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When a single light cue is given in the visual field, our eyes orient towards it with an average latency of 200 ms. If a second cue is presented at or around the time of the response to the first, a secondary eye movement occurs that represents a reorientation to the new target. While studies have shown that eye movement latencies to 'single-step' targets may or may not be lengthened with age, secondary eye movements (during 'double-step' displacements) are significantly delayed with increasing age. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the postural challenge posed simply by standing (as opposed to sitting) results in significantly longer eye movement latencies in older adults compared to the young. Ten young (<35 >years) and 10 older healthy adults (>65 years) participated in the study. They were required to fixate upon a central target and move their eyes in response to 2 types of stimuli: (1) a single-step perturbation of target position either 15° to the right or left and (2) a double-step target displacement incorporating an initial target jump to the right or left by 15°, followed after 200 ms, by a shift of target position to the opposite side (e.g. +15° then −15°). All target displacement conditions were executed in sit and stand positions with the participant at the same distance from the targets. Eye movements were recorded using electro-oculography. Older adults did not show significantly longer eye movement latencies than the younger adults for single-step target displacements, and postural configuration (stand compared to sit) had no effect upon latencies for either group. We categorised double-step trials into those during which the second light changed after or before the onset of the eye shift to the first light. For the former category, young participants showed faster secondary eye shifts to the second light in the standing position, while the older adults did not. For the latter category of double-step trial, young participants showed n

When a single light cue is given in the visual field, our eyes orient towards it with an average latency of 200 ms. If a second cue is presented at or around the time of the response to the first, a secondary eye movement occurs that represents a reorientation to the new target. While studies have shown that eye movement latencies to 'single-step' targets may or may not be lengthened with age, secondary eye movements (during 'double-step' displacements) are significantly delayed with increasing age. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the postural challenge posed simply by standing (as opposed to sitting) results in significantly longer eye movement latencies in older adults compared to the young. Ten young (<35 >years) and 10 older healthy adults (>65 years) participated in the study. They were required to fixate upon a central target and move their eyes in response to 2 types of stimuli: (1) a single-step perturbation of target position either 15° to the right or left and (2) a double-step target displacement incorporating an initial target jump to the right or left by 15°, followed after 200 ms, by a shift of target position to the opposite side (e.g. +15° then −15°). All target displacement conditions were executed in sit and stand positions with the participant at the same distance from the targets. Eye movements were recorded using electro-oculography. Older adults did not show significantly longer eye movement latencies than the younger adults for single-step target displacements, and postural configuration (stand compared to sit) had no effect upon latencies for either group. We categorised double-step trials into those during which the second light changed after or before the onset of the eye shift to the first light. For the former category, young participants showed faster secondary eye shifts to the second light in the standing position, while the older adults did not. For the latter category of double-step trial, young participants showed n

Issue addressed Workplace physical activity programs can motivate inactive target groups to increase daily activity levels, but it is important to determine their reach and impact. Methods The Global Corporate Challenge (GCC) is a team‐based program promoting pedometer‐based self‐monitoring to reach 10 000 steps per day. Participants (n = 587) from an Australian university were recruited and recorded their daily step counts. Demographic, anthropometric, behavioural, self‐reported physical activity and sitting time data were collected at baseline and following the 16‐week program. Results On average, participants self‐estimated 11 638 daily steps in Week 1, increasing to measured estimates of 13 787 daily steps in Week 16 (P < 0.001). At baseline, 92% of survey completers were already meeting the physical activity recommendations, increasing to 98% (P = 0.059) at follow‐up. Four month improvements in objectively assessed anthropometric measures showed small, non‐significant reductions in weight (−0.12 kg; P = 0.416), body mass index (−0.06 kg/m2; P = 0.314) and waist circumference (−0.43 cm; P = 0.082). Sitting time during work decreased significantly by 21 min per day (P < 0.001) and participants with initially low levels of sitting time at work were more likely to increase their step counts during the GCC (adjusted odds ratio 1.90, 95% confidence interval 1.03–3.50). Conclusions Although this pedometer‐based program resulted in increases in physical activity and reductions in occupational sedentary behaviour, most participants were already meeting physical activity recommendations at baseline.

In the context of continuing pressures from managerialist and neoliberal drivers of university reform in Australia, Macquarie University's recent undergraduate curriculum innovation, based on "People," "Planet," and "Participation," has resulted in the embedding and integration of experiential learning in its curriculum and institutional framework. Such an approach challenges academic and administrative staff, students, and partners in industry, the community and public sector settings, to engage and collaborate across significant boundaries. This article outlines the scope and nature of the curriculum reform, then considers the way geographers have both shaped and responded to the opportunities it created. In so doing, it proposes a number of challenges and recommendations for geographers who might seek to extend their longstanding commitment to field-based learning through similar reforms. In this regard, the discipline of geography and its tendency to engage with the "field" can offer much in fostering deeply transformative learning.

The implicit social contract underpinning healthcare is that it will reduce illness and preventable death and improve quality of life. But sometimes these promises are not delivered. Sometimes health services take people who don't need intervention, subject them to tests, label them as sick or at risk, provide unnecessary treatments, tell them to live differently, or insist on monitoring them regularly. These interventions don't improve things for people; they produce complications or illness, reduce quality of life, or even cause premature death. Active health intervention is not always a good thing: it can be "too much medicine," or produce what is often called overdiagnosis. Although the concept of overdiagnosis has been described in the literature for nearly 50 years in relation to cancer screening, it was Welch and colleagues' 2011 book, Overdiagnosed: Making People Sick in the Pursuit of Health, that popularised the term. Overdiagnosis is now an acknowledged problem for patients, clinicians, researchers, and policymakers; it is discussed in journals and at specialist conferences and addressed through policy and practice initiatives. There is, however, no formal, agreed definition of overdiagnosis. Rather, the word has become a banner under which disparate people with similar general concerns can unite. This vagueness and breadth allows the appearance of unity but does not serve the more exacting demands of research and healthcare. Here we examine the meanings of overdiagnosis more closely and discuss related challenges for healthcare professionals, patients, and researchers. If overdiagnosis is to be understood and mitigated, the broad concept should be subdivided into different problems and its ethical dimensions better acknowledged.

Food and beverage packaging has been found to contribute to malnutrition amongst the older hospital patient. Reliance on bottled water as a hydration source for hospital patients is a growing phenomenon. This paper examines the interaction of the older user and bottled water packaging supplied in NSW hospitals. Findings demonstrate that water bottles are among the most difficult packs to open by older users and require high levels of hand strength. The provision of plastic bottled water in hospitals needs to be evaluated for system effectiveness: hydration intake, user experience and cost effectiveness.

Activists often encounter double standards: powerful groups make a huge outcry about a problem, meanwhile ignoring their own greater role in exactly the same problem. For example, governments with major nuclear arsenals raise the alarm about the possibility that others might acquire nuclear weapons. Powerful groups use a variety of tactics to reduce awareness and concern about their own actions while raising the alarm about others; activists can try to counter these tactics. As a general rule, it is better for campaigners to choose methods that highlight and accentuate double standards and make it more difficult for opponents to adopt the high ground.

Amid growing demand for seafood, gas and other resources drawn from the world’s oceans, and growing stresses from climate change, we examine some of the challenges and solutions for developing “the blue economy” in smarter, more sustainable ways.

This conceptual paper examines the prospects of liberalisation of the Indian retail sector, with a futuristic eye on the macro level human resources (HRs) implications and challenges. Drawing on broader theoretical concepts from the existing literature on globalisation and liberalisation, such as the 'race to the bottom' (RTB) and 'bottom of the pyramid' (BOP), it aims to first, look at the challenges global retail giants would face in order to adapt their organisational culture to the Indian business context. Second, in terms of sustainability, it looks at how the retail sector would cope with the vast requirement and challenges of its workforce. In doing so it identifies various implications on demographics, unemployment, indigenous traditions, RTB and reforms. This paper also identifies among others, three major challenges in the form of bureaucracy, corruption and online retail battles. It concludes by framing a conceptual model based on the implications and challenges discussed above. This paper thus contributes to new knowledge in the form of futuristic macro level HR implications and challenges within the prospective liberalisation of the retailsector in an emerging market economy, India.

Editorial

Will 3D printers become as commonplace as mobile phones in the megacities or the backwaters of the Global South? Thomas Birtchnell and William Hoyle assess the development potential of this new technique for producing three-dimensional objects, which resembles the way a paper printer produces pages of text. Will 3D printing for development become a key strategy for community action against enduring material poverty? Birtchnell and Hoyle consider this question through a centrepiece case study on the UK charity techfortrade's 3D4D Challenge.

This experiment tests predictions based on research and evidence around the biopsychosocial model (BPSM) that people in a challenge state have faster, more gain orientated search patterns than those in a threat state. Participants (n = 44) completed a motivated performance task involving the location of a target appearing in one of two search arrays: one associated with gaining points and the other associated with avoiding the loss of points. Midway through the task, participants received a false feedback prime about their performance invoking either challenge or threat. We found that participants receiving a challenge prime (high performance feedback) spent longer searching the gain array and made fewer fixations on the loss array. Those receiving a threat prime (low performance feedback) made fewer fixations on the gain array. These findings are in line with the BPSM and provide evidence that allocation of attention (measured using eye movement data) is related to challenge and threat.

The raft of neoliberal and new public management policies and discourses that have risen to prominence in universities in the last few decades, combined with steep decreases in public funding, have resulted in profound changes to all aspects of university functions across not just Australia and New Zealand, but many countries with comparable public university sectors. These changes have impacted on strategic priorities, faculty and administrative structures, terms and conditions of academic and administrative staff employment, academic freedom and the role that universities play in a democracy. Scholarship on the impact of neoliberal economic and new public management policies in universities has blossomed in recent years. This scholarship has included some discussion of the extent to which individual and collective resistance to these changes, by academics and others, is possible, and the potential challenges of such resistance. This article considers a legal challenge to a restructuring, or ‘organisational change’, proposal at a New Zealand university. It begins by analysing the legal challenge in the context of neoliberal economic and new public management policies in universities in Australia and New Zealand, with a focus on the implications of the changing governance policies and structures in universities, and academic engagement with, and resistance to, those policies. It then discusses the case, considering the issue raised in light of recent scholarship. It argues that the case is relevant today as an example of a form of collective resistance to problematic aspects of new public management policies in universities.

Will 3D printers become as commonplace as mobile phones in the megacities or the backwaters of the Global South? Thomas Birtchnell and William Hoyle assess the development potential of this new technique for producing three-dimensional objects, which resembles the way a paper printer produces pages of text. Will 3D printing for development become a key strategy for community action against enduring material poverty? Birtchnell and Hoyle consider this question through a centrepiece case study on the UK charity techfortrade's 3D4D Challenge.

The Middle East North Africa (MENA) region is a strategic geo-political area spanning two continents, often gets overlooked in emerging markets literature, and is largely in the global scanner for its oil and turmoil. This is in stark contrast to ancient times when it was the hotbed for learning besides being the cradle of civilization. Center of research and academic excellence spread across the entire swathe of the expanse with Alexandria (Egypt), Academy of Gundishapur (Persia/modern day Iran), House of Wisdom in Babylon (Mesopotamia/modern day Iraq); Nineveh (Assyria/Iraq-Syria-Turkey); Zaitouna (Tunisia); and Fes (Morocco) all being beacons of higher learning.

The Middle East North Africa (MENA) region is a strategic geo-political area spanning two continents, often gets overlooked in emerging markets literature, and is largely in the global scanner for its oil and turmoil. This is in stark contrast to ancient times when it was the hotbed for learning besides being the cradle of civilization. Center of research and academic excellence spread across the entire swathe of the expanse with Alexandria (Egypt), Academy of Gundishapur (Persia/modern day Iran), House of Wisdom in Babylon (Mesopotamia/modern day Iraq); Nineveh (Assyria/Iraq-Syria-Turkey); Zaitouna (Tunisia); and Fes (Morocco) all being beacons of higher learning.

The Middle East North Africa (MENA) region is a strategic geo-political area spanning two continents, often gets overlooked in emerging markets literature, and is largely in the global scanner for its oil and turmoil. This is in stark contrast to ancient times when it was the hotbed for learning besides being the cradle of civilization. Center of research and academic excellence spread across the entire swathe of the expanse with Alexandria (Egypt), Academy of Gundishapur (Persia/modern day Iran), House of Wisdom in Babylon (Mesopotamia/modern day Iraq); Nineveh (Assyria/Iraq-Syria-Turkey); Zaitouna (Tunisia); and Fes (Morocco) all being beacons of higher learning.

The Middle East North Africa (MENA) region is a strategic geo-political area spanning two continents, often gets overlooked in emerging markets literature, and is largely in the global scanner for its oil and turmoil. This is in stark contrast to ancient times when it was the hotbed for learning besides being the cradle of civilization. Center of research and academic excellence spread across the entire swathe of the expanse with Alexandria (Egypt), Academy of Gundishapur (Persia/modern day Iran), House of Wisdom in Babylon (Mesopotamia/modern day Iraq); Nineveh (Assyria/Iraq-Syria-Turkey); Zaitouna (Tunisia); and Fes (Morocco) all being beacons of higher learning.

Past research on Madagascar indicates that village communities were established about AD 500 by people of both Indonesian and East African heritage. Evidence of earlier visits is scattered and contentious. Recent archaeological excavations in northern Madagascar provide evidence of occupational sites with microlithic stone technologies related to foraging for forest and coastal resources. A forager occupation of one site dates to earlier than 2000 B.C., doubling the length of Madagascar’s known occupational history, and thus the time during which people exploited Madagascar’s environments. We detail stratigraphy, chronology, and artifacts from two rock shelters. Ambohiposa near Iharana (Vohémar) on the northeast coast, yielded a stratified assemblage with small flakes, microblades, and retouched crescentic and trapezoidal tools, probably projectile elements, made on cherts and obsidian, some brought more that 200 km. 14C dates are contemporary with the earliest villages. No food remains are preserved. Lakaton’i Anja near Antsiranana in the north yielded several stratified assemblages. The latest assemblage is well dated to A.D. 1050–1350, by 14C and optically stimulated luminescence dating and pottery imported from the Near East and China. Below is a series of stratified assemblages similar to Ambohiposa. 14C and optically stimulated luminescence dates indicate occupation from at least 2000 B.C. Faunal remains indicate a foraging pattern. Our evidence shows that foragers with a microlithic technology were active in Madagascar long before the arrival of farmers and herders and before many Late Holocene faunal extinctions. The differing effects of historically distinct economies must be identified and understood to reconstruct Holocene histories of human environmental impact.

Past research on Madagascar indicates that village communities were established about AD 500 by people of both Indonesian and East African heritage. Evidence of earlier visits is scattered and contentious. Recent archaeological excavations in northern Madagascar provide evidence of occupational sites with microlithic stone technologies related to foraging for forest and coastal resources. A forager occupation of one site dates to earlier than 2000 B.C., doubling the length of Madagascar’s known occupational history, and thus the time during which people exploited Madagascar’s environments. We detail stratigraphy, chronology, and artifacts from two rock shelters. Ambohiposa near Iharana (Vohémar) on the northeast coast, yielded a stratified assemblage with small flakes, microblades, and retouched crescentic and trapezoidal tools, probably projectile elements, made on cherts and obsidian, some brought more that 200 km. 14C dates are contemporary with the earliest villages. No food remains are preserved. Lakaton’i Anja near Antsiranana in the north yielded several stratified assemblages. The latest assemblage is well dated to A.D. 1050–1350, by 14C and optically stimulated luminescence dating and pottery imported from the Near East and China. Below is a series of stratified assemblages similar to Ambohiposa. 14C and optically stimulated luminescence dates indicate occupation from at least 2000 B.C. Faunal remains indicate a foraging pattern. Our evidence shows that foragers with a microlithic technology were active in Madagascar long before the arrival of farmers and herders and before many Late Holocene faunal extinctions. The differing effects of historically distinct economies must be identified and understood to reconstruct Holocene histories of human environmental impact.

We explored the cognitive and affective components of the Theory of Challenge and Threat States in Athletes (TCTSA) using a cross-sectional design. One hundred and seventy-seven collegiate athletes indicated how they typically approached an important competition on measures of self-efficacy, perceived control, achievement goals, emotional states and interpretation of emotional states. Participants also indicated to what extent they typically perceived the important competition as a challenge and/or a threat. The results suggest that a perception of challenge was not predicted by any of the cognitive components. A perception of threat was positively predicted by avoidance goals and negatively predicted by self-efficacy and approach goals. Both challenge and threat had a positive relationship with anxiety. Practical implications of this study are that an avoidance orientation appeared to be related to potentially negative constructs such as anxiety, threat and dejection. The findings may suggest that practitioners and researchers should focus on reducing an avoidance orientation, however the results should be treated with caution in applied settings, as this study did not examine how the combination of constructs exactly influences sport performance. The results provided partial support for the TCTSA with stronger support for proposed relationships with threat rather than challenge states.

In this article, we highlighted the stories of university student mentors who are involved in the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME). The AIME program works with young Indigenous school students, at primary and secondary school levels, to encourage continued participation in education and to consider university as a viable life goal. The AIME program is explored from the perspective of the university students who are selected to mentor young Australian Indigenous school students. Adopting a narrative inquiry approach, the article presents richly descriptive insight into the motivations of these mentors and highlights how this experience has impacted upon them. While the research presented focuses on narratives of mentors, the data indicate that the AIME program employs an innovative approach to mentoring that enhances cultural understanding for mentors.

Past research on Madagascar indicates that village communities were established about AD 500 by people of both Indonesian and East African heritage. Evidence of earlier visits is scattered and contentious. Recent archaeological excavations in northern Madagascar provide evidence of occupational sites with microlithic stone technologies related to foraging for forest and coastal resources. A forager occupation of one site dates to earlier than 2000 B.C., doubling the length of Madagascar’s known occupational history, and thus the time during which people exploited Madagascar’s environments. We detail stratigraphy, chronology, and artifacts from two rock shelters. Ambohiposa near Iharana (Vohémar) on the northeast coast, yielded a stratified assemblage with small flakes, microblades, and retouched crescentic and trapezoidal tools, probably projectile elements, made on cherts and obsidian, some brought more that 200 km. 14C dates are contemporary with the earliest villages. No food remains are preserved. Lakaton’i Anja near Antsiranana in the north yielded several stratified assemblages. The latest assemblage is well dated to A.D. 1050–1350, by 14C and optically stimulated luminescence dating and pottery imported from the Near East and China. Below is a series of stratified assemblages similar to Ambohiposa. 14C and optically stimulated luminescence dates indicate occupation from at least 2000 B.C. Faunal remains indicate a foraging pattern. Our evidence shows that foragers with a microlithic technology were active in Madagascar long before the arrival of farmers and herders and before many Late Holocene faunal extinctions. The differing effects of historically distinct economies must be identified and understood to reconstruct Holocene histories of human environmental impact.

Interest in the complex and contested topic of critical thinking does not seem to diminish. Higher Education Research & Development recently devoted an entire issue to different facets of the topic. Earlier articles in the journal have engaged in debates on whether critical thinking is a general skill or a subject-specific one (Moore, 2004; Davis, 2006). As an academic skills and language advisor, I teach critical thinking in its various avatars: critical analysis, evaluation, reflective thinking and problem solving, both in generic academic skills workshops, as well as within specific subjects. Therefore, I have followed with interest the growing body of publications on the topic, especially the debate on the generalist versus specificist perspectives on critical thinking. This book, which presents a discussion on the topic, has been a very welcome addition to the body of work on critical thinking as it further enriches discussion on a vital and often challenging pedagogic task. Moore’s book makes a solid contribution to the field. It gets many things right. It provides a comprehensive literature review and employs a research design that can be replicated in other disciplines. It is also written in a very accessible style. However, the final conclusion, that critical thinking can be taught only within the context of a specific discipline, is not totally convincing.

Interest in the complex and contested topic of critical thinking does not seem to diminish. Higher Education Research & Development recently devoted an entire issue to different facets of the topic. Earlier articles in the journal have engaged in debates on whether critical thinking is a general skill or a subject-specific one (Moore, 2004; Davis, 2006). As an academic skills and language advisor, I teach critical thinking in its various avatars: critical analysis, evaluation, reflective thinking and problem solving, both in generic academic skills workshops, as well as within specific subjects. Therefore, I have followed with interest the growing body of publications on the topic, especially the debate on the generalist versus specificist perspectives on critical thinking. This book, which presents a discussion on the topic, has been a very welcome addition to the body of work on critical thinking as it further enriches discussion on a vital and often challenging pedagogic task. Moore’s book makes a solid contribution to the field. It gets many things right. It provides a comprehensive literature review and employs a research design that can be replicated in other disciplines. It is also written in a very accessible style. However, the final conclusion, that critical thinking can be taught only within the context of a specific discipline, is not totally convincing.

Interest in the complex and contested topic of critical thinking does not seem to diminish. Higher Education Research & Development recently devoted an entire issue to different facets of the topic. Earlier articles in the journal have engaged in debates on whether critical thinking is a general skill or a subject-specific one (Moore, 2004; Davis, 2006). As an academic skills and language advisor, I teach critical thinking in its various avatars: critical analysis, evaluation, reflective thinking and problem solving, both in generic academic skills workshops, as well as within specific subjects. Therefore, I have followed with interest the growing body of publications on the topic, especially the debate on the generalist versus specificist perspectives on critical thinking. This book, which presents a discussion on the topic, has been a very welcome addition to the body of work on critical thinking as it further enriches discussion on a vital and often challenging pedagogic task. Moore’s book makes a solid contribution to the field. It gets many things right. It provides a comprehensive literature review and employs a research design that can be replicated in other disciplines. It is also written in a very accessible style. However, the final conclusion, that critical thinking can be taught only within the context of a specific discipline, is not totally convincing.

This study explored the relationship between personality, motivational (challenge and threat) states, and sport-related coping. Thirty-one currently competing athletes completed questionnaire measures of personality and coping, and were asked to imagine and talk about an upcoming competition (sport-specific speech) and the events that had transpired that morning (control speech). During the speeches a number of hemodynamic parameters were recorded (heart rate, ventricular contractility, cardiac output [CO], and total peripheral resistance [TPR]) to give an index of task engagement and challenge and threat. Findings demonstrated that cardiac reactivity was similar across the two scenarios suggesting that the goal-relevant sport-specific speech was not effective in inducing challenge-threat responses above those of general speech giving. However, general cardiovascular patterns across conditions were correlated with personality and coping functions. Specifically, lower CO and higher TPR were associated with more problem- and emotion-focused coping and higher levels of extraversion and conscientiousness. Further, athlete coping strategies could be predicted by personality test scores. In short, this study reinforces recent findings linking personality and coping in sport and suggests that a simple test of cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance in a moderately stressful (non-related) situation may be sufficient to predict personality traits and sport-related coping.

Recent years have seen increased attention and concern regarding the potential for pandemic influenza, following large-scale outbreaks of swine flu and bird flu. Governments and health agencies have time to develop social marketing strategies and specific messages that have the potential to minimize fear, refute or inoculate against misinformation that the public may encounter, and enhance the likelihood of the public taking the recommended preventive and remedial actions should these become necessary. This paper presents an overview of how social marketing can be used to tackle the global challenge of pandemic influenza. The potential pandemic influenza poses a major challenge for social marketers (along with governments, health services, and businesses). There are a number of critical factors about a potential pandemic influenza that make it fundamentally different to the majority of issues to which social marketing has previously been applied. The underlying principles of social marketing are equally applicable to a global infectious disease outbreak (such as pandemic influenza). Even if the current strains do not become pandemic, social marketers should use this impetus to develop the skills and resources to address future communicable disease outbreaks. This paper applies the concepts of social marketing to a unique health issue which has the potential to become one of the largest global public health crises in history, but which can be tackled with effective global social marketing.

As a comparatively cost effective, clean, and safe method of transportation, international shipping offers an important means of moving goods internationally and enables other activities such as leisure cruising.1 Many factors contribute to the development of international shipping. As an example, the evolution of ship propulsion has progressed from sailing ships to steam ships powered by coal and then to an almost universal use of diesel engines, significantly accelerating international trade.2 Similarly, advances in telecommunication and information and communications technology infrastructure, reductions in trade barriers, and low energy costs have also contributed to the expansion of international shipping and seaborne trade.3 However, the increase in fuel consumption associated with increasing seaborne trade has led to a rise in atmospheric emissions from international shipping.

The crucial role of IT/business alignment for business value of IT has been investigated for more than two decades. While both the intellectual and the social dimension of alignment received considerable attention at strategic level, only few studies have provided insights into alignment at non-strategic levels. With the intellectual dimension being quite well understood, this work focuses particularly on the social dimension of alignment, addressing aspects like shared understanding, common language, shared domain knowledge, and interaction quality between business and IT. Furthermore, there is a lack of research on how to achieve and maintain social alignment, making it difficult to develop guidelines for practice in this important area. This paper presents a multi-level construct for social alignment and adopts an IT governance perspective in order to identify specific practices and investigate their impact on social alignment. Using a qualitative approach by conducting a series of case studies, this research aims to contribute to our understanding of key IT/business alignment antecedents (or managerial actions) and how they influence social alignment. © (2012) by the AIS/ICIS Administrative Office All rights reserved.

Volunteer managers face a typical marketing problem: how to identify the right consumers (in this case, volunteers), attract them, and keep them loyal. In multicultural societies this challenge is amplified because of the different groups originating from countries that can vary significantly in terms of the extent of volunteering and reasons for being involved. The consequence of this heterogeneity is limited success of generic marketing campaigns. Using the theory of planned behavior, we investigate differences between Australian residents from different cultural backgrounds in their volunteering behavior. Groups differed in attitude, social norm, and perceived behavioral control, suggesting the need for customized marketing strategies. Theoretically, results provide evidence that volunteers in multicultural societies cannot be viewed as one homogeneous mass. Practically, results offer insight into the factors influencing the behavior of each cultural group, and can inform customized campaigns to tap into the large base of volunteers from different backgrounds.

Interest in the complex and contested topic of critical thinking does not seem to diminish. Higher Education Research & Development recently devoted an entire issue to different facets of the topic. Earlier articles in the journal have engaged in debates on whether critical thinking is a general skill or a subject-specific one (Moore, 2004; Davis, 2006). As an academic skills and language advisor, I teach critical thinking in its various avatars: critical analysis, evaluation, reflective thinking and problem solving, both in generic academic skills workshops, as well as within specific subjects. Therefore, I have followed with interest the growing body of publications on the topic, especially the debate on the generalist versus specificist perspectives on critical thinking. This book, which presents a discussion on the topic, has been a very welcome addition to the body of work on critical thinking as it further enriches discussion on a vital and often challenging pedagogic task. Moore’s book makes a solid contribution to the field. It gets many things right. It provides a comprehensive literature review and employs a research design that can be replicated in other disciplines. It is also written in a very accessible style. However, the final conclusion, that critical thinking can be taught only within the context of a specific discipline, is not totally convincing.

This chapter examines the case of an Australian woman, Roz, who succeeded her father as the CEO of a large fourth-generation family business, Hawkins Family Group, in the traditionally male-dominated transport industry. The case is described in three phases. First, we outline Australian culture how it influences business life, including the position of women in the Australian workforce especially as managers and entrepreneurs. We then describe the history of the Hawkins Family Group and how Roz eventually came to lead it. Finally, we return to aspects of Australian values and culture and other literature to draw conclusions about the case. The paper ends with a discussion of limitations and suggestions for further research.

This chapter examines the case of an Australian woman, Roz, who succeeded her father as the CEO of a large fourth-generation family business, Hawkins Family Group, in the traditionally male-dominated transport industry. The case is described in three phases. First, we outline Australian culture how it influences business life, including the position of women in the Australian workforce especially as managers and entrepreneurs. We then describe the history of the Hawkins Family Group and how Roz eventually came to lead it. Finally, we return to aspects of Australian values and culture and other literature to draw conclusions about the case. The paper ends with a discussion of limitations and suggestions for further research.

Creativity has always had an association with the social sciences in spirit; however, we are now well into a decade in which creativity is being understood as a powerful body of ideas for driving economic and social change. Recent research (see Kaufman & Sternberg, 2007; McWilliam, 2008) has unhooked creativity from artistry, revealing it as economically valuable, team based, observable and learnable. As the ability to 'move an idea from one state to another' (Jackson, 2006a: 8), creativity is argued by David Perkins (1981) and others to be evident in skills such as pattern recognition, creation of analogies and mental models, the ability to cross domains, exploration of alternatives, and problem solving. It has displaced routine 'industrial' thinking and doing as the most relevant workplace capacity in an increasingly complex, challenge-ridden and rapidly changing economic and social order. In Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's (2006) terms, creativity is 'no longer a luxury for the few, but a necessity for all' (p. xviii).

The palaeontological site of Venta Micena (Orce, Andalusia, Spain) lies in the eastern sector of the Guadix-Baza basin, one of the best documented areas in Europe for Plio-Pleistocene biostratigraphy. The combination of biochronological and palaeomagnetic results, combined with the radiometric data obtained for Atapuerca Sima del Elefante, indicated that the Venta Micena stratum was formed between the Jaramillo and Olduvai palaeomagnetic events, most likely between 1.22 and 1.77 Ma. Five fossil teeth from two outcrops (sites A and B) were selected to assess the potential of combined uranium series-electron spin resonance (US-ESR) dating of Early Pleistocene sites. Although the US-ESR results of the first outcrop showed a large scatter between the three teeth, the mean age of 1.37+0.24 Ma can be considered a reasonable age estimate for Venta Micena. The mean ESR age of 0.62+0.03 Ma obtained for site B seems to be a severe underestimation when compared with the independent age control. This underestimation is attributed to a relative recent U-mobilization event that led to some U-leaching. The results show that any ESR age calculations of old samples are extremely sensitive to variations in the measured 230Th/ 234U ratios in dental tissues. Although the results demonstrate that ESR can in principle be applied to Early Pleistocene sites, they also reveal the complexity of dating such old teeth. It is necessary to continue research in several directions, such as study of the behaviour of ESR signals in old teeth and understanding recent U-mobilization processes, to improve the reliability of the combined US-ESR dating method applied to Early Pleistocene times, a period for which the number of available numerical dating techniques is very limited. Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The palaeontological site of Venta Micena (Orce, Andalusia, Spain) lies in the eastern sector of the Guadix-Baza basin, one of the best documented areas in Europe for Plio-Pleistocene biostratigraphy. The combination of biochronological and palaeomagnetic results, combined with the radiometric data obtained for Atapuerca Sima del Elefante, indicated that the Venta Micena stratum was formed between the Jaramillo and Olduvai palaeomagnetic events, most likely between 1.22 and 1.77 Ma. Five fossil teeth from two outcrops (sites A and B) were selected to assess the potential of combined uranium series-electron spin resonance (US-ESR) dating of Early Pleistocene sites. Although the US-ESR results of the first outcrop showed a large scatter between the three teeth, the mean age of 1.37+0.24 Ma can be considered a reasonable age estimate for Venta Micena. The mean ESR age of 0.62+0.03 Ma obtained for site B seems to be a severe underestimation when compared with the independent age control. This underestimation is attributed to a relative recent U-mobilization event that led to some U-leaching. The results show that any ESR age calculations of old samples are extremely sensitive to variations in the measured 230Th/ 234U ratios in dental tissues. Although the results demonstrate that ESR can in principle be applied to Early Pleistocene sites, they also reveal the complexity of dating such old teeth. It is necessary to continue research in several directions, such as study of the behaviour of ESR signals in old teeth and understanding recent U-mobilization processes, to improve the reliability of the combined US-ESR dating method applied to Early Pleistocene times, a period for which the number of available numerical dating techniques is very limited. Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Creativity has always had an association with the social sciences in spirit; however, we are now well into a decade in which creativity is being understood as a powerful body of ideas for driving economic and social change. Recent research (see Kaufman & Sternberg, 2007; McWilliam, 2008) has unhooked creativity from artistry, revealing it as economically valuable, team based, observable and learnable. As the ability to 'move an idea from one state to another' (Jackson, 2006a: 8), creativity is argued by David Perkins (1981) and others to be evident in skills such as pattern recognition, creation of analogies and mental models, the ability to cross domains, exploration of alternatives, and problem solving. It has displaced routine 'industrial' thinking and doing as the most relevant workplace capacity in an increasingly complex, challenge-ridden and rapidly changing economic and social order. In Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's (2006) terms, creativity is 'no longer a luxury for the few, but a necessity for all' (p. xviii).

The palaeontological site of Venta Micena (Orce, Andalusia, Spain) lies in the eastern sector of the Guadix-Baza basin, one of the best documented areas in Europe for Plio-Pleistocene biostratigraphy. The combination of biochronological and palaeomagnetic results, combined with the radiometric data obtained for Atapuerca Sima del Elefante, indicated that the Venta Micena stratum was formed between the Jaramillo and Olduvai palaeomagnetic events, most likely between 1.22 and 1.77 Ma. Five fossil teeth from two outcrops (sites A and B) were selected to assess the potential of combined uranium series-electron spin resonance (US-ESR) dating of Early Pleistocene sites. Although the US-ESR results of the first outcrop showed a large scatter between the three teeth, the mean age of 1.37+0.24 Ma can be considered a reasonable age estimate for Venta Micena. The mean ESR age of 0.62+0.03 Ma obtained for site B seems to be a severe underestimation when compared with the independent age control. This underestimation is attributed to a relative recent U-mobilization event that led to some U-leaching. The results show that any ESR age calculations of old samples are extremely sensitive to variations in the measured 230Th/ 234U ratios in dental tissues. Although the results demonstrate that ESR can in principle be applied to Early Pleistocene sites, they also reveal the complexity of dating such old teeth. It is necessary to continue research in several directions, such as study of the behaviour of ESR signals in old teeth and understanding recent U-mobilization processes, to improve the reliability of the combined US-ESR dating method applied to Early Pleistocene times, a period for which the number of available numerical dating techniques is very limited. Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Advance Australia Fair includes the words 'Our home is girt by sea'. This line of the national anthem emphasises that Australia, as an island continent, is fundamentally connected to its surrounding oceans. Australians have always had strong associations with the marine environment. Many Australian Aboriginal communities have enduring spiritual connections to coastal areas. Australia's coastal environments, especially the beach, are also an intrinsic facet of the modern Australian way of life. Indeed, Australia has been termed a 'coastal society', an observation that is underscored by the fact that approximately 85 per cent of its population live within 50 kilometres of the coast. Further, maritime Australia encompasses iconic socio-environmental features and landmarks that are deeply important to the Australian identity (such as the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney Harbour), as well as famous events and popular activities (such as the annual Sydney-Hobart yacht race and surfing and recreational fishing). Alternatively, it could be argued that the reference to Australia's surrounding seas in the national anthem is included merely as a means of framing what is perceived as the 'important bit' - the land - and to help identify Australia as separate and distinct from the rest of the world. Some might suggest that the line should instead read 'Our home is girt by beach' to represent more accurately the extent of the average Australian's maritime horizon. However, Australia is undeniably a major maritime country, most obviously in terms of the enormous size of its maritime jurisdiction, but increasingly also in terms of the significance of the marine resources contained within this area.

Creativity has always had an association with the social sciences in spirit; however, we are now well into a decade in which creativity is being understood as a powerful body of ideas for driving economic and social change. Recent research (see Kaufman & Sternberg, 2007; McWilliam, 2008) has unhooked creativity from artistry, revealing it as economically valuable, team based, observable and learnable. As the ability to 'move an idea from one state to another' (Jackson, 2006a: 8), creativity is argued by David Perkins (1981) and others to be evident in skills such as pattern recognition, creation of analogies and mental models, the ability to cross domains, exploration of alternatives, and problem solving. It has displaced routine 'industrial' thinking and doing as the most relevant workplace capacity in an increasingly complex, challenge-ridden and rapidly changing economic and social order. In Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's (2006) terms, creativity is 'no longer a luxury for the few, but a necessity for all' (p. xviii).

The I ise of China has preoccupied American militmy planners for at least the last decade, and more so recently, as the scale and speed of its military modernisation has become apparent. This is pa11icularly the case for China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), which has shown numerous advances and now has the ability to affect American, Japanese and South Korean maritime activities in East Asia. But sea power is more than just teclmology, as this book well demonstrates, as it explores Chinese thinking on sea power (why a navy might be used) and the types of capabilities it possesses (how it might be used).

This chapter examines the case of an Australian woman, Roz, who succeeded her father as the CEO of a large fourth-generation family business, Hawkins Family Group, in the traditionally male-dominated transport industry. The case is described in three phases. First, we outline Australian culture how it influences business life, including the position of women in the Australian workforce especially as managers and entrepreneurs. We then describe the history of the Hawkins Family Group and how Roz eventually came to lead it. Finally, we return to aspects of Australian values and culture and other literature to draw conclusions about the case. The paper ends with a discussion of limitations and suggestions for further research.

Advance Australia Fair includes the words 'Our home is girt by sea'. This line of the national anthem emphasises that Australia, as an island continent, is fundamentally connected to its surrounding oceans. Australians have always had strong associations with the marine environment. Many Australian Aboriginal communities have enduring spiritual connections to coastal areas. Australia's coastal environments, especially the beach, are also an intrinsic facet of the modern Australian way of life. Indeed, Australia has been termed a 'coastal society', an observation that is underscored by the fact that approximately 85 per cent of its population live within 50 kilometres of the coast. Further, maritime Australia encompasses iconic socio-environmental features and landmarks that are deeply important to the Australian identity (such as the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney Harbour), as well as famous events and popular activities (such as the annual Sydney-Hobart yacht race and surfing and recreational fishing). Alternatively, it could be argued that the reference to Australia's surrounding seas in the national anthem is included merely as a means of framing what is perceived as the 'important bit' - the land - and to help identify Australia as separate and distinct from the rest of the world. Some might suggest that the line should instead read 'Our home is girt by beach' to represent more accurately the extent of the average Australian's maritime horizon. However, Australia is undeniably a major maritime country, most obviously in terms of the enormous size of its maritime jurisdiction, but increasingly also in terms of the significance of the marine resources contained within this area.

The sharing of music files has been the focus of a massive struggle between representatives of major record companies and artists in the music industry, on one side, and peer-to-peer (p2p) file-sharing services and their users, on the other. This struggle can be analysed in terms of tactics used by the two sides, which can be classified into five categories: cover-up versus exposure, devaluation versus validation, interpretation versus alternative interpretation, official channels versus mobilisation, and intimidation versus resistance. It is valuable to understand these tactics because similar ones are likely to be used in ongoing struggles between users of p2p services and representatives of the content industries.

Leading medical experts have cautioned about the risk of inappropriate behavioural responses as a result of fear of avian influenza (bird flu) even before a pandemic emerges, and have emphasised the need for appropriate risk communication strategies. There is a paucity of in-depth qualitative research into the general public's understanding of, and reactions to, such potential health crises. Four focus groups were conducted in April 2006 and a further eight focus groups in July 2006, to examine people's knowledge, beliefs and behaviours in relation to avian influenza, with the primary aim being to inform the development of future communication strategies. It was clear from the focus groups that avian influenza is not a disease the participants perceive they are likely to acquire; it was not simply that Australia was far from mind when thinking of avian influenza, but that they also saw Australia as a haven protected from avian influenza. We found that, in general, participants see avian influenza as yet another example of media sensationalism - not as a disease that poses any real risk to Australia - and are clearly unprepared for a potential outbreak. Governments and health authorities should conduct further research to understand consumer perceptions of avian (or other pandemic) influenza, and attitudes towards the recommended protective behaviours, in order to pro-actively develop communication strategies to rapidly inform the public and encourage appropriate behavioural responses in the event that the potential risk is realised.

Leading medical experts have cautioned about the risk of inappropriate behavioural responses as a result of fear of avian influenza (bird flu) even before a pandemic emerges, and have emphasised the need for appropriate risk communication strategies. There is a paucity of in-depth qualitative research into the general public's understanding of, and reactions to, such potential health crises. Four focus groups were conducted in April 2006 and a further eight focus groups in July 2006, to examine people's knowledge, beliefs and behaviours in relation to avian influenza, with the primary aim being to inform the development of future communication strategies. It was clear from the focus groups that avian influenza is not a disease the participants perceive they are likely to acquire; it was not simply that Australia was far from mind when thinking of avian influenza, but that they also saw Australia as a haven protected from avian influenza. We found that, in general, participants see avian influenza as yet another example of media sensationalism - not as a disease that poses any real risk to Australia - and are clearly unprepared for a potential outbreak. Governments and health authorities should conduct further research to understand consumer perceptions of avian (or other pandemic) influenza, and attitudes towards the recommended protective behaviours, in order to pro-actively develop communication strategies to rapidly inform the public and encourage appropriate behavioural responses in the event that the potential risk is realised.