Impact of Intelligent Decision Aids on Human Knowledge Acquisition. Our aim is to identify new factors that enhance learning and knowledge acquisition from an intelligent decision aid. The research will assess the ability of alternative designs of an intelligent decision aid's advanced explanation and learning facilities to affect the transfer of complex knowledge structures to novice insolvency practitioners. The result of the study is critical to understanding the factors necessary for succes ....Impact of Intelligent Decision Aids on Human Knowledge Acquisition. Our aim is to identify new factors that enhance learning and knowledge acquisition from an intelligent decision aid. The research will assess the ability of alternative designs of an intelligent decision aid's advanced explanation and learning facilities to affect the transfer of complex knowledge structures to novice insolvency practitioners. The result of the study is critical to understanding the factors necessary for successfully deploying and leveraging intelligent decision aids in practice.Read moreRead less
Accelerating Expertise Development Using Knowledge Structures and Expert Systems. There is a shortage of experts among many professional fields in Australia, a problem that is starting to be further exacerbated by a large number of pending retirements. Professions dependent on high-level experts operating in complex decision domains face potential devastation and may fail to continue to exist within Australia. The proposed research directly addresses this looming crisis by presenting a replicabl ....Accelerating Expertise Development Using Knowledge Structures and Expert Systems. There is a shortage of experts among many professional fields in Australia, a problem that is starting to be further exacerbated by a large number of pending retirements. Professions dependent on high-level experts operating in complex decision domains face potential devastation and may fail to continue to exist within Australia. The proposed research directly addresses this looming crisis by presenting a replicable methodology for rapid expertise development that is to be demonstrated within the Australian insolvency environment. However, the methodology will be easily portable to other knowledge work professions facing similar crisis conditions.Read moreRead less
Corporate Transparency in the Asia Pacific Region: Factors Explaining Differences in Financial Disclosure Levels. The adequacy of corporate transparency, as evidenced by relevant disclosures and accounting measurement policies, is of concern to investors and regulators worldwide but notably in respect of companies located in the Asia Pacific region following the Asian financial crisis. The aim of this project is to assess financial disclosure levels in major countries in the region against reco ....Corporate Transparency in the Asia Pacific Region: Factors Explaining Differences in Financial Disclosure Levels. The adequacy of corporate transparency, as evidenced by relevant disclosures and accounting measurement policies, is of concern to investors and regulators worldwide but notably in respect of companies located in the Asia Pacific region following the Asian financial crisis. The aim of this project is to assess financial disclosure levels in major countries in the region against recognised benchmarks especially International Accounting Standards and to evaluate the significance of factors associated with differences in disclosure levels. The results of this study will provide valuable insights for Australian standard setters as well as the IASB, IOSCO and the World Bank.Read moreRead less
Keeping Capital Markets Efficient: A National Strategy on the Future of Auditing. The lack of confidence in the reliability of financial statement information is costly to the Australian capital market. The auditing profession is also struggling to attract and retain skilled professionals, which can erode audit quality. Using a rigorous research design to understand business community expectations and concerns, this project will provide a national forum that informs and directs responsible natio ....Keeping Capital Markets Efficient: A National Strategy on the Future of Auditing. The lack of confidence in the reliability of financial statement information is costly to the Australian capital market. The auditing profession is also struggling to attract and retain skilled professionals, which can erode audit quality. Using a rigorous research design to understand business community expectations and concerns, this project will provide a national forum that informs and directs responsible national strategy to ensure that high quality audit services are procured by corporate Australia. Improved audit quality will have the effect of improving the efficiency and attractiveness of the Australian capital market and address the skill shortage in auditing. Read moreRead less
Developing a Model for the Evaluation of Australian Public Private Partnerships. The primary aim of this research project is to improve the long-term evaluation of Australian Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Growing commitments by governments to the use of PPPs to deliver infrastructure-based services have created an urgent need for the development of evaluation systems to ensure that PPPs deliver efficiency and effectiveness for taxpayers as claimed. Further there is a need to ensure that th ....Developing a Model for the Evaluation of Australian Public Private Partnerships. The primary aim of this research project is to improve the long-term evaluation of Australian Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Growing commitments by governments to the use of PPPs to deliver infrastructure-based services have created an urgent need for the development of evaluation systems to ensure that PPPs deliver efficiency and effectiveness for taxpayers as claimed. Further there is a need to ensure that the quality of welfare-based services is not diminished through the use of PPPs.
A key outcome of this research is the development of a theoretically and empirically based post project evaluation model, developed with full support from key stakeholders, including Auditors-General and Public Accounts Committees.Read moreRead less
Corporate governance, corporate disclosure policies and the timeliness of price discovery: How competitive is the Australian equity market? This project will help reduce the economic cost of poor corporate governance. It will facilitate more liquid financial markets and potentially it will increase the number and value of worthwhile investment opportunities by lowering the cost to finance them. It will assess Australia's competitive standing in the world's equity markets and establish whether ou ....Corporate governance, corporate disclosure policies and the timeliness of price discovery: How competitive is the Australian equity market? This project will help reduce the economic cost of poor corporate governance. It will facilitate more liquid financial markets and potentially it will increase the number and value of worthwhile investment opportunities by lowering the cost to finance them. It will assess Australia's competitive standing in the world's equity markets and establish whether our market is indeed transparent and a good place to raise risk capital. It will add needed credibility to corporate governance regulation. And it will enhance Australia's standing in the international research community because its research methods can be applied to almost any public capital market.Read moreRead less
Performance Management using Balanced Scorecards to Improve the Performance of Australian Manufacturing Organizations. The balanced scorecard is a performance management technique that has been promoted to assist managers of Australian manufacturing companies improve the performance of their organizations. However, there is little empirical evidence to support an association between scorecards and enhanced performance and there is much to be discovered about how they promote effective outcomes. ....Performance Management using Balanced Scorecards to Improve the Performance of Australian Manufacturing Organizations. The balanced scorecard is a performance management technique that has been promoted to assist managers of Australian manufacturing companies improve the performance of their organizations. However, there is little empirical evidence to support an association between scorecards and enhanced performance and there is much to be discovered about how they promote effective outcomes. This study provides a significant conceptual advance by proposing that scorecards will enhance performance when they are 'comprehensive' in design. This enhancement in performance occurs as comprehensiveness assists product innovation and aligns manufacturing with strategy. The theoretical and empirical outcomes of the research are significant as the appropriate application of balanced scorecards can assist Australian firms compete effectively in global markets.Read moreRead less
The role of Activity-based costing within the Defence Forces. The aim of the research project is to enhance understanding of the implementation processes involved in the effective application of Activity-based Cost Management (ABCM) within Defence Organizations. A framework is developed that draws on organizational theories as they relate to behavioral implementation factors and change management. The research proposes that the beneficial effects of ABCM require attention to behavioral and org ....The role of Activity-based costing within the Defence Forces. The aim of the research project is to enhance understanding of the implementation processes involved in the effective application of Activity-based Cost Management (ABCM) within Defence Organizations. A framework is developed that draws on organizational theories as they relate to behavioral implementation factors and change management. The research proposes that the beneficial effects of ABCM require attention to behavioral and organizational factors during the early stages of implementation. Attention to several of these factors provides the basis to overcome resistance to change in early implementation, while attention to others ensures sustained development and acceptance of ABCM.Read moreRead less
Strategic Resource Management in the Twenty-First Century: an Australian Perspective. Strategic resource management (SRM) is evolving rapidly due to the information revolution. Much is claimed for 'good' SRM but there is little hard evidence to support these claims. This project will develop theoretical frameworks to codify the multi-disciplinary nature of SRM, empirically gather data on SRM practices by questionnaire and interview surveys, benchmark firms and identify exemplars of best practi ....Strategic Resource Management in the Twenty-First Century: an Australian Perspective. Strategic resource management (SRM) is evolving rapidly due to the information revolution. Much is claimed for 'good' SRM but there is little hard evidence to support these claims. This project will develop theoretical frameworks to codify the multi-disciplinary nature of SRM, empirically gather data on SRM practices by questionnaire and interview surveys, benchmark firms and identify exemplars of best practice. The results of the research will be published annually in a monograph for dissemination to Australian senior management. Significant findings will be published in academic journals.Read moreRead less
Developing a Resource Allocation Framework to support more effective police investigations of major crime. The project addresses National Research Priority 4: Safeguarding Australia. This priority has a goal to protect Australia from terrorism and crime. Improving resource allocation decisions will enable police resources to be more effective in detecting and preventing crime. The project addresses the goal of all police agencies to reduce crime by enhancing the capability to manage resources mo ....Developing a Resource Allocation Framework to support more effective police investigations of major crime. The project addresses National Research Priority 4: Safeguarding Australia. This priority has a goal to protect Australia from terrorism and crime. Improving resource allocation decisions will enable police resources to be more effective in detecting and preventing crime. The project addresses the goal of all police agencies to reduce crime by enhancing the capability to manage resources more efficiently and effectively. This requires a more innovative culture that uses the available management information intelligently to make better (in terms of outcomes) resource allocation decisions. Read moreRead less