An exploration of the organisational culture of the Australian Antarctic Division

This study examines individual attitudes and expectations of Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) organisational culture, encompassing staff working at the AAD in Tasmania as well as those working on stations in Antarctica. This project was commissioned by the AAD to guide cultural change. This research is important because relatively little organisational research has been carried out on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) institutions broadly or in Australian public sector organisation. This study provides critical empirical data to significantly extend Antarctic social sciences research and contribute to cultural change efforts at the AAD in the future. The data set comprises 15 de-identified interview transcripts with AAD employees collected between March and May 2021. Participants were asked questions about themselves (e.g., age, postcode, education, employment) as well as questions focusing on how they perceived the AAD's organisational culture in Tasmania and/or Antarctica; their perceptions of AAD leadership; and their suggestions for how to improve the culture.