The Impact of Corporatisation and National Competition Policy: An Exploratory Study of Organisational Change and Leadership Style

Category Research Paper Purpose This study surveys managers of an Australian government owned enterprise undergoing organisational change as a result of public sector reform, specifically, National Competition Policy and Corporatisation. The purpose of the study is to examine the extent/type of organisational change and leadership style adopted to implement this change. Approach To understand the effect of reforms, the researcher explored the extent of change and leadership style through the use of an intraorganisational survey in a government owned Electricity Supply Corporation in Queensland, Australia. The instrument also included qualitatitive components to enable the researcher to qualify the statistical results. Findings Within the public sector, there is an uneasy tension between the need for a revolution of outdated bureaucracies in order to enhance flexibility and innovation on the one hand, and the desire to maintain the standards and procedures that are necessary for quality civic service for a broad range of stakeholders on the other. The results of this study indicate that there was significant organisational change and, according to responses, a change of leadership style indicative of this dilemma. Research limitations/implications The implications for reform setters, managers and politicians suggest the consideration of embedded factors whilst determining the processes and directions of change. Furthermore, it is necessary to choose a leadership style that is indicative of the type of change to be implemented. Additionally, greater participation by organisational members can increase the success of organisational change. The limitations of the study include the measurement of organisational change and leadership style. This instrument was originally used in structured interviews, however, measures were taken validate the instrument in its altered setting. Further, the study is confined to a single electricity organisation. Fertile fields for future research projects could include a larger quantitative study conducted with multiple States or nation wide electricity distribution companies. Originality/Value The study provides empirical evidence of the extent of change as a result of public sector reform. In doing so the study utilises organisational change and leadership style models within a public sector environment

A study on the effect of a web-based teaching module and gender on accounting students’ ethical judgements

Accounting educators face the increasingly important task of teaching ethics. Yet, there is little empirical evidence on the effectiveness of different ethics instructional methods on accounting students’ ethical judgements. This study examines whether the ethical decision making of accounting students differs (1) between those instructed through a web-based teaching module and those adopting a more traditional textbook-focused approach, and (2) between gender. A total of 156 students from a second-year financial accounting course participated in the study, with 90 students utilising the web-based module which was designed based on Rest’s (1979) model on ethics development. The other 66 students were instructed through a more traditional teaching approach based on regular class discussions using the ethical problems presented in the textbook. Subsequently, when presented with a whistle-blowing situation, the results of the study suggest that the attitudes and judgements of students instructed through the web-based module were more ethical than those utilising the traditional textbook module. Further, gender was found to impact ethical judgements but only among students who were exposed to the web-based module. The implications of the findings on accounting ethics education are discussed

A Processual View of Institutional Change of the Budget Process within an Australian Government-Owned Electricity Corporation

Purpose: Australian public sector organisations are faced with their greatest challenge in decades as public sector reforms essentially re-examine the role of the State in the economy. These changes have led to a shift away from a traditional administrative approach of public sector organisations to one that fosters managerialism and economic rationalism, the underlying philosophies of New Public Management. Queensland, the north-eastern state of Australia, has experienced a period of government committed to change and reform specifically related to corporatisation and a national competition policy. Methodology/Approach: To understand the effect of changes in budgeting, the researcher explores the processes of change over a period of time, as they occur through the use of a case study approach. The processual approach adopted for the study is consistent with Old Institutional Economic theory that is used to inform the findings. Findings: It was found that indiscriminate changes to the budgeting process together with the introduction of a transfer pricing system caused considerable resistance. Streamlining was introduced late in the study, which, for the most part, despite the embeddedness of the earlier system, overcame many of the obstacles identified with relation to the budgeting process, whilst the conflict as a result of the transfer pricing system remained an unresolved and thorny issue. Implications: The implications for organisational change management suggest the consideration of embedded institutions within an organisation whilst determining the processes and directions of change. The implications for reform setters and the Queensland Electricity Supply Industry are such that the short term goal of cost efficiency may not necessarily be in the best interest of the overall long term benefits to the community

SELF-ASSESSMENT PROCESSES OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPERS

Professional Learning is a mechanism designed to support K-12 educators in improving their professional lives, knowledge, and instructional practice. It is supported by school divisions because of a belief that it will help teachers keep abreast of current research and improve the overall quality of instruction over time. However, most professional learning occurs without formal evaluation to determine its results. The purpose of this study is to develop theory about the self-assessment processes of the people who lead professional learning. The main objective of the research was answer the question: How do professional developers describe and demonstrate the process of either self-assessment or internal evaluation? The sub-questions included the following: 1) How do professional developers decide which strategies to use to determine the impact of their professional learning? 2) What influences the perpetuation of evaluation (or lack thereof)? 3) How is the praxis of assessment or evaluation of professional learning influenced by a professional developer’s experience? The study employed a constructivist grounded theory approach. Data were collected via interviews, observations, and extant documents from participants with a variety of roles leading professional learning. The professional developers in the study engaged in a variety of self-assessment processes focused primarily on teachers’ reception of the professional learning and the effectiveness of the facilitation process employed during professional learning sessions. They also shared extensively about barriers to the implementation of the learning in the classroom and took specific actions designed to respond to information they found in self-assessment. The self-assessment processes were largely self-initiated based on personal questions (wondering). Wondering was followed by typically informal methods of finding out and attribution, then responded to through action or inaction, depending on the professional developers’ interpretations of the results. Implications for theory and practice include a need for greater data literacy and support for internal evaluation and self-assessment conducted by professional developers. Recommendations include the development of essential evidence-based theory about facilitation processes and directions for further research

Markets for ecosystem services: Applying the concepts

In recent times, use of market-based instruments to facilitate enhanced protection or production of ecosystem services has achieved a high public profile. However, much work remains to apply these tools in practice. Particular issues include definition and measurement of ecosystem services, development of institutions and mechanisms to facilitate trade and integration of these instruments into the broader natural resource management agenda and toolbox. In this paper these issues are explored with respect to pilot markets for ecosystem services in three case study catchments. Emphasis is placed on pilot selection rationale and identification of key facilitative mechanisms and institutions.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Nebraska v. Wyoming: The End or Collaboration?

13 pages. Contains footnotes

Nebraska v. Wyoming: The End or Collaboration?

13 pages. Contains footnotes