Our research themes
CBLG focuses on three transversal research themes to generate knowledge that assists both private and public sectors deal with the challenges they face. Each theme draws on CBLG’s research expertise in its disciplinary areas, within and across these discipline areas.
The essence of our research revolves around producing knowledge about business and economic transformations, along with law reform, to empower private and public sector organisations in effectively confronting and navigating the challenges they encounter in the Tropics and beyond. In this way, transformation and reform serve as foundational pillars, forming a substantial part of CBLG's research.
Given the distinct and extensive scope of challenges related to each of the three transversal themes, we actively advance specialized knowledge to address these unique complexities. Moreover, our research transcends individual themes, embracing an interconnected approach that spans all three transversal themes. This fosters a comprehensive and holistic systems-approach, enabling us to tackle fundamental challenges in a unified manner.
Three themes:
Responsible & Sustainable Transformations
CBLG's Responsible & Sustainable Transformations research theme is dedicated to exploring ways for organisations and societies to operate sustainably and responsibly in the Tropics and beyond.
Private and public sector organisations, along with society in general, confront numerous complex sustainability issues. CBLG delves into psychological, professional and organisational practices that foster sustainable and responsible behaviour and decision-making, providing a foundation for addressing these challenges. Our research spans various areas, including but not limited to:
- Supporting the blue economy enabling the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of marine ecosystems.
- Shedding light on ethical concerns in business and law and advancing practices to effectively address them.
- Promoting understanding and practices for more sustainable and responsible production and use of materials.
- Advancing practices that concurrently support environmental protection, social justice, and economic and financial responsibility.
The ultimate objective of this research theme is to promote the well-being of both humanity and the environment for present and future generations. In pursuit of this objective, CBLG aims to create a tangible impact by supporting private and public sectors in achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
Theme Leader: Professor Peter Hofman
Technological & Digital Transformations
CBLG’s Technological & Digital Transformations research theme promotes exploring ways for organisations and societies in the Tropics and beyond to shape or embrace technological and digital advances.
Advanced technologies, digitisation, and other forms of tech-enabled changes are disrupting sectors, pressuring incumbent companies not only to scratch out stronger financial returns but also to remake who and what they are as organisations. CBLG is dedicated to developing solutions to foster technological and digital transformations in the areas of:
- Leveraging Big Data, Internet of Things, Industry 4.0 and blockchain.
- Benefiting from social media and augmented or virtual reality.
- Exploiting changing use habits, resource-saving potential for increasing efficiency, and automation.
- Advancing legal structures related to emerging technologies such as whether and how to delegate responsibilities to technologies and how to cope with new powers of manipulation.
Theme Leader: Dr Damien Wallace
Global Place-based Transformations
CBLG’s Global Place-Based Transformations research theme examines how organisations, industries, and societies navigate and shape global economic, environmental, and social dynamics through contextually grounded, place-based capabilities. The theme focuses on how regions in the Tropics and beyond can position themselves within global systems - such as trade, capital flows, and competition - to generate sustainable and inclusive value.
CBLG advances understanding and practice on how individuals, organisations, and ecosystems drive transformation by leveraging local assets, institutional contexts, and knowledge systems, while responding to global opportunities and uncertainties. This includes shaping pathways for value creation within existing organisations as well as through new ventures, with an emphasis on aligning place-based strengths with global market and system demands.
Research topics include:
- Developing strategic management frameworks that enable organisations and regions to achieve transformation by aligning place-based capabilities with global market dynamics (e.g., redesigning business models, enhancing productivity and differentiation across products, services, and integrated offerings).
- Designing frameworks for resource and capital allocation that support structural shifts in organisational and regional portfolios, including repositioning within global value chains and investment flows.
- Advancing legal and regulatory frameworks to address challenges arising from globally connected, place-based activity, including data governance, intellectual property, liability, compliance, and cross-jurisdictional coordination.
In collaboration with JCU's College of Science and Engineering, CBLG leads JCU's Transformational Change Hub that is a pan-university enabling capability to harness complex systems modelling and adaptive decision making to produce evidence-based, transformative solutions.