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Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel direction of enquiry into predictions of employee turnover through the application of a qualitative method adapted from marital research. This method focuses on diagnosing the relationship, and has been able to predict divorce with an accuracy of over 90 per cent, as opposed to existing turnover prediction methods' modest success of about 30 per cent. By demonstrating that the method can be applied to turnover research, this study completes a seminal step in developing this promising direction of enquiry. Design/methodology/approach - The Oral History Interview method for predicting divorce is adapted to employment settings, and tested on Australian legal and healthcare employees. A qualitative analysis of their responses maps the results from this inquiry onto separation-predicting processes identified in marital research. The results are compared to turnover data collected two years later. Findings - Similar relational processes exist in marital and employment relationships when the marital relationship diagnostics method is applied to organisational settings, demonstrating the utility of this tool in the employment context. Preliminary turnover data indicate that some relational processes are significantly associated with employee turnover. Research limitations/implications - Future research should examine the predictive power of this tool on a larger sample, and apply it to a wider range of professions, tenure, and positions. Practical implications - The results indicate that it is viable to diagnose an employment relationship using this diagnostics method developed in marital research. Social implications - The novel perspective offered in this paper has potential to greatly improve this employment relationship across jobs and organisations, thus improving organisational productivity and individual wellbeing. Originality/value - Researchers of employee turnover and practitioners seeking to understand a

of a presentation at the Fourth World Congress on Positive Psychology, Florida, USA, 25-28 June.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to explore the role of the Diffusion of Innovations framework in adopting an infection prevention and control program (IPCP) in a low and middle income (LMI) country, the Republic of Kiribati. Methods: Case-study methodology was used to examine and contextualise the analysis of the Republic of Kiribati's adoption of the IPCP from 2003 to 2010. Data were collected from multiple sources including semi-structured interviews, IPCP documentation, program evaluation and a healthcare worker survey. Data were subjected to thematic analysis and descriptive statistics where relevant to the study design. Results: It was found that the self-initiated progression of activities and stimuli has resulted in the successful adoption of a comprehensive IPCP. The process followed the staged model of the classic Diffusion of Innovations process in organisations described by Everett Rogers. Conclusion: This case study provides an illustration of how a comprehensive IPCP can be adopted in a LMI country setting with little involvement from external agencies. It identifies key stimuli, opportunities and activities which could be similarly adopted and implemented by other LMI countries.

Retention of staff is, and will continue to be, a critical issue in the sustainability of most organisations. When we consider retention in terms of volunteers, the issue becomes increasingly more complex as the volunteer workforce itself becomes a source of competition as not-for-profit organisations vie for the same scarce resource - volunteers. Organisations which intend to attract and retain a solid cadre of reliable volunteer labour must ensure they look within themselves to ensure they manage these staff well. Leadership is among the key management skills an organisation must hone to do this, and to do it well. This research looks at the development of a unique leadership program using Self Determination Theory (SDT) to train leaders to develop volunteer work environments which meet the three basic psychological needs that all humans have. The training program is discussed and its value is assessed through an experimental empirical research design. The findings show that leadership development which is focused towards SDT has strong benefits towards the retention of volunteers.

Many individuals are motivated to earn a doctoral degree as it is the general prerequisite for a career in academia. Most institutions of higher learning look for candidates who have already established a record of scholarly productivity in their field, or at a minimum, show potential for developing a scholarly research and writing agenda. This chapter highlights the importance of scholarly contribution to the field and provides strategies for individuals seeking to become published.

Situated in a fast changing modern environment and facing relentless international competition, Huawei has so far thrived. However, Huawei now faces a decision point. Given that continuous growth will yield increased pain, should Huawei choose to settle into their market and perhaps stagnate or should it reinvent itself and continue its youthful, but painful, path towards market growth?

A comprehensive infection prevention and control programme (IPCP) is designed to control and prevent thetransmission of infectious diseases within the healthcare environment and the community. Understanding howan IPCP is introduced within a health system can inform actions to encourage their adoption in other locations.This paper explores the adoption stages of an IPCP in a specific case situation of SARS.Data sources and analysis included: 1) Chronological and thematic analysis of IPCP documentation andassessments performed by local staff and external agencies/consultants, and 2) semi-structured interviews withlocal key informants and external agencies (using snow-ball sampling) with thematic analysis. Analysis wasperformed according to Everett Rogers Diffusion of Innovations for Organisations framework.The two key activities of the organisational innovation process were identified. These were: initiation andimplementation. The initiation activity included: 1) agenda-setting: preparations for severe acute respiratorysyndrome (SARS) in 2003 stimulated the identification of organisational IPCP deficits, and 2) matching: deficitswere identified and the decision to adopt an IPCP innovation package was made. Implementation included:a) redefining/restructuring: identification of the components of an IPCP and how they best fit within the localhealth structure, b) clarifying: integration of IPCP into the health services and defining an infection control rolewithin the nursing division and, c) routinising: the IPCP became an ongoing element in health service delivery. The adoption of the IPCP followed the classic Diffusion of Innovations Process for Organisations. The casestudy described serves as an example of IPCP adoption model in other low- and middle-income healthcaresettings and suggests ways to utilise opportunities as they present.

Collaboration and eCollaboration are arguable necessities for firms in today's economic age. Gone are the times when a firm could stand alone in the market warding off the competitive pressures of rival firms. Today, just the competitive forces of globalization alone are significant drivers to enable collaboration amongst rivals. The advantages of collaboration and eCollaboration for SMEs are profuse, providing small firms a measure of economic security in a world in which many industries face hyper-competition, particularly from countries with very low costs of labor. In discussing the nature and advantages of eCollaboration, the need for an eCollaboration champion becomes apparent. This case discusses eCollaboration from the perspective of 70 Australia SMEs and presents a model for the successful championship. In so doing, it discusses the multiple roles a champion must embrace and the various issues and dilemmas that are contingent to these roles.

As a Navy Working Capital Fund (NWCF) activity Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Charleston is faced with many unique and challenging business prospects. As a government activity with government employees, SPAWAR Charleston is uniquely aligned and charged to support the objectives and needs of its government customers by Congress. A NWCF activity is also a non-appropriated government entity that must rely, as any commercial sector business, on continued funding streams on a year to year basis. Unlike a commercial entity however, there are strict legal limits to how and what kinds of work SPAWAR Charleston can acquire and perform. Given these unique circumstances, it is difficult to directly fit commercial management and measurement practices to SPAWAR Charleston or too many other Department of Defense activities. As SPAWAR Charleston continues to grow and expand its business base, it must be able to provide outstanding value to its customers while fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities to the tax payers. New ways must be found to quantify, to measure and to take action on similar but different business factors than those used in the traditional commercial sector. This research focuses on the adaptation of commercial customer and employee loyalty measurement to a NWCF activity., http://archive.org/details/measuringcustome109451966, Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Australian local government stands at a pivotal point in its evolution, as it seeks to respond to impending challenges and long-standing, "wicked" problems. Paradoxically, at the same time as shifting boundaries between federal, state and local governance provide new opportunities for local government and local communities, local councils are facing a crisis of confidence in terms of relevance, capacity and community trust. The pressure is on for local government to reinvent itself for the 21st century, but a variety of internal and external factors impact on its capacity to do so. This paper documents the beginning phases of a study of the phenomena that impede innovation by and within local government, in particular innovative practice in relation to local government paradigms and processes. The presenter, who works in local government, is seeking to identify the points in the innovation cycle at which the intent for innovative practice fails to deliver innovative outcomes and to explain how organisational attributes, community characteristics, governance and legislated delegation, limit the capacity of local government authorities to innovate.

In today's society, managers are either told to change to adapt to the fast moving needs of their organisation or see them die. Change can become a rather stressful activity when managers need to weigh up their goals and objectives with those of competing stakeholders. This is particularly important within a range of regional contexts due to the nature of how businesses operate in different jurisdictions. Clear, concise and timely information can smooth a change process or assist a change when being first implemented. In our modern world, organisations appear to be moving away from out-dated methods of communication towards those that are electronic in nature. Email, blogs, social networking and electronically connected sites have been the fashion in the last decade. This paper explores 14 cases where forms of electronic communications and in particular social media have been researched in organisations using a case study meta-analysis methodology.

The importance of comprehensive infection prevention and control programs (IPCPs) to preventhealthcare associated infection is well reported in the literature. What is not as well reported are the conceptualframeworks that guide the adoption of these comprehensive programs. By reporting the catalysts and processesassociated with the successful adoption of IPCPs, a template for successful program implementation may bedeveloped that will assist others in recognising such opportunities, thus enabling replication. This paper providesstimulus for such adoption and implementation.A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to identify reports of comprehensive IPCP adoption andthe conceptual frameworks used in the process. The review revealed an absence of relevant literature examiningthe adoption of comprehensive IPCP or associated conceptual frameworks. Only one published study demonstratedthe Diffusion of Innovations framework, and is discussed in detail. The outcome of this literature review points toa clear need for more research into IPCP adoption. This is especially important as relevant literature would assistlow-resourced healthcare settings in their adoption of comprehensive IPCPs.

Quantitative methodologies have long utilised computer assisted software for data analysis. In more recent times, increasingly sophisticated computer assisted software has been developed to aid in the analysis of qualitative data. This paper discusses the use of one such computer assisted software analysis package – NVivo – in the analysis of interview data obtained from respondents in the Electronic Gaming Machine Industry across two jurisdictions, namely New South Wales, Australia and Nevada, USA . The efficacy of utilising qualitative methods for generating empirical data in social and societal marketing is acknowledged, particularly when very little, if any, primary data exists in the area being studied. Analysis of interview data from the Electronic Gaming Machine industry and the subsequent emergence of concepts and themes are discussed. Given the sensitive and confidential nature of primary data generated from respondents within industries that market legal, but potentially harmful products, as for example the Electronic Gaming Machine industry, the use of computer assisted software packages such as NVivo is a valuable aid in reducing the complexity of this type of research. Grounded theory and case study methodologies guided this research and in keeping with the principles of grounded theory, the extant literature relating to the concepts and themes that emerged during NVivo analysis was utilised throughout all stages of this study. The conceptual model developed in the final stages of NVivo analysis is also discussed and presented.

Technology has done many things for small businesses. In one sense small business has been harmed through the advance of technology, which, from a competitive perspective, has made the world a much smaller place. To balance this, technology now provides the means for small businesses to collaborate and build complementary skills to provide a better competitive standing in the world market. Electronically enhanced collaboration, or eCollaboration, allows firms to transcend the boundaries of space and time, permitting asynchronous communication and other Information Communication Technology (ICT) enablers. eCollaboration provides participants clear market advantages, not least among these is profit. Gains can also be realized in areas like knowledge management, increased customer service, optimized supply chains, and better inventory control. Participants from 70 Small businesses in Southern Sydney were interviewed, observed, and participated in focus groups. Data were collected and analyzed using NVivo and Grounded Theory; from this data an integrated model is developed which provides guidelines for optimum facilitation and management of eCollaboration. Two critical needs were developed – these were hard and soft needs; two value-add needs were found – these are marketing and feedback. By satisfying these needs eCollaboration Champions – people or institutions who can facilitate, support, and guide collaborative relationships – can better ensure eCollaboration success.

We observe that trust is context sensitive: actors that may trust each other in one situation may not display the same level of trust in other situations, for example when different competencies are required. It is broadly agreed that trust is important in relation to collaborative ventures. In this paper we use the ARCON reference model as a framework to consider endogenous and exogenous aspects of trust important in the establishment, operation and dissolution of collaborative ventures. Some comments are made about the use of the model and some possible shortcomings are noted.

Management texts have long been prescriptive regarding management practice, recommending managers do this, and managers do that, to ensure greater and greater effectiveness. Only a relatively minor proportion of management researchers have gone into the field to observe just what managers actually do. Change management literature tends to be prescriptive regarding how organisations should manage change, and why some leaders are better than others. There is a relative paucity of empirical information discussing what effective change managers actually do. This paper aims to present empirical data from a longitudinal change management research study to develop an enhanced understanding of what managers do during major organisational change. The first part provides a comprehensive overview of the main empirical studies of ‘what change do managers do’ over the last fifty years. The more salient among these are explored in greater depth, with their strengths and weaknesses examined. The second part assesses the applicability of the conceptualised categories using data from the research project, by comparing what change managers actually do against what is espoused in the literature. An analysis is provided which examines each activity performed by the managers, classifying these activities in terms of the change management roles identified in the literature, assessing the weight given to each role in terms of time and frequency. This research finds that the literature is reasonably accurate in its espousal of the roles for change managers. It also finds that information handling is a significant component for both managers and change managers, yet the research literature gives little significance to this role.

This paper investigates factors conducive to the development of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) innovation in the context of the adoption and use of electronic collaboration technologies (eCollaboration), to enhance business growth, competitiveness and future economic viability. A change from competition to collaboration is an imperative for many firms today. The current economic climate is one reason why firms should work together, but more driving than this are the ubiquitous effects of globalisation. Australian firms are facing fierce competition from many overseas nations which have the advantage of cost effective labour. Businesses must transcend from attitudes of competing to attitudes which support collaboration but how? This paper answers this question by presenting research which illustrates how SMEs can achieve successful collaboration utilising electronic tools to support and facilitate their cooperation. Qualitative data are acquired through a number of focus groups from both successful and unsuccessful collaborators in a variety of industries in the Southern Sydney Region. Analysis of these data reveal two major factors. These factors are unpacked and explored, and coupled together to provide a model of eCollaboration. They are introduced below: 1) What is needed to make collaboration and eCollaboration work? Five elements are discovered which either inhibit or enable collaboration (trust, reputation, culture, power, ownership). Of these, trust is found to be of greatest importance to the successful development of collaborative relationships. 2) What are the considerations (enablers and inhibitors) of successful collaboration and eCollaboration? There are many elements which comprise this factor. However, essential elements such as a focus on core business and limited intervention are among the more critical.

Computer assisted analysis has long been a major factor of quantitative analysis. This paper illustrates the use of computer assisted analysis for qualitative research, looking specifically at research in the Electronic Gaming Industry, across two country sectors – New South Wales, Australia and Nevada, USA, where empirical data are collected and analysed. The paper highlights the important place that computer assisted analysis holds in social and societal marketing. A detailed discussion explains how analysis was undertaken in the Electronic Gaming Industry, and how concepts and theory emerged. This paper discusses the qualitative approach used in this research. In particular, it highlights the benefits of using computer mediated tools for analysis, showing that qualitative research and analysis packages, such as NVivo, can both add value to, and reduce the complexity of, research, especially in cases where data are sensitive, limited or confidential. A combination of grounded theory and case study methodology was also utilised to guide the research, with the former highlighting the importance of continuing to explore the extant literature during and after analysis of the primary data. The paper also presents some of the findings of the research, developing a conceptual model for legitimacy.

Our SEED project derived a method to trade habitat that incorporates the role of landscape connectivity for population viability, and level of scientific uncertainty regarding landscape-scale processes. Our project focuses on the development and application of spatially-explicit population models (SEPMs) to inform habitat trading decisions. Military readiness will often require changing the spatial allocation of endangered species habitat prior to reaching a scientific consensus regarding the dispersal behaviors of listed species. Therefore, we use Pattern Oriented Modeling to reduce uncertainty in SEPMs regarding dispersal of red-cockaded woodpeckers (RCW) for Camp Lejeune. We used the subset of SEPMs capable of reproducing observed patterns to evaluate six alternative habitat trades. Landscape Equivalency Analysis was used to estimate if the patches traded make equivalent contributions to rates of population growth and migration at a regional scale. Decision analysis indicated that despite the remaining uncertainty in dispersal behaviors, a further reduction in uncertainty will likely not change the estimate of the most cost-effective trade., SERDP(Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program). SERDP Collection. Prepared in cooperation with the UFZ Center for Environmental Research, Department of Ecological Modeling, Leipzig-Halle, Germany. The original document contains color images.