Gender and Employment Equity: Strategies for Advancement in Australian Universities. Gender inequity in pay and employment remain a feature of Australian society and can impair labour productivity. Lower female labour force participation rates continue to be a major issue, resulting in less than optimum use of women's skills. This project undertakes detailed analysis of these issues in Australian Universities, the major training site for the national skilled workforce. It will develop practical ....Gender and Employment Equity: Strategies for Advancement in Australian Universities. Gender inequity in pay and employment remain a feature of Australian society and can impair labour productivity. Lower female labour force participation rates continue to be a major issue, resulting in less than optimum use of women's skills. This project undertakes detailed analysis of these issues in Australian Universities, the major training site for the national skilled workforce. It will develop practical strategies to promote gender equity in universities. As women's participation is a major driver of labour force growth, this research will provide vital information for many industries.Read moreRead less
Voice, Representation and Recognition in the Information Economy. Workers in new information industries are not highly unionised. This research explores why this is the case in call centre employment. Union densities may reflect workforce demographics or preferences. They may also parallel the use of new managerial tools including recruitment, training and cultural programs, or new work designs. This project will test these propositions. Providing employees wish to have some say over the determ ....Voice, Representation and Recognition in the Information Economy. Workers in new information industries are not highly unionised. This research explores why this is the case in call centre employment. Union densities may reflect workforce demographics or preferences. They may also parallel the use of new managerial tools including recruitment, training and cultural programs, or new work designs. This project will test these propositions. Providing employees wish to have some say over the determination of employment conditions, this project examines possible scenarios for voice, representation and recognition in a rapidly growing industry. This has important implications for the smart use of new technologies in the workplace.Read moreRead less
Bridging the Gap Between the Provision and Utilisation of Work-life Policies. The provision of work-life policies in Australian organisations is not enough to guarantee widespread utilisation. Under-utilisation may lead to role conflict and sub-optimal work-life balance for many employees. The aims of the project are to: (i) identify the barriers and enablers of policy usage; (ii) implement a multi-level strategic intervention; and (iii) develop a comprehensive, best-practice program which addr ....Bridging the Gap Between the Provision and Utilisation of Work-life Policies. The provision of work-life policies in Australian organisations is not enough to guarantee widespread utilisation. Under-utilisation may lead to role conflict and sub-optimal work-life balance for many employees. The aims of the project are to: (i) identify the barriers and enablers of policy usage; (ii) implement a multi-level strategic intervention; and (iii) develop a comprehensive, best-practice program which addresses under-utilisation. The significance of the research is its development and evaluation of implementation strategies, using a quasi-experimental design, which will result in a program allowing employees and organisations to utlilise work-life policies for maximum benefit with minimal negative consequences.Read moreRead less
Work-life balance in the construction industry: Innovative strategies for improving employee well-being and performance in project management teams. The need to balance work and family is an important social issue facing Australia. The aim of the project is to develop specific strategies to improve work-life balance outcomes, particularly in relation to performance and well-being for employees in the highly competitive construction industry. The significance of the research is in the (i) develop ....Work-life balance in the construction industry: Innovative strategies for improving employee well-being and performance in project management teams. The need to balance work and family is an important social issue facing Australia. The aim of the project is to develop specific strategies to improve work-life balance outcomes, particularly in relation to performance and well-being for employees in the highly competitive construction industry. The significance of the research is in the (i) development of the work-life balance construct as a multidimensional one based on time, involvement and satisfaction; (ii) focus on under-researched male employees and (iii) use of an innovative, applied, experimental design. The research will yield new insights into the determinants of successful work-life balance and inform policy development which is consistent with employee needs.Read moreRead less
Customising work through manager-employee exchange. This project will explore how managers and employees customise the terms and conditions of standardised employment arrangements. The results will inform legislation such as right to request provisions and organisational strategies such as manager training which support effective, mutually beneficial manager-employee exchanges.
Exploring the role and outcomes of employee voice in a hospital setting. This project aims to identify ways to improve patient care and enhance employee wellbeing of healthcare workers through better utilisation of employee voice practices that enable employees to speak up. We aim to do this by identifying and distinguishing between the types of practices used by these workers to speak up on issues concerning working conditions and patient care concerns. The project will identify the determinant ....Exploring the role and outcomes of employee voice in a hospital setting. This project aims to identify ways to improve patient care and enhance employee wellbeing of healthcare workers through better utilisation of employee voice practices that enable employees to speak up. We aim to do this by identifying and distinguishing between the types of practices used by these workers to speak up on issues concerning working conditions and patient care concerns. The project will identify the determinants of speaking up in healthcare and the consequences this voice has for quality of patient care and worker wellbeing. This will have significant benefits for hospital stakeholders, including improved patient care, employee satisfaction and retention, and hospital efficiencies.Read moreRead less
Employee voice in Australia: the impact of employee participation arrangements on organisational performance and employee well-being. Given the extent of union decline in Australia, there is a need to update policy to reflect the new reality of low unionisation. This project will examine what alternative arrangements exist and their economic and social consequences. It focuses on the employee impacts and employer impacts of these arrangements and will inform current policy debates.
Improving people management systems in emergency services. Improving people management systems in emergency services. This project aims to identify the organisational subsystems that affect the long-term employment of emergency service workers and other individual and organisational outcomes. Operational workloads affect ambulance officers’ ability to work and also contribute to psychological stress. People management systems and support mechanisms are often not configured to minimise these stre ....Improving people management systems in emergency services. Improving people management systems in emergency services. This project aims to identify the organisational subsystems that affect the long-term employment of emergency service workers and other individual and organisational outcomes. Operational workloads affect ambulance officers’ ability to work and also contribute to psychological stress. People management systems and support mechanisms are often not configured to minimise these stressors. This project expects to develop people-management strategies for organisations in difficult environments like emergency services. In turn, emergency service workers should provide better services for patients.Read moreRead less
An investigation of supervisory practices for improving occupational health and safety behaviour in construction teams: a cross-level experimental analysis. Construction workers, comprising 8% of the Australian workforce, are a high risk group for occupational fatality, injury and disease. Almost 10% of all injury and death claims in Australia are attributed to construction, creating a significant social and economic burden. The research addresses the previously neglected issue of how first-line ....An investigation of supervisory practices for improving occupational health and safety behaviour in construction teams: a cross-level experimental analysis. Construction workers, comprising 8% of the Australian workforce, are a high risk group for occupational fatality, injury and disease. Almost 10% of all injury and death claims in Australia are attributed to construction, creating a significant social and economic burden. The research addresses the previously neglected issue of how first-line supervisors shape subordinates' safety behaviour. The research makes a significant contribution by identifying and encouraging supervisory behaviours that: (i) create strong, positive safety climates in sub-contracted work crews; (ii) support the translation of organizational OHS policies/procedures into safe practices; and (iii) improve the OHS performance of the construction industry.Read moreRead less
Using Heart Rate Variability measurements to identify the effects of stress on decision making. Rationality and the willingness to cooperate is an important aspect of human decision making. Research shows that certain decisions not only cause stress but are also affected by it. Using modern mobile heart rate monitors, we are able to measure causes and consequences of stress in a controlled and natural environment. This research will help to provide better workplace environments by helping to des ....Using Heart Rate Variability measurements to identify the effects of stress on decision making. Rationality and the willingness to cooperate is an important aspect of human decision making. Research shows that certain decisions not only cause stress but are also affected by it. Using modern mobile heart rate monitors, we are able to measure causes and consequences of stress in a controlled and natural environment. This research will help to provide better workplace environments by helping to design better organisations, decreasing the probability of workplace accidents, and advising employees how to better use their talents. This research also helps put Australia on the forefront of modern economic research that aims to open the ultimate "black box" of human decision making.Read moreRead less