http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5679 2013-06-19T13:35:38Z 2013-06-19T13:35:38Z Kirkby, Elisabeth http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5744 2009-12-07T01:31:45Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Should Banking be Left to the Bankers? A Comparison of the Great Depression and the Great Financial Crisis Authors: Kirkby, Elisabeth Abstract: G.K. Chesterton wrote ‘The Secret People’ in 1915, but his words also express the despair felt by the unemployed in the 1930s, struggling against events outside their control. "They fight us by shuffling papers; they have bright dead alien eyes; And they look on our labour and laughter as a tired man looks at flies. And the load of their loveless pity is worse than the ancient wrongs; Their doors are shut in the evening: and they know no songs." Unfeeling central bankers and economic theorists dictated monetary policy in the 1930s, confident in their belief that ‘the market is always right’. Any attempt to control financial markets or fiscal policy was anathema, as wild speculation on Wall Street went unchecked. This paper examines the events of the 1930s in Australia, and the way in which bankers in Australia were manipulated by British financial interests in general and the Bank of England in particular. In 2007 and 2008, the Great Financial Crisis (GFC) was a reminder of the Great Depression and the years of unemployment and social unrest; the policies of the econocrats who had boasted that the Great Crash of 1929 could never happen again were proved wrong. It is the aim of this paper to show that history can’t be ignored, that the interests of powerful financial institutions need to be controlled. It is an attempt to understand the mistakes made in Australia in the 1930s, in order to ensure that prudent management and effective regulation will be the way of the future. Description: Not refereed

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Rares, Quintin http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5742 2009-11-26T11:34:43Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The History of the US Automobile Industry: A Psychological Inquiry Authors: Rares, Quintin Abstract: The US auto industry has been in-and-out of crisis for a number of decades; the question is why? To begin answering this question, the present paper will undertake a case history dating from 1893 (the date of the first one-cylinder car) to the present day, focusing on the ‘boom’ of the early 1900s and the industry’s recent history. In doing so, this paper will look at how theories in organisational behaviour, psychology and the decision sciences, as well as experimental economics, can benefit from such an historical study. And in a reciprocal nature how those fields of study inform our understanding of why the organisations within the industry behaved in the manner in which they did. More specifically, the paper will focus on the exploration-exploitation paradigm identified across the aforementioned literature, and will show how psychological factors led car companies to make suboptimal decisions, exploiting known alternatives rather than searching for new opportunities. Therefore the purpose of this paper is threefold. First, it seeks to undertake brief historical research into the US auto industry. Second, it seeks to show how such research will inform a wide-range of literature. Finally, the paper will demonstrate how those areas of study inform our own understanding of the aforementioned historical events. Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Schreyögg, Georg Sydow, Jörg http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5741 2009-11-26T11:34:44Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Organisational Paths: How History Matters in a Publishing Organisation Authors: Schreyögg, Georg; Sydow, Jörg Abstract: Whilst the notion of path dependence features quite prominently in organisation and business history literature, its actual meaning and logic have remained vague and ambiguous. In order to advance a more precise understanding of the underlying logic we present a theoretical framework explaining how organisations become path-dependent. At its core are the dynamics of self-reinforcing mechanisms, which are likely to lead an organisation into a lock-in. The process of an organisation – or some of its subsystems – becoming path-dependent is conceptualised along three distinct stages. The conceptual model is then used to investigate a German book club that has become path-dependent and, finally, locked-in. Description: Not refereed

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Quinlan, Michael http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5733 2009-11-19T11:33:33Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: We’ve Been Down this Road Before: Evidence on the Health Consequences of Precarious Employment in Industrial Societies, 1840-1920 Authors: Quinlan, Michael Abstract: A large body of international scientific research now indicates that the growth of job insecurity, flexible/temporary work and precarious forms of self-employment have had significant negative consequences for occupational health and safety. What is often overlooked in debates over the ‘changing world of work’ is that today’s widespread use insecure and short term work is not new but represents a return to something more resembling labour markets in Australia, Europe and North America in the 19th and early 20th century. As this paper will seek to show, not only were precarious and exploitive working arrangements common during this period but the adverse effects of these on the health, safety and wellbeing was well documented in government inquiries, medical research, press reports and a variety of other sources. Drawing primarily on Australian and British sources, attention here will focus on casual labourers, sweated garment workers, the self-employed and merchant seamen. The paper highlights the valuable role historical research can play in shedding light on contemporary problems and policy debates. Description: Not refereed

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Paton, Michael http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5732 2009-11-19T11:33:33Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Can Historical Research into Fengshui Tell Us Anything about Business in China? Authors: Paton, Michael Abstract: The commodification of higher education has been led by business schools in Australia, and they have been accused of teaching merely technique and preaching greed in their manifesto of career and revenue generation. The study of history has been a casualty in this push for the techniques rather than the substance of business. This paper argues that even historical research into a subject as arcane as the traditional Chinese art/science of fengshui can lead to a greater understanding of the context of business in China and therefore of Chinese business practice itself. Description: Not refereed

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Colley, Linda http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5731 2009-11-19T11:33:33Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The Whole Truth: How History can Inform Our Understanding of Ageing Workforces Authors: Colley, Linda Abstract: The ageing of Australian workforces is a universally accepted truth. In recent years the increasing rate of retirements has been a significant contributor to tight labour markets and skills shortages. The ageing workforce is generally linked to the ageing population, and explained in demographic terms – declining fertility/birth-rates and increasing longevity have changed the population profile, and the number of labour market entrants is only just keeping pace with labour market exits. Policy solutions are then developed from this limited demographic explanation. I argue that these demographic explanations are overly simplistic and ignore the historical context, particularly in the public sector environment. Since the 1970s, there have been extensive reforms as public sectors have embraced managerial and contractual philosophies, and radically altered both public management and public sector employment relations. These reforms have led to a double-whammy of reduced employment of younger employee cohorts and increased retention of older employee cohorts. This paper focuses on one part of the reform process related to merit and recruitment policies, in the period up until the late 1980s. I argue that the likely ageing of the workforce as a result of these policies could have been predicted beforehand, or at least identified as they occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, if public services had kept better workforce data and undertaken forecasting of workforce trends. Without understanding these historical explanations, policy solutions will be limited in scope, success and sustainability. Description: Not refereed

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Patmore, Greg Balnave, Nikola http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5730 2009-11-19T11:33:36Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Competition in Retailing: Lessons from the History of Rochdale Consumer Co-operatives in Australia Authors: Patmore, Greg; Balnave, Nikola Abstract: Rochdale consumer co-operatives have played an integral role in the lives of many people in particular localities in Australia. The Rochdale movement developed in waves in the period prior to the end of World War II, but went into decline over the following decades. While the movement has collapsed in Australia, a number of Rochdale consumer co-operatives continue to thrive in rural areas of Australia, largely by drawing upon a reciprocal relationship with the local community. A further reason for the survival of these rural co-ops is that they have linked up with franchising. This arrangement – community co-operative ownership and franchising – provides another alternative in the quest to increase competition and reduce market concentration in retailing in Australia. Description: Not refereed

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Mulley, Corinne http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5728 2009-11-19T11:33:32Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Passenger Transport in the UK 1920-50: The Drive for 'Co-ordination' of Transport Modes Authors: Mulley, Corinne Abstract: The development of the railway system transformed travel opportunities for people in the nineteenth century. The technological change dominating personal travel in the twentieth century was the development of the internal combustion engine bringing first the private car and then the motor bus. The early twentieth century brought a tension between these two modes in an environment where the UK railways were highly regulated whereas the upsurge of motor traffic was in contrast unregulated. Importantly too, the capital structure of the two modes was quite different. The railways required significant investment, funded by private capital whereas the motor industry, as it became technically efficient, was within the means of individual entrepreneurs. This paper looks at the way in which transport policy sought to resolve this tension by the proposition of legislation to promote co-ordination and integration. Initially the approach to ‘transport problem’ was on a mode by mode basis (railways and then motor buses) but after World War II, nationalisation tried to consider a more holistic approach. The paper identifies the way in which the UK appears to have developed differently from its European neighbours and identifies as a critical point that UK policy was always clouded by a discussion of ownership and the role that this played in the ability to ‘co-ordinate’ or ‘integrate’ transport services. Description: Peer reviewed

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Di Lernia, Cary http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5727 2009-11-19T11:33:32Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The Deep Veins of the Sons of Gwalia Litigation Authors: Di Lernia, Cary Abstract: This paper engages in a doctrinal analysis of historical precedent on aggrieved shareholder claims in the UK. It does so in order to expose the basis for the judgment of the House of Lords in the foundational case of Houldsworth v City of Glasgow Bank (1880) 5 App Cas 317, which held in cases involving fraudulent or misleading behaviour inducing share purchase that it would be inconsistent with a shareholder’s membership contract to ‘claim back’ amounts originally committed to the company for the pursuit of its business objects and the payment of its liabilities. This analysis will demonstrate that the judgments in Houldsworth (which have prevented shareholders ranking on par with unsecured creditors up until the determination of the High Court in Sons of Gwalia Ltd (admin apptd) v Margaretic (2007) HCA 1) ignored relevant legislation in the form of s 38(7) of the Companies Act 1862 UK which was specifically applicable to cases involving aggrieved shareholder claims, instead relying on principles drawn from the law of partnerships to decide the case. While it is submitted that the High Court was justified in choosing not to apply Houldsworth, the rule may still prove good law in certain circumstances. Having been the subject of a recent Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee review the issue of aggrieved shareholder claims is current as ever, though the veins of the problem run rather deep in the history of Australian and UK corporations law. This paper seeks to illustrate the value of a deeper understanding of the history of such claims to making informed policy decisions going forward. The paper argues that the rule in Houldsworth’s case should be abrogated by legislation in order to provide certainty in this technical area of the law. Description: Peer reviewed

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Thompson, Ann-Marie http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5726 2009-11-19T11:33:31Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The Concept of Socipe in Societal Planning: An Historical Approach Authors: Thompson, Ann-Marie Abstract: This paper presents a new theoretical framework that has been explored through historical methods. The Socipe framework combines Podgórecki’s Sociotechnical paradigm with the communication aspects of the diffusion process. The Socipe framework follows the decision making process of a Government for a Socipe decision. A Socipe decision is conceptualised here for the first time and is a macro level decision which affects every group in the society and in which other environmental and social factors are independently facilitating the same sought after change in behaviour. Historical methodology and methods have been used to illustrate the Socipe framework in the context of the deregulation of shop trading hours in New Zealand. Description: Peer reviewed

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Moutou, Claudine http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5725 2009-11-19T11:33:30Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Car Parking Matters to Small Retailers: An Historical Case Study of Three Town Centres in Marrickville Authors: Moutou, Claudine Abstract: Increasing the costs of car parking and in some cases removing it has become recommended practice for discouraging car use. To understand the perspective of the high street retail cluster who will be confronted with such changes, the paper reviews a time when another change in mobility and access led to car parking construction. A case study of local newspaper coverage between 1968-87 about car parks in the Marrickville Council area is analysed for themes, using a sociological framework of mobility. The paper concludes that while policies of the past may have prioritised economic needs the paradigm shift of sustainable decision making means that future policy implementation will be more complex. In town centres this requires more attention to be paid to the needs of those not engaged in the policy debate, but who are dependent upon the existing infrastructure of car parking. Small retail businesses are one such group. Description: Peer reviewed

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Young, Louise Bairstow, Nigel http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5724 2009-11-19T11:33:34Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Exploring Channel Evolution with History Authors: Young, Louise; Bairstow, Nigel Abstract: This paper discusses the evolution of the distribution channel of the Australian Information Communication Technology (ICT) industry over a 21 year period, introducing an effectiveness of the methods used to investigate this. The paper opens with a discussion of the value of historical analysis, arguing that ‘applying history helps us by identifying the reasons for important transitions’. A historical focus both allows us to interpret the past via the identification of key events that triggered change; and by considering the patterns that these form; we are able to surmise the impact of present and future events. The practical problems associated with extended longitudinal research have been well documented and include substantial resources required, drop out, poor choice of focus (as one cannot foresee if research subjects will evolve in ways of interest to the researchers), etc. This paper illustrates an effective way of overcoming at least some of these problems by using archival material in combination with narrative event analysis and any necessary clarification and augmentation provided via depth interviews with industry experts. Narrative event analysis enables consideration of the important explanations that can emerge from considering timing, order and interaction of events over simple correlation between variables. The analysis enables consideration of ‘moving pictures’ of networks as they evolve rather than only static pictures. The analysis of archival data avoids problems of imperfect recall and because the material used (articles in trade journals published during the review period) is from the perspective of many different observers, we also avoid dependence on the perspectives and interpretations of only a few observers. The paper focuses on a description of the classification and coding of the archival data for events using structural conditions topography. One of the key findings is that the following mechanisms/conditions are appropriate for classification and interrelating of the processes and the events of the channel’s evolution. Market conditions which relate to preferred structure of the optimum channel network, size of market, industry growth, competition relating to number of vendors and distribution partners in the channel, long term strategic trends and the frequency of mergers and acquisitions were important drivers. Product conditions are connected to market conditions and these play a particularly important role in the information technology market where there is a constant emergence of new products and technology with products superseding other products and with short product life-cycles. Influence conditions (i.e. social mechanisms) are concerned responses to product and market conditions, in particular with how vendor distributor relationships are managed by vendor distributor management. This involves fit in terms of organisation culture and expectations between vendor and distributor, fit of personality of account manager on vendor distributor side, inter personal skills of account manager, communication frequency, interpersonal skills and how conflicts are managed. Commercial agreement conditions (risk/return profile of distribution) are the final key mechanism. This relates to the vendor commercial distributor agreement, basic functions, channel strategy, nature of commercial relationship, performance targets and formal reporting. The paper presents a portion of the analysis of the archival data using this frame to show the interrelationships of these four categories. Structural conditions have a significant impact on the structural evolution of the channel and on the relationships within the channel of distribution. Structural evolution is driven in part by market conditions. Mergers and acquisitions have resulted in increased channel consolidation and the emergence of fewer channel partners and this has moved the relationship processes from high conflict and adversarial to highly collaborative forms – though these do often include considerable conflict. Product conditions relating to convergence of new product technology over time have also impacted on channel structure expanding the channel further into retail and online alternatives. However this greater complexity of tasks (in conjunction with adversarial history) has resulted in the need for increasing levels of channel coordination to manage and resolve the considerable conflicts that continue to emerge. Evolution of commercial conditions has resulted in more professionalism and a formalised partner planning process which in turn is impacting on the influence conditions. The paper concludes with a discussion of further development of this methodology and the further analysis that will be undertaken. Description: Peer reviewed

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Walker, Miranda Mees, Bernard http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5723 2009-11-19T11:33:34Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The Use and Abuse of Business History Authors: Walker, Miranda; Mees, Bernard Abstract: The use of history in vocational undergraduate courses is contested. Although there has been a recent push to bolster the teaching of history in Australian secondary schools, history in business courses still often seems only to linger at the margins. Pleas to include historical approaches to business education are made from time to time that suggest a role for history in the curriculum that is essentially not historical – they often highlight the skills history students develop or the broader humanistic understanding usually associated with historical knowledge, not necessarily ones based on what is unique to history. This paper argues that historical analysis is essentially different than that represented by other traditional disciplines and that this fundamental aspect of history should be at the core of arguments to include business history in course curriculums. Description: Peer reviewed

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Groutsis, Dimitria Taksa, Lucy http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5722 2009-11-19T11:33:33Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Using Historical Perspective to Enhance Understanding of the Relationship Between Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Diversity Management Authors: Groutsis, Dimitria; Taksa, Lucy Abstract: The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the value of considering Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Affirmative Action (AA) and Diversity Management (DM) and the relationships between them from an historical perspective. By locating all three policies and/or strategies in the specific historical contexts in which they emerged, the paper considers analogous political, social and legal developments that emerged concurrently, and whether they had an impact on the way that EEO, AA and DM have been practised and represented. For our purposes, such developments include multicultural and productive diversity policies and anti-discrimination laws. This approach makes it possible to uncover the similarities and differences between these policies/practises and also patterns of change and continuity. On this basis, the paper indicates how ahistorical approaches to EEO/AA and DM have prevented understandings of and engagement with the workplace experiences of migrant workers from non-English speaking backgrounds, thereby contributing to a lack of insight into inter-cultural relations in organisations composed of women and men from a wide range of countries, linguistic groups and cultures. Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Shields, John Moore, Andrew http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5721 2009-11-19T11:33:35Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Collective Biography and Labour History: The Case of The Biographical Register of the Australian Labour Movement, 1788-1975 Authors: Shields, John; Moore, Andrew Abstract: As a research method, collective biography seems ideally suited to meeting one of the core concerns of labour history – that of acknowledging simultaneously the agency of the individual within the collective, as well as the influence of the collective on the individual. Indeed, this has been one of the key objectives of The Biographical Register of the Australian Labour Movement, 1788-1975, a project on which we have both been working for over a decade and which is nearing completion. The Register, which we are planning to publish in both hard copy and CD form, incorporates brief (300-700 word) biographical entries over 2,000 women and men whose contribution to the history of organised labour in Australian has hitherto been either undocumented or under-documented. Drawing on our own experiences, and on those of researchers undertaking similar projects in Britain and the USA, our paper explores the particular challenges and potential rewards of collective labour biography. If producing a detailed biographical study of a single labour personality can be conceptually and empirically problematic, attempting to do justice simultaneously to the life’s work of many hundreds of labour activists presents its own special problems. Not the least of these are the issues of representativeness, sampling, selection, and information availability. Yet the project has also been immensely rewarding. The Register entries assist us to better explain the often deeply personal well-springs of labour activism. Our paper explores some significant demographic factors and trends revealed in the Register entries: birthplace; parental occupation; residency, family structure and size, religion, education level; marital status; age at first activism; longevity of activism; and the like. On these and other dimensions, gender proves to be pivotal. The entries also allow us to illuminate the changing institutional dimensions of activism, together with some hitherto submerged socio-spatial facets of the collective experience. These range from patterns of inter-regional and inter-occupational migration by worker activists, and the importance of intellectual, social and sporting networks in inspiring and sustaining activism, to the shifting nature of working class ‘leadership’ and the vast significance of voluntary labour in the very maintenance of labour organisation. Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Clarke, Frank Dean, Graeme http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5720 2009-11-19T11:33:35Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: When History is Ignored: Business Black Swans and the Use and Abuse of a Notion Authors: Clarke, Frank; Dean, Graeme Abstract: Historical enquiry reveals how ideas mutate. This account of the ideas underpinning how fair value accounting (FVA) drifted into corporate financial reporting shows that a primary lesson of business history is that we ignore history at our peril, that frequently we encourage the recall of history for possibly the wrong reason – to supposedly ‘learn lessons’ regarding what we might or might not repeat. It might be more fruitful to use history to gain insight into the development of the ideas (good and bad) that delivered us to where we are. The case of fair value is shown to have drifted from the basis for a specific purpose calculation into a general application in accounting statements of financial position and financial performance. The Mark-to-Market (MtM) dispute during the current global financial crisis has nurtured further mutation of its FVA predecessor. What originally arose as an attempt to disclose a present financial state or condition is being denied by many in the name of the alleged virtue of hiding it. Doing so contradicts what history tells us has been the focus from when fair value accidentally ‘drifted’ into the accounting for adaptive companies. Our analysis also highlights historical enquiry aptly showing how accounting is conducive to politicization – an easy victim of interested parties’ special pleading, corrupting its technology function primarily because it is inconvenient to have accounting data tell it how it is. Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Wright, Christopher http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5719 2009-11-19T11:33:35Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The Benefits (and Limitations) of Business History to the Study of Management and Organisations: The Example of the Global Diffusion of Management Knowledge Authors: Wright, Christopher Abstract: This paper explores the contribution of a business history perspective to the study of management and organisational studies. While business history tends to be devalued within management academic groupings, this paper argues an historical approach to the study of management and organisational topics can not only provide a corrective to contemporary assumptions of the novelty of phenomena, but also prove useful in enriching conceptual debates and theories. However, to have a real impact in this area, it is argued business history needs to adopt a far more ambitious approach to theoretical and conceptual engagement in order to demonstrate its contribution and relevance. The paper uses examples from two recent studies undertaken by the author and colleagues on the history of global management consultancy to demonstrate the advantages of the historical approach for the study of management and organisation. The paper concludes by suggesting areas in which business history could have particular academic purchase in the study of management and organisations. Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Colquhoun, Philip http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5718 2009-11-19T11:33:34Z 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Business History as Capstone Courses Authors: Colquhoun, Philip Abstract: Based on studies of history courses in Business Schools, this paper argues that history can be an alternative to the technically driven capstone courses used in many Business Schools. Universities in general and Business Schools in particular are facing growing pressure to demonstrate that they have delivered the skills and academic content they state they do. Government funding bodies are becoming increasingly interested in what is being learnt at university rather than funding teaching. Within Business Schools, the US based AACSB through the introduction of assurance of learning standards require accredited Schools to address and measure student learning in ways that have not been required previously. The Business School curriculum has grown significantly. The increase in the body of knowledge of individual disciplines and the establishment of new business disciplines, combined with the increased complexity of business, have resulted in an increase in the expectations of business graduates. At the same time concerns about the lack of generic skills in graduates, has resulted in increased calls for their inclusion in the Business School curriculum. Most Business Schools include communication, research and critical thinking skills as graduate attributes. One way that Business Schools are responding to the requirement to demonstrate that they have delivered both the expanding academic content and the “soft skills” the market place demand, is through capstone courses. These courses are often in business or financial management strategy, with a focus on technical analysis using case studies. Within these courses students are expected to demonstrate a range of skills and academic knowledge. This paper argues that business history courses offer an alternative to the technically driven capstone courses. Business history courses would be particularly relevant for students, staff and/or institutions seeking a more liberal business degree. The study of history is known to instil in students a range of transferable skills. The historian’s craft of data collection, selection, analysis, synthesis and communication are key skills desired in most Business School graduates. Business history requires the application and integration of core business knowledge as part of the historian craft. History with its acceptance of multiple frameworks and differing theoretical assumptions encourages faculty and students to approach issues from a variety of perspectives. History with its demand for context can provide richer insights than the often seen ahistorical case study; alerting students to the context and temporal nature of their studies. Courses in the existing literature can provide models for developing business history capstone courses that cover graduate attributes and their measurement in a manner that is aligned with a more liberal business education. Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.

2009-12-01T00:00:00Z