Australian Context Research Articles

Board gender diversity and corporate cash holdings: evidence from Australia

PurposeThis study aims to understand the dynamics of Australian boards by focusing on the influence of board gender diversity on firms' cash holdings, within the distinctive Australian “if not, why not” regulatory framework.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses ordinary least squares (OLS), fixed effects, generalized method of moments (GMM) and quasi-experimental methods such as difference-in-differences and propensity score matching to analyze the data.FindingsThere is a significantly negative relationship between board gender diversity and corporate cash holdings. This relationship is more pronounced when two or more female directors are on the board, supporting the critical mass theory. The results also reveal that the observed pattern can be attributed to the heightened monitoring intensity of female independent directors. Our quasi-experimental methods and pre-post analysis reveal that the observed effects are genuinely attributable to the increase in board gender diversity following regulatory reforms in Australia.Practical implicationsThe findings provide practical insights for companies and policymakers, emphasizing the tangible effects of gender diversity on a company's financial strategy and corporate cash holdings. This information is crucial for organizations aiming to make informed decisions regarding board compositions and governance structures.Originality/valueThis research offers fresh insights into an important relationship between gender diversity on boards and corporate financial strategies in the Australian context, enriching the global conversation on the significance of gender diversity in corporate leadership.

Factors that support children and young people to express their views and to have them heard in healthcare: An inductive qualitative content analysis.

Despite development of healthcare charters supporting Article 12 of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children and young people remain largely silenced in discussions about their healthcare. This article is based on the premise that children and young people should be able to exercise their right to express their views and be heard in all matters that affect their lives. This study examined children's and young people's experiences of expressing their views and having them heard in an Australian healthcare context. Using child-centred inquiry and 'draw, write, and tell' methods, data were collected from 20 children and young people. Five factors that supported children and young people to express their views and have their views heard were identified: time, relationships with health professionals, communication, teamwork, and family support. By paying attention to these factors, clinicians and others in health settings can better facilitate child-centred practices and support children and young people to express their views and have those views heard.

Uses of science communication and lived experience in intersex advocacy in Australia and New Zealand

AbstractThis study analyses science communication in intersex advocacy, with a focus on the Australian and New Zealand context. The collective lived experience of intersex advocates creates a body of knowledge, which informs their evidence‐based activism. This research uses publicly available documents published by intersex advocacy groups and semi‐structured interviews with intersex advocates to determine their approaches to communication and the engagement strategies they use. The analysis shows that lived experience can be a compelling and convincing tool for science communication and advocacy; however, it can take an emotional and mental toll on advocates.

A Community Mental Health Integrated Disaster Preparedness Intervention for Bushfire Recovery in Rural Australian Communities: Protocol for a Multimethods Feasibility and Acceptability Pilot Study.

Natural hazards are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change. Many of these natural disasters cannot be prevented; what may be reduced is the extent of the risk and negative impact on people and property. Research indicates that the 2019-2020 bushfires in Australia (also known as the "Black Summer Bushfires") resulted in significant psychological distress among Australians both directly and indirectly exposed to the fires. Previous intervention research suggests that communities impacted by natural hazards (eg, earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods) can benefit from interventions that integrate mental health and social support components within disaster preparedness frameworks. Research suggests that disaster-affected communities often prefer the support of community leaders, local services, and preexisting relationships over external supports, highlighting that community-based interventions, where knowledge stays within the local community, are highly beneficial. The Community-Based Disaster Mental Health Intervention (CBDMHI) is an evidence-based approach that aims to increase disaster preparedness, resilience, social cohesion, and social support (disaster-related help-seeking), and decrease mental health symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. This research aims to gain insight into rural Australian's recovery needs post natural hazards, and to enhance community resilience in advance of future fires. Specifically, this research aims to adapt the CBDMHI for the rural Australian context and for bushfires and second, to assess the acceptability and feasibility of the adapted CBDMHI in a rural Australian community. Phase 1 consists of qualitative interviews (individual or dyads) with members of the target bushfire-affected rural community. Analysis of these data will include identifying themes related to disaster preparedness, social cohesion, and mental health, which will inform the adaptation. An initial consultation phase is a key component of the adaptation process and, therefore, phase 2 will involve additional discussion with key stakeholders and members of the community to further guide adaptation of the CBDMHI to specific community needs, building on phase 1 inputs. Phase 3 includes identifying and training local community leaders in the adapted intervention. Following this, leaders will co-deliver the intervention. The acceptability and feasibility of the adapted CBDMHI within the community will be evaluated by questionnaires and semistructured interviews. Effectiveness will be evaluated by quantifying psychological distress, resilience, community cohesion, psychological preparedness, and help-seeking intentions. This study has received institutional review board approval and commenced phase 1 recruitment in October 2022. The study will identify if the adapted CBDMHI is viable and acceptable within a village in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. These findings will inform future scale-up in the broader rural Australian context. If this intervention is well received, the CBDMHI may be valuable for future disaster recovery and preparedness efforts in rural Australia. These findings may inform future scale-up in the broader rural Australian context. DERR1-10.2196/53454.

Enhancing Equity in Clinical Social Work Education: Supporting Indigenous Queer and Gender Diverse Students and Researchers'

AbstractFor Indigenous Australian Queer and Gender Diverse (QGD) Peoples, being acknowledged, recognised, and considered in frameworks, policies, and within organisations in the broader Australian context is rare. This article will explore some of the structures, systems, and policies that impact on Indigenous QGD peoples in Higher Education (HE). We will speak on social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) and how this knowledge may translate into clinical social work practice. We explore the ways in which HE can become conscious, motivated, and emboldened to enact clinical social workers of the future towards ultimately improving current recruitment, retention, which will contribute to individual and group change in Australia.

The classification of platform workers in the australian context

This article considers the issue of classification of platform workers in Australia and it is motivated by the uncertainty that persists with this issue as well as the negative impacts that may arise for workers and platforms in such an environment. We contend that awaiting a decision of the High Court, that may provide clarification on the correct classification of platform workers, is not a preferred option for resolving the issue. Introducing a third category of worker to the existing categories – employee and independent contractor – has the potential to introduce its own complexities. Another option is a legislative intervention whereby existing legislation would be amended to deem platform workers to be employees. We argue that a better alternative is for the Australian legislature to enact a legislative definition of employee similar to that in the Employment Relations Act (New Zealand) s 6(1)(a). A principle-based approach to drafting the provision, and a purposive approach to its interpretation appear to be effective means of addressing the indeterminacy that has pervaded the platform worker classification issue in Australia.

Project-based learning in Australian & New Zealand universities: sustainability and scalability

ABSTRACT Project-based learning promotes the development of graduates who will be prepared for future professional engineering practice. Whilst there is much literature on project-based learning, the long-term viability of project-based learning within the Australian & New Zealand context needs further exploration. There is a need to better understand the sustainability and scalability of project-based learning within a context where class sizes can extend to over 800 students. This paper draws on interview data with current project-based learning unit coordinators and industry collaborators to identify (un)sustainable and (un)scalable practice, as well as consider how current practice can move towards sustainable and scalable practice. Key support mechanisms include: resourcing; workload allocations; the freedom to design project units as required; co-coordination models; and a shared understanding of how to interpret student feedback. These findings highlight the support mechanisms required for successful delivery of project-based learning, and provide guidance for academics and their Learning and Teaching leadership on how best to sustain and grow project-based learning in Australia & New Zealand.

Assessment, management and prevention of acute wounds in the Australian context: a scoping review

Assessment, management and prevention of acute wounds in the Australian context: a scoping review

Adaptation of COMPASS for use in Autism-Specific Schools in Australia: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

Autistic students are educated in Australia across a variety of contexts and almost all educators use individualized goal-setting as a way of ensuring appropriate accommodations and curriculum modifications. Educators experience similar challenges when developing individualized goals for students, including lack of a standardized process for goal setting, inconsistent support networks, and challenges with data-driven goal-setting. The purpose of our research was to adapt and trial the Collaborative Model for Competence and Success (COMPASS), a research-based intervention aimed at improving the individualized goal-setting process for autistic students. Our primary hypothesis was that autistic students who participate in COMPASS would demonstrate more growth on their individualized outcomes relative to autistic students who receive services as usual (SAU). To answer our primary research question, we applied a single-blind cluster randomized trial. Participants were randomized into one of two groups: (a) a COMPASS intervention group and (b) a SAU group. Results indicate that students whose teachers received the intervention made more progress on their final individualized goals than those who received SAU, replicating previous findings regarding COMPASS in the US. Also, the adaptation of COMPASS for an Australian context showed high rates of satisfaction and fidelity. The success of this intervention in improving the progress that students make on their individualized goals demonstrates the benefits of a standardized intervention that supports teachers and families in this critical practice.

Influence of distal insertion technique, valve selection, and patient demographics on shunt survival in ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion: A retrospective analysis of an Australian case series

BackgroundVentriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt insertion is a means of diverting cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for management of hydrocephalus. Revision rates, operating time, and length of stay (LOS) following laparoscopic insertion of the distal catheter have been mixed. There are limited data on the role of adhesiolysis during VP shunt insertion. Valve characteristics have also been shown to influence patient outcomes. There is a paucity of Australian data reporting on the effect of these variables on shunt outcomes. We aimed to study patient demographics, indications, and surgical and instrument variables in the Australian context. MethodsWe performed a retrospective, multi-surgeon, single-centre analysis of VP shunts inserted in adults via an open or laparoscopic technique. Data on patient demographics and surgery characteristics were collected from the hospital medical records and the Australasian Shunt Registry. The primary outcome was shunt revision rate and secondary outcomes were postoperative complications, operating time and LOS, and shunt survivability. ResultsFifty-six participants were eligible for analysis. The overall revision rate was 14.3 %, which was lower than the national average. The distal catheter revision rate was 0 %. Laparoscopic insertion of the distal catheter was shown to significantly reduce operating time (70.4 min in the open group and 50.7 min in the laparoscopic group, p < 0.001). This was demonstrated across different aetiologies, and when controlling for age and valve-type (p < 0.05). The revision rate of non-programmable was higher than programmable valves (42.9 % versus 2.9 %, respectively). There were no differences between previous abdominal surgery, LOS, complication, or revision rate between open and laparoscopic insertion. VP shunt survivability was greater in the laparoscopic group (90-day shunt survival of 96.7 % and 92 % in the laparoscopy and open groups, respectively; p > 0.05). We did not find any significant difference in operating time or length of stay for age, sex, or previous abdominal surgery, even when accounting for surgical technique. Indication and shunt survivability varied widely between age groups. The use of laparoscopic insertion increased over time, though surgeons did not crossover techniques. ConclusionsThe overall distal revision rate of VP shunts is low. Laparoscopic insertion of the distal catheter reduces operating time and may improve shunt survivability. Larger studies are needed to confirm differences in shunt survivability in open versus laparoscopic distal catheter insertion, between age groups, clinical indications, and valve type on patient outcomes.

Truth Commissions and Teacher Education in Australia and the Northern Nordics

In Australia, like in several of the Nordic countries, truth commissions (TCs) are becoming part of the political and educational landscape. These developments are related to a global phenomenon over the past 40-odd years, where states are examining their relations to minority groups and/or Indigenous people, including acknowledging historical mistreatment and addressing remaining injustices. A common aim of these processes is to spread knowledge to the broader public via institutions for education. This paper focuses on ongoing TC processes in the Australian and Nordic contexts, with a specific focus on their potential consequences for teacher education (TE). By addressing barriers and possibilities on systemic, institutional, and practical levels of TE, the paper aims to develop an understanding of (1) how new knowledge produced through TCs meets the organization of teacher training; possible ways for TE to respond to new requirements; and (2) of the pedagogical and didactical challenges that might entail. The main argument is that a closer professional dialogue is needed between scholars engaged in TCs and TEs for TE to better respond to the requirements of TCs and for TCs to better recognize conditions for organizing TE.

Walking the talk? Exploring curriculum implementation in the International Baccalaureate in the Australian context

ABSTRACT As one of the world's prominent international educational organisations, the International Baccalaureate (IB) and its curriculum have developed rapidly during the last few decades. Despite the popularity of the IB and its curriculum, little is known about its implementation in IB schools. Curriculum implementation is a complex and vital part of educational programmes. This study is part of large-scale research involving the IB curriculum, and utilises the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) Levels of use (LoU) as the measurement tool to explore curriculum implementation in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP) in the Australian context. The study outlines the curriculum implementation process and focuses on teacher implementation of the IBPYP curriculum. The findings of this study suggest that most teachers involved in the IBPYP are at a primary of LoU, and challenges of implementation are significant barriers for them. This study highlights the need for supporting teachers in curriculum implementation to walk the talk and sheds light on the complex nature of curriculum implementation and the importance of addressing these barriers.

Conceptualising “the more-than-migrant child”

PurposeUsing a feminist, post-structural and posthuman theoretical framing the paper argues for elevating the complexity of conceptions of migrant children’s engagements with and contributions to their own lives.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper responds to contemporary concerns with research involving migrant children and childhoods in an Australian context. With researchers and teachers’ attention being drawn to enhancing the cultural wellbeing, identity and belonging of young children, it asks: who is “the migrant child”? In our response to this question, we disrupt expectations of simplistic, homogeneous views of children of migrant families or backgrounds, including confronting notions such as vulnerability, neediness and deficit.FindingsPotential ways in which “the migrant child” is implicated by diverse social, environmental and political factors underlie the many ways in which children might exercise their autonomy and participation. In Australia, contemporary migration remains clouded by such policies as the only relatively recently overturned “White Australia” policy and so-called “boat turnbacks”, whilst, and especially in post-Covid times, Australian society simultaneously depends on migrant workers in many areas of employment. At the same time, Australia seems to openly celebrate what is seen as “successful” multiculturalism.Originality/valueThese multiple perspectives offer a deeply concerning social and policy environment for researchers and educationalists. It is in this context that we raise questions and speculate towards potential conceptualisations of “the migrant child” which recognise, rather than negate, the powers and insights arising from the child’s experiential, relational and deeply entangled onto-epistemological perspective/s.

Optimal strategies for the decumulation of retirement savings under differing appetites for liquidity and investment risks

AbstractA retiree’s appetite for risk is a common input into the lifetime utility models that are traditionally used to find optimal strategies for the decumulation of retirement savings. In this work, we consider a retiree with potentially differing appetites for the key financial risks of decumulation: liquidity risk and investment risk. We set out to determine whether these differing risk appetites have a significant impact on the retiree’s optimal choice of decumulation strategy. To do so, we design and implement a framework which selects the optimal decumulation strategy from a general set of admissible strategies in line with a retiree’s goals, and under differing appetites for the key risks of decumulation. Overall, we find significant evidence to suggest that a retiree’s differing appetites for different decumulation risks will impact their optimal choice of strategy at retirement. Through an illustrative example calibrated to the Australian context, we find results which are consistent with actual behaviours in this jurisdiction (in particular, a shallow market for annuities), which lends support to our framework and may provide some new insight into the so-called annuity puzzle.

Primary contact physiotherapy for patients with suggested vestibulopathy for an Australian ENT clinic: a retrospective cohort study.

To examine the newly established role of a primary contact physiotherapist in an ENT clinic, in an Australian cohort and context, over two phases of development. A retrospective cohort study was conducted with data collected from a medical record audit. Over the study duration, the primary contact physiotherapist completed initial appointments with patients; follow-up appointments were subsequently conducted by medical staff. There was a 46 per cent reduction in patients with suggested vestibulopathy requiring an ENT medical review. This reduction could hypothetically increase to 71 per cent with follow-up primary contact physiotherapist appointments. Improvements in the service delivery model and a primary contact physiotherapist arranging diagnostic assessments could improve waitlist times and facilitate better utilisation of medical staff time. The primary contact physiotherapist can help in the management of patients with suspected vestibulopathy on an ENT waitlist. This is achieved through: a reduction of patients requiring ENT review, improvements to waitlist time and improved utilisation of medical specialists' time.

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community Access and Utilisation of the Mental Health Service: An Explanation Using Andersen’s Behavioural Model

Andersen’s Behavioural Model of Health Service Use (ABMHSU) is a multilevel model that helps understand the factors influencing health service access and utilisation. This framework is a widely used model for health service use in general, as well as in immigrant populations and vulnerable populations. ABMHSU, in this project, provided a framework to explain how the mental health nurses’ cultural competence can influence the Victorian CALD community members’ mental health care access and utilisation. A unique model of ABMHSU in the current multiple-method project provided a theoretical framework for examining the factors associated with people from the CALD community accessing mental health services in an Australian context to answer the research questions. The key findings of the research were discussed with reference to the extant literature and with triangulation of research results with the ABMHSU in the context of Victoria. The researchers argue that even though predisposing, enabling, and need factors are necessary to determine whether a person is selected for expert care for mental health issues, these factors alone are insufficient. Ongoing research is essential to ascertain the potential of mental health nurses’ cultural competence education and cultural responsiveness in addressing the mental health service access and utilisation of the heterogeneous CALD communities. Additional research is advocated to identify the supplementary factors, as there is a dearth of research exploring the potential of ABMHSU worldwide.

Osteoporosis screening in Australian community pharmacies: A mixed methods study.

Osteoporosis and poor bone health impact a large proportion of the Australian population, but is drastically underdiagnosed and undertreated. Community pharmacies are a strategic location for osteoporosis screening services due to their accessibility and the demographic profile of customers. The aim of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate a community pharmacy health promotion service centred on encouraging consumers to complete an anonymous osteoporosis screening survey called Know Your Bones. The implementation process was documented using the REAIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance) framework. Uptake of the Know Your Bones screening tool was monitored anonymously with website traffic. Surveys and interviews were designed to capture consumer outcomes after screening. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Australian community pharmacy stakeholders during design and implementation phases to explore their perspectives of the barriers and facilitators. The service was implemented in 27 community pharmacies. There were 448 visits to the screening website. Interviews were conducted with 41 stakeholders. There were a range of factors that appeared to influence implementation of the service. Perceived acceptability was critical, which depended on staff training, pharmacists' altruism, and remuneration. Staff relied heavily on their existing close relationships with consumers. No consumers completed non-anonymous surveys or agreed to participate in interviews post-screening. Using an implementation science approach, a community pharmacy osteoporosis screening service for the Australian context was designed and found to be acceptable to pharmacy staff and effective in reaching the target population. SO WHAT?: This low-cost and non-invasive health promotion has potential to sustainably increase national screening rates for osteoporosis.

Where Intersectionality and Multiculturalism Meet: Australian Muslim Women's Experiences of Domestic and Family Violence.

Gendered violence in minority communities has long been a flashpoint for debates on multiculturalism. Whereas multiculturalism has been critiqued for not supporting gender equality, intersectionality has been heralded as a solution to ensuring women receive holistic responses. This article draws findings from a broader study on domestic and family violence (DFV) in Australian Muslim communities, highlighting how intersectionality, as applied in the Australian context, often fails to attend to the depth of Australian Muslim women's experiences. Participants' reflections showcase a number of limitations as well as how multicultural frameworks can provide the infrastructure to meaningfully engage with their particular cultural and religious needs. The insights contribute to scholarship that critiques tokenistic applications of intersectionality.

Building supply chain resilience in small and medium-sized clothing retailers in Australia: an empirical study

Purpose In today’s complex and globalised business setting, Australian clothing retailers are ever more vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. Supply chain resilience reduces the effect of a disruption, which permits the members of a supply chain to respond aptly to disruptive events. This study, hence, aims to uncover the details of how the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of clothing retailers in Australia build supply chain resilience and what are the major issues experienced by the SMEs while building resilience. Design/methodology/approach This study is carried out using a descriptive qualitative research design, and data are collected from semi-structured interviews with key informants from managerial levels within the Australian clothing retailers’ businesses. Findings This study identifies five enablers, namely, collaboration, multi-sourcing, visibility, flexibility and information systems, that the SMEs of clothing retailers mostly consider to achieve resilience in the supply chain. This study also finds that SMEs’ capabilities, cost and financing, lack of managerial autonomy and the inability to create redundancy are the key impediments hindering SMEs from attaining the expected level of resilience. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by being one of the first empirical studies to explore the SMEs of clothing retailers’ supply chain resilience in the Australian business context, which can add valuable insights for academics and practitioners in guiding supply chain design decisions for the SMEs in other sectors.

Renewing the Australian asthma agenda: lessons from the Finnish 10-year Asthma Program

The Finnish Asthma Program, which ran between 1994 and 2004, has long been heralded as a benchmark of success in how to improve management and reduce asthma-related health service utilization. In Australia, there were 38,792 asthma hospitalizations in 2017–18, and 80% of these were considered avoidable (J Asthma Allergy. 2021;14:797–808. doi: 10.2147/JAA.S311721). To address this issue, Asthma Australia has set a strategic objective of halving avoidable asthma presentations to hospital by 2030. This article provides an overview of the Finnish Asthma Program, including an evaluation of critical success factors, outputs, and outcomes, followed by a synthesis of these findings for relevance and applicability to the contemporary Australian context that will inform policy and practice recommendations. Early diagnosis, effective anti-inflammatory medication, guided self-management, and monitoring disease control are still the keys to mitigating asthma burden. In the spirit of the Finnish Program, the digital transformation of healthcare and social media is enabling a new kind of systematic approach, both for patients and professionals.