Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

This thesis is presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the College of Business, RMIT University. It includes five scientific papers which have been submitted and are currently under review or accepted for publication in targeted journals. These papers comprise one conceptual paper and four empirical papers.

259p runthenight04 02-02-2023 7 3   Download

This project examines how the moving image can be used as a vehicle of memory, to express what is lost, what is gained and what changes occur in relation to personal family migratory history—a messy and ambiguous process. This practice-led research project investigates video work, using filmed materials and objects, to focus attention on the non-linear aspect of time as it is subjected to individual and collective memories. The outcomes highlight the sometimes disconnecting and unpredictable experiences of migration, storytelling, and memory.

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In this study, two models were proposed: a five-stage SISP maturity model for defining SISP maturity and another one for assessing the degree of SISP maturity. The five SISP maturity levels were defined as: Rudimentary Planning, Ineffectual Planning, Attainable Planning, Sustainable Planning, and Adaptable Planning. The assessment model was structured as a third-order system, where eight first-order dimensions were termed as Form and Content, Collaboration, Policies, Stakeholders' Designation, Knowledge Bank, Technology, Time Dimension, and Viability.

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The aim of this research is to deepen insight into the social-psychological factors that influence the formation of a desire to attend classical music concerts and to better predict people’s positive behavioural responses towards live classical music performances.

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This research presents findings from an Australian government-funded research project looking at the implications of digitisation for the book publishing industry in Australia. Although digitisation is to some extent synonymous with digital technologies and in fact, the impact of current and emerging digital technologies is clearly central to any such study, the major focus was on business and organisational dimensions, with particular emphasis on current and emerging stakeholders, competition, value propositions and business models, both current and potential.

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This research demonstrates how housing demand can be modelled by using a System Dynamics approach. This modelling concept has been set up, using the root causes which generate housing demand. Causal factors which influence housing demand are collated, and mapped. A model simulating housing demand was developed. Keys to this are demographic, social and economic factors. This model is presented with a view to pursuing new approaches for housing demand modelling.

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Modelling the diffusion of mobile commerce in a country is a difficult task due to the non-linear, complex and uncertain nature of its operating environment. Conventional analytical techniques are of limited use in this context, and a System Dynamics approach is more appropriate to model such a complex system.

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This thesis contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between residential energy efficiency and health. The thesis argues that residential energy efficiency improvements are complex interventions in complex socio‐technical systems.

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This thesis provides empirical investigations into the behaviour of implied volatility quotes for currency options on the British pound/U.S. dollar (GBP/USD), the euro/U.S. dollar (EUR/USD), the Australian dollar/U.S. dollar (AUD/USD) and the U.S. dollar/Japanese yen (USD/JPY). The analyses are performed using dealer-quoted implied volatility and spot exchange rate datasets collected from the over-the-counter currency option market.

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This thesis contributes to the existing literature in the following ways: First, presenting a systematic study with empirical evidence on the functioning and quality of corporate governance and its impact under the contractual form of FMC. Second, this research represents a step forward from the extant studies focusing on how board characteristics and composition in fund companies by investigating a wider range of relevant governance mechanisms that affect board effectiveness which other studies have not attempted.

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The purpose of the thesis is three-fold. The first aim is to thoroughly review the extant literature in marketing and management and to prioritise key findings on country image effects and the main determinants of employer attractiveness. The second aim is to develop and test the conceptual model comprising these key determinants. The third aim is to make a theoretical contribution to this new area of research and to provide implications for organisations in their recruitment marketing strategies locally and globally.

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The aim of this study is to develop a perspective on culture which would integrate the views of both opposing camps. By applying the principles of ancient Chinese philosophy, especially the Yin-Yang principle, a balanced, holistic conceptualization was proposed which hold that culture is composed of both a stable and a changing dimension, which dialectically transform into each other to give culture a certain degree of stability and inheritability on the one hand, and a momentum for change and variability on the other, in an ongoing, spiraling process of cultural emergence.

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Poverty and inequality are among the most discussed topics in Economics. This thesis aims to investigate the empirical relationship between financial inclusion, poverty and gender inequality. Using unique cross-country panel and survey data sets, three hypotheses are tested: (1) microfinance is an effective tool for poverty reduction; (2) women’s participation in microfinance contributes to improvements in gender equality; and (3) financial inclusion has a positive effect on household income in China.

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The increasingly important role played by family firms in China’s fledging capital market calls for a better understanding of how it works and is governed. This study aims to explore how corporate governance issues in family firms are tackled from the perspective of investor protection. The thesis addresses the question by first presenting theoretical models showing the relations among investor protection, family governance, and agency costs in family firms.

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This research project explores the intersection between Zen and photography, focusing on ways to link photography with Zen’s practices and philosophy. The aim was to create work that enhanced an understanding of photographic practice while also offering insight into the core of Zen and the ways Zen practice might be aided by photography practice and vice versa.

208p runordie3 06-07-2022 6 2   Download

The thesis "Device Engineering of III-Nitride Semiconductors Based Sensors" covers the scope to explore next-generation optical sensors by growing high-quality IIInitride thin films using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) system and their deployment towards the fabrication of the device engineered high-performance broadband photodetectors. This thesis mainly focuses on three engineering approaches to fabricate advanced optical sensing devices.

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The aim of the work "Stochastic service life prediction of RC girders subjected to chloride induced corrosion – Shear limit state" presented in this thesis is service life prediction of corroded reinforced concrete girders, which forms an important part of durability design. The scope of this work is limited to shear limit state considering the chloride induced corrosion of reinforcement as the degradation mechanism. The review of literature shows that the service life estimation of reinforced concrete bridges exposed to marine environment is an active area of research.

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This thesis is dedicated to every person who feels locked within the soundproof world of illness; feeling as though they are alone and forgotten. In particular to the many thousands of young women who are right now doing whatever they can to put their limited energy to good use: your dreams are still there in the stars, you just need a different way to reach them. If Marcel Proust is any example to live by, some of the most world-changing art can be made from within the confines of a dark, quiet bedroom sprawled with paper and ink.

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The thesis "Three essays on earnings management in frontier countries" makes three distinct research contributions to the study of . The first study examines institutional settings and its ability to constrain accruals-based earnings management. The second study examines financial statement comparability as it relates to accrual and real earnings management. The third study examines the impact of on bank performance. All studies are interrelated but can be read independently.

279p runordie3 06-07-2022 10 2   Download

Food waste is a significant environmental and economic problem with more than one-third of all food grown for human consumption lost or wasted. Food and beverage purchases contribute to approximately one-third of Australian foodservice businesses’ operating expenses, yet most businesses do not know how much food they waste. Further, research has not determined whether the act of measuring waste influences its creation.

342p runordie3 06-07-2022 16 2   Download