New Forms of Employer-Worker Relationships in Australian Universities NEW FORMS OF EMPLOYER-WORKER RELATIONSHIPS IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES

This paper aims to investigate if the “high-performance paradigm ” and a Unitary Strategic HRM approach of WorkChoices has brought about new forms of employer-worker relationships within Australian universities. In the context of these developments, this paper will first set out to examine the literature to help explain the transition of Australia’s industrial relations system. The paper will then proceed to outline the qualitative research design before reporting and discussing the results gathered through the undertaking of semi-structured interviews with Human Resource Managers/Directors and/or representatives from Australian universities as well as acclaimed academics within the field. The results highlight that whilst WorkChoices did bring forth a new form of work practice, the new practice did not necessarily promote innovative HRM practices nor did it encourage or cultivate new forms of employer-worker relationships within Australian universities