Meena Chavan

The balanced scorecard: a new challenge

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on one strategy known as “The Balanced Scorecard”, discussing the growing importance of balanced scorecard performance systems, exploring issues that organizations face in building and implementing scorecard systems, and sharing lessons learned from Australian organizations that have taken the balanced scorecard journey.Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is the case study methodology to depict the real world examples of organisations that have confidence in the “Balanced scorecard performance system“ so that other organisations can follow suit.Findings – The paper concludes that the balanced scorecard approach may require some substantial changes in culture within the organization.. The balanced scorecard requires understanding, commitment and support from the very top of the business down. The balanced scorecard will evolve. As culture changes and develops to accept the new approach and members of the organisation mature within the new culture...

An appraisal of environment management systems

Purpose – The main aim of this paper is to prove that an Environmental Management System (EMS) can be a powerful tool for organizations to both improve their environmental performance, and enhance their business efficiency.Design/methodology/approach – A case study methodology is used putting forth the “Implementation of an EMS system at Pioneer Building and Construction”, a registered company in the construction industry whose primary business activities relate to development and construction of projects on a contract basis.Findings – The findings stated that by implementing an EMS, Pioneer obtained a 10 per cent cost reduction; an estimated

Higher Education Students' Attitudes Towards Experiential Learning in International Business

1.2 million now could be saved annually as the annual costs were

Diversity makes good business

12 million – which more than offsets the costs sustained in the implementation of ISO 14001.Practical implications – This paper validates that although the causes of environmental degradation are well known, the business logic for environmental improvement has been largely operational and technical. F...

Cultural competence dimensions and outcomes: a systematic review of the literature

Using qualitative and quantitative analysis this paper presents a teaching model based on experiential learning in a large ‘International Business’ unit. Preliminary analysis of 92 student evaluations determined the effectiveness of experiential learning to allow students to explore the association between theory and practice. The analysis of the student responses identify that the students were able to complete all four stages of Kolbs Learning Styles Inventory (KLSI), the components of experience, critical reflection, abstract conceptualization, active experimentation, through the participation in experiential activities in this unit.The cognitive and affective experiences of students learning were measured using a battery of 15 Likert scale items. The scores for all the 15 items were found to be significantly above the scale midpoint of 3 validating a positive learning experience. The respondents were strongly of the opinion that the experiential learning activities helped them learn (Cognitive) and they liked participating in the activity (Affective). The attitudinal scores of Asian students were compared to the other students and a significant difference was found in only one of the 15 attitudinal items of the likert scale administered to the students. The Asian students found experiential activities material too complex as opposed to the other students.

Exploring the drivers of service quality perceptions in the tertiary education sector: Comparing domestic Australian and international Asian students

In a world where every competitive advantage must be fully exploited, productive diversity – utilising Australia’s linguistic and cultural diversity to economic benefit – offers a practical resource, which no organisation, including government, can afford to ignore. Astute employers have begun to tap this resource – people who speak the language, understand the culture and often maintain business and personal contacts in countries where they want to do business. The respondents in this research tell the story of the potential bottom line value of this unique human resource, termed productive diversity (that has been coined to describe the use of our language, skills and cultural diversity for economic benefit). This is a resource‐based study focussing on cultural resources and links to the country of origin as a sustained competitive advantage and a strategy for success of the ethnic business operations in Australia. It presents case studies/stories of ethnic entrepreneurs who have succeeded in business through productive diversity.

The changing role of ethnic entrepreneurs in Australia

It has been widely suggested that cultural competence is an individuals core requirement for working effectively with culturally diverse people. However, there is no consensus regarding the definition or the components of this concept and there is a dearth of empirical proof indicating the benefits of cultural competence. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted to identify the most common cultural competence dimensions proposed in recent publications and to identify whether sufficient evidence exists regarding the efficacy of cultural competence in the healthcare context. A total of 1204 citations were identified through an electronic search of databases, of which 18 publications included cultural competence frameworks, and 13 studies contained empirical data on cultural competence outcomes. The overarching themes of the review were centred around the challenges faced by the healthcare sector in many countries due to growing cultural diversity, but lack of cultural competence, leading to predicaments that arise during intercultural interactions between patients and clinicians. This review will benefit researchers exploring cultural competence as one of the research variables impacting research outcomes.

Quality management and quality care

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to identify similarities and differences between domestic and international student’s expectations of their tertiary experience, as well as the way in which they evaluate the quality of the service that they receive from their tertiary provider. The paper develops an augmented model of service quality which is adapted to suit the tertiary education context. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopted a qualitative research approach. A total of six focus groups were conducted with a total of 36 International students and domestic students. All students were enrolled in the third year of an undergraduate degree at one large metropolitan university in Australia. The data were analyzed using qualitative analytic techniques and coded using NVIVO. Findings – First, the study found that there are significant challenges with regard to the use of student expectations as the foundation for assessing students’ service quality evaluations. This is because students were foun...

Alternative modes of teaching international business : online experiential learning

This research looks at the changing role of ethnic small business in Australia by studying three generations over a period of time. The first generation was found to be positively associated with ‘push’ motivations, and the second and third generations to be positively associated with ‘pull’ motivations. All three generations of ethnic entrepreneurs were positively associated with the use of ‘productive diversity principles’ (use of language, ethnic skills, resources and networks for economic benefit) and this study reveals that 65% of the respondents had made use of productive diversity principles for entering into and succeeding in small business. The paper demonstrates a significant motivating factor in the form of productive diversity principles.

Climates of Communication: Collegiality, Affect, Spaces and Attitudes in Peer Review

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine an operational process through the use of a clinical practice improvement method to implement clinical pathways in the Amber Hospitals (name changed for privacy reasons) cardiology unit. This quality framework has been adopted as a means of preventing adverse events, to ensure quality of care is provided to all patients.Design/methodology/approach – A quality assurance case study approach was adopted along with the clinical practice improvement method – a framework that allows continuous quality improvement to be applied in a practical way to clinical processes, in order to improve delivery of care. The clinical practice improvement method is broken into five cycles: project, diagnostic phase, intervention, impact, and sustaining improvement. The paper explains these cycles, demonstrating how each was achieved.Findings – The clinical practice improvement method at Amber Hospital was found to provide superior performance in the clinical pathway allocation ...