FACULTY OF BUSINESS
RESEARCH NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 1 JUNE 2013
Page 1
Welcome
Page 2
Did You
Know?
Page 3 - 4
Current
Projects
Page 5
Staff Profiles
Bikram
Chatterjee
Simon
Wright
Page 6
PhD
completions
Pages 6 – 7
Professional
Development
Page 8
Library
Liaison
Services
WELCOME
I would like to welcome everyone to the first issue of the Faculty of Business Research
Newsletter. The newsletter will be produced quarterly and will profile the high-quality research
being undertaken within the Faculty of Business.
The newsletter seeks to outline current research, as well as highlight the achievements of our
staff and students, including publications and grants, as well as summarise professional
development opportunities. There will be regular interviews of new and existing staff. In this
edition interviews of two new staff are presented: Dr Bikram Chatterjee from the School of
Accounting and Finance and Simon Wright from the School of Management and Marketing.
This year is already proving to be a productive year for research within the Faculty. There are
many exciting projects underway, including two new Australian Research Council Grants, and
grants from AUSAID, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Sydney
Water, Care West and Trade and Investment NSW. There have also been lots of development
activities been undertaken, and additional ones are planned. We look forward to being able to
tell you more about these activities in this and later newsletters. In this edition you can read
about collaborations between CSU Faculties, research being undertaken in Tanzania by Dr
Branka Krivokapic-Skoko, one of the new ARC projects lead by Professor Junbin Gao, and
research into work-life balance practices of small businesses by Stacey Jenkins and Dr Ramudu
Bhanugopan.
If you have any enquiries about research at the Faculty or, or would like to discuss a project,
grant application or any new idea please contact me.
We welcome your contributions to future editions. The Research Newsletter is an ideal outlet to
describe your research to both your colleagues and students.
Professor Mark Morrison
Sub-Dean Research
Next Issue: The next issue will be published in September 2013. To contribute or suggest a story, please email 1
Deborah Munns of the Faculty of Business Research Office at [email protected]
DID YOU KNOW?
ARC open access policy
The Australian Research Council has introduced a
new open access policy for ARC funded research
which took effect from January 2013. According to this
new policy, the ARC requires that any publications
arising from an ARC supported research project to be
deposited into an open access institutional repository
within a twelve (12) month period from the date of
publication. This is to ensure that the findings of
publicly funded research are made available to the
wider public as soon as possible, and also brings the
ARC in line with the NHMRC and with other
international research funding agencies.
The good news is that CSU‟s CRO is an open access
institutional repository which will address this
requirement. For more information
http://www.arc.gov.au/applicants
/open_access.htm
Research Office deadlines – Leave enough time to submit
Researchers must leave up to 20 working days prior to
the external submission date of all research grant and
consultancy applications to ensure all submissions are
approved by the Faculty of
Business (FoB) Research Office
and CSU‟s Research Office.
All grants above $20K must be
submitted for review and
approval to the Faculty‟s
Research Office 20 days prior to
external submission. All FoB
grant applications can be sent to Louise Cleary or
Kerry Madden of the Faculty Research Office,
ensuring Mark Morrison is copied in on all
communication. It is also a good idea to contact the
Faculty Research Office ahead of time to ensure they
can make time to review the grant application. The
review process will take approximately 10 working
days.
All research grant and consultancy applications must
be submitted to CSU‟s Research Office for general
review and authorisation by the DVC (Research).
CSU‟s Research Office requires a minimum of ten (10
working days) to review and authorise documents.
Fully completed applications (including required
copies) should be forwarded to both Research Offices
along with any source documents (guidelines, terms
and conditions or letters of invitation - either in hard
copy or web reference).
If you require any further assistance with the
preparation of your grant proposal, please contact
Kerry Madden at the Faculty Research Office
([email protected]) or the staff at the Research
Office on [email protected]
New website for professional development programs
A new website is to be launched for the Research
Office‟s Professional Development Programs. The
new website will display the full online calendar of all
the Professional Development Programs by month and
subject.
research students of all Faculties.
Upcoming programs include help
with ethics, research planning,
managing research funds and how
to conduct a literature review.
The Research Office coordinates a variety of
professional development programs for staff and
For more information, contact the Research Office on
[email protected]
2
CURRENT PROJECTS
Branka invited to participate in top-tier ACIAR grant research
Dr Branka Krivokapic-Skoko, Senior Lecturer in the
School of Management and Marketing, has recently
travelled to Tanzania where she met with the other
members of the „Farm Mechanization & Conservation
Agriculture for Sustainable Intensification‟ project
team. This project is being funded by the Australian
Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR).
Branka was invited to participate in this project, which
is both a great honour and presents fantastic research
and collaborative opportunities.
The goal of the project is to improve access to
mechanization, reduce labour drudgery, and minimize
biomass trade-offs in Eastern and Southern Africa,
through accelerated delivery and adoption of twowheel tractorbased
technologies
(2WT) by
smallholders.
The project has four principal objectives:




To evaluate and demonstrate 2WT-based
technologies to support conservation
agriculture (CA) systems, using expertise and
implements from Africa, South Asia and
Australia.
To test site-specific commercial systems to
deliver 2WT-based mechanization.
To identify improvements in national
institutions and policies for wide adoption of
2WT-based mechanization.
To improve capacity and create awareness of
2WT-based technologies in the sub-region,
and share knowledge and information with
other regions.
Branka‟s first task is to analyse the new and upgraded
business models for delivery of tractors in Tanzania,
Ethiopia, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Dr Branka
Krivokapic-Skoko
Researcher awarded prestigious ARC funding
Professor Junbin Gao, and his research partner Dr Xia
Hong, were recently awarded a $210,000 research
grant from the Australian Research Council. The three
year Discovery Project funding commences in June
2013.
measures to provide a systematic approach in
dimensionality reduction algorithm design and
analysis. The research will radically improve image
analysis, with beneficial applications ranging from
international border protection through to drug design.
Professor Junbin Gao, who is a research leader with
the Centre for Research in Complex Systems, will lead
an internationally based research team. The research
will investigate new and better ways of managing,
analysing and visualising complex data used in
modern business and scientific fields.
The project funding also enables students in CSU‟s
Bachelor of Computer Science (Games Technology)
course to be involved in the research project. The
project will utilise the expertise of students who are
serious computer game designers and highly skilled
programmers.
The project builds on
research work done by
Professor Gao during the
past six years. The
project aims to build a
general framework of twin
Professor
Junbin Gao
3
Cross-faculty collaboration delivers productive results
Richard Sappey and John Hicks of the Faculty of
Business have been working closely with colleagues
from the Faculty of Arts, Rabiul Islam, Valerie Ingham
and Ian Manock on flooding projects under the
collective title of The Bangladesh Disaster Research
Group (BADRG). The BADRG aims to research
community expectations and experiences of
emergency management, risk perception and social
capital and psycho-social recovery, in order to develop
a multi disciplinary and cross-cultural model which will
strengthen community resilience.
As academics of long standing, Richard and John
have acted as unofficial mentors to the group guiding
the research through the perilous waters (pun
intended) of interdisciplinary research - including
advice on research method and ethics, choice of
journal outlet and journal writing technique. The truly
challenging, and often quite dangerous, field research
in remote areas of Bangladesh was undertaken by
Rabiul and Val. Ian provided contacts within the NSW
SES networks and was responsible for the field work in
Molong.
The cross-faculty collaboration has been productive
with three ERA rated publications to date, several
conference presentations and a few media
appearances. Work is currently under way on a
research paper which examines the role of women in
coping with Bangladesh‟s flooding problems.
The Bangladesh Disaster Research Group
(L- R) Dr Richard Sappey, Dr Valerie Ingram, Dr
Rabiul Islam & Mr Ian Manock. (Absent Prof John
Hicks).
Work life balance research shows real benefits for employers and employees
Research into work-life balance practices in Australian
small and medium enterprises has provided
businesses with some key strategies into keeping
employees motivated and happy.
The research, carried out by Faculty of Business PhD
student, Stacey Jenkins, examined the practices
adopted by 219 businesses to improve the work-life
balance of their employees. Stacey examined four key
areas ranging from flexible work options such as flex
time, leave programs including paid maternity and
paternity leave, support benefits such as employee
assistance providers and care arrangements ranging
from on-site child care to breast feeding.
Stacey found that each of the issues had a direct and
positive impact on work-life balance. Businesses that
invest in work-life practices are more likely to retain
quality employees and have employees that take fewer
sick days.
The research has attracted significant media attention
with articles or interviews about the research being
featured on ABC Radio, Prime TV and in Business
Review Weekly, Smart Company and The
Conversation.
Additionally,
Stacey‟s paper
has been
accepted for
presentation in
the upcoming
European
Academy of
Management (EURAM) Conference to be held in
Istanbul, Turkey 26-29 June.
Stacey is completing her PhD in the School of
Management and Marketing, under the supervision of
Dr Ramudu Bhanugopan, Senior Lecturer in Human
Resource Management. Currently, Stacey is working
as a full time teacher in Management at TAFE NSW,
Riverina Institute, Wagga.
Stacey Jenkins
Dr Ramudu Bhanugopan
4
STAFF PROFILES
Dr Bikram Chatterjee
Dr Bikram Chatterjee is
Senior Lecturer in
Accounting in the School of
Accounting and Finance,
and is based at the Wagga
Wagga campus.
Prior to CSU, Bikram held
academic positions at
Massey University, New
Zealand and Curtin
University.
Bikram‟s research interests include International
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), accounting
standards setting process and organisational reporting
including public and private sector reporting. Bikram
has published in several academic journals including
Managerial Auditing Journal, International Journal of
Behavioural and Healthcare Research and
Australasian Accounting Business and Finance
Journal. Bikram is also an Associate Editor of The
Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance
Journal.
Bikram is currently working on three research projects
in the areas of social and environmental reporting
including a project investigating reporting practices in
the public sector. All three projects utilise secondary
data from annual company reports. The projects aim
to analyse factors influencing reporting by the public
and private sector. These research projects will
contribute towards further development of reporting
standards.
Away from CSU Bikram enjoys a game of table tennis,
going to the gym and swimming.
Simon Wright
Simon recently joined the
Faculty of Business as a
lecturer in the School of
Management and
Marketing, as well as
embarking on a PhD.
Simon joins CSU after
lecturing in sustainability
and responsible business
on a part-time basis at
Nottingham University
Business School and their Asian campuses.
Since moving to the Central West from Sydney four
years ago, Simon has also been running his own
consultancy. He has been working on environmental
sustainability projects with regional businesses and
local and State governments.
Simon‟s main research interests revolve around
corporate sustainability and its relationship to
leadership, integration and adoption particularly within
regional business. Simon is interested in drivers and
barriers to environmental innovation within business.
Simon chose to work and study at CSU because of
“the support of a dynamic, ambitious university with a
solid reputation in management and environmental
sustainability and strong ties to regional business”.
Simon is also looking forward to pursuing his
professional interests closer to home after extensive
travelling over the past few years.
Away from CSU, Simon is a keen cyclist, bush walker
and singer, but mostly Simon likes to spend time with
his family.
5
CONGRATULATIONS
Our congratulations go to the following students and their supervisors within the Faculty of Business who have been
advised that their thesis has passed. It is a tremendous achievement to have reached completion.
Name
David Carr
Susan
Culverston
Obyunbadam
Davaakhuu
Gregory
Dresser
Degree
School
Topic
PhD
Computing &
Mathematics
Computer Games Technology for
Simulating Non-Classical Physics
Supervisors
Terry Bossomaier
& Michael Antolovich
Glenn Duncan,
Branka KrivokapicSkoko &
Kerry Tilbrook
Management
& Marketing
Collaborations in the Not-for-profit
Sector
PhD
Accounting
and Finance
Development Strategies and
Structural Change in Mongolian
Economy: An Analysis of Trends,
Patterns and Determinants of Trade
and Investment.
Kishor Sharma & Yapa
Bandara
DBA
Management
& Marketing
Publicly funded small business
advisory and training services: their
contribution in a multifaceted
support environment.
Geoff Bamberry and
Glenn Duncan
DBA
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ACSPRI winter program released
Course details for the Australian Consortium for Social and Political Research Inc (ACSPRI) 2013
winter program has been released. There are over 20 courses on offer, ranging from those that
offer a basic grounding in qualitative and quantitative research methods to state of the art
techniques for experienced researchers. Courses in Sydney are scheduled for 24 - 28 June and
1 – 5 July.
Course details can be found at www.acspri.org.au/winterprogram2013
Academic staff please contact Mark Morrison if you are interested in attending any of these courses
[email protected]
-
6
Faculty of Business Workshops and Retreats
The Faculty of Business offers a range of workshops and retreats throughout the year. Both students and staff are
welcome to attend the workshops and retreats. For further information regarding these events please contact Louise
Cleary, Research Administrative Officer on 6338 6680 or [email protected].
Topic
Date
Location
Second Grant Writing Workshop
11 - 13 June
Wagga
Writing Retreat
8 - 10 July
St Clements in Galong
Journal Writing Workshop
26 - 29 August
Bathurst
Writing Retreat
18 - 21 November
Bathurst
Faculty of Business lunch time seminar series
The lunch time seminar series continues in the second half of the year with a range of internal
and external guest speakers scheduled to speak on a range of topics.
School of Computing and Mathematics Seminars usually run from 12 – 2pm on
Wednesdays in the School Meeting Rooms on each campus (771 in Bathurst, 780 in Albury and
766 in Wagga). A light lunch is served prior to the seminar. Speakers include academics from
Monash University, Peking University and The University of New South Wales. Seminars will cover Social Capital in
India, 3D Building Reconstruction, Machine Learning and Evolutionary Optimisation and ATO Access and Information
Gathering Powers.
For more information about exact dates, speakers and times please contact Dr.
Manoranjan Paul ([email protected], tel: 6338 4260).
Changes are being
School of Management and Marketing Seminars run from 1pm – 2pm in the
made to the Faculty
School Meeting Rooms on each campus (C2-431 in Bathurst, 764-205 in
Thurgoona and 28-214 in Wagga). The Seminars are usually held on Wednesday.
A light lunch is provided starting at 12:30pm on each campus.
of Business research
Enquiries about the Seminar Series should be directed to the convenor: Dr Rod
Duncan ([email protected], tel: 6338-4982).
Information about each of the seminar series can also be found on the Faculty of
Business Research webpage:
http://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/business/faculty-research/activities/seminar-series
web pages to keep
them updated and
current
Why not visit from
time to time?
7
RESEARCH HELP IS AT HAND
Library faculty liaison services: Supporting researchers in the Faculty
Faculty liaison librarians provide support and training for academic staff, researchers and
postgraduate students at all CSU campuses in Australia and offshore. Working from
Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Orange and Wagga Wagga campuses; Greg Fry, Annette
Goodwin, Tabitha Merrell, Hanne Hoelaas, Karen Mackney and Susanna Back (Left: top to
bottom), regularly visit schools and research centres, consulting with research staff and
students.
The faculty liaison librarians can assist researchers identify the most appropriate
database(s) for their needs and how to make the best use of a particular database - EBSCO
Business Source Complete, ABI/Inform Complete, Emerald Management Xtra, Factiva,
OneSource: Global Business Browser, Scopus, Standards On-Line, Research Professional.
The library faculty liaison staff can also provide assistance with locating citation data and
journal impact for grant applications.
Training and support is also provided by faculty liaison librarians in the latest version of
EndNoteX6. EndNote is an excellent research management tool that can help researchers
easily find and access your documents. EndNote will eliminate the need for extensive
folders of downloaded electronic copies of journal articles and reports.
Research Professional – Funding opportunities at your finger tips
Another service provided by the library is a subscription to Research Professional, which is
a worldwide database of funding opportunities. The database contains over 7,000 open
calls for funding, with all funding opportunities been „eligibility-verified‟. The database lists
prizes, conference funding, seed funding and fellowships in addition to larger research
grants across multiple disciplines. The database can save searches, set up email alerts,
calendar reminders and the like.
The CSU Research Professional service also includes Research
ANZ, a weekly news service covering research policy news and
funding opportunities in Australia and New Zealand.
You can find Research Professional on the Library Website under
Journal databases.
Library Faculty Liaison staff are also available to provide support and training in the use of
the database. Contact the Library faculty liaison staff at
http://www.csu.edu.au/division/library/research/faculty
Faculty grant booklet – Saving you time
The Faculty has produced a handbook of available grants for 2013. The handbook lists
over 100 grants, prizes and fellowships. The handbooks are available from the Faculty
Research Office or from the Faculty Interact Research Site. For a copy, contact Louise
Cleary of the Faculty Research Office on 6338 6680 or [email protected].
8