Margaret Nowak

The independent director on the board of company directors

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the views of directors of public-listed Australian companies regarding the role of the independent director and the significance of that role in relationship to the composition of the board of company directors. Design/methodology/approach - A qualitative study using a grounded research approach was used and 30 directors of Australian public-listed companies were interviewed. Findings - The analysis indicates that participating directors were convinced that a majority of non-executive directors (NEDs) provided a safeguard for a balance of power in the board/management relationship. The difference between NEDs, who are also independent directors, and NEDs who are not independent, was highlighted as an important distinction. The capacity for board members to think independently was seen to be enhanced, but not necessarily ensured, with majority membership of NEDs. However, a majority of independent minds expressing multiple points of view was perceived to reduce the board room hazard of “group think.” Research limitations/implications - The study was conducted within the context of the preferred model for board composition in Australian public-listed companies which requires a majority of NEDs. Originality/value - Conflicting evidence surrounding the claim that a majority of independent members in the board structure contributes to “best pratice governance” makes the paper relevant to governance issues being debated in the global arena.

The Operation of Internal Labour Markets: Three Case Studies

The employment policies and practices of firms could be expected to exert an influence on the career patterns of their labour forces. The literature suggests that many of these policies and practices would have developed in response to the technological, managerial, and information needs of individual firms and would be specific to the particular firm. To investigate these relationships, detailed case studies were undertaken in three Western Australian firms. The results show that, in two of the firms for certain job ladders, and in the third for its total labour force, employ ment policies and practices were sensitive to the internal technological and other re quirements of the firm in ways that cut across expected market oriented responses to the labour market at large. Personnel on these job ladders did experience patterns of tenure, career path, training, and earnings that indicate response to these policies and practices. However, while some evidence was found that earnings of those on such job ladders were responsive to variables related to career within the firm, general investments in education and training appeared to be dominant.

Returning to Work After Maternity Leave: Childcare and Workplace Flexibility:

This article explores how responsibilities for childcare are managed as part of family decisions made around the return to work following a period of maternity leave. We surveyed all women health professionals identified as on maternity leave on payroll records of the Health Department, Western Australia, and one private sector national provider of hospital services. Survey questions were designed following a review of the literature and prior empirical work. The design enabled us to collect both quantitative information and interpretive qualitative responses from participants. Over 50% of respondents expected to have childcare provided wholly by family members, while 15% anticipated the use of formal arrangements alone. The planned arrangements for care can best be understood within a framework of a ‘family budget’ of time to be allocated between market-based work and childcare. Attitudes to childcare are central to this ‘time economies’ framework. Respondents experienced dissonance between the stated organizational family-friendly policy of their workplaces and practices at the management level. Employer-centred flexibility often disrupted their child-care arrangements. We identify important employment policy issues for workplaces that would facilitate the optimal return to the workforce by professional women following maternity leave.

Leadership in context: Insights from a study of nursing in Western Australia

This paper investigates the importance of integrating context when analysing the role and practice of leadership within a specific organization or profession. It does this with reference to a study of nursing in Western Australia. Using theoretical sampling, qualitative data were collected through interviews and focus groups with targeted stakeholders in Western Australia’s public health system. The main purpose of the data collection and analysis was to identify perceptions and understandings of leadership among key stakeholders. Findings emerged which identified the importance of considering specific dimensions of the cultural, social and institutional context in order to understand the practice and experience of leadership among nurses in the Western Australian public health sector.

Cooperative goals in the Chinese work environment: a Hong Kong case study

This research seeks to develop an understanding of how cooperative teamwork among Chinese employees impacts upon the customer perception of service in the Hong Kong ship-repair industry. The research model was based on the ‘Theory of Cooperation and Competition’, a western-derived theory. The model used included the Chinese values of power distance, collectivism and conformity. The results suggested the need to explore alternative processes that Chinese people may engage in in managing their conflict. We question whether the ‘goals’ or ‘ends’ based approach to the operation of teams inherent in the Theory of Cooperation and Competition, is valid in the Chinese context where ‘process’ and ‘relationship’ are pivotal.

Internal Labour Markets and the Market For Highly Qualified Labour

Traditionally the literature on manpower forecasting utilises either the man power requirements approach or the neo-classical competitive model. A third alternative, based on the internal labour market queuing model, may provide a more effective guide for policy formulation by emphasising the important role of on-the-job training and the acquisition of job-specific skills. Empirical results relating directly to the highly qualified labour market overseas are used as a basis for a recent study carried out in Western Australia to test the validity of the concept of the internal labour market. This research appears to suggest that if the alternate manpower model is valid, approaches to overcome the problems of unemployment and to more accurately forecast manpower require ments should differ from those being currently undertaken. Far more emphasis should be placed on the internal labour market and activity should focus on the specific job training function.

Persistent Australian Gender Wage Inequality 1990 to 2003: Stakeholders' Views of Why and How

Qualitative research on the perceptions of industrial relations stakeholders of the persistence of gender wage inequality during the period 1990 to 2003 is reported. During this period the gap between the average weekly ordinary time earnings of women and men working full time in Australia decreased by only one and a half percentage points, from 17 percent in 1990, to 15.5 percent in 2003 and the gap in Western Australia widened by 5 percentage points. Interviewees and the literature indicated that gender wage inequality was greatest within occupations whilst also occurring between occupations. Stakeholders interviewed felt that gender-related social/cultural values pervade the formal system of industrial relations as well as the wider society. These social/cultural values, changing slower than economic and industrial relations factors, result in persistent gender wage inequality as these values affect occupational choice before the market, the availability of jobs and training in the market and thus wages. Stakeholders showed that they believed that their gender-related values affected actions taken to, and decisions made in, industrial tribunals. Remedies for gender wage inequality thus must address not only action within the formal industrial relations system, but also perceptions and values in the wider society.

Unemployment Amongst Females and School Leavers—The Case for Stock- Flow Analysis

The labour force survey figures for May 19771 shown in Table I can be used to illustrate the conclusions which can readily be derived from such an analysis. Clearly unemployment is proportionately greatest for juniors (15-19 years) and females in the labour force. Commentators have often followed this observation by looking for causal factors in the relative rates of change of minimum wage rates of labour force components2 (including equal pay for females.) Detailed analysis of the labour force and unemployment data extending back to 1964 suggests that a view of current unemployment rates which restricts itself to explanations in terms of relative changes in minimum award wage rates may be somewhat simpliste. Higher unemployment rates for females and young persons (as percentage of labour force) are not a new phenomena. They are a

From Accountability to Assurance – Stakeholder Perspectives in Local Government

This article reports on research which sought to explore the understanding of accountability for performance amongst constituents of local government in Western Australia. Recent trends to increase the public accountability and financial reporting requirements for local governments underline the need to understand the value and use made of this performance information by local government constituents.

Information Theory and Employer Recruitment Practices

The results of an exploratory survey of employer recruitment practices, undertaken in the Melbourne metropolitan area in 1983, are considered in relation to the general propositions of information theory applicable to employer recruitment. They are broadly consistent with the theory and provide sound evidence of efficiency gains to specialization in information in labour recruitment.