Dr JOSEPH VOROS
BSc(Hons) (Mon), PhD (Mon)
Ph +61 3 9214 5984
Fax +61 3
9819 2117
Room AGSE302
jvoros@swin.edu.au
Dr Joseph Voros began his career as a physicist-he holds a PhD in theoretical physics, during which he worked on mathematical extensions to the General Theory of Relativity - followed by several years in Internet-related companies, including a stint at Netscape Communications Corporation, before becoming a professional futurist. He has been associated with Swinburne University since early 2000, initially as a project consultant in the former Australian Foresight Institute.
In mid 2000 he was appointed as a foresight analyst in Swinburne's own top-level strategic planning unit, and in that practitioner role he was involved in the building of a practical organisational strategic thinking capacity based on the use of foresight concepts and methodologies. During this time he continued to maintain strong links with the strategic foresight teaching program, attending every subject and providing a practitioner's perspective in many invited lectures.
In 2003 he joined the faculty of the strategic foresight teaching program where he now lectures on the theory and practice of foresight in organisations and society. He teaches into most of the units in the Master of Strategic Foresight, and convenes the MBA unit on Corporate Strategies and Entrepreneurship. He also teaches into several other MBA and postgraduate units, bringing a unique "foresight" perspective to each of them. He has presented at conferences nationally and internationally, including keynotes, and two of his journal articles have won excellence awards from the journal's international editorial advisory board.
Dr Voros' professional interests are broadly multi-disciplinary, and his main research interests are the emerging field of "integral inquiry", and the interplay between futures thinking, strategic thinking, strategy, policy, management, and entrepreneurship. He has a strong belief in the need for both rigorous intellectual discipline as well as practical pragmatic utility in "real world" contexts, and this belief lies at the heart of his approach to Futures Studies, strategic foresight and strategy. He is a member of the World Futures Studies Federation, and a member of the editorial advisory boards of the journal Foresight , as well as the Journal of Integral Theory and Practice.
Research Profile
Research Interests
- Integrative / Integral approaches to research / inquiry
- The 'epistemological problem' in futures research
- Methodologies of futures research
- Strategic foresight in organisations and society
- Strategic thinking as a core capability of individuals and organisations
- The interplay and overlap between futures thinking, strategy, policy, management, creativity, and entrepreneurship
- The long-term future of humankind
Awards
2007: Emerald Publishing Literati
Club Excellence Awards, Highly Commended Award
for the paper: ‘Introducing a classification framework
for prospective methods', Foresight vol.8,
no.2, 2006.
2004: Emerald Publishing Literati Club Excellence
Awards, Highly Commended Award for the paper:
'A generic foresight process framework', Foresight
vol.5, no.3, 2003. ( See vol.6, no.5, 2004.)
Selected Publications
Degree Award Theses:
J Voros, 1996 'On the electrodynamics of Einstein's non-symmetric unified field theory', PhD thesis, Dept of Physics, Monash University, Melbourne.
Book Chapters:
J Voros, 2007, 'On the philosophical foundations of futures research', in P van der Duin (ed.), Knowing Tomorrow? How science deals with the future, Eburon Academic Publishers, Delft, The Netherlands, chap. 5, pp. 71-92. ISBN: 978-90-5972-2293.
P Hayward & J Voros, 2006 'Playing the neo-humanist game', in S Inayatullah, M Bussey & I Milojevic, eds., Neohumanist Educational Futures: Liberating the Pedagogical Intellect, Tamkang University Press, Tamsui, Taiwan, chap. 14, pp. 283-296. ISBN: 986-7385-63-2.
J Voros, 3 chapters in RA Slaughter, S Inayatullah & J Ramos, eds, The Knowledge Base of Futures Studies, 5 vols, CD-ROM Professional Edition, Foresight International, Brisbane, 2005, ISBN: 0-9757354-0-3.
Refereed Journal Articles:
J Navarro, P Hayward & J Voros, 2008, ‘How to solve a wicked problem? Furniture foresight case study’, Foresight, vol.10, no.2, pp.11-29.
J Voros, 2008, ‘Integral Futures: An approach to futures inquiry’, Futures, vol.40, no.2, pp.190-201.
J Voros, 2007, ‘Towards an ‘integral’ view of entrepreneurship’, Journal of Futures Studies, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 5-22.
J Voros 2007, 'Macro-perspectives beyond the world system', Journal of Futures Studies, vol.11, no.3, pp.1-28.
J Voros, 2006 'Nesting social-analytical perspectives: an approach to macro-social analysis', Journal of Futures Studies, vol.11, no1, pp.1-22.
J Voros, 2006 'Introducing a classification framework for prospective methods', Foresight, vol.8, no.2, pp.43-56.
P Hayward & J Voros, 2006 'Creating the experience of social change', Futures, vol. 38, no.6, pp.708-715.
J Voros, 2005 'A generalised "layered methodology" framework', Foresight, vol.7, no.2, pp.28-40.
J Voros, 2005 'Speaking about the future: "pro-vocation" and "ante-diction", Futures , vol.37, no.1, pp.87-96.
J Voros, 2003 'A generic foresight process framework', Foresight, vol.5, no.3, pp.10-21
M Conway & J Voros, 2003 'Foresight: Learning from the future,' Journal of Institutional Research , vol.12, no.1, pp.1-15. (Second author's name omitted in error; see erratum acknowledgement in the Editorial, vol.12, no.2, 2003).
J Voros, 2001 'Reframing environmental scanning: an integral approach', Foresight, vol.3, no.6, pp.533-52.
J Voros, 1995 'Physical consequences of the interpretation of the skew part of gij in Einstein's non-symmetric unified field theory', Australian Journal of Physics, vol.48, no.1, pp.45-53.
Refereed Conference Proceedings - Papers Published in Full:
P Hayward & J Voros, 2004 'Foresight and entrepreneurship', in LM Gillin et al. (eds), Regional Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research 2004, Proceedings of the First Annual Regional Entrepreneurship Research Exchange , Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University Press, Melbourne, pp. 282-97. ISBN 0-85590-807-6.
J Voros, 1994 'The electrodynamics of Einstein's unified field theory,' in L Brewin, A Lun & E Chow (eds), Proceedings of the fourth Monash general relativity workshop, held 12-14 July, Department of Mathematics, Monash University, Melbourne. ISBN: 0-7326-0554-7.
Refereed Conference Proceedings - Papers Published in Abstract:
J Voros, 2007 ‘Foresight and Entrepreneurship: A literature review’, LM Gillin et al. (eds), Regional Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research 2007, Proceedings of the Fourth Annual AGSE International Entrepreneurship Research Exchange, Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology Press, Melbourne, pp.299-300.
P Hayward & J Voros, 2005 'The Perspective of the Entrepreneur', in LM Gillin et al. (eds), Regional Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research 2005, Proceedings of the Second Annual AGSE International Entrepreneurship Research Exchange , Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology Press, Melbourne, p.328. ISBN 0-85590-809-2.
G Braidotti, P Hayward & J Voros, 2005 'Foresight, Entrepreneurship and the Philanthropic Desire for a Better World', in LM Gillin et al. (eds), Regional Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research 2005, Proceedings of the Second Annual AGSE International Entrepreneurship Research Exchange , Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology Press, Melbourne, p.627. ISBN 0-85590-809-2.
Research Reports & Monographs:
TW Burke, RA Slaughter & J Voros, 2004 'Long-term housing futures for Australia: using "foresight" to explore alternative visions and choices', Positioning Paper, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, ISBN: 1 920941 21 5.
J Voros (ed.), 2003 Reframing Environmental Scanning: a Reader on the Art of Scanning the Environment, Australian Foresight Institute monograph series, no.4, Swinburne University Press, Melbourne. ISBN: 0-88590-793-2.
Keynote Presentations & Conference Papers:
J Voros, 2007 ‘In the mind of the beholder: The art of futures thinking', keynote presentation at Intelligence 2007: 'The New Umbrella of Intelligence'; the 16th annual conference of the Australian Institute of Professional Intelligence Officers (AIPIO), Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, 16-18 October.
J Voros & P Hayward, 2007 'The Wilber model, developmental psychology and integral spirituality', plenary presentation to The 2nd Victorian Transpersonal Psychology Symposium: Psychology and Spirituality, William Angliss College of TAFE, Melbourne, 8-9 September 2007.
P Hayward & J Voros, 2005 'Generating futures', paper presented at the World Futures Studies Federation 19 th World Conference, Budapest, 20-24 August 2005. Proceedings published as an online eBook; ISBN: 963 503 3435 Available at www.budapestfutures.org
J Voros, 2005 'Thinking about the Future', keynote presentation at the Australian Drug Foundation international conference, Rydges Hotel, Melbourne, 21-23 February 2005. Reported in : AM Roche et al., The Future of Drinking: A report on the conference Thinking Drinking: Achieving Cultural Change by 2020, Australian Drug Foundation, Melbourne. ISBN: 0-85809-084-8. Available at www.adf.org.au
J Voros, 2004 'Engaging with the future', keynote presentation to the VISTA (Association of Vocational Training and Education Professionals) Annual Conference, Geelong, 23 May.
J Voros, 2003 'The generic foresight process' and 'The viable system model', plenary presentations to the Australian Foresight Institute Professional Development Forum, Swinburne University of Technology, 11 November.
J Voros, 2003 'Environmental scanning: new frameworks and reframing', paper presented at the Foresight Methodologies Pre-Conference Workshop, Association for Tertiary Education & Management Annual Conference, Adelaide, 28 September.
M Conway & J Voros, 2002 'Implementing organisational foresight: a case study in learning from the future', paper presented at the conference Probing the Future: Developing Organisational Foresight in the Knowledge Economy, held 11-13 July, Graduate School of Business, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
R Slaughter, M Conway & J Voros, 2001 'Strategic foresight: Learning from the future and moving to action', paper presented at the Technology Transfer and Innovation Conference 2001 (TTI2001), Brisbane, 26-28 September.
M Conway & J Voros, 2001 'Foresight: Learning from the future', paper presented at the Australasian Association of Institutional Research Annual Forum, Rockhamption, 3-5 September.
J Voros, 2001 'Foresighting: an introduction to the art and practice of foresight', presentation to the Executive Council of the Association for Tertiary Education and Management (ATEM), Sydney, 5 May.
Journal Editorial Advisory Boards:
Foresight - the journal of futures studies, strategic thinking and policy, ISSN 1463-6689, published by Emerald Publishing. www.emeraldinsight.com/fs.htm
Journal of Integral Theory and Practice , ISSN 1554-5814, published by Integral Institute. www.integralinstitute.org/?q=publications
On the Horizon - the strategic planning resource for education professionals, Jan-Dec 2003. ISSN 1074-8121, published by Emerald Publishing. www.emeraldinsight.com/oth.htm
Refereed Journal Guest Editorships:
RA Slaughter, P Hayward & J Voros, Futures - Special Issue: Integral Futures; vol.40, no.2, March 2008.
P Hayward, J Voros & S Inayatullah, Journal of Futures Studies - Special Issue: Global Soul conference 2005; vol.10, no.4, May 2006.
Industry Magazines:
J Voros, 2006 'Gain Foresight', Leadership Excellence, vol.23, no.9, p.19 (Sept 2006).
J Voros, 1999 'The evolution of consciousness and business', The Australian Business Network Report, vol.7, no.9-10, pp.3-8.
W Batchelor & J Voros 1994, ' Electronic resource guide for physicists ', Australian and New Zealand Physicist , vol.31, no.4, pp.62-65 (April). Reprinted in: Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies Bulletin, vol.4, no.2, pp.22-24 (June 1994).
Mass Media:
Quoted, The Australian Financial Review - BOSS Magazine, Big Ideas Special issue, June 2007, 'The Futurists', p.55.
Podcast/online interview, Let's Talk Net - Business Series, Episode 7, Segment 5, .au Domain Name Administrator (auDA), Melbourne. Online Nov 2006.
Interview, The Australian Financial Review Magazine 10+10=2020: Future Issue: 10th Anniversary Issue, May 2005, pp.19, 75 & 80.