Understanding the Spatial and Social Drivers of Employment Transitions. This project reconsiders significant changes in the Australian labour market by utilising new conceptual tools based on temporal and spatial dimensions of productive activities and employment. The analysis provides an understanding of the socio-economic and spatial drivers of job and employment transitions and how they vary across Australia. The outcomes will be a new hierarchical model of labour market regions for assessin ....Understanding the Spatial and Social Drivers of Employment Transitions. This project reconsiders significant changes in the Australian labour market by utilising new conceptual tools based on temporal and spatial dimensions of productive activities and employment. The analysis provides an understanding of the socio-economic and spatial drivers of job and employment transitions and how they vary across Australia. The outcomes will be a new hierarchical model of labour market regions for assessing the social impact of employment transitions in regions, localities and remote areas providing evidence to inform region-specific policy. The innovative statistical methodology to enhance current analytical models of spatial variation in employment transitions will contribute significantly to international research. Read moreRead less
The contribution of project leader behaviours to processes and outcomes in large scale projects. In Australia and worldwide, large-scale projects often fail to meet quality, time or budget goals resulting in outcome dissatisfaction, and large time and cost project overruns. This project focuses on achieving better project processes and leadership practice, especially in large-scale, complicated projects, in order to improve project success (as viewed by multiple stakeholders) and the performance ....The contribution of project leader behaviours to processes and outcomes in large scale projects. In Australia and worldwide, large-scale projects often fail to meet quality, time or budget goals resulting in outcome dissatisfaction, and large time and cost project overruns. This project focuses on achieving better project processes and leadership practice, especially in large-scale, complicated projects, in order to improve project success (as viewed by multiple stakeholders) and the performance, health and wellbeing of staff. We focus on Australian defence acquisition projects in order to test our theoretical model. This project will provide a major contribution to Australian defence capability by identifying how project leaders can improve project operations and deliver successful innovative acquisition products on time and budget.Read moreRead less
The high cost of financial insecurity: exploring the role of the 'fringe economy' in the lives of low-income Australians. The national benefit from this research has a number of dimensions. The first is to draw the community's attention to the high costs and charges associated with fringe lenders in Australia and the economic and social consequences of accessing these services. The second benefit relates to establishing what sorts of financial products and regulatory measures would offer low-inc ....The high cost of financial insecurity: exploring the role of the 'fringe economy' in the lives of low-income Australians. The national benefit from this research has a number of dimensions. The first is to draw the community's attention to the high costs and charges associated with fringe lenders in Australia and the economic and social consequences of accessing these services. The second benefit relates to establishing what sorts of financial products and regulatory measures would offer low-income Australians a better outcome. A number of states in Australia have recently introduced legislation to limit the interest rates charged by pay-day lenders. The study is very timely in that it offers an opportunity to monitor the impact of these new regulatory measures and consider opportunities for further reform.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
Enhancing services to Australian children and families: linking workforce characteristics, job quality, and quality and outcomes in social services. This project aims to promote best practice in child and family welfare services, and to improve the industrial and social recognition of child and family welfare work in Australia. The CIs will construct an analytical framework for explaining the links between the nature and deployment of the child and family services workforce, service delivery sys ....Enhancing services to Australian children and families: linking workforce characteristics, job quality, and quality and outcomes in social services. This project aims to promote best practice in child and family welfare services, and to improve the industrial and social recognition of child and family welfare work in Australia. The CIs will construct an analytical framework for explaining the links between the nature and deployment of the child and family services workforce, service delivery systems and outcomes, and social policy regimes, with wider application to other personal social services. Judicious use of international comparison will assist identification of best practice. The project will inform policy and research in social service provision to vulnerable families, and the aged and disabled.Read moreRead less
The development and application of a conceptual and statistical framework for the measurement of non-market factors affecting social inequality and social wellbeing. In response to global and national forces, a new social and economic policy framework has promoted multiple impacts on families, communities and regions in Australia. This project will respond to an increasingly important research and policy question concerning the development of alternative measures of social wellbeing and social i ....The development and application of a conceptual and statistical framework for the measurement of non-market factors affecting social inequality and social wellbeing. In response to global and national forces, a new social and economic policy framework has promoted multiple impacts on families, communities and regions in Australia. This project will respond to an increasingly important research and policy question concerning the development of alternative measures of social wellbeing and social inequality to the conventional measures of economic resources within households that are currently employed. This research will provide a nationally and internationally recognized evidence base on which to develop policies of importance to the quality of life in Australia's urban and regional communities.Read moreRead less