Cameron Gordon | The Australian National University (original) (raw)

Papers by Cameron Gordon

Strategies in Accounting and Management, 2021

This paper explores and provides an understanding of how B-to-B relationships can be better under... more This paper explores and provides an understanding of how B-to-B relationships can be better understood by incorporating a Social Capital (SC) framework. It argues that SC dimensions (i.e., relational, cognitive and structural), underpin alliances that are salient to International Business (IB). A synthesis of the literature on B-to-B SC and loyalty into a single, process-based framework is established, together with institutional texture insights for firms to harness and develop for success. The central argument is that investments in relationship building not only enhance B-to-B loyalty but over time fashion the nature and depth of the alliance for the international firm. The paper adds to the literature on international B-to-B collaborations whilst having the potential in providing managerially relevant ("actionable") results in 'how' and in 'what way' B-to-B SC can be harnessed in the 21 st century IB system.

e-Journal of Social & Behavioural Research in Business, 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review the recent history of skill needs and training fr... more Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review the recent history of skill needs and training frameworks in the transportation and logistics (T&L) sector, discussing the evolution of training and educational methodologies and introduces the social capital concept as a useful extension to current approaches. Design/ methodology/ approach: This paper involves a synoptic and integrative literature review of existing research. Results / findings: As this is a conceptual paper, there are no empirical results, but a preliminary template for organizing future training and education regimes for T&L organizations is proposed, along with suggestions for applying social capital in current T&L training, development and management regimes. Originality: This appears to be the first application of social capital to the T&L industry and to its training and skills development needs more specifically.

Annals of Cultural Studies, 2020

Civilisation is in many ways the apotheosis of the human social impulse, good and bad, and, whate... more Civilisation is in many ways the apotheosis of the human social impulse, good and bad, and, whatever happens, the Age of Coronavirus is going to shape the western version of this shared culture profoundly. This article reviews the way in which human sociality has shaped human disease and vice-versa and offers three idealised possible futures for Western Civilisation that Covid-19 might produce.

Asia Pacific Economic and Business History (APEBH) Conference 2020, 2020

The Industrial Revolution ushered in many disruptive changes to the world economy, mostly still u... more The Industrial Revolution ushered in many disruptive changes to the world economy, mostly still unfolding. One such development was “imperialism.”
Domination and exploitation of one group’s territory by another is nothing new, of course. Indeed, the rawest form of such domination, “colonialism,” was practiced by the ancient Romans and Greeks, well before the advent of the modern nation-state. The root of the term Imperialism comes from the Latin term “imperium,” meaning “to command,” while the word “colony” is derived from the Latin “colonus” referring to ‘farmer.’ (Kohn and Kavita 2017).
Imperialism and colonialism are often used interchangeably and in economic terms, the boundaries between the two are ambiguous. The two may be distinguished historically by the quantum leap in scale, scope and sophistication of such domination that was associated with the rise of industrialization. Indeed the “Imperial Age” distinctly refers to a modern period that is generally agreed to have ended in 1914, and which starts anywhere from the late 1600’s (the height of the Commercial Revolution) to the late 1700’s (the beginning of the Industrial Revolution) (Bayly 2004). The economic globalization of the 1800s and early 1900s resulted in a network of hierarchical interdependency between European colonizers and present and former colonies that was unprecedented in its complexity and all-round economic impacts.
An ongoing debate continues about how all of this affected the wellbeing and economic development of those being colonized. This paper conducts a broad conceptual review of the issues faced when trying to frame and then assess such impacts. A major focus will be on how the choice of benchmark for comparison – “mirrors” being the term of art – may affect evaluation of economic performance, narrowly defined.

Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World (Sage Publications), 2009

"Wholesale capital markets" entry in Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World, Charles Wankel (e... more "Wholesale capital markets" entry in Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World, Charles Wankel (ed.), Sage Publications, 2009.

Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World (Sage Publications), 2009

"Retail Capital Markets" entry in Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World, Charles Wankel (ed.)... more "Retail Capital Markets" entry in Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World, Charles Wankel (ed.), Sage Publications, 2009.

Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World (Sage Publications), 2009

"Privatization" entry in Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World, Charles Wankel (ed.), Sage Pu... more "Privatization" entry in Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World, Charles Wankel (ed.), Sage Publications, 2009.

Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World (Sage Publications), 2009

"Corruption" entry in Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World, Charles Wankel (ed.), Sage Publi... more "Corruption" entry in Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World, Charles Wankel (ed.), Sage Publications, 2009.

Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World (Sage Publications), 2009

"Australia" entry in Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World, Charles Wankel (ed.), Sage Public... more "Australia" entry in Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World, Charles Wankel (ed.), Sage Publications, 2009.

Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World (Sage Publications), 2009

"Company Profiles: Australia and Pacific" entry in Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World, Cha... more "Company Profiles: Australia and Pacific" entry in Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World, Charles Wankel (ed.), Sage Publications, 2009.

Many trips, if not most, begin and end, on local roads. Thus there is a system aspect to such 18 ... more Many trips, if not most, begin and end, on local roads. Thus there is a system aspect to such 18 roads in the sense that local streets can have spillover benefits and costs for larger trips that use the 19 total road network. Yet curbs and sidewalks and local streets are typically almost entirely locally 20 provided in the United States. There are historical and institutional reasons for this and great variation 21 of practice across jurisdictions. But two key planning and policy questions arise: who pays for sidewalk 22 and local streets? And who should pay? To get some empirical answers to these questions, this paper 23 reports on a 2015 New Jersey Society of Municipal Engineers survey, developed by one of the authors, 24 to collect data regarding the prevalence of curb and sidewalk installations on municipal streets. The 25 survey also looked to explore the management and operational practices that municipal governments 26 use to maintain their local transportation infrastructure. The results indicate that local streets in New 27 Jersey are very heavily funded and managed by localities with little focus on any broader network 28 effects that might accrue outside those localities. Analysis of the data suggest an annual need of over 29 1.2 billion dollars annually in New Jersey, against a projected state and federal funding of roughly 100 30 million dollars annually, a gap in funding that suggests the need to establish a long term funding 31 mechanism for local streets, curbs and sidewalks. 32 FINAL SUBMISSION FOR TRR MARCH 15 2017 33 Number of words (including abstract) = 5706 34 6 tables and 1 figure = 7 x 250 = 1750 35

Instead of a debate about whether the automobile is good or bad, this article will argue that it ... more Instead of a debate about whether the automobile is good or bad, this article will argue that it is more useful to carefully consider how the automobile should live in its natural environment in a way that is compatible with human development. We should, I will argue, now develop a framework to civilize the automobile. Civilization is probably harder to define in a positive sense than in a negative one; i.e. what goes against civilization is generally easier to agree upon that what advances it. Thus, I offer the concept of 'carbarism'. This is not meant to be a blanket epithet but a rubric for identifying social and economic applications of the automobile that could be said to be 'barbaric' in the sense of degrading human civilization, and hence to be avoided. Technology is never neutral with respect to society. Its contribution to civilization can just as easily be negative as positive. Any technology should to be introduced into the wild (so to speak) in a way that ensures that civilization is advanced along with technical progress. The automobile thus far has been simultaneously social advancer and destroyer but it is not too late to begin to civilize the automobile. Some of this involves undoing, slowly, design and institutional mistakes of the past. Some of this involves progressing technological advancement of automobility in a way different from that of the past. But whatever moves may be made the advance of civilization in a broad sense and the avoidance of barbaric uses of the car (carbarism) should be kept front and centre.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

This paper compares and contrasts two debates about the role of infrastructure in American econom... more This paper compares and contrasts two debates about the role of infrastructure in American economic growth and development.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

ABSTRACT

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

This report presents the final results of a study of the economic impacts of Federal infrastructu... more This report presents the final results of a study of the economic impacts of Federal infrastructure investment. The study was a part of a broad initiative aimed at the examination of Federal infrastructure policies, an initiative known as the Federal Infrastructure Strategy (FIS). This study, and the FIS generally, was facilitated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through the Institute for Water Resources (IWR) and was a multi-year, interagency effort.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

The socio-cultural and economic distributional impacts of transportation projects are key element... more The socio-cultural and economic distributional impacts of transportation projects are key elements of both individual project decisions and transportation policymaking.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

Australia is facing a potentially huge need for investment in infrastructure investment in the co... more Australia is facing a potentially huge need for investment in infrastructure investment in the coming decades to deal with growing population, shifting economic and demographic patterns, and adaptation to sea level rise and other effects of climate change. There is, however, an institutional challenge that is making the necessary financing and investment difficult to come by. The basic problem is that the government institutions responsible for raising revenue and expending it do not match up well with the regions that infrastructure systems serve, regions that typically cross governmental decision-making boundaries. This paper applies an economic theory approach to this problem. The relevant literature in public choice, public economic and fiscal federalism is reviewed to uncover economic thinking about 'optimal' government institutional design. Then more specific thinking about infrastructure governance is discussed. A consideration of the economic meaning of regions follows. Then the specifics of the Australian constitution as it pertains to regional infrastructure, with a focus on transport, are presented. And the theory and practice are tied together to formulate an economics-based framework for optimal design for Australian infrastructure governance. The paper closes with some policy conclusions.

Strategies in Accounting and Management, 2021

e-Journal of Social & Behavioural Research in Business, 2020

Annals of Cultural Studies, 2020

Asia Pacific Economic and Business History (APEBH) Conference 2020, 2020

Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World (Sage Publications), 2009

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

ABSTRACT

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

This a short course on public economics aimed towards public administration or public policy stud... more This a short course on public economics aimed towards public administration or public policy students studying at the Masters level. These are drawn from lecture notes I worked up when teaching in the MPA program at the University of Southern California School of Public Administration (now the School of Policy, Planning and Development) during 1996-2000.

This is a basic text on personal financial planning, derived and developed from lecture notes on ... more This is a basic text on personal financial planning, derived and developed from lecture notes on an undergraduate course I taught in the subject in New York.

Presentation given at the Australasian Transport Research Conference (ATRF) in Brisbane, QLD in 2013

Published in Economic Record (2014)

Climate change is already causing a number of demonstrable effects on transport and logistics sys... more Climate change is already causing a number of demonstrable effects on transport and logistics systems, especially in vulnerable coastal and urban areas. These effects are expected to worsen and many are speaking of the need for transport and logistics systems (and human/infrastructure
systems more generally) to be designed to be more 'resilient' and ‘sustainable.’ This paper considers the various definitions of the terms “resilient” and “sustainable” and “economic efficiency” and then details some preliminary answers to the following questions: (1) what factors build up resilience and
what are the 'efficiency' implications of those factors? (2) what sorts of actions increase resiliency and what are their 'efficiency' implications? (3) how 'efficient' is the status quo ex ante to begin with? (4) is the 'efficiency' baseline itself sensible? The article then concludes that some resilience and
sustainability adaptations may in fact increase economic efficiency if done well. However, there certainly will be trade-offs needed given the changes we are seeing and some material sacrifice for ‘mere’ survival will surely be needed.

This is a paper presented at the 2009 Australasian Banking and Finance Conference in Sydney. Abs... more This is a paper presented at the 2009 Australasian Banking and Finance Conference in Sydney. Abstract: The GFC has affected national banking sectors across the globe. These effects have differed according to many factors, including the degrees of openness in real and financial sectors, maturity of financial intermediation, and fiscal and monetary policy responses. One very interesting case is the Russian banking sector which has financial aspects of developed economies, including a convertible currency and open equities market, but also aspects of developing economies, especially a banking sector that is still evolving towards international standards and practices. This paper examines how the GFC has affected Russian banks and how that crisis and responses to it are causing those banks to change.

This is a brief outline and TOC of a book to be published by Palgrave Macmillan that I am writing... more This is a brief outline and TOC of a book to be published by Palgrave Macmillan that I am writing (due out January 2022). I am posting this for comments and ideas and suggestions.

This is a brief primer and overview of the academic literature on leadership. The discussion is ... more This is a brief primer and overview of the academic literature on leadership. The discussion is organized according to the dimensions of "Who", "Why", "What" and "How" leadership is manifested.

This is a brief overview and primer on the academic literature on leadership. Its discussion focu... more This is a brief overview and primer on the academic literature on leadership. Its discussion focuses on the 'Who', 'Why', 'What' and 'How' dimensions of leadership in its various manifestations.

This report looks to examine the potential to develop and finance various flood mitigation strate... more This report looks to examine the potential to develop and finance various flood mitigation strategies to address the risk in the Eastern Shore of Staten Island.

Taken together it seems certain that costs to ship goods, services and people, will continue to f... more Taken together it seems certain that costs to ship goods, services and people, will continue to fall and that average speeds of travel will increase. The location of industries and residences will change as well. But choice of modes – air, sea and surface -- will likely continue to be broadly similar to what we have now. What will change radically is the form of those modes.

This book sets up a debate between 'economic' quantitative history and 'traditional' historian hi... more This book sets up a debate between 'economic' quantitative history and 'traditional' historian history. Overall this book provides a good contrast of opposing views of history and historical method, though it does tend to be too binary and simplistic in its opposing poles of opinion.

Privately provided transport infrastructure has had an uneven spread throughout the world. In man... more Privately provided transport infrastructure has had an uneven spread throughout the world. In many countries, such as Japan, there has been a long history of private provision in the transportation system and most of the system is now private. In other countries, the United States in particular, much transportation infrastructure, especially surface transportation, has been provided publicly for decades. These historical differences mean that in some markets privatization consists mostly of the private sector building infrastructure and then operating and managing it, while in other markets it consists of handing over existing publicly operated and owned infrastructure to a private operator. The question arises as to whether there are significant differences in economic and financial impacts and implications between the "new" and "old" privatizations. This paper will examine these differences using a sort of 'natural experiment' that is represented by the Australia-based Macquarie Bank. Macquarie Bank is a major infrastructure finance firm that has both built and operated new systems and taken over existing public assets in both its home country of Australia and in the United States. In the US, Macquarie has had a leading hand in the relatively few 'greenfield' private surface transport projects in that country (e.g. the Dulles Greenway) and is now making a big mark with its recent deals to lease and operate the Chicago Skyway and the Indiana toll roads. What makes the Macquarie case especially interesting is that since a single firm is the entity involved in both new and old investments, the institutional factors are 'held constant' while the economics and finances of each component of the US and Australia portfolios can be more easily isolated and examined and comparisons made between the two types of privatizations. 1

Transit infrastructure in the US has often been unable to cope with the shifting population chang... more Transit infrastructure in the US has often been unable to cope with the shifting population changes and development of once suburban areas, some times even those within dense urban agglomerations. This paper focuses on access to transit and the social equity and environmental dimensions of the transit system in New York City's borough of Staten Island. This paper evaluates public transit in that borough and, using a case study of a newly implemented Ferry Shuttle bus service, assesses how current socioeconomic and environmental imbalances that exist are aided by this particular transit expansion. The paper concludes with a more generic set of lessons learned and suggestions for further research. 2

New York City is a community whose very name evokes both density and transit. After all, the tang... more New York City is a community whose very name evokes both density and transit. After all, the tangle of tall buildings and the subway are two international icons which suggest many people going different places on trains, buses and, occasionally, a yellow taxi cab. However even in New York City many people live in more suburban settings without easy access to the subway or bus. The borough of Staten Island is a prime example of such an area within New York City. Staten Island has its own transportation icon in the form of its orange ferry. But it is the only borough not connected to the rest of the City subway and its rate of transit usage is the lowest in the city. Nonetheless there is plenty of latent demand for transit with existing transit usage rates that are six times the national US average. This paper reviews and analyzes response to the recent introduction of an incremental transit service improvement there. This analysis will show ways in which latent transit demand is relevant even in older communities with an existing transit network; offers a framework by which such analysis can be approached; and discusses implementation of transit by stages while considering the full range of transit modes that might be suitable as densities increase throughout a given service area.

New transportation projects are typically subjected to economic analysis to assess whether such i... more New transportation projects are typically subjected to economic analysis to assess whether such investments represent a net economic gain or loss to society. However once projects are in place and in need of major reconstruction and rehabilitation, such analysis is often foregone. However the actual process and staging of rebuilding of a particular project may not be economically optimal. There are, in fact, typically multiple alternatives to pursue with major renewals and it could be argued that these alternatives should at least be subject to additional economic evaluation to see if it is being done at minimum economic cost. This paper explores these issues by conducting a preliminary economic evaluation of a major renewal of the Bayonne Bridge that connects Staten Island, NY with Bayonne, NJ. A choice has been made to leave the bridge open for service during weekday morning and afternoon peaks but otherwise closed for construction. A preliminary cost analysis is conducted here to determine the economic effects of the closures on travel diversions, congestion, and air pollution costs. Conclusions are then drawn on how this might be joined with a fuller analysis of construction alternatives with lessons drawn out the potential use of economic evaluation to assess renewal and rehabilitation staging alternatives more generally. 2

This paper conducts a preliminary analysis of detailed user data of bike share programs in three ... more This paper conducts a preliminary analysis of detailed user data of bike share programs in three US cities: New York, Boston and Chicago. Usage shares by gender and location are mapped and discussed. Possible reasons for usage differences are presented and planning and policy implications are offered. Many more men than women use bike share in all three cities. The difference is generally by close to an order of magnitude. Thus the gender split in regular bike usage is mirrored in bike share in Boston, Chicago and New York. 2

Sponsorship of sports event is a big business. Yet there is almost no agreement on what constitut... more Sponsorship of sports event is a big business. Yet there is almost no agreement on what constitutes “success.” Many of the measures that are provided are either vague – e.g. “improves our brand position” – or intermediate – e.g., persistence of consumer memory of a sponsor mention. Moreover even these measures are one-sided, looking at what the sponsor ‘gets’ from sponsorship, but not considering what those participating in the sponsored event receive?
Design/methodology/approach: This article critically examines the existing literature on sports sponsorship and collates the various measures of success that have been
used. These measures are ranked and assessed in terms of their meaningfulness to the sponsor and, where applicable, to those involved in what is being sponsored. Overall there is little consensus on whether event sponsorship is a
‘successful’ strategy and what ‘success’ actually means, or should mean. This is no surprise in one way since every event and each sponsorship is unique. In general there needs to be more research on the impacts of sponsorship from the event participant’s point of view and from the larger social frame.

Economics in Focus: the global financial crisis, 2010

EARLY DRAFT OF “THE ECONOMICS OF THE GFC” (CHAPTER BY CAMERON GORDON). (A much revised final ver... more EARLY DRAFT OF “THE ECONOMICS OF THE GFC” (CHAPTER BY CAMERON GORDON). (A much revised final version was published in Gordon, C., & Valentine, T. (2010). Economics in focus: the gobal financial crisis. Pearson Education Australia.)

This little book is a short meander through Zen thought and practice intertwined with a discussio... more This little book is a short meander through Zen thought and practice intertwined with a discussion of the novella by James Hilton about an eccentric Oxford don titled "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," interwoven with a discussion of James Hilton's short but remarkable life and the durability of the "Chips" book in its various stage and screen incarnations. I, the author, am an amateur seeker. That sort may be the worst kind, or, as Zen might put it, the best kind. Or perhaps no kind at all which may be even better than the best. It is not meant to be a definitive or expert treatise on Zen, of which there are many (and I provide a few references, at the end, of some of my personal favorites). Neither is it a how-to guide. As the author, I'm not sure I can say exactly what it is at all except that I hope it might be a bit of an inspiration to readers to learn and search some more about Zen. For Zen asks that we find out for ourselves what it's all about.

In 2004 Shanghai offered an intriguing mix of new and old, of past and present, of China and the ... more In 2004 Shanghai offered an intriguing mix of new and old, of past and present, of China and the West, and it was a mix that was in constant ferment. It was a sort of ‘half-and-half’ place and the balance was fascinating to watch and experience. This book offers a snapshot, in the form of prose-poem like descriptions of various aspects of street life (e.g. "animals" and "traffic"), along with selected photographs, of a point in time in a city and country where time was and is still moving very quickly.

These impressions were gathered during a 6-week stint there by the author, following an earlier 1998 trip and numerous trips afterwards. As he says: "I still find Shanghai 2004 to be particularly interesting. I hope you will as well. And if you yourself have been there at that time, maybe this book will bring back some fond memories of a place that is still a fascinating but ever moving place."

The theme explored in this play is how technocracy and war make strange, and contradictory, bedfe... more The theme explored in this play is how technocracy and war make strange, and contradictory, bedfellows. War is one of the most non-rational of human enterprises. Yet the industrial and technological scale of modern war requires critical masses of expertise and managerial skill which are based on a premise that the world is linear, rational, and manageable. Albert Speer and Robert McNamara were quintessential technocratic managers who believed in the power of numbers and high-concept thinking to prosecute their wars 'efficiently' and 'successfully'. This approach, however, got their countries into deep practical, moral and ethical trouble. This play is a study of this dilemma, raising questions more generally about the nature and meaning of the modern technocracy and the technocratic types it creates and requires.