Malcolm Abbott
Biographic Data
| ID | 3840932 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Malcolm Abbott |
| GIVEN NAMES | Malcolm |
| FAMILY NAME | Abbott |
| SIGNATURE | ABBOTT M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Swinburne University of Technology |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5263-7490 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 41 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 57 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 41 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1996 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Bucking the trend
The purpose of this paper is to use the historical example of the Midland Railway Company of Western Australia (Midland Railway) to answer the question of what private rail lines in Australia would have been organized and managed like if they had operated in the first half of the twentieth century. In addition, the question of whether the privately owned Midland Railway operated at a comparable or higher level of efficiency than its government-ow…
Privately-owned utilities in 19th century Western Australia
Comparing private and public approaches to state megaproject implementation
State support is critical to enhancing a country’s capacity for innovation and for delivering large-scale complex projects where significant upfront investment is required. These megaprojects are high risk due to their size, investment level, time duration and the type of innovation required. Their complexity means that context affects decision-making, innovation approach taken and project implementation. We utilise the 1921 Great Britain Imperia…
Determining the reasons for the failure of British aircraft manufacturers to invest in Australia's industry, 1934–1941
The aim of the article is to identify the factors that prevented British aircraft manufacturers from investing in Australia in the second half of the 1930s, a period when rearmament was creating demand for aircraft. The article looks at several unsuccessful proposals by British manufacturers to establish factories in Australia to build aircraft in the late 1930s, with additional attention being given to one proposal in particular. There is eviden…
Economics, ideology, and the creation and performance of state-owned electricity utilities in Australia, 1900 to 1950
County Club Finances and the Decline of Amateur Cricketers in England
The purpose of this paper is to identify the changes in the finances, expenditure, and membership levels of the English county cricket clubs in the years 1919 to 1962, and to then evaluate the degree to which these changes helped to alter the relationship between the professional and amateur cricketers in the first-class game. The study finds that the decline of the amateur in cricket was partly brought about by the rise in revenues that enabled …
Maintaining aircraft manufacturing through government purchases
In this article, a comparison is provided of the alternative Australian and Canadian government procurement policies for military aircraft in the post-Second World War period. Procurement was used by both governments to maintain manufacturing capacity that was established in the Second World War. By undertaking this analysis, the differing characteristics of the two policies are highlighted. In both cases procurement policies promoted the mainten…
Government procurement policy and the establishment of manufacturing
The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the different aircraft procurement policies of the Canadian, Australian and South Africa air forces in the formative years of the industry in each country between the world wars. In doing so, it will highlight some of the strengths and weaknesses exhibited by the different approaches taken by the three governments attempting to build up aircraft manufacturing in the inter-war period (1918–39). …
Entrepreneurs of the sky
This study compares and contrasts the career pathways and entrepreneurial behaviour of four successful pioneers of British aviation, to understand the patterns in how they used the means available to them to engage quickly and meaningfully, primarily in an explorative way. The study found particularly in Britain, that communities of practice established through apprenticeships, airshows and hobby groups in the emerging area were important for fou…
A long-term view of the United Kingdom’s economic relations with the Commonwealth
This article analyses economic relations between the United Kingdom and other countries of the Commonwealth in the long term. While looking at past relations between these countries, it also provides some guidance on the prospects of future engagement consequent upon the UK exiting the European Union. The article concludes that although Commonwealth trade is unlikely to replace European trade, such trade will in all likelihood grow in the future,…
The Novelist as Labour Force Manager
Nevil Shute was a best-selling novelist, aeronautical engineer and managing director of an important aircraft manufacturer in Britain in the 1930s. This paper looks at his role and the attitudes he had toward labour force management, while working as the managing director of Airspeed Limited. In this role his actions and attitudes to work relations were influenced greatly by the market, labour force composition, and technological aspects of the i…
Was It Possible to Stabilise the Price of Wool? Organised Wool Marketing 1916 to 1970
Wool is the only Australian commodity for which there has been an attempt to organise price stability through a buffer stock scheme (1970–91). Growers pressed for the introduction of a scheme since the early 1920s. We test the veracity of claims that the sale of the stockpiles optimised growers' returns. We also simulate the likely outcomes of the reserve price schemes (RPS) proposed in 1925 and 1952, respectively. Our findings are that post‐war …
Organizational structure, public policy, and technological change
This article provides a comparative study of the steel industry in Canada, Australia and South Africa in the first half of the twentieth century, in order to determine what key elements existed in these settler states that ensured the successful foundation of an industry seen as a symbols of industrial and national development. Although there is considerable literature containing comparisons of the overall long-term economic development of these …
The development and cost of renewable energy resources in Vietnam
The United Kingdom’s Economic Relations with New Zealand and Australia after Brexit
This article examines the current state of economic relations that the United Kingdom has with New Zealand and Australia, in light of the former’s decision to leave the European Union. Although there are prospects for future trade between these countries post-Brexit based on the three countries’ current comparative advantages, perhaps the greatest scope is for greater trade in services along with greater investment flows. Trade in food produce wo…
The Australian Labor Party and its Relations with Business
Given its relationship with the union movement, its formal commitment to public enterprise and its status as a party of the Centre-Left, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) has often faced questions about the nature of its relationship with the business sector. This article explores the theme of party-business relations through a study of the long-term connection between the ALP and the margarine industry. In doing so, an evaluation is undertaken of…
The privatization and de-privatization of rail industry assets in Australia and New Zealand
Australia's foreign policy links with Latin America
In more recent years, Australia's relations with the countries of Latin America have taken on more importance as the trade and investment links between the two regions have grown. Besides this recent activity, Australia has a long history of diplomatic relations with the countries of Latin America, even though the links between the two regions have at times been fairly superficial. This relationship, like many others, has tended to concentrate on…
Reform and efficiency of New Zealand's airports
The accountability of ministerial staff in Australia
It is a reasonable community expectation that ministerial staff who enjoy the privilege of working at the interface of politics and public administration in Australia are subject to appropriate accountability measures. The key questions are what measures currently exist to hold ministerial staff accountable, how effective are such measures, and how could accountability be improved. While descriptions of an 'accountability black hole' for minister…
The Limits of Socialism
In 1910 the New South Wales Labor Party came to office committed to the nationalisation of the gas supply industry. Instead, it created a regulatory system which was to stay in place throughout the twentieth century, even during long periods of Labor governments in New South Wales. This paper looks at the reasons behind the failure to carry out a long-established Labor Party policy. In particular it identifies the Party's satisfaction with the ef…
The Motivation and Effectiveness of Gas Industry Economic Regulation in N ew S outh W ales, 1912–39
The oldest industry in A ustralia subjected to economic regulation is the gas supply industry in the state of N ew S outh W ales. In this paper the aims and motivation of the N ew S outh W ales Government in establishing the regulatory regime in 1912 and the subsequent effectiveness in achieving them are determined. Initially the regulatory regime was based on ad hoc arrangements, but eventually a more permanent structure was devised that effecti…
A Long-term View of Australian Cricket Payments
In this paper, we consider payments made to Australian cricketers on tours of England between 1896 and 1977, both in real terms and compared with real wages. In doing so it is possible to discern three distinct periods, when payments were high (before the First World War), were at a moderate level (between 1921 and 1938), and were at a level that was insufficient to keep many players in the game (1953 to 1975)
Microeconomic reform and the Whitlam Government
Arguably the most important microeconomic reform of the 1970s in Australia was the abolition of the Post-Master General's Department (once generally known as the PMG, and later, as the Australian Post Office) and its replacement in 1975 with two more commercially focused organisations: Telecom Australia and Australia Post. At the time of its reform, the Post-Master General's Department was Australia's largest business undertaking and an organisat…
The regulatory governance of the telecommunication and electricity industries in small, island nations
Productivity and efficiency in the water industry
The performance of the urban water and wastewater sectors in Australia
The development and cost of renewable energy resources in Vietnam
The regulatory governance of the telecommunication and electricity industries in small, island nations
Government procurement policy and the establishment of manufacturing
The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the different aircraft procurement policies of the Canadian, Australian and South Africa air forces in the formative years of the industry in each country between the world wars. In doing so, it will highlight some of the strengths and weaknesses exhibited by the different approaches taken by the three governments attempting to build up aircraft manufacturing in the inter-war period (1918–39). …
The accountability of ministerial staff in Australia
It is a reasonable community expectation that ministerial staff who enjoy the privilege of working at the interface of politics and public administration in Australia are subject to appropriate accountability measures. The key questions are what measures currently exist to hold ministerial staff accountable, how effective are such measures, and how could accountability be improved. While descriptions of an 'accountability black hole' for minister…
Competition and reform of the New Zealand tertiary education sector
The purpose of this paper is to use an historical approach to examine the changing nature, size and diversification of education and training in New Zealand. In particular, attention will be concentrated on the impact of the introduction of competition into the New Zealand tertiary education industry since 1989. It will examine the relationship between the various tertiary education institutions as well as the relationship between these instituti…
Economics, ideology, and the creation and performance of state-owned electricity utilities in Australia, 1900 to 1950
The United Kingdom’s Economic Relations with New Zealand and Australia after Brexit
This article examines the current state of economic relations that the United Kingdom has with New Zealand and Australia, in light of the former’s decision to leave the European Union. Although there are prospects for future trade between these countries post-Brexit based on the three countries’ current comparative advantages, perhaps the greatest scope is for greater trade in services along with greater investment flows. Trade in food produce wo…
Reform and efficiency of New Zealand's airports
A Long-term View of Australian Cricket Payments
In this paper, we consider payments made to Australian cricketers on tours of England between 1896 and 1977, both in real terms and compared with real wages. In doing so it is possible to discern three distinct periods, when payments were high (before the First World War), were at a moderate level (between 1921 and 1938), and were at a level that was insufficient to keep many players in the game (1953 to 1975)
The organization, ownership and performance of privately owned utilities
In this paper the long-term performance of the manufactured gas industry in Australia is looked at from its origins in the mid-nineteenth century until the late 1960s. In particular, the growth in demand, the improvement of productivity, as well as changes in prices have all been examined in the context of the industry's organizational and ownership structures. The industry in Australia displayed some similarities in terms of organizational struc…
The Impact of Energy Asset Privatisation on State Government Debt Management and Service Provision in Victoria and New South Wales
The purpose of this article is to look at the impact of the privatisation of the electricity and gas industries in the state of Victoria on the level of state government debt and subsequent ability of the state to deliver public services in the areas of health, education and law and order. In order to undertake this, a comparison is made with the state of New South Wales (NSW), where the privatisation of the electricity industry was often debated…
Australian Financial Prudential Supervision
Australian financial prudential supervision is still to some degree influenced by the Banking Act 1945 that restricted the Australian central bank’s regulation only to ‘banks’. One of the aims of the Campbell Committee Inquiry of the early 1980s was to increase competitive neutrality in the financial system so those financial intermediaries could be treated on an equal footing. The more recent Wallis Inquiry has advocated that this process should…
The New South Wales Labor Party and the Proposal to Nationalise the Iron and Steel Industry, 1890-1918
At the beginning of the twentieth century government was strongly supportive of private business activity, and this relationship was generally accepted by private interests. This relationship manifested itself most prominently in the provision of marketable goods and services by the government.1 An array of large scale public enterprises provided a variety of goods and services necessary for the development of the private sector. At the State lev…
The Real Structural Imbalance and Fiscal Stance in Australia During the Interwar Years
By using the concept of the constant employment budget balance and changes in real public debt it is possible to determine the size of the public sector’s real structural budget imbalances during the interwar period. In doing so the budget deficit of the public sector during the depression is shown to have been much larger than indicated by previous estimates of the nominal budget imbalance, and indicates that the fiscal stance of the government …
The real structural imbalance and fiscal stance in Australia during the interwar years
By using the concept of the constant employment budget balance and changes in real public debt it is possible to determine the size of the public sector's real structural budget imbalances during the interwar period. In doing so the budget deficit of the public sector during the depression is shown to have been much larger than indicated by previous estimates of the nominal budget imbalance, and indicates that the fiscal stance of the government …
The politics of tariff formation
A Long‐run Analysis of Cooperative Housing Societies and Housing Construction in Victoria, Australia
Housing construction is an important component of economic development. The use of cooperative housing societies is one means of channelling scarce financial resources to housing construction. The aim of this paper is to explore the causes of the rapid growth and subsequent decline of the cooperative housing societies as a source of housing finance in the State of Victoria in Australia during the years 1947 to 1992. Significant evidence is establ…
Closing down steel works
The Industrial Tribunals and Wage Determination in the Australian Iron and Steel Industry, 1921–38
It is believed in some quarters that the system of federal and state industrial tribunals in Australia has exercised a considerable impact on the determination of wages in Australia, making the average level of nominal wages more inflexible and wage differentials more equal in the interwar period. The purpose of this paper is to identify, through cross‐country comparisons, the impact that the industrial tribunals had on the iron and steel industr…
Australian Financial Prudential Supervision
Australian financial prudential supervision is still to some degree influenced by the Banking Act 1945 that restricted the Australian central bank’s regulation only to ‘banks’. One of the aims of the Campbell Committee Inquiry of the early 1980s was to increase competitive neutrality in the financial system so those financial intermediaries could be treated on an equal footing. The more recent Wallis Inquiry has advocated that this process should…
The Restructuring of Australian Railways
In this paper, the restructuring of the Tasmanian railways is analysed over the period 1967 to 1997. The Tasmanian railways have gone through a considerable restructuring process over the past 30 years, culminating in 1997 when the system was privatized. Not only have productivity levels been increased greatly, but various organizational structures been experimented with
The Performance of an Electricity Utility
One of the most important microeconomic policy reforms of the 1990s was the restructuring of the Australian electricity supply industry. This process was encouraged by the perception that the state-owned electricity authorities performed poorly in the 1970s and 1980s. This article observes the long-term performance of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria over the course of most of its life. In particular the growth in demand for electrici…
Competition and reform of the New Zealand tertiary education sector
The purpose of this paper is to use an historical approach to examine the changing nature, size and diversification of education and training in New Zealand. In particular, attention will be concentrated on the impact of the introduction of competition into the New Zealand tertiary education industry since 1989. It will examine the relationship between the various tertiary education institutions as well as the relationship between these instituti…
Productivity and efficiency in the water industry
The long-term reform of the water and wastewater industry
The performance of the urban water and wastewater sectors in Australia
The Impact of Energy Asset Privatisation on State Government Debt Management and Service Provision in Victoria and New South Wales
The purpose of this article is to look at the impact of the privatisation of the electricity and gas industries in the state of Victoria on the level of state government debt and subsequent ability of the state to deliver public services in the areas of health, education and law and order. In order to undertake this, a comparison is made with the state of New South Wales (NSW), where the privatisation of the electricity industry was often debated…
The organization, ownership and performance of privately owned utilities
In this paper the long-term performance of the manufactured gas industry in Australia is looked at from its origins in the mid-nineteenth century until the late 1960s. In particular, the growth in demand, the improvement of productivity, as well as changes in prices have all been examined in the context of the industry's organizational and ownership structures. The industry in Australia displayed some similarities in terms of organizational struc…
The Motivation and Effectiveness of Gas Industry Economic Regulation in N ew S outh W ales, 1912–39
The oldest industry in A ustralia subjected to economic regulation is the gas supply industry in the state of N ew S outh W ales. In this paper the aims and motivation of the N ew S outh W ales Government in establishing the regulatory regime in 1912 and the subsequent effectiveness in achieving them are determined. Initially the regulatory regime was based on ad hoc arrangements, but eventually a more permanent structure was devised that effecti…
A Long-term View of Australian Cricket Payments
In this paper, we consider payments made to Australian cricketers on tours of England between 1896 and 1977, both in real terms and compared with real wages. In doing so it is possible to discern three distinct periods, when payments were high (before the First World War), were at a moderate level (between 1921 and 1938), and were at a level that was insufficient to keep many players in the game (1953 to 1975)
Microeconomic reform and the Whitlam Government
Arguably the most important microeconomic reform of the 1970s in Australia was the abolition of the Post-Master General's Department (once generally known as the PMG, and later, as the Australian Post Office) and its replacement in 1975 with two more commercially focused organisations: Telecom Australia and Australia Post. At the time of its reform, the Post-Master General's Department was Australia's largest business undertaking and an organisat…
The regulatory governance of the telecommunication and electricity industries in small, island nations
The accountability of ministerial staff in Australia
It is a reasonable community expectation that ministerial staff who enjoy the privilege of working at the interface of politics and public administration in Australia are subject to appropriate accountability measures. The key questions are what measures currently exist to hold ministerial staff accountable, how effective are such measures, and how could accountability be improved. While descriptions of an 'accountability black hole' for minister…
The Limits of Socialism
In 1910 the New South Wales Labor Party came to office committed to the nationalisation of the gas supply industry. Instead, it created a regulatory system which was to stay in place throughout the twentieth century, even during long periods of Labor governments in New South Wales. This paper looks at the reasons behind the failure to carry out a long-established Labor Party policy. In particular it identifies the Party's satisfaction with the ef…
Australia's foreign policy links with Latin America
In more recent years, Australia's relations with the countries of Latin America have taken on more importance as the trade and investment links between the two regions have grown. Besides this recent activity, Australia has a long history of diplomatic relations with the countries of Latin America, even though the links between the two regions have at times been fairly superficial. This relationship, like many others, has tended to concentrate on…
Reform and efficiency of New Zealand's airports
The privatization and de-privatization of rail industry assets in Australia and New Zealand
Economics (34 works) · Business (29 works) · Political science (24 works) · Australian History and Society (15 works) · Law (15 works) · Economy (13 works) · Engineering (13 works) · Finance (13 works) · Law (13 works) · Economic growth (11 works)