Promoting successful further education and work transitions for young people in state care. The national benefits of this research include:
. understanding the impact of being in care on educational participation, career aspirations and transitions
. knowledge about further education, work pathways and employment outcomes for care leavers
. informed policy and program responses to young people transitioning from care aimed at reducing early exit from education and enhancing their work ....Promoting successful further education and work transitions for young people in state care. The national benefits of this research include:
. understanding the impact of being in care on educational participation, career aspirations and transitions
. knowledge about further education, work pathways and employment outcomes for care leavers
. informed policy and program responses to young people transitioning from care aimed at reducing early exit from education and enhancing their work readiness
. raising expectations for young people in care and improving their capacity to make choices towards positive pathways.Read moreRead less
Responding to the rural skills crisis: Modelling volunteer motivations and incentives to attract retired/semi-retired professionals to volunteer in rural areas. This project contributes directly to Promoting and Maintaining Good Health: Ageing well, ageing productively by placing a high value on the skills of older Australians and encouraging them to remain productive into retirement by sharing these skills. This project will also strengthen the social and economic fabric of rural communities by ....Responding to the rural skills crisis: Modelling volunteer motivations and incentives to attract retired/semi-retired professionals to volunteer in rural areas. This project contributes directly to Promoting and Maintaining Good Health: Ageing well, ageing productively by placing a high value on the skills of older Australians and encouraging them to remain productive into retirement by sharing these skills. This project will also strengthen the social and economic fabric of rural communities by addressing the identified national priority area of skills shortages in rural areas by providing rural councils with a means to access skilled professionals to assist them in enhancing their economic and social sustainability. Further, use of sound, well-tested psychological theories of individual decision making will enhance the validity and applicability of the model.Read moreRead less
Ageing Baby Boomers in Australia (ABBA): Informing Actions For Better Retirement. The research will improve understanding of baby boomers & inform action to achieve positive outcomes individually & for an ageing Australia. It will: 1)inform baby boomers of ways in which their actions in late middle age can increase the chance of having satisfying healthy lives in retirement; 2)inform employers & governments on key factors enabling people to work longer; 3)challenge stereotypes of baby boomers b ....Ageing Baby Boomers in Australia (ABBA): Informing Actions For Better Retirement. The research will improve understanding of baby boomers & inform action to achieve positive outcomes individually & for an ageing Australia. It will: 1)inform baby boomers of ways in which their actions in late middle age can increase the chance of having satisfying healthy lives in retirement; 2)inform employers & governments on key factors enabling people to work longer; 3)challenge stereotypes of baby boomers by showing their variability over the life course & in retirement; 4)provide four researchers with knowledge & expertise in applied, multi-disciplinary research on individual & population ageing; 5)identify baby boomers' expectations for themselves, governments, & the community to guide directions for Australia's response to ageing.Read moreRead less
Understanding reactions to diversity initiatives in organizations: An intergroup perspective. Current policy and legislation promote diversity in organizations,
however employees often react negatively to diversity initiatives
that assist specific groups (e.g., women). Explanations attributing
negativity to individual factors (e.g., self interest) or to broad
organizational culture are limited. Diversity initiatives highlight
differences between the beneficiary and non-beneficiary group(s) ....Understanding reactions to diversity initiatives in organizations: An intergroup perspective. Current policy and legislation promote diversity in organizations,
however employees often react negatively to diversity initiatives
that assist specific groups (e.g., women). Explanations attributing
negativity to individual factors (e.g., self interest) or to broad
organizational culture are limited. Diversity initiatives highlight
differences between the beneficiary and non-beneficiary group(s) and
a comprehensive model should incorporate an intergroup perspective.
It should also recognise the legitimising role of justice-based
concerns. In testing such a model, this project will contribute to
theories of intergroup relations and their interplay with social
policy, and to the development of strategies to manage workplace
diversity.
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Responding to self-conceptual uncertainty: Orthodoxy, diversity, and social identity in groups and society. Some groups in society are ethnocentric and xenophobic, embracing orthodoxy, homogeneity and hierarchy. They suppress diversity and dissent. Other groups embrace diversity, and are wary of homogeneity and hierarchy. Project explores the social psychology of identity and group membership, to answer the question why some groups are orthodox whereas others are diverse. Uncertainty about one's ....Responding to self-conceptual uncertainty: Orthodoxy, diversity, and social identity in groups and society. Some groups in society are ethnocentric and xenophobic, embracing orthodoxy, homogeneity and hierarchy. They suppress diversity and dissent. Other groups embrace diversity, and are wary of homogeneity and hierarchy. Project explores the social psychology of identity and group membership, to answer the question why some groups are orthodox whereas others are diverse. Uncertainty about one's group identity is aversive; automatically motivating identification with groups that are distinct entities with sharp boundaries, consensual properties, and homogeneous membership. However, internally diverse groups can also be distinct (often better functioning) entities. Buffering of automatic reactions to uncertainty may favour diverse over orthodox groups.Read moreRead less
Newcomer socialisation: Examining the processes predicting changes in organisational identification over time. The project examines factors that maximise the retention of new employees and optimise their well-being. It seeks to understand factors in the organisational socialisation process that lead to an increase in organisational identification and an optimal utilisation of employees' skills and capacities. The project contributes to efforts designed to promote and maintain good health and str ....Newcomer socialisation: Examining the processes predicting changes in organisational identification over time. The project examines factors that maximise the retention of new employees and optimise their well-being. It seeks to understand factors in the organisational socialisation process that lead to an increase in organisational identification and an optimal utilisation of employees' skills and capacities. The project contributes to efforts designed to promote and maintain good health and strenghten Australia's social and economic fabric. Read moreRead less
Psychosocial and cognitive outcomes of residential relocation and retirement: The TRAnsitions In Later Life (TRAILL) project. Individual and social issues surrounding older adults' residential relocation and the transition to retirement are increasingly important in the context of Australia's ageing population. A better understanding of the factors that influence psychological well-being and intergenerational relationships during these major life transitions will play an important role in infor ....Psychosocial and cognitive outcomes of residential relocation and retirement: The TRAnsitions In Later Life (TRAILL) project. Individual and social issues surrounding older adults' residential relocation and the transition to retirement are increasingly important in the context of Australia's ageing population. A better understanding of the factors that influence psychological well-being and intergenerational relationships during these major life transitions will play an important role in informing government policy. This project aims to provide national and community benefits through informing policy related to housing and labour force participation, and by informing programs aimed at volunteer recruitment, retention and maximising the quality of the volunteer experience.Read moreRead less
The boomerang effect of rumour denials: An attributional analysis. Rumours can have many harmful consequences. They may lead to damaged reputations, reduced morale, panic, stress and loss of interpersonal trust. Furthermore, they are very hard to manage. A simple denial of a rumour can often result in increased belief in the rumour. This boomerang effect makes it very difficult to combat harmful rumours. The proposed research applies causal attribution theory to explain the causes behind the boo ....The boomerang effect of rumour denials: An attributional analysis. Rumours can have many harmful consequences. They may lead to damaged reputations, reduced morale, panic, stress and loss of interpersonal trust. Furthermore, they are very hard to manage. A simple denial of a rumour can often result in increased belief in the rumour. This boomerang effect makes it very difficult to combat harmful rumours. The proposed research applies causal attribution theory to explain the causes behind the boomerang effect. It uses a combination of laboratory and field experiments and aims to develop and test strategies to overcome this effect.Read moreRead less
Open Cuts to Land and Culture: Rural Community Engagement with Large-Scale Industrial Development. The effects of coal mining and combustion on local communities have not been adequately researched even though export-oriented coal production is a key element of Australia's economy in the 21st century. Increasing numbers of rural Australian communities are affected by profound changes to climate, environment and social life associated with open-cut mining and coal-fired power stations. This resea ....Open Cuts to Land and Culture: Rural Community Engagement with Large-Scale Industrial Development. The effects of coal mining and combustion on local communities have not been adequately researched even though export-oriented coal production is a key element of Australia's economy in the 21st century. Increasing numbers of rural Australian communities are affected by profound changes to climate, environment and social life associated with open-cut mining and coal-fired power stations. This research examines the impact of these developments in the Hunter Valley of NSW, from the point of view of local communities. The understandings we gain will offer government, corporate and community stakeholders the prospect of mutually beneficial outcomes in dealing with these impacts. Read moreRead less
Antecedents of innovation vs. conservatism in rural industries and communities. This project will investigate antecedents of conservatism and innovation within rural communities and industries. Whilst effort, from government, community and industry, has focussed on social, economic and environmental reform, intended shifts in thinking and practice are frequently not realised. .Personality literature suggests individual differences in conservatism/innovation. Further, people are drawn towards ....Antecedents of innovation vs. conservatism in rural industries and communities. This project will investigate antecedents of conservatism and innovation within rural communities and industries. Whilst effort, from government, community and industry, has focussed on social, economic and environmental reform, intended shifts in thinking and practice are frequently not realised. .Personality literature suggests individual differences in conservatism/innovation. Further, people are drawn towards situations that satisfy intrinsic needs and away from situations that do not. The result may be greater concentrations of particular personality types in conservative industries and communities and a quite different concentration in innovative groups. Validation of this hypothesis would permit more appropriate and effective policy and management strategy.Read moreRead less