Our research and teaching aim to examine, analyse and influence the world of work and organisations in Australia and beyond by exploring challenges around the employment relationship and the workplace. Our research themes include:
Our theory-led, strategy-focused and policy-relevant teaching and research equips our students with the knowledge and skills to work in diverse organisational settings. We contribute directly to knowledge, policy and practice in the fields of management, leadership, organisational behaviour, human resource management and employment relations.
The Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies recently launched a book written by the late John Michael O’Brien, documenting the history and story of the study of our department and our discipline at the University of Sydney.
The book is a story of the evolution of Industrial Relations research and teaching and how the Department of Industrial Relations became a Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies in the Business School at the University of Sydney.
“The question explored in this monograph is whether this process constituted a radical change in the philosophy or the educational direction of the group or was primarily an incremental adjustment to changing economic and intellectual environments and changes in students’ preferences. Were all the changes incremental, or were some changes the result of a more deliberate strategy?”
In 2023, the University of Sydney celebrated 70 years of continuous teaching of industrial relations. As well as celebrating our history, this book was written for the future, to share with our future students, staff and friends, the strong body of scholarship they are a part of and to which they can contribute. The occasion was marked by the development of this book and celebrated at a launch in November 2023 with people who have been a part of the history and the continuing community.
The book is available to download for free (pdf, 3.9MB). If you would like a professionally printed copy, please contact us to receive one.
The publication of the November 2021 issue of the Journal of Industrial Relations marks the end of a 22-year period where Australia's leading journal in this field was based at the University of Sydney Business School.
This was the second such long run of editorship: the journal had previously been based at the University from its founding in 1959 (making it one of the first industrial relations journals in the world) until 1974.
In this final editorial (pdf, 491KB), the outgoing team reflects upon the trajectory of the journal and the practice, research and teaching of industrial relations.
View our current higher degree by research students.
Email
wos.admin@sydney.edu.au