Presenting graphics to blind students using a touchscreen interface extended with haptic and audio feedback. The project will develop a new device for the presentation of accessible graphics based on a touchscreen computer extended with haptic and audio feedback. The aim is to improve access to graphics and other two-dimensional information in the classroom by blind students.
Enhancing patient management at point of care using electronic-based clinical pathways. Clinical pathways have been adopted by most Australian hospitals and the development of a 'proof of concept' digitised clinical pathways management system (DCPMS) would provide significant benefits to the Australian healthcare system in improving the efficiency of this approach. These include improved outcomes of care arising from a better match of patient requirements to nursing care and other health resour ....Enhancing patient management at point of care using electronic-based clinical pathways. Clinical pathways have been adopted by most Australian hospitals and the development of a 'proof of concept' digitised clinical pathways management system (DCPMS) would provide significant benefits to the Australian healthcare system in improving the efficiency of this approach. These include improved outcomes of care arising from a better match of patient requirements to nursing care and other health resources and better management of resources where savings can be re-directed into front-line patient care. This Australian innovation can then be exported to international health systems that are increasingly turning to hospital funding models that utilise clinical pathway information.Read moreRead less
Organisational performance during environmental uncertainty: The impact of an influential human resource function and high involvement work practices. Australians will benefit from the project because it will: 1) assist in the promotion of strategies that manage the productivity of critical talent at a time of environmental uncertainty; 2) promote a strategic rather than a reactive approach to the management of the Australian workforce at a time when companies may be pressured to take a short te ....Organisational performance during environmental uncertainty: The impact of an influential human resource function and high involvement work practices. Australians will benefit from the project because it will: 1) assist in the promotion of strategies that manage the productivity of critical talent at a time of environmental uncertainty; 2) promote a strategic rather than a reactive approach to the management of the Australian workforce at a time when companies may be pressured to take a short term view; 3) help to generate a positive workplace relations climate through the carriage of employee-focussed human resource management practices; and 4) provide guidance for the development of the competencies required for HRM professionals to add value for employees and for organisational performance.Read moreRead less
Managing human resources in an advanced economy from the perspective of emerging Chinese multinationals: the case of NWII in Australia. This project will investigate human resource management practices in the resources sector in Australia and China. The outcomes of this study will provide important theoretical and operational insights into Chinese foreign direct investment for stakeholders such as the Australian government, community, employees and their representatives.
Planning for the adaptive management of wetland rehabilitation; Kanyapella Basin Case Study. Australia's ephemeral wetlands are being lost or degraded primarily through drainage. There is a pressing need to conserve the ecological character of remaining systems, and rehabilitate degraded ones. Rehabilitation is invariably constrained by water availability, community expectations and uncertainty about ecosystem responses to different water regimes. This project applies the adaptive management mod ....Planning for the adaptive management of wetland rehabilitation; Kanyapella Basin Case Study. Australia's ephemeral wetlands are being lost or degraded primarily through drainage. There is a pressing need to conserve the ecological character of remaining systems, and rehabilitate degraded ones. Rehabilitation is invariably constrained by water availability, community expectations and uncertainty about ecosystem responses to different water regimes. This project applies the adaptive management model to wetland rehabilitation. Adaptive management addresses uncertainty through experiments integrated into the rehabilitation process. It uses monitoring, and information feedback loops to inform current management actions. A generic model for the adaptive management of wetland rehabilitation will be developed which will predict responses to different re-wetting scenarios.Read moreRead less
Organisational Behaviour in the Victoria Police Force. One of the major challenges facing managers in the Victoria Police is to create working environments that provide employees with the best possible chance of achieving organisational objectives. Subsequently, the aim of this project is to investigate a comprehensive model of organisational behaviour that employs the psychological contract approach and an augmented job strain model to predict employee attitudes and behaviour over time. The com ....Organisational Behaviour in the Victoria Police Force. One of the major challenges facing managers in the Victoria Police is to create working environments that provide employees with the best possible chance of achieving organisational objectives. Subsequently, the aim of this project is to investigate a comprehensive model of organisational behaviour that employs the psychological contract approach and an augmented job strain model to predict employee attitudes and behaviour over time. The combined project model goes beyond the typical studies in this field by incorporating cutting-edge issues such as organisational citizenship behaviours. The Victoria Police is highly committed to this project and believes that the successful execution of this project will contribute to its strategic goals.Read moreRead less
Enhancing the National Benefit of Volunteers through Career Development in Community Organisations: A Case Study of Senior Volunteers. This project aims to determine the benefits of career development in enhancing volunteer performance and volunteer retention, with particular attention to the needs of senior volunteers. Research concerning career development is fundamentally important in the paid workforce; little investigation has occurred in the economically important and parallel area of volu ....Enhancing the National Benefit of Volunteers through Career Development in Community Organisations: A Case Study of Senior Volunteers. This project aims to determine the benefits of career development in enhancing volunteer performance and volunteer retention, with particular attention to the needs of senior volunteers. Research concerning career development is fundamentally important in the paid workforce; little investigation has occurred in the economically important and parallel area of volunteer development. The project will build on preliminary research by the Chief Investigators by developing and testing a research instrument underpinned by career development theory. The anticipated outcomes will be (a) an improved understanding of volunteer needs within an organisation through career matching and development, (b) a generic "tool kit" for organisations wishing to develop and maintain volunteers, particularly their more experienced and senior ones and (c) a benefit to the emotional and physical well-being of the community in general and volunteers in particular.Read moreRead less
Innovation in Australian mid-market firms: The critical role of leader cognition. The innovation literature has focused on innovation in large corporations and small entrepreneurial firms, ignoring medium-sized firms. With a rare opportunity to work with a partner organisation on a range of mid-market firms, the project aims to focus on the unique theoretical aspects of innovation in medium-sized firms. The project’s investigation addresses critical gaps in the innovation strategy literature and ....Innovation in Australian mid-market firms: The critical role of leader cognition. The innovation literature has focused on innovation in large corporations and small entrepreneurial firms, ignoring medium-sized firms. With a rare opportunity to work with a partner organisation on a range of mid-market firms, the project aims to focus on the unique theoretical aspects of innovation in medium-sized firms. The project’s investigation addresses critical gaps in the innovation strategy literature and contributes to a nascent literature on the microfoundations of organisational outcomes. Specifically, the project focuses on how leader cognitions drive the intensity and type of innovation and influence the performance consequences of innovation. The project also aims to provide practical prescriptions to medium-sized firms in Australia.Read moreRead less
Technological innovation and change in supply chain integration. In examining emerging technology that can transform the performance of Australian industry we address the following priority goals: better understanding the processes that will advance knowledge and facilitate the development of technological innovations; the potential application of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies across an entire supply chain; and the improved management of information in the storage, distribut ....Technological innovation and change in supply chain integration. In examining emerging technology that can transform the performance of Australian industry we address the following priority goals: better understanding the processes that will advance knowledge and facilitate the development of technological innovations; the potential application of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies across an entire supply chain; and the improved management of information in the storage, distribution, and delivery of products (smart information use). Improvement in the operational efficiency and performance of the supply chain will increase national wealth while minimising environmental impacts on the environment, for example, through the better utilisation of heavy freight carriers.Read moreRead less
Managing the Volunteer Workforce: Flexible Structures and Strategies to Integrate Volunteers and Paid Workers. Volunteers now play a vital role in many service-oriented organisations. This project proposes an innovative framework to assist organisations to develop flexible and appropriate structures and strategies for the management of volunteer and paid workforces. The approach draws upon Atkinson's (1984) "Flexible Firm" concept. A flexibility model is applied to the relationship between volun ....Managing the Volunteer Workforce: Flexible Structures and Strategies to Integrate Volunteers and Paid Workers. Volunteers now play a vital role in many service-oriented organisations. This project proposes an innovative framework to assist organisations to develop flexible and appropriate structures and strategies for the management of volunteer and paid workforces. The approach draws upon Atkinson's (1984) "Flexible Firm" concept. A flexibility model is applied to the relationship between volunteers and the broader workforce. The project aims (a) to understand, conceptualise and evaluate the roles, functions and structure of volunteer groups within paid workforces; (b) to investigate how positive relationships, training, effective communication and flexibility can enhance the contribution of volunteers in the workforce and (c) to propose mechanisms which can improve the deployment of human capital within larger service-oriented organisations such as the National Museum of Australia and Museum of Victoria.Read moreRead less