Description:
This thesis examines and reports upon the application of ergonomics interventions to OHS-based industrial problems. The study focuses on the values of these interventions as investment opportunieties for management. A wide review of the scientific and commercial literature, personal information, observation techniques, and a selected series of seven case studies and eleven separate data-sets within the Australian Postal Corporation have been undertaken.
Description:
This thesis examines and reports upon the application of ergonomics interventions to OHS-based industrial problems. The study focuses on the values of these interventions as investment opportunieties for management. A wide review of the scientific and commercial literature, personal information, observation techniques, and a selected series of seven case studies and eleven separate data-sets within the Australian Postal Corporation have been undertaken.
Managing risk and enhancing corporate sustainability in the Australian extractive sector : An exploratory study of leading mining and oil & gas firms in Australia
Description:
Risk is an unavoidable issue in most activities of life, including business. Risk-management is increasingly a hot-button issue for stakeholders and the general public. As such, it is of rising importance in the high-risk extractive industries of mining and oil & gas. Specifically, risk-management can help firms reduce business failure-rates and enhance corporate sustainability. However, the integration of risk-management and corporate sustainability within planning, financing, and operations remains a key challenge for the sector. This research seeks to fill this gap by investigating and evaluating the current use of risk-management by extractive-sector firms to add value to stakeholders. Given that risk- management and its impact on corporate sustainability is enormous, this study will provide useful insights into the risk-management practices undertaken by extractive-sector firms in Australia and how cost-effective risk-management practices contribute to the overall enhancement of financial performance, stakeholder value and corporate sustainability of those firms. This study, after drawing data from Australia’s top 10 mining/metals firms and top 10 energy/utilities firms, uses: i) Questionnaires to give a background/context for the study, and ii) Interviews to further probe issues raised and gain a deeper understanding. The analysis in this study found that risk-management practices are: i) Perceived by management practices to contribute significantly to financial performance, stakeholder value and corporate sustainability of their firms ii) Very similar across mining firms and those in oil & gas, and iii) Too limited in application in the extractive-sector and should be extended beyond traditional hazards. Overall, it was found that risk-management systems appear to be comparable across Australia’s large mining firms and oil & gas firms. However, at a detailed level, these basic systems and structures of risk-management are adjusted and adapted to meet specific needs, corporate strategies, organisational objectives and environmental pressures. NOTE: At the request of the author, Chapters 2-12 and Appendix 7 have been removed.
Description:
Risk is an unavoidable issue in most activities of life, including business. Risk-management is increasingly a hot-button issue for stakeholders and the general public. As such, it is of rising importance in the high-risk extractive industries of mining and oil & gas. Specifically, risk-management can help firms reduce business failure-rates and enhance corporate sustainability. However, the integration of risk-management and corporate sustainability within planning, financing, and operations remains a key challenge for the sector. This research seeks to fill this gap by investigating and evaluating the current use of risk-management by extractive-sector firms to add value to stakeholders. Given that risk- management and its impact on corporate sustainability is enormous, this study will provide useful insights into the risk-management practices undertaken by extractive-sector firms in Australia and how cost-effective risk-management practices contribute to the overall enhancement of financial performance, stakeholder value and corporate sustainability of those firms. This study, after drawing data from Australia’s top 10 mining/metals firms and top 10 energy/utilities firms, uses: i) Questionnaires to give a background/context for the study, and ii) Interviews to further probe issues raised and gain a deeper understanding. The analysis in this study found that risk-management practices are: i) Perceived by management practices to contribute significantly to financial performance, stakeholder value and corporate sustainability of their firms ii) Very similar across mining firms and those in oil & gas, and iii) Too limited in application in the extractive-sector and should be extended beyond traditional hazards. Overall, it was found that risk-management systems appear to be comparable across Australia’s large mining firms and oil & gas firms. However, at a detailed level, these basic systems and structures of risk-management are adjusted and adapted to meet specific needs, corporate strategies, organisational objectives and environmental pressures. NOTE: At the request of the author, Chapters 2-12 and Appendix 7 have been removed.