Improving the 21st century audit. Financial reports are a key part of an efficient capital market and a central role of auditing is to add creditability to the financial reports. The corporate failures in the recent years have shaken investor confidence. The regulators and the auditing profession have an important role to play in bringing back that trust. The auditing profession needs to continue to evolve to deliver at the high standards expected of them especially in regard to auditors' abilit ....Improving the 21st century audit. Financial reports are a key part of an efficient capital market and a central role of auditing is to add creditability to the financial reports. The corporate failures in the recent years have shaken investor confidence. The regulators and the auditing profession have an important role to play in bringing back that trust. The auditing profession needs to continue to evolve to deliver at the high standards expected of them especially in regard to auditors' ability to uncover material fraud at a reasonable cost. This research will study techniques that will help auditors in meeting the challenges faced by them in detecting fraudulent financial statements and thus improve the audit quality.Read moreRead less
DESIGNING LAND ADMINISTRATION SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT MODERN LAND MARKETS. Economies require successful land markets to generate wealth. Our land administration systems are expensive but essential infrastructure for land markets. However, since they were designed 150 years ago, the market has invented complex commodities: time shares, unit and property trusts, financial instruments, mortgage backed certificates, insurance products, options, corporate development instruments, vertical villages, and ....DESIGNING LAND ADMINISTRATION SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT MODERN LAND MARKETS. Economies require successful land markets to generate wealth. Our land administration systems are expensive but essential infrastructure for land markets. However, since they were designed 150 years ago, the market has invented complex commodities: time shares, unit and property trusts, financial instruments, mortgage backed certificates, insurance products, options, corporate development instruments, vertical villages, and more. The project will explain how modern land markets evolved and how land administration systems can be adapted to provide more efficient land trading and better support for trading in new complex commodities. Read moreRead less
Negotiation style choice and performance in non-equity business partnerships: An empirical assessment. Business relationships, in general, and non-equity business partnerships, in particular, are increasingly important in accomplishing commercial and community objectives in Australia. While businesses focus on purposefully negotiated agreements to drive the performance of these collaborations, an all too large majority fail. This study will result in theoretical and empirical contributions to ou ....Negotiation style choice and performance in non-equity business partnerships: An empirical assessment. Business relationships, in general, and non-equity business partnerships, in particular, are increasingly important in accomplishing commercial and community objectives in Australia. While businesses focus on purposefully negotiated agreements to drive the performance of these collaborations, an all too large majority fail. This study will result in theoretical and empirical contributions to our understanding of negotiation behaviour and related performance effects in non-equity business partnerships; hence, filling a gap in the literature. The findings will significantly benefit those organisations being involved in partnering by providing recommendations for negotiating these partnerships more effectively; hence, reducing their failure rate and achieving important objectives.Read moreRead less
Nonlinear spatial and spatiotemporal econometrics: theory with applications. Modern societies like Australia have major challenges in the forecasting, measuring and managing of risks associated with global economic and environmental/climate changes. These tasks require advanced econometric techniques in modelling and forecasting of complex nonlinear spatiotemporal variability in economic and social systems. This project will develop frontier econometric technologies that enable more accurate eco ....Nonlinear spatial and spatiotemporal econometrics: theory with applications. Modern societies like Australia have major challenges in the forecasting, measuring and managing of risks associated with global economic and environmental/climate changes. These tasks require advanced econometric techniques in modelling and forecasting of complex nonlinear spatiotemporal variability in economic and social systems. This project will develop frontier econometric technologies that enable more accurate economic and climate forecasts. The tools produced will provide Australia's scientists and policy-makers with a greater capacity to manage the risks associated with these challenges. A side-benefit of the research will be high-quality publications that enhance the nation's reputation in this cutting edge research.Read moreRead less
The implications for greying Australia of international property market interlinkages. Recent events in global financial markets have had a major effect on the retirement plans of Australians and the living standards of retirees. This research will permit pension fund managers to better gauge the fundamental links that exist across international property markets, as well as provide a better understanding for both academics and practitioners on the driving forces that link international real est ....The implications for greying Australia of international property market interlinkages. Recent events in global financial markets have had a major effect on the retirement plans of Australians and the living standards of retirees. This research will permit pension fund managers to better gauge the fundamental links that exist across international property markets, as well as provide a better understanding for both academics and practitioners on the driving forces that link international real estate markets together. The research will benefit all Australians as the outcomes will result in improved risk and return performance for superannuation funds, leading to a better standard of living for all retirees.Read moreRead less
Towards Resolution of Franchising Conflict. Franchising is a major sector in the Australian economy with annual turnover greater than $128 billion. Some 35% of franchisors report being involved in substantial disputes with franchisees. This project will investigate the causes of conflict in franchising relationships. Benefits will include a predictive model to identify where conflict is likely to occur in franchising conditions, thereby allowing participants the opportunity to address conflic ....Towards Resolution of Franchising Conflict. Franchising is a major sector in the Australian economy with annual turnover greater than $128 billion. Some 35% of franchisors report being involved in substantial disputes with franchisees. This project will investigate the causes of conflict in franchising relationships. Benefits will include a predictive model to identify where conflict is likely to occur in franchising conditions, thereby allowing participants the opportunity to address conflict before it escalates into dispute. Case studies and recommendations will inform participants and regulatory authorities so as to prevent conflict escalating. This will create a more 'level playing field' for participants and improve financial security for all stakeholders.Read moreRead less
Survival of the fittest: The performance of franchised versus independent small business during economic uncertainty and recovery. The contribution of small business to the Australian economy is substantial. There are almost two million small businesses, representing 96% of all businesses in Australia. As the small business sector is Australia's largest employer, providing jobs for 46 percent of the private sector, it is important that they succeed. This research will analyse survival factors d ....Survival of the fittest: The performance of franchised versus independent small business during economic uncertainty and recovery. The contribution of small business to the Australian economy is substantial. There are almost two million small businesses, representing 96% of all businesses in Australia. As the small business sector is Australia's largest employer, providing jobs for 46 percent of the private sector, it is important that they succeed. This research will analyse survival factors during economic uncertainty in order to identify sustainable and enduring success strategies. The study will compare the performance of independently owned and franchised small businesses in both regional and urban communities. Benefits will include improved knowledge about the key factors that drive superior independent and franchised small business performance.Read moreRead less
Formal Context Analysis in Rapidly Evolving Knowledge Webs (4CARE-K). On-the-fly personalised assembly of complex objects (learning
materials, contracts, plans, designs, software configurations, etc)
is increasingly expected in knowledge processing and decision
making. This requires the discovery of discrete underlying models and
taxonomies of subject domains and statistical matching in dynamically
varying contexts defined by changing personal preferences, tasks,
objectives and other chara ....Formal Context Analysis in Rapidly Evolving Knowledge Webs (4CARE-K). On-the-fly personalised assembly of complex objects (learning
materials, contracts, plans, designs, software configurations, etc)
is increasingly expected in knowledge processing and decision
making. This requires the discovery of discrete underlying models and
taxonomies of subject domains and statistical matching in dynamically
varying contexts defined by changing personal preferences, tasks,
objectives and other characteristics. This project addresses formal
models of context and similarity based in applied lattice theory
(formal concepts), feature logic and statistical retrieval. Parallel
algorithms will be developed, analysed and benchmarked to enable
high-performance processing of vast numbers of heterogeneous objects
in a distributed knowledge web.Read moreRead less
Consistency of going concern audit report modifications over time, audit firms and countries. This research has both national and international benefits. Evidence of the consistency of the going concern audit reporting decision over time and by audit firms in Australia is important to financial report users. Further, an examination of audit reporting behaviour across countries contributes to international convergence. Without consistent application, the benefits of convergence decrease and trans ....Consistency of going concern audit report modifications over time, audit firms and countries. This research has both national and international benefits. Evidence of the consistency of the going concern audit reporting decision over time and by audit firms in Australia is important to financial report users. Further, an examination of audit reporting behaviour across countries contributes to international convergence. Without consistent application, the benefits of convergence decrease and transactions costs and information risk increase. Australia has a policy of international convergence and it is important that Australian representatives have input into the standard-setting process and policy and research supporting these standards both nationally and internationally. The research team can have this input.Read moreRead less
Multi-person judgement in management accounting. Improved managerial judgements can facilitate more efficient/effective resource allocation within organizations, significantly increasing Australian companies' competitiveness. Our project therefore benefits a range of stakeholder groups such as shareholders and employees. Also, by drawing on theories from different disciplines (accounting, social psychology), this project increases our understanding of how accounting information can encourage man ....Multi-person judgement in management accounting. Improved managerial judgements can facilitate more efficient/effective resource allocation within organizations, significantly increasing Australian companies' competitiveness. Our project therefore benefits a range of stakeholder groups such as shareholders and employees. Also, by drawing on theories from different disciplines (accounting, social psychology), this project increases our understanding of how accounting information can encourage managers to behave in a socially desirable manner, such as adopting a conciliatory approach during negotiation. Other benefits include the training of future researchers and raising Australia's profile in accounting research.Read moreRead less