Strategic competence : to soar above

Purpose &ndash; The purpose of this paper is to discuss the case for change at Deakin University Library and the change process adopted, and to explore organisational competences and the structural and strategic outcomes achieved. The Library\u27s change process was driven by university strategic priorities and financial exigencies.Design/methodology/approach &ndash; Change management theory is drawn on to illustrate that the change process adopted is influenced by the state of the organisation and the state of urgency. Four steps are outlined that encapsulate the process developed by the Library. These four steps draw on a book by Kotter and Rathberger, Our Iceberg Is Melting. The concept of strategic organisational competences as proposed by Thomson and Cole is adopted.Findings &ndash; The case study demonstrates the need to take a structural and strategic view of the organisation when developing new models of service and ways of operating. An organisation needs to develop the capacity to manage both continuous and discontinuous change. The change process has delivered improvements to the Library\u27s strategic and functional capabilities, as well as sustainable cost savings. Client satisfaction surveys indicate the quality of service provision has not diminished.Originality/value &ndash; The paper proposes a change process that may suit other organisations. It advocates a simple conceptualisation of the process that will aid communication with key stakeholders. Further, to achieve the desired strategic and structural outcomes, it is critical to assess the strategic competence of the organisation.<br /

If Another Gas Dispute Breaks out between the Ukraine and Russia, Would Europe Now Be Equipped to Deal with It?

In January 2009, the supply of natural gas from Russia via the Ukrainian pipeline system was interrupted for nearly two weeks. Particularly the countries in Southeastern Europe were ill-prepared for such an event. Disputes regarding both the payment of natural gas supplies and transit rights between Russia and Ukraine have recently flared up again, which gives rise to the question of whether the EU is now better prepared if a similar scenario to that of January 2009 were to happen again. A number of measures have been introduced since the beginning of the year aiming to overcome any delivery shortfalls, but only a few of them have actually already been implemented, e.g. the creation of technical requirements to reverse the flow of natural gas. Therefore, supply shortages in some Southeastern European countries can not be fully excluded.Natural gas, Gas storage, Security of supply

Inside guide to getting published

In this seminar Dr Georgina Kelly gave useful advice to Higher Degree students and early career researchers on &ldquo;When to publish what during your PhD; publishing in conferences and journals; impact versus reputation; and how to get your paper read by others&rsquo;. Professor Terry Evans spoke of the importance of &lsquo;Being strategic about publishing with(in) a thesis: the public and accessible nature of contemporary PhD theses and the implications for publishing during candidature and for subsequent publications&rsquo;. In her presentation, &lsquo;Transitioning: riding the wave&rsquo;, Associate Professor Karen Stagnitti&rsquo;s drew on her experiences as an HDR student and Early Career Researcher, raising the importance of recognizing opportunities for presenting at conferences, networking and publishing. Associate Professor Rohan Bastin, discussed benefits of &lsquo;Developing pragmatic and rewarding publishing strategies; strategies and opportunities for having multiple publication projects on the go; tailoring one\u27s output to the esteem criteria relevant to disciplines as well as one\u27s own esteem criteria relevant to one\u27s specialist area&rsquo;. <br /

Keeping treasures in testing times : special collections in the academic environment

&ldquo;&hellip; university libraries, while differing in the specifics of their goals, generally embrace the obligation to collect, preserve, and make available primary source materials for both current scholarship and future research&rdquo; (Hewitt 1998).This paper explores some of the challenges faced by the Fryer Library, the special collections branch of the University of Queensland Library responsible for manuscripts and pictorial materials, as well as theses and rare books. The challenges are not dissimilar to those being met by other cultural agencies or institutions as well as other academic libraries. The challenges covered include collection development, access and preservation, making appropriate responses to the research imperative, as well as promotion of services and collections, and servicing the community at large. The paper outlines the research library context and concludes with experiences of cross-sectoral collaborations and future opportunities.<br /

Insider\u27s guide to getting published

The \u27Insider\u27s guide to getting published\u27 features keynote speaker Associate Professor Jeffrey Faux from Victoria University, editor of the Asian Review of Accounting and editorial board member of the Malaysian Accounting Review and the International Journal of Management Education.&nbsp; Associate Professor Faux will provide tips and techniques about getting published in journals - specifically, those of leading independent publisher Emerald