Researchers from countries with extremes of wealth and deprivation have been exploring ways to reduce poverty through an internationally renowned Massey University-based humanitarian psychology project.
Three humanitarian work psychology post-graduate students, from the United States, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, have recently been collaborating with Albany-based industrial/organisational psychologist Professor Stuart Carr on ways to reduce poverty by tackling workplace injustices such as dual salaries for ex-pat and local workers.
Leo Marai, a PhD student from the University of Papua New Guinea, is following up on research done by Professor Carr and his international team called Project ADD-UP. The three-year study began in 2007 and was led by Professor Carr and Professor Malcolm MacLachlan from Trinity College, Dublin. The award-winning project examined the effect of pay discrepancies among 1300 workers from 200 aid, governmental, educational and business organisations in 10 countries, including Papua New Guinea.
Mr Marai says dual salaries are a form of "economic apartheid" in his country. "They have led to many problems such as strikes at the University of PNG and brain drain so that top local academics have left the country for academic posts overseas. Dual salaries serve as a barrier to local capacity building."
Judith Marasigan de Guzman, a fellow of the Ryoichi Young Leaders Fellowship Fund programme at Ateno de Manila University, says investigating the impact of dual salaries in the Philippines, in both aid agencies and business organisations, is important in understanding why social, economic and political inequality persists.
She says around 23 million (26 per cent) of Filipinos live below the poverty line, according to the latest statistics from 2009. "Simply put, approximately 23 million Filipinos do not have enough resources to meet their basic food and other requirements," she says.
Ms Marasigan is doing research and advocacy in Mindanao, Philippines, on links between conflict, peace and poverty. "Witnessing everyday forms of violence, both direct and structural, has inspired me to learn more about how research and practice in humanitarian work psychology can be harnessed to reduce inequality, foster empowerment and promote justice."
American PhD student Alexander Gloss, from North Carolina State University, says he was inspired by his experiences working for the United States Peace Corps in South Africa. "I observed the demotivating and dividing effects of dual salaries on aid organisations I worked with."
He says humanitarian work psychology is playing a leading role in changing the international development and aid system for the better so that it empowers people rather than perpetuating dependence.
Project ADD-UP found expatriate workers are paid, on average, four times more than local employees for doing a similar job. It showed pay differences were not a reflection of different skill levels or experience, but of the fact expatriates come from higher income countries.
Three humanitarian work psychology post-graduate students, from the United States, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, have recently been collaborating with Albany-based industrial/organisational psychologist Professor Stuart Carr on ways to reduce poverty by tackling workplace injustices such as dual salaries for ex-pat and local workers.
Leo Marai, a PhD student from the University of Papua New Guinea, is following up on research done by Professor Carr and his international team called Project ADD-UP. The three-year study began in 2007 and was led by Professor Carr and Professor Malcolm MacLachlan from Trinity College, Dublin. The award-winning project examined the effect of pay discrepancies among 1300 workers from 200 aid, governmental, educational and business organisations in 10 countries, including Papua New Guinea.
Mr Marai says dual salaries are a form of "economic apartheid" in his country. "They have led to many problems such as strikes at the University of PNG and brain drain so that top local academics have left the country for academic posts overseas. Dual salaries serve as a barrier to local capacity building."
Judith Marasigan de Guzman, a fellow of the Ryoichi Young Leaders Fellowship Fund programme at Ateno de Manila University, says investigating the impact of dual salaries in the Philippines, in both aid agencies and business organisations, is important in understanding why social, economic and political inequality persists.
She says around 23 million (26 per cent) of Filipinos live below the poverty line, according to the latest statistics from 2009. "Simply put, approximately 23 million Filipinos do not have enough resources to meet their basic food and other requirements," she says.
Ms Marasigan is doing research and advocacy in Mindanao, Philippines, on links between conflict, peace and poverty. "Witnessing everyday forms of violence, both direct and structural, has inspired me to learn more about how research and practice in humanitarian work psychology can be harnessed to reduce inequality, foster empowerment and promote justice."
American PhD student Alexander Gloss, from North Carolina State University, says he was inspired by his experiences working for the United States Peace Corps in South Africa. "I observed the demotivating and dividing effects of dual salaries on aid organisations I worked with."
He says humanitarian work psychology is playing a leading role in changing the international development and aid system for the better so that it empowers people rather than perpetuating dependence.
Project ADD-UP found expatriate workers are paid, on average, four times more than local employees for doing a similar job. It showed pay differences were not a reflection of different skill levels or experience, but of the fact expatriates come from higher income countries.
http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle_uuid=E4C77C15-F101-A93D-08AA-8DDBC0947491
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