Managing Human Resources in Asia-Pacific, 2nd Edition

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Human Resource Management in Australia

Marilyn Clarke and Margaret Patrickson

Introduction

Although the land area of Australia, almost 8 million square kilometres, is roughly equivalent to that of the continental United States and about twice that of the European union, its population is comparatively low, being only about 22 million, 80 per cent of whom live and work within 100 kilometres of the coastline, and over half of whom live on the eastern seaboard. Yet despite only about 6.5 per cent of the land area being arable, the country exports a wide range of agricultural products as well as mineral ores and selected manufactured goods. Being the world’s 13th largest economy, Australia enjoys a high standard of living, political freedom based ...