EMPAS 11 (1) 2019

The purpose of this paper was to identify common themes from archival records related to innovation in the Australian Public Service (APS). A thematic analysis was conducted to review and evaluate archival records which consisted of transcripts from senior manager presentations at Innovation Month seminars from 2014 to 2018 and other related official documents. This empirical study addressed innovation from the leaders’ perspective, reflecting upon their experience. Analysing themes within archival records helped to gain insights from various perspectives of leaders on how they regard an innovation agenda for the APS. Three themes emerged from archival records: (1) innovation characteristics; (2) drivers of innovation; and (3) barriers to innovation. Synthesis of these drivers and barriers can provide important insights for senior APS managers on how they can enhance their organisations’ ability to innovate in order to respond to digital disruption challenges and opportunities. Variety of perspectives with leader’s perceptions informs about authors’ selection of the research question among consistent patterns and legitimates the salient themes as input for QSR NVivo 11.

Keywords:
thematic analysis  public sector innovation  drivers of innovation  barriers to innovation  Australia 

This comparative study examines the moderating role of risk management in project planning and project success in the construction business of the UK and Pakistan. The data was gathered from 152 project managers (76 from both economies each) using a survey questionnaire. The purposive sampling technique was used to ensure fair representation of sample size and the RAND formula was used to select the project managers. For quantitative analysis, partial least square structural equation modelling technique was utilised. The results confirmed that project planning had a statistically significant impact on project success. Furthermore, risk management significantly moderated the relationship between project planning and project success in the construction businesses despite being in two different economies. The paper contributes to the enhancement of the body of knowledge intended for global companies and academicians aiming to implement risk management frameworks to enhance project success and ensure the effectiveness of project planning in a competitive business environment. It offers a new perspective to investigate the relationship between project planning and project success through moderating the effect of risk management, which is a new theoretical dimension for construction business and the field of project management. It is proposed to the governments and construction businesses operating in the UK and Pakistan to validate the empirical research framework in the cross-cultural context while assessing risk and uncertainty. It helps the construction business in the evaluation of risk while planning and successfully implementing project strategies.

Keywords:
project planning  project success  risk management  construction business  contrasting economies 

The research aims to examine the perceptions of relative novice users of self-service checkouts (SSCOs) and if these perceptions change before, during and following use. Employing a diary approach with 31 respondents relatively unfamiliar with SSCOs, the research will document their experiences with this technology across stationary, hardware and grocery stores in two Scottish cities (Glasgow and Dundee). Findings suggest that the majority of respondents were motivated to use the technology because of time saving and convenience. However, the actual experience of using SSCOs was not always considered quicker when compared to staffed checkouts because of technical issues, lack of staff assistance and the impersonal, sometimes stressful and controlled nature of the cramped SSCO environment. Following post-use reflections, the majority of respondents’ opinions did not change from their initial perceptions and indicated that they would prefer not to use the technology in the future. Based on the findings, this study makes some practical suggestions centring on the design and usability of SSCOs, which may go some way to reducing customer dissatisfaction and frustration with the technology, especially from the perspective of new users of the technology.

Keywords:
self-service checkouts  retail  control  customer experience 

The main purpose of the paper is to identify the group of indicators that are most widely used in the manufacturing area worldwide, to identify the responsibility and authority for measuring and evaluating business performance, and to create an illustrative competency-based model for a performance management system within a business. The paper covers two areas that are important in the maintenance of sustainable business performance. The first area focuses on a performance management system and its key performance indicators as an important element in every performance management system within a business. The article also presents the theoretical background of the Z-MESOT method, which is applied to define the consistency of these indicators in practice. The second area is dedicated to defining a competency-based model and competences related to the measurement and assessment of performance, which have been extracted from other general competences. This paper presents findings from qualitative research to eliminate the bottlenecks of the Z-MESOT matrix that was transposed into a questionnaire. The questionnaire, as well as structured interviews, helped identify differences in responsibility attributes of the Z-MESOT matrix regarding the size of the researched businesses. The paper offers a list of competences related to the key performance indicators that can be used for following theoretical and practical research.

Keywords:
competences  Z-MESOT  performance management system  key performance indicators 

This article analyses the influence of personal variables on entrepreneurial intentions of students from Poland and Spain. The article presents an integrated structural model that has been developed from a set of student perceptions from both countries. A small number of variables included in the model allows explaining and managing the formation of the intention in the context of higher education. This study provides answers to the following questions: What role do personal variables play as motivation in the formation of entrepreneurship in the case of young people? Is the motivation stronger than self-efficacy? What are the differences in the perceptions and ratings of students in Poland and Spain? How can these variables be enhanced? This work used a causal quantitative methodology based on structural equations (PLS) and the Smart PLS-3.0 program. The PLS model was chosen for its advantages in the study of human behaviour and its optimal predictive potential, and because it allows the use of reflective indicators. In the causal model generated with a sample of 721 respondents from Poland and Spain, it was found that personal values initiated the chain of effects that influenced the attitude and, through it, successively resulted in motivation, selfefficacy and entrepreneurial intentions. Therefore, the subjective variables (values and attitudes) have a positive and significant influence on the action variables (motivation and self-efficacy), and these affect entrepreneurial intentions. The absence of significant regional differences in the responses to the items and the causal relationships of the model suggests the possibility of developing integrated and homogeneous programmes for the entire segment, thereby achieving synergies. The results suppose a theoretical and practical contribution to the promotion of entrepreneur intentions of university students inside and outside the educational context, suggesting a possible effect of personal variables on entrepreneurial intentions.

Keywords:
entrepreneurial intention (EI)  self-efficacy  motivation  enterprising attitude  value 

Organisations should evaluate their goals in the areas of customer service provision, overall organisational strategy, finance, and human resource management. The performance of specific services provided to the client should be monitored and evaluated in greater detail. The comparison should be made between similar organisations aiming to improve services and technical efficiency. Most organisations, profit and non-profit alike, do not know how to evaluate and compare their efficiency. Retirement homes were selected for evaluation. The review focused on the technical efficiency for the years 2015-2017. To achieve the goal, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used as a specialised model tool for assessing the technical efficiency, performance or productivity of a group of homogeneous or comparable production units based on selected inputs and outputs. Due to different types of inputs and outputs, the method was selected from among multi-criteria decision-making methods. Two models, Model X and Model Y, including specific inputs and outputs, were designed to evaluate and compare the technical efficiency of selected retirement homes. According to the results, the output-oriented model (Model Y) was more effective for retirement homes compared to the input-oriented model (Model X). The value added could be seen in the model combination and comparison between different studies, which helps to understand the transferability of the results. The analysis confirmed the necessity to combine the DEA method with the quality of service assessment to be able to benchmark the real efficiency of service of a selected type of an organisation.

Keywords:
contributory organisations  technical efficiency  Data Envelopment Analysis  comparable units