Overseas Accounting Students in Australia and Performance in Literary Work: An Empirical Test

This study compared the performance of local and overseas students, studying in a Western Australian university, in respect of both a literary and practical component of an examination question associated with a second year accounting unit. An analysis of the results, using an analysis of variance, indicated that language background for these two groups of students was a significant discriminating variable. This result lends support for the claim by the large Australian-based major public accounting firms that overseas accounting graduates lack language skill, which is, in turn, cited by the firms as a basis for not employing the graduates. Notwithstanding the extreme importance and implications of this research for concerned stakeholders, including educators, educational institutions, graduates and employers, and government migration policy, the research findings should be treated as tentative and further research is suggested.Accounting education, International students, Literary performance

Accountability and efficiency and the decision of whether to appoint the incumbent audit firm to provide non-audit services

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Does genetics play a role in feeding behavior of gray tree frogs?

Abstract only availableModels of sexual selection suggest that, in some animals, females choose mates of genetically superior quality. In the gray tree frog Hyla versicolor, it has been shown that females prefer male advertisement calls of long duration. Studies have also found that offspring of long-calling males have a performance advantage over the offspring of short-calling males. This research focuses on the feeding habits of H. versicolor tadpoles in an attempt to understand the contribution of paternal genetic quality to tadpole behavior. The tadpoles used in this study were offspring from long-calling males and short-calling males, reared individually in the lab. Tadpoles were individually weighed and then observed on three different occasions over the course of a week: one day after food administration, immediately after food administration, and one day after a subsequent food administration. Tadpole behavior was classified as either feeding, resting, or swimming. Results reveal that feeding behavior did not change with age, though feeding behavior was significantly higher immediately after food administration. In addition, larger tadpoles spent more time feeding than smaller tadpoles. Preliminary analyses indicate that the offspring of short-calling males were, on average, larger in size than offspring of long-calling males and, probably as a consequence of their larger size, spent more time feeding. In summary, paternal genetic quality appears to affect feeding behavior of their offspring, although further investigation is needed to determine whether tadpole feeding behavior affects performance later in life.REU Supplement to A. Welch and C. Gerhard

Overseas accounting students in Australia and performance in literary work : an empirical test

This study compared the performance of local and overseas students, studying in a Western Australian university, in respect of both a literary and practical component of an examination question associated with a second year accounting unit. An analysis of the results, using an analysis of variance, indicated that language background for these two groups of students was a significant discriminating variable. This result lends support for the claim by the large Australian-based major public accounting firms that overseas accounting graduates lack language skill, which is, in turn, cited by the firms as a basis for not employing the graduates. Notwithstanding the extreme importance and implications of this research for concerned stakeholders, including educators, educational institutions, graduates and employers, and government migration policy, the research findings should be treated as tentative and further research is suggested

Paying for College Success: An Introduction to the Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration

This policy brief describes a demonstration launched by MDRC in four states in 2008 to evaluate whether performance-based scholarships -- paid contingent on attaining academic benchmarks -- are an effective way to improve persistence and academic success among low-income college students. The demonstration builds on positive results from an earlier MDRC study in Louisiana

WORK THAT RELATIONSHIP: INVESTIGATING TOP MANAGEMENT SUPPORT VIA TOP AND PROJECT MANAGER RELATIONSHIPS IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

High rates of failure are reported for software development projects and top management support has been identified as a critical factor in avoiding such failure and achieving project success. However, there has been little in-depth examination of what exactly is meant by “top management support”. The purpose of this paper is to redress this gap in the literature and to develop a framework that treats top management support as one characterization of the overall relationship between project and senior (top) management. An initial framework was developed from the existing literature and then explored through data gathered from an exploratory study with interviews in five organizations. The conclusion drawn was that the framework has validity in showing top management support as a relational concept, with ten important attributes of the relationship being communication, documentation, leadership, decision making, governance structures, governance processes, resourcing, education, managerial engagement and time management

The Effects of Sight Word Instruction on Students\u27 Reading Abilities

This action research paper focused on the question “how does effective sight word instruction impact students’ reading abilities?” Effective sight word instruction will improve a student’s overall reading abilities. Data was collected through daily observation of students and recorded notes, formal and informal interviews, and student work samples. After analyzing the data, three major themes were found: sight word instruction improved students’ overall reading abilities, sight word instruction improved students’ confidence in reading, and sight word instruction alone is not beneficial without other literacy instruction. The implications of this study suggest that all elementary teachers need to provide students with a literacy rich environment, sight word instruction, and daily practice through the use of literacy centers and activities

The business intelligence competence centre as an interface between IT and user departments in maintenance and release development

Software development projects still fail at an unacceptable rate although prior studies have identified critical success factors needed for project success. This study contributes to the project management literature by providing further insight into the nature and role of ‘top management support’ (TMS), which is widely recognised as one critical factor in the success of software development projects. The study seeks insight into the nature and role of TMS from the perspective of software development project managers and their perceptions of actions required by top management in facilitating project success. A qualitative case-based approach was employed. Sixteen top management ‘actions’ are identified, and subsequently framed by a conceptual model consisting of three top management roles: strategy, facilitate and lead. The study represents the first stage of an ongoing research program. The model will be tested in the Asia-Pacific region in the second stage. The expected final outcome of the research program is a framework that will support project environments by defining top management actions needed to support a software development project in different stages of the life of a project

Good CoP or Bad CoP? What makes a Community of Practice successful; Learning from experience at Flinders University

Published version of the paper reproduced here with permission from the publisher.This paper details the current state of play of an institutional learning and teaching community of practice initiative at Flinders University. The majority of Flinders University CoPs are cross-institutional and focussed on key learning and teaching challenges. Flinders University CoPs are voluntarily facilitated by staff and each CoP’s knowledge creation and outcomes are driven by members, with the University providing a framework and support for their activities without institutional expectations. In this paper, through four firsthand case studies, the authors reflect on the CoPs that they facilitate and consider how the CoPs are progressing by exploring lessons learnt, success factors and potential for future success. The paper commences with a brief review of relevant literature. Four case studies are then introduced and explored. The paper argues that considerable social learning and collective identity formation has been achieved, but that obstacles remain to future success