Developing Management Control Systems for SMEs using the Theory of Constraints. The Theory of Constraints (TOC) has helped organisations to move from a mindset of maximising efficiency and production to a new paradigm built around smoothness of flow and maximisation of throughput. Typically it is used for manufacturing management to improve factory floor operations in large companies. To achieve its full potential in small and medium enterprises (SME's) they need to align their management contro ....Developing Management Control Systems for SMEs using the Theory of Constraints. The Theory of Constraints (TOC) has helped organisations to move from a mindset of maximising efficiency and production to a new paradigm built around smoothness of flow and maximisation of throughput. Typically it is used for manufacturing management to improve factory floor operations in large companies. To achieve its full potential in small and medium enterprises (SME's) they need to align their management control systems with the TOC approach. Using an action research approach this project will meet these challenges. In particular, an exemplar accounting and performance measurement system will be designed for planning, control and decision-making.Read moreRead less
A Longitudinal Study of Recurrent Audit Failure in Australian Corporate Collapses from 1885 to the Present. As starkly illustrated with Enron in the US and with HIH in Australia, corporate collapse and audit failure may be interrelated. In response to repeated instances of audit failure, legislative and other reforms are typically adopted in order to ensure that auditor indiscretions are curtailed. Unfortunately, audit failure persists. This longitudinal Australian study of audit failure in the ....A Longitudinal Study of Recurrent Audit Failure in Australian Corporate Collapses from 1885 to the Present. As starkly illustrated with Enron in the US and with HIH in Australia, corporate collapse and audit failure may be interrelated. In response to repeated instances of audit failure, legislative and other reforms are typically adopted in order to ensure that auditor indiscretions are curtailed. Unfortunately, audit failure persists. This longitudinal Australian study of audit failure in the context of corporate collapse from the mid 1880s aims to enhance an understanding of audit failure and why it recurs. The study's findings are expected to inform future enquires and court cases and assist in developing public policy and future legislative reforms.Read moreRead less
Tracing Past and Present Pollution Sources in the River Torrens, South Australia. The Torrens River is the principal water supply to 500,000 South Australians. Since early in European settlement it has suffered the impacts of eutrophication and high rates of sedimentation. The Catchment Management Board is seeking to prioritise rehabilitation resources to maximise water quality improvements. This will be informed by the revelation of the principal sources of sediment and nutrients over time.
Innovative Approach to the Optimal Management of Water Resources and Application to the Upper South East Region of South Australia. This project will increase Australia's capacity to manage water resources in an integrated and sustainable manner. The outcomes of this project will also provide significant economic, social and environmental benefits to the Upper South East region of South Australia, as well as the broader Australian community. The project is expected to result in a significant red ....Innovative Approach to the Optimal Management of Water Resources and Application to the Upper South East Region of South Australia. This project will increase Australia's capacity to manage water resources in an integrated and sustainable manner. The outcomes of this project will also provide significant economic, social and environmental benefits to the Upper South East region of South Australia, as well as the broader Australian community. The project is expected to result in a significant reduction in the economic and social costs associated with dryland salinity and flooding whilst simultaneously increasing the environmental benefits associated with the maintenance and rehabilitation of the ecological value of the some of the region's approximately 200 wetlands.Read moreRead less
Innovative approaches to managing and understanding taste and odour in drinking water systems. Taste and odour (T/O) problems resulting from Cyanobacteria can change consumers' perception of product safety, resulting in many complaints, soaring management and treatment costs, and large financial losses, yet little is known about how they arise.
This project will provide the Australian Water Industry with cost-effective, sensitive, specific, rapid and practical tools for managing and understandi ....Innovative approaches to managing and understanding taste and odour in drinking water systems. Taste and odour (T/O) problems resulting from Cyanobacteria can change consumers' perception of product safety, resulting in many complaints, soaring management and treatment costs, and large financial losses, yet little is known about how they arise.
This project will provide the Australian Water Industry with cost-effective, sensitive, specific, rapid and practical tools for managing and understanding T/O episodes, and will also benefit the aquaculture and food sectors, and the research community. An improved ability to manage geosmin in drinking water, will also have positive repercussions on the Australian environment, by eliminating the need to use environmentally controversial control methods such as copper sulphate dosing.
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Examining the effectiveness of co-creation practices on health outcomes. This projects aims to examine how patients interact collaboratively with multiple stakeholders in a health system (co-creation). Governments and health-care providers continually seek new ways to be more efficient and to create more effective health service outcomes. This research aims to identify why co-creation will be important in the formulation of future health policy. The project plans to assess patient-centred practi ....Examining the effectiveness of co-creation practices on health outcomes. This projects aims to examine how patients interact collaboratively with multiple stakeholders in a health system (co-creation). Governments and health-care providers continually seek new ways to be more efficient and to create more effective health service outcomes. This research aims to identify why co-creation will be important in the formulation of future health policy. The project plans to assess patient-centred practices using qualitative and quantitative health outcome measures and to model the patient’s end-to-end journey by developing new metrics. The intended outcomes are practical guidelines to help health professionals focus on the most effective co-creation activities and interactions. The research aims to determine how co-creation practices shape a service ecosystem by examining the effectiveness of a patient-centred approach on health care service outcomes. Findings will improve the implementation of health care practices.Read moreRead less
Technological innovation and change in supply chain integration. In examining emerging technology that can transform the performance of Australian industry we address the following priority goals: better understanding the processes that will advance knowledge and facilitate the development of technological innovations; the potential application of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies across an entire supply chain; and the improved management of information in the storage, distribut ....Technological innovation and change in supply chain integration. In examining emerging technology that can transform the performance of Australian industry we address the following priority goals: better understanding the processes that will advance knowledge and facilitate the development of technological innovations; the potential application of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies across an entire supply chain; and the improved management of information in the storage, distribution, and delivery of products (smart information use). Improvement in the operational efficiency and performance of the supply chain will increase national wealth while minimising environmental impacts on the environment, for example, through the better utilisation of heavy freight carriers.Read moreRead less
Strategic responses of Australian family-owned businesses in the manufacturing sector to the pressures of globalisation. It is critical that Australian family owned manufacturing businesses respond in the most advantageous way to the pressures of globalisation. Possible strategic responses include selling out to larger companies that have a stronger strategic position, competing off-shore, or take a niche position in the value chain. This research will use a series of case studies to determine t ....Strategic responses of Australian family-owned businesses in the manufacturing sector to the pressures of globalisation. It is critical that Australian family owned manufacturing businesses respond in the most advantageous way to the pressures of globalisation. Possible strategic responses include selling out to larger companies that have a stronger strategic position, competing off-shore, or take a niche position in the value chain. This research will use a series of case studies to determine the contingent factors that best explain strategic response within the ownership and management structure of the family business, and track the impact of specific strategic choices. From this may flow some general principles of appropriate strategic responses given a range of circumstances.Read moreRead less
The psychological contract: Bridging human resource management practices and organisational effectiveness. Many managers believe that recent changes in management practice are responsible for Australia's high labour productivity but very little is known about the mechanisms through which such effects are transmitted. Will HRM enable Australian organisations to generate and maintain a competitive advantage in the global context? In this project we draw on theoretical frameworks established in ....The psychological contract: Bridging human resource management practices and organisational effectiveness. Many managers believe that recent changes in management practice are responsible for Australia's high labour productivity but very little is known about the mechanisms through which such effects are transmitted. Will HRM enable Australian organisations to generate and maintain a competitive advantage in the global context? In this project we draw on theoretical frameworks established in the behavioural sciences to understand how HRM practices influence employee reactions and impact organisational effectiveness, such as labour productivity. The results will be of direct benefit to Australian organisations designing, evaluating, or reconfiguring their HRM practices in line with their competitive strategy.Read moreRead less
Employment systems and organisational outcomes: Managing employee expectations through HRM practice. This project contributes to our understanding of the factors that influence organisational effectiveness. Australian employers are facing competitive business conditions and changing demographics. In this challenging environment, employers and employees must develop a clear understanding of what they can expect from one another. Unfulfilled expectations can lead to workplace cynicism and have ....Employment systems and organisational outcomes: Managing employee expectations through HRM practice. This project contributes to our understanding of the factors that influence organisational effectiveness. Australian employers are facing competitive business conditions and changing demographics. In this challenging environment, employers and employees must develop a clear understanding of what they can expect from one another. Unfulfilled expectations can lead to workplace cynicism and have a negative effect on organisational performance. The project findings will help organisations become more competitive in the global marketplace by designing HRM practice configurations that are best fit to the needs of their employees and that establish converging expectations about the employment relationship.Read moreRead less