The Australian Parkinson's Project - Uncovering Genetic Risk Factors For Sporadic PD
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$768,546.00
Summary
Parkinson s disease (PD) is a progressively disabling movement disorder afflicting many elderly Australians. It is caused by the degeneration of specific nerve cells in the brain that produce certain chemicals and patients suffer from an inability to move fluently (or ultimately at all). At present we do not know what triggers this neurodegeneration, but it is believed that complex interactions between inherited (genetic) and environmental factors contribute significantly to the phenomenon. This ....Parkinson s disease (PD) is a progressively disabling movement disorder afflicting many elderly Australians. It is caused by the degeneration of specific nerve cells in the brain that produce certain chemicals and patients suffer from an inability to move fluently (or ultimately at all). At present we do not know what triggers this neurodegeneration, but it is believed that complex interactions between inherited (genetic) and environmental factors contribute significantly to the phenomenon. This project aims to learn more about these complex interactions and their association with PD. People with PD and unaffected individuals will be recruited from throughout Australia and we will look for specific combinations of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that either increase or decrease an individual's risk for PD. This research will identify the most common dominant genetic and environmental influences for PD in Australia, enabling scientists to focus on the most relevant biological pathways to target therapeutically.Read moreRead less
The Australian Maternity Outcomes Surveillance System: Improving Safety And Quality Of Maternity Care In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$820,438.00
Summary
There is currently no Australian system of monitoring severe complications of pregnancy. Many of these complications are rare, making them difficult to study and limiting knowledge as to their true frequency, cause and best treatment. We intend to introduce a national reporting system- Australian Maternity Outcomes Surveillance System which would provide the research structure to study these rare conditions, thus aiming to improve the safety and quality of maternity care provided in Australia.
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
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
Managing age in organisational context: a comparative study of the meaning of age among managers. Australians are currently being encouraged to work longer to maximise their contribution to the economy but they often report there are organisational barriers to doing so. This study offers a new approach to understanding age focusing on managers and offers a framework of effective strategies for employers in managing age.
Low carbon transition in the Australian energy sector. This project aims to investigate the Australian energy sector’s responses to low emission pressures, comparing the role of different actors in the transition, and developing a model explaining the political dynamics of the transition. The project will provide policy-makers and industry leaders with the means to develop innovative policies and support best practice to assist Australia’s transition towards energy competitiveness. This project ....Low carbon transition in the Australian energy sector. This project aims to investigate the Australian energy sector’s responses to low emission pressures, comparing the role of different actors in the transition, and developing a model explaining the political dynamics of the transition. The project will provide policy-makers and industry leaders with the means to develop innovative policies and support best practice to assist Australia’s transition towards energy competitiveness. This project expects to provide significant benefits such as new insights into the potential for a low emissions future for Australia.Read moreRead less
Ethics as Practice - A Study of Organisational Learning and Management Power in Australian Society. The research will ask how:
- Organizations learn their ethics in and through management practice?
- Learning relates to community expectations of organizations?
- Organizational ethical practices relate to the public image that organizations portray?
Using ethnographic methods we will research how concrete organizational practice is informed by ethics and foregrounded through organizational l ....Ethics as Practice - A Study of Organisational Learning and Management Power in Australian Society. The research will ask how:
- Organizations learn their ethics in and through management practice?
- Learning relates to community expectations of organizations?
- Organizational ethical practices relate to the public image that organizations portray?
Using ethnographic methods we will research how concrete organizational practice is informed by ethics and foregrounded through organizational learning. Managerial practice will be compared with broader concerns embedded in community expectations. Comparisons will be drawn between espoused portrayals of public images by organizations with the power practices that inform everyday managerial behaviour. We will produce a model for organizational learning and ethical management practice.
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Risk and Change In Institutional Fields: The Case Of Industrial Chemicals. This project aims to explore how to manage risk through sustainable organisational strategies and institutional transformations. Chemical risks arise as by-products of economic and technological progress and can cause untold harm to human health and the environment. Using a discursive approach to compare how organisations in Australia and Canada manage chemical risks, this project aims to show how organisations can act as ....Risk and Change In Institutional Fields: The Case Of Industrial Chemicals. This project aims to explore how to manage risk through sustainable organisational strategies and institutional transformations. Chemical risks arise as by-products of economic and technological progress and can cause untold harm to human health and the environment. Using a discursive approach to compare how organisations in Australia and Canada manage chemical risks, this project aims to show how organisations can act as institutional entrepreneurs and introduce sustainable field-level solutions to risk, instead of relying on government regulation to deal with dangerous chemicals. The intended outcomes include the development of a model that identifies the challenges associated with three different risk scenarios – managing established risks, managing emerging risks and eliminating risks – as well as identifying and evaluating strategies to address these challenges.Read moreRead less
Promoting Knowledge Economy Organisations and Innovative Work: Regional influences on Knowledge-based Small and Medium-sized Enterprise clusters in Australia and Germany. In both Australia and Germany many regional areas have experienced economic and social decline. Clusters offer a means of fostering local economic development thereby arresting regional social and economic deterioration. The research focuses on those clusters that rely on knowledge transfer between organisations. Through identi ....Promoting Knowledge Economy Organisations and Innovative Work: Regional influences on Knowledge-based Small and Medium-sized Enterprise clusters in Australia and Germany. In both Australia and Germany many regional areas have experienced economic and social decline. Clusters offer a means of fostering local economic development thereby arresting regional social and economic deterioration. The research focuses on those clusters that rely on knowledge transfer between organisations. Through identifying the drivers and impediments to the formation of knowledge based clusters, the research aims to provide practical guidance to regionally-based organizations to assist in the successful formation and maintenance of clusters. In doing so, the research will identify how clusters that rely on the sharing of organizational knowledge may promote greater regional employment possibilities.Read moreRead less