This thesis contributes to the issue of why corporations manage risk with insurance and financial derivative contracts. Two different empirical studies are done with data sets from Australian companies: 1) one study on reinsurance demand; and 2) one study on interest-rate-risk hedging demand from non-banking companies listed at the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). Both studies use panel data models. A Monte Carlo simulation replicates the basic characteristics of the original data sets and allows a performance comparison among different panel data models. This thesis provides the first empirical work on insurer demand for reinsurance using Australian data. A panel-data set (1996-2001) is used, which provides 543 observations. The study finds strong evidence that larger insurers, insurers member of a group of companies, reinsurers, and captive insurers reinsure more. The impacts of leverage, taxes, and return on investments are not statistically significant. The second empirical study analyses the interest-rate-risk hedging demand with two panel data sets from 1998 to 2003 (1134 and 465 observations, respectively). Detailed information about interest-rate-risk exposures was available after manual data collection from financial reports, which was only possible due to specific reporting requirements in Australian accounting standards. A probit regression analysis confirms previous empirical results that company size is important to the decision to hedge interest rate risk in Australia. However, in relation to the analysis of the extent of hedging, the proper measurement of interest-rate-risk exposures generates some significant results different from those found in previous studies. For example, this study shows that total leverage (total debt ratio) is not significantly important to interest-rate-risk hedging demand and that, instead, this demand is related to the specific risk exposure in the interest bearing part of debt. This study finds significant relations of interest-rate-risk hedging to company size, floating-interest-rate debt ratio, annual log returns, and company industry type.

This thesis sought to place the development of managers, management theory, practice and discourse within its general historical context. The emergence and growth of a body of managers in Australia was examined utilising Historical Sociology, Survey, Content Analysis and Theory of Practices methods. Australian managers, management practice and discourse were influenced by British, American and, more recently, Japanese management theories and practices. Theories and practices from Classical Management and subsequent theories were evidenced as trends which dominated for periods, changing the practices and discourses of managers. Based on a survey of Australian managers, the interaction between management theories and practices was examined and interpreted. Counter trends existed in periods that were dominated by particular theoretical models. These counter trends provided the links to newer practices and theories. The results indicated the continued importance of all theoretical models and the practices they describe. In Australia, the theoretical perspectives did not fit the trends of broad cycles of economic activity but overlapped, having been introduced in differing time frames. Management discourse was evaluated through content analysis of the editorials of Rydge's (a local management magazine) from 1945 to 1987 to ascertain any changes in management discourse as the result of the introduction of new management theories. Other themes and trends were identified and examined to provide insights into managers' values. The production and reproduction of practices were considered utilising a Theory of Practice. In the field of management, practices are produced and reproduced by managers influenced by their habitus, the division of labour and the exercise of power. The survey and content analysis results were examined to profile the habitus through the impact of managers' backgrounds on their behaviour, practice and discourse. These constituted forms of cultural capital which mediated managers' beliefs through symbolic instruments embedded in its structuring structures. Overall, the research highlighted relationships between typologies of management theories, discourses and practices and provided a profile of the production and reproduction of practices in a contemporary Australian setting.

The subject of employee participation in the public sector has been neglected in the academic literature of Australia. The present research aims to redress this deficiency. Its explicit focus is employee participation in Australian Government Employment (AGE) in the first six years of the Hawke Labor Government, that is, the period 1983-1988. The choice of this period is an important one. The election of the Hawke Government marks a turning point in Australian public administration: this was a government committed to the thoroughgoing reform of the public sector and employee participation was integrated into its reform agenda, albeit in the guise of industrial democracy. (For complete abstract open document)

Includes bibliography.

The managers of professional performing arts organisations are faced with a unique dilemma. They must support their artistic personnel, who are typically driven by the quest for new, challenging and experimental works, while achieving the economic success necessary for the continued viability of their organisations. Failing to effectively manage this artistic-economic dichotomy can result in a conflict between artists and managers that threatens the long-term survival of these organisations. There is a clear need, therefore, for arts managers to foster an organisational climate that minimises conflict, while promoting organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs) such as sportsmanship (a willingness to tolerate less than ideal circumstances without complaining) and courtesy (a willingness to show sensitivity towards others and actively avoid creating problems for co-workers). The main aim of the present study was to examine the extent to which factors such as organisational structure, organisational culture and employees’ motivational orientation influence people’s perceptions of their job scope (as indicated by high levels of task variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback from the job), a construct which has been found to reduce organisational conflict and increase employees’ propensity to display OCBs. While these relationships have been suggested in previous research, they have not been tested in a performing arts industry context. The data analysed in the present study suggested an enjoyment motivational orientation, a challenge motivational orientation, an organic culture and formalisation positively influenced perceptions of job scope, which, in turn, positively influenced both OCBs (sportsmanship and courtesy). A challenge orientation also had a positive impact on sportsmanship, while sportsmanship positively and directly influenced courtesy. Centralisation was negatively related to perceived job scope and sportsmanship, although it had a positive impact on courtesy. Conflict was negatively influenced by formalisation and by an organic culture, but was positively influenced by a hierarchal culture.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 319-347) Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web. Available at: http://business.unisa.edu.au/waterpolicylaw/documents/thesis.pdf Selected for archiving SSL

This thesis presents two research projects examining the relationship between top management turnover (i.e. investment directors of funds management firms) and the performance of actively managed Australian institutional funds. Khorana (1996, 2001) studies this relationship from purely a performance perspective using U.S. managed funds. This thesis extends the work of Khorana (1996, 2001) by providing investors and other stakeholders with empirical evidence on performance, sources of performance and the dynamics of portfolios in the pre-and-post replacement periods. This issue is significant given the importance of executive management in the implementation of the institution's investment strategy, the sizeable assets under their control, as well as the overall success and profitability of the funds management operation. In addition, investors, asset consultants, managed fund ratings agencies and the financial media devote significant resources in scrutinizing the performance, organizational activities, leadership and human capital of investment management firms. Accordingly, the first research project examines the impact of performance and fund flow activity on top management turnover in both the pre-and-post replacement periods. The research documents that turnover of underperforming investment managers results in significantly higher performance in the post-replacement period, while turnover coinciding with outperforming managers delivers investors significantly lower returns (risk-adjusted). The evidence also identifies significant changes in portfolio risk associated with managerial turnover. Finally, the study finds that underperforming investment managers exhibit significantly lower fund flows prior to replacement. The second research project represents the first rigorous analysis of top management turnover with respect to monthly portfolio holdings for a sample of actively managed Australian equity funds. An examination of the dynamics of portfolios surrounding both the departure and the arrival dates of investment managers provides a finer decomposition in understanding investment performance, the sources of value added and the extent to which momentum strategies are executed both pre-and-post the turnover event. Accordingly, the study examines a manager's success or failure depending on 'winner' and 'loser' stock holdings, portfolio turnover, reliance on momentum strategies, variation in portfolio risk, stock preferences and fund flows for underperforming versus outperforming investment directors in the pre-and-post replacement periods. The research also documents that new investment managers of previously underperforming portfolios exhibit superior stock-selections skills in the post-replacement period, therefore reversing the portfolio's previously poor performance. The study finds that new investment managers liquidate 'loser' stocks (i.e. cleaning out the portfolio) as well as decreasing the portfolio's concentration (i.e. increases the portfolio's diversification and lowering tracking error). The results also indicate that underperforming investment managers in the pre-replacement period exhibit a preference for larger stocks (i.e. more liquid stocks with greater relative benchmark weights in the index), growth-oriented securities and a preference towards riding past period winners (i.e. following momentum strategies), however they are unable to successfully select and exploit momentum stocks. On the other hand, incoming managers of underperforming portfolios in the pre-replacement period do not show any particular stock size preference. The study also shows these managers prefer growth stocks, do not rely on momentum strategies, and yet still display superior returns in the post-replacement period. The study also documents that new investment managers of previously outperforming portfolios are unable to replicate the performance of the previous head of equities. In terms of stock preferences related to superior performing portfolios, the results show that departing investment managers prefer larger stocks and select stocks based on momentum strategies. On the other hand, incoming investment managers have a greater preference for smaller stocks, are less reliant on momentum strategies and prefer more volatile securities, however, these strategies do not provide superior returns relative to the pre-replacement period.

Four different case management programs delivered by UnitingCare Community Options (UCCO) in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne were examined against the expectations of case management as a policy solution to a range of perceived policy problems at the micro-, meso- and macro-levels. The micro-level expectations were related to client and family experiences of the service system and outcomes. At the meso-level expectations were focused on perceived service delivery problems such as poor matching of services to the needs of ‘complex’ clients including a lack of integration, flexibility and responsiveness to clients’ needs and preferences. Perceived macro-level policy problems were concerned with a variety of issues including increasing rates of institutionalisation, increasing costs to governments, lack of economic efficiency and the desire to create market or quasi-market conditions in the community care service delivery sector. (For complete abstract open document)

Copies of author's previously published articles inserted. Bibliography: leaves 173-196. The objective of this thesis is to investigate the factors affecting swelling and dispersion of alkaline sodic soils containing lime and the ways to manage these soils to improve their physical condition. Studies on pure clay systems are included to understand the fundamental process involved in swelling and dispersion of pure and soil clays.

Copies of author's previously published articles inserted. / Bibliography: leaves 173-196. / xviii, 197 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / The objective of this thesis is to investigate the factors affecting swelling and dispersion of alkaline sodic soils containing lime and the ways to manage these soils to improve their physical condition. Studies on pure clay systems are included to understand the fundamental process involved in swelling and dispersion of pure and soil clays. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Soil Science