
My Expertise
WHS performance measurement and reporting.
Keywords
Fields of Research (FoR)
Accounting, auditing and accountability, Corporate governance, Stakeholder engagement, Management accounting, Sustainability accounting and reporting, Logistics, Supply chains, Occupational and workplace health and safetySEO tags
Biography
Dr Sharron O'Neill is Deputy Head of School (Research), Director PSRG and Associate Professor of Accounting in the School of Business at UNSW, Canberra.
Sharron's research examines the design, measurement and reporting of performance measures for operational decision-making, governance and accountability. She has particular expertise in non-financial indicators of work health and safety (WHS) and advises government, investors and industry...view more
Dr Sharron O'Neill is Deputy Head of School (Research), Director PSRG and Associate Professor of Accounting in the School of Business at UNSW, Canberra.
Sharron's research examines the design, measurement and reporting of performance measures for operational decision-making, governance and accountability. She has particular expertise in non-financial indicators of work health and safety (WHS) and advises government, investors and industry (executives and Boards) on WHS performance measurement and reporting. Sharron leads collaborative research projects that bring the accounting and safety professions together with industry, government and academia and has been chief investigator on funded research projects totalling over $1,417,000 and has published her research in publications including journal articles, industry research reports and media and delivered keynote and invited conference presentations at more than 60 academic and industry conferences in Australian and Internationally.
Sharron's research has contributed to global policy debate and reform on the measurement and reporting of WHS performance through roles including Chair of the Global Reporting Initiative's international GRI403 project working group, the Queensland Government's safety leadership expert reference group (2018), the ACT Government's Work Safety Council (ministerial appointee 2017-2019) and the evaluation working group of the National Mental Health Commission's National Workplace Initiative.
Sharron currently teaches introductory financial and management accounting at postgraduate and undergraduate levels and has previously taught advanced accounting, accounting theory, research methods and issues in corporate social responsibility. Her academic research and teaching is underpinned by financial accounting industry experience gained in manufacturing, transport and healthcare sectors, as well as academic and professional accounting qualifications and a PhD in corporate accountability for work health and safety (WHS). Sharron is a member of Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), the Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) and the National Safety Council of Australia (NSCA).
Expertise: developing performance indicators to support WHS due diligence; performance management, governance and assurance of WHS and other employment relations issues.
My Grants
Research income for funded research projects on which Sharron is/was lead or chief investigator since 2012 exceeds $1,630,070.
This includes $876,490 external research funding for projects 2020/2021.
Funded research projects awarded/completed after 2020 include,
- (Lead) Measures to support mentally healthy workplaces (National Workplace Initiative, National Mental Health Commission)
- (Lead) Measuring and Reporting Guide (Safe Work NSW)
- (CI) Mentally Healthy Workplaces (Centre for Workplace Health & Safety, NSW Government)
- (CI) Healthy older worker toolkit (Centre for Workplace Health & Safety, NSW Government)
- (CI) Accountability and resource allocation (PSRG, School of Business, UNSW Canberra)
Additional funded research projects completed 2016-2020
- (Lead) Developing Executives' Intellectual Capital through Peer to Peer Networks (SafetyWorks, Australian Govt.)
- (Lead) Testing and Evaluating WHS Guidelines (Safe Work Australia, CAANZ, SIA)
- (Lead) The Role of Accounting in Work Health and Safety Governance (CPA Australia, Safe Work Australia, Safety Institute of Australia, Macquarie University)
- (CI) Evaluating Approaches to Regulating WHS in the Road Transport Industry (TEACHO Ltd)
- (CI) Achieving Behaviour Change for the Prevention & Management of Lynch Syndrome (Cancer Institute NSW)
- (CI) Impact of NSW Workers' Compensation Legislation Reforms (Unions NSW)
- (CI) National portable long service leave (McKell Institute)
My Qualifications
Academic qualifications
- Bachelor of Commerce, major: accounting, University of Western Sydney 1993
- Master of Commerce (Honours), in management accounting, University of New South Wales 2003. Supervisor: Prof. W.F. Chua. 2003
- PhD, corporate accountability for work health and safety (WHS), RMIT University. Supervisor: Prof. C. Deegan 2010
Professional qualifications
- CPA - CPA Australia program 1996
- GAICD - Australian Institute of Company Directors course 2017
My Awards
Research awards:
2014: Faculty of Business & Economics Research Impact Excellence Award. Macquarie University.
2014: Vice Chancellors Research Excellence Award (FBE) - Highly Commended. Macquarie University.
2014: United Nations - Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI), Academic-Investor network conference, Best Paper Award - Highly commended.
Teaching awards:
2004: College of Law and Business, Individual Teaching Excellence Award. Western Sydney University.
2003: Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards – Excellence in Teaching, Highly Commended. Western Sydney University.
University service award:
2003: Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards – Excellence in Social Justice, Commended. Western Sydney University.
My Engagement
Current
- Evaluation working group, National Workplace Initiative, National Mental Health Commission
Previous
- Chair, GRI403 working group, Global Reporting Initiative (2016-2018)
- Ministerial appointee, ACT Work Safety Council, ACT Government (2017-2019)
- Judging panel, WHS Award, Australasian Reporting Awards (2014-2018)
- Invited member, Supply chain reference group, Office of Industrial Relations, QLD Government (2016)
- Invited member, Research grant assessment panel, WorkCover NSW, NSW Government (2015)
>50 speaking engagements for the accounting profession, WHS profession, industry and Government
My Teaching
Postgraduate program
ZBUS8114: Leadership of Safe and Healthy Work
Executive education
Measuring and Reporting on Work Health and Safety
Location
Publications
ORCID as entered in ROS
