School of Psychology

Centre for Business and Organisational Psychology

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The Centre for Business and Organisational Psychology is the largest Australian centre for research that improves our understanding of people at work and the factors that underpin motivation, well-being and effectiveness.

Now more than ever, businesses recognise that people provide the greatest competitive advantage. As the world becomes more connected, it is increasingly important that we understand how people can operate effectively in a changing workplace.

UQ's Centre for Business and Organisational Psychology is at the very forefront of understanding how organisations and practitioners can position themselves to meet future challenges. We provide professional training for postgraduate students as well as collaborating in projects with both public and private sector organisations. Our experts are available for public consultation.

We prepare students and practitioners to leverage psychological knowledge and consulting skills to approach challenges in a novel way now and into the future.

Our graduate programmes develop leading evidence-based practitioners in three domains:

  1. Organisational Consultants with expertise in the application of psychology to business.
    Master of Business Psychology
    An 18-month program for students who are looking to gain advanced organisational psychology and strategic business expertise.

    Hear from Students and Graduates: UQ's Master of Business Psychology:

     

  2. Registered Psychologists with expertise in mental health in the workplace.
    Master of Organisational Psychology 
    A 24-month program for students who are looking to gain advanced organisational and mental health expertise.
  3. PhDs able to provide international leadership in research and practice in business and organisational psychology.
    Doctor of Philosophy in Business and Organisational Psychology 
    A 3-4 year programme of research for students wanting to develop expertise at the frontier of research and knowledge in business and organisational psychology.

Master of Business Psychology Program Director

Master of Organisational Psychology Program Director

Research Centre Director

    Senior Psychologists 

    Academic staff

    Centre for Business and Organisational Psychology members have a large network of collaborations with industry in Australia and internationally. Collaborations are based on mutual interest between partners and work to solve applied challenges. 

    Collaborations can take on a range of different forms and vary in scope and duration. They are funded in different ways, with common ones including:

    a)    Industry-funded collaborations that address specific needs in a timely manner
    b)    Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage projects that leverage funding by industry by unlocking additional funds from the ARC
    c)    Industry-funded PhD scholarships 
    d)    Collaborations funded by tenders, other third parties and other funding bodies

    If you are interested in starting a conversation about a potential collaboration, please contact the Centre for Business and Organisational Psychology member with the most relevant expertise and interests.

    Examples of our industry collaborations

    Designing work roles for crew operating multiple unmanned aircraft
    Prof Andrew Neal, Dr Tim Ballard, with Department of Defence (ARC Linkage Project)

    Athletes’ experience of sports-nonsports balance, career insecurity, and wellbeing
    A/Prof Stacey Parker, Prof. Andrew Neal, with QLD Department of Housing & Public Works (Government-funded)

    Online 5R Leadership Development Program 
    Prof Alex Haslam, Dr Nik Steffens, with UK House of Commons (Industry-funded)

    Human aspects of automation in mining
    Dr Kirsten Way, with BM Alliance Coal Operations (Industry-funded)

    Modelling distributed multi-agent decision making
    Dr Tim Ballard, Prof. Andrew Neal, with Commonwealth Defence S&T Group (Commonwealth-funded)

    Combating stereotype threat experienced by mature workers
    A/Prof Courtney von Hippel, with National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre (Industry-funded)

    Evaluating working from home and their impact on work and health outcomes
    Dr Kirsten Way, with Office Ergonomics Research Committee (Industry-funded)

    A community based social identity approach to loneliness
    Prof Alex Haslam, with community partners (ARC Linkage Project)

    Developing a work-integrated-learning taxonomy to support psychology students
    Dr Annabelle Neall, with Australian Collaborative Education Network (Industry-funded)

    Modelling tactical decision-making in the undersea environment
    Dr Tim Ballard, Prof. Andrew Neal, with Commonwealth Defence S&T Group (Commonwealth-funded)

    COMPASS – Passport Processing
    Prof Alex Haslam, A/Prof. Stacey Parker, Dr Nik Steffens, with Commonwealth DFAT (Commonwealth-funded)

    Developing a tool to measure risk propensity by junior doctors
    Prof Andrew Neal, with Qld Emergency Medicine Research Foundation (Queensland Health-funded)
     

    Master of Business Psychology Program Director
    Professor Andrew Neal
       +61 7 3365 6372
      a.neal@psy.uq.edu.au

    Master of Organisational Psychology Program Director
    Dr Kirsten Way
       +61 7 3346 9504
      k.way@psy.uq.edu.au

    Research Centre Director
    Associate Professor Nik Steffens
       +61 7 3346 9555
      n.steffens@uq.edu.au