Winter Research Projects
Mindsets for Leadership: How competing tensions impact Leadership outcomes
Supervisor
Associate Professor Tyler Okimoto & Dr Miriam Yates
Project Duration
4 weeks
Description
Background
Recent theoretical developments in Leadership theory have positioned the ‘mindset’ of women leaders as being a source of competitive advantage when confronting tensions that arise from their being required to balance behaviours expected as women with those expected as leaders (Zheng, Kark & Meister, 2018; Zheng, Surgevil & Kark, 2018). This proposition provides ample scope for possible leadership interventions that may support women entering key decision-making positions throughout the organisation – a domain in which women remain persistently under-represented in Australia and Worldwide (OECD, 2018; WGEA, 2018).
Aim
The aim of this Winter Research Project is to examine the broader mindsets, leadership and gender literatures to evaluate the practical utility of this anticipated domain for future research and intervention development. Can we shift the ‘mindsets’ of Leaders through intervention (e.g., priming, role modelling, condition assignment, etc.), and do those shifts result in commensurate change in effectiveness, psychological health and wellbeing, and goal persistence?
Key outcome
A key outcome of this Winter Research Project will be to unpack the possible antecedents from a broader literature search that may inform such an intervention through a thorough literature review and synthesis from business, management, organizational behaviour and psychology domains. Depending upon the scholar, there may also be the opportunity to develop the scope of that proposed above into a data-collection project (e.g., study design, planning, implementing and analysing).
Expected outcomes and deliverables
Winter Research Scholars will have the opportunity to grow their existing capabilities in literature examination and synthesis for the purposes of generating robust hypotheses. Given the pre-existing nature of this program of work, there may also be the opportunity for a motivated student to contribute to the ongoing direction of this work and any publications that may arise from their involvement.
Suitable for
This project is open to students who have an interest in leadership and gender. We are particularly enthusiastic to speak with students who have a background in psychology and/or may be motivated to grow their knowledge of workplace behaviour beyond their current foundation.
Further information
Interested applicants should contact Tyler Okimoto (t.okimoto@business.uq.edu.au).
Travel health risks and protective behaviours of young travellers
Supervisor
Dr Jie Wang
Project Duration
4 weeks from 24 June to 19 July 2019
Description
Conservative estimates show that 30-50% of travellers get ill or are injured during their trip (Briggs & Habib, 2004) indicating the urgency of the awareness of the health impacts of travel. Serious health risks may arise in destinations where accommodation is of poor quality, hygiene and sanitation are inadequate, medical services are not well developed and clean water is unavailable (WHO, 2017). Australians made 8.3 million short-term international departures with over 3 million of these movements to Asia in 2016. Travellers may encounter sudden and significant changes in altitude, humidity, microbes, and temperature, which can result in ill-health (Richter, 2003). Surprisingly, many young Australians (e.g., schoolies, backpackers, etc.) lack of awareness of travel health risks and preventative options when they travel to some popular destinations.
One vulnerable group is Australian schoolies. Schoolies refer to the Australian tradition of high-school graduates having week-long holidays following the end of their final exams of year 12 in late November and early December. Tens of thousands of students attend and treat schoolies as ‘a cultural rite of passage’. The Gold Coast remains the leading domestic destination attracting over 40,000 school leavers annually. Recently, thousands of Australian schoolies are heading to overseas, especially some affordable beach resort destinations such as Indonesia/Bali, Thailand, Fiji and Vanuatu. Many risks (such as alcohol, driving, drugs) have been addressed. However, although an increasing number of young schoolies will visit Southeast Asia, effective communication on many other travel-related health risks in those popular destinations is unfortunately missing.
This study aims to investigate Australian young travellers’ (esp. schoolies’) risk perception, evaluation, health advisor seeking, and self-protective behaviour against travel health risks. Other factors influencing their risk reduction strategies will be tested, such as social media and peer influence.
Expected outcomes and deliverables
The student may gain skills in literature review, research design and data collection and preliminary data analysis. The student is asked to produce a written report at the end of the project.
Suitable for
This project is open to applications from students with research interests in youth study, tourism risk management, social media or health communication, 3-4 year undergraduate, honours, or masters by coursework students, UQ enrolled students only.
Further information
Students can contact the supervisor prior to submitting an application. Dr. Jie Wang, UQ Business School, j.wang16@uq.edu.au
Proactive employee voice behaviours and the associated team-level and individual-level antecedents
Supervisor
Dr Yiqiong Li
Project Duration
4 weeks
Description
Quantitative data is being collected among hospital employees in the first half of 2019 on employee proactive voice behaviours. The project examines the team-level and individual-level factors that influence employee proactive voice behaviours.
Expected outcomes and deliverables
Scholars will further improve critical thinking skills upon a systematic and guided literature review. Scholars may gain skills in data collection and fundamental data analysis.
Suitable for
This project is open to applications from students with a background in psychology and/or management, 3-4 year students, UQ enrolled students.
Further information
Please feel free to contact me (Yiqiong.li@business.uq.edu.au) if you need further information.
Gender equality and the UN Sustainable Development Goals – a critical analysis of “development” discourses in The Pacific
Supervisors
Dr Kate Power
Project Duration
This is a 4-week project. The Winter Scholar is expected to work approximately 20 hours per week (as negotiated with the Supervisor).
Description
This project aims to contribute to public debate by mapping similarities and differences in how “gender equality” in The Pacific is written and spoken about by
- Australian government, non-government and media players, and
- women living and working in development contexts in the region.
First, it examines the narratives and argumentation strategies underpinning each of the above perspectives, using corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis. Second, it seeks to inform policy and promote civic engagement by developing new public pedagogy materials based on research findings.
Expected outcomes and deliverables
The Winter Scholar for this project will be expected to
- assist with discourse analysis, and
- complete a literature review, focusing on “public pedagogy,” with a view to planning materials-development..
Suitable for
This project is open to applications from UQ enrolled students with a background in Business, Communication, Education, and/or Journalism.
In addition to the ability to work with minimal supervision, the successful applicant must have excellent library research, time management and communication skills. Ability to use or quickly learn to use NVIVO will be viewed favourably.
A genuine interest in discourse analysis, gender equality, sustainable development, and/or public pedagogies will be a definite advantage.
Further information
For further information about this project or you are interested in applying please contact Dr Kate Power k.power@business.uq.edu.au