Foreword

Overall Research Themes of the Graduate School of Business

“The Graduate School of Business is proactive in establishing close links with industry and addressing research issues that are relevant to business and the communities in which we operate. Our collaborative ventures yield research that has broad economic, social and environmental implications beneficial to business, industry and the broader community.

• Sustainability is a key theme in our research endeavours. Current projects focus on: business sustainability (strategy, management and efficient production, distribution, planning etc)
• A sustainable society (corporate governance and ethics in business and government together with management and planning in higher education to mention a few examples).”

Some of the areas of research include:

Tourism – Demand Modelling

Strategy –Corporate strategy, change management, leadership, Airline alliances, higher education planning, research quality enhancement, coaching.

Operations Research/Management Science/Statistics – Applied business modelling, mixed-mode modelling, production and process modelling, Markov chains, Communities of Practice.

Knowledge Management – Tacit and embedded knowledge capture, marketing.

Public Management – Partnerships, policy values.

Ethics and Governance – Comparative ethics, corporate social responsibility, organisational ethics, moral agency, codes of ethics and conduct, social audits, business ethics.

Supply Chain Logistics -

Organisational Psychology – Organisational stress, managerial psychology.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Organisational innovation, internal systems, innovation and technology management, business incubators.

Industry Research Project with Frigrite Refrigeration Pty Ltd

The GSB in conjunction with the School of Business Information Technology at RMIT, has just commenced a research project with Frigrite Refrigeration Pty Ltd. RMIT’s team comprises Miles Nicholls (GSB), Professor Brian Corbitt (Head of School of Business Information Technology) and Mr Sittimont Kanjanabootra (PhD Candidate – GSB).

Frigrite Refrigeration Pty Ltd is an Australian company which manufactures and supplies commercial refrigeration to Australian and international markets. Frigrite is an innovative manufacturer committed to continuous product development. Currently a considerable amount of work is being undertaken into the development of CO2 refrigeration – an ecologically friendly move. As a result of the amount of product development currently underway, the company is keen to undertake research into minimizing the associated make-spans.

Frigrite’s funding will allow a preliminary study to be undertaken into the capture of tacit knowledge in the refrigeration manufacturing process. This study seeks to determine how an engineering company can collect tacit and explicit knowledge and place it into a form that is easy to access and thus be available to help shorten the production times and facilitate customization. Further research will concentrate on how to determine whether the information is appropriate and valuable for a specific context and how this might be achieved on an on-going basis. This latter proposed research project has been submitted as an ARC Linkage Grant Application. Frigrite are contributing $10,000 towards this preliminary research project. This contribution will support Mr Sittimont Kanjanabootra for six months. Frigrite is also allowing the research team full access to its manufacturing plant and research laboratories in Cheltenham.

Current Graduate School of Business Research Projects

A number of GSB academics are currently engaged in a variety of research projects. Some of these involve ARC grants and/or industry partners and other government organisations (national and international). They have been summarised below to provide a glimpse of some of the research activity. These are not the only research activities going on in the GSB but serve to illustrate the GSB’s commitment to research. To enable an appreciation of the range research activity of the people involved in the projects, their recent publications have been included as well.

Professor Lynne Bennington

Current Research projects:

1. Title:
Approved Building Capacity for A Sustainable Future.

This project was funded by an ARC Linkage Project Grant of $712,200. The concept of sustainability has been proposed as a practical and useful concept capable of providing solutions to social, environmental and economic problems. Global interest in the concept also stems from the advantages that organisational change for sustainability can impart, including improved efficiency and profitability

Participants:
Lynne Bennington, Dr Sarah Bekessy, A/Prof. Ian G Thomas, Prof. John F Fien, Prof. Ron R Wakefield, A/Prof Barbara de la Harpe and Dr Kathryn Hegarty (post doctoral fellow). All participants are from RMIT.

2. Title:
Factory Improvement Program case studies, Ho Chi Minh City

This project was an ILO funded research contract and undertook an evaluation of the first ILO Factory Improvement Program in the south Vietnam. This concluded in December 2007 and involved twelve factories in the apparel industry.

Participant:
Lynne Bennington

Publications 2007 - 2008:

Bennington, L., 2007, HR Managers as Ethics Agents of the State, in Pinnington, A., Macklin, R. and Campbell, T (eds), Human Resource Management: Ethics and Employment, UK, Oxford University Press

Bai, X. and Bennington, L., 2007, Modern Enterprise System and the Role of the Party and Government in Chinese SOEs, International Journal of Business and Systems Research, 1(3), 354-366

Xu, L. and Bennington 2007, L. Xiagang and reemployment policies in Shanghai, Management Research News

Bennington, L. Review of Chris Rowley and Saaidah Abdul-Rahman (eds) (2008) The Changing Face of Management in South East Asia, Routledge, Taylor & Francis, London In British Journal of Industrial Relations (forthcoming)

Bennington, L. Review of den Hond, F., de Bakker, F.G.A. and Neergaard, P. (eds) (2007) Managing Corporate Social Responsibility in Action: Talking, Doing and Measuring, Aldershot, Hampshire: Ashgate. In International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Developmet. (forthcoming)

Bennington, L., 2007, A New Definition of Public Sector Leadership for China: What “could be”, Proceedings, Leadership Forum 2007, China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong and International Leadership Association, October 19-20, Pudong, China

Christopher Booth

Current Research Project:

1. Title:
Leadership Practice in Leadership Programs: An Action Research Project

The focus of the research is to analyse the impact of a university award based leadership and management development program on the leadership practice of program participants.

Participant:
Christopher Booth

Publications 2007 – 2008:

Booth, C and Segon, M, (2007) A Coooperative Inquiry to Develop Leadership Capabilities, International Review of Business Research Papers, Vol.3, No. 1, pp 102 – 124.

Segon, M and Booth, C (2007) The Concept of Ethical Leadership in Organisations, International Review of Business Research Papers, Vol. 3, No. 5, pp 362 – 381.

Booth, C. and Segon, M. (2007) Strategy Formation – A Stakeholder Perspective”, 7th International Business Research Conference, 3-6 December, Sydney, Australia

Professor Clive Morley

Current Research Projects:

1. Title:
Banking Customers Perceptions

This project undertakes research to measure user perceptions of risks in the use of electronic banking services.

Participants:
Clive Morley, Professor Margaret Jackson (RMIT Uni.)and Professor Supriya Singh (RMIT Uni.)

2. Title:
Women, Marriage and Banking

This project involves the analysis of data from a large survey (HILDA). The analysis looks at the types of accounts married persons have, highlighting gender and other differences, and relating this to control over spending decisions.

Participants:
Clive Morley and Professor Supriya Singh (RMIT Uni.)

3. Title:
Reasons for Choice of Professional Body Membership

This project is investigating the factors taken into consideration when new accountants choose which professional accounting body to join.

Participants:
Clive Morely, Assoc. Prof. Paul de Lange (RMIT), Rob Inglis (RMIT)and Marita Shelley (RMIT)

Journal Publications 2007 - 2008:

Watty, K., Bellamy, S. and Morley, C. 2008 Changes in Higher Education and Valuing The Job: The Views of Accounting Academics in Australia. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, vol 30, pp 139-151

Inglis, R., De Lange, P., Shelley, M. and Morley, C.L. 2008 Factors influencing the choice of affiliation with professional bodies: An investigation in Australia and South-east Asia, Critical Perspectives on Accounting Conference, New York, NY.

Professor Miles Nicholls

Current Research Projects:

1. Title:
Enhancing Research Quality through Change Management and Systems Thinking

This project aims to develop strategies that enhance the participation by academics in research activities and also increase research quality. It also investigates means by which progress towards these objectives can be measured and benchmarked both internally and competitively.

Participants:
Miles Nicholls, Dr Barbara Cargill (Trinity College, Melb. Uni.) and Prof. Krishna Dhir (Berry College, Georgia, USA)

2. Title:
Overcoming the Tacit Knowledge Problem in Production Environments

This scoping project examined the problem of extended make-span times in the manufacturing of customised products where there is missing knowledge and no analytical way of obtaining an optimal solution. This was undertaken in 2006 and 2007.

Participants:
Miles Nicholls and Dr John Eady (GSB RMIT Uni)

3. Title:
Developing Strategies for the Maximization of Research Funding under Quality Assessment Funding Regimes during the ‘Lead-Up’ Period

This project attempts to better understand the ‘lead-up’ period research funding problem faced by universities under performance based research funding quality regimes based on research quality (such as the foreshadowed REA in Australia). This project will be ongoing until 2009 when it is expected that sufficient data has been gathered..

Participants:
Miles Nicholls and Dr Barbara Cargill (Trinity College, Melb. Uni.)

4. Title:
Increasing Australia’s Competitiveness in Customised Refrigeration Products – Part 1 Knowledge Engineering and Capture

This aims to examine the nature of tacit and negative knowledge in an industrial context with an industry partner. This project has been funded to the extent of $10,000 by Frigrite Refigeration Pty Ltd for six months.

Participants:
Miles Nicholls, Professor Brian Corbitt (BIT RMIT Uni.) and Sittimont Kanjanabootr (PhD Candidate GSB RMIT Uni.)

Journal Publications 2007 – 2008:

Nicholls, M.G.2007, A Small to Medium Sized Conference Scheduling Heuristic Incorporating Presenter and Limited Attendee Preferences, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Vol. 58, pp 301 – 308;

Nicholls, M.G.2007, Assessing the Progress and the Underlying Nature of the Flows of Doctoral and Master Degree Candidates Using Absorbing Markov Chains, Higher Education, Vol. 53, No. 6, pp 769 – 790;

Nicholls, M.G.2007, The Development of a Benchmarking Methodology to Assist in Managing the Enhancement of University Research Quality, Higher Education Quarterly, Vol. 61, No. 4, October, pp 539 – 562;

Nicholls, M.G. and Cargill, B.J.2008, Determining Best Practice Production in an Aluminium Smelter Involving Sub-processes Based Substantially on Tacit Knowledge – An Application of Communities of Practice, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Vol. 59, No. 1, pp 13-24;

Nicholls, M.G.2008, The Use of Markov Models as an Aid to the Evaluation, Planning and Benchmarking of Doctoral Programs, Journal of the Operational Research Society, (Forthcoming);

Timothy O’Shannassy

Current Research Project:

1. Title:
Perceived Environmental Uncertainty, Strategy-Making and Organization Performance

This research project develops a new model of strategy-making, sets out a number of interesting hypotheses in relation to the interaction of the constructs environmental uncertainty, strategy-making and organization performance, and then empirically tests the theory using roust statistical techniques. It is found strong strategy-making capability by an organization helps manage environmental uncertainty and achieve better organization performance. A number of refereed papers in conference proceedings such United States Academy of Management and Strategic Management and Society and also journal articles in outlets such as Singapore Management Review have been published from this work with more to follow.

Participants:
Timothy O’Shannassy

Publications 2007 - 2008:

Hunter, P and O’Shannassy, T. 2007, Modern Strategic Management Practice: Practice Lagging Research in the 2000s, Singapore Management Review, Vol. 29, No. 2, pp 21 – 36.

O’Shannassy, T. 2007, Perceived Environmental Uncertainty and Organization Performance, 21st Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management Conference, Sydney ,NSW, Australia 4 – 7 December.

Dagres, Vicky and O’Shannassy, T. 2007, Exploring the Literature on Organizational Transformation and Industry Transformation: Searching for the Innovation Path for Future Research, 21st Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management Conference, Sydney, NSW, Australia 4 – 7 December.

O’Shannassy, T and Booth. C, (2007) Responsible Board and CEO Practice in Modern Strategy-making: The Role of Ethics in Underpinning Corporate Responsibility, Australian Association for Professional and Applied Ethics, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, 27 – 29- June.

O’Shannassy, T. 2008, Perceived Environmental Uncertainty, Strategy-making and Organization Performance, United States Academy of Management Conference, Anaheim, California, August (forthcoming)

O’Shannassy, T. 2008, A Study of the Influence of High Strategy Creation Capability on Organization Performance, Strategic Management Society 28th Annual International Conference, Cologne, Germany, November (forthcoming)

O’Shannassy, T. et al. 2008, Making Large Global International Collaborations Succeed, United States Academy of Management Conference, Anaheim, California, August (forthcoming)

Michael Segon

Current Research Projects:

This project is related to Australian Research Institute of Educational Sustainability (ARIES). It examines the presence of CSR and Sustainability in MBA programs.

Particpants:
Michael Segon

1. Title:
Details of Perception of Bribery and Corruption

Chris Booth and Dr Michael Segon are in the process of researching MBA (Executive) students as practicing managers to establish their perceptions of bribery and corruption on the workplace and the steps taken by organisations to address these challenges. The survey also seeks to establish how these perceptions affect their choices of elective courses in the MBA. This has been initiated by the lack of demand for a GSN Elective in Business ethics and CSR over the past several years. The findings will be presented at the World Business Ethics Forum in Hong Kong in December 2008 and for subsequent publication in a recognised Business Ethics Journal. A comparative paper examining perceptions of the students on a cultural (national) basis will be presented at the International Business Research Conference, to be held in Melbourne in November 2008

Participants:
Michael Segon and Christopher Booth

3. Title:
Details of Ethics Training in Industry

In June 2008, Dr Michael Segon and Mr Chris Booth presented a paper summarising their experiences as professional consultants in the field of business ethics at the annual Australian Association for Professional and Applied Ethics conference, hosted by Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane. The paper highlighted an incomplete and often ad hoc approach to ethics training with poor pedagogical practice and lack of expertise on the part of designers and facilitators. Several case studies were presented and discussed. A paper is currently being written to be submitted to the Australian Journal for Professional and Applied Ethics.

Participants:
Michael Segon and Chris Booth.

Publications 2007 – 2008:

Booth, C and Segon, M, (2007), A Cooperative Inquiry to Develop Leadership Capabilities, International Review of Business Research Papers, Vol.3, No. 1, pp 102 – 124.

Segon, M and Booth, C (2007), The Concept of Ethical Leadership in Organisations, International Review of Business Research Papers, Vol. 3, No. 5, pp 362 – 381.

Booth, C and Segon, M, (2007), Strategy Formation – A Stakeholder perspective, Proceedings of the 7th International Business Research Conference, World Business Institute, University of Technology, 3-6 December, Sydney, Australia

Professor Peter Sheldrake

Current Research Projects:

1. Title:
Tomorrows Australian Company

This project is being undertaken in in conjunction with the UK based Centre for Tomorrows Company, this project is an investigation of the objectives, business strategies, reporting systems, and critical success factors for major companies seeking to adopt an inclusive approach, and embrace sustainability, environmental and social objectives within their business approach. It is being developed in conjunction with CEDA and the University of Melbourne, and we are seeking corporate support as well. We are hoping to launch the project in early 2009.

Participants:
Peter Sheldrake in conjunction with CEDA

2. Title:
The Artificial Pancreas

This project is at a preliminary stage, and intended to be a study of the cultural and organisational factors involved in the establishment and use of new technologies in the management of diabetes, with an interest in conducting the research in Australia and China.

Participants:
Peter Sheldrake and Assoc. Prof. Soumitri Varadarajan (Industrial Design RMIT Uni)

Publications 2007 – 2008:

Sheldrake, P, 2008, The path less travelled: facilitating change when it makes a difference, paper presented at the Early Childhood Conference, Melbourne 30-31 May

Sheldrake, P, 2008, Business Entrepreneurship in 2030, paper presented at the Australian Universities International Alumni Conference, Futuropolis, Singapore, 10-13 June

Professor Peter Steane

Current Research Projects:

1. Tiltle:
Attraction and Retention of Staff in Health Care.

This project is funded by an ARC Linkage Grant and is a collaborative investigation with the Mercy Health Group valued at $580,877 (plus in-kind contributions). The project started in 2007 and will finish in 2009.

The project investigates the workplace stressors and commitment with a major third sector health provider. Its relevance is linked to the increasing interface between public, private and non-profit organisations in areas ranging from: infrastructure to health to welfare. The health industry is one of the four “at risk” industries nominated by government due to an increased workload and ageing workforce. This project has practical impact in assessing longitudinal data on what workplace strategies, across sectors, have more effective impact in attracting and retaining skilled staff.

Participants:
Peter Steane (Chief Investigator with Professor John Rodwell and Dr. Andrew Noblett (Deakin University) and Professor Stephen Osborne (Edinburgh University)

2. Title:
Strategic configuration theory applied to innovation in Australian wine producing families.

This project commenced in 2007 and will finish in 2009.

This is a book project comprising case studies of family dynasties that produce wine in Australia. This comprises 30% of the market and generally, on a pro-rata basis, outperforms the corporate players. The compilation of case-studies is an exercise in advancing the field of strategy, in attempting to combine the contextual theory of Professor Andrew Pettigrew and the configurational theory of Professor Danny Miller in a practical way to explain this performance differential, hitherto not studied, in small to medium size enterprises.

Participants:
Peter Steane and Dr. Yvon Dufour (University of Auckland)

3. Title:
Intellectual capital in the Australian Red Cross Blood-banking Service (ARCBS)

This project commenced in 2006 and will finish at the end of 2008.

This study follows from a previous study of ARCBS strategy in 2001-2002. The 2006-2007 study is a focused investigation of the intellectual capital reporting used in this major third sector health organisation, through analysis of Annual and Innovation Reports.

Participants:
Peter Steane and Professor James Guthrie (Universities of Sydney and Bocconi)

Proposed Research Project:

1. Title:
The Drivers of Productive Employee Wellbeing in Third Sector Hospitals.

This project has been submitted as an ARC Fellowship Discovery Grant. The project intends to cover 20% of Australia’s hospital beds and is values at $1.1m and (if successful) will take place during 2009 - 2013. The study investigates the impact of employee wellbeing on achieving organisational strategic objectives. The relevance of this study is that the strategic success of third sector hospitals is very important for Australia’s achievement of public policy health objectives and strategies in the medium term.

Participants:
Peter Steane (Chief Investigator) with Professor John Rodwell and Dr. Andrew Noblett (Deakin University), Professor Stephen Osborne (Edinburgh University) and Professor Gary Cooper (University of Birmingham)

Book Chapters 2007-2008:

Steane, P. (2008 Forthcoming) “Public Management Reform in Australia: Impact and Development on Local Government Administration” (tentative title) Comparative Studies in Local Government Administration, Scuola Superiore della Pubblica Amministrazione Locale, Rome.

Journal Publications 2007 – 2008:

Steane, P. (2008), Public Management Reforms in Australia and New Zealand: A Pot-Pourri Overview of the past Decade Public Management Review, 10(4): 453-465.

Gates, D., and Steane, P. (2008), The Theology of Accountability and Biblical, Historical and Political Implications for Social Justice. The International Journal of Knowledge, Culture & Change Management,. Vol 8.

Gates, D. and Steane, P. (2008), Practical and Theological Implications for Values and Accountability in Policy Making Journal of Renewal of Religion and Theology. Vol 3

Dufour, Y., Steane, P. and Wong, L. (2008), Building a Major Transport Infrastructure in Hong Kong in the Historical Context of the 1997 Retrocession Journal of Technology Management in China, 3(2): 168-180.

Gates, D., and Steane, P. (2008), Ambiguities of Justice in a Global Market Place: How are Ethical and Theological Considerations Relevant to Policymakers? for Management Decision 46(8):20-34.

Dufour, Y. and Steane, P. (2007), Implementing Knowledge Management: A More Robust Model Journal of Knowledge Management, 11(6):68-80.

Gates, D., and Steane, P. (2007), Historical Origins and Development of Economic Rationalism Journal of Management History, 13(4): 330-358.

Maher, P., Steane, P., Dufour, Y. (2007), Customer Management Strategies using Internet Commerce in the Australian Energy Industry International Journal of Internet and Enterprise Management. 5(2):116-135.

Dr John Douglas Thomson

Current Research projects:

1. Title:
Australia’s Infrastructure Capacity Constraints and Supply Chain Performance

This research project is an investigation into a national approach to supply and transport policy involving a national policy framework and intergovernmental and international implications

Participant:
Doug Thomson

2. Title:
Australian Infrastructure Planning and Investment

This research project is a longitudinal study of capability development and delivery, and the implementation processes and systems over the life cycle.

Participant:
Doug Thomson

Publications 2007 -2008:

Thomson, JD, 2008, Purchasing and Supply Strategic Transformation: Using the Continuous Management of Information’ International Purchasing and Supply Education Research Association Conference, Perth

Thomson, JD, 2008, Remodelled and Restyled E-Procurement-New Power Relationships Down Under, European Journal on E-Government Conference, Lausanne Switzerland

Thomson, JD, 2008, Groping in the dark: strategic purchasing and supply’, 4th International Conference on e- Government, October, Melbourne.

(Abstract accepted for submission as a paper, blind referee outcome awaited)

Thomson, JD, 2008, Images of e-fficiency: the electronic procurement database, 9th International Business Research Conference, November, Melbourne.

(Abstract accepted for submission as a paper, blind referee outcome awaited).

GSB seminar series for 2008

Please contact Miles Nicholls if you (or someone you know) would like to give a seminar. Seminar dates are available from the above further details on Seminars for 2008 can be found at:

http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=odn1trzet9luz

The GSB Visiting Scholar Scheme

The GSB endeavours to sponsor the visit of an international leading academic at least once a year. Recently, Professor Brian Lehaney from Coventry University in the UK spent a week with the GSB.

Visiting Professor:
Brian Lehaney

Brian Lehaney is Professor of Systems Management in the Department of Knowledge and Information Management, which is within Coventry University’s Faculty of Engineering and Computing. His research includes decision support for organisations, especially the theories and application of knowledge management, simulation modelling, and intervention methodologies.

Professor Lehaney is an experienced, active researcher, and was recently Project Leader on an EC-funded project on knowledge management. He has published in many international refereed journals, and he has also worked as a referee and editor for such journals. His focus is on theory into practice in the knowledge management domain. His current PhD students are working on knowledge culture and knowledge sharing. He has been a reviewer of large-sum projects for various funding bodies. He has given keynote and plenary papers at major international conferences on the theme of culture, process, and outcomes. He is a Fellow of the Operational Research society and a member of the Committee of Professors in Operational Research. Brian is joint editor of OR Insight.During his time at RMIT, Professor Lehaney presented two seminars, one entitled ‘A Workshop on DBA/PhD Research: Why do a DBA?’ and the other ‘What is Knowledge Management?’

New PhD and MBus (Res) candidates for the GSB

The GSB’s postgraduate research student numbers have been boosted by the arrival of four new candidates over the last twelve months.

Robert Schmidle – PhD
Robert Schmidle, who recently passed his Candidature review is researching “Positioning Theory and Terrorist Networks” and is supervised by Dr Lionel Boxer.

KornkanookDuangpracha – PhD
Kornkanook Duangpracha is researching “The impact of accommodation on the subjective well being of postgraduate international students” and is supervised by Dr Paul Gibson and senior supervisor, and Professor Clive Morley as second supervisor.

SittimontKanjanabootra – PhD
Sittimont Kanjanabootra will be researching the following topic: "Improving engineering product design through knowledge capture". Sittimont has as his senior supervisor Professor Miles Nicholls and his second supervisor is Professor Brian Corbitt.

Murad Ahmad – PhD
Murad Ahmad will be researching the topic “Exploring the industrial manufacturing and technology diffusion: the case of Malaysian technological R and D”. Dr Doug Thomson will be her senior supervisor and Professor Miles Nicholls her second.

Higher Degree by Research Completions – June 2007 - Present

The GSB offers its congratulations to all those who have graduated with a higher degree over the last twelve months.

Dr Alison Fincher –November 2007 – DBA
“The Business Academia: Challenges for university leadership as the knowledge industry becomes big business”

Abstract:
“This thesis examines leadership in universities, in the context of changing times, as community expectations broaden to require not only academic excellence, but also high standards of management accountability. The impact of the volatile higher education environment on current university leaders, and the challenges they face, lies at the heart of the thesis. The demands of this complex environment call for additional personal and professional skills”

Dr Peter Woodgate – November 2007 – DBA
“Innovation in the Australian Spatial Information Industry: Incentives and Impediments”

Abstract:
“The spatial information industry in Australia is in a state of rapid flux. In recent years it has had to transition itself from the use of traditional surveying and cartographic services to the ubiquitous world of on-line, mobile positioning and imaging services. This thesis sets out to examine the factors and processes that are operating to assist and impede innovation in Australia’s spatial information industry today. The emphasis of the thesis is on small to medium enterprise (SME) firms operating in Australia”

Professor Peter Sheldrake – February 2008 – PhD (by Publication)
“Corporate Innovation – the role of internal revolutionaries”

Abstract:
“This integrating essay reviews three books, Inclusive Leadership, written with a co-author, Brian Hirsh, Ronin and Revolutionaries and The Ronin Age. The essay explores the idea of the internal revolutionary, or Ronin, and examines various models of leadership and influence that have characterised organisational thinking over many years, and the challenges that Ronin pose for leadership and effective management. It also explores the extent to which the focus on innovative thinking is increased by the growing importance of knowledge as a key competitive issue.”

Dr Errol Muir – PhD – May 2008
“What’s important to raters in judging work performance: Mapping individual priorities and management team differences”

Abstract:
This thesis explores the application of personal construct psychology and the repertory grid to performance management in a technical consulting organisation. The research examines which is important for a manager in assessing work performance and how each manager’s mental model for performance compares with his/her peers, Managers acting as raters are the critical link in the observation and assessment or performance and in the feedback process. Raters observations and judgements are affected by their personal mental models regarding what is important. These views may or may not accord with those of their peers, resulting in inconsistency and unfair assessment, or with what the organisation’s strategy demands. Understanding rater views on what is important, and how well these align with strategy, is a key to ensure that the appraisal process supports, rather than hinders, both individual and organisational needs

Dr Terrance Miles – June 2008 – DBA
“Communication of Strategy at AG Healthcare: An Interpretive Case Study”

Abstract:
In 2001 AG Healthcare headquarters, Belgium communication of strategy was failing to engage its social group members.

This interpretive case study research concerns the communication of strategy of AG Healthcare Headquarters, a division of AG Digital Belgium (an engineering company), and its geographical group, AG Healthcare Oceania. This case study developed from the premise that communication of strategy is one of the key enablers of strategy.

Using an interpretive approach, a qualitative semi-structured interview guide was designed to enable conversations with the interviewees (AG Healthcare Oceania, management group), to gain an understanding of their thinking of AG Healthcare Headquarters’’ communication of strategy. The aim of this interpretive case study research was to identify the contextual factors that should inform thinking and communication of strategy practitioners”

Dr Marcus Powe – July 2008 – PhD
“The Measurement of Innovation in Large Service Organisations”

Abstract:
The measurement of innovation in organisations that produce tangible products is well represented in the literature and many researchers have made significant contributions that should assist organisations to continue to create wealth. The scale and breadth of this research has identified that many terms used to explain innovation have become part of organisational vocabulary. Terms such as creativity, innovative or enterprising are used when leaders and managers describe what they consider are either behaviours or mindsets that are required to grasp opportunities. These terms are often highly emotive. They are often interchanged, misunderstood, and confused when dealing with tangible products.

Dr Ling Deng – PhD – July 2008
“EQ and CQ of Expetriate Transformational Leaders: a Qualitative Study of Cross-Cultural Leadership Effectiveness for Australian Business Managers Working in China”

Abstract:
China is a highly attractive destination for foreign direct investment, especially to Australia with which it has strong complementary commercial relationship. Although the need for cross-cultural leadership effectiveness presents a major challenge to Australian businesses operating in China, most extant studies emphasize cultural dimensions and cultural influences on expatriate leadership effectiveness. In contrast, this study investigates the importance and implementation of transformational leadership (TL), emotional intelligence (EQ) and cultural intelligence (CQ) as key components of cross-cultural leadership capabilities within the context of Australian-Chinese cultural differences. Specifically, it answers one overarching question: What key factors contribute significantly to cross-cultural leadership effectiveness in Australian businesses operating in China?

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