Bespoke and Doctoral Research Projects
Bespoke Research
The Centre's core research is driven the its remit and is linked to the production of White Papers. However, the Centre also conducts specific in-house research for either sponsors or other stakeholders.
This bespoke research tends to be one of three types:
- We have run Innovation events and data-sharpening workshops during which sponsors send members of their HR strategy team to co-work on issues central to their HR strategy. During these events Centre staff broker in lead research findings, sponsors articulate their issues and needs around the topic, and we jointly move towards an articulated strategy. The benefit for sponsors is deeper insight into their strategy and business alignment. For Centre researchers it is insight into the decision logics that are applied to each aspect of HR strategy.
- Bespoke work has included projects that involve the use of our analytical skills to existing data bases, such as links between leadership and engagement within employee survey data and international variations in employee engagement.
- Finally, projects can involve elements of evaluation of ongoing change and HR programmes.
We are particularly interested in seeking applied research and consultancy projects that have the utility to influence academic research, that sits within the Centre’s academic themes, and that has relevance to solving a performance-led issue. This enables the Centre to undertake the following sorts of projects:
- “Blue Sky” HR research and thinking, either produced in isolation, or co-produced with partners
- Applied Research for partners and members
- White Papers on areas of HR policy
- Consulting in areas of our expertise
- Conference presentations in both academic and practice communities
For example, in 2009 Paul Sparrow co-authored reports with Gill Aldred of Brookfield Global Relocation Services on topics including International Mobility: Introducing Flexibility Into Policy Structures; International Mobility in the Financial Services Sector: the Challenges of Individualised Flexibility; and International Mobility: Impact of the Current Economic Climate. The last of these reports has been recognised with an Expatica HR Top-5 Industry Survey Award for Excellence in HR surveys, scoring highly for offering novel or unique cutting edge findings and well-researched and presented data.
Examples of recent work include:
- Reversing the arrow: business model change and HR strategy
- Engagement markets and business performance
- International mobility: the challenge of emerging markets
Centre members have the opportunity to participate in other research projects that faculty are involved in. Some example projects are:
Doctoral Research Projects
A number of PhD students are working or have recently worked on research dissertations relevant to our mission. Two recent projects have been:
- Philip Gibbs: Building a Positive Organisation: Measuring and Managing Employee Well-being in AstraZeneca International
- Vivi Maltezos: A Comparative Analysis of Employee Turnover in the British and Greek Banking Industry. Issues and Recommendations
A current doctoral research project is:
