Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing in Nathan | College & University

Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing

Locality: Nathan

Phone: +61 7 3735 3714

Address: 170 Kessels Road 4111 Nathan, QLD, Australia

Website: www2.griffith.edu.au/work-organisation-wellbeing

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25.01.2022 An interesting read in an ETUI Policy Brief - European Economic, Employment and Social Policy. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought numerous healthcare terms to the publics awareness. On a daily basis, we hear about respirators, N95 masks and personal protective equipment. Tributes to health workers have been echoing on the streets with people applauding their heroes for all their hard work. What is less audible is how austerity measures have contributed to the extremely demanding situation of health workers. Read more here: https://www.etui.org//Our%20failure%20to%20prevent%20known

25.01.2022 With millions of workers impacted, the short-term impacts of the coronavirus pandemic have been unprecedented. But what will be the longer-term impacts of new ways of working remotely and at-home? Will a more distributed workforce be a less unionised and empowered workforce? https://www.mitbestimmung.de//the-challenges-of-the-post-c

25.01.2022 Congratulations GBS!

24.01.2022 An interesting blog post on how in the face of demographic change, automation, digitalisation and the COVID-19 pandemic, economies need to invest in the resilience and adaptability of their workforce. Strong basic information processing skills including literacy, numeracy and digital skills provide the foundations for workers to develop more advanced and vocational skills, and effectively respond to changes in the labour market. Early evidence from the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on labour markets shows that workers in low-skilled jobs were among the most heavily impacted, highlighting the need to strengthen their adaptability. Read more here: https://oecdskillsandwork.wordpress.com//back-to-basics-i/

24.01.2022 Professor David Peetz spoke to the Sydney Morning Herald about union membership during recessions. Membership of some of Australias largest unions has defied expectations and increased amid the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.smh.com.au//unions-defy-expectations-to-report

24.01.2022 The Centre for Economic Performance (UK) has published a report outlining the impact of COVID-19 on the self-employed. It found that: Between April and August, the self-employed experienced little economic recovery, with hours and incomes being significantly lower than the same time last year, and 58 per cent reporting having less work than usual in August. ... Self-employed individuals who find work through apps - such as private hire drivers - are among the least negatively affected, with a third reporting having more work than usual. One fifth of workers consider it likely that they will leave self-employment. Self-employed workers were seemingly overly optimistic during the lockdown, as they are now pushing back their expectations on when their business will be back to normal. Schools reopening has lifted some of the pressure off self-employed parents, whose work was adversely affected by the intensified caregiving responsibilities during the lockdown. Read more here: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/cepcovid-19-012.pdf

23.01.2022 For most of us the experience of working from home this year has, on balance, been positive enough that it may well become the norm after the COVID-19 crisis ends. But modelling by Victoria Universitys Centre of Policy Studies shows there will be costs alongside the personal benefits, with more urban sprawl, job flight to the biggest cities and greater economic disparities between regions. Read more here: https://theconversation.com/more-urban-sprawl-while-jobs-cl

23.01.2022 As jobs go remote due to coronavirus, several cities are doubling down on incentive programs to lure tech workers to work from home in a new location. https://www.bloomberg.com//cities-are-looking-to-lure-newl

23.01.2022 Farm businesswomen "need more support to help them realise their potential. https://inqld.com.au//fresh-crop-the-battle-to-turn-more-/

22.01.2022 A winter cold isnt the only thing that can spread among co-workers studies demonstrate that our emotions are also contagious. Not only can a good or bad mood impact our work performance, it can influence those around us. WOW member Dr Carys Chan has co-authored a paper in Personnel Review titled: When the boss is blue: examining the effects of supervisors negative emotions on subordinates cognitive work engagement and family undermining. Read more here: https://blogs.griffith.edu.au//what-to-do-when-the-boss-i/

22.01.2022 Can dad leave close the gender inequality gap? An interesting read in The Conversation on how policy change can help form different habits. Evidence from around the world including North America, Iceland, Germany, Britain and Australia shows fathers who take a significant period of parental leave when their baby is born are more likely to be more involved in caring and other housework years later. https://theconversation.com/reforming-dad-leave-is-a-baby-s

21.01.2022 Today is RU OK day so make sure you take some time out to check in on your family and friends. Its been an incredibly challenging year and it can make all the ...difference to someone to just ask the question are you ok? Not sure what to say? Thats alright, the R U OK Day website has plenty of great resources to help https://bit.ly/2YWlQtr

19.01.2022 Please dont end work from home. Its not that bad! Workers have complained about working from home since offices migrated into homes since the coronavirus outbreak, but we are only on the cusp of realising its benefits, says Carys Chan. https://www.channelnewsasia.com//work-from-home-remote-wor

19.01.2022 COVID-19 and its associated global economic collapse has bluntly revealed that decision makers everywhere are ill-equipped to identify the innovative capacities of modern societies and, in particular, deploy workplace managers to harness such capabilities. WOW members Bradley Bowden (Griffith University) and Anthony M. Gould (Laval University and Adjunct Professor, Griffith University) have co-edited the Palgrave Handbook of Management History with Jeffrey Muldoon (Emporia State University), and Adela McMurray (RMIT University). This work explores almost every aspect of employment, work and management. Included in its pages are studies of management in antiquity, during the Middle Ages, and across the globe. https://blogs.griffith.edu.au//im-starting-to-feel-sick-t/

19.01.2022 Congratulations to Dr Fiona Archontoulis on her PhD graduation! Fiona and some of her WOW peers celebrated her achievement in the city. Fiona was also WOWs HDR Representative during her candidature. She has been an engaged and proactive Representative and we would like to acknowledge her contribution to shaping such a supportive research environment. Wishing you the best in your career, Fiona!

19.01.2022 Womens work and expertise are critical in maintaining and developing agricultural businesses but more needs to be done for farm businesswomen to achieve the recognition they deserve. In a new report, Griffith University researchers and WOW members Dr Susan Ressia, Prof. Glenda Strachan, Dr Mary Rogers, Dr Kim Ball and Prof. Ruth McPhail, with the Queensland Farmers Federation (QFF) identified initiatives to encourage more women to take up leadership roles in the states agriculture sector. https://news.griffith.edu.au//female-farmers-look-to-grow/

18.01.2022 WOW Member Dr Sudong Shang has co-authored a paper in Economic and Industrial Democracy entitled: ‘Public support for a union default: Predicting factors and implications for public policy’. Drawing on survey findings, in this article the authors examine levels of public support in New Zealand for a union default. The key findings are that support is high (59%), that support is principally predicted by a belief in the default’s effectiveness for improving employees’ lives, and that this belief mediates a number of other predictors, such as union membership, non-union by choice, political party, household income, gender and age. Read more here: https://journals.sagepub.com/d/pdf/10.1177/0143831X20969811

18.01.2022 Professor Paula Brough presented a keynote at the 14th European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology Virtual Conference last week entitled: The Enigmatic Concept of Work-Life Balance: Ensuring Meaningful Progress. It was then formally announced that she was awarded with a Fellowship of the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology! Paula also chaired and presented at an invited symposium at this conference entitled: Still encountering a glass ceiling? Developments for women and work. Congratulations on all your achievements, Paula!

18.01.2022 How to stop sick people going to work? Thats a question the Victorian government has been grappling with since it became clear about 80% of new COVID-19 infections in the states second-wave outbreak were from workplace transmissions. Read more on this topic in an article published by The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/workplace-transmissions-a-predi

17.01.2022 Thank you to Dr Amie Shaw for her thoughtful presentation yesterday that explored how employability influences the career success of women professionals through using a competency-based approach. A range of academic and industry attendees also participated in a reflective discussion afterwards. We look forward to reading your publications from this research Dr Shaw! If you missed the presentation, you can watch the recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgCUffo90Qw&feature=youtu.be

16.01.2022 An interesting read in the Social Europe blog on how Covid-19 has all too clearly shown how digital tools have become an integral part of workbe they used for online meetings or for the increasing surveillance and monitoring of workers at home or in the workplace. In many cases, employees are left to accept these new surveillance technologies or risk losing their jobs. Covid-19 has thus expanded a power divide which was already growing, allowing the owners and managers of these technologies to extract, and capitalise upon, more and more data from workers. Read more here: https://www.socialeurope.eu/workers-rights-negotiating-and-

15.01.2022 ‘A better future for all’ Kerry O’Brien in conversation with The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP This conversation with veteran journalist Kerry O’Brien will discuss the big policy challenges facing Queensland as the pandemic hopefully recedeseconomic, social, environmentaland how Premier Palaszczuk intends to confront them. He will also explore her motivation, influences and style of leadership.... Thursday 11 February 2021, 67.15 pm AEST Register to view the livestream or to purchase a ticket to attend in person at https://betterfuture.griffith.edu.au/category/events/

15.01.2022 We had an excellent online seminar yesterday hosted by Prof Dian Tjondronegoro on Digitised workspace: new normal that transforms our productivity and wellbeing. Dian discussed how during the COVID-19 pandemic, most companies worldwide have made a sudden shift to a new working landscape, where working from home has become the most viable option to maintain productivity while adhering to the physical distancing restrictions. We enjoyed learning what the future of work technology may look like. To attend future WOW seminars, email [email protected] View our calendar here: https://www.griffith.edu.au/work-organisation-w/news-events

15.01.2022 With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, many in the world’s workforce have shifted to homeworking, thereby joining the hundreds of millions of workers who have already been working from home for decades. The International Labour Organization recently published a report that seeks to improve understanding of home work as well as offer policy guidance that can pave the way to decent work for homeworkers both old and new. Read more here:... https://www.ilo.org//---travail/documents//wcms_765806.pdf See more

14.01.2022 An interesting article in The Conversation on the foreseeable cause of the South Australia COVID-19 outbreak. ‘This debacle again illustrates the problem of insecure and low-paid work, and the moral jeopardy it forces on hundreds of thousands of people really just trying to make ends meet’. Read the full article here: https://theconversation.com/hating-on-the-woodville-pizza-g

14.01.2022 The Griffith Business School Higher Degree Research (GBS HDR) Showcase is now on. The presentation event provides an opportunity for our HDR candidates to communicate their research to a relevant and interested audience. Divided into two parts, the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition and Poster Competition, the event is also a celebration and display of the diversity and impact of PhD and MPhil Research currently being undertaken in the School. We are pleased that this year... two of our HDR candidates are participating in the 3MT competition (Maria Khan/Dan Henning Langerud) and two in the poster competition (Rosa Faaliyat/Negar Faaliyat). Best of luck to everyone! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLrFMZdcaKs&feature=emb_logo https://www.youtube.com/watch

14.01.2022 Griffith University and HOTA’s series of timely and thought-provoking conversations, A better future for all, continues in November at HOTA, Home of the Arts, with a panel discussion moderated by host Kerry O’Brien that will discuss the human side of the pandemic and how this collective experience might change society. To join us on Tuesday November 24th at 6pm, register here: https://betterfuture.griffith.edu.au/category/events/

13.01.2022 What do people actually think about working from home? WOW members Professor David Peetz and Dr Carolyn Troup were part of a team of researchers who surveyed 11,000 employees in Canadian and Australian universities to find out. Read the results here: http://ow.ly/WGu450CbXjp Professor Peetz will present his findings at our next seminar on Wednesday November 18th @ 10am. Email [email protected] if you’d like to attend.

13.01.2022 In the Australian Financial Review, GBS Academic Dr Rob Hales says directors can influence the culture of an organisation through their own behaviours in an article about the importance of culture after the banking royal commission. Read more here: https://www.afr.com//why-the-right-culture-is-an-organisat

13.01.2022 WOW HDR member Rosa Faaliyat recently co-authored a journal article with Professors Keith Townsend, David Peetz and Dr Susan Ressia, in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Journal titled: Skilled migrant employees perceptions of support from line managers. Read more on our blog here: https://blogs.griffith.edu.au//our-strength-lies-in-diffe/

12.01.2022 Paid sick leave is an important policy for protecting workers and their communities during a pandemic, serving not only to preserve jobs and incomes but also to contain the spread of the virus. This column examines how different countries implemented paid sick leave during the COVID-19 crisis. Evidence suggests such policies will facilitate an orderly end to lockdowns and sustain workers during subsequent waves of infection but only if temporary extensions are kept in place and broadened to include those workers currently denied. https://voxeu.org//paid-sick-leave-during-covid-19-health-

12.01.2022 WOW members Michael Barry and Adrian Wilkinson have co-authored a paper in the International Journal of Training and Development: Is it you or your workplace? Predictors of jobrelated training in the AngloAmerican world. This paper examines the determinants of jobrelated training and workplace voice. Using data from a unique 2016 crossnational survey of Australian, British, Canadian and American employees, the paper contrasts two classic formulations in the literatu...re; (1) the neoclassical/human capital approach which predicts that individual characteristics (such as age and education) which increase the efficiency of learning, will have the largest impact on the allocation of training (i.e. younger and more educated employees will be afforded training) and (2) the traditional institutional approach which favours the structural characteristics present at the industry and firm level, the nature of the job itself and the strategic choices of firms as the major predictors of jobrelated training. Read more here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ijtd.12192

12.01.2022 A/Prof Alannah Rafferty has co-authored a paper in the International Journal of Human Resource Management entitled: ‘Birds of a feather flock together: the relationship between managers’ and employees’ perceptions of HR practices’. Drawing on social information processing theory, this paper investigates the relationship between managers’ and employees’ perceptions of HR practices and explore the factors that moderate this relationship. Read more here: https://www.tandfonline.com//full/10/09585192.2020.1871397

09.01.2022 Dr Darren Wishart has co-authored an article entitled: ‘Review of post-licence motorcycle rider training in New South Wales’ in the Journal of Road Safety. Fully licensed motorcyclists represented over two thirds of riders killed on New South Wales (NSW) roads from 2010 2014. An ongoing need to address crash risks among this cohort is recognised and there is strong support for post-licence rider training (PLRT) among rider advocates and stakeholders. This research, commissi...oned by Transport for NSW, examined the PLRT environment in NSW to assess the extent to which courses targeted specific rider skills and competencies. Key Findings Forty post-licence rider training (PLRT) options were offered in New South Wales Most PLRT courses (55%) appeared likely to support riders’ risk management Basic skills are sometimes lacking in prospective PLRT participants Strategies to increase PLRT participation are worth considering Read more here: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/206394/1/72556479.pdf

09.01.2022 Griffith has received a string of 5-star ratings in the latest Good Universities Guide, soaring 13 places to rank 7th nationally for overall educational experience and jumping 9 places to 10th in the country for teaching quality. The University also improved 5 places to 11th for learning resources and remains 7th in the country in terms of staff qualifications, the guide recognising the proportion of academic staff with a doctoral qualification. Read more here: https://news.griffith.edu.au//griffith-ranks-well-in-good/

09.01.2022 At a moment when policymakers are putting increased efforts into tackling gender gaps in the labour market, it is worth asking whether robotization could worsen pay disparities between men and women. Using new evidence from 20 European countries, this column finds that men at medium- and high-skill occupations disproportionately benefit from robotization, especially in countries where gender inequality was already severe. The authors recommend that governments pay attention to automations distributional issues and increase their efforts to equip women and men equally with the skills most relevant for future employability. https://voxeu.org/article/robots-and-gender-pay-gap-europe

08.01.2022 The implementation of performance management is the responsibility of managers; more importantly, a key part of a frontline managers role is ensuring that frontline employees are performing by meeting organisational goals. Existing research has shown a lack of focus on the role of frontline managers in the implementation of performance management systems despite plenty of research on the separate topics of frontline managers and performance management. This article, publishe...d by WOW HDR graduate Dr Qian Yi Lee and members Professors Keith Townsend and Adrian Wilkinson, aims to understand how frontline managers connect the intended performance management system, through components and processes developed by the human resources department and higher levels of management, with their employees performance. Read more here: https://www.emerald.com//doi/10./PR-11-2019-0639/full/html

07.01.2022 Research has largely shown that supervisors negative emotions lead to subordinates negative emotions and detrimental work outcomes, but recent studies are showing that supervisor negative emotions may yield both negative and positive subordinate behaviours. Drawing on the workhome resources model, this research, co-authored by WOW member Dr Xi Wen (Carys) Chan, sought to unpack the interpersonal, cross-domain effects of supervisor negative emotions on subordinate cognitive work engagement and family undermining through subordinate perceived leader effectiveness and self-efficacy to manage work and life. Carys is employed in the Griffith School of Applied Psychology and will be presenting a WOW seminar on September 23rd. Read more here: https://www.emerald.com//doi/10./PR-04-2019-0177/full/html

06.01.2022 WOW Member Professor Keith Townsend will be presenting a seminar The Role of HRM and Other Support Systems for the Centre for Decent Work and Productivity, Manchester Metropolitan University. This event is part of the Decent Work and Productivity Seminar Series. Date: Monday October 5th, 2020... For more information, please contact Dr. Katy Jones at [email protected]. This Seminar Series is free to attend and open to all. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-role-of-hrm-and-other-su

06.01.2022 Do you have a voice at work? Do you know when to speak up or say nothing? These are some of the aspects of employee voice and are issues we all face daily at work. The newly released book: Handbook of Research on Employee Voice (2nd edition), co-edited by WOW Director Professor Adrian Wilkinson, together with Jimmy Donaghey (Unisa), Tony Dundon (Limerick & Manchester) and Richard Freeman (Harvard) presents up-to-date analysis from various academic streams and disciplines that illuminate our understanding of employee voice from a range of different perspectives. Read more on our blog here: https://blogs.griffith.edu.au//to-speak-or-not-to-speak-w/

06.01.2022 Is it possible that anger a widely condemned emotion in the workplace could in fact be a key component of effective management and healthy business relationships? The answer is yes. Thats not an opinion, by the way, but the conclusion of esteemed scholars who have completed a comprehensive analysis of all the major studies to date. Theyve determined anger should not be thought of categorically as a negative emotion; indeed anger can be considered positive. Read more... here: https://www.smh.com.au//why-it-s-ok-to-get-angry-at-work-2 See more

06.01.2022 WOW Members Emeritus Professor Glenda Strachan and adjunct Dr Mahan Poorhosseinzadeh have published a paper in the British Journal of Management entitled: Straightjackets of Male Domination in Senior Positions: Revisiting Acker's ‘Ideal Worker’ and the Construction of the ‘Ideal Executive’. This paper contributes to the ongoing debate on men's overrepresentation in executive positions. Drawing on semistructured interviews with male senior managers in two Australian organisat...ions, this paper aims to problematise men's privilege in senior positions by uncovering the different forms of hegemonic masculinity that legitimise men as the ideal candidates for executive positions. Using Joan Acker's concept of the ‘ideal worker’ as a starting point, this paper aggregates these criteria to develop a new concept of the ‘ideal executive’. Read more here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-8551.12448

05.01.2022 WOW members Keith Townsend, Adrian Wilkinson and Paula Mowbray have co-authored with Tony Dundon (University of Limerick) the article Tracking employee voice: developing the concept of voice pathways in the Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources. Different disciplines have studied employee voice as a key component of workplaces. However, they have not tended to look at voice as a journey en route to enhanced (or diminished) employee voice with a start, diversion, delay and... combining twists and turns during processes leading to outcomes. In this article, the authors build on existing theory and phenomena to develop the concept of employee voice pathways. They use this concept to provide a framework for analysing the processes underpinning employee voice as a potential desirable form of employee voice as well as outlining areas for a future research agenda. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com//f/10.1111/1744-7941.12271

05.01.2022 Professor Bradley Bowden has published a paper in the Journal of Management History titled: The historic (wrong) turn in management and organizational studies. Management history has in the past 15 years witnessed growing enthusiasm for critical research methodologies associated with the so-called historic turn. This paper aims to argue that the historic turn has proved to a historic wrong turn, typically associated with confused and contradictory positions. In consequence, Foucaults belief that knowledge is rooted in discourse, and that both are rooted in external structures of power, is used while simultaneously professing advocacy of Whites understanding that history is fictive, the product of the historians imagination. Read more here: https://www.emerald.com//10.1108/JMH-06-2020-0037/full/html

05.01.2022 An interesting read in The Conversation on how workplaces are using self-learning algorithmic computer systems to assist in areas such as hiring, setting tasks, measuring productivity, evaluating performance and even terminating employment: Im sorry, Dave. Im afraid you are being made redundant. Read more here: https://theconversation.com/algorithms-workers-cant-see-are

05.01.2022 Research with Australian public service managers in 2018 found extensive managerial resistance to employees working from home. Wondering how the enforced experience of working from home might change such attitudes, a UNSW research team surveyed 6,000 Australian public servants (including 1,400 managers) in June and July, and found the seeds for a revolution. Only 8.4% of managers rated their teams less productive when working from home, while 57% thought productivity the same..., and 34.6% believed it higher. These findings, along with others, suggest working from home, at least for part of the week, may become the norm. Read more here: https://theconversation.com/with-management-resistance-over

04.01.2022 To address the lack of women in top jobs, many advanced economies have introduced measures designed to bring more women onto company boards. While certain countries have consciously avoided any such measures, several others have opted for a voluntary or ‘soft’ approach which encourages but does not force companies to address the lack of gender diversity in the boardroom. Read more here: https://www.inet.ox.ac.uk//bringing-women-on-board-how-go/

04.01.2022 One of the most striking responses to the COVID-19 pandemic has been the sudden shift of around half the workforce to working at home. In many cases, this was combined with an equally sudden shift to home schooling. Contrary to what might have been expected, working from home was one part of the pandemic response that went remarkably smoothly. Most kinds of office work continued almost as if nothing had changed.... Read more here: https://theconversation.com/have-we-just-stumbled-on-the-bi

02.01.2022 WOW member Dr Carys Chan has co-authored a paper in the Community, Work and Family journal entitled: ‘Managing intense work demands: how child protection workers navigate their professional and personal lives’. This paper explores how child protection workers remain understudied in research on ‘frontline’ workers, even though they are often exposed to the traumatic circumstances of their clients’ lives on top of their intense workload, tight deadlines and day-to-day crisis ma...nagement. Extensive evidence has shown that both clients’ needs and work demands combine to diminish child protection workers’ well-being, leading them to experience immense stress, burnout and decreased morale, ultimately compelling them to leave their jobs. Read more here: https://www.tandfonline.com//full/10/13668803.2020.1830030

01.01.2022 WOW members Dr Ashlea Kellner (adjunct), Prof Keith Townsend, Prof Adrian Wilkinson and A/Prof Rebecca Loudoun have published a paper in the Personnel Review entitled: ‘Violence at work in the ambulance service: the role of HRM and other systems’. This paper examines how paramedics' work environment is constantly changing and unpredictable. Reporting very high levels of assault against paramedics from survey data, the authors discuss situational risk factors identified by int...erviewees in the immediate physical environment and broader social context. The authors detail HRM practices adopted by each case and identify how gaps in the HRM system are addressed by other external, industry-level and state/federal-level systems in a multi-layer response to assault against paramedics. Read more here: https://www.emerald.com//10.1108/PR-06-2020-0448/full/html Photo credit: abc.net.au