Our mission
The Future of Work Institute promotes productive and meaningful work as essential foundations of a healthy economy and society. We focus on how people contribute to and benefit from new knowledge and practices. Our mission is to support thriving people and organisations in the digital age.
Research Themes
Our overall theme is “thriving in the digital age”. We support thriving individuals and organisations through leading-edge research, collaborative projects, embedded in translation and dissemination activities.
The Institute will implement the following thematic programs:
These six programs will shape the research and practice of the Institute. The programs intersect with each other and research across Curtin University to build the theme of thriving in a digital age.
Transformative Work Design
Designing work so that people are more effective, health, and safe.
Australian Research Council Laureate Professor Sharon Parker leads this theme. Sharon is the Director for the Centre for Transformative Work Design and manages multi-industry collaboration to redesign work structures, leadership roles, and communication networks.
Work Capabilities and Motivation
Engaging people through changing organisational structures, intensive communication media, and fluctuating demands.
Professor Marylene Gagne leads this in collaboration with Dr Patrick Dunlop. The projects undertaken will help to understand the recruitment, motivation, compensation, and skills required in new and evolving work structures.
Human System Integration
Work, careers, and performance as people interact with complex and dynamic technical systems.
Practice Professor Karina Jorritsma leads this theme. This includes defence-related projects to understand human endurance, system configurations, and training in complex operating environments.
Public Policy in
the Digital Age
Policy settings that increase opportunity, flexibility, and sustainability.
Professor John Phillimore leads this theme. John is the Executive Director of the John Curtin Institute of Public Policy and has extensive experience working with government to develop employment and industry policy.
Data Analytics and
Decision Making
Generating, analysing, and using data to create a better workplace.
Professor Mark Griffin leads this theme to ensure all projects are supported by recent advances in data modelling, machine learning, and visualisation. The theme also explores how analytics can better support organisational decision making.
Ageing and Work
How do we keep people in work longer and optimise their contributions?
ARC Laureate Fellow Professor Sharon Parker leads this theme via the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research where she is Stream Leader for Organisations and the Mature Workforce and Director of Mentoring.
Located in the Perth CBD
The Future of Work Institute is located in the Curtin Graduate School of Business building, in the heart of the Perth CBD.
Curtin’s strong relationship with industry will ensure that the Future of Work Institute's highly interactive facility will be a hub for developing and implementing new insights.
Our Leadership Team
Professor Mark Griffin
Professor Mark Griffin is the Director of the Future of Work Institute. He is currently Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Psychology and a previous recipient of an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship. Mark’s research examines the way individuals contribute to organisational capability in areas of safety, leadership, well-being and productivity.
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Professor Sharon Parker
Professor Sharon Parker is an ARC Laureate Fellow, a Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Curtin University, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. She is currently Director of the Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University and is a recipient of the Kathleen Fitzpatrick Award and the Academy of Management OB Division Mentoring Award.
Professor Marylène Gagné
Professor Marylène Gagné holds a PhD from the University of Rochester, New York and has held appointments at Concordia University, Canada, and the University of Western Australia. Her research examines how organisations, through their structures, cultures, rewards, tasks, and management, affect people’s motivational orientations towards their work.
Associate Professor Karina Jorritsma
Associate Professor Karina Jorritsma is a Practice Professor who works closely with industry to generate high impact research. Karina brings with her over 15 years’ experience in successfully bringing together academic thinking across disciplines and working with industry stakeholders to address critical workplace challenges.
Associate Professor Patrick Dunlop
Associate Professor Patrick Dunlop will join the Future of Work Institute in early 2019. His research investigates personality and individual differences in the work context, particularly how they relate to personnel recruitment, selection, and socialisation. His research informs practices to improve recruitment, selection, and socialisation outcomes across work and volunteer settings, and on how work influences the development of our personality through adulthood.
Professor John Phillimore
Professor John Phillimore has been Executive Director of the John Curtin Institute of Public Policy based at Curtin University since 2007. He will lead the Public Policy in the Digital Age research program at the Future of Work Institute. He also has several years’ experience as a senior advisor to government. His research expertise includes public policy; employment and industry policy; innovation, science and technology policy; higher education; social policy; public administration; federalism; regional development; and Australian politics.
Abbe Rorrison
Abbe Rorrison is a manager with extensive experience in the university and business sector leading work groups and strategic initiatives. She has held positions as Workforce Planning Consultant and Faculty Manager (Business Services) at the University of Western Australia.
Get in touch
The Future of Work Institute engages with all sectors of the economy to improve work and support innovation. If you'd like more information about our research or are interested in working with us, please contact us.
Location: Curtin Graduate School of Business building, 78 Murray Street, Perth WA 6000
Telephone: +61 8 9266 4668
Email: fowi@curtin.edu.au