Human Resource Management in Remote Communities

Abstract

The post-war period has witnessed an acceleration of resource development projects in many geographically-remote regions of the globe. The liberalization ofinternational trade, decades of relatively stable economic growth and an increasing demand for resources have spurred the establishment of operations in such places. This development has necessarily implied the founding of human settlements in these areas, built with the aim of amassing a stable workforce to serve the needs of the industrial project. Such towns constitute a unique phenomenon in human settlements due largely to the various consequences resulting from a single-industry operation on which the entire community, either directly or indirectly, is dependent for its livelihood. As such, these towns lend themselves to research on a wide range of topics from environmental psychology to town planning to workforce management. This paper undertakes a critical review of the literature dealing with the nature and extent of problems confronting planners and policy makers responsible for establishing settlements in such regions. Particular attention is directed to the difficulties experienced by the occupants ofsuch often inhospitable environments and the implications for human resource management policies.

Consideration of the determinants of women's mental health in remote Australian mining towns

“…The primary reason for people moving to remote mining towns is economic, characterised by high remuneration and job opportunities. 6,12,13 Although these towns offer limited resources and opportunities for the family members of mineworkers, most couples migrating to a mining town make a conscious decision to do so to seek a highly remunerative employment for the male partner for a certain period, and regard themselves as engaged in a joint project working towards certain goals, including a good upbringing for their children with female partners having the opportunity to be a fulltime mother and housewife, and accumulation of savings for a comfortable retirement in a coastal town or to start their own business. 23 This movement of a family to a mining town involves significant lifestyle changes for all family members.…”

“…In a single industry resource town, resident people often know more about the lives of other town residents, and because of the threat of negative gossip, families and individuals often limit their social interactions, 6 maintain anonymity and do not interfere in the personal lives of others. As a result, women who are the victim of domestic violence are less likely to receive social support from the community, thereby reducing opportunities for assistance to protect them from physical and mental harm.…”

Extending Business Education Beyond Traditional Boundaries: A Case Study in Negotiated Problem Resolution in a Remote Regional Indigenous Community in Australia

“…Export revenues, direct and indirect employment, involvement with the production and service sectors, a variety of infrastructure facilities both in remote regions as well as in larger centers, and royalties that are distributed not only locally but across the nation, make a significant contribution to the economic growth of Australia (Martinez-Fernandez, 2010;Zheng, Rolfe, Milia, & Bretherton, 2007;Robertson, 2008). And the academic community has profited by the findings of studies and investigations that have given attention to the HRM practices and policies employed by Australian mining companies (Moore & Gardner, 2004;Nadkarni & Stening, 1989). In addition to the technical business of operating the mining facilities, an intensification of community engagement has potential to foster improved socioeconomic conditions of Indigenous people in remote regions (Barker, 2006;Gray & Hunter, 2002).…”

Expatriate management: lessons from the British in India

“…Its attention to all aspects of the 'expatriate experience', from beginning to end, provides a multitude of lessons for present-day human resource management practitioners and researchers, particularly, though not exclusively, those concerned with expatriate or remotely located (see Nadkarni and Stening, 1989) work-forces.…”