Suchergebnisse

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to interrogate changes to women's representation on boards from an institutional perspective in a particular national context (Australia).Design/methodology/approach– Drawing on institutional theory at the legal, political and social levels the paper identifies the factors through which women's underrepresentation on corporate boards in Australia gained traction over the period 2009-2012.Findings– Through the analysis of the Australian context over the period 2009-2012, the paper proposes a framework to represent the multiple, differentiated and often conflicting spheres affecting women's representation on boards and how this may have wider application internationally.Research limitations/implications– In focusing on the institutional factors, the paper does not mean to underplay organisational factors relevant to women's access to board positions; rather the authors seek to draw attention to how the organisational factors may be shaped by changing institutional "rules". From the interrogation of the conditions under which women's underrepresentation on corporate boards in Australia gained traction, the paper provides a conceptual foundation for the emerging study of institutions and women's representation on corporate boards internationally.Practical implications– The purpose of documenting these institutional changes in Australia is to be instructive to others addressing the practical problem of how to increase women's representation on boards and what institutional factors may need to be considered to prompt change.Originality/value– The conceptual framework adds to the as yet relatively under-theorised field of women on corporate boards.

Terroir is an untranslatable, unstable, and often undefinable French term frequently used in the global wine industry. This article focuses on the transnational potentialities and cultural transferability of terroir in reflecting on French influences on Australian winemakers' senses of place. After outlining the evolution of terroir in France to demonstrate how and why it appears to have become a floating signifier, I examine the use of terroir in the Australian winemaking context. I thereby provide an example of how this French concept has travelled and been translated by Australian proponents of the term at the other end of the New World of wine. Finally, I present conclusions drawn from the particular case of French-Australian cultural transfers to demonstrate key features of the current state of terroir's globalisation.

Cloud computing is a recent computing paradigm enabling organizations to have access to sophisticated computing services via the Internet on a fee-for-service basis. It provides Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) with opportunities to become as technologically advanced as their larger counterparts, without significant financial outlays. This paper examined the important factors that influence SMEs' adoption of cloud computing technology. Drawing upon aspects of the Technology, Organization and Environment framework and Diffusion of Innovation Theory, we developed a research model of SMEs' adoption of cloud computing and tested it through an online survey of 149 Australian SMEs. Data was analyzed using multiple regression methods, with results showing that SMEs were influenced by factors related to advantaging their organizational capability (i.e., relative advantage, quality of service and awareness) rather than risk-related factors (i.e., security, privacy and flexibility). The findings offer insights to SMEs owners, Cloud service providers and government in establishing Cloud computing adoption strategies for SMEs.

In the nineteenth century knowledge of Antarctica was gained through the reports of whalers and scientific expeditions. Their reports of a hostile environment and limited economic potential did nothing to attract the involvement of colonial governments. At the start of the twentieth century a connection was fostered by British sponsored expeditions which called at Australian ports en route to Antarctica and sought personnel and financial support. Several Australian scientific adventurers joined these expeditions, but although greater awareness of Antarctica was gained, especially through the deeds of Douglas Mawson, Phillip Law and Richard Casey, Antarctica remained a territory of minor interest to Australian governments. This thesis seeks to explain how Antarctica, generally accorded very low priority in the estimation of government, could at times occupy the attention of Ministers, occasionally of the Prime Minister. It is argued that in the absence of economic interest explanation requires recognition of the role of highly motivated individuals for whom Antarctica became a ruling obsession in their lives. This study, while not downplaying the occasional role of international political concerns, focuses on the role of eight individuals, from diverse backgrounds, who it is argued played key roles in the development of Australian Antarctic policy in the twentieth century. It presents a fresh contribution to understanding the factors behind Antarctic policy from 1900 to 1991.

Through an intersectional lens, this article explores whether immigrant women are represented in a sample of Australian government documents aimed at providing information about family violence in Australia, and discusses implications for policy development. The authors find that while these documents pay lip service to the special vulnerabilities of immigrant and refugee women ; arguably, they do not engage with the complexities of the intersection of gender and other social categories. Given that the reports do not focus adequately on how race, ethnicity, culture and immigration status play a role in these women&rsquo ; s experiences of domestic violence, this may limit the effect of policies that address the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) victims&rsquo ; needs and rights to protection. We argue that a more intersectional approach is necessary to address CALD women&rsquo ; s specific needs.