Focusing on individuals' ethical judgement in corporate social responsibility curricula

Adequate discussion of individuals' moral deliberation is notably absent from much of the literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR). We argue for a refocusing on the role of the individual in that context. In particular we regard this as important in CSR course design, for practical, pedagogical and moral reasons. After addressing some of the theoretical background to our argument, and noting some respects in which individual action features in the context of CSR, we consider the usefulness (or otherwise) of academic ethical theory in relation to CSR issues and dilemmas in practice. It is suggested that, without dispensing entirely with ethical theory, emphasis should be placed on informed debate and moral judgement among members of organisations (or seminar groups) and some short case examples are provided. Finally we suggest that such approaches may be appropriate if trends towards ‘mainstreaming’ concern for CSR throughout business school curricula are realised.     

Last line of resistance or a golden opportunity: Australian trade union responses to globalization

This contribution concentrates on the response of the trade union movement in Australia to globalization. Firstly, it outlines the evidence of the effects of globalization on labour markets, including the impact on wage inequaliry employment securiry and collective bargaining. Secondly, it looks at the strategic union response to the effects of globalization in terms of trade policy responses, international labour cooperation and traditional industrial campaigns on globalization issues. It suggests that unions can employ a combination of international and domestic strategies to deal with globalization.     

Urban water management: optimal price and investment policy under climate variability*

Australian urban water utilities face a significant challenge in designing appropriate demand management and supply augmentation policies in the presence of significant water scarcity and climate variability. This article considers the design of optimal demand management and supply augmentation policies for urban water. In particular, scarcity pricing is considered as a potential alternative to the predominant demand management policy of water restrictions. A stochastic dynamic programming model of an urban water market is developed based on data from the ACT region. Given a specification of the demand and supply for urban water state dependent optimal price and investment policies are estimated. The results illustrate how the optimal urban water price varies inversely with the prevailing storage level and how the optimal timing of investment differs significantly between rain dependent and rain independent augmentation options.     

Sensory Experiences and Expectations of Italian and German Organic Consumers

We explore sensory experiences and expectations of Italian and German organic consumers when purchasing and eating organic food. Ten focus group interviews were performed and the results were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Outcomes indicated that although sensory attributes are not the main purchase drivers, flavor and odor are the most important in driving consumers' choice. Findings also suggested that training consumers' sensory abilities offers new market opportunities to organic marketers. From a marketing perspective, Italian consumers seem to equally appreciate nonsubjective as well as subjective marketing information about organic products, whereas in Germany non subjective aspects appear to be predominant.     

How Not to Kill the Golden Goose: Reconceptualizing accountability environments of third-sector organizations

For third-sector organizations (TSOs) that deliver publicly funded health and community services, accountability practices are predominantly shaped by the imperatives of government funders. However, the ensuing public management accountability regimes can undermine TSO responsiveness to communities, align poorly with imperatives of professional staff, create high transaction costs and threaten TSO sustainability. Public management literature lacks an adequate framework for conceptualizing TSO accountability. We outline a conceptual framework – the ‘triskele’ – for analysing accountability tensions experienced by TSOs that could assist funders and other stakeholders with the difficult task of designing more workable and meaningful accountability regimes for all stakeholders.     

Imagining The Thought of Work

This article develops the idea of the interrelated complexity of work attested to in John Budd’s (2011) The Thought of Work. Drawing on material from oral history and other non-academic writing about work I argue that we need to be alive to the complex paradox of labor and the workplace. We have to be attuned to and more attentive of the realities of employment. This way of understanding work has a rich tradition and is exemplified in the writing of people like Studs Terkel or Humphrey Jennings.     

Linking agricultural policies with obesity and noncommunicable diseases: A new perspective for a globalising world

In light of the shift in policy paradigm in agriculture from state intervention to market liberalisation and globalisation, this paper develops a series of hypotheses on the relationship between agricultural policies and consumer diets. The first hypothesis is that the paradigm shift has led to greater specialisation of production, so changing the ability and incentive for producers to supply certain foods relative to others. Second, the shift has affected farmgate prices (both up and down), so creating opportunities for the industries which purchase farm commodities (the food consuming industries – FCIs) to substitute lower priced ingredients, thereby influencing the nutritional quality and content of foods available in the marketplace. Third, it has increased the ability of the FCIs to “add value” through product innovation and marketing, creating a market characterised by highly differentiated products targeted to individualised preferences, thus increasing the acceptability of a wider variety and quantity of food products.