1st Edition

Contemporary Issues in Work and Organisations Actors and Institutions

    286 Pages 10 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    286 Pages 10 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    In a complex and interconnected world, work and organisations are rapidly changing. This book addresses key emerging issues by adopting an imaginative and innovative approach. Its comprehensive coverage on work and organisations aim to:

    • provide understanding of the external forces and institutions that are changing workplaces and organisations;
    • examine how organisations are being managed from within and how this reshapes the way individuals and groups relate to each other, whether they be employers, employees, independent professionals or contingent workers; and
    • integrate these two perspectives to show how both internal and external forces are interconnected and influence each other.

    By combining theory and case studies, the book illuminates how ideas and concepts can be applied to work and organisations in a variety of contexts.

    Part I: Identifying the Changing Contours of Work

    Introduction (Diane van den Broek)

    1. A Dynamic Work Systems Approach for Analysing Employment Relations (Chris F Wright and Russell D Lansbury)

    2. The "Gigification" of Work: Consideration of the Challenges and Opportunities (Alex Veen, David Oliver, Caleb Goods and Tom Barratt)

    3. The Life Cycle of Women’s Employment in Australia and Inequality Markers (Marian Baird and Alexandra Heron)

    4. Migration, Skill and Career: Organisationally Bounded and Individually Bonded (Diane van den Broek and Dimitria Groutsis)

    5. Feeling the Heat: What Future for Organisations and Work on a Climate-Changed World? (Christopher Wright)

    Part II: Navigating the Changing Contours of Work: The Role of Collective Actors

    Introduction (Russell D Lansbury)

    6. What Have They Ever Done for Us? Unions in Australia (Bradon Ellem and Rae Cooper)

    7. Strategy and Policy: The ‘Professionalisation’ of Teaching and the Work of an Australian Teachers’ Union (Susan McGrath-Champ, Mihajla Gavin and Meghan Stacey)

    8. Financialisation and the Growth of Low-wage, Insecure Work (Mark Westcott, Stephen Clibborn and Chris F Wright)

    9. Visualising Organisations over Time and Space: The Visual Atlas of Australian Co-operatives (Greg Patmore, Nikola Balnave and Olivera Marjanovic)

    Part III: Integrating the Changing Contours of Work within Organisations

    Introduction (Anya Johnson)

    10. Capability that Really Counts: a three-dimensional approach to capturing board capital (Tien Nguyen, Mark Westcott and John Shields)

    11. The Politics of Emotional Credibility in the Strategic Planning Process (Stephanie Dunk and Leanne Cutcher)

    12. Workplace Bullying: Building a Conceptual Framework and a Research Agenda (Angela Knox and Philip Bohle)

    13. Enhancing Compassion in Healthcare: A Multi-Level Perspective (Karyn L. Wang, Annalena Welp, Ju Li Ng and Helena Nguyen)

    14. Workplace Well-being: A Critical Review and the Case of Mindfulness-based Programs (James Donald, Anya Johnson and Helena Nguyen)

    Part IV: Reflections on Work and Organizations

    15. Labouring Under the New Capitalism (Chris Howell)

    Biography

    Russell D. Lansbury is Emeritus Professor of Employment Relations at the University of Sydney Business School where he was Associate Dean (Research).

    Anya Johnson is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney Business School, Work and Organisational Studies and Co-Director of the Body Heart and Mind in Business research group.

    Diane van den Broek is Associate Professor in the Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School.

    'This is a gem of a book for those wanting to understand the dramatic changes that are occurring in the world of work. It draws on a wealth of research and insights from a wide range of scholars from diverse disciplines, as has always been represented by the best work in the discipline of Work and Organisational Studies at Sydney University’s Business School.' — Judy Wajcman, Anthony Giddens Professor of Sociology, London School of Economics

    'This rich collection of essays demonstrates that the interdisciplinary scholarly tradition of Sydney University’s Department of Work and Organisational Studies is alive and well. The individual chapters paint a well-grounded picture of the changes underway in work systems and employment relations in Australia. Together they demonstrate the synergistic value of a vibrant and diverse research community. Readers will indeed learn even more from the total collection than from the sum of its parts.' — Thomas Kochan, George Maverick Bunker Professor of Management, MIT Sloan

    'The laws and agreements that did so much to humanise work in the last century cannot tame today's more invasive markets and technologies. The book provides freshness in their insights into new forms of labour exploitation and into the ways they might be taught.' — William Brown, Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Cambridge

    'The world is moving rapidly into the digital economy. This is an innovative book which tackles the emerging issues of the new economy. The reputation of the authors and editors from the Work and Organisational Studies group at the University of Sydney is known world-wide. This book will be a market leader in this new field of knowledge.' — Janice Bellace, Samuel A. Blank Professor Emeritus of Legal Studies & Business Ethics, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA

    'This book provides comprehensive and insightful analysis of contemporary developments in the world of work, and the difficult challenges facing workers and employers.' — Andrew Pendleton, Professor, University of New South Wales, Australia 

    'This vibrant book offers a roadmap to understand how the world of work is changing. Not only are we given fresh and detailed insights to how collective actors in Australia have responded to changes, the book also situates the Australian case in the wider global political economy and discusses potential pathways for future international comparative research.'Søren Kaj Andersen, Director, Associate Professor, FAOS - Employment Relations Research Centre, Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen

    'At a time of accelerating change in technology, policy, and society, along comes this "must read" volume that directly addresses the implications for work and organizations. Produced by one of the world's leading faculties in industrial relations, organizational behavior, and related domains, this book is key to navigating the many institutional and organizational disconnects facing every nation when it comes to fair treatment and productive relations at work.' — Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Professor, Heller School of Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University

    The book Contemporary Issues in Work and Organisations: Actors and Institutions presents research by academic staff and associated scholars in the Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School. These academics are seeking to answer a variety of questions concerning issues in contemporary organisations, work and employment… One of the book’s great strengths is its examination of the developments and issues which reflect dynamic change, rather than incremental change. This examination provokes a questioning of the impact these changes have had on people, institutions, organisations and society. The book is underpinned by the notion that the developments examined in the chapters have occurred in an economy informed by neoliberal capitalist ideas which bring with it policies which have consequences for the operation of the economy and society.’ ─ Robin Kramar, Professor and Former Editor of Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 17 Feb 2020

    'In short, this is very interesting book which presents some excellent research insights and public policy discussions. The book was a pleasure to read and I can recommend anybody with an interest in current work, employment and organisational changes to have a closer look at the book and its various chapters.'Journal of Industrial Relations, 2020

    'With its up-to-the-minute critical insights and its prevailing, generous spirit of disciplinary inclusiveness, Contemporary Issues in Work and Organisations reveals not only what work has been but also what it could—and should—become. It will be a valuable touchstone for all who study, teach, and have a say in determining the rules and realities of work.'Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 2020

    With its up-to-the-minute critical insights and its prevailing, generous spirit of disciplinary inclusiveness, Contemporary Issues in Work and Organisations reveals not only what work has been but also what it could—and should—become. It will be a valuable touchstone for all who study, teach, and have a say in determining the rules and realities of work.’ Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Volume 74, Issue 1, 2021