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Using published data from the top 166 ASX companies and 1244 corporate board members, this paper presents an industry-level analysis of board structures and member profiles, and assesses them in terms of the ASX (2014, 2003) principles and recommendations. The analysis reveals that the average board size was seven, non-executive director (NED) representation on boards was 70%, women held 14% of seats on corporate boards, 17% of NEDs were women and 2% of firms had chairperson/CEO duality positions. The Financial, Industrial and Energy sectors consisted of a majority of executive directors from business and the accounting field and NEDs from the engineering field with work experience of 20 to 30 years. A greater degree of diversity in the field of study and previous experience in the same and different sectors was found in relation to board members in the majority of industrial sectors. The analysis reveals that board characteristics such as board size, having a clear majority of NEDs on boards, decreasing trends in chairperson/CEO duality position, board member diversity in terms of qualifications and previous experience in the same and different sectors were largely consistent with the ASX principles and corporate governance practices.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent a large and important part of developed economies. However, little is known about the extent to which SMEs use contemporary management accounting (MA) techniques such as costing systems, budgets, responsibility center reporting, and analysis for decision making. To address this gap in the literature, we conducted in-depth field interviews at 22 SMEs to: (1) determine the extent to which common MA techniques and tools are being used by SMEs; and (2) explore the underlying reasons why specific MA techniques are not being used. We find that of the 19 common MA techniques covered in our interviews, a very small number are moderately or highly used by our respondent companies. Moreover, we find that manufacturing companies in our study are more likely to use a broader set of techniques such as costing systems, operating budgets, and variance analysis and that smaller, early-stage SMEs are the lightest users of MA tools overall. We identify three main factors affecting the adoption and use of MA techniques: (1) the perceived decision-usefulness of the technique; (2) the complexity of the SMEs' operating environment; and (3) the age of the SME. We discuss the contributions of our study and its potential implications for MA educators, developers of professional education programs, designers of SME control systems, and textbook authors.

This article conceptualizes a new area for social marketing practitioners by focusing on individual behavior change that might occur within organizations. Organization-Based Social Marketing (OBSM) draws from organization change theory and internal marketing theory, while maintaining social marketing’s focus on beneficial behavior modification. The article argues that as such, OBSM represents a viable approach for organizations seeking to address the increasing demand for change strategies that promote proenvironmental behavior among their employees

This study examines differences between actual and preferred HRM policies and practices in domestic firms (DF) and MNC subsidiaries (MNCs) in Sri Lanka. The paper argues the existence of within-country differences in HRM practices between MNCs and DF. The analysis and findings are based on 487 responses from employees and HR executives of eight manufacturing sector companies. Results indicate that differences exist between MNCs and DF in not only actual HR practices, but also in preferred HRM practices. Within-culture diversity of both employees' preferences for and actual HRM practices between DF and MNCs was evident. The findings contribute to cross-cultural and international HRM knowledge and practices.

The city of Wollongong's brand image strategy, 'Wollongong City of Innovation' was implemented in 1999 and is still in use in 2010. The objective of this chapter is firstly to show how the leaders in the city of Wollongong came to realize that the image of their city had become a barrier to the city's improvement and growth. Secondly, supported by an analysis of recent interviews with some involved in the brand strategy, an explanation is provided of the process which was undertaken to gain support for, and implement, what was to become known as the city image campaign. Advice has also been obtained from some stakeholders as to what could have been done better and what more could have been done. Finally, some concluding comments are provided.

Professor John Glynn, Executive Dean, Sydney Business School will present the 'Welcome and Opening of the Conference address. Also present will be Prof. Judy Raper, DVC (Research) and Tim Marchant, Dean of Research. A copy of the conference schedule is attached, with a full list of the various speakers and panel sessions on offer.