The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the way work is organised right across our sector. Shifting teaching, research and administrative services from campus to home-based working, as well as adapting to an increased reliance on digital technologies has been challenging for everyone working in universities, including at Macquarie. However, we have also learned a lot over these past twelve months, particularly what we can achieve when we individually and collectively adapt to the COVID-19 generated changing circumstances around us by working differently.

There are, of course, many challenges ahead that will need to be addressed. To support effective responses to current and future challenges to the way we work, as part of its Operating Plan and ‘Ways of Working’ area of focus, Macquarie has commissioned the Centre for Workforce Futures to conduct a research study on ‘The Future of Work @ Macquarie University’. The project is exploring future modes of work in the changed context brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic through an investigation of literature and employee voice.

We need to hear from Macquarie staff

To ensure the inclusion of employees’ voices, a core component of the Future of Work study is an Ideas Generation Process involving University staff.  To this end, the project team seeks as many staff as possible to contribute ideas, and unique perspectives on current and future ways of working at Macquarie.

“There are a wealth of ideas, understandings and expertise across our Macquarie community and we need to hear them all as we do this important future-focussed work,” says Professor David Wilkinson, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Engagement) and Executive Sponsor of the Future of Work study.

“This study will help to build a framework of work arrangements that are sustainable and also enhance performance and productivity. Our future flexible working options need to support staff wellbeing and the delivery of high-quality work. It’s vital that all staff have the opportunity to contribute to that conversation.”

The project has obtained ethics approval from the Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee and HREC Humanities and Social Sciences University’s Ethics Committee.

The Ideas Generation Process and staff focus groups will aim to explore five key challenge areas:

• Working arrangements
• Work locations
• Collaboration, communication and consultation
• New technologies, technological resources and support
• Workplace health and safety

From 3 February, all staff will receive an email from Dr Brian Ballsun-Stanton inviting them to participate in the ‘Ideas Generation Process for the Future of Work @ Macquarie University’ using the LimeSurvey platform, which will be open for two weeks. Following this process, focus groups will be organised with the project team through an Expression of interest approach.

Professor Lucy Taksa Director, Centre for Workforce Futures and Project lead Investigator, says staff input into this study is “absolutely vital”.

“Tapping into the collective creativity and expertise that exists across our Macquarie community is vital for the project to deliver viable recommendations for a sustainable, efficient and equitable future of work at Macquarie,” Professor Taksa says. “Together with the other members of the research team,  I encourage as many people as possible to contribute their knowledge and their ideas to the qualitative dimensions of this project.”

The research and results will help to inform the development of appropriate policies and practices that will help to guide how and where work is undertaken across the university to support our strategic objectives. By providing relevant and practical information, the study will also assist managers and teams to collaborate on ways we can best work together to drive successful outcomes for Macquarie staff and students.

About the study – process and research team

The Future of Work @ Macquarie University project will result in a report to the University Executive and scholarly publications in accordance with ethics approval (Reference No:52020925224143).

The research is being conducted by Professor Lucy Taksa (Director, Centre for Workforce Futures), Professor Jean-Philippe Deranty (Philosophy Department and Deputy Director, Centre for Workforce Futures) and Centre members, Associate Professor Yvette Blount, Dr Troy Sarina and Dr Bona Anna (postdoctoral research fellow).

Staff participation is voluntary on the understanding that staff are free to withdraw at any time without explanation or consequence.

All contributions to the Ideas Generation Process will be anonymous, and the information collected will remain confidential except as required by law. The record of staff responses will not contain any identifying information. Only Dr Brian Ballsun-Stanton, Solutions Architect (Digital Humanities) from the Macquarie University Faculty of Arts, who will manage the Ideas Generation Process on the LimeSurvey platform, will have access to the anonymous responses.

Dr Brian Ballsun-Stanton will convey the anonymous responses to the research team members, who will access them for the sole purposes of analysis, report writing and publications, and will only use anonymous quotes in reports and academic publications arising from the research.

The data will be encrypted, such that only the research team will be able to access it. No other people, inside or outside Macquarie University, will be able to access the anonymous responses to the Ideas Generation Process on the LimeSurvey platform.

Contact details for the research team from the Centre for Workforce Futures (CWF) are as follows: Professor Lucy Taksa (Director, CWF, (02)98508514, lucy.taksa@mq.edu.au); Professor Jean-Philippe Deranty (Department of Philosophy and Deputy Director, CWF, (02)98506773, jp.deranty@mq.edu.au); Associate Professor Yvette Blount (Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance and CWF, (02)9850 8514, yvette.blount@mq.edu.au); Dr Troy Sarina (Department of Management and CWF, (02)98501050, troy.sarina@mq.edu.au); and Dr Bona Anna (CWF, bona.anna@mq.edu.au).

For further information, please email the research team members.