The Role of Employment Relations in the Competitive Strategies of Low Cost Airlines in Australia. Employment-relations issues are key determinants of an airline's performance. Air transport is important for Australia. Australia has experienced failing airlines (e.g. Ansett, Compass); its most successful airline, Qantas, charges high fares and one of its priorities is improving its employment relations. This project will investigate airlines' critical success factors with special attention to the ....The Role of Employment Relations in the Competitive Strategies of Low Cost Airlines in Australia. Employment-relations issues are key determinants of an airline's performance. Air transport is important for Australia. Australia has experienced failing airlines (e.g. Ansett, Compass); its most successful airline, Qantas, charges high fares and one of its priorities is improving its employment relations. This project will investigate airlines' critical success factors with special attention to the links between corporate strategies and employment relations. Besides investigating Qantas, it will link with MIT's Global Airline Industry Program to consider the transformation of Australia's aviation industry and, in particular, the innovations pioneered by low-cost airlines: JetStar and Virgin Blue.Read moreRead less
The Rise and Retention of the 'Authoritarian Taylorism' Perspective as Orthodoxy in the Employment Relations Field. In the late 1980s revisionist historians of the employment relationship began questioning the belief that Taylorism is an authoritarian, anti-union school of management. These scholars argued that the managers and theorists who predominated within the U.S. interwar Taylorist movement were unique in the management community in the extent to which they promoted industrial democracy, ....The Rise and Retention of the 'Authoritarian Taylorism' Perspective as Orthodoxy in the Employment Relations Field. In the late 1980s revisionist historians of the employment relationship began questioning the belief that Taylorism is an authoritarian, anti-union school of management. These scholars argued that the managers and theorists who predominated within the U.S. interwar Taylorist movement were unique in the management community in the extent to which they promoted industrial democracy, mutual gains, and gender equality. In the light of this knowledge, this project explores how it could be that the authoritarian Taylorist perspective became accepted by all schools within the employment relations field and what the notion of progressive Taylorism offers employment relations analysis and reform.Read moreRead less
Enterprise Labour Flexibility, Worker Security and Wellbeing: China and India Compared. Arguably China and India are currently the two nations most likely to reshape employment practices and the nature of work globally in the coming years. Sections of the Australian community who will benefit from the research include politicians, employees and employers as all three require a detailed knowledge of the labour policies and practices of these two major trading partners as they continue to confront ....Enterprise Labour Flexibility, Worker Security and Wellbeing: China and India Compared. Arguably China and India are currently the two nations most likely to reshape employment practices and the nature of work globally in the coming years. Sections of the Australian community who will benefit from the research include politicians, employees and employers as all three require a detailed knowledge of the labour policies and practices of these two major trading partners as they continue to confront the unending problem of labour market management and workplace reform. The research will also be of value to investors considering investing in either country and who need to make decisions regarding where to invest and how investments might be optimised. Read moreRead less
Business Social Protection Behaviour in China. Employer social protection behaviour is an under-researched field
because analysts are seldom able to attain adequate enterprise data.
Our industry partner will enable us to overcome the data problem by
providing relevant information on the revealed behaviour of 5000 firms
per year for three years. This project pioneers the utilisation of firm
specific data to analyse this issue using data from Shanghai. The
research will assist China to op ....Business Social Protection Behaviour in China. Employer social protection behaviour is an under-researched field
because analysts are seldom able to attain adequate enterprise data.
Our industry partner will enable us to overcome the data problem by
providing relevant information on the revealed behaviour of 5000 firms
per year for three years. This project pioneers the utilisation of firm
specific data to analyse this issue using data from Shanghai. The
research will assist China to operationalise its decision to model its
emergent social security system on the Australian security regime and
will assist Australia's financial community to capture the opportunities made available by this development.Read moreRead less
Price Transparency, Search, and Collusion in Markets. Online search platforms and 'open data' policies are emerging to empower consumers with price information for decision-making in markets, yet also can enable collusive pricing. This project aims to study the competitive impact of search platforms by combining large, real-time datasets on firm pricing and consumer search with natural and field experiments. The project expects to facilitate the development of new models of collusion, consumer s ....Price Transparency, Search, and Collusion in Markets. Online search platforms and 'open data' policies are emerging to empower consumers with price information for decision-making in markets, yet also can enable collusive pricing. This project aims to study the competitive impact of search platforms by combining large, real-time datasets on firm pricing and consumer search with natural and field experiments. The project expects to facilitate the development of new models of collusion, consumer search, and platform adoption. This should yield substantial benefit by modernizing competition policy for the digital age through novel data-driven screens for collusion, and policies to encourage platform adoption and enable consumers’ use of data in decision-making to increase competition in markets.Read moreRead less
Rapid CYBERNOSE ® detection of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals. Rapid CYBERNOSE ® detection of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals. This project aims to develop a novel biosensor prototype based on CYBERNOSE® technology to rapidly identify volatile traces of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals in concealed environments. The CYBERNOSE® technology employs sensors using the highly sophisticated and sensitive olfactory receptors of microscopic nematode worms linked to an optoelectronic det ....Rapid CYBERNOSE ® detection of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals. Rapid CYBERNOSE ® detection of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals. This project aims to develop a novel biosensor prototype based on CYBERNOSE® technology to rapidly identify volatile traces of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals in concealed environments. The CYBERNOSE® technology employs sensors using the highly sophisticated and sensitive olfactory receptors of microscopic nematode worms linked to an optoelectronic detector. The need for rapid, non-contact screening devices to detect and identify illicit drugs and precursors entering Australia has never been greater. Law enforcement agencies should directly benefit from the capability to more rapidly screen people and cargo, improving efficiency of illicit drug detection and protection of our borders.Read moreRead less
Applications of probiotics in yoghurt, soy yoghurt and Cheddar cheese. The main goal of this study is to develop probiotic yoghurt and Cheddar cheese using selected strains of probiotic bacteria and examine their survival and effects on proteolysis and sensory attributes of these products. Research aimed at enrichment of suitable probiotic adjunct starter in these products provides the potential to markedly improve both the health status and quality of products. Optimum conditions for survival o ....Applications of probiotics in yoghurt, soy yoghurt and Cheddar cheese. The main goal of this study is to develop probiotic yoghurt and Cheddar cheese using selected strains of probiotic bacteria and examine their survival and effects on proteolysis and sensory attributes of these products. Research aimed at enrichment of suitable probiotic adjunct starter in these products provides the potential to markedly improve both the health status and quality of products. Optimum conditions for survival of probiotic bacteria and processing conditions that guarantee high levels of probiotic bacteria for health benefits will be known. The results will provide critical information for improving survival of probiotic bacteria and quality of probiotic yoghurt, and Cheddar cheese.Read moreRead less
Stability of bioactive isoflavone aglycones and probiotic bacteria in soy based food during processing and storage. The aims of this study are to ascertain the optimum conditions for bioconversion of inactive isoflavone glucosides to bioactive isoflavone aglycones by bifidobacteria and assess the stability of bioactive aglycones during processing and storage. Studies have shown that dietary phytoestrogen an important role in prevention of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and breast and prost ....Stability of bioactive isoflavone aglycones and probiotic bacteria in soy based food during processing and storage. The aims of this study are to ascertain the optimum conditions for bioconversion of inactive isoflavone glucosides to bioactive isoflavone aglycones by bifidobacteria and assess the stability of bioactive aglycones during processing and storage. Studies have shown that dietary phytoestrogen an important role in prevention of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and breast and prostate cancer (Nagata et al., 1998). Optimum conditions for production of bioactive isoflavones and processing conditions that guarantee high levels of bioactive isoflavones for health benefits will be known. The results will provide critical information for creating market potential for a range of health based functional foods.Read moreRead less
Computerised diffraction tomography for structural health monitoring. Structural health monitoring (SHM) offers the prospect of a quantum gain in performance and efficiency for the design and structural integrity management of high-value assets (e.g. aircraft). The aims of this project are to develop and validate efficient computational tools for:
(i) Characterising the scattering of the Lamb waves by defects or boundaries, and
(ii) Implementing robust and versatile approaches to tomographic i ....Computerised diffraction tomography for structural health monitoring. Structural health monitoring (SHM) offers the prospect of a quantum gain in performance and efficiency for the design and structural integrity management of high-value assets (e.g. aircraft). The aims of this project are to develop and validate efficient computational tools for:
(i) Characterising the scattering of the Lamb waves by defects or boundaries, and
(ii) Implementing robust and versatile approaches to tomographic imaging of laminar defects or damage from experimental/synthetic scattered field data.
This project will result in the development of a validated and versatile SHM system for quantifying damage that is analogous to computerised tomography in medical imaging.Read moreRead less
Aged care in crisis? The effects of work organisation on nurse, resident and organisational outcomes. Given the rapidly ageing Australian population and critical nurse retention issues in aged care, this program of research will have significant national benefit. First, assessing the interactive effects of work stressors and high performance work practices on employee strain and turnover will be particularly important in terms of developing strategies for employee retention. Second, by examining ....Aged care in crisis? The effects of work organisation on nurse, resident and organisational outcomes. Given the rapidly ageing Australian population and critical nurse retention issues in aged care, this program of research will have significant national benefit. First, assessing the interactive effects of work stressors and high performance work practices on employee strain and turnover will be particularly important in terms of developing strategies for employee retention. Second, by examining across time the links between work stressors and high performance work practices on one hand and resident outcomes on the other, the research will have important implications for ensuring older people receive quality care and live with dignity in Aged care. Read moreRead less