KESS 2 PHD Scholarship: Engaging Workers to adopt positive Health and Safety Behaviours (Cardiff Metropolitan University and Bridgend Ford Engine Plant)

Employers want engaged employees because, as well as being happier, healthier and more fulfilled, they deliver improved business performance. Research has repeatedly pointed to a relationship between how people are managed, their attitudes and behaviour, and business performance. Positive relationships are evidenced with profit, revenue growth, customer satisfaction, productivity, innovation, staff retention, efficiency and improved health and safety performance. (CIPD,2016). Positive engagement is seen as a far more successful means of securing improved, more sustainable positive outcomes in health and safety performance leading to healthier more productive working environments (Healy and Sugden, 2012). This project looks to embrace a broader approach in engaging workers in health and safety agendas in line with HSE strategy ‘fit for work, fit for life.’ This requires a shift in emphasis from current reactive approaches that focuses on managing and controlling workplace hazards.

The project aims understand the mechanisms that bring about organisational change that result in improved Health and Safety performance arising from increased worker engagement. The project will explore the barriers and beliefs that challenge successful implementation of worker engagement initiatives and will develop evidence based tools that measure worker engagement in order to provide a baseline assessment for manufacturing environments and also measure the impact of introducing targeted interventions.
Applicants must have a good first degree in a relevant discipline area. Effective analytical and written and verbal communication skills are critical. As the project will be split between work at the University and Bridgend Ford engine plant it is desirable that the successful candidate has a driving licence and the ability to travel between sites.

Subject to the commencement date, the proposed work is detailed here:
WP1: Conduct a systematic review of existing literature reporting on empirical studies to explore the impact of interventions to enhance engagement in health and safety practices
WP2: Conduct surveys to determine the current engagement climate and undertake focus groups with Bridgend Ford employees to identify beliefs about health and safety practices and barriers to engagement in those practices.
WP3: Design, implement and evaluate an evidence based intervention to enhance engagement in health and safety practices within the context of Bridgend Ford Engine Plant

Details of the scholarship
The scholarship offers each eligible participant (student):
• A monthly stipend in line with RCUK rates: 3 years of funding @ £14,198 per year for PhD; KESS PhD Scholarship holders do not pay fees;
• Each scholarship has an additional budget for travel, conference attendance, minor equipment, consumables and training to support your research;
• Have an opportunity to access a suite of higher level skills training and attendance at a residential KESS Grad School;
• All participants must complete the KESS Postgraduate Skills Development Award
• The Scholarship is to study a PhD on a Full-time basis with a minimum of 30 days a year working with the company partner on their allocated project.
• Students must complete and submit their thesis in 3.5 years for PhD;
• Applicants should have UK or EU Citizenship, and be resident in the convergence area of Wales on appointment, and should have the right to work in the region on qualification. Residence will be evidenced by reference to documents such as driver’s licence, tenancy agreement or recent statement from bank or building society.
• The map for the area that is eligible can be found here. Please note the map also illustrates other assisted areas in the UK, however only the West Wales and the Valleys (in blue/grey: noted as ’a’ areas) is eligible in this project
Supported by Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships 2 (KESS2) which is an All Wales higher level skills initiative led by Bangor University on behalf of the HE sector in Wales. It is part funded by the Welsh Government’s European Social Fund (ESF) convergence programme for West Wales and the Valleys.

Further Information regarding KESS2 project Cardiff Met University, and an application form can be found at - http://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/research/Pages/KESSII.aspx

Closing date for applications is 9th June 2017.
Interviews for this post will take place in the week beginning the 19th June, 2017, with a commencement date around the 10th July 2017