Does 'place' shape HR practice

In June, Dr Leigh-ann Onnis shared insights from her research about human resources (HR) in the Tropics at the Australian Human Resource Institute’s (AHRI) Queensland State Conference. The conference theme, “Excellence and Wellbeing – reshaping your HR Toolkit”, brought together local, national, and international presenters to share their experiences and insights from a range of leadership and management streams. As part of the Leadership Excellence focus of Day 1 of the conference, Leigh-ann shared insights from her research into the aspects of living and working in the tropics that contributed to human resources practitioners’ understanding of how, and why, place influences human resource management practices (e.g. recruitment, performance management, employment conditions and compensation, work health and safety, etc.).

The research study revealed support for the notion that place influences HR practices. Of interest for businesses in northern Australia, and HR practitioners more specifically, is the identification of four themes which captured the aspects of place that may influence human resources practices in northern Australia: tropical populations, lifestyle, the natural environment, and the business environment. For example, an analysis of recruitment advertising for human resources vacancies in 2022 found that businesses highlight the natural environment, “an unspoiled tropical paradise of rainforest and beaches within the calm sheltered waters of the Great Barrier Reef” as well as the joys of working in northern Australia including the “benefits of urban living without the nightmare of metropolitan traffic”. Recruitment advertising also focused on lifestyle, inviting people to “Appreciate the change of pace as you immerse yourself in a tropical North Queensland lifestyle.” The survey participants largely agreed with the sentiment contained in the recruitment advertising but also suggested that the population itself, as well as the way we do business in the north should be considered influencers of HR management practices in the tropics. For example, one HR Officer explained that Far North Queensland “has a 'laid-back' lifestyle” so the “big city corporate way of working is not considered necessary up here.”

Taking the findings from the research to the next level, in the interactive industry conference presentation Leigh-ann challenged HR practitioners to consider how who we are, and what we do, is shaped by where we do it!  An opportunity to discuss this with other attendees during the conference presentation led to more ideas about how place may be shaping HR practices in northern Australia.

Since the conference, Dr Onnis and Dr Jane Oorschot have commenced Phase 2 of the HR in the Tropics research study. In this second phase , they are working with a panel of HR industry experts, are conducting research using an explanatory research design to understand more about how place shapes human resources practices in northern Queensland.

If you would like to know more about this research, please email leighann.onnis@jcu.edu.au