Simply the Best - Workplaces in Australia

Claire Brooks

8 January, 2004

What makes a great workplace?This study by the University of Sydney highlights the emergence of a new model of workplace relationships and employment, requiring a similarly new model of leadership.

The top five factors that will positively influence improvements in performance among employees were located in the study as:

Being entrusted with responsibility/independence
Interesting and challenging work
A good relationship
Receiving feedback and good communication
Good relationships with other staff.

Interestingly the study noted cultural differences between Australians and other cultures.

“In Germany, the dominant element of Quality is an obsession with Standards;
“In Japan, Quality is the pursuit of Perfection
“In France, Quality is viewed as Luxury
“In the United States, Quality means ‘It Works’
“While in Australia, Quality implies Quality of Relationship First”.

What impact might these finding have for us as trainers and educators?

Intriguingly the study found that 'working conditions' such as degree of unionisation and casualisation were items of 'indifference' to excellence.

I wonder too what notion of excellent relationships might mean for us as members of the Australian Flexible Learning Community - a larger sort of workplace perhaps?

Comments:

8 January, 2004

Pam Atkins

I saw an article in the Age pointing to this document and downloaded it for a friend who is having personnel difficulties in her workplace. She has pointed her bosses to it; I wonder what they will make of it. The ACIRTT has an impresive amount of research available on their site.

8 January, 2004

Malcolm Jolly

Downloaded the report fascinating reading, although, I suspect it puts together nice and succinctly what many of us have often thought. Although, the study included a diverse range of industries I would like to know if there were any educational organisations involved.

8 January, 2004

Claire Brooks

Hi Pam and Malcolm. There is indeed a lot of very interesting research coming out of ACIRRT, and I would love to know about who was actually part of the research for this particular study- and can't think of many educational institutions that would fit! However I do think, as they anticipated, their results are a bit difficult for anyone else to interpret by putting into practice....part of my response was sort of "so what is new...nice people = happy workplaces- I wasn't sure whether there is anything transferable. Or how can we learn from this study? As Malcom says it seems to sum things that we intuitively or tacitly just KNOW ( and can't necessarily change). sometimes I think that the leadership issues identified relate to character rather than training or anything else that we can influence. Still it is nice to know that these great workplaces do exist :-)