Faculty of Business and Law
Deakin University
Convened by Professor Julie Wolfram Cox, the Work, Workers and Organisations (WWO) Research Grouping conducts high quality theoretical and applied (qualitative and quantitative) research into a variety of issues that have work, workers and organisations as the central theme. This focus is in recognition that the Australian workplace has undergone major structural and cultural changes over the last twenty years. In particular, changes in corporate governance, economic growth, power of the trade unions, casualisation of the work force and industrial relations reforms have resulted in significant changes to the forms and media through which people engage in and experience the nature of both paid and unpaid work.
In addition to examining the nature and organisation of work (both paid and unpaid), this grouping is distinctive in that it aims to examine how work takes place within a complex system of economic, social, cultural, environmental and political influences and how organisations and their employees must respond to continual change in the face of dynamic markets, institutional and legal reform, the transformation of communities and technological innovation. As such, WWO aims to conduct multidisciplinary research into the nature and experience of contemporary life in and beyond work organisations and its research outputs fall not only within Business and Management but also Sociology and Cultural Studies. Reflecting its intra- and extra-organisational agenda, published WWO research (particularly refereed journal articles) includes the following themes:
1. Organisation Theory and Organisational Aesthetics: Innovative contributions include examination of interfaces between organisation theory, the sciences and the arts and crafts, and associated impacts and challenges for organisational research methodology and for teaching pedagogy.
2. Human Resource Management and Employment Relations: Institutions and Applications: This theme includes many of WWOs researchers, reflecting their widespread contributions to research in the areas of industrial and employment relations in contemporary Australia, cross-cultural and diversity management, discrimination studies and strategic human resource management. It includes works on workforce composition and training, e-commerce and human resource strategies, quality culture, project and team work performance and a particular focus on small and family business management. Particularly strong in the areas of industrial relations and employment law and policy, this theme also includes works on accident compensation, occupational health and safety and organisational, occupational and job stress and strain.
3. Organisational Change and Development: Including both quantitative and qualitative studies on organisational change, work within this theme covers the topics of emotion and emotion management, paternalism in organisational change, narrative, critical and complexity theory perspectives on organisational change, the importance of trigger events, new forms of and standards for organising, and organisation development practice.
4. Public, Private and Community Interfaces: It is here that WWO's interdisciplinary contributions are most evident, this theme including work on work/life balance, career/family changes, public, community and not for profit sectors and recognition of the importance of gender and age composition and dynamics within the Australian workforce.
Convenor: Professor Julie Wolfram Cox
