Researcher

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 systems

Biography

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.

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Location

Contact

+61-2-5114 5139

Follow

Videos

Substance use in Australian orchestras