Neil Kirby

Neil Kirby

School of Psychology

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Dr Neil Kirby is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. His research interests in organisational psychology include: organisational culture, the historical development of organisational theories, the role of the organisational psychologist, and person/organisation fit. Dr Kirby is also Director of the Wellbeing Research Unit (WRU) in the School of Psychology. The WRU comprises researchers with interests in wellbeing and the quality of life of people across their lifespan with specific research interests in disability, rehabilitation, ageing, healthy development, and organisational psychology.

I am the Director of the Wellbeing Research Unit (WRU), a  research group within the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. The WRU brings together the interests and expertise of its members to the investigation of issues concerning the wellbeing and quality of life of people across the lifespan. The unit comprises researchers with interests in disability, rehabilitation, ageing, healthy development across the lifespan, and organisational psychology. The primary objectives of the WRU include:

  • To understand individual psychological and organisational processes that can contribute to, and sustain the wellbeing of individuals across the lifespan; and
  • The implementation and evaluation of interventions designed to improve quality of life and wellbeing for people across the lifespan.

 

2017 CSIRO On Prime START project. CSIRO On Prime. N Kirby

2016-2017 Evaluating sustainability and outcomes of implemented recommendations to improve work safety of Disability Support Workers.  SafeWork SA WHS Innovative Practice Grant Program. N Kirby, J Ford & A Sarris

2015-2016 The use of the NEO personality questionnaire and an aptitude test to select job applicants for community and residential aged care. Department for Communities and Social Inclusion: Northern Connections. N Kirby

2015-2016 iMsocial group modelling program pilot study: Implementing the program and evaluating its effectiveness and benefits for students in school environments with behaviours consistent with a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome. Grant from Professor Bebbington, Vice Chancellor – University of Adelaide. N Kirby

2014 The use of psychological tests in personnel selection for Aged Care Workers services and Aged Care Worker Coaches. Department for Communities and Social Inclusion: Northern Connections. N Kirby

2014-2015 Improving the safe work of Disability Support Workers: Translating recommendations into practice. SafeWork SA WHS Innovative Practice Grant Program. N Kirby & J Ford

2014 Sustainable employability to prolong working life in caring occupations. School of Psychology University of Adelaide: RIBG. N Kirby

2013-2014 Psychosocial-Related Aspects of Work Safety of Personal Care Assistants in Disability Services. SafeWork SA WHS Commissioned Research Grant Program.  N Kirby & J Ford

2012 Assessing the support needs of children and adolescents with disabilities. School of Psychology University of Adelaide: RIBG. N Kirby

2012-2014 Evaluation of the Telstra Foundation iModeling project 2. Autism SA. N Kirby

2009 - 2015 Development of the Support Training and Resource Tool (START) and use to identify school leavers at risk of disengagement from school. Department for Social Inclusion and Department for Education and Child Development. N Kirby

2009-2012 Evaluation of the Telstra Foundation iModeling project. Autism SA. N Kirby

2008-2013 Development and pilot a support needs tool, the Disability - Support Training and Resource Tool (D-START).  Department for Communities and Social Inclusion. N Kirby & T Nettelbeck

2007-2010 Tools and Guidelines for Resident Committees. Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing and Aged Rights Advocacy Service Inc. N Kirby

2005-2014 A follow-up evaluation of the Strathmont Centre Redevelopment and Community Living Project. Department for Communities and Social Inclusion. J Ford & N Kirby

2005-2007 Support needs assessment: A developmental model for use in support, training and funding for individuals with single and multiple disabilities. Australian Research Council: Strategic Partnership with Industry - Research and Training Scheme (Linkage Project Grant).  N Kirby, T Nettelbeck & J Taplin

2001-2004 The development of a hierarchical model for individual needs assessment and resource allocation in disability services. Australian Research Council: Strategic Partnerships with Industry Research and Training (SPIRT) Scheme.  N Kirby, T Nettelbeck & J Taplin

2000-2003 Assessment of elderly drivers. Australian Research Council: Strategic Partnership with Industry - Research and Training Scheme (Linkage Project Grant). M Crotty, M Clarke, N Kirby, T Nettelbeck, J Taplin

I have been an academic member of the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide since 1970. I am the Course Coordinator of the Master in Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) course, in which I lecture on Organisational Behaviour and Psychological Assessment in Organisations. I also lecture in Organisational Behaviour in the Honours course and teach disability in the Foundations Health & Lifespan Development course at undergraduate level. 

 

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2022 - 2022 Principal Supervisor 24-7 Safety Climate: Developing a Brief 24-Item, Seven Dimension Measure of Work Safety Climate for Monitoring and Remediating Safety Concerns Doctor of Philosophy with Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Doctorate Full Time Mr Denvar Steven Summers
    2015 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Towards a More Inclusive Educational Space: A Study About Wayfinding for an Autism-Friendly Learning Environment in South Australian Primary Schools Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mrs Farjana Rahaman
    2014 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Factors affecting the transfer generalisation and maintenance of interpersonal skills related to conflict resolution and leadership Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Sonya Francesca Vandergoot
    2007 - 2021 Principal Supervisor Personality, Vocational Interests, Cognitive Abilities and Personal Values for the Prediction of Academic Performance and Academic Satisfaction Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Annamaria Quaresima
    2006 - 2010 Co-Supervisor Psychological Help-Seeking: Understanding Men's Behaviour Master of Psychology (Clinical)/Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Nicole Williams
    2005 - 2008 Principal Supervisor Predicting Support Needs for People with Psychiatric and Intellectual Disabilities Master of Psychology (Clinical)/Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Stacey Thomson
    2005 - 2010 Principal Supervisor Family Quality of Life of Australian Families with a Member with an Intellectual/Developmental Disability: Measurement issues Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Fiona Rillotta
    2004 - 2009 Co-Supervisor Work Stress in Australian Professionals: the Role of Culture, Gender and Work-Family Conflict Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Shruti Mujumdar
    2003 - 2007 Principal Supervisor Lessons to be Learnt: Evaluating Aspects of Patient Safety Culture and Quality Improvement within an Intensive Care Unit Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Dr Stacey Panozzo
    2002 - 2008 Principal Supervisor Support Needs Assessment for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities: An Investigation of the Nature of the Support Needs Construct and Disability Factors that Impact on Support Needs Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Dr Julia Harries
    2001 - 2017 Principal Supervisor Tax Compliance: Beliefs, Behaviours, Attitudes and Values of Australian Taxpayers, Tax Agents and Australian Taxation Officers 1995 to 2000 Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Apolonia Niemirowski
    1998 - 2003 Principal Supervisor Resident and Resident-Related Committees and Meetings in South Australian Aged Care Hostels Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Dr Leah Wilson
    1998 - 2002 Principal Supervisor Australians in Antarctica: A study of organizational culture Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Aspa Sarris
    1997 - 2004 Principal Supervisor ORGANISATIONAL FACTORS THAT CAN AFFECT EMPLOYEE ACCEPTANCE OF NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Janine Jade Peckham
    1993 - 2004 Co-Supervisor INSPECTION TIME AS A MEASURE OF SPEED OF HUMAN INFORMATION PROCESSING IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr George Tsourtos

  • Other Supervision Activities
    Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
    2021 - ongoing Co-Supervisor An evaluation of retirement planning service delivery for workers in a disability organisation providing supported employment. University of Adelaide Master of Psychology Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Juanita Bansal
    2021 - ongoing Co-Supervisor Perceptions of a supported employment service from individuals with disability and their family members/caregivers. University of Adelaide Master of Psychology Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Thomas Melios-Traver
    2021 - ongoing Co-Supervisor An evaluation of supported accommodation service delivery for workers in a disability organisation providing supported employment. University of Adelaide Master of Psychology Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Susanne Baltussen
    2020 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Factors Impacting Safety Voice Intentions in Young Workers University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Cathryn Robinson
    2019 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Personality and person/organisation fit of aged care workers within an Italian-specific aged care environment. University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Carlo Tropiano
    2018 - 2018 Principal Supervisor Perceptions of personality characteristics that can and can’t be changed. University of Adelaide Honours Degree of Bachelor of Psychology Honours - Chryso Costa
    2018 - 2018 Principal Supervisor Personnel Preference: The Relationship Between Personality and Job Attribute Preferences University of Adelaide Honours Degree of Bachelor of Psychology Honours - Jordan Skinner
    2018 - 2018 Principal Supervisor The relationship between the Big Five personality traits and Theory X and Y: An Exploratory Study. University of Adelaide Honours Degree of Bachelor of Psychology Honours - Hope Pine
    2017 - 2018 Co-Supervisor Development of a Safety Climate Measure that can be used as a monitoring tool in organisations University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Claire Jarrett
    2017 - 2017 Principal Supervisor Evaluating a sales training program in relation to Kirkpatrick’s criteria for training outcomes University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Yuanjing Liu
    2017 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Dementia in the workplace: Identifying better ways of assessing cognitive decline. University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Michaela Crisp
    2017 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Situational Retirement Intentions: An Insight for Organisational Psychologists and Workplace Consultants University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Stephanie Lia Ciccarello
    2017 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Current Approaches to Measuring Individual and Team Resilience in the Workplace University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Emily J. Lawrie
    2016 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Personality assessment and the prediction of future job performance University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Isla Reid-Dicks
    2016 - 2016 Principal Supervisor The relationship between resilience, context-specific variables and openness to change within a changing health sciences faculty University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Matthew Fantasia
    2016 - 2016 Principal Supervisor The Importance of Cultivating a Positive Team Climate in Interdisciplinary Medical Research Teams University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Joey Lam
    2016 - 2016 Co-Supervisor Measuring workplace safety climate in terms of its key components University of Adelaide Honours Degree of Bachelor of Psychological Science Honours - Cassandra Heffernan
    2016 - 2016 Principal Supervisor Cross-Disciplinary Collaborative-Readiness within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Adelaide University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Kerrie Klinsic
    2016 - 2016 Principal Supervisor Employment outcomes for graduates of an Australian Master of Organisational Psychology program. University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Nadia Chodkiewicz
    2016 - 2016 Principal Supervisor An exploratory case study of the effectiveness of a team agreement and associated training program in a South Australian medical team environment University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Amanda Green
    2016 - 2016 Co-Supervisor Advocacy for Gender Equity in Senior Leadership: Does it Matter Who Wears the Pants? University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Rosie Parkhurst
    2015 - 2016 Co-Supervisor Evaluation of the Implementation of Safety Related Procedures for Disability Support Workers University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Chanel Nesci
    2014 - 2015 Co-Supervisor Exploring the Utility of FFM-Based Personality Assessment in Personnel Selection for Aged Care Workers University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Wen F. Yan
    2013 - 2014 Principal Supervisor Disability Support Workers: Exposure to Work-related Violence. A Qualitative study of the types of violence, their impact and interventions University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Mardi Webber
    2013 - 2013 Principal Supervisor Evaluation of the Work Safety and Psychosocial Health of Disability Support Workers in Disability Services University of Adelaide Honours Degree of the Bachelor of Psychology Honours - Ka Y. Ng
    2013 - 2013 Co-Supervisor Parental Perceptions of Sibling Relationships in Families Raising a Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Needs and Wellbeing of the Siblings University of Adelaide Honours Degree of Bachelor of Psychology Honours - Li Leng Tan
    2013 - 2013 Principal Supervisor Why do people, especially those who should know better, continue to under-estimate the ability of people with an intellectual disability? University of Adelaide Honours Degree of Bachelor of Psychology Honours - Rebecca Neale
    2013 - 2013 Co-Supervisor Factors Affecting Social Skill Maintenance Following a Group-Based Video Modelling Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) University of Adelaide Honours Degree of Bachelor of Psychology Honours - Sophie Ward
    2013 - 2013 Co-Supervisor Exploring the Generalisation of a Group-Based Social Skills Video Modeling Program for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Teacher’s Perspective University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Benjamin L. Carnell
    2009 - ongoing Principal Supervisor Trainability Assessment and Resource Allocation in Disability Services University of Adelaide Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Kelly Partridge
    2009 - 2009 Principal Supervisor Evaluating Caregivers’ Support Needs Ratings for Individuals with Intellectual Disability University of Adelaide Honours Degree of Bachelor of Psychology Honours - Joseph Miller
    2008 - 2008 Co-Supervisor Teaching social skills to children with autism: Using video modeling in a group setting University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Organisational and Human Factors) Master - Sophie Hampel
    2007 - ongoing Co-Supervisor Personality, Vocational Interests, Cognitive Abilities and Values as predictors of Academic Performance University of Adelaide Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate - Annamaria Quaresima
    2007 - 2007 Co-Supervisor Exploring the Training Needs and Capabilities of People with an Intellectual Disability: The Need for Formalised Assessment. University of Adelaide Honours Degree of Bachelor of Psychology Honours - Sophie Hampel
    1989 - 2000 Principal Supervisor Towards the measurement of organisational culture University of Adelaide Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate - Elizabeth Kummerow

  • Memberships
    Date Role Membership Country
    2018 - ongoing Member Autism SA Professional Practice Committee Australia
    2006 - ongoing - Life Member of Bedford Industries -
    2000 - ongoing Member College of Organisational Psychologists -
    1980 - ongoing Member Australian Psychological Society -
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