Unleashing the “S” in ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance): Transforming Office Building Investment

About this project

Improve our understanding of how to build sustainable office buildings

If you are passionate about corporate social responsibility and keen to advance sustainability practices in office building design, the University of South Australia – Australia’s University of Enterprise – is offering a hands-on project-based PhD within Centre for Workplace Excellence (CWEX), in partnership with Hassell.

Our project seeks to develop a framework for integrating social sustainability metrics into office building investments, focusing on the "S" element of Environmental, Social, and Governance standards. 

We aim to understand which sustainability metrics in office buildings are most valued by tenants, and how they can be measured. Our project addresses the challenge of quantifying social sustainability in a sector that has traditionally prioritised environmental and governance considerations. 

Our framework will be validated through case studies of office buildings that have successfully integrated social sustainability practices. These case studies will provide practical insights into the framework’s applicability and offer evidence-based recommendations for refining the approach.

You will be based within the CWeX research centre, within UniSA Business. This supportive and collegial environment will give you access to world-class mentorship, resources, facilities and training. You will be exposed to supervisors and advisors from Business, STEM and Creative. 

Working closely with advisors and end users will help you develop your communication and collaboration skills and expand your global professional network.

What you’ll do

In this project-based research degree, you will work in partnership with a high-quality world-class transdisciplinary research community to develop rigorous, evidenced-based research within the fields of business and property. You will use a mixed-methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative data collection. 

Stakeholder engagement, through interviews, focus groups, and surveys, will help you to identify the key social factors valued by tenants, such as community impact, occupant well-being, and inclusivity. The insights will be complemented by quantitative surveys to generate measurable indicators. 

You will explore a dual focus on tenant experiences and stakeholder co-creation, ensuring a practical, real-world application of social sustainability metrics. 

Travel to data collection sites within South Australia may be required. There will also be opportunities to attend networking and conference events, both within the University and externally. 

You will be supported by your supervisors to present your findings and contribute to publications, present at local/national/international conferences and, where applicable, attend media engagements.

Where you’ll be based

You will be based at CWEX, where we make it our business to give organisations the knowledge to empower them to achieve excellence in organisational productivity and employee wellbeing. 

Through our evidence-based research, we uncover invaluable insights and best practice on topics such as employee health, safety and wellbeing; workforce diversity and inclusion; bullying and harassment prevention; leadership, culture and performance; and human resource management systems, practices and structures to demonstrate how organisations can address the workplace challenges of today and into the future.

Our solutions-focused approach will help you to identify what really works in the workplace, where changes can be made, and how organisations can evolve to become front runners in the global marketplace. 

We do the hard work through our multidisciplinary research to make sure that your workplace can function at its best, with guidance from the latest practices in workplace excellence. Financial Support

This project is funded for reasonable research expenses. Additionally, a living allowance scholarship of $35,200 per annum (2025 rate) 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 $52,352 per annum (2025 rate). 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. All applications that meet the eligibility and selection criteria will be considered for this project. 

Additionally applicants must meet the project selection criteria: 

• Good knowledge of qualitative data analysis, including preparing and running surveys, focus groups, interviews, and analysing qualitative data using software like Nvivo
• Good knowledge of empirical data analysis, including running software like SPSS
• Advanced skills in conducting literature review
• Good writing and communication skills
• Experience with stakeholder engagement
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team, including meeting deadlines on time

Applicants who can also demonstrate the following will be highly regarded:

• Experience with managing client relationships in the Property sector
• A design, architecture, property or built environment-related background
• Prior experience in research (e.g. thesis writing experience, publications, research assistance work, etc) 

The successful applicant is expected to study full-time and to 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 5 January 2025.