Negotiating Transitions to Retirement. This project will track diverse pathways in work/retirement transitions, by analysing how the present policy mix accommodates shifts in labour markets, demographic shifts and shifts in households and income distributions. Focused on cohorts aged 45 to 64, it firstly analyses national data sets to track the impact of the current policy mix in terms of income security, industrial relations, housing, health, education and training and work/life. Secondly, i ....Negotiating Transitions to Retirement. This project will track diverse pathways in work/retirement transitions, by analysing how the present policy mix accommodates shifts in labour markets, demographic shifts and shifts in households and income distributions. Focused on cohorts aged 45 to 64, it firstly analyses national data sets to track the impact of the current policy mix in terms of income security, industrial relations, housing, health, education and training and work/life. Secondly, it draws on qualitative data to further examine how these transitions are played out. The research will develop a new policy matrix for older workers that addresses risk, social exclusion and social protection.Read moreRead less
Behind the scenes: diversity management paradigm shifts and sticking points. Many Australian organisations miss out on the potential benefits of workforce diversity because they do not manage diversity effectively. This project will investigate how organisations can initiate and direct change processes to manage diversity more effectively, and as a result, experience higher productivity and employee engagement.
The impact of institutional pressure on the management of organisational gender diversity. Women’s low representation in senior management and boards led to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) requiring listed companies to report on gender diversity. This project examines if women’s representation is changing in response to the ASX requirements and identifies organisational strategies for achieving sustainable gender diversity.
Work and Social Cohesion under Globalisation. The project will explore how innovation and improvement in productivity can be accommodated with notions of fairness at workplace and industry level. The impact of increasingly competitive markets on the nature of work and society and the relationships between employers and employees in five industries: finance, tourism, health, ICT and automotive components, will be examined. The views of a wide cross-section of employees and managers in five key i ....Work and Social Cohesion under Globalisation. The project will explore how innovation and improvement in productivity can be accommodated with notions of fairness at workplace and industry level. The impact of increasingly competitive markets on the nature of work and society and the relationships between employers and employees in five industries: finance, tourism, health, ICT and automotive components, will be examined. The views of a wide cross-section of employees and managers in five key industries, complemented by existing survey data, will be analysed. A major outcome will be five industry workshops promoting productivity, partnership and social cohesion in a competitive global environment. Policy implications for the wider economy will be developed in the final report.Read moreRead less
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
Policing services and the mentally ill: An evidence-based good practice model. Community safety is at the forefront of policing policy and procedure. As gatekeepers to the criminal justice (and to a lesser extent the mental health) systems, the police play a pivotal role in promoting and maintaining the health, safety and wellbeing of the community. This programme of research will provide much needed quality information and empirical evidence about the current practices, policies, and procedures ....Policing services and the mentally ill: An evidence-based good practice model. Community safety is at the forefront of policing policy and procedure. As gatekeepers to the criminal justice (and to a lesser extent the mental health) systems, the police play a pivotal role in promoting and maintaining the health, safety and wellbeing of the community. This programme of research will provide much needed quality information and empirical evidence about the current practices, policies, and procedures for dealing with the mentally ill who come into contact with the police. In a broader sense the research will have dramatic, wide-reaching practical outputs for all of Australia, and help contribute to increased levels of community safety and reduced levels of victimisation of some of the most vulnerable in our society.Read moreRead less
How Much is it Worth? Legal Discourses and Everyday Understandings of Families, Work and Property. This project will analyse the extent of congruence between the legal discourses and everyday understandings of the contributions made by partners in married and unmarried relationships that form the basis for property division when relationships end. Its claim to innovation lies in its interdisciplinary approach, positioning such understandings within their wider historical and cultural contexts. T ....How Much is it Worth? Legal Discourses and Everyday Understandings of Families, Work and Property. This project will analyse the extent of congruence between the legal discourses and everyday understandings of the contributions made by partners in married and unmarried relationships that form the basis for property division when relationships end. Its claim to innovation lies in its interdisciplinary approach, positioning such understandings within their wider historical and cultural contexts. The project's findings will inform the ongoing and divisive debates between the court, the media and consumers about the justice of such distributions in Australia, providing a basis for design of laws that better meet the needs of the diverse range of Australian families. Read moreRead less
Drivers and contexts of affirmative action, equal opportunity and diversity strategies. This project will use a case-study approach to provide a series of rich accounts about the introduction, implementation and evaluation of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity strategies in twelve Australian organizations. Focussing on in-depth interviews with key personnel from the Chief Executive Officers to those women intended to benefit from such strategies, the research will provide ground ....Drivers and contexts of affirmative action, equal opportunity and diversity strategies. This project will use a case-study approach to provide a series of rich accounts about the introduction, implementation and evaluation of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity strategies in twelve Australian organizations. Focussing on in-depth interviews with key personnel from the Chief Executive Officers to those women intended to benefit from such strategies, the research will provide ground-breaking evidence about the drivers behind such organizational change, the factors associated with successful implementation, and the range of indicators on which such strategies have been evaluated.Read moreRead less
Fluctuating demands and unexpected events: An action research approach to improving work-family interaction in project-based construction work. Construction workers, who comprise 8.5% of Australia's workforce, are a high risk group for work-family conflict (WFC), which is linked to negative outcomes for individuals, families and organizations. The construction industry is facing a skills shortage but remains unattractive to young workers and those with family/care responsibilities. The research ....Fluctuating demands and unexpected events: An action research approach to improving work-family interaction in project-based construction work. Construction workers, who comprise 8.5% of Australia's workforce, are a high risk group for work-family conflict (WFC), which is linked to negative outcomes for individuals, families and organizations. The construction industry is facing a skills shortage but remains unattractive to young workers and those with family/care responsibilities. The research will help the construction industry to re-think cultural expectations about work hours and design jobs that reduce WFC and promote work-family interaction. The research will help the industry improve its ability to attract and retain a diverse workforce and contribute to a reduction in the social and economic costs of WFC.Read moreRead less
Innovative and human-centred design in underground coalmining: a new concept vehicle for safe personnel transport. Australian coalminers commute daily on a system of underground roads to the ‘longwall’, the site where their work can begin, in vehicles that are primitive by aboveground standards. These current vehicles contribute to short- and long-term injuries amongst mining personnel. This project will develop benchmark standards for an innovative underground personnel carrier that promotes a ....Innovative and human-centred design in underground coalmining: a new concept vehicle for safe personnel transport. Australian coalminers commute daily on a system of underground roads to the ‘longwall’, the site where their work can begin, in vehicles that are primitive by aboveground standards. These current vehicles contribute to short- and long-term injuries amongst mining personnel. This project will develop benchmark standards for an innovative underground personnel carrier that promotes a safer and healthier working environment by contributing to reduced injury rates and ensuring the comfort of workers. This project contributes to the health and welfare of coalminers in regional Australia and in the international mining sector through innovative and ’human-centred’ design.Read moreRead less