Fiona Buick
Biographic Data
| ID | 4128867 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Fiona Buick |
| GIVEN NAMES | Fiona |
| FAMILY NAME | Buick |
| SIGNATURE | BUICK F |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Canberra |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9559-9500 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 41 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 16 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Well-Being in the Public Service: A Multi-Level Analysis of Job Demands and Job Resources
This study extends the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory in the public sector through a multi-level, qualitative examination of psychological well-being. Focusing on the Australian Public Service, we demonstrate that job demands and resources impacting employee well-being vary and interact at individual, team and organizational levels. Qualitative examinations of the JD-R theory are scarce, offering limited insight into these interactions. We p…
The unintended consequences of the blended workforce in the Australian Public Service: Effects on middle manager well‐being
The adoption of a blended workforce model, comprising both ongoing and non‐ongoing employees, has become increasingly common in public sector organisations. Despite known challenges, including high turnover and knowledge gaps, its impact on middle managers’ well‐being remains understudied. The study addresses this by exploring how the blended workforce model affects middle manager well‐being within the Australian Public Service (APS). Using quali…
Different Approaches to Managerial Support for Flexible Working: Implications for Public Sector Employee Well-Being
Improving well-being is an important human resource management issue within public sector organizations as it is linked with improved employee and organizational outcomes. A key antecedent to employee well-being is work–life balance, which can be supported or impeded by flexible working. The extent to which flexible working supports work–life balance and, ultimately, well-being depends on how flexible working is implemented, where managers play a…
Most people don’t like a client group that tell you to get fucked: Choice and control in Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme for formerly incarcerated people
Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a substantial policy reform aiming to radically transform the design and delivery of disability services. Choice and control are key tenets of the scheme, however challenges and limitations exist with respect to inequities and difficulties posed by boundaries between the NDIS and mainstream services. People with disability who have been incarcerated are particularly at risk of experiencin…
What Can Public Health Administration Learn from the Decision-Making Processes during Covid-19
Human decision-making is prone to biases and the use of heuristics that can result in making logical errors and erroneous causal connections, which were evident during COVID-19 policy developments and potentially contributed to the inadequate and costly responses to COVID-19. There are decision-making frameworks and tools that can improve organisational decision-making. It is currently unknown as to what extent public health administrations have …
Opportunities and challenges of using workforce big data: Insights from a mixed methods study on flexible working
This Practice and Policy paper presents reflections on the opportunities and challenges of using a novel big data set, Microsoft 365 digital activity records, in a mixed method study of flexible working. Our experience identified methodological and ethical considerations for practitioners and researchers in public sector workforce analytics. The benefits include data captured in situ and over time for all employees. The limitations reflect the in…
Behavioural change and cultural evolution, rather than cultural change: Insights for Australian Public Service Reform
Cultural change is often positioned as central to transformation within the Australian Public Service (APS). The ongoing focus on cultural change suggests it has not yet been realised, which is unsurprising, given it is so difficult to change. However, cultural change may also be impeded due to the way it is portrayed within the APS. This article draws on the work of Schein to identify three problems with how organisational culture and cultural c…
Organisational structures and processes for health and well-being: Insights from work integration social enterprise
Replicating these types of organisational structures, processes, and culture requires consideration of complex systems perspectives on implementation fidelity which has implications for policy, practice and future research
The forgotten prisoners: Exploring the impact of imprisonment on people with disability in Australia
People with disability represent a significant proportion of Australia’s prison population; however, little is known about their experiences or the institutional barriers they may face. Drawing from 24 in-depth interviews with 28 participants and one written submission, this article explores the impacts, challenges and consequences of imprisonment for people with disability in Australia. By bringing together disability and criminological research…
Where specialist and mainstream service systems collide: The National Disability Insurance Scheme in prisons
The coordination of specialist with mainstream service systems is prone to role delineation and implementation difficulties worldwide. In the case of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), this specialist/mainstream interface is complicated by federalism and funding responsibilities held by different levels of government. People with disability, especially cognitive or intellectual disability, are over‐represented in Australia's prisons…
Co‐generated knowledge as a path for establishing research impact
This paper draws on systems thinking and selected case studies to explore how ‘prac‐ademic’ partnerships can create impact in real‐world settings. The paper argues that knowledge co‐generation partnerships are sub‐systems of the complex systems in which research is being undertaken and that governance arrangements are central to enabling partners to work together more effectively to achieve research impact. Reflecting on two successful knowledge …
Enabling Middle Managers as Change Agents: Why Organisational Support Needs to Change
Change efforts frequently fail to achieve their desired outcome with failure often attributed to employee resistance to change. Literature on resistance indicates it can emerge from ineffective change management. This article argues that change management could be improved through middle managers actively undertaking a change intermediary role, thereby enabling employees to make sense of, and reframe, the change. Qualitative data is used to explo…
Why Performance Management Should Not Be Like Dieting
Globally, organisations have long been preoccupied with using employee performance management to enhance organisational performance. However, due to the compliance‐based way in which it is often implemented, success has been limited. This paper proposes lessons can be learnt from adopting the analogy of ‘dieting’. Short‐term weight‐loss practices can lead to a cyclical pattern that generates weight gain, rather than loss, in longer term. This occ…
Structural Changes to the Public Sector and Cultural Incompatibility: The Consequences of Inadequate Cultural Integration
Structural changes are commonly undertaken to achieve gains, such as enhanced efficiency and performance. In this paper, we explore the cultural issues associated with a structural change in the Australian Public Service. We argue that cultural differences across merged functions were disruptive and challenging to overcome. We posit, however, that these challenges were exacerbated by the lack of systemic effort to integrate cultures, thus impedin…
Preventing Dysfunction and Improving Policy Advice: The Role of Intra‐Departmental Boundary Spanners
It is well established in the public management literature that boundary spanners – people or groups that work across departments or sectors – are critical to the success of whole of government and joined‐up working. In studying recent unprecedented change to central government agencies in the Australian context, our research identified that intra‐departmental boundary spanners also play a critical role in the functioning of government department…
Effective Practitioner–Scholar Relationships: Lessons from a Coproduction Partnership
This article presents a continuum of possible coproduction arrangements between scholars and practitioners and suggests that greater engagement is necessary to bridge the commonly cited problems that create the gap between research and practice. Reflections on an Australian case of a major public sector coproduction partnership, the highest degree of interaction on the continuum, are used to argue that successful engagement between practitioners …
Effective Practitioner–Scholar Relationships: Lessons from a Coproduction Partnership
This article presents a continuum of possible coproduction arrangements between scholars and practitioners and suggests that greater engagement is necessary to bridge the commonly cited problems that create the gap between research and practice. Reflections on an Australian case of a major public sector coproduction partnership, the highest degree of interaction on the continuum, are used to argue that successful engagement between practitioners …
Preventing Dysfunction and Improving Policy Advice: The Role of Intra‐Departmental Boundary Spanners
It is well established in the public management literature that boundary spanners – people or groups that work across departments or sectors – are critical to the success of whole of government and joined‐up working. In studying recent unprecedented change to central government agencies in the Australian context, our research identified that intra‐departmental boundary spanners also play a critical role in the functioning of government department…
Enabling Middle Managers as Change Agents: Why Organisational Support Needs to Change
Change efforts frequently fail to achieve their desired outcome with failure often attributed to employee resistance to change. Literature on resistance indicates it can emerge from ineffective change management. This article argues that change management could be improved through middle managers actively undertaking a change intermediary role, thereby enabling employees to make sense of, and reframe, the change. Qualitative data is used to explo…
Structural Changes to the Public Sector and Cultural Incompatibility: The Consequences of Inadequate Cultural Integration
Structural changes are commonly undertaken to achieve gains, such as enhanced efficiency and performance. In this paper, we explore the cultural issues associated with a structural change in the Australian Public Service. We argue that cultural differences across merged functions were disruptive and challenging to overcome. We posit, however, that these challenges were exacerbated by the lack of systemic effort to integrate cultures, thus impedin…
The forgotten prisoners: Exploring the impact of imprisonment on people with disability in Australia
People with disability represent a significant proportion of Australia’s prison population; however, little is known about their experiences or the institutional barriers they may face. Drawing from 24 in-depth interviews with 28 participants and one written submission, this article explores the impacts, challenges and consequences of imprisonment for people with disability in Australia. By bringing together disability and criminological research…
Where specialist and mainstream service systems collide: The National Disability Insurance Scheme in prisons
The coordination of specialist with mainstream service systems is prone to role delineation and implementation difficulties worldwide. In the case of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), this specialist/mainstream interface is complicated by federalism and funding responsibilities held by different levels of government. People with disability, especially cognitive or intellectual disability, are over‐represented in Australia's prisons…
Effective Practitioner–Scholar Relationships: Lessons from a Coproduction Partnership
This article presents a continuum of possible coproduction arrangements between scholars and practitioners and suggests that greater engagement is necessary to bridge the commonly cited problems that create the gap between research and practice. Reflections on an Australian case of a major public sector coproduction partnership, the highest degree of interaction on the continuum, are used to argue that successful engagement between practitioners …
Preventing Dysfunction and Improving Policy Advice: The Role of Intra‐Departmental Boundary Spanners
It is well established in the public management literature that boundary spanners – people or groups that work across departments or sectors – are critical to the success of whole of government and joined‐up working. In studying recent unprecedented change to central government agencies in the Australian context, our research identified that intra‐departmental boundary spanners also play a critical role in the functioning of government department…
Why Performance Management Should Not Be Like Dieting
Globally, organisations have long been preoccupied with using employee performance management to enhance organisational performance. However, due to the compliance‐based way in which it is often implemented, success has been limited. This paper proposes lessons can be learnt from adopting the analogy of ‘dieting’. Short‐term weight‐loss practices can lead to a cyclical pattern that generates weight gain, rather than loss, in longer term. This occ…
Structural Changes to the Public Sector and Cultural Incompatibility: The Consequences of Inadequate Cultural Integration
Structural changes are commonly undertaken to achieve gains, such as enhanced efficiency and performance. In this paper, we explore the cultural issues associated with a structural change in the Australian Public Service. We argue that cultural differences across merged functions were disruptive and challenging to overcome. We posit, however, that these challenges were exacerbated by the lack of systemic effort to integrate cultures, thus impedin…
Enabling Middle Managers as Change Agents: Why Organisational Support Needs to Change
Change efforts frequently fail to achieve their desired outcome with failure often attributed to employee resistance to change. Literature on resistance indicates it can emerge from ineffective change management. This article argues that change management could be improved through middle managers actively undertaking a change intermediary role, thereby enabling employees to make sense of, and reframe, the change. Qualitative data is used to explo…
Co‐generated knowledge as a path for establishing research impact
This paper draws on systems thinking and selected case studies to explore how ‘prac‐ademic’ partnerships can create impact in real‐world settings. The paper argues that knowledge co‐generation partnerships are sub‐systems of the complex systems in which research is being undertaken and that governance arrangements are central to enabling partners to work together more effectively to achieve research impact. Reflecting on two successful knowledge …
Organisational structures and processes for health and well-being: Insights from work integration social enterprise
Replicating these types of organisational structures, processes, and culture requires consideration of complex systems perspectives on implementation fidelity which has implications for policy, practice and future research
The forgotten prisoners: Exploring the impact of imprisonment on people with disability in Australia
People with disability represent a significant proportion of Australia’s prison population; however, little is known about their experiences or the institutional barriers they may face. Drawing from 24 in-depth interviews with 28 participants and one written submission, this article explores the impacts, challenges and consequences of imprisonment for people with disability in Australia. By bringing together disability and criminological research…
Where specialist and mainstream service systems collide: The National Disability Insurance Scheme in prisons
The coordination of specialist with mainstream service systems is prone to role delineation and implementation difficulties worldwide. In the case of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), this specialist/mainstream interface is complicated by federalism and funding responsibilities held by different levels of government. People with disability, especially cognitive or intellectual disability, are over‐represented in Australia's prisons…
What Can Public Health Administration Learn from the Decision-Making Processes during Covid-19
Human decision-making is prone to biases and the use of heuristics that can result in making logical errors and erroneous causal connections, which were evident during COVID-19 policy developments and potentially contributed to the inadequate and costly responses to COVID-19. There are decision-making frameworks and tools that can improve organisational decision-making. It is currently unknown as to what extent public health administrations have …
Opportunities and challenges of using workforce big data: Insights from a mixed methods study on flexible working
This Practice and Policy paper presents reflections on the opportunities and challenges of using a novel big data set, Microsoft 365 digital activity records, in a mixed method study of flexible working. Our experience identified methodological and ethical considerations for practitioners and researchers in public sector workforce analytics. The benefits include data captured in situ and over time for all employees. The limitations reflect the in…
Behavioural change and cultural evolution, rather than cultural change: Insights for Australian Public Service Reform
Cultural change is often positioned as central to transformation within the Australian Public Service (APS). The ongoing focus on cultural change suggests it has not yet been realised, which is unsurprising, given it is so difficult to change. However, cultural change may also be impeded due to the way it is portrayed within the APS. This article draws on the work of Schein to identify three problems with how organisational culture and cultural c…
Different Approaches to Managerial Support for Flexible Working: Implications for Public Sector Employee Well-Being
Improving well-being is an important human resource management issue within public sector organizations as it is linked with improved employee and organizational outcomes. A key antecedent to employee well-being is work–life balance, which can be supported or impeded by flexible working. The extent to which flexible working supports work–life balance and, ultimately, well-being depends on how flexible working is implemented, where managers play a…
Most people don’t like a client group that tell you to get fucked: Choice and control in Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme for formerly incarcerated people
Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a substantial policy reform aiming to radically transform the design and delivery of disability services. Choice and control are key tenets of the scheme, however challenges and limitations exist with respect to inequities and difficulties posed by boundaries between the NDIS and mainstream services. People with disability who have been incarcerated are particularly at risk of experiencin…
Well-Being in the Public Service: A Multi-Level Analysis of Job Demands and Job Resources
This study extends the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory in the public sector through a multi-level, qualitative examination of psychological well-being. Focusing on the Australian Public Service, we demonstrate that job demands and resources impacting employee well-being vary and interact at individual, team and organizational levels. Qualitative examinations of the JD-R theory are scarce, offering limited insight into these interactions. We p…
The unintended consequences of the blended workforce in the Australian Public Service: Effects on middle manager well‐being
The adoption of a blended workforce model, comprising both ongoing and non‐ongoing employees, has become increasingly common in public sector organisations. Despite known challenges, including high turnover and knowledge gaps, its impact on middle managers’ well‐being remains understudied. The study addresses this by exploring how the blended workforce model affects middle manager well‐being within the Australian Public Service (APS). Using quali…
Political science (12 works) · Public relations (12 works) · Business (10 works) · Psychology (7 works) · Sociology (7 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · Economics (5 works) · Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior (5 works) · Marketing (5 works) · Public sector (5 works)