Human Resource Managers' Contribution to Workplace Performance. This project examines the professional identity and role of Human Resource managers in fostering and implementing strategies that encourage high workplace performance. This is significant because workplace performance affects Australian competitiveness and this will be the first detailed empirical analysis of Australian HR managers that combine case study and survey methods. The findings will develop models and strategies that wil ....Human Resource Managers' Contribution to Workplace Performance. This project examines the professional identity and role of Human Resource managers in fostering and implementing strategies that encourage high workplace performance. This is significant because workplace performance affects Australian competitiveness and this will be the first detailed empirical analysis of Australian HR managers that combine case study and survey methods. The findings will develop models and strategies that will improve professional management standards through academic and business publications, including a book accessible to managers. Educational materials, suitable for higher and continuing education, will also aim to improve the people-related capabilities of human resource and line managers.Read moreRead less
Beyond training and learning: integrated development practices in organisations. It is necessary for Australian businesses to maintain and enhance their productivity in the competitive global marketplace. As enterprises anticipate and face the challenges of the contemporary economy, a central concern is ensuring that employees learn what is needed to engage successfully with these challenges. Rapid growth in unstructured training in organisations demonstrates the importance of focusing on learni ....Beyond training and learning: integrated development practices in organisations. It is necessary for Australian businesses to maintain and enhance their productivity in the competitive global marketplace. As enterprises anticipate and face the challenges of the contemporary economy, a central concern is ensuring that employees learn what is needed to engage successfully with these challenges. Rapid growth in unstructured training in organisations demonstrates the importance of focusing on learning that is integrated into work processes. The outcomes of this project will help organisations exploit the productive potential of these different forms of learning. It will do this by identifying the links between organisational imperatives and the development of personnel.Read moreRead less
Redefining the Ageing Workforce in Local Governments: Mapping Aspirations of Older/Blue Collar Workers with Organisational Training and Development Interventions. The major aim is to understand the aspirations of older, blue collar workers and have them remain active and productive in the workforce in the face of a changing occupational structure in local government, especially in rural and remote areas. This project is significant as it addresses two national research priorities - ageing produc ....Redefining the Ageing Workforce in Local Governments: Mapping Aspirations of Older/Blue Collar Workers with Organisational Training and Development Interventions. The major aim is to understand the aspirations of older, blue collar workers and have them remain active and productive in the workforce in the face of a changing occupational structure in local government, especially in rural and remote areas. This project is significant as it addresses two national research priorities - ageing productively and strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric. Expected outcomes include developing a methodology to 'map' worker aspirations, dispositions and competencies; provision of a model for designing new/alternative job types; guidelines for implementing changes to workforce planning and empirical data on which to base policy/workforce change.Read moreRead less
Sustaining older workers' competence: Informing policy and practice. Maintaining the effective working life of older Australian workers is central for sustaining the economic and social health of the nation and for their workplace efficacy and sense of self as productive members of the community. This project will identify and recommend practices and policies for both Australian workplaces and educational institutions to sustain and develop further the skills of Australia's growing number of ol ....Sustaining older workers' competence: Informing policy and practice. Maintaining the effective working life of older Australian workers is central for sustaining the economic and social health of the nation and for their workplace efficacy and sense of self as productive members of the community. This project will identify and recommend practices and policies for both Australian workplaces and educational institutions to sustain and develop further the skills of Australia's growing number of older workers and effectively manage their work transitions. These outcomes will also be used to inform processes and practices to develop the capacities of older Australians in maintaining personally and economically productive working lives.Read moreRead less
Enhancing volunteer capacity to maximise the volunteer resources for contextually diverse community organisations. The study aims to maximise the volunteer resources available to community organisations through the development of a flexible organisational volunteer model that enhances each volunteer's capacity, particularly at key points of their engagement.Individual volunteer capacities will be analysed using a multidimensional measure validated with different volunteer samples across diverse ....Enhancing volunteer capacity to maximise the volunteer resources for contextually diverse community organisations. The study aims to maximise the volunteer resources available to community organisations through the development of a flexible organisational volunteer model that enhances each volunteer's capacity, particularly at key points of their engagement.Individual volunteer capacities will be analysed using a multidimensional measure validated with different volunteer samples across diverse organisations and social contexts. The model will help community organisations determine the self-efficacy of volunteers; enhance individual and collective volunteer capacity;identify new volunteer pathways responsive to the lifestyles and social and economic circumstances of volunteers;and create a more capable and responsive pool of volunteers.Read moreRead less
The Teaching Occupation in Learning Societies: A global ethnography of occupational boundary work. Education is a key instrument for governments and communities managing economic and social development. Yet the historical model of closed centralised national school and training systems cannot meet current government policy or community expectations in open global economies. This global ethnography contributes to knowledge about changes in teaching as an occupation; provides evidence about re-ord ....The Teaching Occupation in Learning Societies: A global ethnography of occupational boundary work. Education is a key instrument for governments and communities managing economic and social development. Yet the historical model of closed centralised national school and training systems cannot meet current government policy or community expectations in open global economies. This global ethnography contributes to knowledge about changes in teaching as an occupation; provides evidence about re-ordered relationships, cross-border demands and boundary work in teaching; suggests policy solutions to address occupational renewal and teacher workforce development; develops innovative global research methodologies and strategies; and consolidates expert global networks in education and human service work as a resource for Australian research.Read moreRead less
Intergenerational differences in numeracy practices: A study of contemporary practice. Young Australians have grown up in a technology-rich world where they are differently numerate. In this context, it is important to capitalize on the strengths that young Australians bring to work and education while ensuring quality outcomes for stakeholders in all sectors. This project will develop numeracy interventions that embody post-industrial times and evaluate their impact on numeracy learning for you ....Intergenerational differences in numeracy practices: A study of contemporary practice. Young Australians have grown up in a technology-rich world where they are differently numerate. In this context, it is important to capitalize on the strengths that young Australians bring to work and education while ensuring quality outcomes for stakeholders in all sectors. This project will develop numeracy interventions that embody post-industrial times and evaluate their impact on numeracy learning for young Australians; and the impact on reforming institutions such as schools, job selection agencies and workplaces. Expected outcomes include the development of numeracy interventions for key stakeholders that better prepare Australians for the changing labour markets and their inherent numeracy demands.Read moreRead less
Ethnographies of housing: exploring the role of housing officers in public housing service provision. This research examines the everyday practice of public housing officers working in the Victorian Office of Housing. It aims to analyse the ways that workers exercise discretion, and the patterns of meanings that they construct, through their interactions with clients, departmental managers and other human service providers. It is the first ethnographic study of front-line work in housing servi ....Ethnographies of housing: exploring the role of housing officers in public housing service provision. This research examines the everyday practice of public housing officers working in the Victorian Office of Housing. It aims to analyse the ways that workers exercise discretion, and the patterns of meanings that they construct, through their interactions with clients, departmental managers and other human service providers. It is the first ethnographic study of front-line work in housing services in Australia and builds on comparable work done in the United Kingdom and America. The knowledge generated will inform innovation in public housing services, housing policy debates and emerging programs designed to integrate housing with other human services.Read moreRead less
Career and practice choices for Australian medical students: How, what, where and why - Stage 2 of a longitudinal study. The well publicised doctor shortage in Australia makes understanding how and where future doctors want to work critical to planning tomorrow's medical workforce and addressing access problems for Australians in health areas of need. This large national cohort study will provide valuable insights into how future doctors wish to practise and how these choices and determining fac ....Career and practice choices for Australian medical students: How, what, where and why - Stage 2 of a longitudinal study. The well publicised doctor shortage in Australia makes understanding how and where future doctors want to work critical to planning tomorrow's medical workforce and addressing access problems for Australians in health areas of need. This large national cohort study will provide valuable insights into how future doctors wish to practise and how these choices and determining factors change over time. Findings from this study will assist those who educate and train our medical students and those who plan our future health workforce to better meet our community health needs, especially those currently with reduced access to medical care. Read moreRead less
A ten-year comparative analysis of work, benefit and skill trajectories of parallel cohorts of trade and bachelor graduates' working lives. The identification and understanding of the job, skill and benefit trajectories experienced by young skilled workers will contribute to the development of improved national workforce policies. Employers could develop more effective recruitment, retention and training practices for different types of upwardly mobile skilled workers. Governments could improve ....A ten-year comparative analysis of work, benefit and skill trajectories of parallel cohorts of trade and bachelor graduates' working lives. The identification and understanding of the job, skill and benefit trajectories experienced by young skilled workers will contribute to the development of improved national workforce policies. Employers could develop more effective recruitment, retention and training practices for different types of upwardly mobile skilled workers. Governments could improve policies to maintain and extend skilled workers, promote needed skilled trade and degree pathways to youth and develop more effective life long learning strategies for adults. Identifying the social reasons for job and skill change will also assist governments, employers and individuals to develop new educational approaches to improve recruitment, skill retention and market expansion. Read moreRead less