Editorial

Abstract

Welcome to the first issue of the Journal of Work-Applied Management. The journal seeks to explore the interface between management practice and management theory and illuminate the key role of practitioners in creating new knowledge of value to their organizations or communities of practice. The journal was previously known as the Gibaran Journal of Work-Applied Management. This issue focuses on the related areas of Work-Applied Learning (WAL) and Work-Based Learning (WBL) which were showcased at the second Work-Applied Learning for Change Conference held in Adelaide on 10-11 November 2014. The conference was jointly hosted by the Global Centre for Work-Applied Learning and the Australian Institute of Business, and was staged in association with Middlesex University. Two papers from the conference are published in this issue of the journal and highlight the role of reflection in researching work-based projects and the significance of workbased research in developing practical and critical thinking skills in research graduates. Carol Costley and Abdulai Abukari write about work-based projects and the importance of contextualizing problems to contribute to practice-based knowledge and learning. Similarly, the paper by Ruth Helyer focuses on the need for constant reflection to facilitate continuous improvement, professional learning and innovation. The paper by Jonathan Garnett and Angele Cavaye, refers to international developments in Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and then focuses upon the extensive and innovative use of RPL (especially learning from experience) by Middlesex University and the developing RPL work at the Australian Institute of Business in order to highlight some of the key opportunities and challenges of RPL. The other three papers in this issue raise important considerations and present cases from the health and building industry. The first paper, by Fiona McAlinden, uses an Action Research and Action Learning (ARAL) methodology to describe Monash Health's development of a Policy and Procedure on the Abuse of Older people in metropolitan Australian. An ARAL approach was employed to develop a comprehensive set of policy and procedure documents to ensure that Monash Health became compliant with the government's expectations around responding to the abuse of older people and thus providing an important social function. The second paper by Erwin Loh, reflects on current literature and summarizes the challenges for doctors in Health Care Management today. This paper is the precursor to a WAL project in the Health Management Industry that Dr Loh plans to undertake. The final paper, by Stephan Anthonisz and Chad Perry, presents a case study of the success factors for marketing high rise condominium development in Sri Lanka. The paper uses interviews and presents a marketing model for the region.