Place, Scale and Employment Relations in Australia: Enterprise Agreements and Individual Contracts in the Coal and Finance Industries. This study will explore the spatial (geographical) content of workplace agreements. It will probe underlying processes of how unions and management in the coal and finance industries use inherent geographical dimensions to influence and shape industrial relations. Overcoming the spatial-blindness that has pervaded industrial relations research to enhance underst ....Place, Scale and Employment Relations in Australia: Enterprise Agreements and Individual Contracts in the Coal and Finance Industries. This study will explore the spatial (geographical) content of workplace agreements. It will probe underlying processes of how unions and management in the coal and finance industries use inherent geographical dimensions to influence and shape industrial relations. Overcoming the spatial-blindness that has pervaded industrial relations research to enhance understanding of new employment mechanisms and their implications for the future is imperative. Significant conceptual advance will be achieved by integrating core concepts from labour geography with notions of industrial relations decentralisation and practices that preference individualism over collectivism.Read moreRead less
Small business job creation: employer and employee perspectives of job quality. Small business is high on the policy agenda as employment growth is trending downwards. Recent recommendations to increase small business employment highlight the importance of both quantity and job quality. This project will investigate what is a quality small business job from employer and employee perspectives. The research will focus on new small business jobs in the Latrobe Valley - a 'less favored' region. The ....Small business job creation: employer and employee perspectives of job quality. Small business is high on the policy agenda as employment growth is trending downwards. Recent recommendations to increase small business employment highlight the importance of both quantity and job quality. This project will investigate what is a quality small business job from employer and employee perspectives. The research will focus on new small business jobs in the Latrobe Valley - a 'less favored' region. The findings will fill a significant gap in knowledge about the process of job generation and lead to a better understanding of the determinants of job quality from different perspectives, which can assist economic policy development.Read moreRead less
Implications of Emerging Forms of Labour Management in Transitional Economies for Households Livelihood Strategies: China and Vietnam. This project aims to (1) investigate institutional changes to labour management during the economic transitions of China and Vietnam and (2) analyse their impact on the livelihood strategies of households. The research will be based on a large interview study of officials, managers and workers in the TCF and electronics industries in four cities. The project wi ....Implications of Emerging Forms of Labour Management in Transitional Economies for Households Livelihood Strategies: China and Vietnam. This project aims to (1) investigate institutional changes to labour management during the economic transitions of China and Vietnam and (2) analyse their impact on the livelihood strategies of households. The research will be based on a large interview study of officials, managers and workers in the TCF and electronics industries in four cities. The project will contribute details about China and Vietnam to the theoretical literature about the management of labour and the relations between restructuring / transition and gender at work. The project will inform policy makers, businesses, nongovernment groups and academics about the social implications of transition.Read moreRead less
Pay alignment: Fact or fallacy? The project will make an important contribution to our understanding of the impact of employee pay system configuration on firm performance and, in turn, on national productivity and Australia's social and economic fabric. The findings will enrich pay system theory and guide evidence-based improvement in firms' pay practices. It will help employers to identify the most contextually appropriate and effective ways to manage pay level, structure and plan choice and t ....Pay alignment: Fact or fallacy? The project will make an important contribution to our understanding of the impact of employee pay system configuration on firm performance and, in turn, on national productivity and Australia's social and economic fabric. The findings will enrich pay system theory and guide evidence-based improvement in firms' pay practices. It will help employers to identify the most contextually appropriate and effective ways to manage pay level, structure and plan choice and thus to design pay systems that employees in different workplace contexts perceive as fair and that enhance organisational performance and ability to attract, motivate and retain high calibre staff.Read moreRead less
Labour Matters: The Recomposition of Trade Union Action in a Globalising Era: Australia and Canada1983-2003. Trade unions are struggling to craft innovative responses to globalisation's pressures, while seeking to shore up their traditional role in 'porous' national economies. We compare Australia with Canada 1983-2003: semi-peripheral countries facing similar pressures from globalisation, but responding differently in governance and trade union action. Labour innovation is set against the backd ....Labour Matters: The Recomposition of Trade Union Action in a Globalising Era: Australia and Canada1983-2003. Trade unions are struggling to craft innovative responses to globalisation's pressures, while seeking to shore up their traditional role in 'porous' national economies. We compare Australia with Canada 1983-2003: semi-peripheral countries facing similar pressures from globalisation, but responding differently in governance and trade union action. Labour innovation is set against the backdrop of changes in employment regulation and employment security. We examine innovation through national and transnational union campaigns that parallel in two countries, to evaluate innovation in Australia. Postgraduate research training in internationally comparative social science methodology is provided and results disseminated in academic, practitioner and public fora.Read moreRead less
Partnerships at Work: The Interaction Between Employment Systems, Corporate Governance and Ownership Structure. This project examines the interaction of key factors seen to be of paramount importance in the creation and sustainability of 'Partnerships at Work'. These include particular employment systems, forms of corporate governance and ownership structures of enterprises. The circumstances in which partnership models arise, the pressures faced in maintaining them, and the role of the regulato ....Partnerships at Work: The Interaction Between Employment Systems, Corporate Governance and Ownership Structure. This project examines the interaction of key factors seen to be of paramount importance in the creation and sustainability of 'Partnerships at Work'. These include particular employment systems, forms of corporate governance and ownership structures of enterprises. The circumstances in which partnership models arise, the pressures faced in maintaining them, and the role of the regulatory environment will be examined through case studies and the construction of a database. It involves collaboration between senior scholars in corporate law and labour law. The project will enhance the capacity of governments, enterprises and stakeholders to review employment practices, governance structures and regulatory models.Read moreRead less
Refugees and Employment: Exploring the Effects of Visible Difference on Discrimination. This project investigates the impact of ?visible difference? (racial, religious, language) on the success of refugee resettlement in Australia, as measured by employment outcomes. Employment is a major factor determining positive resettlement, yet according to available data, our own research in progress, and anecdotal evidence, unsatisfactory employment outcomes are widespread among refugee communities (DIMI ....Refugees and Employment: Exploring the Effects of Visible Difference on Discrimination. This project investigates the impact of ?visible difference? (racial, religious, language) on the success of refugee resettlement in Australia, as measured by employment outcomes. Employment is a major factor determining positive resettlement, yet according to available data, our own research in progress, and anecdotal evidence, unsatisfactory employment outcomes are widespread among refugee communities (DIMIA 2002; Jupp 2001). However, few studies have been undertaken to explore this. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the research looks at barriers and facilitators to successful employment outcomes for refugees, from the point of view of refugees and employers. Results will be fed back to employers, employer agencies, refugee communities and government.Read moreRead less