Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Australian Workplace'
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1
Hutchinson, Jacquie. "Workplace bullying in Australian public service administrations." UWA Business School, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0014.
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This is a study of workplace bullying policy in the public service. The research draws on interviews with policy actors from three groups located in four Australian states and one Australian territory. The groups are senior managers, policy implementors and employee advocates. The study is also informed by research and popular literature to examine how assumptions about what the problem is in workplace bullying dictates the direction taken in policy development. Unlike much of the research into workplace bullying that is based on psychological theorisations, this study is influenced by scholars who focus on the power imbalances that underpin workplace bullying. The key argument in this thesis is that the conceptual dominance of 'gender neutrality' operates to mask the gendered power imbalances which perpetuate bullying behaviour. Hence, to start to address workplace bullying, the effects of power must be acknowledged and addressed in the organisational policy responses to the growing phenomenon of workplace bullying. However, analysing the effects of power is insufficient if gender is not made visible in the analysis. The methodological touchstone for this is Carol Bacchi's 'whats the problem' approach (1999), which is taken further through feminist organisational theory, post modernist understandings of power realtions and a critique of New Public Management practices. The thesis shows how workplace bullying policies in Australian public service administrations have been carefully crafted as gender-neutral, and interweaves data and literature to develop a thesis for why such an approach is a deeply flawed outcome of gender politics. This thesis concludes with some modest suggestions about how organizations might more effectively develop more effective gender-sensitive approaches to workplace bullying.
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Sharma, Manish. "Workplace Bullying: An exploratory study in Australian academia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2017. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2013.
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Workplace bullying is a behaviour which adversely affects individuals, organisations and the community at large. While substantial research has been conducted on workplace bullying in different work settings, limited research exists on this behaviour at universities; no comprehensive studies have to date been conducted in the context of Australian academia. This study therefore contributes through breaking new ground by exploring bullying within the increasingly corporatised and competitive Australian higher education sector. New Public Management (NPM) practices, diminished government funding, and limited resources risk transforming this sector into a full-fledged industry focused on corporate objectives to achieve operational profitability. Universities’ primary commitment to further higher education and quality research may also be overshadowed by the bids to achieve revenue maximisation. The resultant competitive workplaces staffed by a more contingent workforce may also influence bullying experienced by both academic and professional staff in universities. While prior research has shown that competitive work environments can facilitate workplace bullying, no known previous study explored the bullying experiences of academic and professional staff in the Australian higher education sector.
This study’s primary aim was therefore to explore the nature, influencing factors and consequences of workplace bullying for both academic and professional staff within Australian academia. Being an exploratory study, this research adopted a qualitative approach to gather a rich description of bullying experienced by both these distinct workstreams in universities. Individual accounts of being bullied at work were gathered by interviewing academic and professional staff from four Western Australian public universities. Thematic analysis of these confidential semi-structured interviews provided insights into the interplay of various underlying factors which enable workplace bullying. While many of this study’s findings resonate with the established literature on the subject, others are unique to the two-tiered context of Australian higher education sector.
This study’s participants, explicitly as well as implicitly, linked bullying behaviours in their workplaces to the volatile economic environment of the Australian higher education sector, and increased competition amongst its workforce. As the sector’s changing employment patterns have moved towards a more contingent workforce, the sense of insecurity amongst university employees has developed to a point where many may prefer to endure bullying rather than reporting it formally. One strong theme emerging from this study’s data was the role that organisational and individuals’ culture(s) played in the occurrence of workplace bullying. Participants identified their universities’ work culture as one which tolerated workplace bullying, despite the considerable impact on individual victims. Some participants also noted the differences in individuals’ cultural backgrounds as triggers for bullying. In light of this study’s findings, measures to ameliorate workplace bullying may include steps to spread awareness and respect about cultural differences amongst the universities’ workforce. Universities might also consider explicitly addressing these issues in its anti-bullying policies. This study’ findings also underlined the lack of consistently implemented, robust anti-bullying policies in universities to safeguard employees’ wellbeing.
On an individual level, power was found to be at the core of bullying. The power differentials between the victims and the alleged perpetrators stemmed from the hierarchical organisational structures existing in the universities. Although hierarchies are set in universities to accomplish its objectives, these structures often result in power being concentrated with certain individuals who may misuse it to bully others. In some cases, it appeared that bullying was being used to counter a perceived threat that high performing individuals posed to the alleged perpetrators’ established power and organisational status. Data analysis also highlighted the adverse consequences of bullying for both individuals and organisations. Workplace bullying was found to have harmful effects on an individual’s psychological and physical health; its negative impacts extended beyond the workplace to victims’ home life with their family and friends. On an organisational level, workplace bullying resulted in lower levels of staff productivity and engagement, while increasing universities’ employee turnover and damaging institutional reputations. This study, therefore, highlights how the adverse consequences of bullying experienced by academic and professional staff may prove particularly detrimental to their universities. While the productivity losses due to workplace bullying may be less obvious in universities than in other organisations, they can impair the intellectual contribution these academic institutions make to society. Such contribution can be in the form of the quality of teaching and research outputs, as well as the provision of support services for the students and staff at these institutions. Since this study incorporated the inputs of both academic and professional staff, its findings may represent the views held by the larger workforce in the Australian higher education sector. This study also provides a base for further qualitative and quantitative studies of workplace bullying within and beyond Australian academia.
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Burke, Peter, and peter burke@rmit edu au. "A social history of Australian workplace football, 1860-1939." RMIT University. Global Studies, Social Science and Planning, 2009. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20100311.144947.
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This thesis is a social history of workplace Australian football between the years 1860 and 1939, charting in detail the evolution of this form of the game as a popular phenomenon, as well as the beginning of its eventual demise with changes in the nature and composition of the workforce. Though it is presented in a largely chronological format, the thesis utilises an approach to history best epitomised in the work of the progenitors of social history, E.P. Thompson and Eric Hobsbawm, and their successors. It embraces and contributes to both labour and sport history-two sub-groups of social history that are not often considered together. A number of themes, such as social control and the links between class and culture, are employed to throw light on this form of football; in turn, the analysis of the game presented here illuminates patterns of development in the culture of working people in Victoria and beyond. The thesis also provides new insights into under-re searched fields such as industrial recreation and the role of sport in shaping employer-employee relations. In enhancing knowledge of the history of grass roots Australian football and demonstrating the workplace game's links with the growth of unionism and expansion of industry, the thesis therefore highlights the complexity and interconnectedness of economic development, class relations and popular culture in constructing social history.
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Hutchinson, Marie L. "Bullying in the workplace a study of Australian nurses /." View thesis, 2007. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/33181.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2007.A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, College of Business, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographies.
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Boddy, Clive R. "Corporate psychopaths in Australian workplaces : their influence on organisational outcomes." Thesis, Curtin University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/2594.
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This thesis describes the construct of psychopathy and the study of psychopaths. It identifies that psychopaths have been studied extensively in their criminal manifestations but that there is a large and recognised gap in the literature and a stated need for the study of successful psychopaths and Corporate Psychopaths. The thesis outlines the research instrument used to identify such people in a 2008 survey of management behaviour among 346 managers in Australia. The robust statistical validity and reliability of the instrument is described, and the high level of face validity of the resultant findings is noted. The research defined Corporate Psychopaths as psychopaths who work in corporations. Operationally, Corporate Psychopaths were defined as those managers who scored above 12 on a psychopathy measure of their behaviour. It investigated outcomes in terms of the influence of the presence of Corporate Psychopaths on organisational constraints, withdrawal from the workplace, workplace conflict and bullying, workload, levels of job satisfaction and perceived levels of corporate social responsibility.Nearly all of the dependent variables deployed in the current research show a significant relationship with Corporate Psychopaths in the expected direction. Findings highlight that while Corporate Psychopaths comprise only a small minority of employees and managers, they have a significant, negative influence on organisational outcomes. Corporate Psychopaths create disorder in the workplace on a scale previously unimagined and unidentified until now. They directly or indirectly account for large amounts of rudeness and bullying and significant amounts of other types of employee-related work difficulties. They also have a strongly negative influence on a whole host of workplace outcomes, including withdrawal from the workplace, workplace constraints and job satisfaction.The presence of Corporate Psychopaths in organisations thus costs organisations in lost employee time as they withdraw from the organisational environment and in sub-optimal employee performance as they cope with extra organisational constraints. The presence of Corporate Psychopaths in organisations presents unnecessarily difficult working conditions for employees as they cope with a hostile working environment and with myriad negative influences associated with poor levels of job satisfaction. This has practical implications for organisational and human resource management as discussed in the thesis.
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Bakker, Susette. "Covert violence in nursing: A Western Australian experience." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2012. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/455.
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Covert violence in the workplace has been extensively theorized amongst social scientists as having negative effects on the worker’s self esteem, job satisfaction and stress, resulting in increased absenteeism and a reduction in productivity, and yet it continues to fester in nursing. The purpose of this research was twofold. The first was to answer the question, ‘What are the characteristics of covert violence experienced by Western Australian nurses?’ and through the description of Western Australian nurses’ experience of covert violence and describe the characteristics related to this to form a definition of covert violence. The second question was ‘What are the causes of covert violence experienced by Western Australian nurses? This study explored nurses’ experiences of covert violence using an interpretive phenomenological approach as described by van Manen (1997). A literature review was conducted to establish the findings of studies in relation to covert violence in other countries and to compare similar works in Australia. Using literature review findings, interview questions were designed to identify episodes of covert violence amongst nurses, the background to the reported events and a comment by the participants as to how these episodes were dealt with. A proposed model of the causes of covert violence in nursing was developed from the literature review to be tested in relation to the research findings. Research participants were all Registered Nurses with the Nurses’ Board of Western Australia who were asked to identify and discuss their experiences of covert violence in their workplaces. The data collected was analysed using pattern matching for qualitative evaluation. Results obtained from the data analysis identified the most important factor leading to covert violence was the juxtaposition of power and powerlessness and how it was influenced by community expectations of healthcare, staffing and client characteristics, infra-staff issues and management systems. Based on the research findings a revised model of causes of covert violence was developed to identify how power and powerlessness affect the outcomes of patient care, staff morale and the ultimate retention of staff in the health service in particular and in the profession generally. To record the incidences of covert violence and how they can be dealt with, a risk action plan and a model of obligations to prevent covert violence in nursing was developed that would not only serve its purpose in the nursing profession. From these questions it was possible to develop a Risk Control Action Plan that can be applied in response to reports of covert violence and to prevent covert violence in the nursing workplace, and can be adapted to address a similar situation in any other workplace. The tools developed include ways of reducing patient stress, methods of improving staff relationships, and management tools for issues that need to be addressed by nurses and administrators. Recommendations for further research to extend this study and to test the covert violence prevention tools developed as a result of this research are made. It is anticipated that use of the revised model of covert violence in nursing, definition of covert violence and tools developed as a result of the research findings will minimise incidences of covert violence, resulting in greater job safety and satisfaction for nurses, a reduction in staff absenteeism due to job stress, and an improvement in nursing retention and productivity.
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Lawrence, Felicity J. "Prevalence and consequences of negative workplace cyber communications in the Australian public sector." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2015. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/88058/1/Felicity_Lawrence_Thesis.pdf.
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This research studied the prevalence and impact of workplace cyberbullying as perceived by public servants working in government organisations across Australia. Using Social Information Processing theory, this research found employees reported task- and person-related cyberbullying that was associated with increased workplace stress, diminished job satisfaction and performance, and reduced confidence in their organisations' anti-bullying intervention and protection strategies. Furthermore, workplace cyberbullying can create a concealed, online work culture that undermines employee and organisational productivity. These results are significant for employers' duty-of-care obligations, and represent a cogent argument for improved workplace cultures in support to Australia's future organisational and economic performance.
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Xu, Jia. "Implementation of workplace learning in the accountancy schools of Australian universities." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2015. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/84346/1/Jia_Xu_Thesis.pdf.
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This exploratory study seeks to further our understanding of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) programs in the Accountancy schools of Australian universities. It emphasises the significance of the role of the university in monitoring and administrating these programs. The study uses a qualitative method with mainly open-ended questions via an online questionnaire. The responses from senior accounting academic decision-makers identified the major forms of WIL used and the most challenging issues. WIL is perceived to be an important program that should be included in degree courses, and strong efforts should be made to overcome the challenges involved in conducting such a program.
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Sayers, Roslyn, and roslyn sayers@rmit edu au. "Australia's Changing Workplace: A Generational Perspective." RMIT University. Economics, Finance and Marketing, 2006. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20070122.102821.
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This research investigates generational differences in Australian workers. In particular it focuses on changing trends and influences in the workplace and how different generations view and deal with these changes. The study focuses on Baby Boomers (born 1945-1963), Generation X (born 1964-1977) and Generation Y (born 1978 - 1994) across four industry sectors: Corporate, Education, Government and Not for Profit. The Australian workforce currently consists of four generations - all having distinct characteristics, working styles, needs and expectations. These differences pose challenges and opportunities to workforce management. The first step in managing the generations and their differences is to identify where the differences lie and to understand how best to cope with and exploit these differences. This research, in taking a generational cohort perspective towards analysing the modern workplace, seeks to explore how the different generations view the trends and influences that impact their work; and their attitudes towards technology, communication, work/life balance, organisational loyalty, attraction, engagement and retention. The study uses a multi-phase qualitative approach and includes in-depth interviews with a range of Australian industry experts; discussion groups held with Gen Ys, Gen Xers and Baby Boomer employees, in four organisations across four industry sectors; and in-depth interviews with senior executives in the same four organisations. This research will have significance to all organisations especially those that employ workers from across the generations and who are managing a multigenerational workforce. The findings will have practical application to organisational policy development in areas such as, work/life balance, attraction, engagement and retention of employees, reward and recognition systems, technology in the workplace and training and development. The study adds to the body of knowledge in workforce management, and in particular to the emerging body of knowledge on generational cohort analysis of the workplace in the Australian context. The study found significant generational differences that when harnessed and managed effectively, can contribute to the output and performance of the organisation as a whole.
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Hyde, Penny. "Australian psychologists' perceptions and experiences of client threats." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2014. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/863.
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There is empirical evidence that workplace violence is increasing, particularly in settings where health care professionals such as psychologists are employed, and often these incidents are perpetrated by clients. Given that client violence can have wide ranging and serious consequences, it is not surprising that researchers are focussing on this issue. One notable finding is that psychologists feel that they do not have the training or confidence to manage the violent behaviour of clients. A review of the relevant literature was undertaken to determine why psychologists feel ill prepared for such incidents. Whilst there is a wide range of definitions of client violence, it appears that many of the professionals’ concerns about various forms of client behaviour go beyond these definitions of violence. There is an array of client behaviours that make professionals feel their wellbeing is at risk which fall outside the general definition of violence. Consequently, the term client threats may be more appropriate. There is no research in which psychologists were directly asked what client interactions they perceived as putting their wellbeing at risk and, without this information, professional advice to them may not be effective. The purpose of this research project was to determine psychologists’ experiences and perceptions of client threats. Stage 1 included interviews with 45 psychologists which indicated that their experiences and perceptions of client threats could be best conceptualised by developing a preliminary theory of client threat. In stage 2 a Delphi approach, with a panel of experts, helped formulate a modified Client Threat Theory that proposes a three phase model outlining the process through which psychologists experience these threats. This theory begins with a client behaviour being observed and conceptualised as a threat (activation phase), then influential factors are assessed (risk assessment), and lastly a management plan is formulated and applied in response to the threat (execution phase). This research project also provides a detailed understanding of how the participating psychologists experienced client threats. It was discovered that threatening experiences were triggered by more than violent client behaviours and that a term broader than violence was needed to encompass these experiences. The types of threats reportedly experienced by participants were physical, sexual, verbal, psychological, reputational, and financial in nature. Participants also reported feeling threatened when they perceived that a client behaved in a threatening manner towards people known to them, such as colleagues and family members. This provides a basis from which future researchers could develop a comprehensive definition and theory of client threat, along with efficient and effective tools to reduce its occurrence and deal with it more effectively.
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Weller, Stephen Adrian. "A study of organisational justice and participative workplace change in Australian higher education." Thesis, full-text, 2009. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/2028/.
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This thesis explores employee participation in the management of workplace change through an organisational justice framework within the context of the Australian Higher Education (HE) sector. The thesis examines the extent to which the Australian HE sector makes provisions for participative workplace change, the extent to which participants within the sector perceive participative workplace change as providing fairness, and practices that can facilitate and foster participative workplace change.
The provisions for participative workplace change are examined through a longitudinal study of enterprise bargaining agreements across all public universities in Australia for the period of 1997-2006. The research findings identify a decline in both the degree and form of employee participation in workplace change across this decade.
The perceptions of participative workplace change are examined through an altitudinal survey of management and union executives within all public universities in Australia. The research findings identify considerable divergence between management and union executives in relation to employee participation, workplace change and organisational justice.
The practices for participative workplace change are examined through twenty semi-structured interviews with management and union executives drawn from amongst the respondents to the attitudinal survey. The research findings identify areas of convergence around organisational justice dimensions and workplace change practices between management and union executives.
The thesis concludes that it is a combination of fair processes and fair interactions which are most effective in facilitating workplace change and fostering employee participation in the Australian HE sector and which in turn are seen to be able to contribute to shared perceptions of organisational justice.
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Weller, Stephen Adrian. "A study of organisational justice and participative workplace change in Australian higher education." full-text, 2009. http://eprints.vu.edu.au/2028/1/weller.pdf.
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This thesis explores employee participation in the management of workplace change through an organisational justice framework within the context of the Australian Higher Education (HE) sector. The thesis examines the extent to which the Australian HE sector makes provisions for participative workplace change, the extent to which participants within the sector perceive participative workplace change as providing fairness, and practices that can facilitate and foster participative workplace change. The provisions for participative workplace change are examined through a longitudinal study of enterprise bargaining agreements across all public universities in Australia for the period of 1997-2006. The research findings identify a decline in both the degree and form of employee participation in workplace change across this decade. The perceptions of participative workplace change are examined through an altitudinal survey of management and union executives within all public universities in Australia. The research findings identify considerable divergence between management and union executives in relation to employee participation, workplace change and organisational justice. The practices for participative workplace change are examined through twenty semi-structured interviews with management and union executives drawn from amongst the respondents to the attitudinal survey. The research findings identify areas of convergence around organisational justice dimensions and workplace change practices between management and union executives. The thesis concludes that it is a combination of fair processes and fair interactions which are most effective in facilitating workplace change and fostering employee participation in the Australian HE sector and which in turn are seen to be able to contribute to shared perceptions of organisational justice.
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Leslie, Lana. "Body perceptions of Western Australian female group fitness instructors and the influence of the workplace." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2002. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/712.
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Group fitness instructors work in an environment that promotes the often unattainable pursuit of an ideal body shape. The fitness centre often displays pictures of slim body shapes on the walls and sells goods and services that relate to weight loss and the improvement of the appearance. The instructors are part of this environment that promotes ideal body shapes, and they arc often seen as role models of health, fitness and slimness. It is possible that instructors arc under pressure to attain or maintain an ideal body shape, to be consistent with what their work environment represents. The purpose of this study was to explore workplace influences on the body perceptions of female group fitness instructors. This exploration gathered perceptions held by female group fitness instructors of their body perception and their work settings. Data were collected from female group fitness instructors working in and around Perth, Western Australia, using two methods. First, interviews with six female instructors explored body perception issues and workplace influence. Second, a survey based on interview results was conducted. to confirm the extent of instructors' views on workplace influences. Two hundred and nine questionnaires were distributed, with sixty-eight replies, a response rate of 32.5 percent. Most of the women had a positive body perception, and were satisfied with their body shapes and weight. Although satisfied. many stated they wished they could change certain body parts if they could, such as have a flatter abdominal area. There were several influences on body perception, the most interesting was the influence of the fitness industry. The women believed that their participants and their employers expected them to maintain a slim body shape in their role as an instructor. Although they felt that their employers did not mind overweight instructors. interestingly they also believed their employers favoured lean instructors. Some of the women stated that looking at and comparing themselves to other instructors also influenced their body perception, at times making them feel fat. The women stated that management practices did not largely influence their body perception. They believed that recruitment was not based on appearance, and that wearing uniforms of tight Lycra was beneficial to show their body movements efficiently. The selling of body improvement products at fitness centres did not appear to concern the women, most accepted their existence as a normal practice. The physical environment (large mirrors and pictures of slim body shapes) did not largely influence the body perception of the instructors. In fact, the majority of instructors liked the mirrors, as they were a teaching resource. The pictures of slim body shapes also inspired the instructors. Only a small number of instructors were negative towards the mirrors and pictures. The profile of the women in the study had results that indicated that the women engaged in large amounts of exercise. The average instructor taught over seven classes per week and also did an additional 6 to 7 hours of exercise per week in their own time. These figures indicate that instructors are exercising over 200 percent of the Australian recommended guidelines. This study suggests that the physical environment does not largely influence the body perception of female group fitness instructors. This study does suggest, however, that female instructors maintain or attain an ideal body shape in an effort to live up to expectations of others, such as employers, participants and other instructors. They do this by engaging in large amounts of exercise and attention to their diet regime.
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Gopalkrishnan, Caroline. "The colours of diversity : women educators turning the gaze onto Australian universities /." Canberra, 2006. http://erl.canberra.edu.au/public/adt-AUC20081009.095141/index.html.
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Frawley, J. W. "Country all round : the significance of a community's history for work and workplace education /." View thesis View thesis, 2001. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20030416.131433/index.html.
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Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2001."A thesis submitted in the School of Applied Social and Health Sciences at the University of Western Sydney (Nepean) for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, February 2001" Bibliography : leaves 327-343.
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Valli, Craig. "Non-business use of the World Wide Web : A study of selected Western Australian organisations." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2003. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1311.
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Employees undertake a wide range of activities when they use the World Wide Web in the work place. Some of these activities may leave the modem Internet connected organisation vulnerable to undue or unknown risk, potential productivity losses and expense us a result of misuse or abuse or the Internet provision. Much of the existing literature on this subject points to a purported epidemic of misuse in the workplace. If this practice is so prevalent and widespread, what can modem Internet connected organisations do to identify the abuse and reduce the risks and losses that these abuses represent? To what extent is the World Wide Web used by employees for non-business related activities in organisations and can filtering or organisational policies impact on this activity? This research specifically examines contextually, the level of misuse with respect to the use of the World Wide Web in three selected Western Australian organisations using multiple interpretive case study as the vehicle for the study. The research is significant internationally to all organisations that use Internet in their everyday work. The research has discovered anomalous behaviour on the part of non-business users who have employed a variety of techniques and tactics to mask their activities. Also, organisational management in the cases examined had demonstrated shortfalls in their perception of misuse within their organisations and, the implementation of effective policy.
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Harvey, Christopher John, and chrisharvey11@hotmail com. "Can learning save the sandcastle? A case study of facilitating change at an Australian manufacturing facility." RMIT University. Education, 2008. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20080428.115950.
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The focus of this work-based action research project was attempts to change practice in an Australian manufacturing facility. The setting is a medium sized light manufacturing operation responding to the new commercial realities of the globalised and deregulated Australian marketplace. The analogy of a sandcastle facing the rising tide is used to assist the reader associate with the destructive threat that globalisation brings to Australian manufacturing. In an attempt to maintain profitability amidst unprecedented competition, the organisation has published a manufacturing improvement strategy designed to raise productivity and assure its future viability. Consistent with the objectives of this strategy, the project examines processes for changing practice within the organisation. Specifically, the project aimed to implement change using the Global Manufacturing Strategy as a guide, to increase the capacity of the managers who were accountable for the implementation of the Strategy. to improve the productivity and profitability of the company and to make a contribution to professional knowledge, in particular, the way that change is facilitated in an Australian manufacturing setting. Set within this local context, constructionist-learning techniques are implemented and their effectiveness assessed. The influence of power relationships on practice are analysed from data derived through workplace conversations and questionnaires. The paper concludes that under the threat of job losses, change in practice was limited. Manager-researcher role tension and the associated knowledge, power, time and ethical conflicts impacted the processes of collaborative learning and the rate of change in practice. It is suggested that collaborative change may be limited to situations where there are tangible benefits for all parties. As the profitability squeeze continues to slowly and relentlessly tighten, a depressing outlook is envisaged for those employed at the factory.
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Bridgland, Angela. "The impact of the National Training Reform Agenda and workplace rearrangement on staff development in Australian academic and state libraries /." Connect to thesis, 1997. http://eprints.unimelb.edu.au/archive/00000214.
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Syed, Ibrahim Sharifah Endah. "An exploratory study of the human resource climate dimensions that influence the development of workplace friendships in the Australian context." Thesis, Curtin University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1597.
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Workplace friendships are unique relationships which have been associated with positive outcomes at both the individual and organisational level. The objective in this study is to close the literary gap by empirically investigating the causal effect of human resource (HR) climate dimensions on workplace friendships (WFs) within the Australian context. The results of the study will facilitate an understanding of the scope and impact of HR climate on the opportunity to develop and maintain WFs.
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Finnegan, Anthony Maurice. "Teamwork in Australian middle management : a study to investigate attitude of team members, team member effectiveness perception and team environment /." View thesis, 2002. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20031223.095006/index.html.
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Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2002."Thesis submitted ... in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Law and Business, University of Western Sydney, NSW, Australia" Bibliography : leaves 186-196.
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Johnstone, Kelly Rose. "Organophosphate exposure in Australian agricultural workers : human exposure and risk assessment." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2006. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/16345/1/Kelly_Johnstone_Thesis.pdf.
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Organophosphate (OP) pesticides, as a group, are the most widely used insecticides in Australia. Approximately 5 000 tonnes of active ingredient are used annually (Radcliffe, 2002). The OP pesticide group consists of around 30 identifiably distinct chemicals that are synthesised and added to approximately 700 products (Radcliffe, 2002). OP pesticides are used on fruit, vegetable, grain, pasture seed, ornamental, cotton, and viticultural crops, on livestock and domestic animals, as well as for building pest control.
OP pesticides all act by inhibiting the nervous system enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and as such are termed anticholinesterase insecticides. The phosphorylation of AChE and the resultant accumulation of acetylcholine are responsible for the typical symptoms of acute poisoning with OP compounds. In addition to acute health effects, OP compound exposure can result in chronic, long-term neurological effects.
The traditional method of health surveillance for OP pesticide exposure is blood cholinesterase analysis, which is actually biological effect monitoring. However, there are several drawbacks associated with the use of the blood cholinesterase test, including its invasive nature, the need for baseline levels and a substantial exposure to OP pesticide before a drop in cholinesterase activity can be detected. OP pesticides are metabolised fairly rapidly by the liver to form alkyl phosphates (DAPs). Approximately 70% of OP pesticides in use in Australia will metabolise into one or more of six common DAPs. During the last 30 years, scientists have developed a urine test that detects these six degradation products. However, unlike the blood cholinesterase test, there is currently no Biological Exposure Index (BEI) for the urine DAP metabolite test.
Workers in the agricultural industry - particularly those involved with mixing, loading and application tasks - are at risk of exposure to OP pesticides. It is therefore important that these workers are able to assess their risk of health effects from exposure to OP pesticides. However, currently in Queensland, workplace health and safety legislation exempts the agricultural industry from hazardous substance legislation that incorporates the requirement to perform risk assessments and health surveillance (blood cholinesterase testing) for OP pesticide exposure.
The specific aim of this research was to characterise OP pesticide exposure and to assess the feasibility of using urine DAP metabolite testing as a risk assessment tool for agricultural and related industry workers exposed to OP pesticides. An additional aim among farmers was to conduct an in-depth evaluation of their knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to handling OP pesticides and how they assess the risks associated with their use of OPs.
A cross-sectional study design was used to assess exposure to OP pesticides and related issues among four groups: fruit and vegetable farmers, pilots and mixer/loaders, formulator plant staff and a control group. The study involved 51 farmers in the interviewer-administered questionnaire and 32 in urine sample provision. Eighteen pilots and mixer/loaders provided urine samples and 9 exposed formulation plant staff provided urine and blood samples. Community controls from Toowoomba Rotary clubs provided 44 urine samples and 11 non-exposed formulation plant staff provided blood and urine samples; all groups also provided responses to a self-administered questionnaire.
Participant farmers were drawn from the main cropping areas in south-east Queensland - Laidley/Lowood, Gatton, and Stanthorpe. The farmer group was characterised by small owner-operators who often had primary responsibility for OP pesticide mixing and application. Farmers had good knowledge of pesticide-related safety practices; however, despite this knowledge, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was low. More than half of the farmers did not often wear a mask/respirator (56%), gloves (54%) or overalls (65%). Material Safety Data Sheets were never or rarely read and 88.2% of farmers never or rarely read OP pesticide labels before application. There were also problems with chemical suppliers providing farmers with MSDSs. The majority of farmers (90.2%) reported that they had never had any health surveillance performed and three-quarters had never read about or been shown how to perform a formal risk assessment.
The main inhibitors to the use of PPE in the farmers' group included the uncomfortable and cumbersome nature of PPE, especially in hot weather conditions, and the fear of PPE use triggering neighbours' complaints to Government authorities. Factors associated with better PPE use included having positive attitudes and beliefs toward PPE use, higher knowledge scores and low risk perception.
Farmers' use of OP pesticides was infrequent, of short duration and involved application via a boom on a tractor, a lower risk application method. Consequently, urine DAP metabolite levels in this group were generally low, with 36 out of 96 samples (37.5%) containing detectable levels. Detectable results ranged from 9.00-116.00 mol/mol creatinine.
Formulators exposed to OP pesticides were found to have the highest urine DAP metabolite levels (detectable levels 13.20-550.00 mol/mol creatinine), followed by pilots and mixer/loaders (detectable levels 8.40-304.00 mol/mol creatinine) and then farmers. Despite this, pilots and mixer/loaders (particularly mixer/loaders) had the greatest number of samples containing detectable levels (94.4% of samples). The DAP metabolite most frequently detected across all groups was DMTP, which was the only metabolite found in control samples.
Levels found in this study are similar to those reported in international research (Takamiya, 1994, Stephens et al., 1996, Simcox et al., 1999, Mills, 2001, Cocker et al., 2002). The observed DAP levels were not associated with a drop in cholinesterase activity among the formulation plant workers, as expected from the literature. Such exposure also is unlikely to be associated with acute health effects. In contrast, there is insufficient scientific knowledge to know whether levels recorded in this study and elsewhere may be associated with long-term, chronic health effects.
Notably, DMTP levels also were observed among the presumably 'unexposed' comparison groups. Environmental background level exposures to OPs producing the DAP metabolite DMTP are therefore of potential significance and may be related, at least in part, to consumption of contaminated fruit and vegetables. There is also emerging evidence to suggest that exposure to DAP metabolites themselves through diet and other sources may contribute to the concentration of DAPs, including DMTP in urine, potentially complicating assessment of occupational exposures. Nevertheless, the urine DAP metabolite test was a useful, sensitive indicator of occupational OP pesticide exposure among agricultural workers and may be of use to the industry as part of the risk assessment process. Future research should aim to establish a BEI for the urine DAP test.
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Johnstone, Kelly Rose. "Organophosphate exposure in Australian agricultural workers : human exposure and risk assessment." Queensland University of Technology, 2006. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16345/.
Full textAbstract:
Organophosphate (OP) pesticides, as a group, are the most widely used insecticides in Australia. Approximately 5 000 tonnes of active ingredient are used annually (Radcliffe, 2002). The OP pesticide group consists of around 30 identifiably distinct chemicals that are synthesised and added to approximately 700 products (Radcliffe, 2002). OP pesticides are used on fruit, vegetable, grain, pasture seed, ornamental, cotton, and viticultural crops, on livestock and domestic animals, as well as for building pest control. OP pesticides all act by inhibiting the nervous system enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and as such are termed anticholinesterase insecticides. The phosphorylation of AChE and the resultant accumulation of acetylcholine are responsible for the typical symptoms of acute poisoning with OP compounds. In addition to acute health effects, OP compound exposure can result in chronic, long-term neurological effects. The traditional method of health surveillance for OP pesticide exposure is blood cholinesterase analysis, which is actually biological effect monitoring. However, there are several drawbacks associated with the use of the blood cholinesterase test, including its invasive nature, the need for baseline levels and a substantial exposure to OP pesticide before a drop in cholinesterase activity can be detected. OP pesticides are metabolised fairly rapidly by the liver to form alkyl phosphates (DAPs). Approximately 70% of OP pesticides in use in Australia will metabolise into one or more of six common DAPs. During the last 30 years, scientists have developed a urine test that detects these six degradation products. However, unlike the blood cholinesterase test, there is currently no Biological Exposure Index (BEI) for the urine DAP metabolite test. Workers in the agricultural industry - particularly those involved with mixing, loading and application tasks - are at risk of exposure to OP pesticides. It is therefore important that these workers are able to assess their risk of health effects from exposure to OP pesticides. However, currently in Queensland, workplace health and safety legislation exempts the agricultural industry from hazardous substance legislation that incorporates the requirement to perform risk assessments and health surveillance (blood cholinesterase testing) for OP pesticide exposure. The specific aim of this research was to characterise OP pesticide exposure and to assess the feasibility of using urine DAP metabolite testing as a risk assessment tool for agricultural and related industry workers exposed to OP pesticides. An additional aim among farmers was to conduct an in-depth evaluation of their knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to handling OP pesticides and how they assess the risks associated with their use of OPs. A cross-sectional study design was used to assess exposure to OP pesticides and related issues among four groups: fruit and vegetable farmers, pilots and mixer/loaders, formulator plant staff and a control group. The study involved 51 farmers in the interviewer-administered questionnaire and 32 in urine sample provision. Eighteen pilots and mixer/loaders provided urine samples and 9 exposed formulation plant staff provided urine and blood samples. Community controls from Toowoomba Rotary clubs provided 44 urine samples and 11 non-exposed formulation plant staff provided blood and urine samples; all groups also provided responses to a self-administered questionnaire. Participant farmers were drawn from the main cropping areas in south-east Queensland - Laidley/Lowood, Gatton, and Stanthorpe. The farmer group was characterised by small owner-operators who often had primary responsibility for OP pesticide mixing and application. Farmers had good knowledge of pesticide-related safety practices; however, despite this knowledge, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was low. More than half of the farmers did not often wear a mask/respirator (56%), gloves (54%) or overalls (65%). Material Safety Data Sheets were never or rarely read and 88.2% of farmers never or rarely read OP pesticide labels before application. There were also problems with chemical suppliers providing farmers with MSDSs. The majority of farmers (90.2%) reported that they had never had any health surveillance performed and three-quarters had never read about or been shown how to perform a formal risk assessment. The main inhibitors to the use of PPE in the farmers' group included the uncomfortable and cumbersome nature of PPE, especially in hot weather conditions, and the fear of PPE use triggering neighbours' complaints to Government authorities. Factors associated with better PPE use included having positive attitudes and beliefs toward PPE use, higher knowledge scores and low risk perception. Farmers' use of OP pesticides was infrequent, of short duration and involved application via a boom on a tractor, a lower risk application method. Consequently, urine DAP metabolite levels in this group were generally low, with 36 out of 96 samples (37.5%) containing detectable levels. Detectable results ranged from 9.00-116.00 mol/mol creatinine. Formulators exposed to OP pesticides were found to have the highest urine DAP metabolite levels (detectable levels 13.20-550.00 mol/mol creatinine), followed by pilots and mixer/loaders (detectable levels 8.40-304.00 mol/mol creatinine) and then farmers. Despite this, pilots and mixer/loaders (particularly mixer/loaders) had the greatest number of samples containing detectable levels (94.4% of samples). The DAP metabolite most frequently detected across all groups was DMTP, which was the only metabolite found in control samples. Levels found in this study are similar to those reported in international research (Takamiya, 1994, Stephens et al., 1996, Simcox et al., 1999, Mills, 2001, Cocker et al., 2002). The observed DAP levels were not associated with a drop in cholinesterase activity among the formulation plant workers, as expected from the literature. Such exposure also is unlikely to be associated with acute health effects. In contrast, there is insufficient scientific knowledge to know whether levels recorded in this study and elsewhere may be associated with long-term, chronic health effects. Notably, DMTP levels also were observed among the presumably 'unexposed' comparison groups. Environmental background level exposures to OPs producing the DAP metabolite DMTP are therefore of potential significance and may be related, at least in part, to consumption of contaminated fruit and vegetables. There is also emerging evidence to suggest that exposure to DAP metabolites themselves through diet and other sources may contribute to the concentration of DAPs, including DMTP in urine, potentially complicating assessment of occupational exposures. Nevertheless, the urine DAP metabolite test was a useful, sensitive indicator of occupational OP pesticide exposure among agricultural workers and may be of use to the industry as part of the risk assessment process. Future research should aim to establish a BEI for the urine DAP test.
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Kraemer, Sharan. "The whistleblower in the workplace: The influence of the personal characteristics of individuals who have blown the whistle in one Australian context." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/229.
Full textAbstract:
Whistleblowing is not a new phenomenon but recent technological advances, which make corrupt behaviour difficult to hide, have exposed whistleblowingg as a burgeoning problem on several levels: international, national and local. Whistleblowing presents problems not only for the organisation which must deal with the offender, contain any damage to its reputation and manage the problems that enabled the corrupt behaviour in the first place; but it presents problems for the whistleblower. While ultimately an organisation may benefit from a whistleblower's action, the whistle blower's journey is rarely without sacrifices. Individual whistleblowers must call upon personal strengths to report misconduct despite probable adverse consequences. To explore an aspect of contemporary whistle blowing, this research relies on the theory of Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) which identifies five characteristics of whistleblowing behaviour: altruism, courtesy, sportsmanship, civic virtue and conscientiousness (Organ 1990, 1997). Van Dyne, Graham and Dienesch (1394) whose research tested OCB theory, argued that loyalty to the organisation was also an important characteristic. In a later study Paine and Organ (2000) concluded that in Australia. OCBs and loyalty to the organisation are negated by the Australian ethos of "mateship". These concepts are a springboard for the proposed research.
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Baxter, David. "Perception of organisational politics and workplace innovation : an investigation of the perceptions and behaviour of staff in an Australian IT services organisation /." Swinburne Research Bank, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/46062.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (D.B.A.)--Swinburne University of Technology, Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, 2004.A thesis submitted to the fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology, 2004. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (p. 229-230).
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Thinakaran, Ajantha. "Determining current judicial trends in defining parameters of privacy at the workplace in relation to social media use by employees - An Australian context." Thesis, Thinakaran, Ajantha (2018) Determining current judicial trends in defining parameters of privacy at the workplace in relation to social media use by employees - An Australian context. Masters by Research thesis, Murdoch University, 2018. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/41360/.
Full textAbstract:
The legal issues that relate to the realm of privacy, social media communication and technology are ever growing. In Australia, over the past five years or so, there have been a series of dismissals resulting from the use of personal social media communications by employees. One area of dismissals is employers terminating employees for complaining about their colleagues in the employee’s personal social media space. Another example is employees discussing workplace processes and procedures in the employee’s personal social media space leading to alleged disclosures of confidential information.
Several questions concern these dismissals. These include determining how courts view individual employees’ personal social media sites, either as a private space or a public space. This appears to provide a basis for how courts view employer regulation of employees’ social media interaction, regardless of whether such interaction relates directly, or is incidental, to workplace activities. When employer control is permitted, judicial decisions are also relevant in understanding the extent to which courts may permit employers to exercise such control.
As this area is still new, much of the body of cases referred to lie in Fair Work Commission decisions. The above is researched under the overarching theme of identifying current judicial trends in determining parameters of privacy in the workplace in relation to social media use by employees. Judicial determination of these issues is important, as legislation still lags behind the massive and rapid technological advances in social media communication. In Australia, the courts are still the primary influencers and protectors of privacy as a human right. Judicial clarification of privacy, employer control over employees and employee dismissals within the existing workplace legislation is important for both employers and employees alike.
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Byrne, Margaret Mary, and University of Western Sydney. "Workplace meetings and the silencing of women : an investigation of women and men's different communication styles and how these influence perceptions of leadership capability within Australian organisations." THESIS_XXX_XXX_Byrne_M.xml, 2004. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/667.
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The aim of this thesis is to investigate how the distribution and function of talk in workplace meetings contributes to differential outcomes for women and men in Australian organisations. This study explores how patterns of male advantage and female disadvantage are reproduced in workplace meetings through the different communication styles which tend to be employed by men and women, and through the way that these different performances are judged. Workplace meetings emerge as a critical site where leadership potential is identified yet, it is argued, men and women do not meet as equals when they meet at work. The thesis includes an evaluation of the current literature on women's and men's communication styles, and the findings of the present study are discussed in terms of the extent to which they correlate with or diverge from existing views. The implications for social change are explored and recommendations provided for the consideration of organisations seeking to broaden the pool of talent from which future leaders are drawn.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Price, Robin Anne, and n/a. "Checking Out Supermarket Labour Usage: The Nature of Labour Usage and Employment Relations Consequences in a Food Retail Firm in Australia." Griffith University. Department of Industrial Relations, 2004. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20040809.154443.
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This thesis examines the nature of labour usage within a market-leading Australian food retail firm and the employment relations consequences of the labour usage strategies employed by the firm. Retail employment is well established as a research subject in the UK, but has received comparatively little research attention in Australia. Given that retail industry employment accounts for 15 per cent of the Australian workforce, this represents a significant oversight. Within the retail industry, the supermarket and grocery sector employs 6 per cent of the Australian workforce. The sector is dominated by two major chains and is highly competitive, with a reputation for low profit margins, mundane jobs and low pay. The sector is recognised for an employment structure that is segmented with one segment holding full-time jobs with core employment conditions and the other segment, part-time jobs with poor working conditions. The dominant theory used by scholars to explain this employment structure is the dual labour market model and later iterations such as Atkinson's flexible firm model. This research assesses the value of these models, in particular Atkinson's flexible firm model, as a representation of the labour usage strategies of a market-leading Australian food retail firm. This analysis demonstrates that, in a general sense, Atkinson's model has applicability to the labour usage strategies exhibited in food retailing. The research found that, contrary to the theories of dual labour markets, a strong internal labour market operated within the firm with short hours casual employment as the port of entry. The benefits of this practice for the organisation were flexibility in labour usage and substantial wage savings, while the negative consequences were recruitment difficulties, exacerbated by high levels of staff turnover. For the employees, the consequences depended on their position in the organisational hierarchy and their individual circumstances, but involved initially accepting limited working hours and low pay in order to gain entry into the organisation. The research undertaken for this thesis leads to the development of a revised model, the casual internal labour market model, which more accurately depicts the labour usage strategies within the case study organisation. Retail researchers argue that it is necessary to understand the dynamics of the industry in order to understand the structure of labour usage. Additionally, employment relations and retail researchers both stress the need to contextualise labour usage patterns within broader environmental constraints and supply side factors. In seeking to achieve this, this research examines business strategies, retail specific employment relations literature and the Australian employment relations context. Furthermore, this study addresses the issue of retail employment strategies at several levels within one of Australia's market-leading food retailers: corporate level, store level and at the level of individual departments within the store. In doing so, this thesis highlights the differences in labour usage between stores and between departments within the stores and thereby provides a more detailed picture of the labour use practices within food retailers.
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Byrne, Margaret. "Workplace meetings and the silencing of women an investigation of women and men's different communication styles and how these influence perceptions of leadership capability within Australian organisations /." View thesis, 2004. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20050616.113420/index.html.
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Barnes, Alison Kate School of Industrial Relations & Organisational Behaviour UNSW. "'The centre cannot hold': resistance, accommodation and control in three Australian call centres." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Industrial Relations and Organisational Behaviour, 2005. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/22026.
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Drawing upon case studies of three organisations operating six call centres in Australia, this thesis explores the manifestations and interplay of employee resistance and accommodation in response to five facets of employer control: electronic monitoring; repetitious work; emotional control; the built environment; and workplace flexibility. Accommodation refers to the ways workers protect themselves from and adapt to the pressures that make up their day-to-day experiences of work. Accommodation, unlike resistance, which implies opposition to control, may superficially resemble consent to control. I argue that resistance and accommodation are not polar opposites; rather they are both reflections of the conflict and tensions that lie at the heart of the employment relationship. At the study sites, employees utilised resistance and accommodation both separately and concurrently. An explanation of these seemingly contradictory responses and of the links among accommodation individual resistance and collective resistance lies in the concept of ???self???. In this thesis, ???self??? refers to workers??? perceptions of fairness, dignity and autonomy. I examine how these notions frame worker discontent and promote employee solidarity. ???Everyday resistance???, a concept first developed by Scott (1985) in relation to peasant struggles, is employed to highlight the existence of subterranean struggles in workplaces that otherwise appear to be harmonious. At the study sites, everyday resistance was a multi-faceted, widely employed strategy whose strength lay primarily in its immediate impact. There was, however, no necessary sequential development from accommodation, through everyday resistance to overt, formal forms of conflict. What was evident was that multiple responses to employer control could co-exist and inhibit or promote one another. But it was through organised collective resistance that more formalised gains were made and widely held grievances addressed. I suggest that, although everyday resistance may lay the groundwork for more formal struggles, one should not conclude that traditional collective resistance is ???genuine??? resistance and everyday resistance is simply a second-best prelude to it. Although conflict is always present, its intensity differs. If we are to understand the complexity of worker responses to managerial control, we need to expand the theoretical frameworks within which we analyse and interpret conflict.
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Dunlea, Valmae J. "Occupational health and safety issues for small business in the Australian hospitality industry : a communication analysis." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2001. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36784/7/36784_Digitised%20Thesis.pdf.
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Taylor, Christopher George. "The Good Bloke in Contemporary Australian Workplaces: Origins, Qualities and Impacts of a National Cultural Archetype in Small For-Profit Businesses." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1566171729886909.
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Jones, Sandra, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "The relationship between workplace reform and workplace participation." Deakin University. Bowater school of management and marketing, 2000. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050825.091140.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis sought to advance understanding of the politics of workplace reform, explaining the respective roles of management and employees and how they relate.
The literature on workplace reform usually argues that reform is predicated on greater workforce participation in managerial decisions. More specifically, different approaches to workplace reform can be aligned to different forms of participation. Thus quality management can be associated with direct forms of participation, institutional workplace reform may depend on representative forms, and best practice may require a combination of both.
This thesis uses empirical evidence to explore this alignment between the different approaches to workplace reform and forms of participation.
The period chosen for empirical study is approximately 1985-1992 - an era of rapid innovation in workplace reform for Australian manufacturing. Three workplaces were chosen for intensive study from automotive component manufacturers because that industry was itself a laboratory for workplace reform and also because these firms exemplified different approaches to competitiveness and reform.
Three approaches to workplace reform - quality management, institutional workplace reform, and best practice - were distinguished to capture the range of Australian practice at that time. Similarly two approaches to workplace participation were distinguished - direct and representative - to reflect the range of observable practices at that time and to represent competing philosophies. Direct participation illustrated an approach founded in managerial context of the political status quo, whilst representative forms were considered to permit a pluralist shift of power to enable employees to manage in place of management.
The three case studies depict companies sharing the competitive crisis of their industry. From this stems the impetus for workplace reform. At this point the firms diverged in their choice of competitive strategies for workplace reform.
The case studies reveal, at the superficial level, a match between the chosen approaches to workplace reform and forms of participation. Basically, quality management is associated with direct employee participation, institutional workplace reform with collective bargaining and representative consultative committees, and best practice with both. However when the implementation of reform and participation are examined this match becomes less significant. One firm, Auto Air, achieved highly effective outcomes in both reform and participation. Another firm, Auto Electrical, failed in both.
The thesis concluded that the relationship between forms of participation and reform is less significant than the effective implementation of policy. Unitarist or pluralist approaches to power distribution count less than managerial capacity to integrate successive reform initiatives and their commitment to workforce participation hi change.
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Murphy, Carmel. "Health promotion programs and activities in small South Australian workplaces /." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 1997. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09MPM/09mpmm978.pdf.
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Bryan, Angela E. "Face-to-face communication in Australian workplaces : a social rules approach /." St. Lucia, Qld, 2002. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe16510.pdf.
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Teh, Melissa. "Australians' and Tongans' responses to escalating workplace conflict : a social rules analysis /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2002. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe16827.pdf.
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Hall, Virginia Kaufman, of Western Sydney Hawkesbury University, of Health Humanities and Social Ecology Faculty, and School of Social Ecology. "Women transforming the workplace : collaborative inquiry into integrity in action." THESIS_FHHSE_SEL_Hall_V.xml, 1996. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/438.
Full textAbstract:
This collaborative research is an account of the recent lived experience of twelve women who bring about transformations in their own workplaces. The work integrates feminist theory with the social ecology focus of studying interactions between people and their environments. The study is multidisciplinary including psychological as well as social aspects and applies critical social research to workplace situations. The research group informed each other primarily by stories which narrated: social and family context; work situations; particular situations and specific strategies. Reflexive and archetypal meanings emerged from recounting ancient myths to help understand complex and difficult work structures which constrain the participants' creativity. This inquiry is a fresh approach to a range of workplace problems by engaging many women’s preferred working styles and applying this creative response: pro-active strategies which are demonstrated, are indeed, highly effective.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)(Social Ecology)
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McManus, Jacqueline Law Faculty of Law UNSW. "Capacity-development at work: the contribution of workplace-based learning to tax administration." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Law, 2007. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/29565.
Full textAbstract:
This study is concerned with workers, workplace learning and organisations. In the current climate of techno-logisation and globalisation, change is constant. Consequently, development of workers??? capacity to grow and adapt is essential for both the employability of the individual, and the economic survival of organisations. Capacity is considered essential because it encompasses more than current ability, it enables the growth of innovative approaches to work, which are required to adapt to change. Learning is central to capacity-development and so learning skills and related ???general skills??? are vital, but these skills must be developed in a specific context to be useful tools. Learning involves balancing the chaos of uncertainty and the old grooves of experience. Learning also involves personal growth. This study explores ways of helping workers develop capacity and especially learning skills, in a context of complexity, to meet the demands of their changing environment. The methodological approach taken is two fold, including both a conceptual and an empirical component. Firstly, a framework, based on conceptual innovation, is constructed to direct the design of workplace-based programs aimed at developing workers??? capacity. This is done as guidance in tailoring a program that promotes the development of an understanding of the necessary skills and knowledge in the context of the work undertaken, how to use them effectively, and the impact they have on the worker and their environment. It is contended that this framework promotes continued and sustained growth in workers??? skills and adaptability, that is, it develops capacity. Secondly, fieldwork based on a program developed for a group of tax administrators to instantiate this framework is reported. The findings show that this workplace-based program designed for the Australian Taxation Office has precipitated the development of the participant workers??? capacity, and in so doing, has shown the empirical significance of the conceptual innovation. Finally, the broader implications of developing workers??? capacity are explored. These include the need for organisational support for workers??? capacity-development, the possibility of the development of a learning culture in organisations, and the general applicability of the framework to other organisations, professions, and industries.
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Rosengreen, Kathleen, and n/a. "UNDERSTANDING WORKPLACE EXPECTATIONS: A STUDY OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF PRELINGUALLY DEAF WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS." University of Canberra. Education, 2007. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20090209.162542.
Full textAbstract:
This study examined the understanding of workplace expectations of a group of deaf workers. Nine males and fifteen females, ranging in ages 18 to 48, all prelingually deaf, and whose preferred mode of communication was Auslan (Australian Sign Language), participated in the study. All had a history of extended periods of unemployment, interspersed with short-term vocational training courses that had not resulted in long-term employment. Ten of the participants were individuals identified as low-functioning deaf (LFD) characterised by their limited communication skills in sign language, English and presence of secondary disabilities.
The purpose of this research was to investigate the extent the deaf participants understood employer expectations and how this knowledge may have impacted their employment success. Each deaf participant completed a 25-item written questionnaire exploring their views about workplace behaviours. A group of 100 employers from the Western Sydney area completed the same survey. The 24 deaf participants were interviewed regarding how they prioritised the items in the questionnaire and were asked to describe their workplace experiences. Subsequently, both data sets were analysed and compared.
The participants were divided into four subgroups based on their employment status: employed/unemployed and functional levels: medium/LFD. Analysis of questionnaire rankings indicated the employed participants? responses showed good understanding of employer expectations. Results for the unemployed participants were divided; the rankings for the medium-functioning unemployed participants were very similar to
the employed participants except in four areas. Predictably, the unemployed participants with LFD demonstrated a much lower understanding of employer expectations.
The qualitative interviews provided further insight into the deaf participants? attitudes towards employment and the importance of meeting employer expectations. Additionally the interview transcripts identified many workplace problems experienced by the deaf participants which contribute to a lack of correspondence. The findings suggest deaf workers? dissatisfaction with their workplace conditions may play a role in their ability to sustain employment. Therefore, meeting employer expectations can be seen as only one of many components of successful employment.
The findings suggest that both deaf workers and employers would benefit from greater understanding of each others? perspectives about the workplace. Seven topics are recommended for inclusion in future curricula. Better understanding of each others? views can support improved workplace relationships, employment retention and satisfaction levels.
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Cullity, Marguerite Mary. "A case study of employees' motivation to participate in a workplace language and literacy program." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1998. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1735.
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The reasons why non-English speaking background (NESB) shopfloor employees participate in workplace language and literacy classes and the factors that affect their motivation to participate are relative unknowns. This study investigates NESB shopfloor employees' motivation to participate in a Communication Skills Development Program (CSDP) course and the factors that affected their motivation. An inductive analysis of findings revealed that all of the employees participated in one of the CSDP courses for a variety of pre-determined life-specific reasons. These reasons are represented by three main categories of goals (i.e., 'Self-improvement through language and literacy development', 'Work', 'Outside work'). Of these goals, all of the employees reported 'Self-improvement through language and literacy development' as the underlying reason why they participated in one of the CSDP courses. Further, each employee reported a language/literacy practice that is peculiar to all of his/her goals and most sub-goals. An extended analysis of the employees' motivation to participate identified the employees as being 'transactional-', 'vocational-', 'fellowship-', 'social camaraderie-' and/or 'self-satisfaction- oriented' learners. Findings also revealed that a variety of 'personal', 'course-related' and 'context-related' factors either positively or adversely affected the employees' motivation to participate. A qualitative case study design was implemented. Data was collected through interviews, observations, field notes and the review of artifacts. Data was inductively analysed by classifying patterns of relationships into categories that represent the employees' motivation to participate and factors that affected their motivation. ii This study's findings have implications for theory and practice. At a theoretical level, these findings add to the existing theoretical understanding of why English as second language adults participate in workplace language and literacy classes and the factors that affect their motivation. At a practice level, these findings illustrate the need for Food Products management and program teachers to have an understanding of the reasons 'why' NESB shopfloor employees participate in workplace language and literacy classes and the factors that affect their motivation. For with such an understanding, first, Food Products management will be able to implement organisational practices that positively affect the employees' motivation to participate in future CSDP classes. Second, teachers will be able to assist the employees to set realistic goals, and design and implement course content that assists the employees to attain these goals.. For it is when employees attain their goals that they will form and hold positive perceptions of the course in which they participate.
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Steel, Lara. "Employee retention in cross-cultural workplaces: Exploring the experience of Aboriginal employees in mainstream Australian organisations." Thesis, Steel, Lara (2017) Employee retention in cross-cultural workplaces: Exploring the experience of Aboriginal employees in mainstream Australian organisations. Masters by Coursework thesis, Murdoch University, 2017. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/45267/.
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Employment is linked to a variety of positive wellbeing outcomes and many initiatives have been introduced to support and increase Aboriginal engagement in the workforce. However, employment and retention rates for Aboriginal employees are disproportionately lower than the mainstream Australian population. This qualitative study investigates the lived experiences of 10 Aboriginal participants who have been employed in mainstream Australian workplaces. Through semi-structured interviews, the findings highlight the complexity of the cross-cultural workplace; indicating that mainstream views of work may be fundamentally incompatible with Indigenous worldviews which prioritise family and community wellbeing. Success in the mainstream workplace is also implicated as requiring high levels of cultural agility on the part of the Aboriginal employee, implicating that widespread Aboriginal participation in the mainstream workforce may be unrealistic and ethically questionable. In addition, cultural safety within the workplace is implicated as a factor in both retention and turnover of Aboriginal staff.
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Cockfield, Sandra A., and n/a. "The Interaction of Industrial Tribunals and Workplace Industrial Relations in Australia: the Metal trades, 1900 to 1929." Griffith University. Griffith Business School, 1998. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20050914.170636.
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This thesis examines the influence of compulsory state arbitration and wages board systems on workplace industrial relations. Using an historical and comparative case study approach, the thesis researches workplace industrial relations at three firms operating in the metal industry between 1900 and 1929. A political economy perspective is employed to examine the interaction of institutional stnictures and economic and political processes in the regulation of the wage-effort bargain at the workplace. Key concepts are drawn from both mainstream industrial relations theory, in particular the Oxford School approach, and labour process theory. Drawing on the work of flanders, a distinction is made between the economic and political aspects of the wage-effort bargain through the differentiation of market relations and managerial relations. This thesis argues that arbitral and wages board systems interacted with a range of factors to shape and influence workplace industrial relations. In keeping with the political economy perspective, the thesis examines the economic, industry, technological, political, and institutional environment within which the three cases operated, identifying changes and trends in these factors during the period under review and their implications for workplace industrial relations. The three cases allowed a closer examination of the influence of these general trends on the development of workplace industrial relations. The cases demonstrate the diversity of the metals sector, each representing a different industry in that sector. Further, the cases differed in their geographic and jurisdictional location, allowing comparisons between Victoria and New South Wales to be made. An examination of the role of arbitral tribunals and wages boards argues that the tribunals used their ability to regulate and stabilise market relations to offset their intervention in managerial relations. In this respect the tribunals sought to engineer changes in managerial relations favourable to industry development and yet simultaneously obtain support from the unions through improvements in market relations. As a consequence of these conflicting objectives the tribunals often behaved in a contradictory manner. In addition, unintended consequences often flowed from tribunal regulation and were important in shaping events at the workplace. Thus while industrial tribunals sought to improve market relations, they inadvertently assisted workers to gain more influence over managerial relations. In each case the workplace was the site of much regulatory activity, whether initiated by management, unions or workers. However, the three cases each present a different pattern of workplace industrial relations in terms: of scope of regulation at the workplace; the role of unions; the nature of managerial strategy; the role of unions; and the implementation and enforcement of tribunals decisions. Moreover, the effect of arbitration and wages board systems at each workplace varied, with the influence of a particular matrix of industry, economic, technological and institutional conditions shaped at the workplace.
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Baudains, Catherine Mary. "Environmental education in the workplace : inducing voluntary transport behaviour change to decrease single occupant vehicle trips by commuters into the Perth CBD." Access via Murdoch University Digital Theses Project, 2003. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browser/view/adt-MU20040310.121357.
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Wakefield, Lynette Florence, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "Workplace education and training: Are Tafe teachers prepared for their evolving roles?" Deakin University, 1996. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050815.103545.
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Watt, James Robert. "Electronic workplace surveillance and employee privacy : a comparative analysis of privacy protection in Australia and the United States." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2009. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/26536/1/James_Watt_Thesis.pdf.
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More than a century ago in their definitive work “The Right to Privacy” Samuel D. Warren and Louis D. Brandeis highlighted the challenges posed to individual privacy by advancing technology. Today’s workplace is characterised by its reliance on computer technology, particularly the use of email and the Internet to perform critical business functions. Increasingly these and other workplace activities are the focus of monitoring by employers.
There is little formal regulation of electronic monitoring in Australian or United States workplaces. Without reasonable limits or controls, this has the potential to adversely affect employees’ privacy rights.
Australia has a history of legislating to protect privacy rights, whereas the United States has relied on a combination of constitutional guarantees, federal and state statutes, and the common law. This thesis examines a number of existing and proposed statutory and other workplace privacy laws in Australia and the United States.
The analysis demonstrates that existing measures fail to adequately regulate monitoring or provide employees with suitable remedies where unjustifiable intrusions occur. The thesis ultimately supports the view that enacting uniform legislation at the national level provides a more effective and comprehensive solution for both employers and employees.
Chapter One provides a general introduction and briefly discusses issues relevant to electronic monitoring in the workplace. Chapter Two contains an overview of privacy law as it relates to electronic monitoring in Australian and United States workplaces. In Chapter Three there is an examination of the complaint process and remedies available to a hypothetical employee (Mary) who is concerned about protecting her privacy rights at work. Chapter Four provides an analysis of the major themes emerging from the research, and also discusses the draft national uniform legislation. Chapter Five details the proposed legislation in the form of the Workplace Surveillance and Monitoring Act, and Chapter Six contains the conclusion.
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Watt, James Robert. "Electronic workplace surveillance and employee privacy : a comparative analysis of privacy protection in Australia and the United States." Queensland University of Technology, 2009. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/26536/.
Full textAbstract:
More than a century ago in their definitive work “The Right to Privacy” Samuel D. Warren and Louis D. Brandeis highlighted the challenges posed to individual privacy by advancing technology. Today’s workplace is characterised by its reliance on computer technology, particularly the use of email and the Internet to perform critical business functions. Increasingly these and other workplace activities are the focus of monitoring by employers.
There is little formal regulation of electronic monitoring in Australian or United States workplaces. Without reasonable limits or controls, this has the potential to adversely affect employees’ privacy rights.
Australia has a history of legislating to protect privacy rights, whereas the United States has relied on a combination of constitutional guarantees, federal and state statutes, and the common law. This thesis examines a number of existing and proposed statutory and other workplace privacy laws in Australia and the United States.
The analysis demonstrates that existing measures fail to adequately regulate monitoring or provide employees with suitable remedies where unjustifiable intrusions occur. The thesis ultimately supports the view that enacting uniform legislation at the national level provides a more effective and comprehensive solution for both employers and employees.
Chapter One provides a general introduction and briefly discusses issues relevant to electronic monitoring in the workplace. Chapter Two contains an overview of privacy law as it relates to electronic monitoring in Australian and United States workplaces. In Chapter Three there is an examination of the complaint process and remedies available to a hypothetical employee (Mary) who is concerned about protecting her privacy rights at work. Chapter Four provides an analysis of the major themes emerging from the research, and also discusses the draft national uniform legislation. Chapter Five details the proposed legislation in the form of the Workplace Surveillance and Monitoring Act, and Chapter Six contains the conclusion.
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Penney, Kendal. "Gender equity leadership in Western Australia: Exploring the experiences of executive leaders driving gender equity in the workplace." Thesis, Penney, Kendal (2020) Gender equity leadership in Western Australia: Exploring the experiences of executive leaders driving gender equity in the workplace. Masters by Coursework thesis, Murdoch University, 2020. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/60670/.
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The status of women in society has improved remarkably in Australia since the early 1900s. This has seen a marked increase in the number of women in the workforce, yet adequate progress towards eradicating gender inequality from Australian workplaces remains to be seen. This lack of sustainable progress in Australia’s attempts to achieve gender equity highlights a need to better understand how organisations are tackling gender inequality in the workplace. A review of the literature reveals gaps in understanding the role leaders can play in achieving effective and sustainable outcomes in gender equity. A qualitative exploratory design using secondary archived audio recordings explores the lived experiences of fourteen WA executive leaders committed to driving gender equality in their organisations, in order to gain insight into the lived experience of leading gender equity in W.A. organisations; identify possible determinants of effective and impactful leadership in gender equity; and 3) lay the foundations for future research. Results from inductive thematic analysis identified three core themes; Internalizing Desire for Gender Equity Action, Create an Environment for Gender Equity Action; and Considerations for Designing Gender Equity Action. Implications of findings for further research and practice are discussed.
Keywords: qualitative, secondary, archived, leadership, gender equity
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Frawley, J. W., University of Western Sydney, College of Social and Health Sciences, and School of Applied Social and Human Sciences. "Country all round : the significance of a community's history for work and workplace education." THESIS_CSHS_ASH_Frawley_J.xml, 2001. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/528.
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The purpose of this research is to investigate the significance of a Tiwi community's history in order to better understand the work of Aboriginal Community Police Officers (ACPO).The situation under study is a workplace on Bathurst Island in the Northern Territory. The literature on workplace education offers the proposition that an understanding of the socio-cultural and historical context of workplaces is fundamental to thinking about workplace education.It is hypothesised that ACPOs have a dual consciousness of their profession and their workplace, and this consciousness has been informed and shaped by their common history.It is argued that this history is characterised by syncretism. The process of acculturation is researched, where police officers draw on experiences with, and knowledge of, both Tiwi and murrintawi societies.An historical account of the Tiwi society is given.A literary device of vignettes is used, followed by a descriptive-analytical interpretation in which historical events and various social-cultural aspects are described, analysed and interpretedDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Lake, Rosalind. "Discrimination against people with mental health problems in the workplace : a comparative analysis." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005712.
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For a long time the rights of disabled persons have been ignored worldwide. A major obstacle faced by disabled persons is discrimination in the workplace. Due to the development of a social approach to disability and the efforts of the Disability Rights Movement, legislation has been passed throughout the world to improve this dire situation. The thesis considers the efficacy of some of these statutes. It is concluded that stigma and negative stereotypes remain a constant hurdle in overcoming discrimination. The forthcoming UN Disability Convention is demonstrative of the recognition of the importance of the needs and rights of disabled people. The convention proposes some innovative measures to overcome stigma and stereotyping. Mental health problems constitute one of the leading causes of disability. The thesis explores how people with mental health problems fit within the concept of people with disabilities and whether they are included in anti-discrimination legislation and affirmative action measures. Special attention is given to statutory definitions of disability, the different forms of discrimination and the concept of reasonable accommodation. A comparative approach is taken to analyse how South Africa's disability law measures up against that of Britain and Australia in terms of its substantive provisions and enforcement thereof. In considering the South African position American and Canadian jurisprudence is consulted in order to aid in interpretation. It is concluded that although South Africa has a comparatively good legislative framework, it is held back by an overly restrictive and medically focused definition of disability. As a result many individuals with mental health difficulties, desirous of obtaining and retaining employment may be excluded from protection against discrimination in the workplace. It is argued that it will be necessary either to amend the Employment Equity Act or for the courts to adhere strictly to the concept of substantive equality in order to ensure that the rights and dignity of people with mental health difficulties are adequately protected.
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Omari, Maryam. "Towards dignity and respect at work: An exploration of bullying in the public sector." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2007. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/45.
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Organisations today function in complex and dynamic environments which exert continual pressure to change and compete. Employees are often seen as a key to success in this world, as flexible and adaptable resources. The quality of their work life therefore takes on an important role in ensuring they reach their full potential. A long-standing safety and performance issue in the workplace is bullying, or mobbing as it is called in the European literature. Bullying can have adverse effects for individuals, including both the perpetrator and the victim, as well as their families, the organisation, and ultimately the wider society.
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Rogers, Jenna. "Managing learning in the workplace: a study of the perceptions and practice of local government managers." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2017. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2041.
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In 1995 the Australian Government commissioned the report Enterprising Nation ‘: renewing Australia’s managers to meet the challenges of the Asia-Pacific century (Karpin, 1995), which emphasised the change that was necessary in Australian business to remain competitive in the global and growing economy. The development of flexible organisational cultures, where managers increasingly displayed leadership and developed their staff to generate innovative cultures, was a central premise of the Karpin Report Task Force’s vision. Twenty years later, this study explored the extent to which managers have moved from being ‘cops to coaches’ and integrated the facilitation of employee learning within their roles. Currently, there is still a lack of empirical research into the role that managers play in the learning of employees. This study asked managers to reflect on how they value their role as managers of learning and what activities they undertake to operationalise these responsibilities.
This study was developed by gathering clusters of manager and employee perceptions about their experiences of the facilitation of workplace learning. A local government context provided a revelatory and purposeful case study, as government agencies were at the fore-front of management change initiatives in the early 2000’s and have been subject since to considerable and continuing change through structural re-alignment and increasing social demands.
The study began with a collection of contextual data and subsequently moved to in-depth interviews, which were used to focus on how learning is being facilitated in the workplace by managers and what roles they are taking. The study used well-established theories of workplace learning (Billett, 2004; Marsick & Watkins, 1999; Poell, Chivers, Van Der Krogt, & Wildemeersch, 2000; Senge, 1990; Van der Krogt, 1998) to form the instrument protocols and shape the analysis process.
A comparison of viewpoints showed the real and perceived barriers and enablers to facilitating learning in the workplace. Significant topics that emerged from the study can be categorised into four themes: understanding learning in the workplace; the extent of informal learning in the workplace; managers’ intentions becoming actions; and employee engagement with learning opportunities. Following these themes, four recommendations were provided for managers to enhance their workplace operations. Academically, the study provides a unique profile about the development of management roles in Western Australia and extends current understanding of manager learning roles within organisations from an empirical basis. Pragmatically, the study will provide organisations and managers with a role model case study and examples of workplace cultures and actions that can have positive impacts on workplace learning.