The Management of Project (MoP) Research Group is a vibrant ecosystem of cutting-edge research initiatives and activities within the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering (MACE). The group delivers a very successful suite of MSc programmes in project management and it is at the forefront of several strands of research within project management and engineering management. The group has successfully delivered impact-laden research in collaboration with national and international organisations within industry, academia and government. Notable research endeavours include Project X (funded by the Economic and Social Research Council), the Discovering Safety Research programme via the Thomas Ashton Institute, and studies for UK government, Association of Project Management (APM), Project Management Institute (PMI) Association and several other funding agencies.
Drawing on the research successes of the group and as part of significant research investment by the Department of MACE, this studentship forms part of a cluster of PhDs to further enhance our research activity. More information about research themes and academic staff within the MoP research group can be found at https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/mop/.
Project Brief: The frenetic, fast-paced and dynamic nature of project-based work can create a stressful environment in which project professionals work in, and can significantly impact on their well-being and productivity. Flexible working has been found to have contradictory outcomes to employees’ well-being and productivity, and the project profession is no exception. We know that project professionals work flexibly but the extent to which that flexibility is supported by technology and its outcomes on project professionals’ well-being and productivity are lesser known. Therefore we are interested in further investigating the opportunities and challenges of technology-enabled flexible working for project professionals. In particular, we are interested in focusing on aspects of research that might address issues of equality, diversity and/or inclusion.
Application information: Information about the application process and a link to the online application form can be found at https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/admissions/how-to-apply/. The online application form does not list individual project titles; when submitting an application, please select PhD Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering (42 months) - Full-time (academic programme) and then PhD Management of Projects - Full-time (academic plan). Take note of the application checklist and provide the requested documents.
Please include a research proposal on the topic of “technology-enabled flexible working and project professionals’ well-being and flexibility”. The proposal should be 3-5 pages and cover: research background (including the knowledge gap); aim and objectives; methodology; expected contribution/impact; and references.
Applicants must have obtained or be about to obtain either a First class UK honours degree or the combination of an Upper Second class UK honours degree and a UK master’s degree awarded with Merit or higher (or international equivalents), in an appropriate area of management, organisation studies or similar areas.
In addition, applicants must have the following skills/qualities: The ability to generate high quality research outputs is essential. Experience in conducting interviews and/or large-scale surveys is also essential.
Enquiries about this studentship can be sent to Dr Jillian Yeow ([Email Address Removed]) as the lead project supervisor, or to Dr Patrick Manu ([Email Address Removed]) and Dr Clara Cheung ([Email Address Removed]) as the studentship co-ordinators. The Admissions team in MACE can be contacted at [Email Address Removed] with any queries you may have regarding the application process.
Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities. We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact.
We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status.
We also support applications from those returning from a career break or other roles. We consider offering flexible study arrangements (including part-time: 50%, 60% or 80%, depending on the project/funder), carer support funds for conferences, and peer support networks for parents and carers.
All appointments are made on merit.
The University of Manchester and our external partners are fully committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.