Re-Theorising Employee Voice in Times of Change. This project aims to generate new knowledge of the concept of employee voice as a part of organisational realignment throughout and following the CoVid-19 pandemic. The project aims to build a better theoretical modelling of efficient, effective “employee voice pathways” for the first time, including a understanding how voice changes over time. When confronted with a major external calamity, employee voice can play a critical role in any organisat ....Re-Theorising Employee Voice in Times of Change. This project aims to generate new knowledge of the concept of employee voice as a part of organisational realignment throughout and following the CoVid-19 pandemic. The project aims to build a better theoretical modelling of efficient, effective “employee voice pathways” for the first time, including a understanding how voice changes over time. When confronted with a major external calamity, employee voice can play a critical role in any organisation's success, as well as the employee wellbeing. Expected outcomes include rigorous empirical evidence and theoretical developments to inform new policy and support organisations' capacity to survive and thrive, as well a support employee wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Beyond our Control? The Impact of Multinational Corporations on Industrial Relations in Australia. There are two key national benefits associated with this project, related to building and transforming Australian industries and promoting an innovative culture and economy. It will build a better understanding of an issue which has significant consequences for the competitiveness of Australian enterprises and the well-being of employees. By focusing on the role of MNCs in shaping future employment ....Beyond our Control? The Impact of Multinational Corporations on Industrial Relations in Australia. There are two key national benefits associated with this project, related to building and transforming Australian industries and promoting an innovative culture and economy. It will build a better understanding of an issue which has significant consequences for the competitiveness of Australian enterprises and the well-being of employees. By focusing on the role of MNCs in shaping future employment relations in Australia, the project will provide insights into the economic and social consequences of globalisation. By examining MNCs from the US, Germany and Japan, the project highlights the role of Australia's key trading partners and their influence on Australian industry and employment relations. Read moreRead less
How Can High-Performance Human Resource Management Improve Workforce Retention in Hospitals? Workforce shortages in hospitals are a major problem in Australia and internationally. Shortages may lead to a reduced provision of health services, lengthy waiting lists for treatment, excessive workloads for staff and increased likelihood of adverse outcomes. Despite a growth in labour supply, workforce shortages reflect, in part, an inability of hospitals to retain trained staff. Benefits to the com ....How Can High-Performance Human Resource Management Improve Workforce Retention in Hospitals? Workforce shortages in hospitals are a major problem in Australia and internationally. Shortages may lead to a reduced provision of health services, lengthy waiting lists for treatment, excessive workloads for staff and increased likelihood of adverse outcomes. Despite a growth in labour supply, workforce shortages reflect, in part, an inability of hospitals to retain trained staff. Benefits to the community of increasing workforce retention include: improved continuity and quality of care; increased throughput of patients; lower workforce recruitment costs; less staff burnout; and lower costs for training and educating new staff. Read moreRead less
The Role of Employment Relations in the Competitive Strategies of Low Cost Airlines in Australia. Employment-relations issues are key determinants of an airline's performance. Air transport is important for Australia. Australia has experienced failing airlines (e.g. Ansett, Compass); its most successful airline, Qantas, charges high fares and one of its priorities is improving its employment relations. This project will investigate airlines' critical success factors with special attention to the ....The Role of Employment Relations in the Competitive Strategies of Low Cost Airlines in Australia. Employment-relations issues are key determinants of an airline's performance. Air transport is important for Australia. Australia has experienced failing airlines (e.g. Ansett, Compass); its most successful airline, Qantas, charges high fares and one of its priorities is improving its employment relations. This project will investigate airlines' critical success factors with special attention to the links between corporate strategies and employment relations. Besides investigating Qantas, it will link with MIT's Global Airline Industry Program to consider the transformation of Australia's aviation industry and, in particular, the innovations pioneered by low-cost airlines: JetStar and Virgin Blue.Read moreRead less
The Rise and Retention of the 'Authoritarian Taylorism' Perspective as Orthodoxy in the Employment Relations Field. In the late 1980s revisionist historians of the employment relationship began questioning the belief that Taylorism is an authoritarian, anti-union school of management. These scholars argued that the managers and theorists who predominated within the U.S. interwar Taylorist movement were unique in the management community in the extent to which they promoted industrial democracy, ....The Rise and Retention of the 'Authoritarian Taylorism' Perspective as Orthodoxy in the Employment Relations Field. In the late 1980s revisionist historians of the employment relationship began questioning the belief that Taylorism is an authoritarian, anti-union school of management. These scholars argued that the managers and theorists who predominated within the U.S. interwar Taylorist movement were unique in the management community in the extent to which they promoted industrial democracy, mutual gains, and gender equality. In the light of this knowledge, this project explores how it could be that the authoritarian Taylorist perspective became accepted by all schools within the employment relations field and what the notion of progressive Taylorism offers employment relations analysis and reform.Read moreRead less
Enterprise Labour Flexibility, Worker Security and Wellbeing: China and India Compared. Arguably China and India are currently the two nations most likely to reshape employment practices and the nature of work globally in the coming years. Sections of the Australian community who will benefit from the research include politicians, employees and employers as all three require a detailed knowledge of the labour policies and practices of these two major trading partners as they continue to confront ....Enterprise Labour Flexibility, Worker Security and Wellbeing: China and India Compared. Arguably China and India are currently the two nations most likely to reshape employment practices and the nature of work globally in the coming years. Sections of the Australian community who will benefit from the research include politicians, employees and employers as all three require a detailed knowledge of the labour policies and practices of these two major trading partners as they continue to confront the unending problem of labour market management and workplace reform. The research will also be of value to investors considering investing in either country and who need to make decisions regarding where to invest and how investments might be optimised. Read moreRead less
Price Transparency, Search, and Collusion in Markets. Online search platforms and 'open data' policies are emerging to empower consumers with price information for decision-making in markets, yet also can enable collusive pricing. This project aims to study the competitive impact of search platforms by combining large, real-time datasets on firm pricing and consumer search with natural and field experiments. The project expects to facilitate the development of new models of collusion, consumer s ....Price Transparency, Search, and Collusion in Markets. Online search platforms and 'open data' policies are emerging to empower consumers with price information for decision-making in markets, yet also can enable collusive pricing. This project aims to study the competitive impact of search platforms by combining large, real-time datasets on firm pricing and consumer search with natural and field experiments. The project expects to facilitate the development of new models of collusion, consumer search, and platform adoption. This should yield substantial benefit by modernizing competition policy for the digital age through novel data-driven screens for collusion, and policies to encourage platform adoption and enable consumers’ use of data in decision-making to increase competition in markets.Read moreRead less
CEO Remuneration, Organisational Performance and Corporate Governance in Australian Listed Companies, 1998-2007: A Composite and Case-Study Analysis. The project will make a major contribution to the theory and practice of executive-level human resource management in Australia and, hence, to the performance of Australian firms and the national economy. It will enhance practitioner understanding of the factors underlying the responsiveness of CEO remuneration to firm performance. It will strength ....CEO Remuneration, Organisational Performance and Corporate Governance in Australian Listed Companies, 1998-2007: A Composite and Case-Study Analysis. The project will make a major contribution to the theory and practice of executive-level human resource management in Australia and, hence, to the performance of Australian firms and the national economy. It will enhance practitioner understanding of the factors underlying the responsiveness of CEO remuneration to firm performance. It will strengthen awareness of the potential and limitations of CEO remuneration as a determinant of corporate performance. It will enrich understanding of context-specific 'best practice' methods of CEO remuneration design, administration and monitoring and will thus facilitate a more effective diffusion of such methods in Australian firms.Read moreRead less
Human-capital acquisition, technological improvement and product-market competition: theory and evidence. Japan has achieved its economic growth at a remarkable pace in the postwar period, and has become one of Australia's most important trade partners. This project is expected to benefit the Australian business community and governmental institutions by offering systematic investigations, both theoretically and empirically, on the recent transition taking place in the Japanese economy from prev ....Human-capital acquisition, technological improvement and product-market competition: theory and evidence. Japan has achieved its economic growth at a remarkable pace in the postwar period, and has become one of Australia's most important trade partners. This project is expected to benefit the Australian business community and governmental institutions by offering systematic investigations, both theoretically and empirically, on the recent transition taking place in the Japanese economy from previously unexplored perspectives by capturing interconnections among employment/labour market practices, product-market competition, and government-business relationships. It is envisaged that Australian industries and government could gain useful information from this project for effective formulation of their international trade strategies and policies.Read moreRead less
Emerging Workplaces and Employment Relations Innovation. Studying emerging workplaces enables us to anticipate important trends and problems in the future of employment relations (ER). We will be able to better understand ER innovation and innovation culture. Emerging workplaces are focal for translating innovation into productive outcomes, but many emerging workplaces (particularly in new businesses) fail due to poor management. This project will provide practical guidance for raising their suc ....Emerging Workplaces and Employment Relations Innovation. Studying emerging workplaces enables us to anticipate important trends and problems in the future of employment relations (ER). We will be able to better understand ER innovation and innovation culture. Emerging workplaces are focal for translating innovation into productive outcomes, but many emerging workplaces (particularly in new businesses) fail due to poor management. This project will provide practical guidance for raising their success rate. It will create important advances in a neglected area, enhancing the knowledge base of the field. It has implications for the social and economic fabric through better understanding of the impact of industrial legislation, of key interest to policy makers aiming to improve equity.Read moreRead less