Australasian Countries Research Articles

Examination of the efficient market hypothesis—the case of post-crisis Asia Pacific countries

This paper applies the foreign exchange market efficiency argument to post 1997 Asian (Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Singapore) and Australasian (Australia, New Zealand) countries by employing a VAR based Johansen co-integration approach. The regression tests are carried out for a full sample panel data, covering the 31 December 1996 to 15 May 2003 time span, of 1649 observations for spot (conversely forward) nominal exchange rates. Moreover, a Malaysian pre-peg sub-period (31 December 1996 to 2 September 1998) was also used for comparative purposes. The paper includes different testing procedures. In addition to the evidence obtained from the across-country study, cointegration tests were performed in order to re-examine within-country co-movements between forward and future spot exchange rates. The test results generally support the market efficiency hypothesis.

‘Frenemies'? Images of the US‐EU relations in Asia‐Pacific media

In a globalising world, foreign places and events cease being remote and irrelevant and, in this sense, ‘move closer’ to home. National news media play an important role in this process. This paper is a case study of how national print media frame international actors and the interactions between them. More specifically, the paper investigates how the media discourses of two Australasian countries (Australia and New Zealand) frame interactions between two leading world powers — the United States and the European Union. Though the official positions of Australia and New Zealand towards the EU and the USA are almost diametrically opposed, news producers in both countries employ similar creative and ‘sticky’ imagery of EU‐US interactions. This paper illustrates how the integration of this imagery results in a complex framing of EU‐US relations by the third party (Australasian print media) in terms of a blended concept, “Frenemies”. Arguably, while constructing the meaning of complex political concepts, news media discourses trigger the blending mechanism ofbackstage cognition. The presented paper studied this mechanism within the framework of conceptual integration theory developed by Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner.

Safe as Houses? Ageing in Place and Vulnerable Older People in the UK

Abstract The UK is very similar to many other European, North American and Australasian countries in its emphasis on ‘ageing in place’. This article does not seek to challenge the importance of this for most older people but rather draws out the challenges and issues raised by older people who are vulnerable or in vulnerable housing situations. This is illustrated through drawing upon three separate studies which are on older homelessness, older people in the private rented sector and owner‐occupiers with dementia.

Would Harry and Hermione Have Done Better in Single-Sex Classes? A Review of Single-Sex Teaching in Coeducational Secondary Schools in the United Kingdom

The gender agenda in many North American, Western European, and Australasian countries has undergone a “boy turn” in the past decade amid growing concerns about boys’ apparent “underachievement” relative to girls. One aspect of this turn has been the resurrection of interest in single-sex classes in coeducational public state schools. This article reviews these developments from an international perspective, particularly focusing on the experiences of a number of United Kingdom secondary schools involved in the 4-year Raising Boys’ Achievement Project. The article suggests that, while single-sex classes have the potential to raise the achievement levels of both boys and girls and to have a positive impact on the atmosphere and ethos for learning, these gains will be achieved only if the initiative is developed within gender-relational contexts rather than situated within recuperative masculinity policies.

Organizational cultures across national boundaries: Results of a cluster analysis

The recent increase in global business has resulted in new challenges for organizations. One of these challenges is to create a strong global culture while simultaneously adapting to local cultural expectations. This research explored how both globalization and local adaptations of organizational cultures may coexist by using cluster analysis. Organizational culture data were used to cluster organizations from ten different nations: Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. Two solutions were generated using hierarchical clustering. In the first solution, four clusters emerged, but two of them were single item clusters (organizations in Germany and South Africa). Following recommended procedure, organizations from these countries were removed from analysis and the cluster analysis was rerun. Two main clusters then emerged: one with Asian countries, and one with European, North American, and Australasian countries. Cluster profiling suggests that significant differences between the clusters were found in each of the organizational culture aspects used to form the cluster variate.

Nicotinamide-containing sunscreens for use in Australasian countries and cancer-provoking conditions

Nicotinamide has been employed to stimulate the repair of DNA damaged by chemical and physical means. It has also been used to promote the antitumor characteristics of keratinocytes and the suppression of UVB photocarcinogenesis. Therefore, I recommend the addition of this substance to sunscreens in order to develop a new generation of sunscreens for use in Australasian countries and cancer-provoking conditions. The anti-acne, skin lightening, and epidermal barrier improving effects of nicotinamide will afford another unique advantages to these new sunscreens.

Contingency Factors in Quality Circles: A Review of Empirical Evidence

Considers the factors which affect the success or failure of QCs. Analyses international QC experience through empirical literature reporting field results in various European, North American and Australasian countries. Summarizes a process aimed at identifying the main contingency factors likely to influence the QCs, since their smooth operation depends on a variety of economic, organizational and psychological contingency factors. Overall, the results suggest the predominance of external environmental and organizational factors over group or individual‐related factors. A final major trend points to the key importance of contingency factors at the pre‐introduction and introduction phases of QCs.

Factors influencing peptic ulcer frequency in Asian and Australasian countries

A self-administered questionnaire to the participants of Kyoto Satellite symposium on peptic ulcer which was held on October 28th 1990 was conducted to reveal the background of health and medical system and condition that are thought to affect the clinical frequency of peptic ulcer. Their countries were Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Australia and New Zealand. The questionnaires are composed of a demographic population, number of doctors, activities of gastroenterology related societies, education system for medical doctors and so on. Brief results of this investigation are reported.

Automated systems in Australian libraries: a 1987 perspective

A survey was conducted in the second half of 1987 as to the state of automated systems in major Australian tertiary national and state libraries. An almost 100% response rate has enabled a comprehensive overview to be obtained. The survey proves that Australia has many similarities to other countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States, notably in the increasing purchase by institutions of integrated proprietary systems. Trends in commercial vendor success and related issues are discussed. Clearly in many instances such trends for Australia also set a pattern for other Australasian countries.