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.
Facilitating workplace change: Redefining the role of industrial tribunals in Australia. Amendments to the Fair Work Act 2009 passed in 2013 have the potential to re-define the role of Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal, the Fair Work Commission, by requiring it to promote cooperative and productive workplace relations. This project aims to identify an innovative model of tribunal intervention that meets these new imperatives through case studies from the Hunter region of NSW, whe ....Facilitating workplace change: Redefining the role of industrial tribunals in Australia. Amendments to the Fair Work Act 2009 passed in 2013 have the potential to re-define the role of Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal, the Fair Work Commission, by requiring it to promote cooperative and productive workplace relations. This project aims to identify an innovative model of tribunal intervention that meets these new imperatives through case studies from the Hunter region of NSW, where tribunal members have for two decades been working proactively with managers, employees and their representatives in major construction projects and large public sector organisations to achieve cooperative and effective workplace change. Read moreRead less
Analysis of the financial circumstances of local governments, to assess viability, and improve planning, resource allocation and accountability. The project aims to (a) develop a framework for improved reporting by local government, through a critical analysis of AAS 27 and extant legislative guidelines; (b) assess the financial viability of existing local government units; (c) identify units which may be candidates for amalgamation. Outcomes will include (i) proposals to enhance NSW's pioneer ....Analysis of the financial circumstances of local governments, to assess viability, and improve planning, resource allocation and accountability. The project aims to (a) develop a framework for improved reporting by local government, through a critical analysis of AAS 27 and extant legislative guidelines; (b) assess the financial viability of existing local government units; (c) identify units which may be candidates for amalgamation. Outcomes will include (i) proposals to enhance NSW's pioneering provisions for infrastructure reporting, contained in the NSW Local Government Act 1993 and accompanying guidelines; (ii) a pioneering assessment of the financial circumstances of local government units, having regard to the projected costs of upgrading legacy infrastructure; (iii) development of a framework for assessing future funding needs. Read moreRead less
Infrastructure project delivery: a life cycle evaluation model for public private partnerships. Governments continue to embrace public-private partnerships so as to obtain value for money and provide financial accountability to taxpayers. This project will determine the most appropriate way to engage the private sector in infrastructure delivery and develop a dynamic life cycle evaluation model to ensure projects are delivered effectively and efficiently.
Effects of offshored advanced manufacturing on productivity, and growth. Offshoring can reduce production costs, but it can also reduce cutting-edge advanced manufacturing capability and skilled manufacturing workforce, and reduce future growth. Lack of appropriate data has made it difficult to measure these effects for firms and industries. Using uniquely available data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and newly developed methods, this project aims to provide new measures of firm level ....Effects of offshored advanced manufacturing on productivity, and growth. Offshoring can reduce production costs, but it can also reduce cutting-edge advanced manufacturing capability and skilled manufacturing workforce, and reduce future growth. Lack of appropriate data has made it difficult to measure these effects for firms and industries. Using uniquely available data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and newly developed methods, this project aims to provide new measures of firm level offshoring activity and advanced manufacturing capability onshore and offshore. The project expects to generate new knowledge on the impact of offshored advanced manufacturing on productivity, growth, product innovation, and skilled labour. The findings should provide significant new industry and policy relevant insightsRead moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100501
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
The Advising Boards, corporate risk-taking and firm performance. Corporate governance, in particular the role of corporate boards, has been at the centre of recent regulatory reforms. To advance our understanding on the advising role of boards, this project examines boardroom social connections, entrepreneur directors, and how the advising boards contribute to corporate risk management and firm performance.
Determining the factors influencing the success of private and community-owned Indigenous businesses across remote, regional and urban Australia. The main benefit of this project is a thorough understanding of the challenges facing Indigenous enterprises in a range of geographical, economic and social settings. The research will identify and determine the importance of a broad range of factors which influence the success of Indigenous enterprises.
Massively parallel algorithms for Bayesian inference and decision making. This project uses the graphical processing units of desktop computers, originally developed for games and video, to enhance substantially the quantitative tools used on a daily basis by economists. It will develop procedures and software to enhance the reliability of economic predictions and policy.
Tackling the Tough Problems in Productivity Measurement: Infrastructure, Services and R&D. Productivity is seen as a main driver of economic growth and welfare improvements. Productivity indexes are used in a variety of policy contexts, in particular in determining the effectiveness (or otherwise) of government policies. Most industrialized countries have productivity accounts, but measurement problems persist and may even be more problematic in the future given an expansion in new goods and ser ....Tackling the Tough Problems in Productivity Measurement: Infrastructure, Services and R&D. Productivity is seen as a main driver of economic growth and welfare improvements. Productivity indexes are used in a variety of policy contexts, in particular in determining the effectiveness (or otherwise) of government policies. Most industrialized countries have productivity accounts, but measurement problems persist and may even be more problematic in the future given an expansion in new goods and services. Improved productivity measurement and an improved understanding of its sources can inform aggregate and regional policy. The project includes collaboration with the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Productivity Commission, with the participation of the Reserve Bank of Australia.Read moreRead less
Robust Configuration of Evolutionary Algorithms. The purpose of this project is to develop an intelligent framework for the robust configuration of evolutionary algorithms. This research is driven by the fact that the current design of evolutionary algorithms is sub-optimal and ineffective for many problem domains. In the proposed framework, a configuration is evolved while the algorithm is running for problem solving to ensure robust design. Its scientific outcomes are expected to include a nov ....Robust Configuration of Evolutionary Algorithms. The purpose of this project is to develop an intelligent framework for the robust configuration of evolutionary algorithms. This research is driven by the fact that the current design of evolutionary algorithms is sub-optimal and ineffective for many problem domains. In the proposed framework, a configuration is evolved while the algorithm is running for problem solving to ensure robust design. Its scientific outcomes are expected to include a novel framework for the automated design of algorithms and new techniques for exploiting assumptions in algorithmic design that may have been overlooked. Expected practical outcomes include the provision of a robust problem-solving tool, strong research training and high-impact publications.Read moreRead less