Australian Employees Research Articles

Everyday inter-ethnic tensions and discomfort in a culturally diverse Australian workplace

ABSTRACTAustralian workplaces are increasingly becoming culturally diverse. As a space of involuntary encounter of racial difference, multicultural workplaces are significant sites for understanding how workers deal with cultural difference. Involuntary cross-cultural encounters are a facet of living with cultural difference which can produce discomfort, tension and conflict in the workplace. The study of workplace social relations has traditionally focused on practices of racial discrimination. In this paper, we shift the focus to examine different modes of negative inter-ethnic interactions at work through the lens of discomfort. It suggests that analysing tension and conflict arising in multicultural workplaces as racially motivated or simply racist fails to capture other factors that adversely affect inter-ethnic interaction. This paper presents findings from a research into workplace interaction in the Australian employment services providers to emphasise that changing work conditions and increasing cultural diversity have profound impact on the workers’ experiences of workplace relations.

The Relationship Between Responsible Leadership and Organisational Commitment and the Mediating Effect of Employee Turnover Intentions: An Empirical Study with Australian Employees

Contemporary leaders are increasingly challenged to execute their leadership roles with a higher sense of responsibility. However, only a handful of studies have empirically examined the influence of responsible leadership on employee and organisational outcomes. Using Social Identity Theory and Psychological Contract Theory, this paper reports the findings of the relationship between responsible leadership and organisational commitment through the mediating role of employee turnover intentions. A web-based online survey was administered to collect data targeting a sample of 200 Australian employees working full time. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. The results reveal that perceived responsible leadership significantly influences employees’ organisational commitment and their turnover intentions. Moreover, the direct relationship between responsible leadership and organisational commitment was found to be partially mediated by employees’ turnover intentions.

Using humor and boosting emotions: An affect-based study of managerial humor, employees’ emotions and psychological capital

Evidence from emerging scholarly investigations consistently points to managerial humor as fruitful new grounds to expand management knowledge and practice. In light of this, the present study examined managerial humor as an affective event at work that has short-term emotional and long-term psychological outcomes for employees. To test this empirically, we recruited a sample of 2498 Australian employees to participate in a field experience sampling study. We also considered the potential moderating effect of leader–member exchange on the humor–emotions relationship. Findings provide initial support for managerial humor as an affective event such that when employees perceived their manager’s humor as positive they reported experiencing positive emotions, and vice versa. Importantly, employees with high-quality relationships with their managers responded to their manager’s humor use with a greater number of positive emotions and fewer negative emotions than did employees with low-quality relationships with their managers. We argue that humor is an event that managers must responsibly manage in order to produce positive emotional experiences for employees and support healthy emotion regulation at work. We also discuss the conditions under which it is advisable for managers to use humor with employees, and suggest future research directions to develop this growing field of inquiry.

Assessing the health impact of transnational corporations: a case study on McDonald\u2019s Australia

BackgroundThe practices of transnational corporations affect population health through production methods, shaping social determinants of health, or influencing the regulatory structures governing their activities. There has been limited research on community exposures to TNC policies and practices. Our pilot research used McDonald’s Australia to test methods for assessing the health impacts of one TNC within Australia.MethodsWe adapted existing Health Impact Assessment methods to assess McDonald’s activities. Data identifying potential impacts were sourced through document analysis, including McDonald’s corporate literature; media analysis and semi-structured interviews. We commissioned a spatial and socioeconomic analysis of McDonald’s restaurants in Australia through Geographic Information System technology. The data was mapped against a corporate health impact assessment framework which included McDonald’s Australia’s political and business practices; products and marketing; workforce, social, environmental and economic conditions; and consumers’ health related behaviours.ResultsWe identified both positive and detrimental aspects of McDonald’s Australian operations across the scope of the CHIA framework. We found that McDonald’s outlets were slightly more likely to be located in areas of lower socioeconomic status. McDonald’s workplace conditions were found to be more favourable than those in many other countries which reflects compliance with Australian employment regulations. The breadth of findings revealed the need for governments to strengthen regulatory mechanisms that are conducive to health; the opportunity for McDonald’s to augment their corporate social responsibility initiatives and bolster reputational endorsement; and civil society actors to inform their advocacy towards health and equity outcomes from TNC operations.ConclusionOur study indicates that undertaking a corporate health impact assessment is possible, with the different methods revealing sufficient information to realise that strong regulatory frameworks are need to help to avoid or to mediate negative health impacts.

Sleep quality subtypes and obesity.

Poor sleep quality could be a risk factor for obesity. This article utilized a person-centered approach to investigate whether distinct sleep quality subtypes were associated with obesity directly, and indirectly via physical activity. The sample included 8,932 Australian employees who participated in the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia Survey. Structured interviews and self-report questionnaires collected information on sleep quality, obesity, and relevant demographic, health, and work-related variables. Latent class analysis identified distinct subtypes of sleep quality. General linear modeling examined the associations of sleep quality subtypes with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. Multicategorical mediation models examined indirect paths linking sleep quality classes with obesity via physical activity. Five distinct sleep quality subtypes were identified: Poor Sleepers (20.0%), Frequent Sleep Disturbances (19.2%), Minor Sleep Disturbances (24.5%), Long Sleepers (9.6%), and Good Sleepers (26.7%). BMI, waist circumference, and physical activity differed among the sleep quality subtypes, with similar results observed for males and females. For example, Poor Sleepers had the highest BMIs, followed by Frequent Sleep Disturbances and Minor Sleep Disturbances; Long Sleepers and Good Sleepers had the lowest BMIs. Mediation analyses indicated that low levels of physical activity linked the Poor Sleep, Frequent Sleep Disturbance, and Long Sleep classes with higher BMI. These results provide new insights into the nature of sleep quality in employees. In particular, distinct sleep quality patterns had differing associations with measures of obesity, suggesting the need for tailored workplace interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record

The erosion of the implied term of mutual trust and confidence in Australian employment law

Although the implied duty of mutual trust and confidence has long been established as an implied term in employment contracts under English common law, the Australian High Court has recently ruled that it is not part of the common law regulating employment contracts in Australia because the implication of such a term was better regulated under statute. While it is acknowledged that legislation is most effective in regulating substantive employment rights and obligations, a political climate which lends itself to ideologically divergent policy reforms often robs the discipline of its stability. However, if there exists a legal framework apart from legislation, which coheres with it and has the ability to initiate juridical development in the law, as is the role of the common law, the result will be an enrichment of the discipline overall. This paper traces selected English and Australian judicial approaches towards the implication of the duty of mutual trust and confidence in the context of terminations of employment within a statutory regime, culminating with an analysis of the recent Australian High Court decision in Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Barker (Barker), which has diminished common law’s interpretive role in this regard. Consequently, this paper aims to revitalize common law reasoning by utilizing Dworkin’s judicial interpretive method as the necessary theoretical framework.

Closing the gap: Longitudinal changes in employment for Australians with multiple sclerosis

Background and objectives: Previous studies have documented far lower employment participation rates for people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) compared to the general population. In a large national sample of PwMS, we examined employment status, longitudinal changes in employment and the provision of modifications to work role/environment from 2010 to 2013. Methods: Employment data were collected through the Australian MS Longitudinal Study from 2010 to 2013, with 1260 people responding to all four surveys. Employment rates were compared with the Australian general population. The survey included questions on the provision of modifications to employees’ work role and work environment. Results: Employment (full- and part-time) increased from 48.8% in 2010 to 57.8% in 2013, mainly due to increases in male full-time employment. The employment gap between PwMS and the general population fell from 14.3% in 2010 to 3.5% in 2013. Male employment rates, however, remain significantly lower than the general population. The majority of PwMS who required adjustments to either their work role or environment received them. Conclusion: The gap in employment between PwMS and the general population has substantially reduced from 2010 to 2013, with organisations responding positively to requests for work role/environment adjustments.

Change in Psychosocial Work Factors Predicts Follow-up Employee Strain: An Examination of Australian Employees.

This research undertook a time-ordered investigation of Australian employees in regards to their experiences of change in psychosocial work factors across time (decreases, increases, or no change) in the prediction of psychological, physical, attitudinal, and behavioral employee strain. Six hundred and ten employees from 17 organizations participated in Time 1 and Time 2 psychosocial risk assessments (average time lag of 16.7 months). Multi-level regressions examined the extent to which change in exposure to six demands and four resources predicted employee strain at follow-up, after controlling for baseline employee strain. Increases in demands and decreases in resources exacerbated employee strain, but even constant moderate demands and resources resulted in poor employee outcomes, not just constant high or low exposure, respectively. These findings can help employers prioritize hazards, and guide tailored psychosocial organizational interventions.

Lifetime impact of injury on education, employment and income for Australians of labour force participation age.

Research shows that employment rates are low post injury. To quantify the economic impact of a long-term injury and identify whether having a tertiary level of education attainment would offset this impact. Cross-sectional analysis of the 2012 Survey of Disability, Aging and Carers, which is nationally representative of the Australian population. Males with any long-term injury had incomes 41% less than males with no chronic health condition (95% confidence interval [CI] -49.3%, -31.6%). For males with a long-term injury, there was no significant difference in the likelihood of being not in the labour force between those with and without a tertiary qualification (odds ratio [OR] 0.83, 95% CI 0.45-1.52). There was no significant difference in the incomes of females with any long-term injury compared with those with no chronic health conditions. For females with a long-term injury, there was a significant difference in the likelihood of being not in the labour force between those with and without a tertiary qualification (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.17-0.80). If men with a long-term injury had the same probability of participating in the workforce as women, the percentage of men not in the labour force would reduce from 37 to 18%. Having a long-term injury was a significant personal cost in terms of labour force absence and lower income for males regardless of higher education attainment. For females, sustaining a long-term injury did not appear to significantly affect income.

The Australian retirement lottery: A system failure

The purpose of this paper is to assess the adequacy of the Australian retirement system to fund the needs of retirees by taking into account both the Knightian risk arising from market volatility under normal market conditions as well as the Knightian uncertainty arising from rare but severe market shocks. We have also taken into account changes in employment during the pre-retirement phase. Given the low frequency, high impact of market shocks, the result is that cohorts of Australian retirees will enjoy very different levels of retirement income and there will be consequent shocks to the demand for the Age Pension supplement and potentially, significant variations in the standard of living in retirement for Australian employees. Whilst the Australian retirement system has been put forward as a model for other economies to follow, we find there is a fundamental flaw in the system.

Drug testing in the Australian workplace: Still a contested terrain

This article examines ongoing issues associated with workplace drug testing through a recent case which has resulted in revaluation of the customs, practices and standards around the use of illicit drugs inside and outside the workplace. These changes have seen the issue of workplace drug testing remain a contentious issue in the Australian employee relations landscape.

Why did the emu cross the road? Exploring employees’ perception and expectations of humor in the Australian workplace

Workplace humor is currently an emerging area of study in management research. While studies on the functions and outcomes of workplace humor in the United States abound, there is little research on humor in Australian workplaces. This limits Australian organizations from tapping the rich potential of humor to achieve positive employee and organizational outcomes. This study aims to start a research agenda on workplace humor in Australia by conducting a survey study of Australian employees’ perception of the occurrence and acceptability of humor behavior in their workplaces and by analyzing humor events at work. To achieve the latter objective, first, the scattered workplace humor literature is reviewed to develop a single framework that can effectively situate and capture humor events. Findings from 433 respondents indicate that humor occurs across a variety of organizations in Australia and that employees report positive views toward workplace humor. A surprising finding was that employees reported they expect their managers to use humor with them. Implications for managers and future research directions are developed.

Group Identity and Readiness to Change Unemployment Status

The authors assessed the degree to which unemployed individuals identified with an unemployed “in‐group” and the subsequent impact on readiness to change their unemployed status. Participants from 2 Australian employment agencies completed the Group Identification Scale and the Lam Assessment on Stages of Employment Readiness measure. Findings suggest that the extent of family unemployment affects unemployed in‐group identification and predicts readiness to change unemployed status. Duration of unemployment was negatively correlated with readiness to change. Results suggest that unemployed individuals form an in‐group. Interventions to assist unemployed individuals to return to the workforce should take this into account for effectiveness to be maximized.

To ask or not to ask? Investigating workers’ flexibility requests and the phenomenon of discontented non-requesters

ABSTRACTFlexible working arrangements have attracted growing attention in workplaces across Australia and in many other countries in recent years. This contribution utilises the results of two large Australian employee surveys to analyse who asks for flexibility, why, and with what effects on work-life interference. This analysis is set in the context of Australia’s ‘Right to Request’ (RTR) provisions which, at the time of the study, gave parents of preschool children and those with a disabled child aged up to 18 the RTR flexibility. The analysis also draws on a set of qualitative interviews of those we term ‘discontented non-requesters’ (that is, those who are not content with current arrangements but who do not ask for flexibility) to probe beneath the survey results to consider explanations about why some people do not ask for flexibility despite desiring different working arrangements. We conclude with the implications for policy and regulation.

Enhanced Co-Worker Social Support in Isolated Work Groups and Its Mitigating Role on the Work-Family Conflict-Depression Loss Spiral.

This paper examines a loss spiral model (i.e., reciprocal relationships) between work-family conflict and depression, moderated by co-worker support. We expected that the moderation effect due to co-worker support would be evident among those working in isolation (i.e., mining workers) due to a greater level of intragroup attraction and saliency attributable to the proximity effects. We used a two wave panel study and data from a random population sample of Australian employees (n = 2793, [n = 112 mining, n = 2681 non-mining]). Using structural equation modelling we tested the reciprocal three way interaction effects. In line with our theory, co-worker support buffered the reciprocal relationship between WFC and depression, showing a protective effect in both pathways. These moderation effects were found in the mining industry only suggesting a proximity component moderates the social support buffer hypothesis (i.e., a three way interaction effect). The present paper integrates previous theoretical perspectives of stress and support, and provides insight into the changing dynamics of workplace relationships.

THE ROLE OF INFORMAL AND FORMAL NETWORKS: HOW PROFESSIONALS CAN BE INNOVATIVE IN A CONSTRAINED FISCAL ENVIRONMENT

One way of circumventing issues associated with constricted resources is to use organisational social resources embedded within both formal and informal social networks to provide increased support for proactive and innovative employee behaviour. Social exchange theorists argue that informal working relationships with non-line management provides an additional power source alongside traditional management relationships to foster proactive and innovative behaviour even when resources are scarce. About 272 Australian engineers, asset managers and technical employees were surveyed from public and private sector organisations, and data was examined using structural equation modelling. The findings depict that formal and informal leader–employee, organisational–employee relationships explained almost 53% of resource adequacy and resource adequacy explained 60.5% of the proactive engineering asset management organisational culture and 28.1% of innovative behaviour. This paper contributes insight into another hierarchical workplace relationship that employees can use to gain access to resources, and be proactive and innovative in the workplace.

The Role of Judges in the Regulation of Australian Employment Contracts

Prompted by the Australian High Court’s decision in Commonwealth Bank of Australia v. Barker,1 this article assesses judicial law-making through terms implied by law in Australian employment contracts. In Barker, the court refused to imply a term of mutual trust and confidence, influenced in part by a judicial disinclination to trespass into the province of the legislature. The article examines what role judges ought to play in regulating Australian employment contracts. It concludes that, following the High Court’s decision in Barker, the symbiotic relationship between statute and the common law ought to be reinvigorated. To facilitate that reinvigoration, the article proposes the creation of statutory default minimum rules for the employment relationship. However, it will also argue that the courts must remain willing to imply terms by law into employment contracts because it is impossible for parliament to predict all future gaps that may need to be filled.

Work harassment and local government employees: Australia and USA

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the impact of management and colleagues on the perception of work harassment and outcomes of local government employees in Australia and the USA. Design/methodology/approach – Completed surveys from local government employees (265 from the USA and 250 from Australia) were analysed using structural equation modelling and an ANOVA. Findings – The results depict support for the overall measurement and structural models showing that workplace relationships impact on work harassment, and in turn employee outcomes (psychological wellbeing and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour-Individual (OCB-I)), although not all paths were accepted for each country. Statistically significant differences were found between the Australian and USA samples for both the measurement and structural models, with the sample from the USA showing much higher levels of satisfaction with workplace relationships, higher levels of psychological wellbeing, OCB-I, and lower perceptions of work harassment. Practical implications – The findings provide implications that Australian and US local government employees, positioned closest to the public, experience work harassment probably as a result of chronic under-resourcing both in terms of manpower and other resources, and coupled with unrealistically high-performance targets. The results depict that such work harassment is resulting in lower psychological wellbeing (USA only) and lower extra-role behaviour associated with OCB-I (Australia and USA). Originality/value – The value of this paper is that it benchmarks the impact of workplace relationships on work harassment for local government employees across two Anglo-American countries.

Distinct longitudinal patterns of absenteeism and their antecedents in full-time Australian employees.

This paper investigated distinct longitudinal trajectories of absenteeism over time, and underlying demographic, work, and health antecedents. Data from the Household, Income, and Labor Dynamics in Australia Survey were used; this is a panel study of a representative sample of Australian households. This paper focused on 2,481 full-time employees across a 5-year period. Information on annual sick leave and relevant sociodemographic, work, and health-related factors was collected through interviews and self-completed surveys. Growth mixture modeling indicated 4 distinct longitudinal patterns of absenteeism over time. The moderate absenteeism trajectory (34.8%) of the sample had 4-5 days of sick leave per year and was used as the reference group. The low absenteeism trajectory (33.5%) had 1-2 days of absenteeism per year, while the no absenteeism trajectory (23.6%) had very low rates of absenteeism (<1 day per year). Finally, a smaller trajectory accounting for 8.1% of the sample had high levels of absenteeism (>11 days per year). Compared with the moderate absenteeism trajectory, the high absenteeism trajectory was characterized by poor health; the no absenteeism and low absenteeism trajectories had better health but may also reflect processes relating to presenteeism. These results provide important insights into the nature of absenteeism in Australian employees, and suggest that different patterns of absenteeism over time could reflect a range of demographic, work, and health related factors.

Australian Employee Perspectives on Disability Management in Relation to Job Satisfaction, Physical and Mental Health, Workplace Morale and Reduced Sickness Absence

Disability management is now recognised as an effective means of managing the increasing global costs of injury and disability. However, research on disability management particularly employee perceptions of its value, are sparse. This paper reports on the Australian findings of a large international project that included Canada, China, Switzerland and Australia, which examined employee perspectives of disability management related to job satisfaction, physical and mental health, workplace morale and reduced sickness absence. Data was collected from 365 employees in 10 large private and public companies using an online survey tool that focused on three components of a disability management program — disability prevention (DP), stay at work (SAW) and return to work (RTW) programs — in relation to the dependent variables of job satisfaction, physical and mental health, workplace morale, sickness absence. Multivariate regression was used to predict disability management's influence on the dependent variables. Results demonstrated positive perceptions regarding the perceived benefits of disability management to both individual employees and their perceptions of coworkers. It was apparent that each component of a disability management program (DP, SAW, and RTW) is positively related to job satisfaction, physical and mental health, workplace morale and reduced sickness absence Disability management programs were perceived as more beneficial in private, as opposed to public, workplaces; however, no differences were evident according to union status or gender of the respondent. It is possible disability management may impact on organisational productivity via variables associated with workplace culture, as well as through the direct benefits flowing from preventing and managing injury. Given the significant costs associated with absenteeism, an outcome of interest to many employers was the finding that employees perceived SAW programs as the most beneficial in terms of reducing absenteeism for both themselves and their coworkers.