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This paper examines the impact of culture on inter‐firm network development in international marketing. Three research questions about the influence of culture on network development were developed from the literature to focus case data collection and analysis. The data were collected from in‐depth interviews with network managers/owners of firms networking with other overseas firms entering into Australian and Asian markets. Differences and similarities between how overseas Chinese and Australian cultures impact on network development and strategies for developing and maintaining quality and long‐term relationship in cross‐cultural networks were identified. Implications for practice emphasise the importance of cultural adaptation.

The purpose of this paper is to present a case for the importance of mentoring programs in addressing the disadvantage of minority groups in the workforce. Also, to report on a workplace mentoring program conducted for indigenous Australians at the University of Newcastle, Australia.

Interviews with program participants.

Indigenous Australians are marginalised in the Australian workforce. Governments have developed many special labour market programs for indigenous Australians, the majority of which are based on public sector employment. There is potential for more extensive private sector participation in developing workplace programs to support indigenous Australians. Workplace mentoring, especially through indigenous mentors, is important in assisting indigenous employees sustain employment and enhance workforce attachment. The case study demonstrated how culturally appropriate mentoring programs can be successful in attracting, training and placing indigenous Australians into employment.

Confined to a single case study organisation, but the findings are in keeping with North American research on mentoring indigenous workers.

Mentoring has a strong role to play in assisting disadvantaged minorities improve labour market outcomes.

There has been no previous research in the Australian context on mentoring indigenous workers.

The purpose of this Australian case study, set in the 1960s, is to comprehensively examine the responses of the two major professional accounting bodies to a financial/corporate/regulatory crisis necessitating the defence of the profession's legitimacy.

This historical paper draws on surviving primary records and secondary sources and applies the perspectives on the dynamics of occupational groups and the legitimacy typology of Suchman.

While the history of the accounting profession has been characterized by intra‐professional rivalries, this case study illustrates how such rivalries were put aside on recognising the power of collectivizing in defending the profession's legitimacy. Based on the available evidence, pragmatic legitimacy is shown to have been a key focus of attention by the major accounting bodies involved.

The paper may motivate similar studies in Australia and elsewhere, thus potentially contributing to developing a literature on comparative international accounting history. The evidence for this historical investigation is largely restricted to surviving documents, making it necessary to rely on assessments of the key sources.

In addressing responses to crises in defending the legitimacy of the profession as a whole, the paper makes an original contribution in exploring the relationship between literature on the dynamics of occupational groups and on legitimacy management.

Sport leagues are subject to the potential market entry of new leagues playing essentially the same sport. The economic analysis of market entry and exit is used to interpret two Australian cases of new league entry. These new entrants were World Series Cricket (cricket) and Super League (rugby league). The role of the media in the creation of both new leagues was crucial, providing commercial rationale, seed-funding and organizational capabilities. In addition, strategic input competition for venues and players helped weaken the incumbent league. The two cases analyzed provide a template for intending sport league entrants.

This paper examines the dynamics of business networks, that is, how these inter‐organisational networks grow and decline. Three rival theories are investigated: predetermined sequence of stages, evolution of unpredictable states and joinings theory which focus on positioning, repositioning and exit. A case study methodology was used for data collection and analysis. Data were collected from in‐depth interviews with network managers/owners of firms networking with other overseas firms entering into Australian and Asian markets. The findings revealed that inter‐firm network development is an evolution of unpredictable states rather than a predetermined sequence of irreversible stages. In turn, a six “states” model of inter‐firm network development was formulated from data. Implications for managerial practices and further research are advanced.

This paper aims to explore any potential link between the corporate issue of a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) with a changed environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting focus as part of a complementary communicative legitimation strategy.

A longitudinal content analysis of the annual reports of three sample Australian corporations was undertaken, measuring changes in ESG disclosure levels and disclosure focus around the time a SLAPP was issued by each sample firm.

This paper provides support for the contention that both the number of ESG disclosures and the type of ESG disclosures changed after the sample firms issued SLAPPs.

A number of limitations are identified within the paper, including difficulties identifying when SLAPPs are initiated.

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first investigation of the relationship between SLAPPs and ESG reporting, and this study helps open up a new area of research into how ESG reporting is used by corporations in a strategic manner.

The purpose of this paper is to reveal the success factors for retention of first year special entry Aboriginal students at an Australian metropolitan university. A retention model is proposed for minority students.

A grounded theory approach was taken to a longitudinal study of the first year experience of 12 indigenous tertiary students, the majority being second generation undergraduates. A qualitative methodology features in‐depth interviews conducted three times over one year to ascertain impacts of schooling, teaching and learning, life experience, career aspirations, relationships and racial identity on academic success.

Positive or negative prior life experience had little impact on first year academic performance. Indigenous students as an equity group were found to have similar learning and life issues to non‐indigenous students such as studying to improve job prospects and needing part‐time employment to survive. They did not see themselves as different, and had no close relationship to indigenous knowledge or culture. Yet factors influencing academic success were related to indigeneity. Such as close friendships and dependence on each other, mentoring care of staff, and rewards of giving back through mentoring local indigenous school students. Private schools provided a dominant pipeline to university. Participants had a very early career focus but little career support. Students adopted both indigenous and non‐indigenous world perspectives and displayed robust resilience in the face of challenging family and educational experiences. In‐depth interviews across the year well demonstrated student evolutions. Further longitudinal study of student progress will extend this first Australian study.

This is the first in‐depth analysis and benchmark model for development of success factors for retaining special entry indigenous Australian students in higher education. It provides a one‐year baseline for a unique longitudinal assessment of student success. The paper newly explores the role of career and indigeneity as well as life and academic support systems in student retention. Findings apply to minority retention programs.

Over the last decade, Australian organisations have embraced total quality management (TQM) as an effective management philosophy. However, a recent report indicated that there is little evidence of leading Australian researchers working on quality and related areas. Moreover, the perception is that whatever research has been done, it is fragmented and at a low level. In the light of this we conducted an extensive literature search on TQM materials. Our purpose was to provide a systematic analysis of the TQM articles published by the Australian researchers or in the context of Australian organisations. Our analysis led us to conclude that the research has been unbalanced, focusing mainly on case studies and empirical research. Further research is necessary to develop conceptual underpinning and analytical models based on large empirical studies.

The purpose of this paper is to report an investigation of local sustainable production in Australia and Sweden aimed at exploring the factors contributing to survival and competitiveness of manufacturing companies.

In Australia, six companies were studied in 2010, with comparisons being made with three of them from earlier projects. In Sweden, eight manufacturing companies were studied on two occasions 30 years apart, in 1980 and 2010. To provide a valid comparative perspective a common format for data collection and analysis was used.

There has been a shift in the nature of competition in both Sweden and Australia due to an increasing complexity of the global business environment as well as changes in technology and customer expectations. Despite the differences in country context, the findings suggest that all the manufacturing companies have a good awareness of the elements of the market environment and the relationships with their competitive strategy. However, in general, the Swedish companies have more experience of managing the risks and benefits from operating in the international environment.

The results of the research are based on a relatively small sample of case companies in a limited number of industrial sectors. There are methodology implications for future research in the area.

The research results have practical implications for the manufacturing industry, especially for companies operating in a competitive international environment.

The paper is based on original case research and comparative analysis of data from different geographical contexts. It contributes to both theory and management practice about the strategic resources, decision choices, competitive environments and firm values needed to address external market demands as well as in building internal capabilities.

In the last decade, Indigenous enterprises and entrepreneurs have played an increasingly important role in Australia. This has not always been the case. Historically, Indigenous Australians have been excluded from the broader economy. However, more recently, the number of Indigenous businesses has significantly increased despite the limited access to capital and lower level of education. This chapter provides a historical perspective of Indigenous entrepreneurs in Australia and argues that entrepreneurial leadership development can play a critical role in developing Indigenous entrepreneurship. The historical context of Indigenous Australians is first discussed, and the current status of Indigenous entrepreneurs in Australia is then examined. In particular, we focus on entrepreneurship among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Finally, the importance of entrepreneurial leadership development in the future landscape of Indigenous entrepreneurship in Australia is highlighted.