Mindfulness-based emotional intelligence training: Evaluating its efficacy and mechanisms of change. Police officers often experience high levels of stress, low levels of morale and quality of work life, and high levels of health, alcohol, and family problems. We will evaluate the impact of an emotional intelligence program on improving well-being and workplace effectiveness. We will also investigate the mechanisms by which the intervention works. Ultimately, our basic goal is to understand how ....Mindfulness-based emotional intelligence training: Evaluating its efficacy and mechanisms of change. Police officers often experience high levels of stress, low levels of morale and quality of work life, and high levels of health, alcohol, and family problems. We will evaluate the impact of an emotional intelligence program on improving well-being and workplace effectiveness. We will also investigate the mechanisms by which the intervention works. Ultimately, our basic goal is to understand how human suffering can be reduced and our applied goal is to empower the NSW police to improve their own health and well-being.Read moreRead less
The role of supervisors in managing psychosocial risk factors in the workplace: Implications for employee health and organisational effectiveness. This research aims to increase the capacity of Australian employers to identify and manage psychosocial risk factors in the workplace. By promoting a continuous improvement approach to occupational stress management, negative outcomes for employers will be reduced, in terms of absenteeism, turnover, and associated losses in productivity. By making b ....The role of supervisors in managing psychosocial risk factors in the workplace: Implications for employee health and organisational effectiveness. This research aims to increase the capacity of Australian employers to identify and manage psychosocial risk factors in the workplace. By promoting a continuous improvement approach to occupational stress management, negative outcomes for employers will be reduced, in terms of absenteeism, turnover, and associated losses in productivity. By making business operators more robust to work-related stressors, their need to react to critical stress-related incidents will be lessened and government resources will not be lost as a result of processing claims. In terms of social benefits, this research aims to enhance the quality of working life for employees.Read moreRead less
Responding to fire-related stressors in the workplace: An examination of the role of social support from a group processes perspective. This research has significant national benefit and will result in basic and applied outcomes. At the basic level, the research will result in a better understanding of the way in which social support reduces the impact of stressors and stimulate new avenues of research in the fields of workplace stress and social identity. At a more applied level, the research p ....Responding to fire-related stressors in the workplace: An examination of the role of social support from a group processes perspective. This research has significant national benefit and will result in basic and applied outcomes. At the basic level, the research will result in a better understanding of the way in which social support reduces the impact of stressors and stimulate new avenues of research in the fields of workplace stress and social identity. At a more applied level, the research program will provide the grounding for a future intervention designed to reduce the social costs of workplace fires. It is expected that such an intervention would be associated with several economic and social benefits such as a reduction in sick leave, employee turnover, and losses in productivity, and improved outcomes for employees in terms of psychological well-being.Read moreRead less
Examining the work-family interface: The impact of a worksite parenting intervention on family and occupational outcomes and objective performance measures. This study will contribute to strengthening the evidence-base for work-family balance policies and practices. There have been few controlled studies examining the effects of workplace interventions targeting working parents. The study will increase our knowledge of the relationship between work-family conflict and occupational functioning. I ....Examining the work-family interface: The impact of a worksite parenting intervention on family and occupational outcomes and objective performance measures. This study will contribute to strengthening the evidence-base for work-family balance policies and practices. There have been few controlled studies examining the effects of workplace interventions targeting working parents. The study will increase our knowledge of the relationship between work-family conflict and occupational functioning. It will enable conclusions to be drawn about the efficacy of a specific strategy to enhance working parents ability to manage their respective work and family roles in a cost effective manner. Such evidence will usefully inform both the scientific literature on the effects of work-family balance issues and policy development in the area.Read moreRead less
Designing family-friendly work environments: An evaluation of a worksite parenting intervention for working women with young children. This project will investigate the influence of family factors on organisational well-being, and evaluate the implementation of an intervention which aims to decrease family risk factors and enhance family protective factors, to benefit the work domain. It is expected that family factors will predict work outcomes and that the intervention will significantly impro ....Designing family-friendly work environments: An evaluation of a worksite parenting intervention for working women with young children. This project will investigate the influence of family factors on organisational well-being, and evaluate the implementation of an intervention which aims to decrease family risk factors and enhance family protective factors, to benefit the work domain. It is expected that family factors will predict work outcomes and that the intervention will significantly improve family and work functioning, compared to a control group. Due to the increasing prevalence of working mothers in the workforce, this research will provide important information to organisations for the purpose of policy development in the area of balancing work and family demands.
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Promoting resilience in employees working in high-stress occupations. Promoting positive mental health in the workplace has been identified as a national research priority. Mental health problems such as depression and stress now give rise to social and economic burdens comparable to those due to physiological conditions such as heart disease. Prevention strategies are strongly endorsed by both Government and peak health bodies as a necessity if this burden is to be addressed. Effective workpl ....Promoting resilience in employees working in high-stress occupations. Promoting positive mental health in the workplace has been identified as a national research priority. Mental health problems such as depression and stress now give rise to social and economic burdens comparable to those due to physiological conditions such as heart disease. Prevention strategies are strongly endorsed by both Government and peak health bodies as a necessity if this burden is to be addressed. Effective workplace strategies for positive mental health promotion will greatly reduce burdens on the health care system and the community whilst increasing productivity in the workplace and quality of life for individuals and their families.Read moreRead less
Age Matters: Barriers and solutions to employment of older adults. With an ageing Australian population, research is needed to identify barriers that prevent older people being employed in the workforce. This project aims to identify whether employers use different standards when assessing the employability of younger and older workers and to develop strategies to overcome the use of different standards. This project will provide innovative ways for employers to implement successful strategies f ....Age Matters: Barriers and solutions to employment of older adults. With an ageing Australian population, research is needed to identify barriers that prevent older people being employed in the workforce. This project aims to identify whether employers use different standards when assessing the employability of younger and older workers and to develop strategies to overcome the use of different standards. This project will provide innovative ways for employers to implement successful strategies for promoting equal opportunity for older workers. Furthermore, this knowledge will assist policy makers and employment agencies. Finding ways to overcome barriers to older adult recruitment is of major significance for Australia's future economy and social well-being.Read moreRead less
Understanding reactions to diversity initiatives in organizations: An intergroup perspective. Current policy and legislation promote diversity in organizations,
however employees often react negatively to diversity initiatives
that assist specific groups (e.g., women). Explanations attributing
negativity to individual factors (e.g., self interest) or to broad
organizational culture are limited. Diversity initiatives highlight
differences between the beneficiary and non-beneficiary group(s) ....Understanding reactions to diversity initiatives in organizations: An intergroup perspective. Current policy and legislation promote diversity in organizations,
however employees often react negatively to diversity initiatives
that assist specific groups (e.g., women). Explanations attributing
negativity to individual factors (e.g., self interest) or to broad
organizational culture are limited. Diversity initiatives highlight
differences between the beneficiary and non-beneficiary group(s) and
a comprehensive model should incorporate an intergroup perspective.
It should also recognise the legitimising role of justice-based
concerns. In testing such a model, this project will contribute to
theories of intergroup relations and their interplay with social
policy, and to the development of strategies to manage workplace
diversity.
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Competent but Less Likeable: Social Stereotypes and Strategic Choices in Negotiation. Women may be disadvantaged by the greater opportunities for negotiating employment conditions that Work Choices provides. Relative to their male peers, women receive lower starting salaries and smaller increases. This is costly for women, who leave the workforce with less financial security. The gender gap is also costly for organisations, who face increased dissatisfaction and turnover. Woman can improve the ....Competent but Less Likeable: Social Stereotypes and Strategic Choices in Negotiation. Women may be disadvantaged by the greater opportunities for negotiating employment conditions that Work Choices provides. Relative to their male peers, women receive lower starting salaries and smaller increases. This is costly for women, who leave the workforce with less financial security. The gender gap is also costly for organisations, who face increased dissatisfaction and turnover. Woman can improve their outcomes through negotiation, but the assertive tactics that improve their economic outcomes are likely to generate social reprisals in the workplace. This project will benefit employers and employees alike, by identifying strategies that assist women to improve their economic outcomes while buffering them from social reprisals.Read moreRead less
The Dynamics of Trust in Negotiation: Implications for Strategy and Outcomes. Despite the benefits of cooperation, negotiators frequently choose competitive strategies. This reduces their ability to build enduring solutions that meet both negotiators' needs. In this project, we investigate the role of trust in fostering cooperation. Although trust is a pre-requisite for cooperation, negotiation research is yet to systematically explore how trust is built, sustained and violated. We test h ....The Dynamics of Trust in Negotiation: Implications for Strategy and Outcomes. Despite the benefits of cooperation, negotiators frequently choose competitive strategies. This reduces their ability to build enduring solutions that meet both negotiators' needs. In this project, we investigate the role of trust in fostering cooperation. Although trust is a pre-requisite for cooperation, negotiation research is yet to systematically explore how trust is built, sustained and violated. We test how first impressions establish trust and how patterns of communication sustain trust. We also test how salient events punctuate negotiations and alter trust. Our goal is to identify those processes that facilitate trust and cooperation in negotiation.Read moreRead less