Designing Gender Equality into the Future of Work. This project aims to investigate how women and men understand and experience the changing nature of work and their hopes and fears for the future. This project expects to generate new knowledge about the gendered dimensions of workplace change using an innovative and engaged research design that focuses on retail and the law, two areas where women are increasingly dominant, but which are located at distinct ends of the labour market. Expected ....Designing Gender Equality into the Future of Work. This project aims to investigate how women and men understand and experience the changing nature of work and their hopes and fears for the future. This project expects to generate new knowledge about the gendered dimensions of workplace change using an innovative and engaged research design that focuses on retail and the law, two areas where women are increasingly dominant, but which are located at distinct ends of the labour market. Expected outcomes of this project include an enhanced and coordinated capacity to build gender equality into the future of work. This should provide significant benefits such as better living standards for individuals and families and improved profitability and productivity for businesses. Read moreRead less
Enforcing labour standards in supply chains through voluntary frameworks. This project aims to investigate the potential of multi-stakeholder initiatives to ensure the enforcement of labour standards in supply chains by examining the cleaning accountability framework - an initiative comprised of diverse representatives in the commercial cleaning supply chain in Australia. It is expected that this will result in the development of new regulatory methods/technology to improve compliance. This is e ....Enforcing labour standards in supply chains through voluntary frameworks. This project aims to investigate the potential of multi-stakeholder initiatives to ensure the enforcement of labour standards in supply chains by examining the cleaning accountability framework - an initiative comprised of diverse representatives in the commercial cleaning supply chain in Australia. It is expected that this will result in the development of new regulatory methods/technology to improve compliance. This is expected to improve the quality of life of vulnerable workers in supply chains and the mitigation of reputational risk for business.
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Low Paid Services Employment in Australia: Dimensions, Causes, Effects and Responses. The project brings together academic researchers, with those who assist and advocate for the low paid in both the union and welfare sectors, to develop understanding about low paid services sector work in Australia. The project goes beyond existing theoretical and empirical work by examining intersecting wage and welfare system effects, through a gendered, spatial, longitudinal, and household analysis. The proj ....Low Paid Services Employment in Australia: Dimensions, Causes, Effects and Responses. The project brings together academic researchers, with those who assist and advocate for the low paid in both the union and welfare sectors, to develop understanding about low paid services sector work in Australia. The project goes beyond existing theoretical and empirical work by examining intersecting wage and welfare system effects, through a gendered, spatial, longitudinal, and household analysis. The project will examine the dynamic interactions of the labour market, welfare system, community and family structures, in representative household types, analysing relationships between low pay and social exclusion in the growing services sector, and evaluating policy responses.Read moreRead less
WorkChoices and the Evolution of Australian Working Life: The Changing Role of the Labour Contract. Both internationally and nationally, there is much speculation as to how the transformation of the industrial relations framework will impact on workers and the broader community. Knowledge of the impact of WorkChoices is vital for employers, unions and governments to understand the influence the industrial relations framework has on Australia's social and economic fabric. The survey will address ....WorkChoices and the Evolution of Australian Working Life: The Changing Role of the Labour Contract. Both internationally and nationally, there is much speculation as to how the transformation of the industrial relations framework will impact on workers and the broader community. Knowledge of the impact of WorkChoices is vital for employers, unions and governments to understand the influence the industrial relations framework has on Australia's social and economic fabric. The survey will address some of the social issues that are debated widely in Australia such as the impact of the industrial relations changes on wages and wage inequality, work and family balance, skills development and shortages, workers in regional areas, and workers in low skilled and low paid jobs.Read moreRead less
Re-conceptualising citizenship and the commodification of labour: the experiences of young casual workers in the South Australian labour market. This qualitative study addresses existing gaps regarding the nature and strength of workplace voice and agency of young casual workers in South Australia especially at a time when the growth of casual employment is reviving the notion that human labour is returning to commodity status. This study considers the implications for skill and training, gend ....Re-conceptualising citizenship and the commodification of labour: the experiences of young casual workers in the South Australian labour market. This qualitative study addresses existing gaps regarding the nature and strength of workplace voice and agency of young casual workers in South Australia especially at a time when the growth of casual employment is reviving the notion that human labour is returning to commodity status. This study considers the implications for skill and training, gendered aspects of labour market regulation, and potential forms of effective advocacy to assist young casual workers to workplace citizenship and long-term employment from their perspective. The study has theoretical and policy implications.Read moreRead less
Through the eyes of the Chinese: Attitudes to and opinions of Australia and their influence on Sino-Australian business exchange. The outcomes of this research will have significant policy implications for the Australian government and business sectors in terms of improving intercultural understanding, facilitating bilateral trade, unlocking the potential of the Chinese market, as well as increasing economic efficiency. The capacity of Australian businesses to engage with China will be substanti ....Through the eyes of the Chinese: Attitudes to and opinions of Australia and their influence on Sino-Australian business exchange. The outcomes of this research will have significant policy implications for the Australian government and business sectors in terms of improving intercultural understanding, facilitating bilateral trade, unlocking the potential of the Chinese market, as well as increasing economic efficiency. The capacity of Australian businesses to engage with China will be substantially improved by enhancing our knowledge base about the individual, social, and national factors that facilitate and inhibit engagement in Sino-Australian business relations and exchange. Findings from this reserch will also inform the international development in education and training, tourism and technology in Australia.Read moreRead less
Examinations of the relationship between accreditation and clinical and organisational performance. Accreditation of organisations is now commonplace. It involves assessing organisations against pre-defined standards. This is a highly significant issue because of the millions of dollars of investment in accreditation. We do not know if we achieve value for money or whether positive change is associated with accreditation. Few studies have examined this in detail. We aim to do so in this stud ....Examinations of the relationship between accreditation and clinical and organisational performance. Accreditation of organisations is now commonplace. It involves assessing organisations against pre-defined standards. This is a highly significant issue because of the millions of dollars of investment in accreditation. We do not know if we achieve value for money or whether positive change is associated with accreditation. Few studies have examined this in detail. We aim to do so in this study. We will examine organisational and individual performance associated with accreditation status in order to illuminate the process and uncover any associations between accreditation and organisational culture, consumer participation and clinical (individual) performance indicators.
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The relationship between working arrangements and well-being in regional coal-mining communities. Our project aims to strengthen Australia's social fabric and help prevent psychological health problems by examining social capital in Australian coal mining communities in a holistic way. We integrate these aims with analysis of working and employment arrangements (including contracting and working hours), occupational health and safety and psychological well-being. Issues for groups that have not ....The relationship between working arrangements and well-being in regional coal-mining communities. Our project aims to strengthen Australia's social fabric and help prevent psychological health problems by examining social capital in Australian coal mining communities in a holistic way. We integrate these aims with analysis of working and employment arrangements (including contracting and working hours), occupational health and safety and psychological well-being. Issues for groups that have not been systematically considered before including women miners, long distance commute workers and miners' families, are to be addressed in this large scale Australian survey. This project helps strengthen Australian economic fabric by tackling some major labour problems facing the coal industry. Read moreRead less
Retiring women: Understanding older female work-life transitions. There are significant gaps in knowledge in relation to the later life experiences of work and retirement among older women, whose career opportunities and trajectories, experiences of balancing work and personal aspects of life, social relationships both at work and in the community, financial security, and lived experience of ageing, may differ from those of men. As a consequence of such gaps, public policymaking and that of empl ....Retiring women: Understanding older female work-life transitions. There are significant gaps in knowledge in relation to the later life experiences of work and retirement among older women, whose career opportunities and trajectories, experiences of balancing work and personal aspects of life, social relationships both at work and in the community, financial security, and lived experience of ageing, may differ from those of men. As a consequence of such gaps, public policymaking and that of employers is based on an incomplete understanding of older women's orientations and attitudes. The study will develop policy and practice recommendations for structuring and enriching women's later job and retirement opportunities.Read moreRead less
Developing a data-based system for competitor analysis, performance monitoring, and decision-making within the disability employment service industry. There are three aims: to implement a database that would assist business decision-making and improvement of professional practices; to provide the peak body means for reporting to members, representing members to the funding body, and promoting the industry; to develop a system relevant to micro and small businesses across industries. Disability ....Developing a data-based system for competitor analysis, performance monitoring, and decision-making within the disability employment service industry. There are three aims: to implement a database that would assist business decision-making and improvement of professional practices; to provide the peak body means for reporting to members, representing members to the funding body, and promoting the industry; to develop a system relevant to micro and small businesses across industries. Disability employment services currently do not have means for competitor analysis even though it is recognised as integral to business planning. We expect that organisations will use the system, making more informed decisions, improving their performance, and improving their influence in discussions with the funding body.Read moreRead less