August 10, 2009 Standard Registrations close         IIRA 2009 Conference Blog is now Online, click here to view   • CURRENT LOCATION: HOME > CONGRESS PROGRAM   Congress Program FULL PROGRAM Click here to download an updated program. Please visit this page regularly for further updates prior to the Congress. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Keynote speakers in the opening ceremony will include: The Hon. Julia Gillard MP The Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister for Education and Minister for Social Inclusions Mr Peter Anderson Chief Executive, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Heather Ridout Chief Executive Australian Industry Group (AiG) Jeff Lawrence Secretary Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Professor Russell Lansbury President, International Industrial Relations Association (IIRA) and the Industrial Relations Society of Australia (IRSA) SPECIAL SYMPOSIA A major feature of the 2009 World Congress is the inclusion of special symposia.  These will give congress participants the opportunity to learn about leading-edge collaborative research from around the world. The Scientific Committee has selected 22 special symposia from the proposals it received for inclusion in the main program. A full list of the symposia will appear in the program on the webpage but examples of the symposia are as follows: Employment Practice in Multinational Companies in Comparative Survey Perspective Convenors: Paul Marginson, University of Warwick, Patrick Gunnigle, University of Limerick and Gregor Murray, University of Montreal HR Strategies of Globalising Firms from Emerging Economies (BRICS) Convenor: Anil Verma, University of Toronto Regulating Work in Global Value Chains Convenors: Michael Ficter and Jorg Sydow, Freie University of Berlin and Steve Frenkel, University of New South Wales Do Regional Employment Relations Institutions Matter? The Story of China Convenors: Sunghoon Kim, University of New South Wales, FeYi Gao, University of New South Wales, Min Li, South China University of Technology, Xiaobei Li, University of New South Wales, Sarosh Kuruvilla, Cornell University and Stephen Frenkel, University of New South Wales Modernisation, Industrial Relations and the State: Supporting Social Partners or Remoulding Social Partners? Convenors: Mark Stuart, University of Leeds, Miguel Martinez Lucio, University of Manchester and Valeria Pulignano, Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven The Evolution of the Modern British Workplace Convenors: William Brown, University of Cambridge and Keith Whitfield, Cardiff University Theorising and Assessing Union Renewal in Comparative Perspective Convenors: Gregor Murray, University of Montreal and David Peetz, Griffith University High Performance Work Systems? How Airlines and Other Enterprises Can Improve Performance by Engaging their Employees Convenors: Thomas Kochan, MIT and Greg Bamber, Monash University Varieties of New Public Management and Public Service Employment Relations: an International Comparison Convenors: Stephen Bach, King’s College London and Lorenzo Bordogna, University of Milan           TRACKS     Track 1: Management, Work and Employment Keynote Speaker: Anil Verma, University of Toronto, Canada The experience of work and employment relations continues to be transformed and challenged by new management strategies, innovative human resource policies and practices and emerging organizational forms. This track focuses on the dynamics of work and employment relations at the level of the organization, while recognizing the importance of the institutional, historical, political, social and economic context of those relations at work. Research presented in this track might highlight: The continuing importance of HRM strategies, policies and practices. New methods of managing worker performance including human resource development, organizational learning and development, innovative approaches to rewards and remuneration. New organizational forms, the myth and reality of networks, teams, communities of practice, the effects of restructuring, outsourcing, internal markets and new forms of work organization. Persistent and emergent manifestations of managerial control over work and worker resistance. The management of change at the workplace including the dynamics and behaviours associated with the introduction of new technologies and innovative approaches to the management of knowledge. Leadership and new approaches to management (emotional intelligence, the triple bottom line, corporate social responsibility...). New ways of understanding organizations and organization including the application of methods utilizing the concepts of discourse, time, space and post-structuralist approaches generally.         Track 2: Voice and Representation at Work Keynote Speaker: Ed Heery, Cardiff Business School, Wales, UK Not only were 'representation' and 'voice' once practically synonymous with unionism, but the study of unions was itself central to the discipline of 'industrial relations' in the English-speaking countries. In most English-speaking nations, unions now represent at best a third of the paid workforce. In the European countries with social-democratic traditions, once powerful unions and union federations now struggle to exercise power for their members. In developing countries, emerging markets, global integration and local states pose massive challenges for all those seeking to give voice to employees. Nonetheless, in all these societies, various forms and expressions of collective voice have survived. We welcome innovative research which considers the following themes in both comparative and national settings: Agency: organising, bargaining, mobilising. Union busting and union substitution. The state, collectivisation and de-collectivisation. Intersections of gender, class and race. Global worker representation. New forms of worker representation and representing ‘new workers’. Rethinking union theory and history.         Track 3: Work, Family and Community Keynote Speaker: Barbara Pocock, University of South Australia, Australia The rise of work, family and life pressures on employees and organizations marks one of the most significant contemporary phenomena of employment in market economies. Major shifts in female labour market participation rates, changes in social attitudes to parenting and family and changes in public policies have contributed to the need for much greater gender awareness in industrial relations theory and practice. Furthermore, the spill-over from work and family issues has generated a growing interest about the effects on communities and within households of these labour market changes. This track examines those issues that bring the intersection of work, gender, family and community to the fore. Papers with either a methodological, comparative, specific national or organizational focus around the following themes are encouraged: Gender equity and/or exploitation Diversity and discrimination at work Parental leave and work-life policies Work-life integration and community and household studies Public policy and social agendas of unions, business and government Organisational and Human Resource Management responses         Track 4: Institutions, Processes and Outcomes Keynote Speaker: Prof Valeria Pulignano, K.U.Leuven - CESO BELGIUM The institutions shaping the employment relationship, the processes associated with the employment exchange, and the material outcomes arising from these processes have long been core concerns of industrial relations research, writing and debate. Perhaps more so than ever before, these central aspects of labour-capital relations are undergoing radical transformation in many developed and developing countries. Papers in this track will consider a range of themes in these areas: Neo-liberalism and the changing role of the regulatory state. The impact of changes in employment statutes and common law. The role of tribunals and pay setting bodies. Trends in union presence and impact. The influence of employer associations. The impact of multinational corporations and organizational restructuring. New institutional presences. Labour co modification in developing countries. Developments in collective bargaining, the growth of individual bargaining. Varieties of employment-related conflict. Developments in HRM processes and practices. Pay inequality and distributive justice/injustice. Work intensification and changes in working time. Links between particular employment practices and organizational performance.         Track 5: New Forms of Work Keynote Speaker: Prof Nicola Smit, University of Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA There has been a significant shift in the focus of research into employment relations in recent years. This shift reflects the growth of non-standard or atypical forms of employment and the growing dominance of the service sector in advanced economies. These developments have introduced new ways of organizing work, extended the reach of work beyond traditional organizational boundaries and introduced a range of ‘actors’ into the world of work. They have also raised questions about the impact of precarious employment on social cohesion and increasing disparity in labour market outcomes. Research presented in this track might highlight: The effect of a typical employment on wage outcomes, work relations, employee motivation and organizational commitment. Interconnections between employment regulations and business strategies in the production of precarious employment. Conceptualisations of a diverse range of organizational members and stakeholders, including, customers, volunteer workers, shareholders, etc. The way in which a-typical work is shaped by identities such as gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity. The emphasis on innovation and adaptation in service delivery and product development and the influence of knowledge management practices on work organization. The growing importance of sustainable organizations and the emphasis on collaboration, alliances and partnerships. The increasing influence of the small business sector in influencing employment regulation. The influence of technology on the way that work is organized and its role in facilitating non-standard forms of employment. Research into virtual organizations, the notion of the virtual team and web-based systems of collaboration.           CONGRESS FORUMS - MONDAY 24 AUGUST 2009 1. Forum on the World Financial Crisis and it Implications for Economic Sustainability and Employment Relations This forum will provide international perspectives on the the World Financial Crisis by experts from North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. A discussion will also include employer and trade union representatives on the implications of the crisis for sustainability and employment relations in Australia and the rest of the world. The forum is only open to delegates registered for the IIRA World Congress. Chair: Nick Wailes, Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Sydney Session 1: 9.00am - 10.30am International Perspectives on the Global Financial Crisis North American Perspective Thomas Kochan Professor, Sloan School of Management, MIT, Boston, USA and adviser to President Barak Obama   European Perspective Dr Peter Auer University of Paris I and ILO, Geneva   African Perspective Dr Tayo Fashoyin Head of Industrial and Employment Relations and Former Regional Director for Southern Africa, ILO   Asian Perspective Wonduck Lee Senior Economic Adviser to Samsung Corporation, former Director of the Korea Labor Institute and Senior Adviser to the President of the Republic of Korea   Latin American Perspective Helio Zylberstajn Professor, School of Economics and Business, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil and President, Brazilian Association for Industrial Relations Session 2: 11.00am – 12.30pm Implications for Sustainability and Employment Relations Chair: John Buchanan, Director, Workplace Research Centre, University of Sydney Sharon Burrow President, Australian Council of Trade Unions and President, International Trade Union Confederation   Steve Knott Chief Executive, Australian Mines and Minerals Association (AMMA)   Heather Ridout Chief Executive, Australian Industry Group   Duncan Campbell Director, Economics and Labour Market Analysis Department, International Labour Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland 2. Forum on Fair Work Australia Reforms: 1.30pm - 5.00pm This will be a comprehensive briefing on current developments in industrial relations and human resource management in Australia from leading experts. Chair: Suzanne Jamieson, Associate Professor, Work and Organisational Studies, University of Sydney Session 1: 2.00pm - 3.30pm – Forum on Fair Work Australia Reforms Ron McCallum Blake Dawson Waldron Professor of Labour Law, University of Sydney   Peter Anderson Chief Executive, Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry   Sharan Burrow President, Australian Council of Trade Unions   Justice Geoffrey Giudice President, Fair Work Australia   Louise Tarrant Federal Secretary, Liquor, Hotel and Miscellaneous Workers Union Session 2: 4.00pm - 5.30pm – Forum on Fair Work Australia Reforms – Implications for Employment Relations Peter Wilson President, Australian Human Resources Institute   Sue Bussell Director of Industrial Relations, Qantas Airways Limited   Katy McDonald Head of Employment Relations, Diversity and Equity, Westpac Banking Corporation   Mark Polglaze Executive Director, Human Resources, GM Holden   Mark Lennon Secretary, Unions New South Wales 3. Study Group Meetings 9.00am to 12.30pm The IIRA World Congress provides an important opportunity for IIRA study groups to meet. Study group meetings will be held prior on the morning of 24 August at the convention centre. Congress participants are invited to contact study group convenors if they wish to be involved in any of these groups. Details of all groups and their convenors are on the IIRA website: www.ilo.org/public/english/iira. The Human Resource Management study group will convene a meeting on: Ethics, Social Responsibility and International HRM Further details are at www.zagelmeyer.de/pageID_3782044.html Other study groups which will meet in Sydney include: Equality in Pay and Employment Flexible Work Patterns Gender and Industrial Relations Industrial Relations in the Public Sector Public Policy and Industrial Relations Industrial Relations as a Field and IR Theory Further details of study group meetings will be included on the next IIRA 2009 newsletter. Please note: all participants in study group meetings must be registered for the IIRA World Congress. 4. Publishing workshop with Journal Editors 11.00am – 12.30pm This workshop is aimed primarily at early career researchers who are beginning their academic careers; however, all delegates are welcome The editors of leading academic journals in industrial relations and related fields will be invited to provide advice to prospective authors on how to achieve success in publishing their work. Editors of the following journals have participated in previous world congresses: The Industrial and Labor Relations Review Industrial Relations The Journal of Industrial Relations The British Journal of Industrial Relations The European Journal of Industrial Relations Work and Employment Studies Work and Occupations The International Journal of Human Resources Management Relations Industrielles / Industrial Relations   HOME • CALL FOR PAPERS • CONGRESS PROGRAM • REGISTRATION • ACCOMMODATION • SOCIAL PROGRAM • TOURS • SPONSORSHIP & EXHIBITION • LOCATION • GENERAL INFORMATION • CONTACT US   RETURN TO TOP