Dr Colin Sharp complete list of Papers for download
Welcome to an extensive collection curated from the prolific works of Dr. Colin Sharp, a distinguished scholar whose contributions to various domains of study have significantly enriched our understanding.
Delve into a compendium meticulously organized according to specific topics, meticulously researched and eloquently presented.
Each paper encapsulates Dr. Sharp’s profound insights, offering invaluable resources for those seeking to explore the nuances of leadership development, the intricacies of goal-attainment scaling, the art of goal-setting, and the depths of strategic thinking.
Navigate through the menu below to access papers tailored to your academic pursuits, and embark on a journey of intellectual discovery.
Please click on the topic you are interested in, to see the list of papers to download.
Leadership Development
| Author (date) & Title | If Published/ (File Name) Presented | Content includes |
| Sharp, C.A. (2001) “Evaluation of competency based management training and the Frontline Management Initiative (FMI) in the public sector.” | Refereed Paper in proceedings of AES International Evaluation Conference, Canberra, October, 2001.(Sharp_FMI-evaluation2001) | Overview of evaluation of the NCVER funded evaluation of the Frontline Management Initiative |
| Sharp, C.A. (2014) ““Measuring Learning Outcomes of Management Education” | BestThinking –(www site closed) blog : (SharpGAS_learningoutcomes2014) | Introduces Goal Attainment Scaling for management education |
Sharp, C.A. (2009) “Assessing the future? It’s a GAS” | BestThinking– –(www site closed) blog (ColinSHARP-future-GAS) | Introduces Futurity and Goal Attainment Scaling for Strategic Thinking, Project Management , Leadership and Risk Management |
| Sharp, C.A. 2016 “Preparing for career change – Engaging Graduate Students in WIL outcome self-determination and self-assessment using e-Portfolios for Research Skills Development & Goal Attainment Scaling” | Graduate Management Association of Australia (GMAA) Paper (12/8/16) at Annual MBA Symposium & Conference, University of Wollongong, Sydney Business School (Sharp2016GMAA-learningoutcomes+e-portfolio) | Introduces various tools (GAS, e-Portfolio) in addressing students’ engagement in assurance of learning and the facilitation of career development learning for MBA students, as they face the challenges of industrial change. |
| Crilley, G. & Sharp, C.A. 2006. “Insights from research: Managerial qualities and operational performance: a proposed model” | Measuring Business Excellence, vol. 10, no. 2, 2006, pp. 4-18. (Crilley&Sharp2006) | Reports on measurement of the relationship between managerial qualities displayed by the manager as one variable, and the resultant operational performance of the centre for which the manager is responsible. Attempts to quantify this relationship are rare in the literature of leisure management. Tin doing so the paper details a complex, two-tiered level of national surveys that provided the proposed model of the relationship between the facility manager and the organisation’s operational performance. Furthermore, the study raises professional implications |
| Sharp, C.A. 2020a “Lessons of Legendary Leadership 1: Machavelli’s Missive” | LinkedIN Group: Oath of Responsible Leadership (Machiavelli_Lessons2020) | Essay1 of the Lessons of Legendary Leadership series. Explains how Machiavelli advised leaders on Turbulent Times, Leadership Learning and Chance in Politics and Hegemony |
| Sharp, C.A. 2020b “Lessons of Legendary Leadership 2: Weber’s Warning” | LinkedIN Group: Oath of Responsible Leadership (LLL2Webers lessons on CharismaticLeaders) | Essay2 of the Lessons of Legendary Leadership series. Explains how Weber advised leaders on the perils of Charisma |
| Sharp, C.A. 2020c “Lessons of Legendary Leadership 3: Freud & the F-Scale” | LinkedIN Group: Oath of Responsible Leadership (LLL3Freud_Catharsis2020) | Essay3 of the Lessons of Legendary Leadership series. Explains Freud’s theory of cathexis and catharsis as related to leaders and follower relationships. |
| Sharp, C.A. 2020d “Change Challenges: Search for a Vision of Responsible Leadership in a Turbulent World” | LinkedIN Group: Oath of Responsible Leadership (LLL4Change_CHALLENGES2020) | Essay4 of the Lessons of Legendary Leadership series. Explains the need for the Oath of Responsible Leadership |
Goal Attainment Scaling
| Author (date) & Title | If Published/ (File Name) Presented | Content includes |
Sharp, C.A. (2014) ““Measuring Learning Outcomes of Management Education” | Paper (published in SSRN.com) based on a short conference paper and an unpublished report (2011) by Read & Sharp (Read+Sharp GAS 11.8.11SSRNpaper) | Research Report of design, implementation & research on Goal Attainment Scaling for early childhood intervention for visual impairment at CanDo4Kids |
Sharp, C.A. (2009) “Assessing the future? It’s a GAS” | BestThinking (ColinSHARP-future-GAS) | Introduces Futurity and Goal Attainment Scaling for Strategic Thinking, Project Management , Leadership and Risk Management |
| Sharp, C.A. 2016 “Preparing for career change – Engaging Graduate Students in WIL outcome self-determination and self-assessment using e-Portfolios for Research Skills Development & Goal Attainment Scaling” | Graduate Management Association of Australia (GMAA) Paper (12/8/16) at Annual MBA Symposium & Conference, University of Wollongong, Sydney Business School | Introduces various tools (GAS, e-Portfolio) in addressing students’ engagement in assurance of learning and the facilitation of career development learning for MBA students, as they face the challenges of industrial change. |
| Crilley, G. & Sharp, C.A. 2006. “Insights from research: Managerial qualities and operational performance: a proposed model” | Measuring Business Excellence, vol. 10, no. 2, 2006, pp. 4-18. (Crilley&Sharp2006) | Reports on measurement of the relationship between managerial qualities displayed by the manager as one variable, and the resultant operational performance of the centre for which the manager is responsible. Attempts to quantify this relationship are rare in the literature of leisure management. Tin doing so the paper details a complex, two-tiered level of national surveys that provided the proposed model of the relationship between the facility manager and the organisation’s operational performance. Furthermore, the study raises professional implications |
Sharp, C.A. (2009). “Goal Attainment Scaling: Measurement tool to improve research planning development and evaluation” | Workshop Paper presented as guest speaker for the Centre for Sport & Recreation Studies, University of South Australia, June, 2009 (ColinSHARP-Workshop-GAS-UniSA8-5-09) | Outlines basic steps in the setting of Goal Attainment Scales with templates and examples. |
Sharp, C.A. 2020a “Lessons of Legendary Leadership 1: Machavelli’s Missive” | LinkedIN Group: Oath of Responsible Leadership (Machiavelli_Lessons2020) | Essay1 of the Lessons of Legendary Leadership series. Explains how Machiavelli advised leaders on Turbulent Times, Leadership Learning and Chance in Politics and Hegemony |
Sharp, C.A. 2020b “Lessons of Legendary Leadership 2: Weber’s Warning” | LinkedIN Group: Oath of Responsible Leadership (LLL2Webers lessons on CharismaticLeaders) | Essay2 of the Lessons of Legendary Leadership series. Explains how Weber advised leaders on the perils of Charisma |
| Sharp, C.A. 2020c “Lessons of Legendary Leadership 3: Freud & the F-Scale” | LinkedIN Group: Oath of Responsible Leadership | Essay3 of the Lessons of Legendary Leadership series. Explains Freud’s theory of cathexis and catharsis as related to leaders and follower relationships. |
Sharp, C.A. 2020d “Change Challenges: | LinkedIN Group: Oath of Responsible Leadership | Essay4 of the Lessons of Legendary Leadership series. Explains the need for the Oath of Responsible Leadership |
Organisational Capacity
| Author (date) & Title | If Published/ (File Name) Presented | Content includes |
| Sharp, C.A. (2017) “Research Skill Development in the MBA Capstone Project: Tools for Facilitating Student Engagement” | Paper presented at the I-MELT (International Models of Engaged Learning & Teaching) Conference 11-13 December 2017 (SharpIMELT2017paper) | Introduces use of GAS in measuring student learning outcomes in MBA programs |
| Sharp, C.A. & Lewis, N.R. (1993) “Information Systems and Corporate Memory: Design for staff turn-over'”. | Australian Journal of Information Systems, Sept., vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 75 – 83. | Introduces the concept of corporate memory loss and its exacerbation with staff turn-over. |
| Sharp, C.A. (1994), “Evaluation organisational learning: An organisational culture consistency meter” | Paper presented at: Evaluation: Making Performance Count: Proceedings of the Australasian Evaluation Society: International Conference, National Convention Centre, Canberra, 23 September, 1994. pp.419 – 425. | Introduces the use of Computer Aided Text Analysis (CATA) to evaluate organisational culture values in strategy documents |
| Sharp, C.A. 1996a, “Are theories of organisational learning necessary – Yet? Surfacing dilemmas of an ‘International learning race’ affecting public sector management” | in Aranjo, L., Burgouyne, J., & Easterby-Smith, M. (Eds.) Proceedings of the Symposium on Organisational Learning. Part 2 (Paper 33) Lancaster, Lancaster University, 1 – 3 September. (sharp_OrgLg_PublicSector) | Critiques theories of organisational learning |
| Sharp, C.A. 1996b, “Evaluation of Organisational Learning in the Public Sector: An organisational culture consistency meter?” | in Aranjo, L., Burgouyne, J., & Easterby-Smith, M. (Eds.) Proceedings of the Symposium on Organisational Learning. Part 2 (Paper 34) Lancaster, Lancaster University, 1 – 3 September. (ORGLGC96) | Further information on the use of Computer Aided Text Analysis (CATA) to evaluate organisational culture values in strategy documents |
| Sharp, C.A. 1996c, “Can organisations learn while suffering corporate memory loss?” | Paper invited to the Second International Symposium on Organisational Learning, Department of Management Learning Lancaster University, U.K. September. (ORGLGM96) | Further information on the concept of corporate memory loss and its exacerbation with staff turn-over. |
| Sharp, C.A. & Moller, J. (2001). “Evaluation of Organizational Learning Intervention and Communities of Practice.” | Refereed Paper in proceedings of AES International Evaluation Conference, Canberra, October, 2001. (commy_of_pract_2001) | Introduces an evaluation of an organisational Community of Practice program |
Goal Setting
| Author (date) & Title | If Published/(File Name) Presented | Content includes |
Read, P. & Sharp, C.A. (2011) “Goal Attainment Scaling applied to Early Intervention with Visually Impaired Children at CanDo4Kids” | Paper (published in SSRN.com) based on a short conference paper and an unpublished report (2011) by Read & Sharp (Read+Sharp GAS 11.8.11SSRNpaper) | Research Report of design, implementation & research on Goal Attainment Scaling for early childhood intervention for visual impairment at CanDo4Kids |
| Sharp, C.A. & Read, P. (2011) “Goal Attainment Scaling in early childhood intervention: Implementation and Evaluation” | Evaluation Journal of Australasia vol 11, no. 2, PP 31 – 41. | Evaluation Report of design, implementation & research on Goal Attainment Scaling for early childhood intervention for visual impairment at CanDo4Kids |
Sharp, C.A. (2006). “Goal Attainment Scaling: An evaluation tool to improve evaluation design and data collection for accountability and program improvement” | Workshop Paper presented as Keynote Speaker at the Malaysian Evaluation Society International Evaluation Conference and Facilitator of workshops on Goal Attainment Scaling; and Strategic Evaluation (KL, 3/2006). | Outlines basic steps in the setting of Goal Attainment Scales with graphics and examples. |
Sharp, C.A. (2009). “Goal Attainment Scaling: Measurement tool to improve research planning development and evaluation” | Workshop Paper presented as guest speaker for the Centre for Sport & Recreation Studies, University of South Australia, June, 2009 | Outlines basic steps in the setting of Goal Attainment Scales with templates and examples. |
| Petroleum and Geothermal Group (2009) “Field Guide for the Environmental Assessment of Abandoned Petroleum Wellsites in the Cooper Basin, South Australia” | Division of Minerals and Energy Resources Primary Industries and Resources | Outlines basic steps in using Goal Attainment Scales in environmental regulation of land rehabilitation with templates and photographic examples. |
| Sharp, C.A. (1999). NaGaSaTÓ model of performance measurement for evaluation Four Techniques Of Performance Measurement & Evaluation | Workshop handout for PERSONAL Research & Evaluation presentations | Introduced the process of setting up a suitable performance measurement system, based on Sharp’s Na-Ga-Sa-T evaluation framework. The terms stand for: Ø Needs Assessment Ø Goal Attainment assessment Ø Satisfaction Assessment Ø Transferability. |
| Sharp, C.A. (2017) “Research Skill Development in the MBA Capstone Project: Tools for Facilitating Student Engagement” | Paper presented at the I-MELT (International Models of Engaged Learning & Teaching) Conference 11-13 December 2017 (SharpIMELT2017paper) | Introduces use of GAS in measuring student learning outcomes in MBA programs |
Strategic Thinking
| Author (date) & Title | If Published/ (File Name) Presented | Content includes |
| Sharp, C.A. (2012) “Centro – revisiting old warnings for NFPs” | Keeping Good Companies – Journal of Chartered Secretaries Australia, July, vol. 64, no. 6, pp. 334 – 336. (Sharp_Centro_CSA) | Lessons for Directors concerning transparency from the Centro case & National Safety Council |
| Sharp, C.A. 2004. “Capacity Building by weaving evaluation into Visioning and Strategic Planning: Examples from South Australia” | Invited paper presented at International Conference on China’s Planning System Reform, hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission, Office of Legislative Affairs of the State Council, and the Asian Development Bank, March, 24th & 25th 2004, State Guest Hotel, Beijing, China SHARP_weavingEvaluation-in-China04.pdf) | Explains how to integrate evaluation into strategic planning with case study of SA Oil exploration regulation using Goal Attainment Scaling (see more https://personalresearchandevaluation.com/goal-settings/ ) |
| Sharp, C.A. (2004). “Can Governance Learn? Can we measure what is appropriate and the ‘just’ D.E.S.E.R.T.s (c) in the form of the Directors’ Effectiveness Self-Evaluation Research Tool” | Paper presented as guest speaker for the Centre for Public Policy Forum, University of Melbourne, 8th June, 2004 (SHARP_CanOG_learnMelbUni6-04) | Outlines four preliminary case studies using D.E.S.E.R.T. |
| Sharp, C.A. (2002), “Measuring Organisational Governance: Through Transparency to Trust in Governance of Nonprofit Organisations”. | Public Interest (Qlnd Branch of Institute of Public Administration of Australia), December, pp. 18 – 21. (DrColinSharp_MeasuringOrgGovernance) | Addresses how Nonprofits and Government need transparent measurement to restore public trust |
Sharp, C.A. (2005). WORKSHOP: AES 2005 Brisbane “D.E.S.E.R.T.(c2005) | Paper for the Brisbane AES 2005 Workshop Directors’ Effectiveness Self Evaluation Research Tool (AES_Conf05_WorkshopDESERT) | Explains the Australian Governance Standards, Director’s duties & relevance of self-evaluation of directors. |
| Sharp, C.A. (1999, 2005). D.E.S.E.R.T.(c) Directors’ Effectiveness Self Evaluation Research Tool | Form for Directors’ Effectiveness Self Evaluation Research Tool (D.E.R.S.E.R.T_ International) | Proforma for self-evaluation of/by directors using GAS to review their role and performance |
| Sharp, C.A. & Stock, H. (2005). “In search of a program logic for the evaluation of corporate governance and organisational performance”. | Evaluation Journal of Australasia, vol. 5 (new series) no. 2, pp. 48 – 59. (Sharp+Stock05) | Questions whether there is sufficient program logic & causal linkage to support the results of good governance processes in good organisational performance |
| Sharp, C.A. (2001, 2010) “Appropriateness in organisational governance” Scorecards for Transparency of Governance of Not-for-Profit Organisations?” | Working paper at the National Institute for Governance, University of Canberra (Sharp_OG_appropriateness) | Building on Sharp (1994) to clarify the ethical and evaluation approaches to organisational governance |
| Sharp, C.A. (1999) “Strategic Evaluation –Performance in the service of Corporate Governance” | Evaluation Journal of Australasia. Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 5 – 24 (SharpEJA1998) | Introduces the concept of strategic evaluation as a role of the Directors of an organisation |
Research Resources
| Author (date) & Title | If Published/ (File Name) Presented | Content includes |
| Sharp C A, (1994), ‘What Is Appropriate Evaluation?’ | Evaluation News & Comment (Australasian Evaluation Society), Vol 3, No 2, December, pp 34–41. (What is Appropriate Evaluation.pdf) | Introduces the concept of appropriateness as an evaluation criterion, and how that relates to ethics and standards of evaluation (illustrating using case studies). |
| Sharp, C.A. (with the assistance of Stanwick, J.) 1999, Evaluating Injury Prevention Initiatives: An Annotated Bibliography. (Edited by Associate Professor James Harrison) | Australian Institute of Health & Welfare, NISU and Flinders University’s Research Centre for Injury Studies, Adelaide. (ISBN = 0 725 80802 0 (evaluating-injury-prevention-initiatives.pdf.aspx.pdf) | Explaining the role of evaluation in injury prevention research, and an introduction to an associated bibliography |
| Sharp, C.A.(1994) “Industry best-practice benchmarking in the evaluation context” | Evaluation News & Comment (Australasian Evaluation Society), 1994, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 27 -33. | Explaining the role of evaluation in benchmarking. |
| Australian Youth Foundation & Sharp, C. A. (1996), S.T.A.R.T. – A Do-it-Yourself Evaluation Manual. | ayf1996start.pdf Sydney, AYF. (ISBN = 0 646 29967 0) shortened version in 2000. | Evaluation methods in: Strategy-Targets-Aims-Review-Transfer |
| Sharp, C.A. (2005). “An Organisational Evaluation Capability Hierarchy Model for Self-Diagnosis”. | Evaluation Journal of Australasia, Vol. 4 Nos 1 & 2 (new series, March/April), pp. 27 – 33. | Introducing a maturity model to explain the levels of evaluation capability in organisation up to strategic evaluation |
| Sharp, C.A. (2004). “Capacity Building by weaving evaluation into Visioning and Strategic Planning: Examples from South Australia” | Invited paper presented at International Conference on China’s Planning System Reform, hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission, Office of Legislative Affairs of the State Council, and the Asian Development Bank, March, 24th & 25th 2004, State Guest Hotel, Beijing, China. | Outlines, for Chinese planners, how evaluation is used in Australia (with examples). |
Sharp, C.A. 2006 “Internalized Self-Evaluation: An effective and sustainable approach to managing for results” ” | Keynote paper at the Malaysian Evaluation Society International Evaluation Conference KL, March 2006. | The importance of the Internal Evaluation role in an organisation |