Organisational Readiness for Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation. An ERP implementation is a significant organisational intervention and its success is affected by many variables including the organisation's culture, decision-making strategies, risk taking orientation, leadership strategies and perceptions of the value of Information Technology. We seek to develop a organisational behaviour modification program in order to position the firm to succeed by overcoming barriers in these ele ....Organisational Readiness for Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation. An ERP implementation is a significant organisational intervention and its success is affected by many variables including the organisation's culture, decision-making strategies, risk taking orientation, leadership strategies and perceptions of the value of Information Technology. We seek to develop a organisational behaviour modification program in order to position the firm to succeed by overcoming barriers in these elements. We will (1) identify key variables that inhibit an ERP implementation; (2) develop strategies to orient the organisation to achieve business benefit from the ERP implementation; and (3) track the effectiveness of these strategies through a program of participative action research.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
Creating sustainable employment for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups . This project aims to address long-term unemployment and labour market exclusion of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups by generating new employer-led solutions. The project expects to create, with employers, successful strategies for recruiting disadvantaged workers into better quality jobs, and to co-produce best practice employer engagement toolkits and minimum job quality standards. Anticipated outcomes include increasi ....Creating sustainable employment for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups . This project aims to address long-term unemployment and labour market exclusion of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups by generating new employer-led solutions. The project expects to create, with employers, successful strategies for recruiting disadvantaged workers into better quality jobs, and to co-produce best practice employer engagement toolkits and minimum job quality standards. Anticipated outcomes include increasing the success of government-funded employment programs by improving employment opportunities and reducing cycling between work and welfare. Significant benefits for disadvantaged groups, businesses and society will result in increased employee wellbeing, organisational performance and economic competitiveness.Read moreRead less
Culture Change for a Sustainable Future: Strategy, Culture and Subculture in Queensland Health. The project investigates the strategic change processes of a State Health authority. The organisation has launched a series of change efforts in recent years, the most current being a major strategic initiative that is being implemented via a Balanced Scorecard methodology. The project examines longitudinally that change implementation process and its affects, particularly the impact on organisational ....Culture Change for a Sustainable Future: Strategy, Culture and Subculture in Queensland Health. The project investigates the strategic change processes of a State Health authority. The organisation has launched a series of change efforts in recent years, the most current being a major strategic initiative that is being implemented via a Balanced Scorecard methodology. The project examines longitudinally that change implementation process and its affects, particularly the impact on organisational culture. Theoretically, it explores the existence of organisational subcultures and how they function as a resource by organisational members to make differential interpretations of the change process. It focuses on subcultures formed around professional identifications and the extent to which they align with the change.Read moreRead less
An international evaluation of work-family balance: Validation of the work-family balance measure and theoretical model. Work-family imbalance costs Australia $8 billion per annum, via staff absenteeism, turnover, and health costs. By employing two Australian and three international experts, this project will investigate the long-term process of work-family balance, identify effective employment policies, and produce a new balance measure for use by industry and government. This will lead to imp ....An international evaluation of work-family balance: Validation of the work-family balance measure and theoretical model. Work-family imbalance costs Australia $8 billion per annum, via staff absenteeism, turnover, and health costs. By employing two Australian and three international experts, this project will investigate the long-term process of work-family balance, identify effective employment policies, and produce a new balance measure for use by industry and government. This will lead to improved health, personal satisfaction and employment choices for working Australians, and hence higher productivity for industry. The research addresses the second national research priority: promoting and maintaining good health. The consequential contributions to knowledge will directly benefit Australia's regard within the global academic community.Read moreRead less
Sexual harassment in Australia: Contexts, outcomes and prevention. Sexual harassment remains a persistent workplace issue with significant social costs. The project will examine how to most effectively prevent sexual harassment and to reduce the impact of sexual harassment for individuals and organizations where it occurs. A comprehensive analysis will be undertaken, drawing on a longitudinal study of more than 100 'targets' of sexual harassment, interviews with a wide range of employers and ext ....Sexual harassment in Australia: Contexts, outcomes and prevention. Sexual harassment remains a persistent workplace issue with significant social costs. The project will examine how to most effectively prevent sexual harassment and to reduce the impact of sexual harassment for individuals and organizations where it occurs. A comprehensive analysis will be undertaken, drawing on a longitudinal study of more than 100 'targets' of sexual harassment, interviews with a wide range of employers and external complaint handling bodies, and an analysis of formal and informal reports. The project outcomes will contribute to improved policy and practice in workplaces and human rights and assist other bodies to prevent and more effectively respond to sexual harassment.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.
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
Identifying effective strategies to grow and sustain a professional early years workforce. The National Early Years Workforce Strategy (2012) identifies the imperative for a larger, more qualified, professional, responsive and collaborative childcare workforce. This need is urgent. By 2014, Commonwealth legislation specifies that all long day-care centres must have a qualified teacher and minimum staff qualification of Certificate III. Yet high turnover, skill loss and failure to meet existing q ....Identifying effective strategies to grow and sustain a professional early years workforce. The National Early Years Workforce Strategy (2012) identifies the imperative for a larger, more qualified, professional, responsive and collaborative childcare workforce. This need is urgent. By 2014, Commonwealth legislation specifies that all long day-care centres must have a qualified teacher and minimum staff qualification of Certificate III. Yet high turnover, skill loss and failure to meet existing qualification standards persist. Nationally, multiple strategies are being implemented to achieve the new qualification standards but there is scant evidence about their effectiveness. This project aims to identify the most effective strategies to reduce loss and increase professional engagement in the early years workforce.Read moreRead less