Employment and equitable futures

Societies and workplaces are experiencing profound change, driven by developments in technology, shifts in geo-political power and multiple planetary crises. Precarious work is becoming ever more normalised, raising questions about the validity of established concepts of management, leadership, and forms of organising, including traditional employment relations. The menacing spectre of climate emergency is already ravaging parts of the planet, particularly in the so-called 'developing world'.

Our research seeks to craft equitable futures for work and society in a rapidly changing world. Its focus is on methodological, conceptual and empirical research that contributes to a better understanding of advances and practices that re-imagine inclusive and just organisations for the future. It does so in ways that playfully and critically interrogate both traditional employment and post-employment relations, looking for innovative organisational practices as clues for more broadly egalitarian futures.

Entry requirements

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English.

Potential research projects

• Organising for social justice: This theme focuses on critically exploring contemporary organisational practices that enable and sustain global injustices, including the global environmental crisis and its multifaceted implications for organisations and leadership. This includes investigating practices of resistance to corporations and mainstream organisations, but also organisational ‘greenwashing’ practices and the development of other forms of corporate environmentalism.
• Shaping equitable workplaces: This theme focuses on intersectional research exploring and conceptualising inclusive workplaces by examining how policies, organisational practices, and cultural changes can promote fairness and justice within business and management. This also encompasses the examination of unconventional working practices that challenge dominant assumptions of established career norms and trajectories.
• Open to people and ideas: This theme acts as an incubator for projects, activities, and directions that do not fit neatly into any of the other two themes but are nevertheless relevant to its overall remit and mission. The open theme also includes activities that connect the other themes together in the spirit of dialogue, collaboration, and cross-pollination. This includes, for example, studies on leadership and organising from below, creative and cultural industries, empowering ethics, innovative methods and practices of knowledge production.

Potential supervisors

There are a number of researchers in the Faculty of Business and Law whose research expertise relates to this area. Please see OUBS People for more details.

Fees and funding

For detailed information about fees and funding, visit Fees and studentships.

To see current funded studentship vacancies across all research areas, see Current studentships.

Links

• The Open University Business School
• Business School funded PhD opportunities