David Pick

Neo‐liberalism, risk and regional development in Western Australia: The case of the Pilbara

Purpose – This paper aims to present the case of the Pilbara as an illustration of how neo‐liberalism and globalisation affect a natural resource region.Design/methodology/approach – A primary data set was collected by interviewing 21 people who had an interest in the development of the Pilbara. Secondary data was collected from relevant government policy documents and media reports relating to the region. Qualitative analysis techniques were used to analyse the data.Findings – It is found that neo‐liberal policy has had a profound and largely negative effect on Pilbara communities. Rather than reaping the benefits of the wealth being generated in the region, participants in this research experience social breakdown and unmet social needs, and the local democratic institutions are weak and ineffective. Research limitations/implications – This paper reports on a single case and is limited in terms of its generalisability. However, it does illustrate the value of the “Resource Curse Thesis” and the concept ...

Framing and frame shifting in a higher education merger

Late in 1996, Kalgoorlie Collegeand the Western Australian School of Mines inWestern Australia were merged to form anexpanded campus of Curtin University, based inthe state capital city of Perth. This paperuses a frame analytical approach to examininghow differing and competing interpretations andcommitments affected how the merger was playedout. Three important frames, each of which hada major influence on the merger for periods oftime are identified: one that emphasisedregional social and economic development,another centred on education for industry and athird based on economic rationalism. Thisanalysis connects changes in the direction ofthe merger to shifts in the way the merger wasframed.

An Interpretive Mixed-Methods Analysis of Ethics, Spirituality and Aesthetics in the Australian Services Sector

The aim of this article is to examine the usefulness of spirituality and aesthetics for generating new perspectives and understandings with regard to business ethics. Using an interpretive mixed-methods approach, data were collected through an online survey of 223 respondents and focus group interviews with 20 participants. Analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data suggests that the presence of aesthetic spirituality and religious spirituality, along with the factors of optimism, contentment, making a difference and interconnectedness, are significantly associated with ethical practice in the workplace. These factors may be focused upon when considering the ethical climate of organizations. Although this research does not support universal conclusions, the relationship between ethics, spirituality and aesthetics identified in the Australian services sector might be replicated elsewhere.

Modernity and tradition in a global era: The re‐invention of caste in India

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the re‐interpretation and justification of caste in India in the face of modernising influences and the efforts of legislators to disassemble its structures and traditions.Design/methodology/approach – The concepts of de‐traditionalisation and governmentality are deployed to illuminate the reconstruction of caste within the framework and imperatives of global industrial capitalism.Findings – Caste now has a different source of justification in that it serves the functions and needs of the “winners” of globalisation at the expense of the “losers”. In traditional caste‐based society each caste moved in separate social spheres. This is simply not possible in a modern capitalist state based on a web of social, economic, and political inter‐dependencies. This has the potential to cause social dislocation, threatening Indias economic and social well‐being and development. This paper demonstrates that whilst caste is still prevalent in Indian society it can no longer appeal ...

The reflexive modernization of Australian universities

The profound changes occurring in Australian higher education are viewed here in the context of the social, cultural, political and economic effects of globalization. Particular attention is paid to providing a theoretical foundation for understanding these effects using the reflexive modernization perspective. Highlighted are some of the challenges facing universities in Australia brought about by the corrosive influences of individualization and risk. This paper includes a call for a more critical and intentional approach to higher education policy and management.

Development failure and the resource curse: the case of Myanmar

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine development failure in Myanmar and explore alternative ways forward.Design/methodology/approach – This research uses a variety of quantitative and qualitative data drawn from sources including newspaper and media accounts from inside and outside Myanmar, reports from NGOs and field observations. The data are analysed using a framework developed by combining the theoretical perspectives of the resource curse and governmentality.Findings – Evidence of developmental failure in Myanmar is found. The nation is in an economic, social and political mess due to the actions of an incompetent and corrupt robber regime that has misused and misappropriated much of the wealth being produced from the nations large mineral and energy reserves. Action by the international community has so far proved ineffective in improving the situation.Research limitations/implications – The main limitation of this paper is the difficulty in obtaining accurate and reliable official economi...

Person–organization fit and public service motivation in the context of change

Abstract This study examines public sector change, motivation and person–organization (P–O) fit in a stress context. The results provide empirical evidence that change initiatives produce change-induced stressors. However, change processes, including participation in change decision-making and the provision of change information, increase public service motivation, reduce change-induced stressors and ultimately improve P–O fit and job satisfaction. The results also depict that, in the context of change, public service motivation positively influences job satisfaction, with this relationship partially mediated by P–O fit. Implications for New Public Management and the importance of change processes for reducing workplace stress are discussed.

'Economic rewards are the driving factor' : neo-liberalism, globalisation and work attitudes of young graduates in Australia

Successive Australian governments have adopted neo‐liberal ideological imperatives of engaging with globalisation. This has been particularly noticeable in the policy areas of employment and higher education. Frame analysis and sensemaking are deployed to examine the ways in which neo‐liberalism has influenced the perspectives young people graduating from two Australian universities have towards work and education. Our findings show that the ways in which students made sense of their environment reflected neo‐liberal conceptions in that their attitudes to work and education were framed in mainly instrumental, economic terms. It is concluded that although neo‐liberalism is ascendant, it is not all pervasive.

The work orientations of Australian university students

It is the aim of this paper to provide a better understanding of how university students in Australia are preparing for their future work in the labour market through their work orientations. It draws upon a survey of over 300 final‐year undergraduates to present their rationales for engaging in paid work, and their preferences for different job facets in the workplace. On one hand, the ‘risk society’ thesis proposed that the disruptions and uncertainty in the modern work environment are prompting many young graduates to ‘become stage managers of their own biographies’. On the other hand, there is an argument that despite the switch towards the promotion of individual responsibilities, structural factors such as gender continue to impinge on their choices. This article will also examine whether the students’ individualised attempts to manage their careers through their work orientations are influenced by gender differences.

Globalisation, reflexive modernisation, and development: the case of India

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use the theoretical insights provided by reflexive modernisation in examining the effects of globalisation on the development policies and trajectories of India.Design/methodology/approach – After a presentation of the main ideas and concepts of reflexive modernisation and globalisation, the principal characteristics of the reflexive modernisation of India are identified and discussed.Findings – This paper demonstrates that the development path taken by India is characterised by ambiguity, contradiction, and paradox. There is much doubt, uncertainty, and debate in academic, political, and social forums about whether India is on the right development path, as the nation attempts to graft western‐style capitalist structures and technologies on to traditional ways of life. Indeed, in its drive towards economic development and enhanced social well‐being India is at the same time compromising that development and wellbeing through the production of risks.Research limit...