Board Of Australia Research Articles

Gender diversity on superannuation trustee boards in Australia – evidence from profit-to-member funds

ABSTRACT There has been a sustained public policy focus on the governance of superannuation funds in Australia due to the compulsory nature of the superannuation system established in 1992. Much of the attention on governance relates to the independence of directors on the trustee board companies of profit-to-member funds. Little consideration has been given to the gender diversity of these boards. This article explores changes to gender diversity on the trustee boards of 59 profit-to-member superannuation funds between 2010 and 2019. It shows a steady increase in the proportion of females appointed to these boards over this ten-year period. It draws out some important differences in female representation on public offer and non-public offer superannuation funds. It also reveals differences in the rate and extent of female representation among member and employer representatives on these trustee boards. Finally, it shows that there is a widening pool of females appointed to superannuation trustee boards rather than a shallow pool of women who serve on multiple boards.

An examination of accreditation standards between Australian and US/Canadian doctoral programs in clinical psychology

ABSTRACT Objective Clinical psychology involves the integration of clinical science and clinical practice, and the application of this integrated knowledge for the purpose of alleviating human distress. Method The best way to train these competencies has been a matter of debate. In this editorial, we compare the standards of three accreditation bodies: the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), and the American Psychological Association (APA). Results Although the three accreditation standards are similar in terms of required coursework for core clinical psychology competencies, research output, and clinically supervised placement hours, the APA/CPA standards involved more coursework in statistics, research methodology, and topics highly relevant to clinical psychology that elucidate for whom and under what circumstances a treatment may be helpful (e.g., developmental and social psychology). The APA/CPA standards also required coursework on the history of psychology, which provides the opportunity for students to learn about and better appreciate the developments and influences on current knowledge and practice. The APA/CPA accreditation standards also required more clinically supervised placement hours to be obtained prior to graduation than did the APAC standards. Conclusions Unfortunately, data do not directly support one training system over another. We therefore urge psychology programs to routinely monitor their students’ clinical practice effectiveness after graduation so that accreditation standards can be reenvisaged if needed. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic (1) Accreditation of degree programs leading to the practice of clinical psychology is overseenby regulatory bodies in Australia, the US, and Canada. (2) Greater synchronization with international competencies is a stated goal of the Psychology Board of Australia. (3) No prior comparisons of accreditation standards between Australia and Canada/US has been published. What this topic adds (1) APA/CPA and APAC accredited programs tend to have very similar coursework in clinical psychology. (2) APA/CPA programs tend to require substantially greater training in research methods/statistics and other domains of psychology such as social and cognitive psychology. (3) An individual with an APA/CPA-accredited degree would be close to meeting Australian psychology registration requirements, while an individual with an APAC accredited degreewould require substantial additional coursework if wishing to become licensed/registered as a psychologist in the US or Canada.

Board composition in national sport federations: a cross-country comparative analysis of diversity and board size

ABSTRACT Rationale/Purpose The purpose of this study was to analyse the composition of national sport federation (NSF) boards in Australia, India, South Africa, the UK and the USA. Specifically, this research assessed board size, occupational diversity and gender diversity, which are theorised to influence board performance. Design/Methods This study employed a positivist descriptive research approach and gathered data from online secondary sources. In total, board composition data was collected on 253 NSFs across five countries, which equated to 2937 directors. Findings The results showed that the average board size in Indian NSFs (19.5 directors) is larger than in the sampled Western countries (on average between 7.2 and 14.2 directors). The occupational background of directors in Australia and the UK is similar, with a strong degree of business involvement (61% and 67%, respectively). Compared to Australia and the UK, India, South Africa and the USA have a larger proportion of directors from sporting backgrounds. Indian NSFs have a relatively significant number of politicians (16%) and few (7%) women on their boards compared to the Western countries. Practical implications This study provides empirical evidence to support sport governance policy processes. Research contribution This research contributes to the sport governance literature by showing the extent to which NSFs are adopting good governance standards.

Spirituality and Standards for Practice: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Research Objective: The aim of this article is to report a study that explores how spirituality is understood to be represented in the current Australian Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Registered Nurse (RN) standards for practice. Research Design: Fairclough's approach to critical discourse analysis was applied in the examination of participant interview texts for the language used in relation to spirituality as well as power mechanisms which influenced the way the participants viewed spirituality's representation in the RN Standards for Practice. Participants: Three members of the RN Standards for Practice research and development team. Results: Findings indicate three discourses shaped the way participants viewed how spirituality is presently represented in the RN Standards for Practice. Discourses are (1) spirituality as part of holistic care, (2) spirituality as part of person-centered care, and (3) the professionalization of nursing. Conclusions: Participant interviews revealed these discourses exerted power over how spirituality was represented within the RN Standards for Practice. This has implications for the inclusion of spirituality in the practice standards and the practice of spiritual care.

Gender Equity in Australian Health Leadership

Objective: To ascertain the gender distribution across public health boards in Australia. Design & Setting: Analysis of data and information obtained from a cross sectional audit of online publicly listed health boards within Australia from October to December 2019. Results: The majority of public health boards have close to equal representation of women as board members however women are underrepresented in Chair roles. Victoria has significantly more women on health boards, whereas New South Wales has significantly less women on health boards and in Chair positions. Conclusions: Further efforts are required to drive gender equity in senior leadership roles in public health boards across Australia

Barriers to and facilitators of endorsement for scheduled medicines in podiatry: a qualitative descriptive study

BackgroundAustralian podiatrists and podiatric surgeons who have successfully completed the requirements for endorsement for scheduled medicines, as directed by the Podiatry Board of Australia, are eligible to prescribe a limited amount of schedule 2, 3, 4 or 8 medications. Registration to become endorsed for scheduled medicines has been available to podiatrists for over 10 years, yet the uptake of training has remained low (approximately 2% of registered podiatrists/podiatry surgeons). This study aimed to explore barriers to and facilitators of engagement with endorsement for scheduled medicines by podiatrists.MethodsQualitative descriptive methodology informed this research. A purposive maximum variation sampling strategy was used to recruit 13 registered podiatrists and a podiatric surgeon who were either endorsed for scheduled medicines, in training or not endorsed. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collate the data which were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsThree overarching super-ordinate themes were identified which encompassed both barriers and facilitators: (1) competence and autonomy, (2) social and workplace influences, and (3) extrinsic motivators. Within these, several prominent sub-themes emerged of importance to the participants including workplace and social networks role in modelling behaviours, identifying mentors, and access to supervised training opportunities. Stage of life and career often influenced engagement. Additionally, a lack of financial incentive, cost and time involved in training, and lack of knowledge of training requirements were influential barriers. Rural podiatrists encountered a considerable number of barriers in most of the identified areas.ConclusionA multitude of barriers and facilitators exist for podiatrists as part of the endorsement for scheduled medicines. The findings suggest that a lack of engagement with endorsement for scheduled medicines training may be assisted by a more structured training process and increasing the number of podiatrists who are endorsed to increase the numbers of role models, mentors, and supervision opportunities. Recommendations are provided for approaches as means of achieving, and sustaining, these outcomes.

Characteristics and predictors of regulatory immediate action imposed on registered health practitioners in Australia: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective Immediate action is an emergency power available to Australian health practitioner regulatory boards to protect the public. The aim of this study was to better understand the frequency, determinants and characteristics of immediate action use in Australia. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of 11200 health practitioners named in notifications to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) between January 2011 and December 2013. All cases were followed until December 2016 to determine their final outcome. Results Of 13939 finalised notifications, 3.7% involved immediate action and 9.7% resulted in restrictive final action. Among notifications where restrictive final action was taken, 79% did not involve prior immediate action. Among notifications where immediate action was taken, 48% did not result in restrictive final action. Compared with notifications from the public, the odds of immediate action were higher for notifications lodged by employers (mandatory notifications OR=21.3, 95% CI 13.7-33.2; non-mandatory notifications OR=10.9, 95% CI 6.7-17.8) and by other health practitioners (mandatory notifications OR=11.6, 95% CI 7.6-17.8). Odds of immediate action were also higher if the notification was regulator-initiated (OR=11.6, 95% CI 7.6-17.8), lodged by an external agency such as the police (OR=11.8, 95% CI 7.7-18.1) or was a self-notification by the health practitioner themselves (OR=9.4, 95% CI 5.5-16.0). The odds of immediate action were higher for notifications about substance abuse (OR=9.9, 95% CI 6.9-14.2) and sexual misconduct (OR=5.3, 95% CI 3.5-8.3) than for notifications about communication and clinical care. Conclusions Health practitioner regulatory boards in Australia rarely used immediate action as a regulatory tool, but were more likely to do so in response to mandatory notifications or notifications pertaining to substance abuse or sexual misconduct. What is known about this topic Health practitioner regulatory boards protect the public from harm and maintain quality and standards of health care. Where the perceived risk to public safety is high, boards may suspend or restrict the practice of health practitioners before an investigation has concluded. What does this paper add? This paper is the first study in Australia, and the largest internationally, to examine the frequency, characteristics and predictors of the use of immediate action by health regulatory boards. Although immediate action is rarely used, it is most commonly employed in response to mandatory notifications or notifications pertaining to substance abuse or sexual misconduct. What are the implications for practitioners? Immediate action is a vital regulatory tool. Failing to immediately sanction a health practitioner may expose the public to preventable harm, whereas imposing immediate action where allegations are unfounded can irreparably damage a health practitioner's career. We hope that this study will assist boards to balance the interests of the public with those of health practitioners.

Bilingual and Multilingual Psychologists Practising in Australia: An Exploratory Study of Their Skills, Training Needs and Experiences

ObjectiveAs Australia becomes more diverse it is essential for the psychology profession to examine training, cultural competency, and professional development needs of psychologists working in languages other than English. In this exploratory study of bilingual/multilingual psychologists in Australia, we aimed to investigate their self‐perceived language skills, multicultural counselling competency, and professional development needs; understand their training and practice experiences; and seek recommendations for policy and practice.MethodAn online survey including demographic and practice information, the Multicultural Counselling Inventory and open‐ended text questions was completed by 38 bilingual/multilingual psychologists working in Australia in 2015. Eleven participants undertook supplementary telephone interviews which along with survey responses were transcribed for qualitative thematic analysis.ResultsMost participants trained in English. They expressed concerns about their application of psychological concepts in other languages, despite good conversational fluency. Participants highlighted language barriers to entering the profession; limited multicultural and multilingual training and supervision in Australia; and the need for more transcultural mental health resources, particularly for small/new migrant communities and people outside large cities.ConclusionTo effectively serve clients, significant changes are required to psychology training in Australia, including but not limited to bilingual and multilingual psychologists. These include enhanced training and competency standards in MCC and using interpreters. The profession must actively support supervision, professional development, and practice in community languages. The Psychology Board of Australia and the universities need to examine policies operating as barriers to the admission of culturally and linguistically diverse people to the psychology profession in Australia.

Multisource feedback as part of the Medical Board of Australia\u2019s Professional Performance Framework: outcomes from a preliminary study

BackgroundThe recent introduction of the Professional Performance Framework by the Medical Board of Australia is intended to strengthen continuing professional development for the 100,000 or so medical practitioners in Australia. An important option within the Framework is the use of multisource feedback from patients, colleagues and self-evaluations to allow doctors to reflect on their performance and identify methods for self-improvement. The aim of this study is to explore the relationships between patient feedback, colleague feedback, and self-evaluation using the same questionnaires as used by patients and colleagues.MethodsFeedback data for around 2000 doctors belonging to four different groups were collected through non-probability sampling from nearly 100,000 patients and 24,000 colleagues. Reliability analysis was performed using single measures intraclass coefficients, Cronbach’ alpha and signal-to-noise ratios. Analysis of variance was used to identify significant differences in scores between items and sub-populations of doctors; principal component analysis involving Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s test for sphericity was used to reveal components of doctor performance; and correlation analysis was used for identifying convergence between sets of scores from different sources.ResultsPatients rated doctors highest on respect shown and lowest on reassurance provided. Colleagues rated doctors highest on trustworthiness and lowest on ability to say ‘no’. With regard to self-evaluation, doctors gave themselves lower scores on the patient questionnaire and the colleague questionnaire (10 and 12%, respectively) than they received from their patients and colleagues. There were weak but positive correlations between self-scores and scores received indicating some convergence of agreement, with doctors feeling more comfortable with self-evaluation from the perspective of patients than from colleagues.ConclusionsSupplementing patient and colleague feedback with self-evaluation may help doctors confirm for themselves areas for enhanced CPD through convergence. If self-evaluation is used, the colleague questionnaire may be sufficient, since aspects of clinical competence, management, communication and leadership as well as patient care can be addressed through colleague items. Mentoring of doctors in CPD should aim to make doctors feel more comfortable about being rated by colleagues to enhance convergence between self-scores and evaluations from the perspective of colleagues.

Corporate Governance and Financial Performance: The Case of Australia and Sri Lanka

This study analyses the correlation between Board attributes and company performance in a sample of 100 Australian and 100 Sri Lankan firms. The analysed Board attributes include size; gender ratio; fraction of non-independent members; and experience. The level of economic development considered to have a potential confounding effect on the outcomes. The analysis of the data suggest that: Boards in Australia are much larger than Boards in Sri Lanka; Boards are male dominated in both nations; and while Board structure provides predictive insight into firm performance, only a few individual attributes are significant. Important finding of this research is that the larger Boards of Australia have a significantly stronger influence on firm performance than the relatively smaller Boards of Sri Lanka. Future research should extend the review of the effects of Board size on corporate performance.

The Medical Board of Australia releases its new Professional Performance Framework.

The Medical Board of Australia releases its new Professional Performance Framework.

Medical Board of Australia v Kemp

Medical Board of Australia v Kemp

Neuropsychology Supervision: Incorporating Reflective Practice

ObjectiveClinical supervision is fundamental to the training of psychologists. Neuropsychology (NP) is recognised as a distinct discipline of psychology and is an area of endorsement; however, specific training in NP supervision has received limited attention. Reflective practice is a supervisor competency required by the Psychology Board of Australia (PBA) and is one element of NP foundational competencies. Reflective practice can be described as the process of consciously analysing decision‐making, and drawing upon theory and experience, in order to improve clinical practice. This discussion paper aims to improve the supervision of neuropsychologists in Australia by providing an explicit framework to incorporate reflective practice into NP supervision.MethodAs a discussion paper, the first stage is to review the NP supervision literature; and second to provide a practical supervision framework to integrate reflective practice in accordance with current research, NP‐specific requirements, and the PBA.ResultsThe extant literature on NP supervision is exceedingly limited. NP supervision training frameworks were based upon developmental and competency‐based models and indicate that reflective practice is a core element. A practical framework for the implementation of reflective practice was effectively developed.ConclusionsThe reflective approach allows supervisees to attain core functional and foundational neuropsychological competencies, and is flexible to allow for different contexts and potentially new supervision training requirements. Importantly, the reflective practice framework supports ongoing professional development and competency throughout the neuropsychologists’ professional career span.

Commercialization of Sports and Competition Law

Commercialized sport was one of the growth points of economy at the phase of industrial revolution in the late Victorian era. A substantial rise in working-class spending power, growing urbanization, and a concentration of free time into Saturday afternoons all encouraged the marketing of spectator sports, and in response throughout Britain sport promoters and sport club executives enclosed grounds, erected stadia and charged gate money. It was the way for keeping away from monotonous life. Sports economy came to be developed in the western world following the availability of increased leisure with the working class after World War II. Countries who predominantly played cricket, were left out of the advantages which a developing sports economy could offer largely because the Boards of Cricket in these countries lived off the patronage of the state and aristocracy and the game itself was played largely in erstwhile British Colonies who would be looking up to the Cricket Boards in Australia and England to take a lead. These Boards were content in imagining their supremacy in the game and looked open-handedly at the colonies playing game as best.

Gender and Ethnic Diversity on Boards and Corporate Responsibility: The Case of the Arts Sector

This study provides insights on sector-specific characteristics, challenges and issues that affect corporate responsibility (CR) in relation to ethnicity and gender on arts boards. Using stakeholder theory, the study explores how arts board composition (e.g. gender and ethnicity) sets the scene for dynamics that affect CR. Data analysis is based on interviews with 92 board members and stakeholders sitting on 66 arts boards in Australia. Results suggest that the dynamism of gender and ethnic diversity on arts boards makes them responsive to CR; however, their presence does not always lead to CR. For diverse boards to lead to CR, our findings indicate the significance of board member attributes of passion, skill and capability of developing networks, irrespective of gender and ethnicity. The article advances understanding of the implications and relevance of ethnic and gender diversity on non-profit boards and contributes to an important yet under-researched body of literature.

The diversity of expertise on corporate boards in Australia

AbstractExpertise diversity is expected to enhance the monitoring and advising functions of boards of directors. Yet, little is known about the expertise that actually exists on corporate boards. In this study, we examine the diversity of professional expertise on corporate boards in Australia and implications for shareholder value. We categorise directors by 11 types of professional expertise and find the most common types of expertise are business executives, accountants, bankers, scientists, lawyers and engineers. We find that expertise diversity is primarily related to board size, industry and location. Our analysis also suggests that shareholders benefit when boards diversify their expertise within a subset of specialist business expertise (lawyers, accountants, consultants, bankers and outside CEOs). Further diversity beyond this subset of expertise is associated with lower firm value and performance.

Optometry Australia Entry‐level Competency Standards for Optometry 2014

BackgroundCompetency standards for entry‐level to the profession of optometry in Australia were first developed in 1993, revised in 1997 and 2000, and again in 2008, when therapeutic competency standards were introduced but differentiated from the entry‐level competencies. Therapeutic competencies were an additional requirement for the purpose of endorsing optometric registration to allow prescription of medicines for conditions of the eye. Recent changes to educational and registration requirements mean that therapeutic competencies are now required at entry‐level. To address this and to ensure the standards reflect current best practice, a full revision of the standards was undertaken.MethodsA steering committee oversaw the review of the standards, which involved a literature review, workshops with optometrists and broad consultation with stakeholders, including the Optometry Board of Australia, individual optometrists and employers of optometrists, to identify changes needed. Representatives of the profession from Australia and New Zealand and from academia in Australia were involved. A modified document based on the feedback received was circulated to the State Divisions and the National Board of the then Optometrists Association Australia.ResultsThe updated standards reflect the state of entry to the optometric profession in 2014; competencies for prescribing of scheduled medicines are included, new material has been added, other areas have been modified. The updated entry‐level competency standards were adopted on behalf of the profession by the National Board of the then Optometrists Association Australia in March 2014.DiscussionCompetency standards have been updated so that they continue to be current and useful for the profession, individual optometrists and Australian and New Zealand registration authorities for the purposes of accreditation of optometric programs and assessment of overseas‐trained optometrists. This paper details the revision process and presents the 2014 version of competency standards for entry‐level to the profession of optometry in Australia.

Probiotic yoghurt and incidence of diarrhoea in children: A double blind, randomised, controlled trial

Probiotic yoghurt and incidence of diarrhoea in children: A double blind, randomised, controlled trial

Political and government connections on corporate boards in Australia: Good for business?

While prior studies document the benefits of political connections in emerging markets, their value in developed markets is less certain. In this study, we examine the types of firms that have directors with political and government connections on their boards and the value of these connections to shareholders in Australia, a developed market with low levels of corruption and lobbying, and public funding of election campaigns. We find that directors with political and government connections hold 2.1% of listed company directorships (in 7.7% of listed companies) in Australia. After controlling for director and firm characteristics, we find the market reaction to the appointment of directors with political and government connections is significantly lower than other directors. This is particularly the case for former politicians whose political parties are not in power and who have less political experience. In summary, we find no evidence that political and government connections on corporate boards are particularly abundant or valuable to shareholders in Australia.

The ASX Governance Council and “independent” boards

This article represents a discussion of some important issues concerning so-called “independent” directors of large publicly traded corporations. Importantly, it draws on the findings of a recent comprehensive study by Peter Swan and David Forsberg on the effects of regulatory policy changes mandating aspects of the structure of corporate boards in Australia over the period 2001–12. This is the first time that the impact of the Australian rules has been addressed in such a manner. The Australian rules as promulgated by the Australian Security Exchange's Corporate Governance Council closely resemble those adopted in the UK and most other countries excluding the USA. These rules are peculiar in that they aim to ensure that the role of both incentivised and knowledgeable directors on boards is minimised. Such rules can leave minority shareholders exposed to management that is unchecked by adequate monitoring. Particularly relating to the application of such rules to banks and insurance companies, recent evidence shows that they have helped to promote the onset and severity of financial crises such as the global financial crisis by degrading governance standards. Thus evidence suggests that financial regulators are part of the problem, not the solution, to attaining global governance rules that promote successful outcomes and financial stability.