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Automated Hyperspectral Characterisation Station for Laboratories
No full textThis thesis addresses the gaps between the capabilities and utilisation of robotics and automation in laboratory settings. We introduce an innovative approach to the time- and temperature-dependent characterisation of materials. The challenges posed by manual methods using established laboratory equipment are discussed, and the automated hyperspectral characterisation station is presented as a flexible, higher-throughput, and automated solution. This station integrates robot-aided hyperspectral imaging, complex material characterisation modelling, and automated data analysis, offering a non-destructive automated approach to characterising materials in chemistry and material science laboratories. This work explains the roles of different hardware and software modules that constitute the system, followed by its applications to solve real-world problems. The proposed assembly is shown to be capable of automatically measuring the half-life of biodegradable polymers with throughput and precision higher than those of manual methods. The investigation explores the effects of pH, average molecular weight (Mn), end groups, and blends on the degradation rate of polylactic acid (PLA). Additionally, the developed station is utilised to measure the critical temperature corresponding to phase changes (dissolution and precipitation) of polymers within solvents. The novel contributions of this body of research lie in introducing an adaptable classification station for characterisation and presenting innovative methodologies for measuring polymer degradation rates and polymer-solvent dissolution and precipitation temperatures. The applications of the proposed system are not limited to the cases explored in this work and hold promise for expediting the development of high-throughput screening and characterisation methods within advanced material and chemistry laboratories.</p
Academic Development in the Managerial University: A Case of Peer Observation
No full textThe expectation to advance and demonstrate ‘quality’ in tertiary teaching presents complex challenges for contemporary universities, reflecting a shift in institutional strategy and practices to align with market-oriented agendas. This shift has generated tensions in the idea of ‘academic development’ as the process by which quality is enhanced/assured. These tensions are expressed through contested conceptions of the aims and scope of practices that constitute academic development. This PhD research is a case study that identifies and explores tensions between the different ways ‘academic development’ and ‘quality’ are conceived, enacted, and experienced in the contemporary managerial university context.
As ‘insider research,’ the study adopted and augmented Brookfield’s approach to critical reflection, integrating concepts from critical educational theory to shape an innovative conceptual framework and methodology that was used to explore a peer observation academic development program that ran in an Australian University between 2013 and 2017, called ‘Peer Partnerships.’
The case of Peer Partnerships illustrates the impact of the contemporary managerial context on the conceptualisation and practices of academic development, highlighting the contradictions between formative/developmental and summative approaches, correspondingly different conceptions of quality, and the significance of the socio-political context. The perspective of the program’s academic participants reflected and, in some instances, enacted these contradictions; however other experiences reported by participants also indicated the potential for academic development to empower academics’ sense of agency and community. While elements of the case study reflect the specific time and place in which Peer Partnerships occurred, there are findings of broader significance for any university seeking to develop its academic capability. These include the importance of clarity regarding the role and purposes of academic developers in processes of academic development.
The research contributes:
a)From the case study findings:
i.detailed knowledge of factors enabling and constraining the developmental aims of academic development in the contemporary institutional context; and
ii.knowledge of the contradictory impacts of competing conceptions of quality and their effect in shaping the field of academic development.
From the methodology, a novel approach to insider research that contextualises researcher positionality using both the perspectives of other actors, and a conceptual framework that positions the actors in the broader institutional context.</p
Writing a Transcultural Teacher: Critical Autoethnographic Prose Poems on Teacher Subjectivity across Singapore, Shanghai and Melbourne
No full textThis PhD contains a creative writing folio of prose poems on my pedagogical practice and subjectivity across education sites in Singapore, Shanghai and Melbourne. I use prose poetry to write critical autoethnographic lived experiences in the three education sites. The poems are made up of interconnections and entanglements of cultures, framed by the concept of transculturality as mobility across cultures in connectible ways. In each site, the poems are grouped according to three parts: a) ‘First impressions’ poems, which usher the reader into the particular education site, taking care of the creative ecologies (physical and sociocultural environments) which contribute to pedagogy; b) ‘Day in the life’ poems, which map a chronology of events at each teaching site, showing how my teacher subjectivity shifts according to the connections made with entangled cultures; and c) ‘The complex and connectible life of a teacher’, which are poems critically committed to writing the complexities of transcultural teacher subjectivity within systems and discourses of power. The dissertation accompanying the creative component reflects on and interrogates my creative practice of writing (and living as) a transcultural teacher. It does so by examining three interconnected areas of study towards which my PhD contributes. These are: 1) transcultural studies, which examines how a mobile and migrant teacher negotiates connections across borders. This enables transcultural pedagogy, where the migrant teacher makes creative connections towards teaching practices; 2) poetic inquiry, which studies how the methodological practice of writing prose poetry maps the entanglements in my transcultural teacher lived experience, towards cultural commentary and critical self reflexivity, which is a commitment to 3) critical autoethnography, which uncovers self and cultures lived within systems and discourses of power, oppression and privilege, urgently needing critical application.</p
Preparing Next-Gen Drivers: The Roles of Standardised Terminology, Regular Training and Large Language Models in Driver Education for Autonomous Vehicles
No full textTitle: Preparing Next-Gen Drivers: The Roles of Standardised Terminology, Regular Training and Large Language Models in Driver Education for Autonomous Vehicles
Abstract:
The advancement of vehicular technologies towards autonomy necessitates a re-evaluation of driver interaction with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technologies. This thesis presents an integrated examination of the challenges and opportunities in enhancing driver understanding and interaction with these systems, focusing on terminology standardisation and transparency, the effectiveness of driver training, and the application of Large Language Models (LLMs) in driver education. Through a series of studies, this research seeks to enhance the integration of ADAS and AV technologies into society, ensuring safer roads and more informed users.
The research identifies a critical gap in the standardisation and transparency of terminology and operations in ADAS, highlighting a widespread disparity across manufacturers. This investigation reveals that terminologies that describe ADAS functions vary widely and often lack intuitiveness, contributing to confusion and underutilisation of safety features. The study advocates for the adoption of standardised terminology and clear operational guidelines to improve user comprehension and vehicle safety. These recommendations aim to provide essential insights for Artificial Intelligence (AI) experts and vehicle manufacturers, assisting the transport industry, regulators, and technology developers in designing comprehensive frameworks and guidelines to ensure consistent and effective communication of ADAS functionalities.
Further investigation evaluates the role of structured training programs in preparing drivers for the complexities of ADAS and AV technologies. Simulation-based studies show significant improvements in drivers’ operational proficiency post-training, emphasising the necessity of formal education in enhancing road safety in the autonomous era. Training sessions’ results involving novice and experienced drivers indicate that appropriate training significantly enhances drivers’ accuracy and reaction times when interacting with ADAS and AV systems. This underscores the importance of tailored and continuous training programs.
The final area of study explores the efficacy of LLM-based instruction versus conventional training methods in educating drivers about ADAS and AV functionalities. Findings reveal that instruction via LLM, specifically through interactions with ChatGPT, significantly outperforms conventional training approaches regarding learning outcomes. Participants trained via LLM demonstrated quicker comprehension and higher consistency in activating and utilising ADAS functions than those trained through conventional methods. The findings further indicate that participants who engaged with ChatGPT-based training scored higher (on average, 21% higher) in accuracy in activating ADAS functions. A statistically significant reduction in activation time for all the functions was also observed, such that P<0.05. This highlights the potential of integrating AI into educational frameworks for complex system operations.
Collectively, these research areas contribute to a comprehensive strategy to improve driver safety and efficacy in the era of autonomous vehicles. By advocating for standardised terminologies, effective training programs, and the innovative use of AI in education, this thesis lays the groundwork for future initiatives to ensure drivers are well-prepared for the evolving demands of vehicular technology. These insights offer valuable implications for policymakers, educators, the automotive industry, and the transportation industry, potentially improving global road safety and regulatory practices.</p
Investigation of Post-stroke Dynamic Functional Connectivity Network and Its Utilization on Motor Function Evaluation
No full textStroke is the leading cause of long-term disability, and more than half of stroke survivors have motor disabilities of various degrees. However, the brain demonstrates an important capability to modify its activity in reaction to internal or external stimuli through reorganizing its neural connections after injuries such as stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Hence, stroke patients can partially regain or restore impaired body function by engaging in appropriate rehabilitation exercises. Functional connectivity (FC) analysis with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) has been applied to evaluate motor behavior through the analysis of the neural network organization process. Nevertheless, FC analysis, particularly dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) analysis, has not been widely used in post-stroke rehabilitation assessment. Hence, this project aims to conduct a long-term follow-up investigation on post-stroke patients to analyze the relationship between FC dynamics and motor function improvement.
Unlike conventional static functional connectivity analysis, which assumes that the FC is static during an fMRI scan, DFC analysis evaluates the temporal evolution of the FC in seconds and produces a brain representation based on the connectivity changes of the time-varying network. Based on a comprehensive literature review, a research gap of time-varying functional networks in stroke is identified. Hence a novel DFC analysis pipeline was initially developed in this investigation with the aim to examine the dynamics of the post-stroke functional network in stroke. The effectiveness of the implemented analytical pipeline was also verified on fMRI data from healthy aged people due to the close relationship between age and stroke. The brain functions are fulfilled by a set of functionally specialized modules, which implies that post-stroke function impairment was related to the alteration of the modules in the brain function network. Based on the estimated time-varying network, the dynamic reconfiguration in the post-stroke brain was next investigated. With the presented method of multilayer temporal network, the dynamic changes in the brain function network of stroke patients with different severity levels were studied.
Furthermore, the dynamic adaptive behaviours of the post-stroke brain derived from the time-varying network were measured, and the role of those brain behaviors in the motor function recovery following stroke was explored. Specifically, as stroke rehabilitation is a time-dependent process, brain dynamic behaviors recognized from the multilayer temporal network were first exploited to track stroke recovery. Followed by using machine learning methods, the whole-brain dynamic behaviors were then utilized to predict the post-stroke motor recovery status and explain differences in individual motor recovery.
Results from the investigation show that the brain will dynamically adjust its functional network to adapt to stroke damage. The post-stroke transient network states become locally weakly connected and exhibit more segregation and higher modularity. Besides, it has been found that the brain will reconfigure its network to regain the balance of segregation and integration. Notably, the network reconfiguration has been demonstrated to be severity-dependent; mild and severe patients exhibit distinct reconfiguration patterns. Further explorations show that the dynamic behaviors of the brain network correlate with the post-stroke motor function recovery stages. The patients who are at higher recovery stages indicate significantly higher levels of network recruitment and flexibility. It has also shown that the brain's ongoing adjustments lead to varying expected outcomes among patients. The ridge regression method inputting the network measurement achieves the highest Area Under the Curve(AUC) of 85.93\%. Post-analysis also illustrates that network recruitment plays a crucial role in post-stroke recovery.
In summary, the post-stroke motor function recovery process has been studied longitudinally by using the dynamic functional connectivity approach. The DFC analysis effectively demonstrates how the brain dynamically adapts to stroke attacks and how brain behavior correlates with motor recovery. The improved understanding of post-stroke brain network dynamics could be further used by rehabilitation professionals to make more precise prescriptions, provide reasonable prognosis reports, and offer more personalized and effective interventions to help stroke survivors regain lost function and enhance their quality of life.</p
Chinese Otaku Culture: Between Fandom, Market, and the State
No full textOtaku culture entails an obsession with Japanese cultural products such as anime, manga, and video games. The arrival of otaku culture in China has led to the emergence of a distinct, national and cultural fan community. While Japanese in origin, otaku fandom – in its Chinese manifestation – has become embedded in intricate social contexts and shaped in distinctive ways by domestic actors including the Chinese government, national media and cultural industries, as well as by the Japanese otaku industry. Currently, scholars who study Chinese otaku fandom tend to focus on topics like fans’ cultural and aesthetic preferences, their consumption behaviour, and the relation between the fandom and China’s digital economy. The power struggles behind everyday fandom practices, which involve negotiation and conflict between fans and different political and commercial forces inside and outside Chinese society, have not been fully explored.
To address this gap, this thesis uses qualitative research with the fan community and with fan-produced and commercial media texts to examine the complexities of Chinese otaku culture. In particular, I interrogate the interrelationships between Chinese otaku fandom, state, and industry actors. Through online interviews and participant diary entries, I engage with otaku fans in China who are familiar both with otaku cultural products and Chinese otaku fan communities. These fans’ thoughts, expressions and behaviour are combined with case studies of key media texts (such as popular Japanese animation series, short videos, and live streaming events) to provide an in-depth understanding of the ecosystem of Chinese otaku fandom and its interplay with intricate Chinese social contexts.
Examining the complex power dynamics that shape the landscape of this local fan culture, the thesis explores the specificities of media fandom in non-Western societies while contributing to larger debates in global fan studies. I argue that Chinese otaku
fandom is significantly affected by dominant political and commercial powers. Commercial and state influence over Chinese otaku culture and its fandom has not only radically changed the face of otaku cultural products in China, but has also contributed to divisions and imbalanced power distribution between different fan groups. In this way, the thesis responds to the call in contemporary fan studies to pay more attention to the diverse fandoms that lie beyond the traditional Anglo-European perspectives in fan studies.</p
The Role of Piezo1 Ion Channel in Mechanotransduction of Shear Stress: Molecular Insights into Endothelial Cell Function
No full textShear stress is a mechanical force exerted by blood flow, and endothelial cells that line the blood vessel walls are under constant exposure to shear stress. Endothelial cells are inherently sensitive to haemodynamic forces, which are the forces such as shear stress and cyclic stretch that arise from blood flow and changes in vascular tone, and their sensitivity to these forces play an essential role in regulating vascular function. Endothelial mechanosensitivity is regulated via a class of proteins called mechanoreceptors. These include expression of mechanosensitive ion channels which are known to play a role in sensing the shear stress and converting this information into biochemical signals to activate intracellular signalling pathways. Among the mechanosensitive ion channels that mediate endothelial mechanosensitivity, there is great interest in Piezo1, due to its plasma membrane expression and low threshold of mechanosensitivity.
Piezo1 is essential for early vascular development and blood pressure regulation via vasodilation, which is dependent on intracellular calcium mechanisms (1, 2, 3). In vascular physiology, laminar high shear stress (>10 dyne/cm2) is atheroprotective in nature, whilst disturbed and low shear stress (<4 dyne/cm2) contributes to atherogenesis. To date, it is not well known how shear stress modulates Piezo1 functions under physiological and pathological shear stress levels. Therefore, the first aim of my project was to address this knowledge gap.
The extracellular matrix (ECM) comprises several components which maintain cell function via communicating with membrane receptors on the endothelial cells such as integrins, or structural components such as the actin cytoskeleton. However, the basic biology of Piezo1 including the response to haemodynamic forces and interaction with extracellular matrix proteins, remains poorly understood and will be studied in this project. Thus, the second aim of this project was to examine the role of ECM in Piezo1 function and responses to physiological and pathological shear stress conditions.
Vascular stiffness, haemodynamics, and endothelial cells are interrelated factors vital for cardiovascular health. Vascular stiffness as an ageing condition, is influenced by vessel wall composition, affects haemodynamics, which encompasses blood flow patterns and forces, thereby affecting endothelial physiology. Vascular stiffness is associated with endothelial damage, migration and proliferation, and arterial calcification (4) and alteration in haemodynamic forces (5), all of which contribute to endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and the development of atherosclerosis. However, it is not known if Piezo1 contribute to vessel stiffness or how vessel stiffness affects Piezo1 function and shear stress responses. The third aim of this project was to understand these connections and elucidate the contribution of Piezo1 in endothelial responses to vascular stiffness and pathology.
Overall, this project aimed to enhance our understanding of Piezo1 and its contribution to endothelial physiology, thereby contributing to potential therapeutic advancements to address vascular pathologies associated with Piezo1 impairment.
In this project, I utilized microfluidic models to assess Piezo1 responses to shear stress and its agonist, Yoda1, in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) and a human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cell line stably expressing Piezo1 in presence of specific ECM proteins. To assess Piezo1 response to shear stress, I employed calcium imaging coupled with confocal microscopy, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM), immunocytochemistry and small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) technology to examine the contribution of Piezo1 in cellular responses to atheroprotective and pro-atherogenic shear stress levels. Furthermore, I explored the involvement of Piezo1 in endothelial responses to vascular stiffness using an innovative microfluidic model designed to mimic arterial stiffness.
The results reported in this thesis reveal significant insight into the role of Piezo1 in mechanotransduction of shear stress in endothelial cells. Specifically, my research has demonstrated that shear stress sensitizes the response of Piezo1 to its agonist, Yoda1, and this shear-induced sensitization is accompanied by dynamin- and microtubule-dependent trafficking, leading to an increase in Piezo1 membrane expression. The shear-induced sensitization was rapid and dependent on the activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Ak strain transforming (AKT) signalling pathway.
My research also found that ECM proteins regulate Piezo1 sensitivity to shear stress. Under atheroprotective flow conditions, fibronectin sensitizes the response of Piezo1 to shear stress, while under pro-atherogenic flow conditions, Piezo1 mechanosensitivity is regulated by collagens and laminin. Moreover, α5β1 and αvβ3 integrins are involved in Piezo1 sensitivity to atheroprotective flow while αvβ3 is important in regulating Piezo1 response to pro-atherogenic flow. These results suggest that the ECM/integrin interactions influence Piezo1, providing new insight into the distinct properties of Piezo1.
Additionally, this project has explored the role of Piezo1 in endothelial responses to vascular stiffness. My results have demonstrated that Piezo1 mediates endothelial morphological changes and cytoskeleton remodelling in response to changes in vascular stiffness. Furthermore, the data indicates that Piezo1 regulates inflammatory responses via upregulation of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), and increased monocyte adhesion induced by stiffness and low shear stress. However, it is noteworthy that endothelial senescence induced by substrate stiffness was independent of Piezo1 expression. The findings indicate that Piezo1 contributes to atheroprotective responses in vascular pathology.
This project has significantly contributed to our understanding of the multifaceted role of Piezo1 in endothelial mechanobiology. The findings from my research reveal that shear stress regulates trafficking and membrane expression of Piezo1 in endothelial cells. I have demonstrated that extracellular components modulate Piezo1 mechanotransduction of shear stress via integrin signalling and identified the role of Piezo1 in stiffness-induced endothelial inflammation. Given the crucial role of Piezo1 in vascular development and overall vascular function, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how haemodynamic forces precisely regulate the activity of Piezo1 presents significant prospects for the development of innovative therapeutic interventions.</p
Developing a Digital Solution Framework through a Digital Community of Practice System to Support Teachers' Implementation of STEAM
No full textThis study examines the implementation of cross-disciplinary creative approaches in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education. It addresses the challenges faced by teachers in developing the necessary knowledge and skills for effective collaboration across disciplines. Inspired by the approach of knowledge management, also known as Community of Practice (CoP), and how industries facilitate tacit knowledge propagation across departments to promote creativity through digital support, the study investigates the potential of a digital technology solution to equip schools, teachers, and educators with the competence required for implementing the cross-disciplinary creative approach of STEAM education.
The thesis is organised into eight chapters. Chapter One gives an introduction and background of the study. Chapter Two conducts a literature review to explore the conceptual development and significance of STEAM in creativity education and culture. It also investigates the challenges of implementing STEAM education from a global perspective and identifies the advantages and limitations of current teachers' professional development in STEAM. Chapter Three investigates how a Digital Community of Practice (DCoP) system holds immense potential for supporting teachers' cross-disciplinary collaboration. This investigation plays a pivotal role in building the conceptual framework of the system developed throughout this study.
Chapter Four adopts a design-based research methodology to prototype a comprehensive digital technology solution framework. This includes proposing a digital Community of Practice (DCoP) system and designing a mixed methods approach to understand and support cross-disciplinary collaboration among teachers. Chapter Five focuses on the selection of specific parameters in the DCoP system, ensuring user comfort and ease of use. In Chapters Six and Seven, the thesis presents a comprehensive account of the data analyses conducted during two rounds of online engagement. Employing a combination of qualitative and quantitative data, the study reveals a significant barrier to STEAM implementation: the lack of tacit knowledge among teachers regarding cross-disciplinary collaboration. These findings shed light on the crucial role of the DCoP system in facilitating knowledge sharing and fostering collaboration among Arts and STEM teachers, as well as industry professionals.
The final chapter, Chapter Eight, concludes the study by providing suggestions to various stakeholders involved in STEAM education implementation. Recommendations are offered to teachers, the education department, teacher educators, school principals, parents, and the community, based on the findings of the study. These suggestions aim to support and enhance the effectiveness of teachers’ cross-disciplinary collaboration. Additionally, a conceptual digital solution is proposed to facilitate and foster collaborative engagement among stakeholders in implementing STEAM education. This solution harnesses the power of technology to encourage meaningful collaboration and knowledge exchange, ultimately contributing to the advancement of STEAM education practices.</p
The Formation of Carbon Materials under Extreme Conditions
No full textCarbon is a versatile element due to its ability to form numerous types of bonds with itself, and other elements, enabling it to form a wide variety of materials. The two most well-known pure carbon phases are graphite and diamond; however, other carbon phases have been reported including lonsdaleite (a hexagonal form of diamond), amorphous diamond and a monoclinic form of carbon known as M-carbon. Controversy surrounds the existence of these phases and the mechanism for their formation is not known. For example, it has been suggested that lonsdaleite is not a discrete phase of carbon while evidence for M-carbon has only been found in situ during high-pressure experiments. Extreme conditions, including high pressures, temperatures, and shear, are likely to be required to form many of these exotic forms of carbon. However, there are still many questions as to the extreme conditions that are necessary to selectively produce different carbon structures. This thesis aims to provide new knowledge in how carbon materials behave under extreme conditions by investigating carbon phases in meteorites and under extreme conditions in the laboratory.
In the initial part of this thesis, a variety of characterization techniques were employed to study carbon phases in ureilite meteorites, aiming to discern the microstructure of these phases and infer their synthesis conditions. The size and composition of the ureilite parent body, alongside the processes culminating in the observed carbon structures, remain poorly defined and contentious. Euhedral graphite, marking the peak metamorphic carbon state in the ureilite parent body, and microcrystalline graphite, remaining post-impact, were identified around diamonds and lonsdaleite. Diamonds, up to 20 μm in size, were found and determined to form via a chemical vapour deposition-like process with a relationship to troilite and pentlandite, implying a metal-catalytic dependence for diamond growth in ureilites. Furthermore, the identification of large single-crystal lonsdaleite, up to 1 μm, maintaining a crystallographic relationship with adjacent graphite, supports a formation mechanism involving the direct replacement of graphite. The finding of lonsdaleite also challenges the notion that lonsdaleite does not exist as a distinct carbon phase. These insights, particularly regarding the ureilite parent body’s substantial size comparable to Mars or the Moon, emphasize its intricate geological evolution and capacity for sustaining conditions conducive to such carbon phase transformations.
The second part of this thesis investigated the formation of amorphous carbon thin films synthesised using an energetic plasma. It was found that the presence of a high compressive stress was required to form the highest density amorphous carbon films that contained the highest fraction of diamond-like (sp3 hybridised) bonding. A particularly notable outcome was the creation of an almost entirely sp3 bonded hydrogenated amorphous diamond structure at room temperature.
This thesis also investigated the effects of high-pressure treatment on disordered carbon precursors, since non-crystalline precursors may lower the barrier to the formation of new phases. Hydrogenated amorphous carbon and polyethylene were subject to high-pressure and examined using a variety of in situ and ex situ analysis methods. No new crystalline phases were identified during or post-compression, with the main finding being that the C-H bonds were far more compressible than the C-C bonds. High-pressure studies of polyethylene showed that the semi-crystalline structure transformed to an unstable reversible phase at 6.8 GPa, after which the polyethylene structure was largely recovered.
In the final part of this Thesis, the effects of extreme pressures of 145 GPa on a glassy carbon precursor at room temperature was investigated. Previous work had demonstrated that compressing non-crystalline graphitic precursor including glassy carbon, C60 and carbon nanotubes can result in interesting new forms of carbon, however the mechanism for their formation was not understood. By using advanced microscopy and microanalysis techniques on the recovered sample, the work presented in this thesis revealed the formation of shear bands containing diamonds and lonsdaleite. Interestingly, the presence of an amorphous form of diamond was also found, which had not been previously identified following the room temperature compression of graphitic precursors. An energy landscape model was employed to provide insights into the different transition pathways between phases observed. This approach helps understand the synthesis conditions required to produce specific desired carbon structures.</p
Impact of the Audit Committee’s Characteristics on Enterprise Risk Management, Internal Audit, External Audit and Firm Performance in Saudi Arabia
No full textHighly visible corporate collapses in the early twenty-first century, such as those experienced by Enron and WorldCom in the United States, as well as OneTel and Harris Scarfe in Australia, were the catalysts for a simultaneous decline in investor confidence (Robins 2006). Concerns regarding the ideal composition of corporate boards and their committees have become more pronounced among various stakeholders, including investors, scholars, practitioners, and global regulatory bodies. This increased level of scrutiny aims to ensure effective decision-making processes and the creation of value (Kim et al. 2014; Masulis et al. 2012). In the broader discussion on board composition and its committees, a notable aspect that has emerged is board diversity (Bernile et al. 2018).
One of the primary justifications for emphasizing board members' diversity is to advance social justice principles (Van Dijk et al. 2012). Nevertheless, scholars and governing bodies have also put forth arguments grounded in the realm of economics. To illustrate, the presence of a varied collection of individuals within a specific group can counteract the occurrence of 'groupthink', a phenomenon associated with the Enron collapse (O'Connor 2002) and the Volkswagen emission problems (Glebovskiy 2019). Analyzing this matter through a lens of reliance on resources (Salancik and Pfeffer 1978), diversity expands the array of skills, capabilities, and expertise that a board and its committees can access.
One important facet of corporate governance is the audit committee (AC), which oversees internal and external auditing and enterprise risk management. The enactment of the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 brought about more stringent requirements regarding the AC's independence. Consequently, there was a decrease in the traditional ties between the board of directors and their committees or with executive management (CEOs). Nonetheless, in organizations where audit committees witnessed a reduction in members who had established ties to the CEO, approximately 24% of these vacancies were filled by individuals who possessed social affiliations. This emerging pattern raises concerns regarding the escalating significance of these informal associations within AC as an alternative, unregulated channel through which influence may be exerted on the AC's activities (Hwang and Kim, 2012). Bernileet al. (2018) Chen et al. (2017) found that diversity in the board of directors and its committees positively impacts the companies and reduces the agency problem.
In Saudi Arabia, customary practices privilege familial and friendly relationships, which subsequently could impact an organizations' operational mechanisms (Common 2013). The bestowal and receipt of ‘wasta’ (roughly translated as nepotism) occurrs within networks of extended kinship and frameworks of organizations. Saudi Arabian managers exist within a cultural milieu in which social and professional ties assume significant and influential roles in institutional and group dynamics. Besides tribal, clan, and family loyalties, religion is the primary authority source in Saudi Arabia (Nevo 1998). The Muslim world is a society characterized by deep-rooted conflicts surrounding the notions of patriotism and territoriality (Nevo 1998).
It is deemed that in all Arab nations, Wasta is deeply ingrained in the culture and influences every choice (Cunningham and Sarayrah 1993). Several academics have written about the Wasta phenomenon in Arab nations in the last ten years (Alenzi 2017; Alreshoodi 2016; Barnett et al. 2013; Cunningham and Sarayrah 1993; Harbi et al. 2017; Hutchings and Weir 2006; Tlaiss and Kauser 2011). According to Hutchings and Weir (2006), Wasta may be of utmost relevance regardless of an organization's objectives and track record. Strong social bonds have been established in Saudi Arabia through personal relationships and family status. Wasta access has a direct bearing on the hiring and advancement of individuals who have strong ties to their families (Alreshoodi 2016).
This study aims to examine the impact of Saudi's unique socio-cultural relationships (social ties), namely regionalism and tribalism, kinship, and wasta, and professional ties among AC members on AC responsibilities (ERM, IA, EA) and then the impact of AC performance on firm performance.
The researcher presents the perspectives, opinions, and experiences of AC members regarding their social and professional ties and how they affect AC performance. Then, the researcher considers how AC performance affects firm performance (FP). The study employs a mixed methodology of semi-structured interviews and surveys.
This study contributes to the knowledge and literature on audit committees and corporate governance. It may have implications for policymakers, regulators and other government and business officials responsible for corporate governance and its implementation in Saudi Arabia.
The findings indicate that pre-existing social ties among AC members, as opposed to a merit-based selection procedure, have a negative effect on AC performance. In contrast, professional ties have a positive impact on AC performance. Moreover, AC performance has a significant positive effect on firm performance.
The findings provide insights into social and professional networks among AC members in Saudi Arabia. The most common ties among members are found to be professional and Wasta ties in the first place, then regionalism. Family ties follow this, and the last place is tribalism. Moreover, the findings uncovered that these social and professional ties are exclusive among AC members and extend to members of the company's board of directors and major investors. The analyses revealed that professional ties among members make them perform their duties professionally.
In contrast, family relations and tribe relations negatively impact ACA, mainly because of social compliments among them. The regionalism among members is noticeable; most participants prefer sharing the same region among members. Furthermore, the critical reasons behind using social and professional ties among members were found to be trust and loyalty, merit: expertise, qualifications and experience, Legal loopholes, lack of databases for choosing a new member recruitment procedure, increased job satisfaction, financial benefits, pressure from society on members/chairs and control over the committee.
Also, Family, Region, Tribe, and Wasta have a significant negative indirect effect on Firm Performance through (ACA). In contrast, professional ties significantly positively and indirectly affected Firm Performance through ACA.
This study addresses the gaps in the literature concerning Social and professional ties within AC and, Their effect on ACA and then firm performance. To the researcher’s knowledge, this is the first project that brings the issue of socio-cultural relationships to corporate governance studies and explores the implications of such ties on ACA.</p