Academic literature on the topic 'Theatrical managers Interviews Australia'

This project seeks to study the TourismTheatre phenomenon. The main proposal of the research is to highlight strategies of how an urban destination can make, from its inherent theatre products and theatrical culture, a tourist attraction.The methodology undertaken has been an exploratory search of qualitative information thanks to exhaustive in-depth interviews with theatrical and tourism professionals and companies. Currently, London and New York are the most successful examples of TourismTheatre destinations. However, examples from other western destinations are devising alternatives strategies.Surprisingly, the conclusion that the project has unearthed is that tourism accessibility is the key to TourismTheatre phenomenon. In destinations where theatre is not yet a tourism attraction, tourist managers should focus on making the art form more reachable for tourist consumption (content accessibility, communication campaigns, distribution channels, etc.). Thus, the creation of a tourism accessibility company applied to theatre could be the most feasible strategy to adopt.

AbstractSeveral influential writers including Henry Mintzberg and Gary Hamel have highlighted the need for organizations to value the contribution to strategy work of middle managers in an uncertain world. In this study quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews are used to mix methods and investigate the role of middle managers in strategy-making process in Australia. The results indicate that middle managers are the ‘doers’ of strategy, with important ‘analyst’, ‘coordinator’, ‘information source’ and ‘communicator’ roles. Middle managers reported some frustration in interviews that at times they feel their input to strategic conversations is not translated effectively into organization strategy.

This paper uses a range of theories to compare the use of internal networks for seeking the next innovative idea by two countries experiencing different examined the effect of variation in macroeconomic conditions to determine motivational differences between SME owners/managers in Australia and Italy. The paper used interviews from SME owner/managers from Italy and Australia. The findings confirm a small generational cohort impact across the two countries in affecting how SMEs owner/managers perceive information from their employees. However, the strongest predictor of whether information from employees was perceived as a potential innovation is the norms of the SME owner/manager, irrespective of the country.

Background The Refugee Health Program (RHP) is a nurse-led community initiative, introduced in 2005 with the aim of responding to complex health issues of refugees arriving in Victoria, Australia. Little is known about refugee health nursing in the resettlement context and the impact of dedicated refugee healthcare. Aim To explore the experiences and perspectives of Refugee Health Nurses (RHNs), Refugee Health Managers (managers) and refugees, gaining insight into professional relationships and the complexities of offering a specialised refugee health service. Method A focused ethnographic approach incorporated semi-structured interviews with five RHNs, two managers and eight refugees, two focus groups with refugees and participant observation within the RHP during April 2017 to December 2017. Data collection was undertaken across two sites and interviews, focus groups and observations were transcribed and thematically analysed. Social constructionism asserts that the focus of enquiry should be on interaction, group processes and social practices. Emphasis is placed upon relationships between RHNs, managers and refugees, with knowledge viewed as relational and interactional. Results Professional relationships between RHNs and refugees are complex, with power oscillating between them. Contrary to discourses of ‘vulnerability’ of refugees, both RHNs and refugees demonstrated power in their relationships with each other. Nurses also suggested that these relationships were stressful and could lead to burnout. Key themes were developed: (1) nursing autonomy and gatekeeping; (2) vicarious trauma and burnout; and (3) refugee negotiation of care. Conclusions The balance of power is central to therapeutic relationships. In relationships between RHNs and refugees, power fluctuates as RHNs are exposed to vicarious trauma and symptoms of burnout, while refugees exercise agency by recognising benefits to specialised care. In developing effective therapeutic relationships between RHNs and refugees, attention should be paid to how care is delivered to protect RHNs from burnout while ensuring that refugees receive appropriate care.

Introduction:The term “profession” to describe the people who carry out emergency management (EM) in Australia continues to gain momentum. Many emergency managers see themselves and are seen by others as professionals, yet little evidence exists to confirm this proposition. Unlike other professions, there is no peak body or overarching organization in Australia to help the diverse group of emergency managers to identify standards of performance and to lobby decision-makers on their behalf.Aim:This study identifies criteria that define a profession and considers how the emergency management sector in Australia reflects them.Methods:A literature review and review of established professions informed criteria of what constitutes a profession. Using these criteria, a survey was conducted to identify the demographic profiles of Australian emergency managers, their perception of the criteria of a profession, and their attitudes towards professionalization of their sector. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a representative sample. Ethics approval was obtained.Results:A set of criteria for an EM context in Australia was created. 859 emergency managers in Australia were surveyed using an online questionnaire. No common profile emerged from the survey in terms of age, gender, background, expertise, skills, or experience. Likewise, no clear career path, no clearly defined standard training, no universal standards of performance, and no statutory certification to qualify an emergency manager as a professional were revealed. Participants variously identified some of the necessary criteria of a profession, but no uniformity emerged.Discussion:This unique study concludes that the sector is not yet in a position to regard emergency management as a profession. Recommendations suggest steps be taken in the short- and long-term to facilitate the establishment of EM as a profession and identifies further research to inform the journey towards professionalizing the emergency management sector.

The attitudes of the owners or managers of properties potentially supporting populations of night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) in western Queensland, Australia, were explored using interviews to understand whether they would be sympathetic to the species’ conservation. Eighteen interviews were carried out by a former member of the local grazing community and found a high level of support for conservation, especially if it did not unduly disrupt existing grazing management practices and there was compensation in the event property management needed to change. This included trying to limit burning and not overgrazing habitat in which the parrot might occur. It also included the cessation of wild dog baiting, which is conducted to reduce calf losses, although concern about wild dogs was deeply entrenched. While some graziers were indifferent, none were openly antagonistic to parrot conservation that might involve their property. The results suggest that collaborative management with local graziers can contribute substantially to conservation of the night parrot in the region and any fears that graziers might be antagonistic to night parrot conservation are ill-founded.

Herbicide resistance management is often understood as a decision for individual land managers, but their decisions have far-reaching impacts for social-ecological systems. Area-wide management can reduce these impacts by supporting many land managers to cooperatively work towards a shared goal of reducing the spread of resistance. The aim of this research is to identify what support is needed for area-wide herbicide resistance management in cropping systems. Data was collected from 84 interviews with growers, public land managers and weed management advisors. Sixty-five interviews were conducted across three cropping regions of eastern Australia—Darling Downs (Queensland), Riverina (New South Wales) and Sunraysia (Victoria)—and 19 interviews were conducted with stakeholders beyond these regions. The majority (51%) of interviewees expressed concern about the spread of herbicide resistance, but only 14% described involvement in area-wide resistance management programs. Area-wide management was mostly reported to involve sharing information among stakeholders, rather than coordination or joint activities. Key barriers to participation were perceived to be the diverse agricultural industries in each region and the costs of participation. Future area-wide management program designs need to build working relationships among diverse stakeholders, clearly define the boundaries of the program and demonstrate the benefits that accrue from participation.

Purpose – The aim of this study is to explore drivers of corporate community involvement (CCI) initiatives and the challenges faced by companies in measuring the social impact of their initiatives in Australia. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with various corporate social responsibility (CSR) or CCI managers from Australian companies and their not-for-profit (NFP) partners. The final sample consists of 27 managers from a mix of industries. Findings – The study shows that stakeholder's salience may have an impact on CCI activities, especially in the area of measurements and reporting activities. Moreover, while some companies have attempted to measure the social impact of their initiatives, a large number of companies have not. This is all the more surprising given the recent focus in marketing on accountability and measurement. The results show three challenges: lack of interest, lack of resources and lack of consensus. Subsequently, the authors offer some research propositions to underline these challenges. Originality/value – This study focuses on CCI which is one of the most visible parts of corporate social responsibility (CSR). It draws on interviews with various managers in charge of companies' CSR or CCI.

This paper aims to review the use of various construction procurement systems and present the development of Relationship-Based Procurement (RBP) Methods currently in use within the Australian construction industry. Therefore, this paper provides the historical development of procurement briefly and then focuses on the adoption of Relationship-Based Procurement (RBP) approaches in the Australian construction industry to investigate the future direction of the collaborative project procurement arrangements. Semi-structured interviews with high-level managers in the Australian state government organizations have been conducted to answer the research question. A discussion has been presented about the potential future tendency of the industry in adopting a RBP. The findings suggest that even though relationship based procurement systems offer significant benefits; they are not popular among the public sector decision makers because of inability to demonstrate Value for Money (VfM) propositions for public projects. Other reasons which may cause a move away from using RBPs in the future include the need for managers to fully engage throughout the project, and the lack of collaborative environment within the construction industry in general.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on a study that examines the sale and provision of healthy beverages across four sectors of the hospitality industry: restaurants, cafes, pubs and quick-service/takeaways. Specifically, the research investigates perceptions of demand for healthy products, challenges to distribution and strategies for increasing supply. In addition, business managers’ attitudes and behaviours with regard to offering healthy beverages, including probiotic beverages (i.e. kombucha, kefir, etc.), are explored, as these are among the fastest growing drinks category. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected in 2018 through 400 telephone interviews with hospitality business managers from Australia (n=250) and New Zealand (n=150). Data were analysed through SPSS and Stata using descriptive statistics and Probit regression, with a binary outcome variable of “sell/ do not sell” probiotics to consumers. Findings Results suggest that the business’ decision to sell healthy beverages is influenced by perceptions of consumer demand, profit margins, shelf life of the products and if locally produced. Originality/value The findings from this exploratory study present new insights on how hospitality firms respond to consumer demand for healthy options, and the factors influencing their decision to incorporate healthier beverages in their menus.

The impact of the hotel industry on the world environment has been widespread. It is a major industry that consumes a significant amount of natural resources and energy in the course of providing hospitality for its guests. For a hotel manager, developing policies and strategies for environmental sustainability can be challenging in the first instance, but actually implementing these policies is often even more difficult because managers of these businesses have to concurrently manage and align social, economic and environmental outcomes; the three dimensions that comprise sustainable performance (Epstein & Buhovac, 2014). As hotel management are at the forefront of implementing environmentally sustainable policies and practices (ESPPs), the focus of this research has been on the Australian hotel industry and its managers’ perspectives on ESPPs and the influence of their stakeholders. Applying stakeholder theory has contributed to an understanding of how organisations, including hotels, behave, especially in a rapidly changing and dynamic business climate where environmental issues are becoming increasingly prominent. There is an inherent need to explore and connect the positive links that exist between stakeholder interests. However, there is also an opportunity to expand the scope of stakeholder theory to offer a broader purpose in creating equal value for all stakeholders and the benefit of society and the environment. This focus requires a shift from short-term economic benefits to the broader benefits to society and the environment. A two-phase process was undertaken in order to obtain data on environmental sustainability in Australian hotels and to engage with the research questions. The first phase of the research entailed a review of hotel websites in order to gain a preliminary understanding of the scope and extent of ESPPs adopted by hotels. The second phase involved the conduct of in-depth, face-to-face interviews with selected hotel managers identified in the first phase of the preliminary investigation as having an influence on hotel policies and procedures. This research found that independent and Australian chain affiliated hotels investigated in this study do not have formal environmental policies, either at a corporate or individual hotel level. This is in contrast to international chain affiliated hotels which do have formal policies on environmental sustainability. However, these policies are developed and formulated overseas at a corporate office level and passed down to individual hotels in Australia to be implemented. Major barriers to environmental sustainability are time, financial resources, a lack of suitable enablement resources and stakeholder owners and shareholders of hotels. The major drivers for environmental sustainability are the support of owners and shareholders, financial benefits, marketing leverage, guest preferences and environmental awareness. The major stakeholders influencing ESPPs of hotels are their owners and shareholders, their head or corporate office, senior management and hotel guests. Owners and shareholders have the most significant influence on policies and practices as they have a financial interest in the hotel and simply put, they are in business to make a profit. The current focus areas for environmental sustainability are water management, energy and recycling. Hotels intend to address them with increased prominence moving forward. The research responses demonstrate a need for more innovative approaches if the hotel industry is to make a significant contribution to environmental sustainability. Analysing the focus areas of environmentally sustainable practices in the future, other than discussion on building sustainable hotels from the ground up, suggests that little thought has been given to other innovative and sustainable practices that can be implemented. Establishing commitment to the notion of environmental sustainability is the principal step a hotel organisation or independent hotel should embark upon in order to establish a statement of purpose or policy relating to environmental sustainability. Hotel managers working at a property level should be involved with formulation of ESPPs. Their involvement in the creation of policy makes it easier to implement environmentally sustainable practices as they will have developed a better understanding of the foundation of environmental policies. This benefits all stakeholders as well as the environment. Developing and strengthening the relationship amongst stakeholders is one of the most significant forces that can drive successful environmental initiatives and practices.

Green Harvest explores the ideas and practices that have shaped organic farming and gardening in Australia from the interwar years to the present day. It reveals that Australian organic farming and gardening societies were amongst the first in the world, being active as early as the 1940s. In what way does human health depend upon the natural environment? Green Harvest traces this idea through four themes of Australian organic farming and gardening – soil, chemical free, ecological well-being and back to the land – each illustrated with a case study profiling an Australian organic farmer or gardener. Personalities in Australian organic gardening, such as Jackie French and Peter Bennett, talk about organic growing. The book also features extracts from early organic magazines and interviews with current organic growers, including banana and macadamia farmers, managers of outback sheep stations, dairy farmers and self-sufficiency gardeners. All of these tell the story of Australian organic farming and gardening: past, present and future.

This chapter reports on a qualitative study looking at Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in a higher education institution. The empirical dataset for this qualitative study was collected through student and industry focus groups and individual semi-structured interviews with Masters students and managers of hotels in Sydney, Australia. The study provides an understanding of the key concepts, issues, and methodologies of applying WIL practices. The results show that a formal qualification together with a structured work placement develops students' knowledge and skills and is beneficial in developing a hotel management career.

This chapter addresses the issue of marketing higher education institutions through education agents, focusing on ways to gain a competitive advantage over other institutions in the context of increasing global competition while maintaining close management and governance of this distribution channel. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 31 Australian university international marketing managers and staff, and 16 education agents based in Australia and overseas. The findings show seven main themes, namely, service and support, joint promotion, incentives, training, gifts, social activities, and relationship enhancement. The contributions of this chapter are the provision of experiences, ideas, attitudes, and perspectives of how Australian universities work in partnership with education agents throughout the world to recruit international students in an increasingly competitive marketplace, whilst ensuring obligations are met under Australian international education legislation. This chapter provides marketing specialists, educational administrators, and policy makers with practical real life examples of motivational and management techniques.

The sustainable development of an event portfolio requires a synergy between the different types of events included in it. The pool of events that are commonly used by city event planners and destination marketers usually revolve around major sport events, cultural festivals and celebrations, and world trade expositions. Some cities, however, also attract and stage international touring exhibitions that bring together a collection of rare art works, significant cultural objects, or memorabilia to tour a limited number of destinations. In this chapter, major events such as international touring exhibitions will be explored as key components of portfolios of events in Canberra and Melbourne. The chapter discusses the different ways event and tourism planners in Canberra and Melbourne have been approaching major touring exhibitions, and the specific roles these events can play in delivering a balanced and successful portfolio. It will be demonstrated that the decision making around events and event portfolio composition needs to be considered within a wider context, in the light of the city’s geography and demographics, as well as political, social and cultural factors. An exploratory qualitative research was conducted in Canberra and Melbourne, Australia. The primary data was collected from 12 semi-structured interviews with managers and executives in tourism and major events planning in both cities, as well as managers and curators of the cultural institutions that had hosted major touring exhibitions. The secondary data included a range of documents pertinent to the cities’ tourism and major events policy and strategy, existing research about touring exhibitions, and websites and articles in the mass media. In the chapter, examples of past major exhibitions are given.

At a time when the IT industry in general and the IT academy in particular face major challenges, some accuse universities of producing graduates with poor or inappropriate skills. This qualitative study, based on interviews with fifteen senior IT executives and managers in the Australian financial services industry, examines what employers seek when they recruit new graduates. We find that employers now expect much more from IT graduates. They require a blend of technical, business and people skills combined with the right attitude. Furthermore, requirements are highly mediated by contextual factors such as company size and corporate culture. We also find that universities are not perceived as negatively as some would have it. Universities face a significant challenge in producing graduates with much wider skill sets. Although this study was conducted in Australia, we are of the opinion that the issues discussed are relevant in the wider international context.