Edith Cowan University

About: Edith Cowan University is a education organization based out in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Tourism. The organization has 4040 authors who have published 13529 publications receiving 339582 citations. The organization is also known as: Edith Cowan & ECU.

The great experiment with devolved NRM governance: lessons from community engagement in Australia and New Zealand since the 1980s

Abstract: Since the 1980s, natural resource management (NRM) in Australia and New Zealand has been an ambitious experiment with community engagement. Underpinned by theory about public participation, adult education and agricultural extension, but also influenced by neoliberalism's calls for 'smaller government', governments embraced engagement as a cost-effective approach to effecting change. Critiques of community engagement are often misguided as they are frequently based on inauthentic or poor engagement practices. Moreover, these critiques have often failed to grasp the nature of the problems being addressed, acknowledge the contributions of engagement or understand the importance of building adaptive capacity to respond to an increasingly complex and uncertain future. The foundations for this commissioned article emerged at a workshop where we reflected and deliberated on our experience as NRM researchers and practitioners over the past 20 years. We begin by identifying the key theories underpinning community engagement and community-based NRM (CBNRM). We then reflect on the experience with community engagement in NRM over the past 20 years and identify key lessons for practitioners and policy makers. Drawing on these insights, and the developing theory around new governance and resilience thinking, we identify opportunities for community engagement under a range of possible futures.

The attribution of success and failure in IT projects

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this research is to determine how project managers attribute information technology (IT) project success and failure.Design/methodology/approach – IT personnel from large Australian organisations completed an adapted version of the Attributional Styles questionnaire, which asked them to attribute causes along a number of attribution dimensions, for IT projects which have either succeeded or failed.Findings – The results indicate that IT support workers attribute failure to external factors, whilst attributing success to themselves. On the other hand, executive management took a more balanced perspective which attribute success to external factors and only partially to themselves, whereas they attribute significant personal responsibility for failure.Practical implications – More junior professionals and operational IT employees can learn from their senior professionals in attributing success and failure. Post‐implementation reviews and debriefings conducted by senior IT profession...

A model for supporting inter-organizational relations in the supply chain

Abstract: The construction industry is highly fragmented and adversarial in nature, which has resulted in it being criticized for its poor project performance and lack of innovation. To improve performance, particularly inter‐organizational relations, organizations need to consider the formation of alliances with their project partners. Some construction organ‐ izations are beginning to initiate short‐term alliances with their customers and suppliers as part of a supply chain management strategy. However, such short‐term alliances inhibit feedback, which in turn supports learning and the development of mutual trust and cooperation. It is proffered that construction organizations should consider developing long‐term alliances, so as to enable parties to form learning alliances. The implications of forming different types of strategic alliances/partnering in construction are discussed. An inter‐organizational model that can be used to support learning and is founded on the principles of total quality management (TQM) is described. A case study is used to demonstrate that cooperative relationships can be used to cultivate a culture for reflective learning and mutual trust, beyond merely project‐specific performance improvements.

Effect of strength on plant foot kinetics and kinematics during a change of direction task

Abstract: Understanding the magnitude of forces and lower body kinematics that occur during a change of direction (COD) task can provide information about the biomechanical demands required to improve performance. To compare the magnitude of force, impulse, lower body kinematics and post-COD stride velocity produced between athletes of different strength levels during a COD task, 12 stronger (8 males, 4 females) and 12 weaker (4 males, 8 females) recreational team sport athletes were recruited. Strength levels were determined by relative peak isometric force of the dominant and non-dominant leg. All athletes performed 10 pre-planned 45° changes of direction (5 left, 5 right) while three-dimensional motion and ground reaction force (GRF) data were collected. Differences in all variables for the dominant leg were examined using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a level of significance set at p ≤0.05. The stronger group displayed significantly faster post-COD stride velocity and greater vertical and horizontal braking forces, vertical propulsive force, vertical braking impulse, horizontal propulsive impulse, angle of peak braking force application, hip abduction and knee flexion angle compared to the weaker group. The results suggest that individuals with greater relative lower body strength produced higher magnitude plant foot kinetics and modified lower body positioning while producing faster COD performances. Future investigations should determine if strength training to enable athletes to increase plant foot kinetics while maintaining or adopting a lower body position results in a concomitant increases in post-COD stride velocity.