Human resource information systems (HRIS) and the strategic significance of the human resource function. A large number of Australian organisations have invested in computer based HRIS. Used effectively, HRIS can allow HR to realise its strategic potential and to contribute to improved organisational performance. This project will contribute to the national research priority on frontier technologies, by enhancing understanding of the conditions that allow for smart information use, thereby contr ....Human resource information systems (HRIS) and the strategic significance of the human resource function. A large number of Australian organisations have invested in computer based HRIS. Used effectively, HRIS can allow HR to realise its strategic potential and to contribute to improved organisational performance. This project will contribute to the national research priority on frontier technologies, by enhancing understanding of the conditions that allow for smart information use, thereby contributing to the nation's economic competitiveness.Read moreRead less
Values Enactment Training, Values Congruence, and Emotional Intelligence: A Field Experiment. This research will develop a practical training strategy to reduce the gap between values statements and employee behaviour in Australian organisations. More specifically, the training at Main Roads WA will enhance the organisation's performance, competitiveness, and cost-effectiveness through better alignment of on-the-job behaviour with key corporate values. Potentially, road infrastructure improvemen ....Values Enactment Training, Values Congruence, and Emotional Intelligence: A Field Experiment. This research will develop a practical training strategy to reduce the gap between values statements and employee behaviour in Australian organisations. More specifically, the training at Main Roads WA will enhance the organisation's performance, competitiveness, and cost-effectiveness through better alignment of on-the-job behaviour with key corporate values. Potentially, road infrastructure improvement will result. This study will also provide better understanding and practical recommendations regarding the role of emotional intelligence in management training and values enactment. A third benefit shall be the delivery of practical human resource management recommendations to aid the realisation of values congruence across organisations.Read moreRead less
The Impact of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems on Australian Organizations. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation is one of the most pervasive sources of technological change in contemporary Australian enterprises. ERP systems are computer-based technologies that are designed to increase efficiency and achieve major cost savings across the entire organization. Their implementation has significant implications for the structure, nature and management of organizations. This project ....The Impact of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems on Australian Organizations. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation is one of the most pervasive sources of technological change in contemporary Australian enterprises. ERP systems are computer-based technologies that are designed to increase efficiency and achieve major cost savings across the entire organization. Their implementation has significant implications for the structure, nature and management of organizations. This project's innovative application of an organizational change model to eight detailed case studies across a range of organizational types will generate important new insights into the effects of ERP implementations at Australian organizations and help explain why some implementations are more successful than others.Read moreRead less
New technology and talent acquisition in Australian professional services firms. The project examines the adoption and use of new recruitment related technologies by Australian professional services firms. It will provide insights into how Australian organisations can make more effective use of internet and social media technologies to attract new talent - a critical challenge affecting many Australian businesses.
The Employment Relations Implications of Mergers and Acquisitions in the Australian Black Coal Mining Industry. This project will study the employment relations (industrial relations and human resource management) implications of mergers and acquisitions in the Australian black coal mining industry - Australia's largest export income-earning industry. Global merger and acquisition activity has intensified in recent years despite strong international evidence to suggest that mergers and acquisiti ....The Employment Relations Implications of Mergers and Acquisitions in the Australian Black Coal Mining Industry. This project will study the employment relations (industrial relations and human resource management) implications of mergers and acquisitions in the Australian black coal mining industry - Australia's largest export income-earning industry. Global merger and acquisition activity has intensified in recent years despite strong international evidence to suggest that mergers and acquisitions often fail due to people-related problems. This study seeks to explore this international enigma, by examining a range of employment relations issues in newly merged or acquired organisations in the Australian coal industry. The frenetic pace of recent mergers and acquisitions in the coal industry, and its centrality to the prosperity of Australia, make it an ideal site to develop understanding of the people-related problems associated with mergers and acquisitions,and to develop strategies to address these difficulties. It is expected that this study will reveal significant theoretical insights and provide practical lessons on appropriate management interventions, that go beyond the Australian coal industry.The findings will be presented at international conferences and be published in leading academic journals and the mainstream financial press.Read moreRead less
Leveraging organisational context to maximise team performance and thriving: a dynamic approach to understand team learning across diverse settings. Work teams can be a means of delivering business objectives as well as promoting human thriving, resulting in employees who are learning and physically vital. Yet competing tensions in organisations threaten these outcomes. The project will examine ways of mitigating contextual challenges to result in sustained organisational performance and employe ....Leveraging organisational context to maximise team performance and thriving: a dynamic approach to understand team learning across diverse settings. Work teams can be a means of delivering business objectives as well as promoting human thriving, resulting in employees who are learning and physically vital. Yet competing tensions in organisations threaten these outcomes. The project will examine ways of mitigating contextual challenges to result in sustained organisational performance and employee well being.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.
Equal Employment Opportunity in Australia and Britain: Policy Approaches and Progress. Equal employment opportunity policies were introduced in Australia and Britain from the 1980s in response to women's disadvantaged workforce position. These policies aimed to eliminate barriers to women's equal participation. Similar approaches were taken in both countries, but Australia's was underpinned by legislation, while Britain's was employer led and voluntary. No independent examination of these progr ....Equal Employment Opportunity in Australia and Britain: Policy Approaches and Progress. Equal employment opportunity policies were introduced in Australia and Britain from the 1980s in response to women's disadvantaged workforce position. These policies aimed to eliminate barriers to women's equal participation. Similar approaches were taken in both countries, but Australia's was underpinned by legislation, while Britain's was employer led and voluntary. No independent examination of these programs has yet been undertaken. This project examines the rationale and model for EEO in both countries, compares outcomes achieved and the role of legislation in explaining differences in EEO outcomes. It will contribute to national policy analysis and produce refereed publications.Read moreRead less
Historical Patterns of Non-Union Employee Representation in Australian Workplaces 1914-96. The project uses historical data to provide clear direction for public policy in the development of frontier technology for employment relations infrastructure at the workplace level. This infrastructure would support micro-economic reform, maximisation of workplace efficiency, the enhancement of employee job satisfaction, as well as offering means to close the representation gap that has emerged with the ....Historical Patterns of Non-Union Employee Representation in Australian Workplaces 1914-96. The project uses historical data to provide clear direction for public policy in the development of frontier technology for employment relations infrastructure at the workplace level. This infrastructure would support micro-economic reform, maximisation of workplace efficiency, the enhancement of employee job satisfaction, as well as offering means to close the representation gap that has emerged with the decline in trade union membership. By using historical data policy development will be informed by Australian experience of success and failures in this area.Read moreRead less
Managing Call Centres: A Study of Management Practices, Work and Outcomes. The study offers three types of benefits. First, improvements in management practice. By highlighting variations in management practice and its effects, training materials will be developed to improve call centre management capability. Second, we aim to fill a gap that currently exists in developing employee skills in managing emotions at work. This will reduce job burnout and labour turnover and help to maintain the indu ....Managing Call Centres: A Study of Management Practices, Work and Outcomes. The study offers three types of benefits. First, improvements in management practice. By highlighting variations in management practice and its effects, training materials will be developed to improve call centre management capability. Second, we aim to fill a gap that currently exists in developing employee skills in managing emotions at work. This will reduce job burnout and labour turnover and help to maintain the industry's international competitiveness which is threatened by offshore competition. Third, government policy making will be better informed by highlighting the impact of current institutional arrangements on employment relations and performance.Read moreRead less