Holacracy as an alternative to organisations governance

Holacracy as an alternative to organisations governance A *TRS event, Room P1.2 (Fernando Pessoa Hall), University Fernando Pessoa 16th, November, 2016, Luis Borges Gouveia This presentation introduce holacracy and discuss its use as an alternative to organize people within a corporate environment. A holacracy is a governance structure characterized by a distribution of power among self-organizing groups, rather than the top-down authority in the typical hierarchical corporate culture model. A holacracy provides a flat management structure that distributes authority. The goal of a holacracy is to ensure that those responsible for completing the work have the authority to decide how that work should be carried out. Holacracy benefits are the promises to harness agility, transparency, accountability, employee engagement and innovation. It also potentiates greater efficiency. Main critics are that the model do not allow for sufficient lateral communication. Also, it use is still emerging and we do not have sufficient evidence on holacracy advantages to rely on its promises

Staying healthy: industry organisations’ influence on behaviours and services used by fishers

This study emerged in response to a previous report that used a strength-based approach to identify best-practice good-health behaviours in a number of farming and fishing communities, titled Staying Healthy: Behaviours and services used by farmers and fishers. This earlier report found there was a need for specific attention to the physical and particularly the mental health of those in the Australian commercial fishing industry. This included a better understanding of the issues, logistical and social barriers to good-health practices, and avenues of health communication and treatment. The 2013 Staying Healthy study echoed the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) research and development Plan for 2008-2012, Collaborative Partnership for Farming and Fishing Health and Safety, which advocated research into health, well-being and resilience in rural primary industries. These reports are coupled with widespread anecdotal accounts describing very poor physical and mental health within the fishing industry, including accounts of suicide and attempted suicide. As a contributor to a body of scholarly research, this study is supported by other literature, which is addressed, below. In this short section we introduce research that is most relevant to appreciating the findings of this study on fisher health and well-being.

How can organisations help employees thrive? the development of guidelines for promoting positive mental health at work

Purpose - Benefits of positive mental health have been demonstrated across work and non-work domains. Individuals reporting positive mental health experience better work performance, better social relationships and better physical health. Additionally, positive work environments can contribute to employee mental health. The purpose of this paper is to develop "expert" consensus regarding practical, actionable strategies that organisations can implement to promote positive mental health in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach - A Delphi consensusmethod was used to establish expert consensus on strategies to promote positive workplace mental health. A 278-item questionnaire was developed and strategies were rated over three survey rounds by two panels comprising 36 workplace mental health practitioners and 36 employer representatives and employees (27 and 9, respectively), employees with experience of promoting positive mental health and well-being in the workplace (total - 72 panellists). Findings - In total, 220/278 strategies were rated as essential or important by at least 80 per cent of both panels. Endorsed strategies covered the topics of: mental health and well-being strategy, work environment that promotes positive mental health, positive leadership styles, effective communication, designing jobs for positive mental health, recruitment and selection, supporting and developing employees, work-life balance, and positive mental health and well-being initiatives. Originality/value - The guidelines arising from this study represent expert consensus on what is currently appropriate for promoting positive mental health at work from the perspectives of workplace mental health practitioners, employers and employees, and constitute a resource for translating the growing body of knowledge in this area into policy and practice.

The Australian Parliament: A Gendered Organisation

Limited work has been undertaken on the subject of gender and Australian parliamentary institutions. This study of 13 male and 15 female members of the Australian parliament addresses this gap in the literature. Data from the study are used to explore the ways in which the institutions of political office operate as ‘gendered organisations’ (Acker 1990). What emerges from this analysis is the pervasiveness of gender across the processes, practices and discourses of the parliament. This is a space infused with hegemonic masculinity. This gendering is, however, normalised and/or minimised by many of the parliamentarians involved in the study.

Work/Family Balance: HRM Policy and Practice in Australia

An employee's inability to balance work and family responsibilities has resulted in an increase in stress related illnesses. Historically, research into the nexus between work and family has primarily focused on the work/family conflict relationship, predominately investigating the impact of this conflict on parents, usually mothers. To date research has not sufficiently examined the human resource management practices that enable all parents to achieve a balance between their work and family lives. This paper explores the relationship between contemporary family friendly HRM policies and employed parents perceptions of work/family enhancement, work/family satisfaction, propensity to turnover, and work/family conflict. Self-report questionnaire data from 326 men and women is analysed and discussed to enable organisations to consider the use of family friendly policies and thus create a convergence between the well-being of employees and the effectiveness of the organisation.

Employability and job status as moderators of the effects of job insecurity on work outcomes

Despite greater use of temporary employment contracts, little is known about how employees react to job length uncertainty. Individual careers within the safety of one or two primary organisations are no longer the norm. This study investigates the effects of job insecurity and employment status (temporary/permanent) on work outcomes. Three hundred and ninety-one employees (122 temporary and 269 permanent) in low to medium level non-academic positions from two Australian universities completed a survey. The results show that a belief that comparable employment is easily available did not alleviate the negative effects of job insecurity. Work attitudes for temporaries and permanents though were differentially influenced by employee perceptions of their own employability.

Equity management strategies in the Australian private sector

This paper outlines the methods and outcomes of a study into equity management strategies in Australian private sector organisations reporting to the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency. Reports from 1976 organisations indicate eleven key factors characterising equity management in Australia. The study highlights differences within previously identified social structural policies, temperamental and opportunity policies and identifies a further policy type, categorised as “support policies”. Differences have also been identified in relation to distribution structures, suggesting that gender is not the sole consideration in determining equity management strategies. The principle of distribution also figures strongly in equity management implementation.