Issue 01 // 2007

Foreword

This is the first of what are hoped to be regular Research Newsletters of the Graduate School of Business. The aim of the Research Newsletter is to inform all GSB members of what is happening in research, people’s achievements, availability of research assistance, research partners wanted, research projects wanted etc. It will also serve as a means of disseminating research policy and obtaining feedback on it. Before this issue went to press, we attempted to glean as much information as we could from the ‘ether’ (especially on people’s achievements), but academics being as they are – shy, modest and retiring – we may not have captured everyone’s news. We do apologise if this is the case.

As usual, feedback on the current issue of the Research Newsletter is always welcome.

Happy reading!

Professor Miles G. Nicholls
Director Research
Graduate School of Business

GSB research activity

Research Activity has continued to thrive, with indications that journal articles, book chapters, conference papers and ARC grant applications are all on the rise.

Supervisors’ seminars

Just a timely reminder that all supervisors are required to attend at least two Supervisors’ Seminars each year to remain on the Supervisors’ Register. The Business Portfolio is arranging four seminars for this year that will be of benefit to GSB academics while the University has also arranged a number of basic seminars. The GSB is also holding a Supervisors’ Seminar in June (fully accredited with the University) that will focus on supervision within the GSB in particular. Details of this seminar will be available shortly.

RQF seminars

The GSB will hold some seminars focusing on the ‘The RQF’, ‘Applying for an ARC Linkage Grant’ and ‘Getting Published’. These will also include some expert external speakers.

GSB seminar series for 2007

The GSB seminar series is up and running again (somewhat belatedly) this year. Please contact Miles Nicholls or Mick Harford if you (or someone you know) would like to give a seminar. Seminar dates are available from the above further details on Seminars for 2007 can be found at: www.rmit.edu.au/bus/gradschool/seminar-series

New HDR candidate’s website

There is a new website for HDR Candidates, where all the essential documents, forms, policies and resources are listed and hot-linked. The web address is: www.rmit.edu.au/rd/researched

Please alert all your research candidates to this new site.

GSB visiting scholar program

It is anticipated that two GSB Visiting Scholars will visit and spend some time with the GSB this year.

They are:

Professor LiQuan-Gen is from the Nanjing University of Finance and Economicsand will visit the GSB between June 1^st and 29^th this year.
A GSB seminar presentation by Prof Li and Mike Berrell on “Emerging business opportunities and appropriate market entry strategies into China's second tier cities (eg. Nanjing, Chengdu, Dailian, Kunming)” will be scheduled. Professor Li Quan-Gen will collaborate with Mike Berell on a project to develop trade links between Australia and China.

Professor Krishna Dhir.

Professor Krishna Dhir is the Gund Professor of Management at the Campbell School of Business, 2277 Martha Berry Hwy NW, Mt Berry, Georgia, USA. He is a prolific writer on all mattes relating to business. An idea of the extent of his work can be found on his home page: http://csob.berry.edu/faculty/kdhir/ and details relating the Campbell School of Business can be found at: http://campbell.berry.edu/faculty/official.php?u=kdhir.

Professor Dhir will visit the GSB between July 11^th - 20^th this year and will give a number of seminars and also will be available to work with staff on joint research. Professor Dhir has spent many months in Australia at various Universities facilitating research and also acting as a guide for AACSB Accreditation. Further information and confirmation of dates can be obtained from Miles Nicholls.

Esteem matters!

Under the proposed RQF (as in the RAE in the UK) a researcher’s esteem as measured by editorships, refereeing for journals, holding office in professional societies etc., will be important in establishing the esteem of the research group being assessed. Please bear this in mind when opportunities present themselves to undertake these activities (and let the Director Research know).

New PhD and MBus (Res) candidates for the GSB

The GSB’s postgraduate research student numbers have been boosted by the arrival of two new candidates this year.

Mr. Phoommphiphat (Phum or Jeff) Mingmalairaks has enrolled into a full time Ph.D. program in the RMIT Graduate School of Business. In Thailand Phum is a full time lecturer in the School of Management, Mae Fang Luang University, Chiang Rai. Phum is being supported in his studies by a scholarship from the Thai Government. In the late 1990’s Phum completed a MBA program at Southeastern University, Washington, D.C.
The title of Phum’s proposed research is “Value Creation through Core Competency Enhancement in Thai Enterprises”. The main focus of his research will be on Thai Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and he is proposing to use a combination of mail surveys and personal interviews for his fieldwork. Phum’s supervisors are Professor Chris Christodoulou and Professor Peter Sheldrake.

Ms Vicky Dagres has a Marketing background and in 2006 completed her MBA studies part-time at RMIT, Graduate School of Business.
Vicky’s research interests are focused on strategic management practices specifically major transformational change. Her initial research proposal highlights a range of issues including the internal and external determinants impacting on transformational change, triggers and types of transformations and the associated blockers that may affect the delivery of transformational change. A key research aim is to provide a framework and evidence on how large-scale transformational strategy is best practised and continuously renewed across large organizations. Vicky’s supervisors are Professor Chris Christodoulou and Dr Timothy O’Shannassy.

Upgrade to PhD candidature for GSB researchers

Eugene Boyle (approved in 2006) and Antoun Hindy (approved in 2007) have transferred to PhD candidature from MBus (Res).

Eugene Boyle is being supervised by Associate Professor Erica Hallebone and is working on his thesis titled 'Are the corporate governance measures within the Victorian Local Government Public Sector sufficiently robust to safeguard stakeholder interest in a business environment involving the potentially conflicting requirements of public entrepreneurship?'.

Antoun Hindy is being supervised by Prof Peter Sheldrake and his thesis topic is entitled 'Management of water resources in Israel and Lebanon'.

HDR completions – 2007

Congratulations to Dr David Cochrane who has recently qualified for the award of DBA. David’s thesis was entitled:

“Maintaining Environmental Values in a Commercial Environment - a Framework for Commercial Development in Australia’s National Parks”

New HDR regulations

Academic Board has released new HDR Regulations (PDF 73kb)).

(Further reviews of the underlying Council Regulations are also underway)

New data storage requirements for research involving human participants

The HREC has notified the PHRESC that data storage requirements are now as follows for all future research undertaken which involves human participants:

The University Human Research Ethics Committee has advised the Business Human Research Ethics Sub-committee that the following approach should be used for the storage of research data used in research requiring human research ethics approval.

“All data should normally be stored on University Network systems. These systems provide high levels of manageable security and data integrity, can provide secure remote access, are backed on a regular basis and can provide Disaster Recover processes should a large scale incident occur. The use of portable devices such as CDs and memory sticks is valid for archiving, data transport where necessary and some works in progress. The authoritative copy of all current data should reside on appropriate network systems; and the Principal Investigator is responsible for the retention and storage of the original data pertaining to the project for a minimum period of five years. If you anticipate any problems in meeting this requirement please contact the Chair of the PHRESC to discuss an alternative secure data storage arrangement.”

Knowledge mapping for the GSB

With the RQF (in whatever form it is finally introduced) will come the need to know what staff are researching. A recent survey using 4 digit RFCD Numbers was conducted by the Director Research in accordance with the PVC Research’s request, however, there exists a need for a proper survey to be undertaken, using the full RFCD codes as well as some gathering of other ‘soft’ information. The Director Research will be undertaking this survey shortly.

News of staff achievements

The burdens of conference attendance

Miles Nicholls attended the 36th Annual Meeting of the Western Decision Sciences Institute in Denver, Colorado in the USA in April 2nd – 7th. The conference started well with beautiful spring weather (sunny, clear blue sky, no wind and around 17C) but deteriorated (snow, -2C throughout the day with a bitter wind and all roads icy all the way to the airport). See the photos below – conferencing is a dangerous, hard and health threatening business!!

"Denver - Perfect One Day"

"Well…Snow Kidding!"

Seminar on the GSB’s DBA – “All you need to know about attrition, success and how it compares with some other doctoral degrees”

Miles Nicholls will give a seminar in the GSB Seminar Series of particular interest to past and present GSB DBA candidates. The Seminar will discuss the various attributes of the GSB’s DBA Program. A recent analysis carried out by Miles revealed some interesting facts regarding its attrition and completion rates together with durations prior to candidates either withdrawing or successfully completing. The DBA attributes are compared with a competitor Doctoral Program. Much to Miles’ disappointment, the Seminar will be given in plain English. The Seminar will be on July 2nd, 12:30PM - 1:30PM (11th Floor of the RMIT Business Building (108), Room to be advised).

GSB research encouragement schemes

A reminder to all GSB members that the full range of research encouragement schemes are available on the ‘I: Drive’ as a Power Point presentation. Simply look for the presentation under the folder titled:

• Research Administration
• Research Schemes
• GSB Faulty Meeting Research Presentation Sept_06.pps

Staff CV updates

It is important that all staff ensure that their CVs on the University website are up to date (the EQUIS style CVs associated with their profile). If your CV needs updating, please make the necessary changes and then send the document to Shar McMillan shar.mcmillan@rmit.edu.au. If you need any help call Shar on 9925-1378.

The CVs are an important way to ensure that our School profile is as sharp as we can make it. The web is a powerful medium for advertising our capabilities.

Stop press

Congratulations to Pat McCarthy (an Adjunct Professor in the GSB) on the news that his PhD thesis has successfully passed examination (subject to some very minor alterations). Pat’s thesis was entitled:

“The Boundaryless Career: Is There a Disparity between Theory, Practice and Worker Desire in Relation to Older Workers?”

Pat’s citation reads as follows:

“The objective of this research was to understand the workplace experiences of older workers and the potential impact of these experiences on older worker motivation and effectiveness for work in today’s organisations. To this end, the research compared the emerging worker characteristics sought by global organisations with the career experiences and personal aspirations of older workers.

The thesis contributed to knowledge about the place of work in the lives of older workers, older worker careers; including career plateau, job design, workplace culture and supervision.”

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