A cohort analysis of the demand for meat and the impact of food scares. Australia is the largest beef exporter in the world. In 1999, there were 22.7 million beef cattle, producing 2 million tonnes with a gross value of $4.4 million. To date, Australia has been unaffected by the growing number of major health scares currently plaguing many European and South American countries. Equivalent scares in Australia would be devastating and hence research into the impact of scares on the behaviour of co ....A cohort analysis of the demand for meat and the impact of food scares. Australia is the largest beef exporter in the world. In 1999, there were 22.7 million beef cattle, producing 2 million tonnes with a gross value of $4.4 million. To date, Australia has been unaffected by the growing number of major health scares currently plaguing many European and South American countries. Equivalent scares in Australia would be devastating and hence research into the impact of scares on the behaviour of consumers is of paramount importance. It is the purpose of this research project to quantify the effects of such health/product scares on the demand for meat.
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Anti-Consumerism in the Contemporary West. This project will investigate contemporary critiques of Western consumption emanating from within Western societies themselves. Divided into three interconnecting research themes, the project will offer a selective review of recent media and intellectual commentary on the consequences of consumption, a brief documentation of recent ?anti-consumption? activism in Europe, North America and Australasia, and an Australian-based ethnographic exploration of h ....Anti-Consumerism in the Contemporary West. This project will investigate contemporary critiques of Western consumption emanating from within Western societies themselves. Divided into three interconnecting research themes, the project will offer a selective review of recent media and intellectual commentary on the consequences of consumption, a brief documentation of recent ?anti-consumption? activism in Europe, North America and Australasia, and an Australian-based ethnographic exploration of how people limit consumption activities within contemporary everyday life. The project will culminate in a book-length study, representing one of the first attempts to fully document how a ?Western consumerism? is currently being challenged by intellectuals, social movement activists and ?consumers? themselves.Read moreRead less
Can commerce be authentic? Developing and testing consumer-based measures of brand authenticity. Academics and practitioners identify the management of brand authenticity as a critical success factor in building brand equity. Significant opportunities exist for Australian firms to benefit from application of a brand authenticity scale in the development of brand communication strategies. In particular, small firms where reputation can be built on an authentic connection to family or regional his ....Can commerce be authentic? Developing and testing consumer-based measures of brand authenticity. Academics and practitioners identify the management of brand authenticity as a critical success factor in building brand equity. Significant opportunities exist for Australian firms to benefit from application of a brand authenticity scale in the development of brand communication strategies. In particular, small firms where reputation can be built on an authentic connection to family or regional history; tourism organisations where consumption is driven by authenticity; or exporters of local brands where perceptions of what is authentically Australian are critical. It is also significant for sports organisations where the opportunity to self-authenticate is a major motivation for consumers whether spectator or participant.Read moreRead less
What are the determinants and effects of school choice? An international comparison between Australia and the UK. The project will provide a clearer picture of the determinants of school choice, most notably the impact of economic phenomena on that choice. For Australia, this will mean we have a better understanding of the competing explanations of the growth of students at private schools over the past three decades: the role of government subsidies; the role of demographic changes; the effec ....What are the determinants and effects of school choice? An international comparison between Australia and the UK. The project will provide a clearer picture of the determinants of school choice, most notably the impact of economic phenomena on that choice. For Australia, this will mean we have a better understanding of the competing explanations of the growth of students at private schools over the past three decades: the role of government subsidies; the role of demographic changes; the effects of increased income inequality; and the role of changes in preferences towards private schools. This information will provide a better evidence base for future policy development in this area.Read moreRead less
Effects on Labour Supply, Savings and Welfare of the July 2007 Policy Changes to Superannuation and the Age Pension. This proposal's central question falls within the priority goal of 'Strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric'. Understanding the effects of alternative superannuation tax arrangements is crucial in view of concerns regarding aggregate private savings and labour force participation in an ageing economy. Low savings or participation could have implications for sustained ....Effects on Labour Supply, Savings and Welfare of the July 2007 Policy Changes to Superannuation and the Age Pension. This proposal's central question falls within the priority goal of 'Strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric'. Understanding the effects of alternative superannuation tax arrangements is crucial in view of concerns regarding aggregate private savings and labour force participation in an ageing economy. Low savings or participation could have implications for sustained economic growth. This project's outcomes will provide an indication of the potential effects of policies on labour supply and savings. After further modifications, the model developed in this project can also address other questions in the context of life-cycle decisions under uncertainty, such as labour supply, fertility or health.Read moreRead less
Non- and Semi-Parametric Panel Data Econometrics: Theory and Applications. This project proposes to tackle several very important and difficult issues in modelling general climatological, economic and financial panel data that involve possible trending components. This project seeks to establish some general asymptotic theory for model estimation and specification technologies that are suited to such general nonlinear panel data that may be stochastically non-stationary and endogenous. The resea ....Non- and Semi-Parametric Panel Data Econometrics: Theory and Applications. This project proposes to tackle several very important and difficult issues in modelling general climatological, economic and financial panel data that involve possible trending components. This project seeks to establish some general asymptotic theory for model estimation and specification technologies that are suited to such general nonlinear panel data that may be stochastically non-stationary and endogenous. The research outcomes of this project are expected to be applicable in evaluating and improving empirical model building and forecasting from better models in climatology, economics and finance with possible endogeneity and nonlinearity and non-stationarity.Read moreRead less
Shop Talk: Department Stores, Shoppers and Consumer Capitalism, 1945-2025. This project aims to provide a deeper understanding of shopping and its significance in everyday Australian life by using oral history interviews with shoppers, workers and managers who have engaged with department stores since 1945. This project expects to produce the first history of the country’s post-war department stores. Expected outcomes include new, more nuanced perspectives of shopping and the challenges affectin ....Shop Talk: Department Stores, Shoppers and Consumer Capitalism, 1945-2025. This project aims to provide a deeper understanding of shopping and its significance in everyday Australian life by using oral history interviews with shoppers, workers and managers who have engaged with department stores since 1945. This project expects to produce the first history of the country’s post-war department stores. Expected outcomes include new, more nuanced perspectives of shopping and the challenges affecting the retail sector via a range of publications, international collaborations, and an archive of oral history recordings. This should provide significant benefits to researchers examining the retail sector, to Australians working in retail, and to ordinary Australians, whose stories will be placed on the historical record.Read moreRead less
Only at the movies: mapping the contemporary Australian cinema market. Only at the movies? is a three-year project that asks: What is the enduring appeal of cinemagoing and how is it changing? It will provide detailed analyses of formal film exhibition and distribution in Australia by combining economic, cultural and geospatial research with industry expertise.
Understanding the Saving Behaviour of Australian Households: Private Retirement Provision and the Policy of Forced Saving. The outcomes from the research on Australian retirement saving behaviour will generate a range of national benefits. First, the collaboration of researchers across institutions, and internationally, will enhance and promote Australian research skills. Second, Australian research will be will be placed at the forefront of an important, international field. Third, the research ....Understanding the Saving Behaviour of Australian Households: Private Retirement Provision and the Policy of Forced Saving. The outcomes from the research on Australian retirement saving behaviour will generate a range of national benefits. First, the collaboration of researchers across institutions, and internationally, will enhance and promote Australian research skills. Second, Australian research will be will be placed at the forefront of an important, international field. Third, the research will make fundamental contributions to the evidence base for the design of public policies to ensure Australians have access to adequate resources in retirement. This is an urgent public policy concern due to the rapid ageing of the Australian population: the fraction aged over 65 years is forecast to double from 10% to 20% over the next 40 years.Read moreRead less
Trending time series models with non- and semi-parametric methods. The outcomes of this project will not only complement but also enhance the existing strengths and reputation of Australian researchers in the field of econometrics. The outcomes are also expected to help improve model building and forecasting from better models in climatology, economics, environmetrics and financial econometrics.