Eileen Willis, Meryl Pearce, Loreen Mamerow, Brad Jorgensen and John Martin
This paper examines citizen trust at both a rational and affect level in the water utility provider, SA Water.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines citizen trust at both a rational and affect level in the water utility provider, SA Water.
Design/methodology/approach
The study draws on data from a CATI of approximately 500 residents in two urban and rural locations.
Findings
Citizens have a healthy scepticism toward the utility provider suggesting they make a distinction between the capacity of SA Water to provide safe drinking water, and the political willingness of the government to plan for long‐term sustainability.
Research limitations/implications
The conduct of research on topics of a political nature may be viewed by respondents as a political act although it is possible to see the views expressed as representative. Research conducted during times of heightened awareness, such as during a drought when water restrictions are in place, may generate strong feelings of anger in government, but may not be a true measure of citizen trust in the provider.
Practical implications
The paper shows that trust in utility providers may vary according to social situations.
Social implications
Encouraging citizen trust in the water supply requires education in the science used to ensure safety, but also transparent regulation for ensuring risk management.
Originality/value
The study points to possible shifts in citizen trust in water providers depending on climatic conditions, the role of the utility provider, and the reputation of the government as a regulator and planner.
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Proposes the adoption of six strategic objectives around which to build a workforce policy architecture for the future.
Abstract
Purpose
Proposes the adoption of six strategic objectives around which to build a workforce policy architecture for the future.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing from a review of the literature, this paper investigates a workforce policy response to emerging social and demographic trends, forecast workforce shortages, ongoing and rapid change, the growth in complexity and the changing nature of work.
Findings
A workforce model that supports organizational growth and development, characterised by attributes that are associated with knowledge society work is proposed. These include: trends that alter the balance of the social structure; social and human capital growth; lifelong learning; a policy emphasis on the self; workplace flexibility; and the development of an organizational identity as a preferred corporate employer.
Practical implications
The outcomes of this paper are significant for large Australian public sector organizations.
Originality/value
This paper provides an integrated workforce management framework for dealing with emergent trends. The findings in this paper are of value to Australian public sector human resource executives.
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Christine Ashby and Casey Woodfield
What currently constitutes participation in schools? Who decides what ‘counts’ as engagement and who is excluded by and in those decisions? When and how do those ideas change? How…
Abstract
What currently constitutes participation in schools? Who decides what ‘counts’ as engagement and who is excluded by and in those decisions? When and how do those ideas change? How can broadening conceptualizations of voice, agency and participation – driven by the voices of individuals who do not rely solely on verbal speech to communicate – foster inclusivity in schools and community? In this chapter, we draw from our experiences as researchers, scholars, educators, colleagues and friends who live and work alongside non-speaking and unreliably speaking1 people who type, point or use other forms of augmentative and alternative communication. We lay out foundational concepts underlying experiences of neurodivergent communicators, followed by illustrative examples and action steps for change. Geared towards educators and support professionals working to sustain spaces more inclusive of a range of voices in schools, this chapter continues a productive conversation within the Disability Studies in Education (DSE) community around inclusivity in research and in practice.
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Soon after the Lehman crisis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) surprised its critics with a reconsideration of its research and advice on fiscal policy. The paper traces the…
Abstract
Soon after the Lehman crisis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) surprised its critics with a reconsideration of its research and advice on fiscal policy. The paper traces the influence that the Fund’s senior management and research elite has had on the recalibration of the IMF’s doctrine on fiscal policy. The findings suggest that overall there has been some selective incorporation of unorthodox ideas in the Fund’s fiscal doctrine, while the strong thesis that austerity has expansionary effects has been rejected. Indeed, the Fund’s new orthodoxy is concerned with the recessionary effects of fiscal consolidation and, more recently, endorses calls for a more progressive adjustment of the costs of fiscal sustainability. These changes notwithstanding, the IMF’s adaptive incremental transformation on fiscal policy issues falls short of a paradigm shift and is best conceived of as an important recalibration of the precrisis status quo.
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Bradley Jorgensen and Philip Taylor
The purpose of this paper is to assess risks and prospects for older workers and to provide a number of recommendations designed to marshal the interests of employees, business…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess risks and prospects for older workers and to provide a number of recommendations designed to marshal the interests of employees, business and government.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper examines the terrain of competing interests and dynamic complexities of workforce ageing, by elaborating on the topic of economic globalisation, the policy approaches adopted by government, the actions taken by industry and the working and life preferences of older workers.
Findings
In the absence of a deep understanding of the current relationship between demographic ageing, the labour market and economic globalisation, the policy aspirations of government face the prospect of limited success. The currently popular premise, that ageing populations go hand‐in‐hand with ageing workforces, appears to be contradicted by much of the available evidence, which points to rather more complex scenarios, in which outcomes are uncertain, but clearly where late career workers may not necessarily fare well.
Originality/value
The paper brings analysis to the area of ageing populations and the labour market in the context of globalization – a complex and important topic that is usually dealt with far too simply.
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Organizational studies of time tend to be done by academic researchers rather than practitioners. This chapter builds on academic research to provide a practitioner perspective by…
Abstract
Organizational studies of time tend to be done by academic researchers rather than practitioners. This chapter builds on academic research to provide a practitioner perspective by reviewing time situated in theory and constructing two phenotypes: timescapes of business and social time. These timescapes are defined by six dimensions, each with a social and business time parameter. Organizational business and social timescapes have different functions and applications. Timescapes, with their concomitant dimensions and sets of parameters, are used differently by senior managers, middle managers, and entry-level managers. Three multi-level approaches (self, dyadic, and social relationships), composition theory, and compilation theory confirm these three managerial timescape usages. After a review of the theoretical bases of the timescape constructs and a brief discussion of the grounded, anthropological, research methodology used in the study, this chapter applies timescape theory and models to an extended time case study of the Procter & Gamble Company that frames the company's timescape understanding and use from a practitioner's view.
Alexey Feigin, Andrew Ferguson, Matthew Grosse and Tom Scott
The purpose of this study is to consider why firms use different disclosure outlets. The authors argue that the firm's choice of disclosure outlet can be explained by voluntary…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to consider why firms use different disclosure outlets. The authors argue that the firm's choice of disclosure outlet can be explained by voluntary disclosure theories and investigate whether the market response around different disclosure outlets varies.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors investigate differences in the characteristics of firms purchasing analyst research, holding investor presentations or Open Briefings and compare market reactions around each disclosure event.
Findings
The authors find that firm incentives to reduce information acquisition costs or mitigate disclosure risk affect firm disclosure outlet choice, and mixed evidence in support of talent signalling motivations. There is a lower absolute abnormal return around Open Briefings and a higher signed abnormal return around purchased analyst research.
Research limitations/implications
The research is exploratory in nature and only considers a small subset of disclosure outlets. There may be differences in information content across disclosure outlets.
Originality/value
They show disclosure outlets are not homogenous and provide empirical evidence voluntary disclosure theories help explain differences between firms’ use of disclosure outlets. Considering the growing number of disclosure outlets available, disclosure outlet choice is likely to be an increasingly important topic in accounting research.
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Surajit Bag, Arnesh Telukdarie, J.H.C. Pretorius and Shivam Gupta
The evolution of technology from the most recent industrial age to the technology era better known as Industry 4.0 resulted in greater demand for horizontal, vertical and…
Abstract
Purpose
The evolution of technology from the most recent industrial age to the technology era better known as Industry 4.0 resulted in greater demand for horizontal, vertical and end-to-end digital integration. Prior studies show that Industry 4.0 adoption majorly influences the sustainability aspects in a supply chain network. The purpose of this paper is to identify the Industry 4.0 enablers of supply chain sustainability and further attempt to propose a research framework to bridge the theoretical gaps.
Design/methodology/approach
In this research study, the authors have used a systematic literature review methodology in the field of Industry 4.0 and sustainable supply chain management. The list of papers was downloaded from Scopus (www.scopus.com) database. Through strict screening, only journal papers were selected for conducting the review of the literature.
Findings
The review brings out some interesting findings which will be helpful for the research community. There have been limited research in the area of managing supply chain network sustainability through Industry 4.0 technologies. The authors found only 10 papers out of a total of 53 papers which emphasize on smart manufacturing, smart production system, smart warehouse management system, smart logistics and sustainability. Most of the previous research studies have ignored the social aspects of supply chain sustainability. Finally, the authors identified 13 key enablers of Industry 4.0 playing an important role in driving supply chain sustainability.
Practical implications
The strategies for Industry 4.0 should be refined and detailed to develop economic and social systems that can act flexibly to sudden changes in the system. Top management must be convinced for prioritizing investment support and creating a system that can facilitate technology convergence. Managers must also act on new models of employment and frame plans to continuously improve the system. In addition, managers must focus on establishing a collaborative platform to facilitate high-tech research and developments. Finally, it is essential to develop a performance management system for monitoring all actions in the supply chain network.
Originality/value
Integrating two independent subjects is the uniqueness of the current study. Here, Industry 4.0 and supply chain sustainability have been integrated to build the research framework, and in such a process, the authors have extended the existing knowledge base.