< Back Does the evidence and theory support the good work design principles? An Educational Resource Read the report About the report The current paper analyses work design evidence and theory linked to the principles. Although it acknowledges physical, biomechanical, and cognitive work characteristics described in the handbook, this paper focuses on psychosocial work characteristics such as autonomy, support, variety, and a moderate level of demands. Parker, S. K. Does the evidence and theory support the good work design principles? An Educational Resource. SafeWork Australia, ISBN 978-1-76028-435-0. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/system/files/documents/1702/does-the-evidence-theory-support-good-work-design-principles.pdf Citation: Previous Next

FOWI Seminar Series The series provides opportunities for non-FOWI members to participate in FOWI activities Home > Our People Seminar Series 2024 is taking a short pause The seminars will resume again in 2025, please check back in at later date for upcoming presentations. Want to present your research? Contact our friendly organisers. Up Past Seminars: Wed, 04 Mar You are what you do: How work design shapes your identity and personality / Details 04 Mar 2026, 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm AWST Join this upcoming webinar to explore the dynamic relationship between work design, identity and personality development. Share Thu, 19 Feb Transforming work with play: Insights into embedding playfulness at work / Learn more 19 Feb 2026, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm AWST Learn how incorporating 'playful work design' can help employees stay focused, energised and resilient when facing escalating demands and constrained resources. Share Mon, 24 Nov Thrive at Work in Mining - Toolkits and Case Studies Launch / Details 24 Nov 2025, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm Share Tue, 04 Nov Thrive at Work Leadership Masterclass Series Launch / Details 04 Nov 2025, 8:30 am – 12:00 pm Share Multiple Dates Thu, 25 Sept Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Workshop #4 - Psychosocial Risks: Identification and Mitigation Strategies / Details 25 Sept 2025, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm Share Multiple Dates Thu, 28 Aug Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Workshop #3 - Cultivating Respect: Fostering an Inclusive Workplace via Dive / Details 28 Aug 2025, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm Share Multiple Dates Thu, 03 July Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Workshop #2 - Leading Well: How to Manage Workplace Well-being as a Manager / Details 03 July 2025, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm Share Thu, 19 June Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Workshop #1 - Exploring the Benefits and Techniques of Good Work Design / Details 19 June 2025, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Workshop #1 - Exploring the Benefits and Techniques of Good Work Design to Support Mental Health and Well-being Share Wed, 30 Apr Design for Care Showcase: A Journey to SMARTer Workplaces in the H&SA Industry / Details 30 Apr 2025, 8:30 am – 12:00 pm AEST Share Tue, 05 Nov Design for Care State of Affairs Breakfast 4: SMARTer work design to prevent psychological injury / Details 05 Nov 2024, 8:30 am – 10:00 am Share Tue, 17 Sept Beyond the buzz: What can we really expect from a future with AI? / Details 17 Sept 2024, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Share Wed, 17 July Roundtable: Reshaping management for the future workforce / Details 17 July 2024, 9:00 am – 11:00 am Share Thu, 27 June Breakfast: Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Landmark Study - Insights and ideas moving forward / Details 27 June 2024, 7:00 am – 11:00 am Share Wed, 03 Apr Design for Care State of Affairs Breakfast 3: Changing work design to improve mental health / Details 03 Apr 2024, 8:30 am – 10:00 am Design for Care State of Affairs Breakfast 3: Changing work design to improve mental health in the healthcare and social assistance industry Share Tue, 13 Feb 2024 Centre for Transformative Work Design Conference / Details 13 Feb 2024, 8:30 am – 14 Feb 2024, 5:30 pm Share Thu, 23 Nov Organisational Interventions: Part 2 / Learn more 23 Nov 2023, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm AWST Presented by Associate Professor Karina Jorritsma and Dr Belinda Cham. Share Thu, 09 Nov Are they really a servant leader? Trialling alternative ways of researching servant leadership | FOWI Seminar Series / Learn more 09 Nov 2023, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm AWST With Associate Professor Nathan Eva (Monash Business School) Share Thu, 19 Oct Journal Reviewing and Editorial Work / Learn more 19 Oct 2023, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm AWST With Professor Gillian Yeo (University of Western Australia Business School) & Professor Irene de Pater ( Edith Cowan University’s School of Business and Law) Share Load More More information Thursday Seminar Series Curtin Research Seminar: Presentations from members of the School of Management (or from faculty from other Schools in Curtin) Academic Visitors’ Research Seminar: Presentations from academic visitors Visitors’ Seminar: Presentations from people we invite who are not necessarily academics Professional Development or Research Methods Workshops: Workshops for academics and PhD students to develop research methods skills. (2 hours) Professional Practice Development Workshops: Workshops for academics, professional staff, PhD students to develop skills in research translation, impact, and engagement (2 hours) Other suggestions for activity formats are always welcome!! Establishing Open Science practices at FOWI Thursday Seminar Series FAQs Do I need to do any preparation for the sessions? Please prepare in advance a PowerPoint presentation to accompany your Seminar session, in some cases other types of preparation might be required. This preparation might involve installing software (e.g., R Studio), reading an article, or jotting down some ideas that would connect the topic of the session to your own research interests. Presenters will be asked to make clear whether there is any homework or preparation. Please bear in mind that most presenters are participating in the FOWI Academy and FOWI Practice Academy on a voluntary basis, so please respect their requests to complete the preparation activities. If you have not completed the preparation, the presenter will not be willing nor able to wait for you to catch up! Where are the Seminar Series sessions held? The sessions will be held on the 2nd floor of 78 Murray Street, Perth, depending on lecture room availability. We will try to notify you of any venue changes, and signs will be posted on the day. I'm not able to attend the session, will the sessions be recorded? We recommend in-person attendance, as the sessions will be designed with the live audience in mind. However, sessions will be live-streamed, recorded and uploaded to Office 365 for individuals who requests access. Please note that our video recording technology has limitations, so we cannot ensure that the presenters will always remain within the camera's frame or that the speaker and audience audio will be captured clearly. Additionally, some sessions include interactive elements that may not translate effectively to video. What can I do if I’d like to run a FOWI Seminar session or invite somebody to run a session? Please bear in mind that the sessions are planned many months in advance, last minute timeslot requests may not be available. We recommended contacting the Coordinator in advance with your preferred time slot. Please contact the FOWI program committee below (currently Micah Wilson (micah.k.wilson@curtin.edu.au), Lucinda Isles (lucinda.isles@curtin.edu.au, and Patrick Dunlop, patrick.dunlop@curtin.edu.au) with details on what you like to present on and when you are available. Contact Us FOWI Academy Organising Commitee Dr Micah Wilson E: micah.k.wilson@curtin.edu.au T: +61 8 9266 4920 FOWI Practice Academy Organising Commitee Dr Belinda Cham E: belinda.cham@curtin.edu.au T: +61 8 9266 3792 For general enquires Diane Garnham E: fowi-admin@curtin.edu.au T: +61 8 9266 5451 Professor Patrick Dunlop E: patrick.dunlop@curtin.edu.au T: +61 8 9266 4824 Professor Karina Jorritsma E: karina.jorritsma@curtin.edu.au T: +61 8 9266 4666 Lucinda Isles E: lucinda.isles@curtin.edu.au T: +61 8 9266 4665

The Risk of Age Discrimination in Potential Appraisals of Employees Project members Project lead Giverny De Boeck Project member Nicky Dries Project member Prisca Brosi Overview The purpose of this research was to evidence the higher susceptibility of potential appraisals to age and gender bias in comparison to performance appraisals. To test our hypothesis empirically, we analysed two large archival datasets, one from a German chemical multinational and one from a Belgian finance company, using regression analyses and structural equation modelling. We also conducted a vignette experiment to replicate our findings, while keeping all other factors constant. Our results Showed that potential appraisals were biased against older employees who received systematically lower ratings than younger employees, and that this negative age effect was stronger for potential than for performance appraisals. Moreover, age also affected pay raises and promotions in the next year via potential ratings. Our experiment showed that the different scores of older and younger employees could not be attributed to differences in competence level, meaning that they reflected actual bias. For gender, effects were largely absent. In conclusion Our results suggest that potential appraisals entail a serious risk for age discrimination in organisations, because they structurally limit the career opportunities of older employees, creating a so-called ‘silver ceiling’. The collaboration Industry collaboration between researchers of the Centre for Transformative Work Design and two large companies: A chemical multinational corporation based in Germany, and an organisation active in the financial and insurance services industry in Belgium. Serves the mission of the Centre of Excellence for Population Ageing Research (CEPAR) and, specifically, the research stream on ‘Organisations and the Mature Workforce’ led by Prof. Sharon Parker which aims to deliver solutions to one of the major economic and social challenges of the 21st century. Jointly funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) as well as the Flemish Research Council (Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - FWO). Industry outcomes Evidence backed by data Provide evidence for and identify actual sources of bias in organisations using statistical analyses to help employers decide where to target the investment of their resources. Build on theoretical knowledge Advise organisations on how to tackle bias (i.e., using a contextualised- rather than a competency-based approach to prevent age bias when identifying employee potential) Solution orientated Articulate suggestions for organisations and governments about how they can better manage demographic changes in the future. Promote fairness Develop fair appraisal procedures in organisations’ human resource management to break the ‘silver ceiling’ and keep older employees motivated to work longer.

Recruitment Roadmap Achieving Clarity, Diversity, and Support for Emergency Volunteers Project members Project lead Professor Patrick Dunlop Project lead Professor Marylène Gagné Project lead Djurre Holtrop Project member Hawa Muhummad Farid Project member Darja Kragt Project member Liz Pritchard Project member Aleksandra Luksyte Overview The Future of Work Institute (FOWI) has partnered with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) to deliver organisational resources that work to improve recruitment and retention practices of emergency service volunteers. The research was undertaken through a combination of questionnaires and interviews with volunteers and stakeholders, focused on understanding the recruitment, management, and retention activities that volunteers undertake. Project aim Recruiting and retaining volunteers is becoming an increasingly important issue that is being addressed head-on by emergency services organisations across Australia. This partnership empowers volunteer managers located in Brigades, Groups, and Units (BGUs) to effectively manage the recruitment and retention cycle of volunteers. The project has delivered resources that support the development of role descriptions and localised strategies that drive the effective recruitment, onboarding, and management of volunteers. The suite of resources provides a mechanism to recruit a wider diversity of volunteers who can now find a range of attractive operational and non-operational roles within the volunteer emergency services. Furthermore, the resources provide guidance to volunteer managers on how they can provide needed support to ensure volunteer longevity within their BGUs. Resources developed from our research were launched in Waroona with over 50 volunteer leaders in June 2018, followed by a second release of resources at the Western Australian Fire and Emergency Services (WAFES) conference in September 2019. A final resource on succession planning is currently in development for release in late 2020. Industry outcomes The onboarding and management resource Well-received at the Waroona launch and were praised as being “practical” resources that volunteer managers could use. Creating well-defined role descriptions The methods have been applied in recruitment and role advertisements that are currently being promoted on the revamped DFES Recruitment Website. Consolidated resources We created a training tool called “The Volunteer Recruitment Roadmap”, which has been positively and actively received by emergency services volunteers throughout Western Australia. Key findings from the recruitment resources Have contributed to the widely successful state-wide recruitment campaign, ‘Get Behind the Front Line’, that has generated interest into support and non-operational roles advertised within the emergency services.

WA Department of Education Unplanned Absenteeism Analysis Project member Project lead Yukun Liu Overview Client: Western Australia Department of Education The Future of Work Institute (FOWI) partnered with the Western Australia Department of Education’s internal workplace planning team to investigate unplanned absenteeism within the department. This collaboration marked the first time that the WA Department of Education’s absenteeism data had been analysed for scientific purposes. Through rigorous statistical analyses, FOWI researchers generated several interesting findings and patterns. Highlights of the findings include: Yearly leave statistics by different categories such as job groups, leave types, regions, and schools; Statistical associations between staff demographics and duration and patterns of their unplanned leave; Pattern differences among teaching and support staff; Statistical associations between yearly leave patterns at the school-level and Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) and; Patterns of monthly leave durations at both the department level and the person level. Industry outcomes Generation of useful data Enabling the WA Department of Education to gain an overview using data insights. Identify features Thoroughly analyse leave patterns across different organisational levels, categories, and time periods. Reduce unplanned absenteeism Propose and design planning strategies or initiatives to effectively reduce department staff.

Navigating the Job Search Journey Project members Project lead Professor Marylène Gagné Project lead Cheryl Skyes Overview (Research approval number HRE2020-0551)

The Ageing Workforce Maximising the Productivity, Health and Well-Being of Mature Workers Project members Project lead Professor Sharon Parker Project lead Daniela Andrei Project lead Gigi Petery Project member Gina Chatelier Project member Jane Chong Project member Professor John Cordery Project member Christine Soo About the project We can't ignore that the workforce is ageing. With increasing life expectancy and changing welfare policies, many mature workers will have both the capacity and demand to work until until they are older. The health of our nation will be served through creating work that preserves the wellbeing and social, psychological, and mental capital of older workers. Our reserach, part of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), addresses these crucial challenges of work and ageing. Read more visit the CEPAR website Key Research Goals The aim of this research is to identify work designs and practices to attract and retain mature workers, thus enhancing their performance and wellbeing, and improving productivity within organisations and society more broadly. Specifically, there are three research questions addressed: 1. What are the factors that promote successful ageing in the workplace? 2. How can we promote successful teams, organisations, and societies by facilitating mature workforce participation? 3. How can organisations facilitate the optimal balancing of work and care responsibilities for mature employees? The outcomes of this research will inform best practice, organisational policies and implementation to enable older workers to participate longer in paid work while balancing this with their external care demands.

Western Australian Workers’ Mental Health Project member Project lead Yukun Liu Overview The Future of Work Institute (FOWI) partnered with PeopleSense, an employee assistance program (EAP) services provider, to analyse their large dataset of anonymous responses from clients regarding mental health issues. This collaboration marked the first time that PeopleSense’s EAP database had been analysed for scientific purposes. Through rigorous statistical analyses, FOWI researchers generated several interesting findings and patterns. Highlights of the findings include: Mean and deviation levels on stress, depression, and anxiety; quantified impact of mental health on personal life and work performance; Gender differences on mental health and its impact on work and life; associations between mental health and demographics such as marital status and; Identification of the most common presenting work- and personal- related problems such as relationship or family difficulties, interpersonal conflict with managers or peers and workload. FOWI also provided feedback and suggestions on how to improve the design of PeopleSense’s client surveys and questionnaires to more effectively capture data on mental health issues. Industry outcomes Informing key members and individuals Present more evidence-based patterns and findings to their stakeholders. Tailoring to needs Customise their EAP programs and treatments to provide better services to their clients.

Visiting Perth Discover what Perth city has to offer Home > About Us > Visiting Perth Get the most out of Perth Planning to visit Perth or thinking of visiting Perth? Keep reading for our top tips and recommended places to visit, to help you make the most of your upcoming or future trip to this amazing city. Situated on the beautiful western coast of Australia, Perth is a safe, picturesque and multicultural city. Want an exciting shopping trip or cultural exploration? The city centre is home to Elizabeth Quay, colourful shopping malls, the Art Gallery of Western Australia, WA Museum Boola Bardip in Perth, Yagan Square and many beautiful parks and gardens such as Kings Park and Queens Gardens. Did you know? From Sunday 15 December 2024 to Monday 31 March 2025 all seven Western Australian Museum sites are throwing open their doors with free general admission. Learn more Engage your palate with our culinary delights Perth is home to a diverse range of cafés and restaurants serving global cuisine, allowing you to experience flavors from all over the world. For a taste of history, visit the iconic Fremantle area, situation along the coast of Western Australia and west of Perth city, is a popular and highly recommended destination. Or take a short 25-minute drive to the Swan Valley. Known for its unique blend of wine, food, art, and stunning natural beauty, it's the perfect spot for a memorable day trip. Learn more Experience WA's unique flora and fauna Close to the city centre we recommend visiting the magnificent Kings Park, which showcases more than 3,000 species of flora. Nearby is Perth Zoo that is home to many Australian animals such as kangaroos and koalas. Or hop on a ferry and visit Rottnest/Wadjemup Island home to adorable and friendly quokkas and many stunning snorkeling reef sites situated around. Learn more about Kings Park Learn more about Rottnest/Wadjemup Island Want even more places to visit? Don't worry we've got you covered, our friends at Business Events Perth have put together the 'Live Like a Local' website, a detailed guide full of recommendations and must-visit spots to help you experience the city like a true local. Learn more Beautiful river and ocean views to see! Perth is home to stunning beaches with pristine sand, all just a short distance from the city. Whether you’re visiting Cottesloe, Scarborough, or Trigg Beach, you can relax with fish and chips while watching the sunset, take a refreshing swim, or dive into a snorkeling adventure. Not only that, the city sits along the picturesque Swan River, where you can enjoy a scenic riverside bike ride or get your legs moving with the exciting bridge-to-bridge walk. How to get around Staying in Perth for a couple of days? The Future of Work Institute is centrally located in the heart of Perth. On arrival The international airport is only a short drive away, or use the on the newly opened airport train line for a quick 20-minute commute into the city. For getting around during your stay we recommend using the our efficient public transport system, which includes buses, trains, and ferries. To learn more, visit Transperth We welcome PhD and academics to FOWI, get in touch to discuss visiting Contact us

Centre for Transformative Work Design Innovative research. Informed leaders. Inspired workers. Centre director Professor Sharon Parker About the Centre Good work design makes life better Good work design means workers have moderate demands (e.g., reasonable work loads) combined with positive aspects of work such as job autonomy, social contact, and task identity. Our vision in the Centre is to transform work, through work design, to create better lives for workers, better results for organisations, and better outcomes for all in society. To learn more about the Centre, visit the website Research spotlight: The dull job effect Our new research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology (2019) has found that managers and professional employees with dull and boring jobs are more likely to design jobs for their colleagues that are: Demotivating Disengaging Low Skill Repetiton A series of three studies assessed how people design jobs for others as well as how their personal backgrounds contributed to these decisions. A key insight suggested that individuals who designed poor jobs were more likely to lack autonomy in their own role. This research suggests that poor work design does not happen in isolation, rather, it can create a ripple effect. If organisations wish to remain innovative, agile and high performing, it’s critical they equip themselves and their managers with the tools to design better work. Key research streams 1. Future work challenges What is the role of work design in delivering the benefits (or mitigating against the detriments) of radical change occurring in work and society? 2. Transforming individuals Which work designs optimize psychological growth across the lifespan? What is the role of work design in accelerating individual learning and development. 3. Transforming organisations How do we achieve good work designs in organisations? What knowledge, skills, and attitudes do stakeholders need to actively design good work? 4. The antecedents of good work design How can work design enable coordinated agility within work both efficiency and innovation? 5. Organisations and the mature workforce Against the backdrop of an aging workforce, what work designs and cultures support attract and retain mature workers? 6. Healthy Work How can we utlise work design to create healthy work environments, enabling workers to thrive and feel their best?

Work Systems Design Optimising the performance and wellbeing of humans in complex and human-machines systems Project members Chief Investigator Professor Sharon Parker Chief Investigator Professor Mark Griffin Project lead Professor Karina Jorritsma Project member Katrina Hosszu Project member Belinda Cham Project member Micah Wilson Project member Luke Strickland Project member Alex Boeing Overview What we do We are a team of researchers with a background in organisational, experimental, and cognitive psychology with expertise in 'work systems design', an area of applied research which sits at the intersection of organisational psychology, human factors, cognition, and systems engineering. We engage with industry and government to inform the design of optimised work systems using an integrative socio-technical approach. Our goal is to support the performance and wellbeing of employees working in complex and dynamic work systems. For more information contact: Karina Jorritsma What is a work system? Work systems comprise both social systems (human-related) and technical systems (non-human). As the rise of digital technologies transforms the way we work and live, the design and integration of technical systems will be crucial to their uptake and success. The core principle underlying our approach is that the design of social and technical systems should co-evolve, and work systems optimisation can only be achieved when human and technical aspects are prioritised equally. Our Core Tenets Consultative and collaborative: An optimised socio-technical system (STS) design process must include representation from end users in the work system as well as technical experts (e.g., designers/developers) and social system experts (e.g. psychologists) in order to capture key needs and system considerations and constraints. Human-centric: Job roles should support wellbeing by ensuring challenging yet meaningful work for humans. Task allocation guided by good work design principles can enhance human strengths and ensure human limitations are supported by the technical system. Sustainable design: A sustainable work system considers the ongoing endurance of workers over time. This includes not only sustained individual and team performance, but also ongoing attraction and retention of personnel. Pragmatic & compatible: Development of socio-technical systems must be integrated within an organisation’s existing change processes and systems engineering processes. Cross-disciplinary: Expertise is drawn from across a broad range of human sciences to ensure a holistic focus, e.g., how do biological processes, shift structures, work design, and design/technology features contribute to worker fatigue and endurance? Recursive and iterative: A recursive and iterative approach allows for a flexible design process that canadapt to evolving design requirements

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