My Expertise
How workplace cultures form and operate in environments where people are isolated, under pressure, or largely unseen.
Workplace cultures under constraint
How culture, norms, and informal practices develop in isolated, high-pressure, or low-visibility work environments.
Small-cohort and qualitative research
Specialising in constructivist and qualitative approaches to understanding lived experience in small, bounded groups.
Invisible and under-recognised work
Occupations and roles that are socially marginalised or routinely overlooked, including care work and creative labour.
Risk, pressure, and governance
How formal rules and regulatory regimes interact with everyday practice in high-stakes settings.
Applied interdisciplinary research
Health, creative industries, sport, and organisational contexts to inform policy, practice, and workforce wellbeing.
Keywords
Fields of Research (FoR)
Sociology, Applied sociology, program evaluation and social impact assessment, Social geography, Organisational behaviour, Health systemsBiography
I am a lecturer and researcher at the UNSW Canberra School of Business. I am an applied sociologist with a research focus on how workplace cultures form and function in isolated, confined and extreme (ICE) environments and other unusual or high-risk settings.
My research examines the interaction between values, governance structures, and social dynamics, and how these shape behaviour, resilience, and outcomes in complex operational contexts. I...view more
I am a lecturer and researcher at the UNSW Canberra School of Business. I am an applied sociologist with a research focus on how workplace cultures form and function in isolated, confined and extreme (ICE) environments and other unusual or high-risk settings.
My research examines the interaction between values, governance structures, and social dynamics, and how these shape behaviour, resilience, and outcomes in complex operational contexts. I am particularly interested in small groups working under conditions of isolation, uncertainty, and constraint, including remote Aboriginal communities, the military, aviation, classical orchestras, and other dispersed or tightly coupled workforces.
I have worked across a range of interdisciplinary projects spanning elite sport, classical music, healthcare, non-clinical respite care, and the application of sociological insight to real-world operational and policy challenges. I am currently part of a cross-disciplinary research team using multimodal data analysis to enhance decision-making in aviation, exploring how sociological perspectives complement scientific and technical approaches in rapidly changing environments.
My professional background includes experience in broadcasting and print media, classical music, health policy, rural and remote health and business, government advisory roles, and teaching in strategic leadership and adaptive management. I also have extensive experience in academic publishing, having previously worked as a research publications officer and as an academic journal editor and peer reviewer.
My PhD examined the development of workplace culture among non-Indigenous workers in remote Aboriginal communities in Central Australia, with a focus on how government policy and governance arrangements shape organisational culture and, in turn, community outcomes.
I am a member of the Public Service Research Group (PSRG), the Australian Sociological Association (TASA), and the International Sociological Association (ISA).
My Grants
UNSW Canberra School of Business Research Fundings: Project title: Substance use in Australian orchestras
UNSW Course Design Institute Implementation Grant
UNSW Canberra School of Science Seed Funding: Project title: Enhancing Decision-Making in Aviation Environments through Multimodal Data Analysis: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach
My Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy
My Research Activities
Current research activities include:
- drug taking in orchestras, non-clinical respite care, family day care during COVID-19, women’s experiences in project management, social and cultural dimensions of propagation innovation for the butia odorata jelly palm.
My Research Supervision
Areas of supervision
Grounded theory methodology
Qualitative research
Workplace Cultures
Organisational behaviour in ICE (isolated, confined, extreme) environment
Leadership, governance, and decision-making in complex operational settings
Workplace culture and group dynamics in high-performance teams
Interdisciplinary Research and Applied Sociology
The intersection of sociology and science in professional environments
Cross-Cultural Management and Policy
Cultural adaptation and policy impacts on diverse workplaces
The role of values and governance in shaping staff behaviour
Ethics, risk, and regulatory challenges in professional settings
Sector-specific supervision
Military and Defence leadership training and education
Elite performance environments (sport, classical music, military, healthcare, research)
Workplace stress, resilience, and mental health in demanding professions
Currently supervising
Currently supervising PhD-level research in the area of disability and employment.