Demystifying PhDs
I am really keen on demystifying PhDs. I'm very mindful of the fact that there are a lot of cultural variations here in England and a PhD is not always seen as an obvious option for people, I think it is seen as a ‘nice to have’ option. But it’s not just about being a research academic. It’s about many different careers where the sort of skills that people gain through a PhD can be really useful. I'd like to encourage our current Masters and Undergraduate students because it’s a good option and can open up different corners of the job market.
I think sometimes people are put off because of the specific way you have to apply for a PhD programme and that they have to submit a proposal. As part of demystifying PhDs I’d advise people who are thinking of doing a PhD to get in touch with a staff member who they think is doing research in an area that they might be interested in and then talk to them.
This means that when they submit a proposal through the admissions system, this doesn't have to be the first time they’ve had contact with someone here at the Business School.
Please, get in touch with our staff and have a conversation with them. Find out from them what they think of your idea. We want to know that you’d like to do a PhD but also that you’re capable of doing a PhD and to remove the barriers of the unknown.
For example, how to write a PhD proposal. Many people don’t know at all but if you speak to us then we can help you to understand what a PhD proposal involves so that what they put in their application is well developed and they are less likely to get rejected.
Development of the proposal can be a collaborative process between the PhD candidate and the supervisor.
I am very much interested in organisations and individuals within organisations and also organisations which operate internationally. I am interested in phenomena affecting organisations which are connected to internationalisation and globalisation.
I am especially interested in diversity in organisations and those aspects of diversity which are particularly connected to internationalisation and globalisation, such as linguistic diversity, but then I am also very passionate about how different aspects of diversity intersect in organisations, such as cultural, ethnicity and nationality, different linguistic backgrounds, but also gender, different class backgrounds, different generations. I am interested in how they interact, but also what are the outcomes this diversity has for both individual careers, the experience of individuals in the workplace, but also what outcomes it has for organisations in terms of organisational hierarchies and power relations in organisations.
My research is very typical of Essex as it is very interdisciplinary. I draw on work from the broader social sciences and humanities at the same time, it's certainly still informed by my background in seeing the macro-economic elements but also more informed by micro and the qualitative findings.