Dr David Baker

Welcome to my page. I am an Adjunct Research Fellow with the School of Management while my main job is with the Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation Division within the Department of Premier and Cabinet in South Australia. From 2005-2008 I was the Manager of the Aboriginal Heritage Branch and throughout 2009 I conducted meetings across the State consulting about the Review of the Aboriginal Heritage Act (1988).

• Negotiation
• Business Ethics/Fairness/Justice
• Conflict Management
• Mediation

Member, Human Development & Capability Association 2007-08

Member, International Visual Sociology Association 2008

Past Member, Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)

Associate Fellow, Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI)1997-99

Chairperson & member, South Australian Dispute Resolution Association (SADRA) 2000-2003

Member, Lawyers Engaged in Alternative Dispute Resolution (LEADR)1997-98.

Member, Association of Industrial Relations Academics of Australia and New Zealand. (AIRAANZ)2002-03

Ph.D. School of International Business, University of South Australia, conferred 2006

Master of Conflict Management (MCM), University of South Australia, conferred 1998

LEADR Mediation Workshop, 1997

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), SA Institute Of Technology, (SAIT) conferred 1979

Certificate of Aboriginal Welfare, Australian School of Pacific Administration, (ASOPA) conferred 1971

• My current focus is about introducing innovation to Aboriginal heritage management in a participative and inclusive way that involves the wider array of stakeholders. The most effective approach would be through an Aboriginal-determined methodology and a collaborative approach with Aboriginal nation groups. I am meanwhile interested in how the rights-based Capability Approach can be a useful framework to help guide the transfer of skills, knowledge and information for Aboriginal heritage planning and management to Aboriginal people. I am presently involved in encouraging the increasing use of spatial information for the expression of Aboriginal perspectives and support to Aboriginal agency.
• Use of Information Technology to assist learning and information exchange.
• Issues of fairness and justice.
• The management of conflict

Refereed publications & Theses

Baker, D ,2006 Fairness in Downsizing: Judgement and Complexity, Thesis (PhD), School of Management, University of South Australia.

Bagshaw, D & Baker, D, 2003. And the cobbler’s children have no shoes … Promoting national collaboration between dispute resolvers in a climate of competition. Australian Dispute Resolution Journal, February

Baker, D. 1979 Professional Unionism in Australian Social Work. Thesis (BA in Social Work), SA Institute of Technology.

Conference presentations & non-refereed publications

Baker, D. 2009. Spatial Expressions of Aboriginal Heritage Information: Arguments for an Aboriginal Methodology, Spatial Sciences International Biennial Conference, Adelaide, October. (Presented by Watt, W.) (Abstract at www.ssc2009.com/abstract/210.asp)

Baker, D., Branson, V. and Sparrow, S. 2009 Agency, participation, collaboration, cooperation: Experiences of involvement by Aboriginal people in the Review of the Aboriginal Heritage Act in South Australia, Symposium: Capabilities, Freedoms and Policy-making in the Pacific Region, University of NSW, Sydney, 17-18 November. (Presented by S Sparrow.)

Baker, D. 2008. Agency & Aboriginal Heritage Information Management, Human Development and Capability Association Conference, New Delhi, India, 10-13 September.

Baker, D., Green, R. and Walker, E. 2006. Practical support for local level change: how spatial information can assist Aboriginal management of heritage at the local level in South Australia, Spatial Information Day, Adelaide August.

Baker, D. and Watt, W (Bill). 2008. Cultural Pathways across Aboriginal Landscapes: the importance of visual representation of heritage information for the protection of Aboriginal heritage and for negotiated development in South Australia. International Visual Studies Association (IVSA) conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina, September.

Baker, D. and Panzironi, F. 2008. Aboriginal management of Aboriginal heritage in South Australia: Strategic Planning and the Capability Approach, Human Development and Capability Association Conference, New Delhi, India, 10-13 September.

Baker, D., Birt P., Kucera, R., and Thomas, D. 2008, Lessons about how spatial representation of heritage information can assist participative management of Aboriginal heritage information: the COSI (Checking of Site Information) project, Spatial Information Day. (presented by Birt P, Kucera, R, Thomas, D), Adelaide.

Baker, D. 2008. Social Innovation in Aboriginal Heritage Information Management, History & Future of Social Innovation Conference, conducted by the Hawke Centre, University of South Australia, Adelaide, 20/21 June.

Baker, D. 2007. Finding common ground: Expanded capabilities in managing Aboriginal heritage information in South Australia, Roundtable on Indigenous Peoples, Human Development and the Capability Approach, Ideas changing History, Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA) Conference, The New School, New York City, 17-20September.

Baker, D., Walker, E. and Wood, A. 2007. Tasty vignettes with heritage and spatial dressing, Spatial Information Day, Adelaide August.

Baker, D, 2004. The importance of fairness to conflict management in the workplace: two case studies. Adelaide International Conflict Management Conference, Adelaide.

Baker, D,.2003. The importance of consistency at times of downsizing: two case studies. Australian Association of Professional and Applied Ethics Conference, Melbourne.

Baker, D,.2000. Having Voice Being Heard: The Importance of Process in Managing Conflict arising from Downsizing, Australian National Mediation Conference, Brisbane.

Symposiums

Baker, D. and Corcoran, P. (Symposium co-convenors), 2008. The use of Spatial Information in Aboriginal Heritage, Native Title and NRM. A Symposium, University of South Australia, Adelaide, November. (Attended by Aboriginal leaders and non-Aboriginal officials).

I am able to provide media comment in the following areas of expertise:

Discipline: