Theodora Issa

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.

The impact of Cloud Computing and organizational sustainability

When economic times get tough, businesses worldwide are compel to review their organizational expenses and priorities and to strategically consider how best to save. Traditionally, Information Technology (IT) department is one area that would be affected negatively in the review. To better serve the organization and clients and for business to continue to increase productivity, it is important to understand which technology investments might allow for cost reduction and efficient use of resources. Continuing to fund these strategic technologies during an economic downturn is vital to organizations. It is predicted that in coming years IT resources will only be available online. More and more organizations are looking at operating smarter businesses by investigating technologies such as cloud computing, virtualization and green IT to find ways to cut costs and increase efficiencies. ‘Cloud computing’ is one recent phenomenon which is predominantly driven by industry recognition of the triple bottom line making sustainability their focus. This is also driven by industry needs that may have the ability to transform the work place, with a focus on capital expenditure, infrastructure, applications, usage, mobility, and cost structure. The attraction of cloud computing is obvious with noticeable freedom from managing and hosting applications, platforms, and infrastructure. Though advantages of cloud computing are countless, cloud computing is still in its infancy and has disadvantages such as security, privacy, reliability, physical location of data and the unavailability of service due to crashes or bugs in providers’ storages; the consequences of which are merely unknown. These disadvantages might be tackled through the proper introduction, training and implementation of codes of ethics as guiding principle to those involved in the usage of cloud computing in business. This paper provides a brief literature review of cloud computing, followed by an analysis of the cloud-computing environment using the PESTEL framework. The future implications and limitations of adopting cloud computing as an effective ecofriendly strategy to reduce carbon footprint are also discussed in the paper. This paper concludes with a recommendation to guide researchers to further examine this phenomenon.

Sustainable business strategies and PESTEL framework

This paper aims to provide a brief review of cloud computing, followed by an analysis of cloud computing environment using the PESTEL framework. The future implications and limitations of adopting cloud computing as an effective eco-friendly strategy to reduce carbon footprint are also discussed in the paper. This paper concludes with a recommendation to guide researchers to further examine this phenomenon.Organizations today face tough economic times, especially following the recent global financial crisis and the evidence of catastrophic climate change. International and local businesses find themselves compelled to review their strategies. They need to consider their organizational expenses and priorities and to strategically consider how best to save. Traditionally, Information Technology (IT) department is one area that would be affected negatively in the review. Continuing to fund these strategic technologies during an economic downturn is vital to organizations. It is predicted that in coming years IT resources will only be available online. More and more organizations are looking at operating smarter businesses by investigating technologies such as cloud computing, virtualization and green IT to find ways to cut costs and increase efficiencies.

Aesthetics and spirituality in the Australian services sector

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of research focusing on the relationship between aesthetics and spirituality in the Australian services sector.Design/methodology/approach – The research employs an interpretive mixed‐method approach. The data were collected using an online survey developed from a range of existing research tools. The population of interest is employees in the Australian services sector. The results were analysed using quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques.Findings – The results of the analysis suggest that people who work in the Australian services sector tend to consider themselves “spiritual”, but it is a spirituality that is not necessarily religious, it might more likely be derived from aesthetics.Research limitations/implications – The main limitation of this study is the small sample size, which limits the inferences that can be drawn. Despite this limitation, this study has important implications in that it illuminates and attempts to ...

Ethical Mindsets, Spirituality and Aesthetics in an Australian Business Context

The aim of this article is to investigate the relatively neglected and under-theorized area of ethical mindsets in the Australian services sector. Employing a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data was collected through online survey of 66 items and qualitative data was collected by focus group interviews with 20 participants. An analysis of the survey data (N = 223) suggests that ethical mindsets exist, and the qualitative analysis allowed the identified components to be refined. This research potentially adds to developing business ethics literature about ethical mindsets and contributes to the methodological debate about the efficacy of online surveys and the mixed-methods approach.

Ethical Mindsets: Learning from Cultural Comparisons

This chapter provides a very brief idea of the concept ‘Ethical Mindsets’ in an international context, which enhances the idea of the existence of different cultures, an understanding that will assist in enhancing the capacity building. ‘Ethical mindsets’ have been recently investigated deriving from two literatures ‘spirituality and aesthetics’ and was defined as ‘…an appreciation of and reflection on any situation through the filter of personal beliefs and values such as honesty, integrity, harmony, balance, truth seeking, making a difference, and demonstrating professionalism, deriving from the strength rooted in individual’s inner-self’ (Issa 2009, p. 163).

Indonesian Work Life Balance Policies and Their Impact on Employees in the Higher Education Sector

The chapter presents findings from a study of the effects of work life programmes on employees attitudes and behaviour in the Indonesian higher education sector. Work attitudes and behaviours examined include organizational citizenship behaviours (OCB) , in–role performance, and organizational commitment. These employee attitudes and behaviours were selected to be tested as it is generally claimed by employers that adopting formal organizational support on work and family issues could improve attitudes and behaviours, which in turn will benefit the organization. The relationship between work life balance programmes and employee behaviours and attitudes was tested via a survey across Indonesian higher education institutions.

Conceptual aspects: analyses law, ethical, human, technical, social factors of development ICT, e-learning and intercultural development in different countries setting out the previous new theoretical model and preliminary findings

This paper, prepared by an international team of authors focuses on the conceptual aspects: analyses law, ethical, human, technical, social factors of ICT development, e-learning and intercultural development in different countries, setting out the previous and new theoretical model and preliminary findings of study in the framework of the international project IRNet. In particular, the article describes a WP2: analyses of legal, ethical, human, technical and social factors of ICT and e-learning development, and the state of intercultural competences in partner countries. The second part of the paper includes data from preliminary research. During the study and analysis of global (international) and local (national) documents as well as university documents tables were prepared which set forth a comparison of different legal, ethical, human, technical, scientific and social factors of ICT and e-learning development, and the state of intercultural competences in several partner countries, for example the Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine, Australia in the context of the IRNet project - international research network

Changing the Students’ Mind-set via Sustainability

This chapter discusses and examines the integration of a sustainability unit in the higher education curriculum in Western Australia. The Information Technology Seminar 65 (ITS65) unit was developed subsequent to the repercussions of the global financial crisis in 2007–2008 which saw businesses and users struggling to survive, especially in the area of information technology/systems. The ITS65 unit aims to provide students with an understanding, knowledge and experience of Organizational Sustainable Strategy and Green IT. This chapter will examine whether the completion of the ITS65 unit can transform students’ mindset. This chapter provides empirical evidence based on quantitative and qualitative data derived from two sources. The first is the anonymous informal feedback collected during the semester, while the second (the formal) is the other anonymous online system for gathering and reporting students’ perceptions of their learning experiences at the university. Evaluations of and attitudes to the ITS65 unit were collected from 89 out from 127 students via the university’s ‘eVALUate’ system. Finally, students’ comments indicate that their completion of the ITS65 unit changed their mindset and made them more aware of sustainability and Green IT, and their moral responsibility for the natural environment.

Sustainable Development, Ethics, Strategy and International Higher Education: The Case of Australia and France

It is almost one decade to the day when we observed a global financial crisis which hit the markets worldwide, slowed down the global markets and financial systems to nonentity or even adverse growth rates. The negative ramifications had far-reaching effects resulting in a social crisis impacting on millions of people in different parts of the world. There were several calls for governments at all levels, industry, and most importantly to academia to work together with other organizations to create ethically responsible alternatives to address the crisis. Although there can be no turning back, there is a need to move forward; thus, educators in the higher education sector have been motivated to examine options and seek solutions that could mitigate the effects of hard times in future. One of these attempts is discussed in this chapter, which reports on the development and the facilitation of a course (unit) on ‘Sustainable Development and Business/ Ethical Strategies’ (SDBS/SDES). SDBS/SDES was developed in Australia for delivery to international students from different parts of the world enrolled at a European partner’s business school in France. This course (unit), with ongoing updates, was presented six times in France and has enabled students to adopt a new perspective towards change, outlining a new strategy through innovation in an ever-changing, fluctuating, ambiguous, uncertain and contemporary ‘risk society’ [2]. The topic of sustainable development, intertwined with business and ethical strategies, has gained momentum in various areas including governments, international organizations (e.g. UN PRiME), and business education courses. To understand the multidisciplinary nature of this vast topic, which in part touches on ethical issues, sustainability and strategic development in contemporary business, the SDBS/SDES course (unit) was designed to give students the opportunity to engage in class discussions and debates, sharing their unique international experiences. This facilitated the transformation of their mindsets despite their diverse cultural backgrounds. This transformation was measured through the close monitoring of class discussions, and checking ongoing assessments including reflective accounts (daily and final), which were designed in consultation with the European partner in France. This paper provides a brief literature review of the concepts under study, followed by an insight into the development and facilitation of the SDBS/SDES course (unit). It concludes with an analysis of part of the quantitative and qualitative data collected from (N = 138) students on each of the six occasions when the unit was delivered and facilitated in France (February 2010, February 2011, November 2011, November 2012, November 2013 and November 2014). This is coupled with the course (unit) designer/facilitator’s personal reflection. Though this chapter has its limitations, it is a step forward in developing an international perspective towards teaching these important issues to Business and Management students at a global level at such crucial times.