Researchers have shown that the pursuit of doctoral studies is often related to the desire to become an academic, despite the constrained academic labour markets and changing (or deteriorating, as some have argued) academic working conditions (AWC) worldwide. In this study, we assessed the extent to which Chinese PhD students were aware of the…

Recent studies have highlighted the major challenges faced by managers in the higher education sector and shown the contradictory demands which foster paradoxical tensions. Previous works have also underlined some specific tensions and rigidities that business school deans regularly face in their role. Yet, few studies have empirically explored…

This study investigated the prevalence of bullying and sexual harassment in Swedish medical faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, associations between these factors and burnout were investigated as well as the buffering role of social support from colleagues and managers. The study demonstrated that women tended to report more…

The purpose of our research is to understand how postdoctoral researchers (postdocs) at Dutch research universities experience their working conditions, their further career prospects and opportunities, in relation to their mental health and wellbeing. The postdoc population is substantial and growing. Given that their lack of career prospects and…

PhD graduates are often recruited for positions that entail various work demands. Based on theoretical models of work demands, PhD graduates can appraise these demands in three main ways: as challenges, hindrances, or threats. The more aware they are of the skills they developed in their doctoral program, the more likely they are to appraise…

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…

Trust is an essential underpinning foundation of effective functioning amongst all staff in higher education. However, there is limited knowledge on the ways in which trust operates, including the extent to which it exists, is recognised, can be built, or lost. This article systematically scopes the international literature on trust amongst staff…

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 study examines the psychosocial hazards experienced by academic staff working in UK institutions over time. A risk assessment framework developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was used to measure seven key hazards: demands, control, support from managers and colleagues, relationships, role and change management. Data were obtained…

The use of corporate management practices in higher education has led to spread of result-oriented practices to improve research productivity, including publication rewards and requirements. In this paper we stress the importance of input and process based approaches by examining the mediating role of research self-efficacy on the relationship…

This study sought to advance our understanding of the nexus between policy and ambient discrimination experiences of faculty and the intention to stay among graduate students. To accomplish this, we built on theory and research in higher education by leveraging models from the strategic human resource management (HRM) literature. In doing so, we…

Several studies in higher education have attempted to study the impact of quality management practices on organisational innovation processes and outcomes in higher education institutions (HEIs). However, there is relatively limited research examining the impact of multidimensional quality management practices (QM-practices) on academics'…

Due to the changing landscapes of higher education, a large body of research has studied how scholars make sense of academic identities and careers. Yet, little is known about how academics actually 'work' on their identities to navigate normative demands and complex career structures. This paper explores how scholars negotiate career scripts…

By placing a strong emphasis on one's national, cultural, and ethnic identity, neonationalism, as a contemporary political and cultural movement, prioritizes 'sameness' over diversity. This phenomenological case study focused on Turkish universities which have been under increasingly oppressive neo-nationalist policies within the past 10 years. It…

Against a background of Bologna process goals to improve employment prospects for PhD graduates, and the crisis of precarious employment conditions and prospects afflicting postdoctoral researchers -- hitherto postdocs, the OECD ([2021], "Reducing the Precarity of Academic Research Careers." In "OECD Science, Technology and Industry…