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This study tackles the initiation of industry convergence to develop a patent-level framework aiming to anticipate convergence. Despite the vast amount of studies in the convergence literature, much remains to be understood about the dynamics of convergence, from the outset at the technology level to further development at the industry level. The evaluation of technical domain combinations facilitates the identification of industry convergence at early stages. This study analyzes patent data to measure the continuity in the combination of technical knowledge domains, which drives convergence. We also identified the patent indicators which promote the formation of the influential combinations that drive industry convergence. The present findings revealed that only a few unprecedented combinations in technical domains developed in future technologies, which implies the significance of distinguishing the combinations that may be expanding rapidly in subsequent years. The results also reported that the influential combinations need to be identifiable for future inventors, useful and practical for future technologies, and compatible with a variety of technical domains. This research provides insights for studies in innovation and technology management as well as implications for inventors, managers, and policymakers toward technology road-mapping.

Etiology for narcissism is undetermined, although associations have been reported between subtypes of narcissism and Gray's (1970, revised 2000) biologically based behavioral approach (BAS) and behavioral avoidance (BIS) systems of personality. Two studies (N = 199, N = 151) investigated Australian community families for associations between grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, BAS, BIS, and motivational bias indexed by z-transformed BAS less z-transformed BIS (zBLB). Grandiose, but not vulnerable, narcissism was substantially and significantly associated with approach motivational bias, while the vulnerable subtype was associated relatively more strongly with BIS than BAS. These results suggest that: (1) approach motivational bias may be critical to grandiose, but not vulnerable narcissism development, and (2) vulnerable narcissism development may be influenced by other (yet to be determined) factors in addition to possible influences of BIS and BAS. Furthermore, since asymmetrical brain EEG activity as well as asymmetrical dopamine D2 receptor binding have recently been associated with approach-avoidance motivational bias (zBLB)1 rather than absolute BAS or BIS values, we theorize an alternate etiology for narcissism: that the biology underpinning BAS and BIS may also influence development of approach and avoidance orientation aspects of narcissism, and may precede narcissism development, particularly the grandiose form. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

In proposing a scale to solve the “family business definition dilemma” in 2002, the F-PEC scale sparked considerable interest and research in our field, particularly at a time when family business was in its formative stage of development. We respond to the invitation of the Family Business Review editor to tell our story concerning how the F-PEC finally came to life. We highlight research that has been done in respect to the three F-PEC dimensions on the individual, the group/family, and at the organizational levels, and outline future research opportunities that might inform a theory of the family business.

This research explores how top management participation and three types of IT capability enable SMEs' competitive process alignment and flexibility capabilities. Our research hypotheses are tested ...

Concerns about safety and fear of being victimised by crime have become important factors determining international students’ decisions of where to study. Host governments and educational agencies have introduced a range of programs to ease such concerns. However, these recommendations are seldom informed by the criminology literature on fear of crime and the effectiveness of most of these practices has been rarely tested. Drawing upon a survey on 610 international students studying in Melbourne, Australia, during the period of 2009 and 2010, this paper finds that an overwhelming majority of international students have experienced racially oriented victimisation and have feared that they may be victimised because of their ethnic origin. Opportunities for socialization help international students feel safe about an environment, but it also increases their levels of fear of crime. Perceived social disorder makes international students feel unsafe and heightens their levels of fear of being victimised. Findings provide important implications for a range of stakeholders in countries that host international students.

This paper tests a theoretical model to evaluate e-business capability and value in the fast growth small-to-medium enterprise (SME) context. We propose that e-business value depends on how fast growth SMEs deploy IT resources, strategic planning, culture, and business partnerships to develop e-business capability and business process competence which help these companies to achieve outstanding business performance. Structural equation modelling is employed to test our theoretical conceptualization on a cohort of 310 Australian fast growth SMEs across different industrial sectors. The results show that IT resources, strategic IT alignment, market orientation, and business partnerships do contribute significantly and indirectly to SME performance through the development of e-business capability and business process competence. Our study provides an initial empirical evidence to understand the relationship between IT and entrepreneurial SME performance. These findings have important implications for research and business practices.

In the face of challenging conditions, resilience capabilities are essential for organizational survival and sustainability. Despite significant academic interest and practical utility of this cons...

Many researchers highlighted the need to develop organizational guidelines to enable theeffective support and maintenance of critical human resources during expatriate sojourns.However, lack of instruments that measure perceived support for fly-in, fly-out academicshas been a shortcoming in past research. In this study, the development of the Short-termInternational Teaching Assignments Scale (STITAS) is described. The STITAS was composedof 13 items aimed to measure four factors of perceived support: organisational support, HRsupport, financial support and career support. The STITAS was piloted with 193 fly-in, fly-outacademics from 24 Australian universities that participated actively in transnational education.Data analyses involved Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis.Cronbach’s alpha of the STITA was found to be 0.85, and the construct validity with the fourfactorstructure was confirmed with GFI = 0.917.Keywords: Instrument Development; Academics; Short-Term Assignments; Australia.

Objectives Education institutions routinely instruct students on how to remain safe from crime. We hold that this instruction and much of the associated practice might be problematic, because none of the researchers who have contrasted the fears and the victimization avoidance strategies of domestic and international students have tested for cultural measurement equivalence. This study aims to examine, whether cultural measurement equivalence exists when domestic and international tertiary students respond to fear of crime-related measures. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 1170 tertiary students across four Melbourne-based universities, Australia. Multiple group confirmatory factor analyses with covariance and mean structures, using structural equation modeling, were used to test whether the same constructs were measured across international and local tertiary students. Results The two cohorts hold the same conceptual frame of reference when responding to the measurement items. However, the cohorts display different true score values in relation to a number of questionnaire items associated with fear of crime, perceptions of safety, and avoidance behavior. Conclusions This study suggests that researchers need to render testing for cultural measurement equivalence standard practice, when undertaking cross-cultural studies of student safety and that such practice should also be incorporated into student safety programs.

Although mixed-methods are becoming more popular, there are limited studies using mixed-method in short-term international assignments research. Mixed-method may prove superior in enhancing synergistic understandings of realities. The idea that mixed method studies permit researchers to pragmatically access the best of both [qualitative and quantitative] worlds is clearly advantageous. Thus, this paper discusses how a mixed-method is designed and conducted to analyze support for fly-in-in fly-out academics.

There is a dearth of research on the work–life balance experiences of academics who undertake short-term international teaching assignments. Academics who teach offshore are also accountable for onshore activities including lecturing, research, supervision of higher degree students, mentoring, publishing and administrative obligations inter alia. These responsibilities pose further challenges to work and life. Within the context of a qualitative design, 11 academics were interviewed in depth regarding their short-term international teaching experiences. Specific issues relating to family separation, excessive work hours, poor assignment planning and lack of organisational recognition were identified. Findings have important implications for academics, and university policy and practice.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate drivers of learning orientation (LO) in 253 Australian fast-growth small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) through an examination of the interrelationships between transformational leadership (TL), human resource (HR) practices, and organizational climate. Design/methodology/approach – CEOs/managers of fast growth SMEs completed either an online or mailout survey. Statistical analyses involved tests for confounding and mediational effects, the use of exploratory factor analytic techniques and structural equation modelling. Findings – Findings reveal that TL is a significant antecedent of supportive and open organizational climates, and reward and job-related HR practices. Job-related HR practices and organizational climate fully mediate relationships between TL and LO. However, providing monetary incentives linked to performance does not motivate staff to learn. Instead, leaders need to act as role models, stimulate employees intellectually, provide a road map for staff, and focus on creating a supportive, open, and friendly environment. Research limitations/implications – Sample size is modest, reducing statistical power. The use of a cross-sectional, non-experimental design limits causal inferences. This study relied on the views of only entrepreneurs. Practical implications – These findings have important implications for management practice in terms of leadership, HR practices, and organizational learning in entrepreneurial ventures. Businesses who provide benefits and bonuses linked to performance do not necessarily engage employees to commit to learning, subscribe to a shared vision, or think innovatively. LO is enhanced only when employees are motivated, empowered, and treated as valuable resources. The establishment of personal relationships and open communication between owner-managers and employees, fosters firm LO. Originality/value – The present research contributes to the theoretical debate on the central role of leadership in fostering HRM practices, organizational climate and LO in fast-growth entrepreneurial companies. This study is the first to empirically test drivers of LO in FGSMEs. A simple linear model is insufficient to explain the influence of TL on LO.

This research investigates the role of market orientation (MO) and supply chain capabilities in Australian fast-growth family SMEs (FGFSMEs). Two research questions are addressed: i) how does MO affect supply chain capabilities (i.e., information exchange, inter-firm activity integration, inter-firm coordination & supply chain responsiveness)?; and ii) how do supply chain capabilities influence sales performance? Statistical analyses involved the use of exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques and structural equation modeling. Results indicate that supply chain capabilities are able to transform a market-based resource into higher value for FGFSMEs. The mediation effect of supply chain capabilities implies that incorporating mediators can help better explain the impact of MO on firm performance. In other words, embedding MO into supply chain systems enables these entities to enhance channel specific assets through activity integration, information exchange and superior coordination ...

The rapid on-going demographic shifts in workplaces present challenges to Human Resource Development (HRD) scholars and practitioners, creating a significant demand for diversity initiatives that help organizations harvest diversity. To address inconsistencies in diversity research results and limitations of current diversity intervening process theories, the authors propose an extended intervening process model (EIPM) from the perspective of how group processes underlie the linkage between diversity and performance. The model predicts both positive and negative effects of diversity depending on the intervening roles of group processes and moderation effects of research contextual factors. While extending the knowledge by incorporating three group processes simultaneously, this conceptualization can be regarded as the first theoretical framework that explains both positive and negative effects of diversity found in one study. Implications of the present framework for future research are discussed.

The present case study examines social capital from the perspective of a national entrepreneurship development centre. Considering that one role of the Malaysian government is to develop long-term competitiveness of entrepreneurial firms at a national level, social capital is recognized as providing a platform for connectedness among entrepreneurs within related business sectors. Based upon a case study of Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (PUNB), the present paper proposes a causal network model in an attempt to describe and explain social capital concepts and processes within the context of business financing and servicing, instilling entrepreneurial value and culture in specific target areas, including the Bumiputera (sons of the soils) entrepreneurs’ development, government strategic initiatives, and policies targeting national entrepreneurial processes

Most studies on information technology (IT) capability have drawn their conceptualization from the tenets of resource-based view (RBV). Though path dependence is central to the concept of RBV, very few studies have examined the developmental paths of IT capabilities, which are typically treated as first-order constructs with their effects on firm performance investigated as direct causal links. This paper conceptualizes IT capability as the outcome of a path- specific resource building process, driven by the e-business skills and knowledge of a firm’s IT human resources, which we refer to as e-business centric IT expertise. We posit that through the use of appropriate IT infrastructure, and the development of back-end integration and front-end functionalities, e-business centric IT expertise could be harnessed to provide the right information to the right customers at the right time, giving rise to a firm-specific IT capability. We further contend that IT capability is a source of competitive advantage, offering inimitable differentiation in market responsive agility, which is a key to securing sales in an increasingly customer-centric market. We operationalize these conceptualizations as a structural equation model (SEM) and tested 12 hypothesized relationships using data drawn from a survey of 310 fast-growth smallto-medium sized companies in Australia. The test results uphold 10 of the 12 formulated hypotheses, supporting our conceptualization that IT capability building is a path-specific process. To affirm our contention that IT capability is developed from the interacting effects of a suite of IT resources, and not the sum of the disjointed effects of individual resources, we also formulated and tested an alternative model that links individual IT resources directly to market responsive agility. Combined with a series of mediation tests, our SEM exercises confirm that IT resources interact in a specific way to give rise to IT capability to enhance market responsive agility and achieve sales performance. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context of IT investment.

Resilience is an essential capability for organizational survival and sustainability in the face of challenging conditions. Yet, despite burgeoning academic interest and practical utility, apprecia...

The present study builds on the foundation laid in caring for family caregivers of dependent elderly persons through psycho-educational support. After briefly tracing the development of the programme and its associated evaluation research, an investigation of sociodemographic variables as predictors of caregivers' anxiety is described. In line with previous literature on caregiver stress, it was found that 461 caregivers' pretreatment negative emotional responses were closely related to high levels of anxiety in their particular situations. Less expected were the findings that length of caregiving, relationship to caregiver of care-recipient, residential arrangements, age of caregiver and disability of care-recipient did not contribute significantly to the regression analysis. Even more remarkable was the finding that the strongest predictors of anxiety were the combined factors of masculine gender, unemployment and involvement in fewer than the median number of caregiving responsibilities. Implications and recommendations for research and practice are drawn.

This paper discusses the emergent family business best practice literature recognising a need to identify lessons for effective family firm governance and management that can be learned from successful, long-lasting businesses, whether family owned or otherwise. We review lessons characterized as family business best practices by a number of researchers, the established meaning and use of the concept best practice in the business excellence movement, and the critique of several aspects of that use. We also examine specific challenges the notion of family business best practice faces, and question the origin of identified practices and where they could be headed. Given the problematic nature and implications of best , we query whether the transition from lessons learned (local knowledge about what works) to best practices (universal knowledge about what works) is justifiable. Moreover, since family enterprises are as unique and idiosyncratic as the families that influence them, and the outstanding ones flout conventional management practices, we also ask whether characterizing lessons learned as best practices is either appropriate or necessary. We are led to conclude that the notion of family business best practice is fraught with enough difficulties to warrant avoiding or limiting its use.

Australian public universities are struggling to maintain parity with international counterparts in an environment that is becoming increasingly competitive globally. While most universities are now heeding calls from sector leaders to become more competitive, any strategies that they implement to effect change in this regard might be too late to save some. A systematic content analysis of published strategic plans of Australian public universities, undertaken during 2005–2007, indicates that universities were not taking the threat of rapidly intensifying competition seriously enough at a time when foreign competitors were making inroads into their markets and when deregulation and new communication technologies were spawning rivals in many new forms. This research has three principal implications: all Australian public universities need to re‐examine their strategic planning processes to determine whether (1) adequate attention is being paid to rapid intensification of competition; (2) strategies already...

This study investigates customer‐value based marketing activities in emerging or new fast‐growth ventures. A contextual analysis of interview data identified seven customer‐value based marketing activities actively pursued synergistically by fast growth firms: employee branding, target marketing, marketing planning marketing/market research, product differentiation via quality, relationship marketing, and guerrilla marketing. These elements form a complex web in which each marketing activity complements the other. There are three main implications: all marketing activities are intertwined, in line with marketing theory and practice associated with large firms; most marketing activities undertaken are low cost; and establishing a winning reputation is an important objective. CEOs associate reputation with brand building via employees.

Information technology (IT) is regarded as a facilitator for both small and large firms to speed up transactions between firms and their suppliers and customers, achieve real-time communication, lower transaction costs, and enhance speed and flexibility. However, understanding whether and how IT helps small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) to create business value still remains unclear. Drawing upon resource-based view theory, source-positional advantage-performance framework, we develop and test a theoretical model to explore the interrelationships between IT resources (IT expertise, IT infrastructure), IT capability (IT integration), IT-enabled inter-firm partnership processes (activity integration, coordination, partnership enhancement), and organizational performance in the fast growth SME context. We propose that IT business value depends on how firms employ IT resources to develop IT capability which facilitates inter-firm partnership processes along value chains. Structural equation modeling is employed to test our theoretical conceptualization of 310 Australian fast-growth SMEs across different industrial sectors. Results show that IT contributes to fast growth SME performance through the development of IT capability and enhancement of inter-firm partnership activities. This research highlights the role of IT in business value creation and the ways in which IT is used by fast growth SMEs to foster core business competencies.

Awareness of factors associated with academic performance in tertiary accounting education courses is useful for selection officers, educators, administrators and students. Yet research shows findings relating to this topic area to be inconclusive. Also, investigations are typically cross‐sectional rather than longitudinal, and as such can have limited application. Furthermore, issues concerning the effect on academic performance of transferring between institutions appear not to have been investigated in relation to TAFE‐to‐university accounting students. This investigation evaluates the effects of a range of demographic, behavioural and educational variables on the Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 academic performance of Year 12‐to‐university, and TAFE‐to‐university accounting students at one Australian university. Findings reveal that the best predictor of academic performance in any one year is the performance in the same discipline in the previous year. Notably, successful Year 12 Accounting completion had...

In Western countries, the ideal of a stable nuclear family is becoming a feature of the past. Instead, families comprising couples living together with their children have become increasingly complex units, as have the multitude of factors impacting on individuals and their relationships. Economic changes and secularization are two examples of dominant causes of instability. In light of these complexities, this article explores the Aristotelian conception of happiness and its association with family stability. It is argued that it is not the endeavor to be happy that contributes to unstable relations, but the current relative unwillingness to support and share in the interest of a partner.

For a solution to the family business definition dilemma, we propose the application of a scale that assesses the extent and the quality of family influence via the measurement of three dimensions: Power, Experience, and Culture. The Family Influence on Power, Experience, and Culture (F–PEC) scale is tested rigorously, utilizing a sample of more than 1,000 randomly selected companies, through the application of exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques. The scale demonstrates high levels of reliability. F–PEC has been applied in a number of studies, contributing to theory development, particularly in terms of the impact of family influence on distinct resources, and as a source of competitive advantage.

Introduces the special issue which focuses on family business entrepreneurial developments. Outlines the articles in the issue which not only increase our repository of family business research, but also provide useful insights for new research addressing topics such as family business centred ethnic entrepreneurship, “interpreneurship” and “intrapreneurship”, succession planning, financial philosophies; governance‐boards, consultation‐communication practices, and strategy formulation.

In line with other Western nations, the 1980s and 1990s saw a significant increase in the number of TAFE graduates wanting to transfer to university. As a consequence, recent times have evidenced increased co-operation between universities and TAFE institutes and the emergence of alternative university-entry programs (e.g. degree-articulation programs and double award programs). However, research into the effectiveness of these programs and how students of these programs perform academically at university is limited. This investigation reports findings of a longitudinal investigation into the effectiveness of a degree-articulation program in accounting established to meet the increasing demand for university places by TAFE students. The present study compares the academic performance and perceptions of two groups of university students: Degree-articulation students (n = 149), and Year 12-entry students (n = 302). Analysis reveals degree-articulation students' academic performance to be significantly below that of their Year 12-entry counterparts on two of three measures employed. Reasons for the disparate academic performance are explored. Furthermore, findings show that Degree-articulation students did not feel disadvantaged by undertaking their first year at TAFE and were satisfied with the opportunities provided by the degree-articulation program. These students however, were disappointed by the reception offered to them by the university. This article proposes policies and procedures that should be implemented by TAFE institutes and universities developing degree-articulation or similar programs.

Measuring the financial performance and contribution of marketing activity is a challenge increasingly faced by marketers globally. In this paper, we consider the potential effects of intra‐organisational change, particularly employee turnover or “churn”, on the measurable financial performance of an organisation and the ability of an organisation to sustain desired performance. We also discuss implications for research.

This article proposes an alternative method for assessing the extent of family influence on any enterprise, enabling the measurement of the impact of family on outcomes such as success, failure, strategy, and operations. This proposed method, utilizing a standardized and valid instrument— the F-PEC—enables the assessment of family influence on a continuous scale rather than restrict its use as a categorical (e.g., yesqno) variable. The F-PEC comprises three subscales: power, experience, and culture. This article discusses these scales in detail.