The achievement of gender equity in universities continues to warrant attention. Globally, universities have much work ahead of them if they are to redress the gender imbalance in senior positions and remuneration rates. To examine this issue, multiple sources of evidence were used to observe teaching and research workload of academic staff employed at mid-tier business faculties from two urban Australian universities which had more women employed in junior academic ranks. This article argues that although gender equity, in terms of workload, has improved, inequality, in terms of pay and status, still exists. Specifically, while workload differences between genders were largely not evident, fewer women were employed in senior ranks. These results suggest, despite policy reforms, that inequity continues to be a problem in the Australian higher education sector with implications for the recognition (and addressing) of inequity in the global higher education industry. In summary, higher education institutions, senior policy-makers and managers must be cognizant of balancing teaching workloads with opportunities and support systems for research-related activities and directing human resource efforts and promotion opportunities.

Purpose – Students’ values influence their choice of academic degrees that direct future careers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate measuring personal values by testing the relevance of the original nine personal values in the List of Values (LOV) scale in the situation-specific context of higher education in relation to student's educational choices in pursuing particular career pathways. Design/methodology/approach – The study involved two stages of iterative analysis of data from undergraduate students (N=304) at an Australian university for the purpose of constructing a personal values importance scale (PVIS). The paper assesses construct dimensionality, and convergent and discriminate validities of PVIS. Findings – Results suggest a two-factor PVIS scale of internal and external values is a valid and reliable psychometric diagnostic tool leading to better understanding of choice behaviour in an educational context. Business students reported both internal and external values as important; however, science, engineering and technology, and design and social context students perceived internally oriented values more aligned to their programme choice. Practical implications – This research provides new insights into measuring the values influencing the programme choices with a career focus towards particular fields. It allows educational institutions to make more informed decisions for attracting and retaining those students most suited to the educational and career paths they choose. Marketing and educational implications are discussed. Originality/value – This research offers a psychometrically rigorous measurement instrument valid in an education context.

Purpose This study aims to use the lens of the stereotype threat theory to explore older consumers’ age identity and experiences with service providers. Design/methodology/approach This study used semi-structured interviews with Australian consumers aged between 55 and 69. Data were examined using thematic analysis. Findings Older consumers justify a younger cognitive age by distancing themselves from the negative stereotypes associated with ageing and by associating themselves with attitudes and behaviours consistent with a younger age identity. Older consumers are confronted with age-based stereotype threats in a services context through four practices. Exposure to these threats results in service failure and can have a negative impact on both consumers’ ability to function effectively as consumers and their overall well-being. Research limitations/implications A more diverse sample is required to identify the extent to which age-based stereotype threats are experienced and which services marketing practices have the most detrimental impact on older consumers. Practical implications The findings provide insight for services marketers seeking to effectively cater for older consumers and have implications for service staff training, service technology and communications. Social implications The findings have implications for the well-being of older consumers in terms of their self-efficacy and self-esteem as well as their ability to function effectively as consumers. Originality/value This study contributes to the nascent understanding of older consumers’ experiences and their expectations of service interactions and advertising communication. The findings also extend the literature on service failure by demonstrating how age-based stereotypes threaten age identity, resulting in a negative customer experience.

Globalization of business skills has become critical as employers have a requirement for culturally adaptable marketing and business graduates who are “work ready” in either Australia or overseas. These students must have both discipline knowledge and soft skills including cultural competence. How students develop intercultural skills at university is discussed. Given that more than ninety percent of local university students do not participate in academic offshore experiences, a focus is on the internationalization-at-home activities that universities offer. This study looks at cross-cultural peer-to-peer mentoring. A paucity of research on the effect of these experiences further enhances the relevance of this topic. This research investigates whether Australian marketing and business students who undertake a cross-cultural peer-to-peer mentoring experience “at home” become more cross-culturally adaptable. A quasi experimental pre and post-test survey shows that this method of an “at home” cross-cultural experience has a significant effect on four of the cultural dimensions. They are Flexibility/Openness, Personal Autonomy, Perceptual Acuity and Fulfilment. This means that as a result of this study, the recommendation for future peer-to-peer mentoring experiences would be to specifically target these significant dimensions as part of the peer-to-peer mentoring agenda. The focus of their agenda on these dimensions would allow peer-to-peer mentors of different ethnicities and those mentors who are Australian born but who mentor students from different countries, to be confident that their work was directly attributable to increasing their mentees’ and their own cross-cultural adaptability. It shows that cross-cultural mentoring for marketing and other business students in an “at home” setting is an important part of preparing business and more specifically marketing students for the challenges of the global workplace.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine a University's at risk program and ask is the intervention strategy working? The program seeks to assist at risk students who may be experiencing difficulties transitioning, for example from school into university. The program also seeks to identify problems and suggest remediation strategies before attrition. Design/methodology/approach -The effectiveness of the at risk programs is investigated across a population of at risk students from 2006 to 2010. Effectiveness is judged on the basis of outcomes in subsequent semesters where the University's preferred outcome is these students are not identified as at risk again. Findings -The authors have found that the program has some success in assisting students to improve their academic performance; though simply engaging in the process is not enough to ensure improvement. Other variables are at work. At risk students located in Melbourne appear to be far more likely to be at risk again than those in Singapore.Research limitations/implications -The at risk program is intended to be part of the University's total system of pastoral care. As such it is designed to assist struggling students to successfully complete their studies. With this in mind, this paper has investigated the influence of student engagement in the at risk program on future academic performance. Practical implications -This research assists Universities' implementation of pastoral care programs and notes the roles of student characteristics in "success" at University. Originality/value -To the authors' understanding no other research of this kind has been conducted. Much of the previous research focuses on attrition, students already lost to a program. This research focuses on those not yet lost to a program, but at risk.While attempting to aid student learning, one university increased its focus on poorly performing students who were at risk of being excluded. This university's at-risk programme is an intervention strategy that assists underperforming students in identifying problems and suggesting remediation strategies before attrition.The effectiveness of the at-risk programme is investigated across a population of at-risk students from 2006 to 2010. Effectiveness is judged on the basis of preferred university outcomes in subsequent semesters, this being where students are not The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at