Hugh T. J. Bainbridge

HR and the line: The distribution of HR activities in Australian organisations

Results from a national survey of Australian Human Resource Institute members and CCH subscribers document a trend within Australian organisations to devolve people management activities to the lin...

The effect of multiple roles on caregiver stress outcomes

Some caregivers focus exclusively on the caregiving role; others try to balance caregiving responsibilities with a simultaneous work role outside the home. This study examined competing hypotheses about the impact that greater immersion in a work role would have on the stress outcomes of individuals who provide care for a person with a disability. The authors used national survey data to examine whether hours of work were associated with caregiver stress outcomes. The authors also investigated whether type of disability moderated the relationship between hours worked and stress outcomes. Results suggest that spending more time in a work role generally has no effect on caregiver stress outcomes. However, caregivers who were caring for a person with a mental disability experienced significantly fewer stress outcomes as they spent more hours engaged in outside work.

Devolving people management to the line

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the different rationales for devolving people management responsibilities to the line and examine their consequences for the HR function and HR’s interactions with line managers and employees. Design/methodology/approach – A model was developed and tested that describes how the rationale for devolving people management to the line influences the HR function, HR’s interactions with line managers and the quality of people management. Survey data were collected from 446 managers who reported that their organisations had devolved people management to the line. Findings – Results indicate that devolution rationales are associated with distinct changes to the HR function’s strategic integration and size. These changes in the HR function are in turn associated with utilisation of line manager focused HR practices, HR’s business partner orientation and people management effectiveness. Practical implications – The HR function should consider changes that refine jo...

The Ageing Population in Australia: Implications for the Workforce

The ageing population creates ongoing opportunities and challenges to engage an older workforce in Australia. This chapter discusses some of these opportunities and challenges by providing a demographic overview of the ageing population and ageing workforce before discussing generational differences, and age diversity practices that may be implemented to respond to this social challenge. Following this, the chapter then discusses strategies that could be used to attract and retain an age-diverse workforce before concluding that a multitude of approaches is needed to respond more effectively to population ageing and to capture the full benefits of a diverse workforce.

Job Seekers with Musculoskeletal or Sensory Disabilities: Barriers and Facilitators of Job Search: Job Seekers with Disabilities

Drawing on interviews with job seekers and expert informants, we outline a model of the job search experience of people with disabilities. This model specifies the sequence of events involved in the pursuit of paid work and the contextual features that inhibit or facilitate job search attitudes, behaviours, intermediate search outcomes and employment outcomes. By contrasting the experiences of job seekers with musculoskeletal and sensory disabilities, and outlining the influence of major stakeholders in the form of employment agencies and family members, our model provides the basis for a more nuanced understanding of the job search process. Finally, we recommend points of intervention that are grounded in data for improving job search outcomes for people with disabilities in general, and for job seekers with musculoskeletal or sensory disabilities specifically.

Working fathers: determinants of time allocation to work and family roles

ABSTRACT Time is a valuable but scarce resource in both work and family domains. The ‘zero-sum’ nature of time means that an increase in hours allocated to work decreases that which is available for family responsibilities and vice versa. The work-family literature indicates that there are gender differences in work-family decision-making; however, the time use decisions of working fathers has received limited attention. This research considers behavioural changes in time allocation to work and non-work activities of male employees after their transition to fatherhood. The determinants of time allocated to work and family roles for fathers are considered via an analysis of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. Results indicated that fathers’ country of birth and satisfaction with their partner were associated with most of their time use decisions.

Unpaid Caregiving Responsibilities and Their Impact on Employees’ Careers

An employee’s career can be significantly affected by the decision to provide unpaid care to a family member or friend with a disability. Using a sample of 708 employees with unpaid non-work caregi...