Digital Transformation in Australian Local Government: A Systematic Literature Review

Rapid technological growth has led to increased demand from technology-savvy citizens for their local government (LG) to offer efficient and effective digital services. Many Australian LGs are either considering taking or have taken first step towards digitally transforming their LGs. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify and analyse current knowledge about digital transformation (DT), with a focus on LGs. Evidence of a gap in the literature was found about lack of LGs\u27 understanding of DT and approaches they take to digitally transform. Literature review indicated that customer expectations, outdated technology, and strategic directions are key drivers of DT in LGs. LGs also face challenges in adopting DT, due to lack of management support, insufficient resources, and absence of transformed LGs to benchmark against. Based on review, a holistic picture of what transformation means to LGs, challenges to achieve such transformation, and the need for further research were identified

The Integrated Reporting Journey and the Influence of Sustainability Reporting - Experiences and Practices from Sweden and Germany

Integrated reporting is an approach to corporate reporting that seeks to integrate significant financial and non-financial information and demonstrate how they are connected to each other. By doing so, integrated reporting is expected to lead to integrated thinking and decision-making, reflecting how an organisation impacts and is impacted by the economic, social and environmental context in which it operates. The reporting approach is still in the early phases of development where knowledge relating to its implementation and the implications for reporting organisations is scarce. The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the knowledge of how integrated reporting fits into the existing corporate reporting landscape, how organisations apply integrated reporting in practice and how they are affected by taking this approach. The study investigates the interactions between integrated and sustainability reporting, including a comparison of relevant frameworks. It presents result from 17 interviews with company representatives and other experts involved in integrated reporting. Moreover, six integrated reports from Swedish and German companies are analysed. Findings highlight the importance of sustainability reporting for the integrated reporting process and suggest that integrated reporting might influence how sustainability information will be communicated in the future. The thesis uncovers different factors that motivate companies to move towards integrated reporting and outlines corresponding challenges. Integrated reporting is found to positively influence interdepartmental collaboration and to increase the mutual understanding between different corporate functions. The study shows that integrated reporting enables a better understanding of sustainability aspects throughout a company and supports the integration of sustainability considerations in discussions on corporate strategy. Analysed integrated reports are found to be very diverse and examples show different approaches of how integrated reporting can be applied. The insights might provide guidance on the way towards integrated reporting and can help companies to better assess the possible benefits and drawbacks of taking this approach

Think Local-Act Local: Is It Time to Slow Down the Accelerated Move to Global Marketing?

In view of the accelerated move of great corporations towards global marketing, the strategic changes of such companies raise interesting questions. Is marketing globalization reaching its limits after years of implementation? Is it time for companies to rethink their strategies and move back, like Coca-Cola, to a multi-domestic marketing approach?Global Marketing, Multi-Domestic Marketing Approach, Brand Equity, Drawbacks of Marketing Globalization, Coca-Cola

An assessment of how well social movement theory explains the emergence and development of Rape Crisis Cape Town

This thesis uses three social movement theories to analyse the growth and development of Rape Crisis Cape Town (Rape Crisis). Rape Crisis provides counselling to rape victims, education and advocacy. The thesis also uses Rape Crisis to assess the analytic power of these theories, which were developed in the USA and Europe, in South Africa. This thesis seeks answers to several key questions about Rape Crisis's history. It emerged in 1976 at a time when there was relatively little self-conscious feminist activity in South Africa. How was Rape Crisis able to emerge and grow despite hostility from authorities and other left wing organisations; why Rape Crisis went from a modified collective to a collective when feminist organisations usually follow the opposite path; why Rape Crisis maintained its collective structure for much longer than most feminist organisations; why Rape Crisis changed dramatically in terms of structure and organisational culture after 1992? This work uses interviews, documentary evidence, and secondary sources to build a picture of Rape Crisis's development and the issues it confronted. The thesis covers the period 1976 to 2000. The main chapters consider a phase of Rape Crisis's development using the three social movement theories under consideration: resource mobilisation theory, political process theory and generational theory. The analytical power of each theory is considered. The thesis concludes that the theories considered offer a cogent analysis of Rape Crisis and combining the theories creates a strong analysis. The theories were able to provide answers to the key questions outlined above. The shortfalls identified in the theories were not caused because the theories were unsuitable for examining an organisation in South Africa. The problems stemmed from the failure of the theories to consider the impact of emotion on organisations. Thus, the criticism is applicable to these theories whenever they are dealing with social movement organisations that engage in emotional work. The key emotions for the purposes of this thesis were stress and those associated with trauma. These emotions impacted on decision-making, organisational structure and collective identity. However, the thesis concludes that the existing theories can be adapted to consider the impact of emotion. Rape Crisis's ability to emerge and grow without a sponsor organisation challenges the theories' arguments about the importance of social movement organisations being based in organisationally rich social sectors

User response and organisational fit for information systems in Earth observation

A group of seventy six scientists and data managers in the Australian research agency CSIRO were surveyed to establish their needs and preferences in relation to information systems for Earth observation data. After study of available alternatives, three prototype Earth observation information management systems were installed and the user response was evaluated through interview of fifteen of the group. The prototypes consisted of web-based client servers which permitted users to interrogate databases of Earth observation datasets; to search for information about sensor or satellite performance, and to retrieve data and information products. The chosen systems were CILS, the CEOS (Committee on Earth Observation Satellites) Information Location System; IDN, the CEOS International Directory Network; and JMS, NASA\u27s Information Management System of EOSDIS, the Earth Observing System Data and Information System. For this study, no special effort was taken to populate the system directories and inventories with local data holdings, and the prototypes were essentially mirror sites of operational data management systems used in other parts of the world. While some of the interviewed scientists expressed enthusiasm for web based spatial information management approaches, all indicated that improvements should be sought in the prototypes to make them more user-oriented, intuitive, and responsive. Most of the interview group were experienced remote sensing researchers who had developed their own contacts with overseas peers and data providers. Several in this category expressed the vithem, unless the scientists changed discipline, application or geographic area of interest. On the other hand, several individual research projects or organisational units of CSIRO, as a result of these trials, were considering utilising one of more of the prototypes - particularly the IMS - to address their current unfulfilled requirements for data management. The study also found that while all fifteen of the interviewees felt they could benefit in some way from electronic information retrieval and spatial data management systems of the type assessed, it seemed unlikely that the target organisation would ever assign a sufficient priority to implement any of them in a systematic manner. The biggest impediment to an organisation-wide approach to spatial data management for Earth observation was the low priority assigned to information management, because this activity was considered supporting or non-core in relation to the central objective of scientific research. Results indicated that a piecemeal, decentralised or federated approach was the only means by which systems of this type could feasibly be introduced into the operating environment of CSIRO, in the absence of a major external forcing mechanism. This observation was compared to the evolution of EOSDIS, which had demonstrated a marked change from a centralised to a federated paradigm due to user preferences similar to those observed in the CSIRO case

Innovation in Marketing Channels

In more recent years, the context of globalization in which market channel structures and strategies are developing is bringing to a more complex concept of marketing channels, with disintermediation or reintermediation, multichanneling and new roles/specializations that are emerging as new issues.In this context, innovation in marketing channels becomes a complex, multiorganizational, multidisciplinary activity that requires collaboration and interactions across various entities within the supply chain network. In recent years, the innovation processes in marketing channels have occurred with high intensity and speed, especially following the changes spurred by technology that allowed the adoption of more efficient organizational solutions.Retail; Channel Structure; Innovation in Marketing Channels; Retail Technological Innovation; Global Markets

Aid administration of bilateral, multilateral and non-government organisations in the primary education sector: A comparative case study analysis of Zambia

This is a study of the administration of aid by bilateral, multilateral and non-government organisations in Zambia during the period 1990 to 2000. The particular purpose of this study is to compare the aid programs administered by the above organisations to the primary education sector using a case study approach. The study critically analyses how the performance of these organisation is or is not influenced by setting clear objectives, by elaborating planning processes and implementation arrangements. The study uses a matrix table developed through a NUD*IST retrieval reports generated from the data collected from each organisation’s documentation and in-depth interviews with key personnel. The study responds to five key research questions. These are: (a) what are the dominant objectives for each program: (b) how these objectives are structured: (c) what is the nature of the planning process: (d) what are the main channels for executing the programs: and what are the outcomes of the programs. The findings show that the aid organisations in the study have played a major role administering primary education sector programs through the provision of finance and technical assistance, however, most of these organisations, especially the bilateral and multilateral organisations, have not been very effective in delivering value to Zambia’s primary educations sector. Even though bilateral and multilateral aid organisations may have clearly defined objectives and elaborate planning processes, they normally use other agencies to implement their programs. The research shows that this causes loss of focus and control which consequently affects the performance of the programs. Non-government organisations, the third category of aid organisations, on the other hand, are directly involved in the implementation of the programs even though they may have no set objectives or elaborate planning processes. Their approach is to involve the members of the local communities in the selection and planning of specific projects based on local need. These organisations, therefore, register better performance as they maintain more control and are unable to ensure more successful outcomes