Alan Tidwell

Teaching group process skills to MBA students: a short workshop

A comprehensive introductory workshop aimed at building student readiness for participation in project based group work is outlined. This article develops a rationale for teaching such a workshop and outlines a step‐by‐step approach complete with all necessary materials. The core of the workshop is a case developed by the authors, which draws upon the real life experience of a group of graduate students. Debrief questions are provided for the case from the student and faculty perspective. The workshop also contains an exercise aimed at surfacing students’ experiences of group work and a set of recommendations aimed at reducing problems in student project groups. This paper concludes that, along with other benefits, the workshop develops a strong normative framework for legitimising appropriate behaviour in student project groups.

The role of ‘diplomatic lobbying’ in shaping US foreign policy and its effects on the Australia–US relationship

ABSTRACT Lobbying as a form of engagement with the US Congress has long been studied from a domestic perspective. Lobbying, however, is not a practice confined to actors with domestic interests—it is also used as a form of diplomacy by many foreign governments, including Australia. Diplomatic lobbying is a vastly understudied phenomenon and its impact on US foreign relations is rarely examined. Unlike most Westminster-based democracies, the USA has two branches directly involved with foreign affairs—the Executive and Congress—each of which is important for different aspects of foreign policy development. Australia has found lobbying the US Congress to be a powerful tool for diplomatic engagement. This article looks at the role of the US Congress in foreign affairs, the effects of lobbying, and the ways in which diplomats engage with and lobby Congress. Australia’s specific lobbying efforts and their effects on the US–Australia relationship are then examined.

Negotiating the Pacific century : the 'new' Asia, the United States and Australia

Contributors1 Acknowledgements2 Foreword SIR ERIC MCCLINTOCKSECTION I INTRODUCTION3 Bilateral relations ROGER BELL4 Australian-American relations ROGER BELLSECTION II ECONOMIC CHANGE AND INDUSTRIALISATION5 The rise of China DAVID GOODMAN6 US-Australia Relations and Southeast Asia A. MACINTYRE7 Japans political economy P. JAIN8 Industrialisation and economic change in Korea J. MCKAY9 Whither India MARIKA VICZIANYSECTION III REGIONAL POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGE10 Political changes in Asia RICHARD WOOLCOTT11 Economic interdependence in East Asia J. RAVENHILLSECTION IV SECURITY REALIGNMENT12 The New Asia and American policy A. TIDWELL13 Resolving conflicts A. HEYS AND A. TIDWELL14 Weapons proliferation S. CAMBONESECTION V CULTURAL ASSERTIVENESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS15 The Asian ethic J. INGLESON16 Human rights H. HARDING17 Social transformation in Asia J. GELMAN TAYLOR18 Chinese Diaspora N. TRACYSECTI

Australia’s submarine technology cooperation with Japan as burden-sharing with the USA in the Asia-Pacific

Australia, Japan and the USA are all facing dual pressures that require them to do more with less. Internationally, they deal with the challenge of managing China’s rapid rise. However, domestically, they must cut government spending and reduce government debt. With internal balancing effectively ruled out as a long-term solution, the three states are seeking ways to optimise external balancing, or cooperation with like-minded states. This article focuses on Australian motivations regarding the recent proposal for submarine cooperation with Japan, and places it in the context of longer trends that poise the USA, Australia and Japan for even greater trilateralism in the future. Australia’s proposal to buy submarines from Japan, should it go through, would cement Australia and Japan’s fledgling security relationship in steel and coin. For Australia, it would help it to overcome its undersea capability gap, and Japan could set a precedent to re-enter the global weapons market if all goes well. Furthermore, Australia can use defence-technology cooperation with Japan to signal to the USA the seriousness of its commitment to burden-share in pursuit of regional security and determination to politically support the USA’s ‘Pivot’ to the Asia-Pacific. However, domestic politics have begun to play an important role in Australia, with a ‘spill’ motion against Prime Minister Tony Abbott barely overcome by a backroom deal with the opposition to build the submarines domestically, and this is an important development to keep an eye on.

Differing approaches to congressional outreach: comparing Australia and New Zealand

ABSTRACT Both Australia and New Zealand, in addition to engaging with the US executive branch, also protect and advance their bilateral relationship by engaging with the US Congress. Since 1987, Australia has pursued congressional outreach, or diplomatic lobbying, to protect and advance its security and trade interests. As a result, Australia has won both security and trade benefits. New Zealands congressional outreach, on the other hand, has had a more challenging task of improving bilateral relations due, in part, to US objections to New Zealands anti-nuclear policy. This article extends existing research on Australian and New Zealand congressional outreach, develops a framework for examining embassy-based congressional outreach and, through comparative analysis of Australian and New Zealand congressional outreach, gives greater insight into the nature and character of their efforts on Capitol Hill.

Book Review: Managing Workplace Conflict: Alternative Dispute Resolution in Australia

717 as diverse as industrial relations, HRM, organizational behaviour, industrial sociology, political science, and technology studies. Specialists from all these areas might find the work does not make reference to theorists one might expect. But most will find the connections across disciplines refreshing. Non-academic readers, or the non-specialist interested observer described in chapter 1, will also find the book illuminating. The book is highly recommended.

The ashes of conflict resolution

Conflict resolution—what is it? Peacemaking? Effectively and efficiently resolving disputes? Creating justice? Solving problems? It remains largely unclear. At the very moment that we try to grapple with that question, we face yet another: Has conflict resolution made a difference? In the case of the most difficult international conflicts, the answer must be a categorical no. Why has international conflict resolution failed to make a difference? Generally, there are two causes for die failure. The first is intellectual—conceptually conflict resolution remains divided. A second cause for failure resides in the institutionalization of the field. Resolve these two difficulties and conflict resolution will move ahead. Let them continue to stagnate and the field will die an ignoble death.