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Risk is everywhere and part of every operation. Therefore, today, risk management is becoming critical part of the organizations' long term goals. Capabilities to managing diverse risks are considered important attributes that differentiate a successful business from others. To acquire such capabilities, firms are increasingly pursuing multiple risk management strategies. Although significant work has been done in the area of supply chain risk management, the research lacks a unified framework exploring relationship between risk perception, risk management, collaboration and firm performance. We further highlight that the agri-food industry plays a critical role in many countries through the provision of employment, income and contribution to economic development. However, this industry is largely untapped in the extant literature of supply chain risk management. The current paper attempts to bridge these gaps in the existing literature. The analysis is based on a pilot test comprising five semi-structured interviews with the managers of firms at different nodes within the Australian citrus supply chain. The findings suggest that the firms are highly vulnerable to various risks due to perishable nature of products, uncertain weather conditions, changing consumer preferences and stringent and rapidly changing food safety regulations. Based on the results of study and insights from the existing literature, we propose a conceptual framework to examine the relationship between perceived risks, risk management and firm performance. Our framework also examines the moderating role of collaboration in managing risks and improving firm performance in a supply chain. The framework is underpinned by the key assumptions of contingency theory and relational view. This paper provides theoretical contributions by integrating and extending contingency theory and relational view from organizational studies into supply chain network perspective. The findings of the paper also enhance managers' understanding of divergent risks and appropriate risk management measures to mitigate them. Specifically, this paper emphasizes for a strong vertical and horizontal collaboration among the firms within the supply chain. This paper contributes to the extant literature in the field of supply chain risk management as well as agri-food supply chains by investigating the risks faced in supply chains and how they determine the risk management strategies undertaken by firms to maintain or enhance performance. The paper adopts holistic approach, as opposed to the many past studies which focus on either supply side risks or demand side risks. In doing so, this paper extends the unit of analysis from dyadic to a network perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined the link between air cargo and business travel, despite there being a generally accepted understanding that these two variables are inextricably related to each other. This paper examines the relationship between air cargo and business travel at the international level and analyses how these two variables are causally related. Moreover, we break down the sample into three major Australian states (New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria), as each possesses a distinct flavour in trade and commerce. Utilising Granger causality methods, we have found evidence that there is a direct causal relationship between business travel and air cargo in the short run, and a bi-directional relationship in periods of 12 months and longer. The nature of the Granger causality at the state-level substantially differs from state to state, suggesting that the economic landscape of Australia’s local economy has a significant impact on the air cargo and business travel relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the proposal about consumer guarantees in Australia. The proposal aims to improve consumer well-being through consumer empowerment and protection which encourages effective competition between consumers and suppliers in the market. Member of Parliament Dr. Craig Emerson released an Issues Paper on behalf of the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council (CCAAC), which is in in-charge on the review of the consumer law. The paper examined the adequacy of the existing laws on implied terms and the need for amendments if any. The adoption of Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) of New Zealand (NZ) will provide greater certainty and clarity of the proposal.

This paper outlines the approach taken to use teams of diverse professionals and a Graduate Qualities framework to develop students' generic skills within a Bachelor of Commerce degree. The Graduate Qualities framework is closely aligned with the Professional Requierments of the Australian accounting professional bodies and the generic skills of the Australian Council for Educational Research. The pressure to embed the development of generic skills into university courses comes from three areas: the government, employers and the universities. With the impending trialing of Graduate Skills Assessment in universities, the increasing interest by the accounting profession to produce broader thinking graduates and universities' management to improve their institutional ratings, academics will be required to develop students' generic skills through the teaching and learning environment they provide in their subjects. This paper also outlines the changes implemented as an outcome of this process that resulted in students changing their behaviour, improving their generic skills and achieving higher learning outcomes in the subjects involved. This paper suggests that a subject development team composed of a diverse group of experts and the use of a Graduate Qualities framework will better enable subject coordinators to meet the increasing demands of the government, employers and the university to produce students with enhanced generic skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Trade Practices Act 1965 was widely criticised as being weak and unproductive. It was a significantly watered-down version of the original Bill overseen by Garfield Barwick. Although the final form of the Act was perceived as ineffective at the time, it is now viewed as an important step towards a national competition policy and a precursor to the opening up of the Australian economy. This paper outlines the economic, political and social background to the introduction of the legislation. We specify some of the factors that explain why its creation caused controversy and its importance in initiating change in Australians' attitudes towards collusive behaviour and economic protectionism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, the transportation sector is the third largest contributor of CO-e emissions. In order for Australia to meet the ratified target of 5% below 2000 emissions levels by 2020, a number of changes must be put in place. Sustainable transport design allows for more carbon-friendly travelling alternatives in urban and suburban areas where transportation activities mostly occur. In order for the design to be successfully accepted by the community, a good understanding of people's travel behaviour and preferences of transportation mode is required. This paper offers a review of current transportation research in the context of Australia that spans a number of disciplines including economics, engineering and psychology. The objectives are to assess the key factors that have been empirically shown to affect individual transportation mode choice, identify the shortcoming and gaps in the literature, and recommend how this research can be used to aid in future carbon reduction through better understanding of people's travelling behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer-Assisted Argument Mapping (CAAM) is a new way of understanding arguments. While still embryonic in its development and application, CAAM is being used increasingly as a training and development tool in the professions and government. Inroads are also being made in its application within education. CAAM claims to be helpful in an educational context, as a tool for students in responding to assessment tasks. However, to date there is little evidence from students that this is the case. This paper outlines the use of CAAM as an educational tool within an Economics and Commerce Faculty in a major Australian research university. Evaluation results are provided from students from a CAAM pilot within an upper-level Economics subject. Results indicate promising support for the use of CAAM and its potential for transferability within the disciplines. If shown to be valuable with further studies, CAAM could be included in capstone subjects, allowing computer technology to be utilised in the service of generic skill development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation auctions are typically framed as closed, discriminatory, single round, first-price auctions, and are based on the assumption that landholders will offer bids determined by their “independent private values.” Where landholders are unfamiliar with conservation tender processes and the supply of environmental services, they may find it very difficult to construct bids in this way. Bid values may be influenced by other factors, such as concerns about “winner's curse,” a desire to capture economic rent, and premiums for risk and uncertainty factors. Sealed, single round auctions may exacerbate information gaps and uncertainty factors because of the limited information flows compared to traditional market exchanges and open, ascending auctions. In this paper, the cost efficiencies of a multiple bidding round auction for landholder management actions are explored with the use of field experiments and a conservation auction. The case study application is improved grazing management in a rangeland area of Australia, where landholders are unfamiliar with supplying environmental services or conservation auctions. Results suggest that multiple round auctions may be associated with efficiency gains, particularly in initial rounds. Les enchères pour la conservation sont généralement des enchères au premier prix, à un tour, discriminatoires et par offre écrite. Elles reposent sur l’hypothèque que les offres des propriétaires fonciers refléteront leur ≪valeur privée≫. Lorsque les propriétaires fonciers ne sont pas familiers avec les processus d’enchères pour la conservation et la prestation de services environnementaux, ils peuvent éprouver de la difficultéà attribuer une valeur à leur offre. Cette valeur peut-être influencée par d’autres facteurs, tels que la crainte de la ≪malédiction du vainqueur ≫, le désir de réaliser une rente économique, les primes de risque et les facteurs d’incertitude. Les enchères scellées à un tour peuvent aggraver le manque d’information et les facteurs d’incertitude étant donné que les enchérisseurs disposent de peu d’information comparativement aux enchères ascendantes ouvertes traditionnelles. Dans le présent article, nous avons examiné, à l’aide d’expériences sur le terrain et d’enchères pour la conservation, l’efficacité-coût d’une enchère à tours multiples pour des mesures de gestion de la part de propriétaires fonciers. L’exercice visait à améliorer la gestion des pâturages d’un parcours naturel en Australie, où les propriétaires fonciers ne sont pas familiers avec la prestation de services environnementaux ni avec les enchères pour la conservation. Les résultats autorisent à penser que les enchères à tours multiples pourraient offrir des gains d’efficience, particulièrement durant les premiers tours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurable research outputs have become part of the overall research management structure within Australian universities over the past ten years. As such, policy makers and administrators alike have come to regard effective management structures and mechanisms as fundamental components of a research environment capable of generating desired quantities of quality outcomes. This paper is based on empirical research carried out over the past year that surveyed academics from commerce and business faculties in Australian universities. The data show that factors such as gender, discipline, and academic level appear to impinge on the relative importance of components that make up research management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper explores the extraordinary interest in trade with Australia evinced by the Nazi regime in Germany. The presumed orientation of Berlin was then towards the expansion of international trade, to become 'domestic' after the outbreak of the Second World War, with eastern and southeastern Europe. Yet a considerable effort was expended up the development of commercial ties with distant Australia. The effort expended upon the Antipode in part met the desires of German individuals and businesses with an interest in the area. It was no doubt intended as a contribution towards focusing the attention of Whitehall upon the British Empire, to leave the Nazi regime with a 'free hand in Europe'. The effort also, however, lends support to the notion that the ultimate objective of that regime was a global hegemony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of recent events—especially attempts to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement and Australia's participation in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq—have thrown Australia's relationship with the United States into sharp relief. While this relationship has historically enjoyed strong bilateral endorsement, such uncritical support is beginning to unravel. At the very least, the relationship is being subjected to a renewed, more critical scrutiny. This paper argues that a dispassionate analysis of the relationship is appropriate and overdue. Not only are the benefits that accrue to 'Australia' from the relationship debateable, even when judged within the limited calculus of the 'national interest', but Australia's uncritical support for US foreign policy is also helping to entrench potentially damaging aspects of American foreign policy and— somewhat ironically—undermining the legitimacy of its pre-eminent 'hegemonic' position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been very widely argued that processes of globalisation render traditional forms of social democratic politics impossible. The paper identifies and reviews three key claims in this debate — concerning trade, capital mobility and a new international division of labour. It is argued that, whilst much has changed, this has not always led in the direction anticipated by those who foresee an end to “traditional social democracy”. In particular, the sorts of changes that have taken place do not add up to an endorsement of recent enthusiasm for a “third way”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In international trade analysis between countries, the central theme is the examination of whether or not there are any significant diff erences between the actual trade and potential trade, given the determinants of trade flows. Thus, estimating the potential trade is an important component in trade analysis. The objective of this paper is to suggest a methodology to estimate the potential trade flows between countries, using the gravity model, which has been established in the literature as the most successful empirical trade flow equation, usually producing a good fit. The application of the method has been demonstrated using trade flows between Australia and its trading partners in the Indian Ocean Rim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]