Overview

In December 2015, we held our inaugural Applied Research Conference at Warwick Business School’s iconic Shard building in London. This annual conference was set up to showcase and debate academic research in people management, employment and learning and development. As well as looking at theoretical and empirical advances, the conference has a particular focus on the practical application of research to labour markets and organisational life. The conference exists to strengthen the links between academics and practitioners and is thus aimed at both audiences.

The research papers below come from a selection of the 30 presentations of new research at the 2015 conference. We hope you find them interesting.

An Anatomy of Zero-Hour Contracts in the United Kingdom

Authors:
Dr Maria Koumenta, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Mark Williams, University of Surrey

Big Data, Social Media and HPWS for the Intelligent Office

Authors:
Dr Marios Samdanis, Sotheby’s Institute of Art
Professor Soo Hee Lee, University of Kent

Can Perceptions of Flexible Work Arrangements Boost Engagement and Desirable Employee Behaviour?

Author:
Dr Luke Fletcher, Brighton Business School, University of Brighton

Does Cultural Diversity Require Performance Management System Adaptation?

Authors:
Dr Deirdre O’Donovan, Department of Organisation and Professional Development, School of Business, Cork Institute of Technology, Republic of Ireland
Dr Margaret Linehan, Head, School of Humanities, Cork Institute of Technology, Republic of Ireland

Employee and Organisational Engagement (OE) in Times of Austerity
– A Longitudinal Study of a Public Sector Organisation

Authors:
Dr Martin Reddington, Director, MRA Limited, Lecturer in Management, University of Dundee
Sanija Weber, Research Analyst, MRA Limited

Organising Change Delivery through Consultant Managers: the TESI Model

Authors:
Dr Nick Wylie, Oxford Brookes University
Professor Andrew Sturdy, University of Bristol

The Agency Workers Directive and its Influence on the UK Economy

Authors:
Dr David Biggs, University of Gloucestershire
Dr Simon Toms, University of Gloucestershire

The Power of Personality in the ‘New Economy’: Core Self-Evaluations and Earnings in the United Kingdom

Authors:
Dr Mark Williams, University of Surrey
Dr Elliroma Gardiner, Griffith University, Australia

Understanding Older Workers’ Abilities to Exercise ‘Choice’ When It Comes to Extending Their Working Lives in Late Career

Authors:
Dr Uracha Chatrakul Na Ayudhya, Middlesex University
Dr Heike Schroder, Queen’s University Belfast
Dr Lilian Miles, Middlesex University
Dr Matt Flynn, Newcastle University

What Most Makes HR a Profession? The Difference of Views at National and Organisational Levels

Authors:
Dr Ian Roper, Middlesex University
Dr Paul Higgins, City University Hong Kong

Workplace Mediation – Transforming the Culture of Conflict Management?

Authors:
Professor Richard Saundry, Plymouth University
Dr Gemma Wibberley, Institute for Research into Organisations, Work and Employment (iROWE), University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN)