'Inspired by business': A case of mentoring among low socio-economic students

To boost enrolment and retention of students from low socio-economic backgrounds in higher education, existing research has proposed a number of ways to support their university experiences. One initiative highlighted in the literature is mentoring, which has been shown to enhance students' skillsets, networks, and their self-esteem. This study examines the experiences of mentoring for low socio- economic status students accepted into a competitive widening participation programme, 'Inspired by Business', at the University of Sydney Business School. The purpose of the research was to evaluate the programme's perceived benefits for both mentees and mentors. Through interviews conducted with students and mentors, the findings reveal that mentoring was highly beneficial for the students, where the informal networks that developed between the participants developed their social capital and enhanced their sense of belonging. However, we highlight that mentoring processes of matching and preparation are critical aspects of mentor satisfaction

Protecting expatriates in hostile environments: institutional forces influencing the safety and security practices of internationally active organisations

© 2017, © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. The operations of internationally active organisations continue to encroach on hostile locations that are vulnerable to the negative consequences of crises such as political upheaval, terrorist attacks or natural disasters. Yet research into how firms ensure the physical and psychological safety and security of international staff in these locations is limited. This article reports an empirical study exploring the expatriate safety and security practices of 28 internationally active organisations from three industries that commonly operate in hostile environments. We unveil starkly different approaches across the three industries, and label these approaches ‘regulatory’ (mining and resources), ‘informal mentoring’ (news media) and ‘empowering’ (international aid and development). We use institutional theory to propose that these configurations reflect legitimacy-seeking choices that these organisations make in response to the various institutional environments that affect each sector. Our results provide a platform for initial theory building into the interrelated elements of organisations’ safety and security practices, and the institutional factors that shape the design of these

Women’s participation in teacher unions: Implications of a ‘triple burden’ for union gender equality strategies

Amidst declining union influence, teacher unions have retained power. However, work intensification, arising from increasing reform in school education, has potentially undermined union participation, particularly women’s. Using a mixed-method approach, this article examines how the tangled combination of women’s paid work, union participation and family/domestic responsibilities (the ‘triple burden’) affects women’s roles as unionists. Examining the case of Australian teachers, the article finds that while demands of ‘work’ and ‘life’ can stifle union participation, it is specifically the cultural and historical legacies in unions that hinder women’s participation. The findings offer new insights around issues affecting the participation of women in female-dominated unions, and the intersection between union organisation and operation and the member-workers whom they represent. </jats:p

Development of a Web-Based Human Resource Sourcing System for Labour Only Contracts

Nowadays in some areas of Nigeria, it has been noticed that the search for a satisfactory team of labourers (skilled and unskilled) or even the right amount of people to undertake the job has become a laborious activity. Therefore, there is need to build a two-way partnership system linking construction firms with the required skilled labour and vice versa. The aim of this research is to develop a web-based human resource sourcing system for labour only contracts. The study made use of a questionnaire instrument and developed a web-based interface for skilled labour sourcing. The questionnaire was distributed to fifty (50) construction professionals who were selected through a convenience sampling technique. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS v.21. The design of the system was done using hypertext markup language (HTML) for authoring web pages. The study revealed that contractors’ sourcing techniques for skilled labour on construction projects were mostly by referral from colleagues and workers from past projects. The study identified the major barriers in sourcing for skilled labour on construction projects as the unavailability of trained skilled labour. The study revealed that years of experience, wages charged and behavior of the worker were major criteria considered while sourcing for skilled labour on construction projects. In conclusion, the study developed a web based human resource sourcing system for labour only contracts that incorporated the needs of the skilled labour and requirement of construction firms. It was recommended that construction professionals and contractors need to harness the benefits of web-based technologies. In addition, there is need to increase the information and communication technology (ICT) trainings of workers in the construction industry so has to have a successful integration of ICT and the construction industry

Rethinking Work and Family Policy: The Making and Taking of Parental Leave in Australia

Despite the continued increase in female participation rates, Australia remains one of only two developed nations in the world without a paid maternity leave scheme. While research interest and public policy debate about paid maternity leave entitlements continues, little is known about the actual utilization of the 52 weeks unpaid parental leave that is currently available to all employees. Moreover, research and policy debate on the availability and provision of paid paternity leave has only just begun. This paper argues that, given the gendered nature of employee entitlements, it is time to re-evaluate all aspects of parental leave policy in Australia. Using unique data from a national survey of Australian employees, the paper provides a statistical analysis of the use of unpaid parental leave and the availability of paid maternity leave. The paper models the availability of paid maternity leave to Australian employees as a function of demographic and organizational characteristics, including annual income, union status, and establishment size. A parallel analysis of the likelihood that an individual has used the unpaid parental leave provision is also provided. The results show that the existing unpaid parental leave provision is rarely used and that the current availability of paid maternity leave is inequitable. The paper discusses the conceptual and policy implications of these results and concludes that a re-thinking of parental leave policy in Australia is essential if gender inequities at work and in society are to be addressed

Understanding the Work of Australian Early Childhood Educators Using Time-Use Diary Methodology

© 2019, © 2019 Childhood Education International. Studies of early childhood educators’ perceptions of work intensity and complexity have shown that ensuring a good balance between workload and the time needed to complete the work is critical for work quality, work satisfaction, and staff retention. This article explores the possibilities of time-use data for making visible the diversity and complex patterns of early childhood work. Pen-and-paper time-use diaries were completed for one full day by 21 educators working in preschool and child care centers, generating a total of 168 hours of data. Diary entries were coded using the Taxonomy of Early Childhood Work to identify the types of activities performed, the time spent in each activity, and changes in work activities across the day. On average, educators worked an 8-hour day, of which 60% was spent in direct contact with children in intentional teaching, routine care and transition, “being with” children during play, and providing emotional support. Other activities included organizing the indoor/outdoor play areas, administration, planning/evaluation, professional learning, and staff breaks. The findings demonstrate the benefits of time-use methodology as a means of objectively identifying and quantifying the diversity, complexity, and intensity of early childhood educators’ work

Labour management, space, and restructuring of the Australian coal industry

This paper contributes to our understanding of industrial change by developing a crucial area of interface - industrial restructuring and the management of labour. Until recently, labour management has been underrecognised in geographical studies of industrial development and change, yet management decisionmaking and strategic choice permeate all aspects of capital - labour relations. Similarly, spatial dimensions have rarely been acknowledged as an element in labour research. The author adopts a 'restructuring framework' which integrates spatial insights from industrial geography with the agency of capitalist management and an investment approach to employment relations. After the study has been situated within the vast literature on coal, the strengths of this joint conceptual approach are demonstrated in the context of the Australian coal industry.

The role of human resources in protecting expatriates: insights from the international aid and development sector

© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Multinational organisations of all kinds face growing challenges to ensure that their international operations and staff are safe from threat of physical and psychological danger. This is particularly acute in the international aid and development sector, where expatriate field staff are both valuable and vulnerable, and where organisations often confront limited infrastructure and financial resources. This paper reports an empirical study exploring the ways in which 10 international non-government organisations from 5 nations (USA, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Australia), all with substantial experience operating in high-risk contexts, manage the safety and security of their expatriate staff. Our results unearth four areas where these organisations seek to build in-house competence, centred on culture building, and supported by a suite of human resource practices relating to people services, information services and communication services. These competencies coalesce around an overarching philosophy towards safety and security that we describe as ‘personal responsibility and empowerment’