Louise Metcalf - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Louise Metcalf

Research paper thumbnail of Are ethical companies' shares less likely to be bought and sold in difficult economic times?

This paper examines the effect of the Global Financial Crisis, on the share prices of companies p... more This paper examines the effect of the Global Financial Crisis, on the share prices of companies purported to be socially responsible through an ethical companies list regularly sent to investors in Australia. A matched pairs method was used and share price fluctuation data was compiled using public sources. T-tests were then used to determine the statistical significance of differences in daily fluctuations of share prices. Results indicated that companies listed on the index as ethical companies demonstrated less share price fluctuation which was sustained when in recent times of economic downturn. These results show the shares were less responsive to the global panic that ensued and that shareholders may have had more trust in these organisations.20 page(s

Research paper thumbnail of Human values clustering towards CSR critical mass and business advantage

This paper explores the interaction between the decisions of shareholders and leaders of socially... more This paper explores the interaction between the decisions of shareholders and leaders of socially responsible companies during the global financial crisis between 2008 to the end of 2011. Qualitative data analysis of 23 interviews revealed these groups felt that the organisations they were contributing to, either as leaders or shareholders, reflected the participants’ own personal values. The researchers propose that this personal identification with the organisation is likely to provide some competitive advantage to organisations that choose to be socially responsible. In addition, it indicates a potential mechanism for developing an emergent critical mass of behaviour and attitudes for planet and human sustainability which could be further explored.24 page(s

Research paper thumbnail of The Business case for ethics : why good guys finish first

This study puts forward a business case for ethical behaviour in organisations. Data was collecte... more This study puts forward a business case for ethical behaviour in organisations. Data was collected over 5 years, coming from 18 countries, 16,813 staff from 1,535 organisations participated and approximately 18% of the database is international. Organisations came from an extensive range of industry groups. Findings included that businesses perceived as successful demonstrated a strong link to ethical behaviour and also had more engaged staff. Our analysis also indicated that there is an argument for linking good leadership and good ethical behaviour. Managers should consider the importance of promoting good ethical behaviour for a successful business.

Research paper thumbnail of Developing of a structural equation model of organisational performance and employee engagement

Australian Journal of Psychology, 2006

Macquarie University ResearchOnline.

Research paper thumbnail of Advancing industrial/ organisational psychological science by embracing complexity and modernising methods: a complex adaptive systems approach

Research paper thumbnail of Developing a structural equation model of organisational performance and employee engagement

2006 Joint Conference of …, 2006

... Developing a Structural Equation Model of Organisational Performance and Employee Engagement.... more ... Developing a Structural Equation Model of Organisational Performance and Employee Engagement. Peter H. Langford (peter.langford@mq.edu.au). Voice Project, Department of Psychology. Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109 Australia. ...

Research paper thumbnail of What engages staff in Australian universities?

Research paper thumbnail of Home to Us All How Connecting with Nature Helps Us Care for Ourselves and the Earth

Children & Nature Network, Nov 22, 2018

Dedication This publication is dedicated to the children of the Earth, their brothers and sisters... more Dedication This publication is dedicated to the children of the Earth, their brothers and sisters of all species, and the Home that supports all of Life. We offer these words and images with humility and gratitude for the spirits and elders who precede us, and with hope for vision, guidance, and responsible actions to contribute to a healthy future for all for generations to come. How to Use this Publication Home to Us All: How Connecting with Nature Helps Us Care for Ourselves and the Earth is intended for a variety of people and purposes. Feel free to use its contents, with attribution to the source. You may use it in its entirety, or excerpt parts of it, noting "Reprinted with permission from the Children & Nature Network, ©2018." In addition to this full publication, there are other resources, including a summary titled Connecting with Nature to Care for Ourselves and the Earth: Recommendations for Decision Makers available from www.childrenandnature.org and www.natureforall.global.

Research paper thumbnail of Developing of a structural equation model of organisational performance and employee engagement

Macquarie University ResearchOnline.

Research paper thumbnail of Are ethical companies' shares less likely to be bought and sold in difficult economic times?

Research paper thumbnail of Human values clustering towards CSR critical mass and business advantage

Research paper thumbnail of Advancing industrial/ organisational psychological science by embracing complexity and modernising methods: a complex adaptive systems approach

Research paper thumbnail of The Business case for ethics : why good guys finish first

This study puts forward a business case for ethical behaviour in organisations. Data was collecte... more This study puts forward a business case for ethical behaviour in organisations. Data was collected over 5 years, coming from 18 countries, 16,813 staff from 1,535 organisations participated and approximately 18% of the database is international. Organisations came from an extensive range of industry groups. Findings included that businesses perceived as successful demonstrated a strong link to ethical behaviour and also had more engaged staff. Our analysis also indicated that there is an argument for linking good leadership and good ethical behaviour. Managers should consider the importance of promoting good ethical behaviour for a successful business.

Research paper thumbnail of An Exploratory Study in Community Perspectives of Sustainability Leadership in the Murray Darling Basin

This article explores the emergence of leadership during implementation of a water saving initiat... more This article explores the emergence of leadership during implementation of a water saving initiative in the rural community surrounding Barren Box Swamp in the Murray Darling Basin, Australia. Qualitative data analysis indicated that the system elements affecting the type of leadership to emerge included the extent to which the groups were engaged in the process, the level of access to resources, and the level of investment in the outcomes of the project. Although these results reinforced key aspects of complex problem-solving through collaboration, they demonstrated varying degrees and types of both engagement and leadership within the case community. Given the current finding that these varying elements can coincide within one system, this case suggests that each community’s characteristics, resources and context will determine the optimal combination of leadership style and level of collaboration needed to facilitate sustainable community development.

Research paper thumbnail of The Business case for ethics : why good guys finish first

Research paper thumbnail of Can organisations pave the way for sustainable communities?

Organisations are increasingly being asked to respond to local environmental issues, however, due... more Organisations are increasingly being asked to respond to local environmental issues, however, due to competing interests, initiatives that are led by organisations can often be viewed with skepticism and mistrust. In addition, research on organisationally led initiatives to respond positively to environmental issues is lacking. Using qualitative methodology, this case study explores the drivers of a successful sustainable water allocation strategy implemented in the town of Griffith NSW, part of the Murray Darling Basin in Australia, facilitated by the local irrigation authority. Content analysis indicated that community engagement in the initial planning and scoping phase was an important step in fostering support and project success. Furthermore, equity in engagement, and facilitation via a combined top-down/bottom-up management style, increased trust. Organisational understanding of the needs of each stakeholder group appeared to generate better engagement in the project, regardl...

Research paper thumbnail of Can Organisations Pave the Way for Sustainability in Communities?

Proceedings of the International Association for Business and Society, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Corporate Social Responsibility in Leadership Interview

Research paper thumbnail of Leadership Styles and CSR Practice: An Examination of Sensemaking, Institutional Drivers and CSR Leadership

Journal of Business Ethics, 2010

This article examines the explicit and implicit corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework a... more This article examines the explicit and implicit corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework and its implications for leadership style, in a major banking institution. Evidence for existence of the framework's key concepts in relation to leadership styles was explored through the self-reported sensemaking of leaders charged with CSR programme introduction. Qualitative data analysis indicated that explicit CSR is linked to an autocratic leadership style, whereas implicit CSR is more closely aligned with emergent and authentic styles. Although our results reinforced key aspects of the explicit and implicit CSR framework, they demonstrated conflicting systems of both CSR and leadership within our case organisation and highlighted the difficulty in categorising such a complex concept as CSR according to specific frameworks. Overall, our data suggest that the leadership styles, needed to successfully implement explicit and implicit CSR programmes, are in conflict. Given our finding that these CSR systems can coincide within one organisation, we suggest that the debating style of transformational leadership may be the required linchpin.

Research paper thumbnail of Leadership for Sustainability: An Evolution of Leadership Ability

Journal of Business Ethics, 2013

This article examines the existing confusion over the multiple leadership styles related to succe... more This article examines the existing confusion over the multiple leadership styles related to successful implementation of corporate social responsibility/sustainability in organisations. The researchers find that the problem is the complex nature of sustainability itself. We posit that organisations are complex adaptive systems operating within wider complex adaptive systems, making the problem of interpreting just in what way an organisation is to be sustainable, an extraordinary demand on leaders. Hence, leadership for sustainability requires leaders of extraordinary abilities. These are leaders who can read and predict through complexity, think through complex problems, engage groups in dynamic adaptive organisational change and have the emotional intelligence to adaptively engage with their own emotions associated with complex problem solving. Leaders and leadership is a key interpreter of how sustainability of the organisation 'links' to the wider systems in which the organisation sits, and executing that link well requires unusual leaders and leadership systems.

Research paper thumbnail of Are ethical companies' shares less likely to be bought and sold in difficult economic times?

This paper examines the effect of the Global Financial Crisis, on the share prices of companies p... more This paper examines the effect of the Global Financial Crisis, on the share prices of companies purported to be socially responsible through an ethical companies list regularly sent to investors in Australia. A matched pairs method was used and share price fluctuation data was compiled using public sources. T-tests were then used to determine the statistical significance of differences in daily fluctuations of share prices. Results indicated that companies listed on the index as ethical companies demonstrated less share price fluctuation which was sustained when in recent times of economic downturn. These results show the shares were less responsive to the global panic that ensued and that shareholders may have had more trust in these organisations.20 page(s

Research paper thumbnail of Human values clustering towards CSR critical mass and business advantage

This paper explores the interaction between the decisions of shareholders and leaders of socially... more This paper explores the interaction between the decisions of shareholders and leaders of socially responsible companies during the global financial crisis between 2008 to the end of 2011. Qualitative data analysis of 23 interviews revealed these groups felt that the organisations they were contributing to, either as leaders or shareholders, reflected the participants’ own personal values. The researchers propose that this personal identification with the organisation is likely to provide some competitive advantage to organisations that choose to be socially responsible. In addition, it indicates a potential mechanism for developing an emergent critical mass of behaviour and attitudes for planet and human sustainability which could be further explored.24 page(s

Research paper thumbnail of The Business case for ethics : why good guys finish first

This study puts forward a business case for ethical behaviour in organisations. Data was collecte... more This study puts forward a business case for ethical behaviour in organisations. Data was collected over 5 years, coming from 18 countries, 16,813 staff from 1,535 organisations participated and approximately 18% of the database is international. Organisations came from an extensive range of industry groups. Findings included that businesses perceived as successful demonstrated a strong link to ethical behaviour and also had more engaged staff. Our analysis also indicated that there is an argument for linking good leadership and good ethical behaviour. Managers should consider the importance of promoting good ethical behaviour for a successful business.

Research paper thumbnail of Developing of a structural equation model of organisational performance and employee engagement

Australian Journal of Psychology, 2006

Macquarie University ResearchOnline.

Research paper thumbnail of Advancing industrial/ organisational psychological science by embracing complexity and modernising methods: a complex adaptive systems approach

Research paper thumbnail of Developing a structural equation model of organisational performance and employee engagement

2006 Joint Conference of …, 2006

... Developing a Structural Equation Model of Organisational Performance and Employee Engagement.... more ... Developing a Structural Equation Model of Organisational Performance and Employee Engagement. Peter H. Langford (peter.langford@mq.edu.au). Voice Project, Department of Psychology. Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109 Australia. ...

Research paper thumbnail of What engages staff in Australian universities?

Research paper thumbnail of Home to Us All How Connecting with Nature Helps Us Care for Ourselves and the Earth

Children & Nature Network, Nov 22, 2018

Dedication This publication is dedicated to the children of the Earth, their brothers and sisters... more Dedication This publication is dedicated to the children of the Earth, their brothers and sisters of all species, and the Home that supports all of Life. We offer these words and images with humility and gratitude for the spirits and elders who precede us, and with hope for vision, guidance, and responsible actions to contribute to a healthy future for all for generations to come. How to Use this Publication Home to Us All: How Connecting with Nature Helps Us Care for Ourselves and the Earth is intended for a variety of people and purposes. Feel free to use its contents, with attribution to the source. You may use it in its entirety, or excerpt parts of it, noting "Reprinted with permission from the Children & Nature Network, ©2018." In addition to this full publication, there are other resources, including a summary titled Connecting with Nature to Care for Ourselves and the Earth: Recommendations for Decision Makers available from www.childrenandnature.org and www.natureforall.global.

Research paper thumbnail of Developing of a structural equation model of organisational performance and employee engagement

Macquarie University ResearchOnline.

Research paper thumbnail of Are ethical companies' shares less likely to be bought and sold in difficult economic times?

Research paper thumbnail of Human values clustering towards CSR critical mass and business advantage

Research paper thumbnail of Advancing industrial/ organisational psychological science by embracing complexity and modernising methods: a complex adaptive systems approach

Research paper thumbnail of The Business case for ethics : why good guys finish first

This study puts forward a business case for ethical behaviour in organisations. Data was collecte... more This study puts forward a business case for ethical behaviour in organisations. Data was collected over 5 years, coming from 18 countries, 16,813 staff from 1,535 organisations participated and approximately 18% of the database is international. Organisations came from an extensive range of industry groups. Findings included that businesses perceived as successful demonstrated a strong link to ethical behaviour and also had more engaged staff. Our analysis also indicated that there is an argument for linking good leadership and good ethical behaviour. Managers should consider the importance of promoting good ethical behaviour for a successful business.

Research paper thumbnail of An Exploratory Study in Community Perspectives of Sustainability Leadership in the Murray Darling Basin

This article explores the emergence of leadership during implementation of a water saving initiat... more This article explores the emergence of leadership during implementation of a water saving initiative in the rural community surrounding Barren Box Swamp in the Murray Darling Basin, Australia. Qualitative data analysis indicated that the system elements affecting the type of leadership to emerge included the extent to which the groups were engaged in the process, the level of access to resources, and the level of investment in the outcomes of the project. Although these results reinforced key aspects of complex problem-solving through collaboration, they demonstrated varying degrees and types of both engagement and leadership within the case community. Given the current finding that these varying elements can coincide within one system, this case suggests that each community’s characteristics, resources and context will determine the optimal combination of leadership style and level of collaboration needed to facilitate sustainable community development.

Research paper thumbnail of The Business case for ethics : why good guys finish first

Research paper thumbnail of Can organisations pave the way for sustainable communities?

Organisations are increasingly being asked to respond to local environmental issues, however, due... more Organisations are increasingly being asked to respond to local environmental issues, however, due to competing interests, initiatives that are led by organisations can often be viewed with skepticism and mistrust. In addition, research on organisationally led initiatives to respond positively to environmental issues is lacking. Using qualitative methodology, this case study explores the drivers of a successful sustainable water allocation strategy implemented in the town of Griffith NSW, part of the Murray Darling Basin in Australia, facilitated by the local irrigation authority. Content analysis indicated that community engagement in the initial planning and scoping phase was an important step in fostering support and project success. Furthermore, equity in engagement, and facilitation via a combined top-down/bottom-up management style, increased trust. Organisational understanding of the needs of each stakeholder group appeared to generate better engagement in the project, regardl...

Research paper thumbnail of Can Organisations Pave the Way for Sustainability in Communities?

Proceedings of the International Association for Business and Society, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Corporate Social Responsibility in Leadership Interview

Research paper thumbnail of Leadership Styles and CSR Practice: An Examination of Sensemaking, Institutional Drivers and CSR Leadership

Journal of Business Ethics, 2010

This article examines the explicit and implicit corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework a... more This article examines the explicit and implicit corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework and its implications for leadership style, in a major banking institution. Evidence for existence of the framework's key concepts in relation to leadership styles was explored through the self-reported sensemaking of leaders charged with CSR programme introduction. Qualitative data analysis indicated that explicit CSR is linked to an autocratic leadership style, whereas implicit CSR is more closely aligned with emergent and authentic styles. Although our results reinforced key aspects of the explicit and implicit CSR framework, they demonstrated conflicting systems of both CSR and leadership within our case organisation and highlighted the difficulty in categorising such a complex concept as CSR according to specific frameworks. Overall, our data suggest that the leadership styles, needed to successfully implement explicit and implicit CSR programmes, are in conflict. Given our finding that these CSR systems can coincide within one organisation, we suggest that the debating style of transformational leadership may be the required linchpin.

Research paper thumbnail of Leadership for Sustainability: An Evolution of Leadership Ability

Journal of Business Ethics, 2013

This article examines the existing confusion over the multiple leadership styles related to succe... more This article examines the existing confusion over the multiple leadership styles related to successful implementation of corporate social responsibility/sustainability in organisations. The researchers find that the problem is the complex nature of sustainability itself. We posit that organisations are complex adaptive systems operating within wider complex adaptive systems, making the problem of interpreting just in what way an organisation is to be sustainable, an extraordinary demand on leaders. Hence, leadership for sustainability requires leaders of extraordinary abilities. These are leaders who can read and predict through complexity, think through complex problems, engage groups in dynamic adaptive organisational change and have the emotional intelligence to adaptively engage with their own emotions associated with complex problem solving. Leaders and leadership is a key interpreter of how sustainability of the organisation 'links' to the wider systems in which the organisation sits, and executing that link well requires unusual leaders and leadership systems.