Janice Therese Jones

The Determinants of Training in Australian Manufacturing Smes

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to examine the factors influencing the provision of increased training in Australian manufacturing small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) that have embarked upon different growth development pathways.Design/methodology/approach – The longitudinal panel data employed in this research are drawn from the business longitudinal survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics over the four financial years 1994‐1995 to 1997‐1998.Findings – The results indicate that organisational change, in the form of major change in production technology and/or new or substantially improved product or process technology, and the introduction of business improvement programmes, are influential, and relatively consistent drivers of increased training in SMEs following each of the growth development pathways, and, over time. The findings also suggest that innovation distinguishes high growth SMEs from their lower growth counterparts.Research limitations/implications – This inves...

Training and Development, and Business Growth: A Study of Australian Manufacturing Small—Medium Sized Enterprises

The principal objectives in this paper are to compare and contrast training and development initiatives for a longitudinal sample of 871 small and medium-sized enterprises in the Australian manufacturing sector that have embarked upon different growth development pathways; and to examine possible connections between small and medium-sized enterprise growth, and training and development. Statistical analysis reveals highly significant differences in management training and qualifications, training changes, as well as training methods, providers and fields, across the low-, moderate and high-growth small and medium-sized enterprise development pathways. Furthermore, training is a relatively consistent concomitant with small and medium-sized enterprise growth.

Knowledge transfer between actors in the innovation system: a study of higher education institutions (HEIS) and SMES

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand how and why small to medium enterprises (SMEs) access knowledge from external actors in general and from higher education institutions (HEIs) in particular and what is the extent to which these knowledge access pathways affect SME innovativeness. Design/methodology/approach – The paper involved both quantitative and qualitative approaches: a survey of 1,226 SMEs and a mini case study to follow-up on issues arising from the survey analysis. Survey data were analysed using both non-parametric and multivariate Poisson regression analysis. The case study was based on a medium-sized manufacturing firm in South Australia. Findings – While there are significant differences between the micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, the evidence suggests that SMEs generally use “generic” university–industry knowledge transfer pathways (e.g. published research results) rather than university–industry links with high “relational” involvement. More significantly, the...

KNOWLEDGE INFLOWS FROM MARKET- AND SCIENCE-BASED ACTORS, ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY, INNOVATION AND PERFORMANCE — A STUDY OF SMEs

Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly opening up their innovation processes in order to improve innovation outcomes. Exactly how openness influences enterprises’ ability to innovate and benefit from external sources of innovation is not well understood. Despite theoretical models explicating knowledge inflows as the antecedent and innovation as the consequence of absorptive capacity, to date, the relationships between external knowledge inflows from specific external actors, absorptive capacity, innovation and SME performance remain underexplored. We address this gap, focussing on market- and science-based knowledge flows, absorptive capacity, innovation and SME performance. Using structural equation modelling on a sample of 838 Australians SMEs, we find evidence indicating that the mechanisms by which external knowledge inflows from market- and science-based actors affect innovation differ: external knowledge inflows from market-based actors influence innovation directly or “serendipitously”, while external knowledge inflows from science-based actors influence innovation indirectly via absorptive capacity. We also find that their effect on innovation differ, with external knowledge inflows from market-based actors exerting a positive direct effect on innovation vis-a-vis external knowledge inflows from science-based actors where there is no significant direct effect. In contrast, external knowledge inflows from science-based actors influence innovation through absorptive capacity. In addition to this mediation effect, absorptive capacity has a positive direct effect on innovation, and an effect on firm performance through innovation. This research contributes to our understanding of how, and the extent to which, external knowledge inflows from specific external actors influence absorptive capacity, innovation and firm performance in SMEs.

Shocks among managers of indigenous art centres in remote Australia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reasons managers of non-Indigenous backgrounds move to, stay in, and leave their positions in Indigenous Art Centres in remote areas of Australia. Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative study used structured in-depth interviews of 21 managers of Indigenous Art Centres to explore their reasons for staying in or leaving their positions. Findings – The study finds that managers are not drawn to remote Art Centres for financial gain, or career advancement. In contrast, a broader range of pull factors beyond the job – in particular, the Indigenous community/environment and personal/family reasons – influence managers to stay or leave the job. However, the reasons for choosing to leave are qualitatively different from reasons given by managers who stay, pulling some managers to stay, whilst pushing other managers to leave. Significantly, shocks, in the form of threatening and frightening situations were also influential in explaining turnover. Re...

An inter‐industry comparison of VET in Australian SMEs: Inter‐industry comparison

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the extent and nature of Vocational Education and Training (VET) vis‐a‐vis other forms of training in three size categories of small‐to‐medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) from two industry sectors.Design/methodology/approach – The longitudinal panel data employed in this paper are drawn from the Business Longitudinal Survey (BLS) conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) over the four financial years 1994‐1995 to 1997‐1998.Findings – The results indicate that less than half of the enterprises in the three‐size categories provide apprenticeship training and traineeships – and in the case of micro‐ and small business, VET in any other field for that matter ‐ or used any of the widely recognised providers of accredited VET. While there is a positive association between enterprise size and the implementation of VET, nonetheless, the results demonstrate that small business investment in structured VET is minimal. The results also show tha...

From Brain Drain and Brain Gain to Brain Circulation: Conceptualizing Re-Expatriation Intentions of Vietnamese Returnees

Much of the extant literature in the field of brain circulation has tended to focus on talented individuals leaving their home countries (brain drain) or talented graduate/professionals returning to their home countries (reverse brain drain). As part of its economic strategy to transform its economy, Vietnam has adopted measures aimed at tackling skill shortages and reversing the so-called “brain drain” by attracting back overseas Vietnamese graduates/professionals. This reversal, however, may be temporary as Vietnamese returnees may go abroad again (in other words, re-expatriate), if for example, they are unhappy and do not adjust well to their home country. This paper reviews research on the reasons behind why Vietnamese returnees who have studied and/or worked abroad in advanced/developed economies, and have returned to Vietnam, may decide to re-expatriate on their own initiative. We find that intentions to re-expatriate are affected by different pull and push factors associated with the home and host countries. Vietnamese returnees are pulled abroad by host country attraction (e.g. higher salaries and better job opportunities), and pushed away from their home country by home country dissatisfaction (e.g. dissatisfaction with the working environment in Vietnam). Further, negative re-entry experiences (e.g. reverse culture shock and poor cross-cultural readjustment) may prompt Vietnamese returnees to consider re-expatriating. This chapter adds to the limited number of studies on brain circulation and re-expatriation of returnees in emerging economies. It contributes to theory by developing a conceptual framework of factors affecting the re-expatriation intentions of returnees in the context of an emerging economy, notably Vietnam. It also offers a number of implications for the Vietnamese government and managers with respect to retaining Vietnamese returnees.

Managing the Re-Entry Process of Returnee Government Scholars in an Emerging Transition Economy - An Embeddedness Perspective: Managing the Re-Entry Process

This paper reports the findings of a study that investigates the factors affecting the re-entry and readjustment process of returnee government scholars in Vietnam. These returnee scholars were originally sent overseas to study as part of changes introduced by the Vietnamese government to develop its domestic talent pool. Using the perspective of home country embeddedness, we find that career and community embeddedness factors, together with readjustment factors, have an effect on returnee scholars’ career and life satisfaction in their home country. These factors subsequently affected their intention to stay or reexpatriate. The study contributes to public sector change management theory by examining factors affecting the re-entry process of returnees within an emerging transition economy. It also adds to the limited studies on understanding and managing the re-entry processes and state-led diaspora strategies among returnee government scholars from emerging transition economies, and their effectiveness.

Beyond ‘know-what’ and ‘know-how’ to ‘know-who’: enhancing human capital with social capital in an Australian start-up accelerator

Abstract This study investigates the enhancement of human capital with social capital in a start-up accelerator and how this integration affects the entrepreneurial learning experience. In particular, it examines the relative importance of the three components ‘know-what’, ‘know-how’ and ‘know-who’. The study involved thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with participants in an Australian start-up accelerator that is delivered using ideas such as Design Thinking, the Business Model Canvas and Lean Start-up methodology. We find that although the programme emphasised ‘know-what’ and ‘know-how’, ‘know-who’ was most significant for participant learning. The results indicate that mentors and experts were especially helpful in shaping learning and in developing entrepreneurial networks. Moreover, our results show that the processes of ‘know-what’, ‘know-how’ and ‘know-who’ are interrelated – by knowing ‘who’, participants learnt ‘what’ and ‘how to’ through social learning. The research contributes to entrepreneurial learning theory and application particularly in the Asia Pacific context, by providing evidence that ‘know-who’ closes the learning loop for ‘know-what’ and ‘know-how’ as ‘know-who’ can actually provide entrepreneurs with the means to enhance their entrepreneurial self-efficacy.

Meaningful Careers: Employment Decisions Among Indigenous Art Centre Workers in Remote Australia

This study investigates the reasons behind why Indigenous workers decide to work or leave their positions in Indigenous art centres in remote areas of Australia. This has significance for managemen...