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Australian Energy Producers Journal Australian Energy Producers Journal Society
Journal of Australian Energy Producers
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Non peer reviewed)

The INPEX diversity and inclusion journey

Catherine Johnson
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INPEX.

The APPEA Journal 55(2) 427-427 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ14062
Published: 2015

Abstract

Corporate policies, standards and procedures are being implemented by INPEX to support the ethnic cultures and corporate backgrounds of individuals who are constructing and will be operating its US$34 billion Ichthys LNG Project.

Gas will be exported from the Ichthys Field in the Browse Basin to the onshore processing facilities at Bladin Point, Darwin through an 889 km pipeline.

With no historical restrictions, INPEX has uncovered an opportunity to help create positive cultural norms, and thus has strategies to harness diversity and build an inclusive culture in its workforce.

This strategy focuses on educating, enabling, empowering and engaging the workforce by establishing a working group, measuring behaviours in performance appraisals and evaluating corporate cultural behaviour in employee engagement surveys, and identifying diversity champions who decentralise activities.

This extended abstract, therefore, discusses lessons that have been learnt, activities and the progress to date by referring to relevant survey results and HR analytics.

INPEX Corporation is involved in more than 70 projects across 25 countries. It has 2,000 employees from Australia, working in more than 15 global locations.

Catherine Johnson has a diverse career that spans more than 30 years, which started with her role as a paediatric nurse at Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth. She moved through a range of clinical activities, which included time in the Goldfields town of Kambalda. Catherine became a director of a corporate occupational medical company that specialised in services to the resources sector. Catherine assisted with the company’s growth from one clinic to 25 clinics across Australia.

Catherine changed her career in 2006 by taking a generalist HR Management position in 2008, where her start-up skills assisted with the development of INPEX Australia.

In 2012, INPEX gave Catherine the brief to introduce and implement Fitness for Work and preventative health programs alongside the diversity and inclusion concepts and activities. Her strategical thinking, influence and relationship-building skills has ensured that this was achieved.

Catherine holds a Graduate Diploma in business administration, a Bachelor of Science (health and safety) and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (2014), of which she is a member. She is employed by INPEX and is the manager of diversity inclusion and wellbeing.


References

Asx Corporate Governance Council, 2014—Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations, 3rd Edition. Accessed 8 January 2015. <http://www.asx.com.au/documents/asx-compliance/cgc-principles-and-recommendations-3rd-edn.pdf>.

Inpex, 2014a—Our values. Accessed 7 January 2015. <http://www.inpex.com.au/our-company/our-values/>.

Inpex, 2014b—Homepage. Accessed 7 January 2015. <http://www.inpex.co.jp/english/csr/index.html>.

Ng, W., and Yik, A., 2012—Diversity and Inclusion in Asia Country View. Accessed 8 January 2015. <http://www.communitybusiness.org/images/cb/publications/2012/diaJapan2012_country_view.pdf>.

The Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training, 2013—Workplace Seminar on Workplace Bullying and Harassment. JILPT Report No. 12. Tokyo: The Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training 2013.

Tateisi, N., 2014—When Eats meet West in the Workplace, Settlement and Multicultural Affair, Australian Government Department of Social Sciences. Accessed 8 January 2015. <https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/settlement-and-multicultural-affairs/programs-policy/a-multicultural-australia/programs-and-publications/1995-global-cultural-diversity-conference-proceedings-sydney/economic-aspects-of-diversity/when-east-meets-west-in-the-workplace>.