Flinders MBA students presenting their research to an industry client last month.

News from the College of Business, Government & Law 

We acknowledge the traditional owners, both past and present, of the various locations Flinders University operates on, and recognise their continued relationship and responsibility to these lands and waters. We recognise that Flinders was established on the lands of the Kaurna nation, with the main Flinders campus located near Warriparinga.

Welcome to the October edition of the College of Business, Government and Law newsletter – including updates on new research projects, recent publications, events and conferences, and staff profiles.

Our lead story this month is the success of our new MBA. Following the comprehensive redesign of the MBA in 2021, our enrolments have tripled, and will perhaps quadruple with the October intake. It is interesting to note that our MBA enrolments are equally spread across domestic and international students.

The Business disciplines can take enormous satisfaction in this outcome, which will also provide confidence for the pending relaunch of our Accounting and Finance qualifications. In particular, Carla Dias Wadewitz has provided an exemplary role model of how the course coordinator position can serve as a platform for both growth and innovation.

As we renew our curriculum and market our courses more effectively, I look forward to more stories along these lines across the College in 2023.

Kind regards,
Michael

Michael Gilding
Vice-President and Executive Dean
 

Welcome to the BGL community

A warm welcome to Sarah, our new staff member joining the college.

Sarah Knapper — Executive Education Coordinator
 

Our MBA success story

Last year, we launched an innovative, future-focused suite of new MBA courses. As a result of the hard work of many in BGL, this effort has proven a true success - and the cohort continues to grow every day

If you happened to pick up a copy of the Australian Financial Review a couple of weeks ago, you might have seen a story about how upskilling is no longer a domain occupied exclusively by mid-career professionals (if you missed it, you can read the story here). Flinders MBA Director, Carla Dias Wadewitz, was interviewed for the article.

"The speed of innovation and technology development is faster than ever - and it will become even faster," says Carla. "That is why we should consistently upskill ourselves as it becomes critical to understand what is going on around us and remain competitive." 

And prospective students are hearing the message: we're thrilled that Flinders MBA enrolments are now sitting at 168 students, as of 25 September 2022.

Carla is also this month's winner of our 'Living the College Mission' competition. In her role as MBA Director, she has consistently demonstrated her commitment to our mission in the College of Business, Government and Law.

Tell us how you're living the College Mission and you could be the next winner of a Flinders shirt or hoodie! Enter now.

Flinders law graduates become Senior Counsel

Flinders alumni Jane Abbey and Carmen Matteo have been appointed Senior Counsel

While we're in the midst of celebrating 30 years of Law at Flinders, we have another reason to celebrate: Ms Carmen Matteo SC and Ms Jane Abbey SC, both Flinders Law graduates, have been appointed Senior Counsel! The two join Anthony Allen QC and Kerry Clark SC (both appointed in 2020) as the first Flinders Law alumni 'silks'.
 

Flinders at Festival Plaza

Visit Festival Plaza as it takes shape

Construction is progressing well on-site at Festival Plaza. Despite some wet weather over the last month, the slab for level 13 has been poured and the building core has progressed up to level 17. In addition, the external façade of the building has been completed up to level 5.

You can visit the building as it’s taking shape – if you’re interested please book a site tour. These tours are run each month and are an opportunity to learn more about the building, experience the construction process first hand and get a feel for our new spaces. 
 

Flinders at the Australian Space Forum

Professor Melissa de Zwart and Associate Professor Rodrigo Praino will be at the 14th Australian Space Forum 

Flinders will have a stall at the event, which is expected to welcome a global audience to the Adelaide Convention Centre on 25 October. It's one of the foremost events on the national space industry calendar, and will be an opportunity for academia, industry and government to come together to build relationships, cement partnerships and explore opportunities within the space economy.
 

Insights on how legal careers progress in reality

Dr Esther Erlings co-organised a successful career event with the Asian Australian Lawyers Association 

The panel gave students practical information on next steps, insights into how legal careers progress in reality, plus guidance on job interviews for government.

Speakers included Azaara Perakath (Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions); Benjamin Authers (Office of the SA Ombudsman); Jessica Le (Minter Ellison); and Audrey Lian (Johnson Winter & Slattery).
 

Associate Professor Vivienne Brand in Canberra

Associate Professor Vivienne Brand at Parliament House in Canberra

On 8 September, Associate Professor Vivienne Brand represented the Society of Corporate Law Scholars in a private briefing with the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services at Parliament House in Canberra.

The Committee has responsibilities in relation to the regulation of corporations and invited the Society to brief it as the Committee starts its work in the 47th Parliament. The Society is the representative body of corporate law academics in Australasia and Vivienne is its current President.
 

Research

Di Thompson took part in the Flinders University 3MT Final

In case you missed the news, we're incredibly proud of Di Thompson for being one of the winners in the Three Minute Thesis Semi-Final, making her one of 7 PhD students taking part in the Flinders University 3MT Final. She gave an outstanding presentation on constructing a brighter future in the Australian construction industry. Well done!
 

Professor Mark Halsey with Hon Mark Ryan, QLD Minister for Police and Corrective Services and Roger Lowe, Detective Chief Superintendent (former Head, Crime Gangs Taskforce), General Manager - Operations Support Crime and Corruption Commission

Gang Exit Conference

Professor Mark Halsey was a keynote speaker at the Gangs Exit Conference at the Brisbane Convention and Entertainment Centre on 23-24 August 2022. The conference brought together 120 law enforcement and correctional officers from across the country. Mark spoke on the topic of “Desistance From Crime: Theory and Application. The concept of desistance and its relevance to the prevention of serious / gang related crime.”
 

The resilience of women in India during COVID-19 

Dr. Sharif Rasel was invited to speak in an international webinar on the resilience of women during COVID-19 pandemic in India. The webinar was jointly organised by Monash University’s Centre for Global Business (CGB), South Asia Research Network (SARN) and Critical Reorientations of Organisation and Society (CROS), and World Vision India to present the findings of a participatory action research of Dr. Rasel and colleagues.

Dr. Rasel works with India’s one of the largest humanitarian organisations to make positive changes in 6200 communities spread across 24 states. Based on their latest research findings, World Vision India has decided to bring changes in its Graduation Program which is expected to directly impact 10,000 women.   
 

International Virtual Networking Event: Strengthening Ties Between Australia, Middle East, and North Africa

The virtual networking event ‘Tawasol’ (meaning ‘staying connected’ in Arabic) was held as a part of a grant from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Council of Arab Relations (DFAT CAAR).

A team of researchers from the College of Business, Government and Law, Vivienne Brand, Hossein Esmaeili, and Reem Alothmany, a Flinders PhD graduate and Assistant Professor at King Abdul Aziz University, led a workshop to facilitate and promote networking between key stakeholders in investment, trade, education, and the legal profession connected with the region.
 

Drug law reform and cannabis regulation

Associate Professor Caitlin Hughes gave an invited address to the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Policy Officer Group in Brisbane on 25 August 2022 on “Emerging trends in drug law reform and regulation (international and national)”.

The forum involved health and police bureaucrats from the Commonwealth and all states and territories overseeing Australian alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug policy. Caitlin is also taking part in the upcoming South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services Symposium on 21 September 2022 for a special discussion on drug law reform with Dan Howard (former commissioner of the NSW Ice Inquiry) and Dr Nicole Lee.
 

Many challenges remain for LGBTI rights in Southeast Asia

Associate Professor Anthony Langlois (who is the author of Sexuality and Gender Diversity Rights in Southeast Asia) was interviewed for an International Bar Association article on the challenges that remain before securing LGBTI rights in Southeast Asia, despite recent legislative victories in Singapore and Vietnam.
 

Identifying barriers and enablers to farmer engagement with climate resilience practices and technologies
CIs: Cassandra Star, Vivienne Brand, Brendan Grigg, Alessandro Antonello, Beverley Clarke
Funder: SA Drought Hub
Award Amount: $110,347

Australian Manufacturing Researcher Exchange (AMREx) 
CIs: Ann-Louise Hordacre, John Spoehr
Funder: Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
Award Amount: $120,000

Since the last edition of the newsletter until 16 August, BGL researchers had five articles included in top 10% / A* / A / Q1 ranked journals.​​​​​

Sustainable Procurement Practice: The Effect of Procurement Officers’ Perceptions
Etse, D., McMurray, A.,  Muenjohn, N. (2022)
Journal of Business Ethics
Scimago: Top 10% (7/508) in Arts and Humanities (misc)

Reducing Educational Disparities Between Australian Adolescents in Regional and Metropolitan Communities: The Compensatory Effects of Extracurricular Activities
O'Donnell, A. W., Redmond, G., Thomson, C., Wang, J. J. J.,  Turkmani, S. (2022)
Developmental Psychology
Scimago: Top 10% (5/115) in Demography

Encounters and management of oral conditions at general medical practices in Australia
Cheng, A-L., Eberhard, J., Gordon, J., Balasubramanian, M., Willink, A., Sohn, W., Dai, J.,  Harrison, C. (2022)
BMC Health Services Research, 22(1), [1013]
Scimago: Q1 (44/273) in Health Policy

Occupational meaning, well-being and coping: A study of culturally and linguistically diverse hotel workers during COVID-19
Jones, J., Manoharan, A.,  Jiang, Z. (2022)
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 52, 356–365
Scimago: Q1 (15/129) in Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management

A Framework of Facilitators and Barriers to Career Adaptability: Migrant Hotel Workers During COVID-19
Jones, J., Manoharan, A., Jiang, Z.,  Singal, M. (2022)
Journal of Hospitality Tourism Research
Scimago: Q1 (18/129) in Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management
 

As we move into the last quarter of the year, this is a great time for academic staff to update their research outputs in ResearchNow. An up-to-date research profile is a vital tool for promoting you and your research, and the data it provides is essential for internal reporting at both the college and university levels, including for workload.

If you need any assistance in updating your ResearchNow profile and publications list, please visit the ResearchNow support page or contact the CBGL Research Support Team.
 

Education 📚

For the first time in history, Flinders Finance students are participating in in the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Research Challenge

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an opportunity for university students to experience practical mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. The students will be tested on areas including report writing, valuation and analytical skills, making for a rich, real-world experience for those interested in one day assuming the role of a research analyst.
 

What's On 📅

How do different types of proximity affect the performance of innovation networks and precincts?

Professor Ron Boschma (Utrecht University) is the leading international authority on how different forms of proximity (cognitive, organizational, social, institutional, and spatial) affect firms in innovation ecosystems. This talk will build on his earlier work, which analyses why some individuals and firms are better connected than others, and what types of proximity foster connectivity and effective knowledge flows.

The lecture will be followed by a discussion with Prof. John Spoehr, Director of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute (AITI), exploring how this research might inform innovation development locally.

Tuesday, 8 November | 5.15pm - 6.30pm
Flinders University at Victoria Square
 

Encourage your students to undertake an Honours in Business, Criminology, or Government

Honours is:
• A further year of advanced research training on top of your undergraduate degree
• An opportunity to undertake independent research in a field you are passionate about
• Government supported
• Accessible, with flexible study options available

Please spread the word about our upcoming information session.

BGL Honours information session
Thursday, 13 October 2022, 1pm - 2pm
North Theatre 5, Law and Commerce Building, Bedford Park campus

Interested attendees should RSVP to cbgl.honours@flinders.edu.au by Friday, 7 October 2022 with their name, discipline of interest (i.e., Business, Criminology, or Government), and indicate whether they will attend on-campus or online.

This event will also be livestreamed at the link below:

Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 414 707 114 043
Passcode: ahyhKT
Download Teams | Join on the web

We look forward to meeting you soon and starting your Honours journey!

Kind regards,
Dr Andrew Groves
CBGL Honours Coordinator
 

Did you know? 💭

Learn to be a better MATE

Australia’s leading training program for the prevention of violence, discrimination and racism is now being offered to all Flinders University staff and students. 

MATE bystander awareness and intervention eLearning training is a part of the University’s Respect.Now.Always. Safety on Campus program, and will help Flinders in our commitment to preventing, responding, and providing support to students and staff who experience sexual assault and sexual harassment at Flinders.
 

Employee Assistance Programme

An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a confidential short-term, solutions-focused counselling, coaching and mentoring service, designed to help you explore and implement strategies to address issues which may be having an impact on your wellbeing.

It is an independent counselling service available for University staff members.

Staff who wish to consult one of the designated providers may receive up to 3 sessions paid for by the University. The EAP is available for either work related or private matters, and is strictly confidential and is voluntary.

You can select one of the participating providers listed on the web pages and make an appointment directly with their clinic.
 

Manager Assist program by Human Psychology

This program runs in parallel with the Employee assistance program but is designed to confidentially provide support to managers.

It is a way for managers to obtain support in managing personal and interpersonal work issues in staff performance, work relationships and organisational change.

The program does not replace internal People and Culture functions but recognises that these at times, may be limited and specialist expertise is required for short periods.

The hotline allows managers to contact Human Psychology for an initial discussion regarding issues or concerns. The Manager Assist hotline number is 1300 277 924.

Unless queries are classified as urgent or critical, generally a response is received within 24 hours. Managers will then receive advice and recommendation on their situation from a trained psychologist.
 

Bibliometrics at Flinders University Library

The Library has a new Bibliometrics website to help you update your researcher profiles and gather your research metrics for grant and promotion applications. Along with providing access to tools like SciVal and InCites, there are How-to guides and instructions to get you started. 

The Library has also compiled some suggestions for using alternative measures to demonstrate the impact of your research, such as Altmetrics, PlumX metrics, and Google Scholar. For additional assistance with bibliometrics and researcher profiles, please contact the Library Research Engagement team via Service One.
 

New Flinders backgrounds for your next online call

Spring has arrived (in theory at least!), and with it, a bright new suite of Flinders-branded backgrounds for use on Microsoft Teams or Zoom. Visit the link below to download.
 

Important Dates 📅

Keep the dates of these celebration or recognition times in mind for thought leadership throughout the month. You can use these days as a way to have a voice externally through earned or social media, or to better engage with students on trending issues.

1 October – International Coffee Day
1 – 31 October – Walktober
1 – 31 October – Dyslexia Awareness Month
4 – 10 October – World Space Week
10 October – World Day Against the Death Penalty
16 October – World Food Day
17 – 23 October – Anti Poverty Week
24 October – Diwali
 

Do you have news to share?

The deadline for our next newsletter is 21 October.

If you have news about achievements, awards, upcoming events in the College (including online events), new research, media articles or anything else that may be of interest to your fellow colleagues, we want to hear from you by EOD Friday, 21 October.

Please view the guidelines and timetable before submitting your content, then email Nicole at cbgl.newsletter@flinders.edu.au with your news.