Author: Nadia Guscia
Guscia, Nadia, 2016 Coping with Change: Staff perceptions and responses to the new Youth Training Centre in South Australia, Flinders University, Flinders Law School
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The building of a New Youth Training Centre in South Australia brought about large scale organisational change within the Youth Justice System. The current project documented some of the key changes taking place for staff (and residents) at Cavan and Magill Training Centre’s prior to the completion of the New Youth Training Centre. Through the use of online surveys prior to the transition to the new facility, the current project gained an insight into the staff perspectives, attitudes and responses toward the changes taking place. The thesis argues that staff were ultimately fearful of the move due to underlying punitive attitudes, the thought of losing identities, and a lack of consultation and organisational support during the change process. The implications of this study lie in providing insight into staff dispositions during a time of significant organisational change, and adding to the literature surrounding organisational change. In doing so, the study addresses aspects of the move to the NYTC that may need further consideration in future.
Keywords: youth, justice, training centre, staff, organisational change, organisational learning, punitive,
Subject: Law thesis
Thesis type: Masters
Completed: 2016
School: Flinders Law School
Supervisor: Mark Halsey