Work process change in hospital services. This project will compare how process re-engineering methods, such as Lean Management and Six Sigma, are implemented in hospitals in Australia and Canada and how they impact on staff and patient care.
Business Social Protection Behaviour in China. Employer social protection behaviour is an under-researched field
because analysts are seldom able to attain adequate enterprise data.
Our industry partner will enable us to overcome the data problem by
providing relevant information on the revealed behaviour of 5000 firms
per year for three years. This project pioneers the utilisation of firm
specific data to analyse this issue using data from Shanghai. The
research will assist China to op ....Business Social Protection Behaviour in China. Employer social protection behaviour is an under-researched field
because analysts are seldom able to attain adequate enterprise data.
Our industry partner will enable us to overcome the data problem by
providing relevant information on the revealed behaviour of 5000 firms
per year for three years. This project pioneers the utilisation of firm
specific data to analyse this issue using data from Shanghai. The
research will assist China to operationalise its decision to model its
emergent social security system on the Australian security regime and
will assist Australia's financial community to capture the opportunities made available by this development.Read moreRead less
Social Policy and Transitional Labour Markets in Australia. The fundamental aim of this project is to explore new institutional arrangements in the area of social policy to cope with structural change in both labour markets and household formation. The project uses the idea of key labour market transitions both to explore the dynamics of labour markets over the life course for individuals or groups and to envisage new types of institutional arrangements that serve to manage risk and enhance peop ....Social Policy and Transitional Labour Markets in Australia. The fundamental aim of this project is to explore new institutional arrangements in the area of social policy to cope with structural change in both labour markets and household formation. The project uses the idea of key labour market transitions both to explore the dynamics of labour markets over the life course for individuals or groups and to envisage new types of institutional arrangements that serve to manage risk and enhance people's capacity for social participation. Bringing together a diverse and high-powered group of experts with experience across a range of social policy and labour market arenas, this project will contribute to international debate on the future of the welfare state.Read moreRead less
Work-Life Integration: Developing the 'Dual Agenda' in Theory and Practice. This project addresses the important and urgent need to reconcile organizational efficiency with employee needs to balance work, personal and family life. Current research indicates that the adoption of standard ?family-friendly? policies is hindered by traditional, gendered work processes, organizational norms and structures. A new approach called the ?dual agenda? for change is advocated to resolve this problem. This p ....Work-Life Integration: Developing the 'Dual Agenda' in Theory and Practice. This project addresses the important and urgent need to reconcile organizational efficiency with employee needs to balance work, personal and family life. Current research indicates that the adoption of standard ?family-friendly? policies is hindered by traditional, gendered work processes, organizational norms and structures. A new approach called the ?dual agenda? for change is advocated to resolve this problem. This project tests the application of the ?dual agenda? in two large Australian organisations. The data produced will identify policies and processes which meet the ?dual agenda? of gender equitable, improved work-life outcomes for employees and improved business outcomes for organizations.Read moreRead less
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
A Regional Perspective on Work & Family Balance and Changes in Employment Regulation. Work/family balance is a focus of significant attention at the community, national and international level. This project will generate new knowledge about the ways in which employment regulation directly and indirectly impacts on employee work/family balance outcomes within different regional and industry contexts. A growing body of research recognises the linkages between employment regulation and effects on c ....A Regional Perspective on Work & Family Balance and Changes in Employment Regulation. Work/family balance is a focus of significant attention at the community, national and international level. This project will generate new knowledge about the ways in which employment regulation directly and indirectly impacts on employee work/family balance outcomes within different regional and industry contexts. A growing body of research recognises the linkages between employment regulation and effects on child and parent well-being and health, labour force supply and economic outcomes. However, little is known about how geographical location shapes work/family balance. The research will thus contribute to improved understandings and to better social policy at the local, state and federal levels.Read moreRead less
Constructing a Chinese International Human Resource Management System in Regional Australia: The Case of CHALCO (The Aluminum Company of China). Australians will benefit from the project for it will: 1) increase the nation's resource base; 2) improve the balance of payments; 3) increase regional development, income and employment; 4) motivate other Chinese firms to invest in Australia; 5) contain social disputation and ensure the interests of multiple stakeholders will benefit from CHALCO's inve ....Constructing a Chinese International Human Resource Management System in Regional Australia: The Case of CHALCO (The Aluminum Company of China). Australians will benefit from the project for it will: 1) increase the nation's resource base; 2) improve the balance of payments; 3) increase regional development, income and employment; 4) motivate other Chinese firms to invest in Australia; 5) contain social disputation and ensure the interests of multiple stakeholders will benefit from CHALCO's investment; 6) help generate a good industrial relations climate in the region where the refinery is to be sited; and 9) induce the construction of improved regional social infrastructure. It will also enable Australia scholars to become world leaders in the study of Chinese MNC's policies and practices.Read moreRead less
Human Resource Management (HRM) outsourcing and shared services: analysing changing approaches to HRM. Many public sector organisations have established centralised shared services centres or outsourced their Human Resource Management (HRM) to try to cut costs and improve performance. This project will investigate the many implications of such developments for Australian public-sector organisations, their managers and their employees.
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
Trade Unions, Globalisation, and Networked Computers. This project undertakes a qualitative study of Australian unionists' usage of networked computers and their potential for increasing trade union membership and participation, and promoting productive diversity in workplaces. At a time of declining unionisation, these issues have become urgent and give rise to key research questions about email and the Internet in trade union organisation and communication with members. The project promises to ....Trade Unions, Globalisation, and Networked Computers. This project undertakes a qualitative study of Australian unionists' usage of networked computers and their potential for increasing trade union membership and participation, and promoting productive diversity in workplaces. At a time of declining unionisation, these issues have become urgent and give rise to key research questions about email and the Internet in trade union organisation and communication with members. The project promises to provide broader theoretical insights into union responses to deregulated labour markets and the globalisation of the economy. The results will be useful to other political and social organisations, as well as government policy makers.
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