A good joke may be the key to resolving a legal dispute according to new research. The study, funded by Monash University, RMIT University and the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration, found that over two-thirds of mediators at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) used humour in mediation sessions. The remaining mediators said they… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Business, Economics and Law
Changes in generic drug costs could save $590 million, but don’t go far enough
The recently announced price cuts to generic drugs by the Australian Government do not go far enough, according to University of Melbourne health economist, Professor Philip Clarke. Writing in the Medical Journal of Australia, Professor Clarke, from the Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, says an opportunity… Continue Reading
More single mums get back to work under reforms
More single mothers have joined the workforce while others have increased their hours of employment since two sets of major welfare reforms were implemented, University of Canberra researchers have found. Preliminary findings of independent research conducted by researchers at the University’s National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) and colleagues have shown that the… Continue Reading
Secret of success is mind your own business, research reveals
What is the secret of success for small firms? Is it customer service, good marketing, staff selection or innovation? Entrepreneurs and academics regularly try to answer this question and come up with differing conclusions. However, according to new research by Dr Martie-Louise Verreynne, a small firms expert at the UQ Business School, the answer is… Continue Reading
Counting the cost of fast fashion
One billion items of clothing arrive on our shores every year from China alone – many of which are destined to become landfill. However, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) fashion student Alice Payne, who is in the final year of a PhD investigating sustainability in mass market fashion, hopes that changing the mindset of consumers… Continue Reading
Mining boom jobs pose hidden emotional cost
Cashing in on the mining boom with a fly-in fly-out job may reap obvious financial benefit but the hidden emotional costs may not be so well understood. This is according to Professor Paula Brough, director of the Social and Organisational Psychology Research Unit at Griffith University. Recently released data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics… Continue Reading
Saving the local car industry?
Griffith University Taxation Lecturer, Anna Mortimore has weighed into the debate on how to save Australia’s ailing car industry. “Encouraging car makers to produce more fuel efficient cars will not save jobs or the industry,” Ms Mortimore said. “What is needed is an overhaul of the current taxation system and even greater financial incentives,” she… Continue Reading
13% of Queensland women report abuse
New research reveals that 13% of Queensland women suffered physical abuse or sexual abuse, and 31% were subjected to various forms of non-physical abuse, by their current male partner. These figures are based on recent research by the Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research (CDFVR), based at CQUniversity Mackay Campus. The CDFVR survey… Continue Reading
Expert calls for Australia to form military alliance with Indonesia
Deakin University’s Director of the Centre for Citizenship, Development and Human Rights, Professor Damien Kingsbury, is once again playing a critical role in the region’s affairs, this time advising on Australia’s future relationship with Indonesia. Professor Kingsbury’s strategy paper “Two steps forward, one step back: Indonesia’s arduous path of reform” for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute - a… Continue Reading
Whaling nations could trade eco warriors for eco tourists
Japan and Iceland already have the potential to replace unprofitable whaling operations with the growing business of whale watching according to a new analysis by sustainable tourism experts in Japan, Iceland and Australia. In a paper recently published in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism, the authors argue whale watching is a “booming industry” in… Continue Reading
Big brands being snubbed by Facebook fans
It wouldn’t be much of a friendship if you said ‘hi’ then didn’t speak again for the next few years, yet that’s a fair summary of the relationship many Facebook users have with brands they clicked on as ‘liking’, according to a study by University of South Australia’s Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science. Social… Continue Reading
China’s investment flow helps region grow
A new study from The Australian National University shows that foreign direct investment (FDI) both into and out of China is improving economic stability and driving development in Asia and the Pacific. Shanghai, China’s finance capital, lights up at night. In a major study, Dr Chunlai Chen from the ANU Crawford School examined levels of… Continue Reading
