Government involvement in high performance sport: An Australian national sporting organisation perspective

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and Summer Olympic National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) to determine the effect the relationship has on Olympic performance outcomes. Five Olympic NSOs were examined: Athletics Australia, Cycling Australia, Rowing Australia, Swimming Australia and Yachting Australia. All five NSOs represent sports in which Australia has consistently achieved strong results at previous Olympic Games. These NSOs receive significant funding from the ASC and, as such, are expected to achieve success at the Olympic Games. The ASC–NSO relationship was examined through an agency theory framework whereby the ‘contracts’ between the ASC (principal) and the NSOs (agents) were investigated through a survey, interviews and document analysis to identify potential management issues that may affect Olympic performance outcomes, such as agent or principal opportunism. The findings identified a lack of a collaborative high performance sport system in Australia, with the findings emphasising concerns over the ASC’s management of NSO programmes. While the ASC staff identified their organisation as the leader of high performance sport in Australia, the study’s NSO participants did not believe that the ASC had the capacity, capability and knowledge to fulfil this role.No Full Tex

Understanding the information experiences of parents involved in negotiating post-separation parenting arrangements

The paper presents findings from a study into the information experiences of people needing to make post-separation parenting arrangements. Data was collected from 20 participants, through in-depth, semi-structured, telephone interviews. Thematic analysis identified five major themes: Following, Immersion, Interpersonal, History and Context which depict the information experiences of the participants. The findings can be used as an evidence base to inform the design and delivery of support and services provided by government agencies and other community groups supporting the legal information needs of individuals and families. The work extends current understandings of information experience as an object of study in the information science discipline

Musculoskeletal complaint epidemiology in Australian special operation forces trainees

Intorduction: Elite military trainees are burdened by high numbers of musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries and are a priority military population for injury prevention. This research aims to describe the MSK complaint epidemiology of trainees undertaking special forces (SF) training in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). One barrier to accurate injury surveillance in military populations is that traditional surveillance methods rely on personnel engaging with the military healthcare system to collect injury data. This approach is likely to underestimate the injury burden as it is known that many military personnel, particularly trainees, avoid reporting their injuries because of various motives. Subsequently, the insights from surveillance systems may underestimate the injury burden and limit the ability to inform prevention requirements. This research aims to actively seek MSK complaint information directly from trainees in a sensitive manner to mediate injury-reporting behaviors. Materials and Methods: This descriptive epidemiology study included two consecutive cohorts of ADF SF trainees from 2019 to 2021. Musculoskeletal data items and their respective recording methods were based on international sports injury surveillance guidelines and adapted to a military context. Our case definition encompassed all injuries or physical discomforts as recordable cases. A unit-embedded physiotherapist retrospectively collected MSK complaint data from selection courses and collected prospective data over the training continuum. Data collection processes were external to the military health care system to mediate reporting avoidance and encourage injury reporting. Injury proportions, complaint incidence rates, and incidence rate ratios were calculated and compared between training courses and cohorts. Results: In total, 334 MSK complaints were reported by 103 trainees (90.4%), with a complaint incidence rate of 58.9 per 1,000 training weeks (95% CI, 53.0-65.5). Of these MSK complaints, 6.4% (n = 22) resulted in time loss from work. The lumbar spine (20.6%, n = 71) and the knee (18.9%, n = 65) were the most frequently affected body parts. Most of the MSK complaints were reported during selection courses (41.9%), followed by field survival and team tactics (23.0%) and urban operations courses (21.9%). Physical training accounted for 16.5% of complaints. Fast-roping training was associated with more severe MSK complaints. Conclusions: Musculoskeletal complaints are highly prevalent in ADF SF trainees. Complaints are more frequently reported in selection and qualification training courses than in physical training. These activities are priorities for focused research to understand injury circumstances in ADF elite training programs to inform injury prevention strategies. A strength of our study is the data collection methods which have provided greater MSK complaint information than past research; however, much work remains in conducting consistent and accurate surveillance. Another strength is the use of an embedded physiotherapist to overcome injury-reporting avoidance. Embedded health professionals are recommended as continued practice for ongoing surveillance and early intervention

Stepping Stones and Stumbling Blocks: Vietnam's Regional Trade Arrangements and WTO Accession

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam's accession on 11 January 2007 to the World Trade Organization was not an isolated foray into the global trading system, but rather the culmination of nearly twenty years of incremental integration and adjustment to WTO standards through preferential trade agreements. Vietnam is a fascinating looking glass through which to examine the dynamics, benefits, and drawbacks of preferential trade agreements. As this chapter will illustrate, PTAs, and in particular the bilateral agreement between Vietnam and the United States, provided a critical stepping stone towards Vietnam's WTO accession. On the other hand, these same PTAs expose Vietnam to the problems generally associated with PTAs, such as the potential for trade diversion, increased regulatory complexity, and resource strain. These are the 'stumbling blocks' to the type of genuine, multilateral, less trade restrictive possibilities offered by the World Trade Organization. Although its place in the WTO is secured, and its overall trade and development prospects are still very positive, Vietnam remains a relative newcomer amidst the region's 'fuzzy, leaky trade blocs', and needs to make the difficult decision as to whether to join the PTA frenzy or exercise restraint

WTO oriented telecommunications reform in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Socialist Republic of Vietnam's reform process in the telecommunications sector - obligations imposed on Vietnam by the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) - the regulatory framework required by the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and the associated, telecommunications-specific WTO agreements - institutional and political problems that may hinder full implementation of these international obligations