Glass walls: Australia's highly gender-segregated workforce

Workplaces lacking gender balance employ 60% of Australian workers, the same as 20 years ago - comments by Alison Sheridan and Kathy MacDermot

Beyond the Rhetoric: The Practice of Affirmative Action in Australia

In 1986 the 'Affirmative Action (Equal Employment Opportunity for Women) Act' was passed by the Australian federal government to address the problem of inequality of employment opportunity for women in Australia. Equal employment opportunity was the stated goal of the legislation and affirmative action was the name given to the interventionary practices designed to achieve the goal. Organisations covered by the legislation are required to implement affirmative action programs and report to the Affirmative Action Agency annually, outlining their programs. This thesis explores the 'practice' of affirmative action from two major perspectives. The first perspective involves a description of the types of affirmative action policies that organisations covered by the legislation reported to the Affirmative Action Agency. In the absence of a descriptive typology of affirmative action policies in Australia, one was developed which distinguished among five types of affirmative action policies - 'temperamental', 'work & family', 'non-traditional', 'social structural' and 'opportunities'. This typology was then used to classify the affirmative action policies of 288 organisations with well developed affirmative action programs in place. The most commonly reported policies were 'social structural'; that is, policies seeking to ensure personnel practices within the organisations were non discriminatory. Policies which challenged the 'traditional order' within organisations (that is, 'non–traditional' and 'opportunities' policies) were less common than those primarily concerned with removing discriminatory practices. In the second part of the thesis, the 'practice' of affirmative action was examined in three organisations which were, by standards set by the Affirmative Action Agency, 'exemplary' performers in affirmative action. The focus of this part of the thesis was on how employees within these organisations perceived the affirmative action programs in place in their organisations, and their employment opportunities. The findings from interviews and subsequent surveys of employees suggest that despite the various efforts of these companies to create an environment in which women and men enjoy the same employment opportunities, the goal has yet to be fully achieved. A significant percentage of women perceived their employment opportunities to be somewhat less than those of men and that the employment processes were not 'fair'. This suggests that the promise of affirmative action has yet to be fulfilled; the practice has not matched the rhetoric. From the insights gained from employees' perceptions of affirmative action and their work environments and consideration of the pertinent literature, some strategies for enhancing the practice of affirmative action are canvassed

Influence of magnetic field upon electrode kinetics and ionic transport

Performance properties in lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and zero excess metal batteries are currently limited by the sluggish ion diffusion and inhomogeneity of the transport ion flux, resulting in poor formation, low rates, and short cycle lives. In this work, a magnetic field is applied to the cell by the incorporation of a NdFeB magnetic spacer, and the effect upon the kinetics and transport properties at each electrode is studied using galvanic charge and discharge, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and intermittent titration techniques. Stabilization of the anode-free or zero excess sodium and lithium metal cells is achieved during formation, and upon cycling. Reduced cell overpotential is observed with resulting higher areal capacities, with improved ionic diffusion through the electrode. Upon cycling metallic dendritic structures are suppressed due to the inhomogeneity of ion flux, and the likely competing kinetics of plating at a metallic tip and the surrounding surface. At the NMC electrode, improved kinetics are observed with lower charge-transfer resistance (Rct) due to the reshaped and aligned domain in the ferromagnetic Ni of NMC cathode. Pulsed current methods further confirm enhanced cationic diffusion in the anode graphite materials, particularly at high mass loading of 4 mA h cm−2 and high C rates. Consequently, the combination of enhanced reaction kinetics on the ferromagnetic cathode and improved diffusion kinetics in the porous anode leads to excellent full-cell performance compared to control groups. This study highlights the potential of magnetic fields in enhancing diffusion and reaction kinetics for rechargeable batteries (Li, Na, K, Mg, etc.), and may provide routes for extending cycle life, reconditioning cells, and improving formation protocols

Radiocarbon dating of a multi-phase passage tomb on Baltinglass Hill, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Baltinglass is a multi-chamber Neolithic passage tomb in Co. Wicklow, Ireland, excavated in the 1930s. This paper presents the results of a radiocarbon dating programme on charred wheat grains and hazelnut shell found underlying the cairn, and on cremated human bone found within and near two of the monument’s five chambers. The results are surprising, in that three of the six determinations on calcined bone pre-date by one or two centuries the charred cereals and hazelnut shells sealed under the cairn, dating to c. 3600–3400 cal bc. Of the remaining three bone results, one is coeval with the charred plant remains, while the final two can be placed in the period 3300/3200–2900 cal bc, that is more traditionally associated with developed passage tombs. A suggested sequence of construction is presented beginning with a simple tomb lacking a cairn, followed by a burning event – perhaps a ritual preparation of the ground – involving the deposition of cereal grains and other materials, very rapidly and intentionally sealed under a layer of clay, in turn followed by at least two phases involving the construction of more substantial chambers and associated cairns. What was already a complex funerary monument has proven to be even more complex, with a history spanning at least six centuries

Europe's future exploration of Main Belt Comets

We discuss possible European missions to explore the recently identified population of "main belt comets", which are small bodies with some asteroid-like properties and some comet-like ones. Various options have been proposed to ESA in recent years, and we will present these, and discuss future possibilities

Tracking the Pathways: Explaining Gender Differences in Performance among Small Business Owners in a Transition Economy

There is growing confidence among researchers in the ability of small businesses to play a vital role in economic development. This role is manifested through their contribution to innovation, job creation, and income generation. In transitional economies such as Ghana, small businesses comprise about 90 per cent of all registered enterprises and are recognised as a crucial and integral component of economic development policies aimed at sustained poverty reduction. The ability of the small business sector to contribute to economic development is influenced by the performance of individual firms, which is in turn influenced by their strategic capabilities. Strategic capabilities are determined by the owner-manager's personality and demographic and environmental characteristics. Owner-managers' personality characteristics originate from the prevailing cultural and socialisation processes to which they are exposed. In Ghana, women form the majority of operators in the small business sector, but their educational levels and managerial experiences are lower than those of their male counterparts. There are also gender differences in the socialisation of girls and boys in Ghana. It is expected that these differences in personality and demographics between men and women affect their strategic capabilities, and ultimately the performance of their businesses. This study accordingly examines the direct and indirect effects of gender on owner-managers' characteristics, strategic capabilities, and performance of small retail firms in Ghana. A multi-method approach employing both quantitative and qualitative research methodology was utilised. Face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires were employed to collect information from 674 owner-managers of small retail shops in the Accra Metropolis in Ghana. In all, 600 useable responses were obtained. In addition, focus group discussions were used to support the findings obtained from face-to-face interviews on issues relevant to business success. Structural equation modelling using partial least squares was employed to examine the relationships between gender, owner-managers characteristics, strategic capabilities, and firm performance. Results revealed that the gender of the owner-manager has a direct influence on performance, firm resources, business owner's skills, personal values, business experience, and education. In addition, a partial influence was observed for business strategies, but not for owner-manager's age

The Working World of Nursing Unit Managers

Nursing unit managers (NUMs) occupy a first-line management position in many healthcare services worldwide. In this role, they are responsible for the nursing and administrative operations of a ward. The literature suggests that while the position has evolved into a complex and multifaceted one, the scope and authority of the role are poorly understood. Few studies have explored the working world of NUMs or considered how the well-documented oppression of nurses might impact on them as managers. Using a feminist approach, and individual interviews, this qualitative study, which focused on the construct of power, explored the working world of twenty nursing unit managers employed in the public healthcare system of New South Wales, Australia

Merger Success Factors - An Examination of the Australian Not-for-Profit Aged and Community Care Sector

This research investigated the drivers and success factors for mergers in the Australian not-­for-­profit aged and community care sector. In response to increased demand for aged and community care services and changing expectations of an ageing population, the Australian government is embarking on significant national health reforms to deliver a more market driven service. For a sector dominated by the not-­for-­profit providers, this new competitive paradigm will be an industry shock of such magnitude that it will transform how the sector operates in the future. A literature review of the corporate and health sector confirmed that restructure through mergers is one way for a sector to adapt to industry shocks. An examination of the national profile of the Australian aged and community care sector confirmed that mergers are occurring. Between 2003 and 2010, the sector consolidated by 10% whilst the number of operational services/outlets increased by 23%. The drivers and success factors of mergers in the sector were investigated by drawing on data from an online questionnaire of the not-­for-­profit aged and community care providers in NSW and ACT, as well as in-­depth interviews of six industry CEOs. Mergers and amalgamations are perceived to deliver financial sustainability and allow organisations to position themselves strategically, enabling organisations to adapt to the industry shock of the national health reforms and deliver better client outcomes. The literature review and data collected from CEO interviews emphasised hat post-merger integration is critical in realising the anticipated merger gains. This research demonstrated that the industry will be required to balance the tension between external environmental forces, internal governance activities and internal relationship challenges to maximise the probability of a successful merger

The Emergence of Group Dynamics from Contextualised Social Processes: A Complexity-Oriented Grounded-Theory Approach

A formal group, within a University, is typically created to accomplish work goals through on-going coordination, combination, and integration of member resources. Group behaviour emerges from the confluence of individual and social forces and behaviours enacted to pursue desired goals. Interactions between group members in context create patterns of group processes and behaviours, and how these patterns change over time creates group dynamics. However, group dynamics do not simply reflect intra-group processes; they also reflect influences that arise from larger contexts within which the group is embedded. Group behaviour can, therefore, be argued to reflect emergent self-organisation, sensitivity to time and initial conditions, and causal ambiguity, properties associated with complex, dynamic and adaptive systems. Much of the research into group dynamics and behaviour (especially experimental social psychology research employing a positivist reductionist theoretical perspective) has tended not to look at groups through such a complexity lens. The research reported in this thesis was intended to push into this frontier. The fundamental question addressed in this thesis is: 'What occurs during group interactions associated with the emergence and maintenance of different types of group dynamics and how do those dynamics tend to unfold over time?' I argue in this thesis that a deep and contextual understanding of the complexity of group dynamics can be achieved using an interpretivist/constructivist perspective coupled with a grounded theory approach employing methodologies that permit the deeper exploration of the meaning of individual as well as collective group behaviours. To achieve the depth of learning needed in this research, I focused on a single long-standing group, a committee that existed within a larger university. I gathered qualitative data using three distinct data gathering strategies: (1) participant observation of the group at its regular monthly meetings over a 12- month period; (2) semi-structured interviews with current and former individual group members; and (3) the review of historical documents (e.g., minutes of meetings, discussion papers) relevant to the group's initial genesis and evolution over the time period prior to this research as well as my own field notes amassed over the duration of the study. I employed MAXQDA 11 Plus to support my analyses of the qualitative data amassed using these three strategies and to aid the development of grounded theory that accounted for the group's contextual dynamics. The results of this study revealed that when the focal group was addressing routine group tasks, systematic and consistent patterns of behaviour were observed. However, when the group was exposed to or perceived an internal or external shock, some interesting and unexpected emergent patterns of behaviour were observed. These behaviours could be traced to the desire for a select few members to maintain the historically based group identity, function, and direction. This maintenance process was accomplished through the application of varying types of power to offset possible bifurcation. For example, one class of such behaviours focused on 'leadership hijacking', where control over the group's consideration of an issue was taken over by a person who was not the discussion leader but for whom that issue was 'hot' and perceived to be strongly threatening. Of the number of external shocks observed, the interplay between the university's and other larger contextual agendas and the group's agenda was visible and often vigorous. This type of shock caused confrontation and escalation behaviours to emerge with the goal, once again, to maintain the historically based group identity and agenda. The addition of data gathered from semi-structured interviews with current and former group members and the review of historical documents relevant to the group provided further evidence relevant to how members strived to maintain the historically based group agenda through the application of their unique brand of group dynamics. In some cases, depending upon the issue at hand, the maintenance of this historically based group agenda centred upon one group member and, in other cases, involved the creation of shorter- and longer-term coalitions. Thus, an understanding of the dynamics of interaction within this group was achieved through close examination of the various contexts within which the group was embedded as well as the contexts of the individual group members. The results support the need to employ a complex adaptive systems perspective when trying to unpack group dynamics as they play out in real time. This research also reinforces the value of adopting an interpretivist perspective to enhance the depth of this learning

One board for mission, another board for margin: Exploring two-tiered boards and links to not-for-profit organizational performance

Not-for-profit organizations are trusted by donors to provide essential services, with not-for-profit board directors ultimately accountable for organizational performance. Yet links between corporate governance and organizational performance are tenuous, and there is no consensus on how not-for-profit performance should be measured. This thesis reports on exploratory research of an elite group of Australian not-for-profit hospital board directors practicing corporate governance through two-tiered boards, which are common in Germanic influenced corporate governance systems but rare in Anglo-US environments. The thesis quantifies the previously unrecognised use of two-tiered board governance by Australian not-for-profit hospitals and identifies different governance factors perceived by board directors for their potential to contribute to not-for-profit organizational performance