sp. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in South-East Queensland. P. atomaria adults are active from September until April and can complete up to four generations in a season. Field mortality between egg and fourth instar larvae is approximately 94%. A large proportion of this mortality can be attributed to natural enemies. The most abundant predators in eucalypt plantations were spiders, comprising 88% of all predators encountered. Egg parasitoids exerted the greatest influence on P. atomaria populations, emerging from around 50% of all egg batches, and were responsible for mortality of almost one third of all eggs in the field. Only about one percent of larvae were parasitised in the field, in contrast to paropsine pests in temperate Australia, where egg parasitism rates are low and larval parasitism rates high. Neopolycystus sp. was the only primary parasitoid reared from P. atomaria eggs, along with three hyperparasitoid species; Baeoanusia albifunicle Girault (Encyrtidae), Neblatticida sp. (Encyrtidae) and Aphaneromella sp. (Platygasteridae). This is the first record of B. albifunicle hyperparasitising Neopolycystus spp. B. albifunicle emerged from one-third of all parasitised egg batches and could pose a potential problem to the efficacy of Neopolycystus sp. as a biological control agent. However, within egg batches, hyperparasitoids rarely killed all Neopolycystus sp. with only 9% of hyperparasitised egg batches failing to produce any primary parasitoids. Total field mortality of P. atomaria through direct and indirect effects of parasitism by Neopolycystus sp. was 28%. The proportion of egg batches parasitised increased with exposure time in the field, but within-batch parasitism rate did not. In general, there was no significant correlation between parasitism rates and distance from landscape features (viz. water sources and native forest).

Paropsis atomaria Olivier (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Paropsini), is a major pest of commercially grown eucalypts in South-East Queensland. Current management of paropsine beetles involves regular inspection and the application of chemical sprays if defoliation is severe. However, non-chemical control of plantation pests is highly desirable given the requirement to certify forest practices for sustainability, and community concerns over the use of pesticides. One way of reducing pesticide use is through conservation biological control, which requires detailed knowledge of the life history of the pest and its natural enemies. This thesis documents aspects of P. atomaria phenology, including life tables, sex ratios and damage estimates; identifies the predators, parasites, and egg and larval parasitoids of P. atomaria; and examines the ecology of the most promising natural enemy, Neopolycystus Girault sp. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in South-East Queensland. P. atomaria adults are active from September until April and can complete up to four generations in a season. Field mortality between egg and fourth instar larvae is approximately 94%. A large proportion of this mortality can be attributed to natural enemies. The most abundant predators in eucalypt plantations were spiders, comprising 88% of all predators encountered. Egg parasitoids exerted the greatest influence on P. atomaria populations, emerging from around 50% of all egg batches, and were responsible for mortality of almost one third of all eggs in the field. Only about one percent of larvae were parasitised in the field, in contrast to paropsine pests in temperate Australia, where egg parasitism rates are low and larval parasitism rates high. Neopolycystus sp. was the only primary parasitoid reared from P. atomaria eggs, along with three hyperparasitoid species; Baeoanusia albifunicle Girault (Encyrtidae), Neblatticida sp. (Encyrtidae) and Aphaneromella sp. (Platygasteridae). This is the first record of B. albifunicle hyperparasitising Neopolycystus spp. B. albifunicle emerged from one-third of all parasitised egg batches and could pose a potential problem to the efficacy of Neopolycystus sp. as a biological control agent. However, within egg batches, hyperparasitoids rarely killed all Neopolycystus sp. with only 9% of hyperparasitised egg batches failing to produce any primary parasitoids. Total field mortality of P. atomaria through direct and indirect effects of parasitism by Neopolycystus sp. was 28%. The proportion of egg batches parasitised increased with exposure time in the field, but within-batch parasitism rate did not. In general, there was no significant correlation between parasitism rates and distance from landscape features (viz. water sources and native forest).

Riparian vegetation has been impacted by urbanisation in many parts of Australia, resulting in population declines of numerous species of stream-associated frogs. This study was the first to investigate movement and microhabitat use of the stream-associated frog, Mixophyes fasciolatus, in sites that differed in the ecological condition of riparian vegetation in south-east Queensland. Twenty-nine frogs were tracked over a 48-hour period and their fine-scale movements and microhabitat use were examined and found to be related to riparian vegetation condition. These results have significant implications for the conservation management of this species.

This research aimed to evaluate alternative urban growth scenarios by using representative transport impact indicators at different spatial and temporal scale. The assessment of key indicators at multi-scale level helped for ranking the alternative scenarios in terms of their suitability for promoting sustainable urban growth with least environmental externalities. In addition to the key transport impact indicators and alternative scenario of the future urban growth as major contributions to knowledge, this research provides an empirical approach to inform and assist decision-makers, practitioners and stakeholders in applying the meta-narrative of sustainable development at regional, city and local level.

change due to natural and human factors. The study area, located within the Native Dog Creek sub-catchment of the Logan River - which drains into Moreton Bay, south east Queensland - holds a detailed history of environmental change spanning most of the Holocene epoch. This history is preserved in the estuarine sedimentary record and is a valuable indicator of natural environmental change. More recently, human-induced changes within the study area have been superimposed on the natural process of environmental change. In order to develop a conceptual bio-geomorphic model of the coastal wetlands of Native Dog Creek, this thesis examined - on an integrated catchment basis - the evolution and connectivity of four coastal wetland community types (Melaleuca, Casuarina, saltmarsh and mangroves). The research consisted of four discrete studies within the study area: a geomorphic investigation that provided a framework for understanding how the wetlands evolved during the Holocene epoch; an acid sulfate soil (ASS) study that surveyed the distribution and concentration of sulfides; a palynological study that examined the natural directions of ecosystem change; and an investigation of the impact of specific human activities on these ecosystems. Detailed stratigraphic modelling found that the Logan River system (and its Native Dog Creek sub-catchment) has evolved from an infilling estuary since the peak of the Holocene transgression 6500 years before present. Recognition of the major controls that influenced geomorphic coastal development during the Holocene, provided important insights into the distribution and genesis of estuarine pyritic sediments which strongly influence the soils within the study area. In general, the estuarine central basin and fluvial delta sediments posed the greatest risk to the environment from acidification if disturbed. The major focus of the ASS study was to survey the distribution of ASS and to identify other areas most vulnerable to acidification. A predictive approach that combined chemical and stratigraphic analysis was used. Results showed that these areas are intrinsically related to their environment of deposition. The study found, for example, that the alternation of excessively wet and dry conditions - combined with high organic carbon levels and variations in microtopography - provided ideal conditions for the re-formation of pyrite in the stream channel within the Melaleuca wetlands. The palaeo-environmental study reconstructed the evolution of Holocene coastal wetland vegetation during the marine transgression and subsequent shoreline progradation. Pollen records from the four representative wetland communities (previously mentioned) were examined. The results found the mid-late Holocene vegetation history was controlled by the development of geomorphic features that have affected freshwater input, drainage and salinity. In response to the progradation of the shoreline after sea level stabilised, changes in fossil pollen from mangroves and saltmarsh taxa during the early-mid Holocene, to freshwater taxa during the late Holocene, are estimated to have taken 800 years. Thus, pollen analysis when used in combination with stratigraphic modelling, provided an important point of reference for rates of natural ecological change in response to evolutionary changes to the physical environment. The wetlands within the study area have suffered varying degrees of disturbance since European settlement in the 1820s. The most significant changes occurred during early European settlement, when vast areas of coastal lowlands were cleared for timber, sheep and cattle grazing and for agricultural purposes. A second period of change occurred from 1989 to 1995, when the Melaleuca community suffered dieback in response to hydrological modifications to Native Dog Creek for the development of a golf course. Results indicate that human-induced changes over the past 170 years have occurred at a rate far beyond the ability of the natural ecosystem to adapt or move to a more ecologically sustainable state, at least in the short-term. Hence the current environment is experiencing degradation through both decline in health and loss of indigenous species. The development of a conceptual bio-geomorphic model was based on the integration of results from all four studies, in an effort to provide a holistic understanding of the coastal wetland environment and of the impact of human-induced changes upon that environment. If these vulnerable ecosystems are to be maintained, successful and sustainable coastal management strategies must rely on a sound scientific understanding of the response of a coastal ecosystem to both human and environmental changes.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Australian School of Environmental Studies
Full Text

This study gathered data from 14 four to five-star hotels in South-East Queensland, Australia, in an attempt to examine the nature and degree of influence organisational climate has upon the performance of hotels. Employee perception of customer satisfaction was studied both as an index of performance and as an intervening variable between organisational climate and financial performance as indexed by revenue per available room (REVPAR). The data provided a description of a young, relatively gender balanced, well educated and trained work force which received relatively low levels of financial remuneration and displayed very high levels of turnover. A new instrument was used to measure the dimensions of organisational climate across the hotels. This instrument represented a modification of that presented by Ryder and Southey (1990), which itself was a modification of the 145 item psychological climate questionnaire of Jones and James (1979). The instrument represented a subset of 70 items of the Ryder and Southey instrument. Responses to all items within the instrument were on a 7 point anchored scale. Principal components analysis (PCA) produced results consistent with earlier versions of the instrument, which had been reported elsewhere. This analysis described organisational climate within the sample to be composed of 7 underlying dimensions; Leader facilitation and support, Professional and organisational esprit, Conflict and ambiguity, Regulations, organisation and pressure, Job variety, challenge and autonomy, Workgroup co-operation, friendliness and warmth, and Job standards. These dimensions were judged to be consistent with those reported earlier by Jones and James, and by Ryder and Southey. Poor support was found for the first structural model that proposed that employee demographic variables would affect organisational climate and that organisational climate would affect customer satisfaction (although the latter link was quite strong). The most important finding of the study was the support for a second structural model when it was found that variation in the 7 dimensions of organisational climate accounted for 30% of the variation in Employee Perception of Customer Satisfaction. Furthermore, that Employee Perception of Customer Satisfaction accounted for 23% of the variation in REVPAR between the hotels. Possible extensions of this study using direct measures of customer satisfaction and expanding it to include hotels of different star ratings are discussed.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Marketing and Management
Griffith Business School
Full Text

From an analogue past to a digital present describes and analyses how a rural community in South East Queensland has adapted to having improved television reception and other digital enhancements introduced into their lives. This exegesis presents and reflects on the progress of a Doctor of Visual Arts which drew on an action research methodology where the researcher was an active participant in the community’s endeavours to gain broadcast and digital reception. It also provides a detailed case study which contextualises and supports the studio project, the produced online documentary A Satellite Solution. A Satellite Solution is an experiment with the nonlinear documentary form and is designed to assist communities connected to the internet by providing an exemplar that demonstrates how they may similarly upgrade and practically install their own communications systems.
Thesis (Professional Doctorate)
Doctor of Visual Arts (DVA)
Griffith Film School
Arts, Education and Law
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An exploratory study of Board-Registered School Subjects was undertaken in 1989 to investigate the impact of this category of subjects on the curriculum for Year 11 and 12 students in Queensland secondary schools. The study was undertaken at two levels -the Systems and the Schools levels. At the Systems level, analysis of Reports and other documents was supplemented by interviews with key personnel in the education authorities. The segment at the Schools level consisted of interviews with administrators or teachers in ten schools in South East Queensland and a small student survey. Board-Registered School Subjects, first developed in that State in 1982, broadened the Senior curriculum from its traditionally academic base. The development of this category of subjects also heralded the beginnings of school based curriculum development in many secondary schools in that State. However, in the latter years of the 1980's, policies and syllabuses developed by the Queensland Department of Education indicate that a shift to systems based curriculum development is probable in the 1990's. Four sub-categories of Board-Registered School Subjects were identified in the sample schools. These were alternatives to core subjects, such as English and Mathematics, vocationally oriented subjects, those related to life/leisure skills and subjects which reflected the nature of the geographical area. The response by many schools to the development of these subjects was enthusiastic; most schools in the sample offered six to eight Board-Registered School Subjects to students in Years 11 and 12. Although many of these subjects were developed initially for students of "lower ability", a reported recent trend was for "academic" students to select one Board-Registered School Subject. The enthusiastic response by schools was curbed to some extent by the reaction of some teachers, students and parents to these subjects. Several Board-Registered School Subjects offered in 1989 were not implemented because insufficient numbers of students selected them. The major factor which mitigated against successful implementation of Board-Registered School Subjects was that students' results in these subjects could not be used in the calculation of the Tertiary Entrance Score, the basis for selection to tertiary institutions. For many students and parents, the Tertiary Entrance Score appeared to be the major goal of Senior secondary education.

This research contributed to the rather limited knowledge on the transport of organic contaminants in estuarine environments from South-East Queensland. Modelling studies were conducted to assess the fate of some current-use pesticides and pharmaceuticals in the Brisbane River estuary. The vertical transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in soils from a previous firefighting training ground was also assessed. The outcomes of this study contribute to the global stock taking of organic contaminants in the environments and are expected to be useful in designing effective containment or remediation strategies for organic contamination.

With the ever-increasing focus on the environment and the adverse effects that humanity has had, there has become a need to create means of sustaining the environment rather than destroying it. The impact of urbanisation on Stormwater runoff has included increased amounts of pollutants entering the waterways, which causes problems ranging from being aesthetically unpleasing to causing immeasurable damage, such as destroying the sea grass beds in Moreton Bay. The overall aim of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of installing local catchment water quality treatment devices on the regional ‘whole of catchment’ water quality. This was investigated specifically for South-East Queensland conditions by researching the Carrara Catchment on the Gold Coast through the collection of water quality data and modelling of the water quality. The research has shown that within Queensland, water quality treatment devices will improve the local water quality. This improvement is limited to a ’background’ concentration and removal efficiency. That is, there is a point beyond which no additional treatment of the stormwater quality is possible. The local treatment devices considered were shown to have an influence on the regional water quality, but their effectiveness was limited by the untreated subcatchments. Thus to have an effective influence on the regional water quality, every sub-catchment within a regional catchment needs to have a local treatment device. It was demonstrated that a regional treatment device (i.e. a treatment device located at the catchment outlet) has the greatest influence on the regional catchment concentration rather than many local treatment devices. The research demonstrated that in South-East Queensland a treatment device design for the 3 month ARI storm will not capture up to 90% of the average annual volume. The aim in the design of treatment devices should be to determine the removal efficiency required and design a treatment device (or train) to achieve this efficiency. Unfortunately this is usually limited by constraints such as the ‘background’ concentration level, available space and cost/benefit ratio.
Thesis (Masters)
Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
School of Environmental and Applied Sciences
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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Studies in North America, Europe, Japan and Australia have reported the presence of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) effluent could affect physiological and reproductive function in exposed fish consistent with exposure to hormonally active chemicals. The occurrence of EDCs in rivers and receiving environments situated near WWTPs raises concern over the removal efficacy of these compounds by conventional treatment processes. The main aim of this study was to utilize chemical analyses to assess concentrations of selected endocrine disruptors as well as a biological assay to measure the potential estrogenic effects of EDCs present in water discharged from wastewater treatment plants in South East Queensland, Australia. Currently, there are few reported studies on the estrogenic effects of EDCs released from WWTPs into receiving environments in Australia. Two field sampling methods were used. Grab sampling with subsequent extraction using a solid-phase extraction (SPE) technique and passive sampling utilizing EmporeTM (styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer) disk were used in this study. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method was successfully developed to simultaneously analyze 15 environmentally ubiquitous EDCs including phthalates, alkylphenols, tamoxifen, androgens and estrogens. Application of these methods for the determination of target EDCs in wastewater samples in this study showed 80 – 99% removal of most EDCs from influent to effluent, despite the wastewater treatment plants having different treatment processes. It was observed that the passive samplers accumulated less EDCs than predicted when compared to the grab samples. This is probably caused by, but may not be limited to, biofouling, low flow rate, biodegradation and temperature which can progressively reduce the uptake of compounds into the sampler. A future challenge would be to improve the reliability of passive samplers by reducing or controlling the environmental conditions that may impact on the passive sampler performance. Stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) in combination with thermal desorption coupled to GC-MS was successfully applied to analyze a range of EDCs in wastewater, biosolids and sludge. The technique was shown to be very versatile, shortening extraction time, reducing sample volume needed as well as being sensitive for the analysis of a wide range of EDCs. The results showed that there were high amounts of phthalates, alkylphenols and female hormones present in the raw influent wastewater and biosolids of the WWTP samples. For the complimentary bioassay, a proliferation assay using human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 (E-Screen assay) was used to determine estrogen equivalents (EEqs) in grab and passive samples from five municipal WWTPs. EEq concentrations derived by E-Screen assays for the grab samples were between 108 – 356 ng/L for the influents and <1 – 14.8 ng/L for the effluents with the exception of one effluent sample which was at 67.8 ng/L EEq. In most wastewater samples, the natural estrogens contributed to 60% or more of the EEq value. Based on the chemical and in vitro biological analyses results and coupled with reported no observed effect concentration (NOEC) in vivo studies (mainly based on fish vitellogenin studies), the risk of EDCs found in effluents of the monitored WWTPs having a significant impact on the receiving environment is reasonably low. Furthermore, a fugacity-based analysis was employed to model the fate of selected industrial chemicals with endocrine disrupting properties in a conventional activated sludge WWTP. Using mass balance principles, a fugacity model was developed for correlating and predicting the steady state-phase concentrations, the process stream fluxes, and the fate of four phthalates and four alkylphenols in a WWTP. The relative amounts of chemicals that are likely to be volatilized, sorbed to sludge, biotransformed, and discharged in the effluent water was assessed. Results obtained by applying the model for the eight compounds compared satisfactorily with data from the WWTP. All eight EDCs modelled in this study had high removal efficacy from the WWTP. Apart from benzyl butyl phthalate and bisphenol A, the majority is removed via biotransformation followed by a lesser proportion removed through primary sludge. Fugacity analysis provides useful insight into compound fate in a WWTP and with further calibration and validation the model should be useful for correlative and predictive purposes. In conclusion, the complementary chemical and biological analyses used in this study provided a comprehensive assessment which showed that the EDCs discharged from the monitored WWTPs would be expected to have a low impact on the receiving environments.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Environment
Faculty of Environment and Planning
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This research investigates the perceptual value of reputation and the underlying relationship between reputation and organisational culture, in a public healthcare organisation in South East Queensland. In doing so, it addresses the following research questions: In what way is the perceptual value of reputation conceptualised about public healthcare organisations? In what way is the perceptual value of reputation formed about public healthcare organisations? How do internal and external stakeholders perceive the value of reputation in public healthcare organisations? Increasing problems associated with chronic disease and an ageing population are significantly impacting the Australian health system as health organisations struggle to keep up with demand and rising community expectations. Despite these challenges, public healthcare organisations are required to deliver on the healthcare objectives of the government and maintain performance, efficiency, quality care delivery and equity of services. Fulfilling the government mandate and community expectations requires healthcare organisations to focus on strategies that improve performance and provide a competitive advantage to the organisation. Organisational reputation radiates strong appeal and provides organisations with a competitive advantage over obtaining skilled employees, customer loyalty, improved performance, funding and philanthropic donations. However, the value of reputation within public healthcare organisations has been largely undefined and under researched. Within private organisations, studies have shown reputation to be a valuable intangible resource that has provided organisations with a competitive advantage within their industry and is also likely to be associated with well-performing organisations. This research draws upon existing theory around resource-based view theory to explore the perceptual value of reputation. Studies that examine reputation tend to focus on measurable outputs. Therefore, empirical research that considers how reputation is conceptualised and formed by key stakeholders is scarce, particularly studies conducted in Australia. In addition, research that focuses on understanding the links between reputation and organisational cultural relationships tend to ignore the value of systems and the quality of the relationships between stakeholders. Therefore, this research draws on existing theory around reputation and organisational culture in order to explore the relationship between these two constructs. Further, this research aims to develop a better understanding of how reputation is defined and formed within public healthcare organisations and provide insights as to how organisations can work towards strategically building and managing their reputations. This study used an ethnographic, multi-phase, sequential, exploratory research design, and adopted a multilevel (organisational, group, individual), and multiple cultural perspective (integration, differentiation and fragmentation) approach. The study was conducted in two phases: Phase 1 explored internal stakeholder’s views of reputation at different hierarchical and professional levels. This included a multi-perspective examination involving diverse hierarchical levels of senior managers and frontline staff. Phase 2 was the external stakeholder group which involved interviews with consumers and potential consumers of healthcare organisations. Findings from the two phases were integrated, compared, and converged, to identify similarities and differences between the two data sets. Overall, findings indicate that reputation is a multi-dimensional construct based on the perceptions of key stakeholders. Reputation is defined by three dominant conceptualisations namely, reputation as consciousness; reputation as resource; and reputation as appraisement. By integrating the three conceptual perspectives of reputation, it defines reputation from public stakeholder perspectives. In addition, findings from this research highlight that the value of reputation for public healthcare organisations is identified by three main dimensions namely, consumer satisfaction; healthcare quality; and organisational culture. Thereby, emphasising that reputation is rooted in stakeholder perceptions of the organisation’s actions and behaviours. This research concludes that the value of reputation in public healthcare organisations is perceived as extremely important by both internal and external stakeholders. Reputation is a multidimensional construct that is stakeholder specific and industry specific. Importantly, the dimensions of reputation identified in this study, provide a basis for measuring reputation within organisations and addresses one of the significant problems identified in the reputation literature, that of an agreed method of reputation measurement. Specifically, reputation measurement should be closely tied to the accepted definition, based on the perceptions of stakeholders, and informed by the dimensions of reputation which are specific to the industry. Therefore, this research supports and extends the literature on reputation and confirms that organisational culture is a dimension of reputation. Hence, reputation management strategies need to be developed in collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure the dimensions of reputation are considered from both internal and external perspectives.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Dept Bus Strategy & Innovation
Griffith Business School
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This document examines the broad relationship between transportation and sustainability in South East Queensland. In essence, it addresses the question of whether a quandary exists in the interpretation of sustainability amongst the region's transport policy makers. The principal policy document considered is the Integrated Regional Transport Plan (IRTP) for South East Queensland. Released in 1994, this document represents the overriding plan for the development and management of transport systems over a twenty five year horizon. The update to the IRTP, 2000 Vision, also forms part of this examination. Sustainability is seen here as the fu lfilment of tangible net gains in the environment, society and the economy for present and future generations by establishing a balance between each. It aims to improve the quality of life for all inhabitants. Transportation systems affect these th ree broad elements of human settlements - the natural environment, society and the economy. A framework for evaluating sustainability in transportation is developed as a key component of this dissertation based on an examination of the impacts on these elements. By applying this framework to the IRTP, the dissertation proposes an answer to the interpretative quandary. The IRTP incorporates sustainability principles in its policies. These policies are based on non-restrictive transport measures meaning that road capacity and existing low parking prices are maintained for instance. Its main thrust is the improvement of public transport so as to establish a greater share of users. This way, the IRTP believes that a "more sustainable transport system" is created. This dissertation suggests that a quandary exists not in the interpretation of sustainabil ity but in the means of achieving its very essence. With existing land use policies and a road-based transport culture reinforcing a dispersed spatial pattern, the IRTP's intention is that which may not be fully realised.