Our research is organised within and across four themes that act as a focusing mechanism, providing a collaborative research environment to support cross-disciplinary research.
CPOW is also committed to responding to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with our research directly aligned with six key goals: Good Health & Wellbeing (3), Gender Equality (5), Decent Work & Economic Growth (8), Reduced Inequalities (10), Sustainable Cities & Communities (11), and Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions (16).
Examines the opportunities and challenges afforded by digital transformation in workplace settings.
Brings together a wide range of research, which collectively addresses diversity and inclusion issues in organisations and societies.
Examines structural and institutional gendered inequalities in work and organisations: how they are created, reinforced and resisted.
Paid care work is a major area of employment growth and a key site of change affecting the future of work globally.
Examines the opportunities and challenges afforded by digital transformation in workplace settings.
Brings together a wide range of research which collectively addresses diversity and inclusion issues in organisations and societies.
Examines structural and institutional gendered inequalities in work and organisations; how they are created, reinforced and resisted.
Paid care work is a major area of employment growth and a key site of change affecting the future of work globally.
Explores economic and social change, taking into account the state, market and society, as well as new systems of governance.
Theme Leader: Fiona Macdonald
Paid care work is a major area of employment growth and a key site of change affecting the future of work globally. How care work is funded, organised and rewarded is critical to the well-being of millions of workers, overwhelmingly women, worldwide. The Work of Social Care research theme focuses on the organisation and regulation of care work. It is centrally concerned with the quality of paid care work and with addressing gender inequality in work. Research in this theme directly supports RMIT’s contribution to the UN ‘Decent work and economic growth’ and ‘Gender Equality’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Theme Leader: Meagan Tyler
Examines structural and institutional inequalities in work and organisations, including those based on gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age, ability, class, and location, and investigates how they are created, reinforced and resisted. Our emphasis on diversity encourages new understandings of existing challenges to further positive social change and business innovation. Our research builds on the concept of a fair society that protects and promotes equal freedom and substantive equality for all.
Theme Leader: Peter Fairbrother
Explores economic and social change, taking into account the state, market and society, as well as new systems of governance. We develop understandings of significant economic transitions as complex social, political and policy undertakings. One aim is to explore how forms of political power are developed, allocated, articulated, used and changed.
Our analyses aim to facilitate humane change processes and provide nuanced interventions that account for community diversity and the different impacts and experiences of change experienced by people based on a wide range of factors such as their gender, ethnicity, ability, age, socioeconomic status, health, education, location, and proximity to the change being undertaken. The fragmented, disruptive and uncertain futures in this changing world are considered in applied ways, involving knowledge translation with end-users.
Examines the opportunities and challenges afforded by digital transformation in workplace settings. Our interests include: the interaction between digital technology and workers, organisations, industries and the wider society; how technology can create agency and transform work and society; and how technology adds value to workers, organisations, industries and society. We specialise in research that can lead to impact for workers and organisations, as well as communities and society, and inform policy.