Cultivating systemic safety to prevent workplace sexual harassment

About this project

Improve the workplace culture in Australia

If you are passionate about building a career in employment equity and diversity and are concerned about workplace sexual harassment, the University of South Australia – Australia’s University of Enterprise – is offering a hands-on project-based PhD within the Centre for Workplace Excellence (CWEX), in partnership with 12 organisations who play an important role in mitigating sexual harassment in Australian.

Workplace sexual harassment is a significant issue in Australia, costing our economy more than $3.5 billion each year. Sexual harassment disrupts business operations and slows down progress in achieving gender equality at work. Traditional prevention methods include policies, training, and reporting, which focus on the behaviour itself without addressing its root causes. This misdirection of effort is a major reason why the problem persists.  

Our team has been awarded funding for an ARC Linkage Project that will learn more about the origins of sexual harassment in the organisational system, looking deeper into aspects like organisational culture, social dynamics, job and task characteristics, technology, and the physical work environment. By gaining a richer understanding of these risk factors, we will develop new evidence-based prevention strategies. Our research will provide valuable insights into where and how to intervene to change the organisational systems in which sexual harassment occurs.  

What you’ll do  

In this project-based research degree, you will complement the research conducted in the ARC Linkage Project by exploring the role of co-design processes in creating workplaces characterised by systemic safety. In particular, the PhD program of research will advance understanding of how co-design methods can be used to in understand and address complex workplace challenges, such as workplace sexual harassment; how to promote psychological safety in workplace co-design processes, with attention to organisational power imbalance and engaging marginalised voices; and how co-design processes can directly support meeting basic psychological needs of participants, alongside enhancing system redesign outcomes. 

You will have the opportunity to connect to a range of partner organisations for networking, career development, and internship opportunities. 

Where you’ll be based 

The candidate will be embedded in established, supportive, and high-quality research environment. UniSA excels in supporting research to benefit end-users, evidenced by being ranked first in Australia for research impact and engagement (ARC Engagement and Impact Assessment, 2018) and being rated as the top young university in Australia for industry collaborations (Times Higher Education, 2022). 

The project will benefit from expertise and resources at UniSA’s Centre for Workplace Excellence (CWeX), where the primary supervisor, Prof Tuckey, is a member. CWeX has 26 academic staff members, including an ARC Laureate and a recent past president of the Academy of Management, who work with leading academic and policy institutions globally and with diverse industry partners. There will also be the opportunity to collaborate with the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing (WOW) at Griffith University. CWeX and WOW share similar goals: rigorous, impactful research producing sustainable improvements in employee well-being and organisational productivity alongside significant contribution to global knowledge. WOW has 50 academic members including three fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences and provides a strong research culture with internationally regarded researchers who are well connected globally. Financial Support

This project is funded for reasonable research expenses. Additionally, a living allowance scholarship of $32,500 per annum is available to Australian and New Zealand citizens, and permanent residents of Australia, including permanent humanitarian visa holders. Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants will be eligible to receive an increased stipend rate of $50,291 per annum. A fee-offset or waiver for the standard term of the program is also included. For full terms and benefits of the scholarship please refer to our scholarship information.

Eligibility and Selection

This project is open to applications from Australian or New Zealand citizens, and Australian permanent residents or permanent humanitarian visa holders. International applicants are not invited to apply at this time. 

Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for entrance into a PhD. Additionally applicants must meet the project selection criteria:

• Hold an Honours degree in psychology or a related discipline
• Interest in addressing complex organisational challenges
• Experience working independently within a collaborative team environment
• Skills in qualitative and quantitative research methods and analysis

The successful applicant is expected to study full-time and be based at our City West campus in the heart of Adelaide.

Essential Dates

Applicants are expected to start in a timely fashion upon receipt of an offer. Extended deferral periods are not available. Applications close on Sunday 24 November 2024.