Leadership diversity through relational intersectionality in Australia. This project aims to investigate leadership in contexts characterized by the complex intersection of cultural and gender differences - what is called here ‘relational intersectionality'. The expected outcomes will contribute to the development of new theory on leadership diversity, and a means through which that theory can be leveraged through leadership practice and education. The project will inform methods to better man ....Leadership diversity through relational intersectionality in Australia. This project aims to investigate leadership in contexts characterized by the complex intersection of cultural and gender differences - what is called here ‘relational intersectionality'. The expected outcomes will contribute to the development of new theory on leadership diversity, and a means through which that theory can be leveraged through leadership practice and education. The project will inform methods to better manage the increasing diversity of the Australian workforce and enable improved leadership performance.Read moreRead less
Managing Productive and Collaborative Relations in Australian Workplaces. Concerns over workplace productivity are high on the agenda of policymakers. Evidence suggests that collaboration in the workplace and high involvement approaches have a productivity premium of up to 20 per cent over those without the commitment to collaborative approaches. However, collective relations do not necessarily mean union relations nor necessarily collaborative relations. This research will benefit Australia's s ....Managing Productive and Collaborative Relations in Australian Workplaces. Concerns over workplace productivity are high on the agenda of policymakers. Evidence suggests that collaboration in the workplace and high involvement approaches have a productivity premium of up to 20 per cent over those without the commitment to collaborative approaches. However, collective relations do not necessarily mean union relations nor necessarily collaborative relations. This research will benefit Australia's social and economic fabric through understanding alternative means by which collaborative workplace relations lead to productivity gains. This is consistent with the current policy approach of government in promoting productive and harmonious workplace level industrial relations.Read moreRead less
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
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
Pay alignment: Fact or fallacy? The project will make an important contribution to our understanding of the impact of employee pay system configuration on firm performance and, in turn, on national productivity and Australia's social and economic fabric. The findings will enrich pay system theory and guide evidence-based improvement in firms' pay practices. It will help employers to identify the most contextually appropriate and effective ways to manage pay level, structure and plan choice and t ....Pay alignment: Fact or fallacy? The project will make an important contribution to our understanding of the impact of employee pay system configuration on firm performance and, in turn, on national productivity and Australia's social and economic fabric. The findings will enrich pay system theory and guide evidence-based improvement in firms' pay practices. It will help employers to identify the most contextually appropriate and effective ways to manage pay level, structure and plan choice and thus to design pay systems that employees in different workplace contexts perceive as fair and that enhance organisational performance and ability to attract, motivate and retain high calibre staff.Read moreRead less
What does 'New Public Management' look like in the public sector workplace: a comparative study of Australia and the United Kingdom. Moving beyond the macro-level focus of most previous studies of the impact of ?New Public Management? (NPM), this project will examine its effect on civil and public services at the micro-level of the workplace. It will trace, analyse and compare the impacts of the managerial/contract state on particular public sector workplaces in Australia and the United Kingdom ....What does 'New Public Management' look like in the public sector workplace: a comparative study of Australia and the United Kingdom. Moving beyond the macro-level focus of most previous studies of the impact of ?New Public Management? (NPM), this project will examine its effect on civil and public services at the micro-level of the workplace. It will trace, analyse and compare the impacts of the managerial/contract state on particular public sector workplaces in Australia and the United Kingdom. It will classify and evaluate a range of impacts of NPM on public sector workplace organisation, labour processes and employment/industrial relations. It will explain significant differences in the form taken by NPM in various workplaces and explore their implications for workplace practice.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
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