This article explores the issue of workplace visibility and signs and symbols of LGBTQ+ identity in a UK university. A poststructuralist Butlerian theoretical framework underpins this article. Sexual and gender identities are understood as multiple and fragmented, and constructed in relation to others and within the systems of power and knowledge…

This paper examines staff perspectives on institutional representations of a range of areas of diversity and inclusion in a key post-compulsory education sector: that of UK Higher Education (HE). The paper focuses on comparing representational statements made by institutions with the reality of their lived experiences as perceived by staff. The…

While not the only motive for Chinese students to come to study in the UK, employability must be one key factor. Yet there is relatively little research on perceptions among students, employers and teachers of how studying in the UK impacts employment prospects. This paper seeks to compare the views of these stakeholders on what are the essential…

This paper addresses the subjective experiences of PhD holders from Switzerland and the UK who pursue careers beyond academia. Drawing on the concepts of organisational culture and culture shock, we examined the challenges that characterise this passage from academia to non-academic workplaces. With an exploratory aim, we analysed 32…

Survey research has evidenced the work-related stresses reported by higher education staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, with indications that some groups may have been more vulnerable than others. However, for the most part, this research has not taken into account individuals' intersecting identities and their circumstances, which are likely to…

This macro-level, mixed methods contribution analysis evaluates the influence of students' unions internal communication response to the COVID-19 pandemic on staff motivation. Recognising the role individual interpretation and perception play in the receipt of such messages, this paper seeks to understand which motivating factors union managers…

Undergraduate students have been shown to spontaneously form communities of practice and social networks that support their learning and identity development. This study considers the translation of this participatory learning into professional employment following graduation. Thirteen former biological sciences students from a single UK…

There has been an increasing interest in the lived experiences of professional services staff working in the higher education sector, but little attention has been given to the role that job title plays in the shaping of working identities for this group of staff. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews to explore the…

Contract cheating is, potentially, a serious threat to the quality of higher education around the world. Prior research has focused on student perspectives and the companies themselves, but the staff view is poorly understood, despite staff being a major stakeholder with considerable influence over strategies designed to address contract cheating.…

Professional development is vital for professional service staff but there is little research evidence on how this group engages with development programmes. A cross-sectional study of professional service staff was carried out in two universities who are engaged in the Association of University Administrators Mark of Excellence. The study…

Precarious employment is considered a social determinant impacting the health of workers, families and communities. The Academy is known to utilise non-standard employment contracts, coming under widespread criticism from its social partners for exploitative practices. Whilst there is much research suggesting certain groups (e.g. early career…

This article outlines a concurrent complementarity, mixed methods research design to explore the careers of university professional staff through the application of a contemporary career profile framework. Two hundred and twenty-six participants from Australia and the UK completed a multi-method questionnaire. Integration occurred at three points:…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of studies on antecedents of the corporate reputation of higher education institutions (HEIs) from the perspectives of employees. Design/methodology/approach: The approach is an examination of previous literature on antecedents of corporate reputation in HEIs, published between…

This paper examines the impact of an environmental social marketing intervention on employees' energy saving intentions in a higher education institution (HEI) in the UK. The study examines the influence of both individual (attitudes, knowledge, norms) and organisational (perceived organisational behaviour, perceived organisational support)…

The involvement of mental health service users in a Higher Institution prevention and management of violence and aggression (PMVA) team's training delivery is a recognition of the contribution that the unique insights of people's lived experience can make to the development of practitioners. This research aimed to determine whether or not their…