Ostracism in the academic workplace has not received attention commensurate with its frequency and seriousness. One of the more detailed models of workplace ostracism incorporates the organisational antecedents of ostracism, its pragmatic and psychological impact and behavioural outcomes. Using a detailed written account of experiences within an…

What do attacks on 'unpalatable' research reveal about academic freedom? When academic work is curtailed, this cherished yet misunderstood concept is undermined. Silencing based on moral objection -- rather than wrongdoing -- suggests academic freedom is more constrained than we believe. On paper, academic freedom is rule-bound, yet 'dangerous'…

The higher education sector in Australia is operating in an ideological context in which the ideas of managerialism and neoliberalism combine to create a discourse shaping the lives of both workers and students. The practices that emerge inside higher education organisations as a result combine to form an organisational neoliberal managerial…

Happiness research is a rapidly-growing area in social psychology and has emphasised the link between happiness and workplace productivity and creativity for knowledge workers. Recent articles in this journal have raised concerns about the level of happiness and engagement of Australian academics with their work, however there is little research…

Snobbery in academia can involve academics, general staff, students and members of the public, and can be based on degrees, disciplines, cliques and other categories. Though snobbery is seldom treated as a significant issue, it can have damaging effects on morale, research and public image. Strategies against snobbery include avoidance, private…

Drawing on various secondary sources and direct encounters with casual academic staff, this article examines the emergent context and lived experiences of casualisation in Australian universities, with specific reference to on-going developments in teaching arrangements across the sector. Particular attention is paid to the challenges associated…

Academic environments for Australian faculty in Australia and Hong Kong are compared, and the likelihood of job satisfaction for Australians in Hong Kong is discussed. Career conditions under which Hong Kong employment will be most satisfactory are noted. (MSE)

A discussion of the changing relationship between college faculty, the institution, and society concludes that, although the context of the interactions between them is evolving and faculty are shifting from a collegial to a managerial mode, there is little change in the formal conditions of academic employment. (MSE)

Abused, ignored, sidelined, belittled. It's the human face of a systemic problem. Eva Cox and James Goodman report on a recent study of workplace bullying that highlights its effects on those being bullied, and the rather piecemeal administrative efforts to deal with it so far. (Contains 7 tables.)

The evolution of the faculty and working conditions at the University of Sydney (Australia) since its founding are chronicled, focusing on academic ranks and promotion, the growth of the faculty, internal governance, tenure, policy on sabbatical leave, salary levels, and the status of academics in the community. (MSE)

A survey of 322 University of Queensland (Australia) faculty found changes in attitudes about retirement age and about terms and conditions of employment at later ages. Implications are discussed and barriers to more flexible faculty employment are examined, including the current structure of retirement benefits, taxes, and flexible retirement;…

The state of the academic profession in the United Kingdom is examined, with some comparisons to Australia. Focus is on changes during the 1980s and the role of public policy. The disadvantaged status of academic women is noted, and changes in emphasis on teaching, research, and administration are discussed. (MSE)

Effects of recent changes in Australian higher education on everyday academic work are examined, including changed emphases in teaching, research, administration, and public service and new demands associated with allocation of time, self-regulation, fragmentation of work into more discrete tasks, greater uniformity of effort, recruitment…

A study investigated the effects of 1988 changes in Australian economic policy on the reward structures and employment trends, particularly for women, at two Australian universities: Murdoch and Edith Cowan. Results suggest that the new policy has been beneficial for some women, particularly at lower employment levels, but that climbing this more…

Surveys of 100 Australian college and university faculty in 1987 and again in 1992, after implementation of new higher education policies, found decreased levels of faculty satisfaction with their work (substance and conditions), their students, and their administrations. Unsatisfactory levels of stress and tension at work were also found. (MSE)