Dr M Sarkar
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
About the Project
Background/context: Why is it that some organisations are able to withstand the pressures of competitive sport and attain peak performances, whereas others succumb to the demands and under-perform? It is the study of organizational resilience that aims to address this question. Over the past few years, research has begun to systematically investigate psychological resilience (e.g., Fletcher & Sarkar, 2012, Sarkar & Fletcher, 2014) and team resilience (e.g., Morgan, Fletcher, & Sarkar, 2013; 2015) in sport performers and teams respectively. Interestingly, in other domains of psychology, the concept of resilience has also started to be applied to organisations in fields such as business, health, and public administration. Somewhat surprisingly, the sport sector has been neglected within this research. Since international level sport has never been so competitive, national sport organisations will likely need to meet the challenges, adversities and changes associated with the developments in elite sport governance. Despite these observations, there is currently no rigorous research that specifically addresses organizational resilience in elite sport (Fletcher & Wagstaff, 2009). Indeed, this research gap urgently needs to be addressed with recent reviews recognising the importance of investigating how organisational resilience provides a buffer against the demands that are placed on individuals within sport organisations (Wagstaff, Fletcher, & Hanton, 2012; Wagstaff, Sarkar, Davidson, & Fletcher, 2016).
Project description: The overall purpose of this PhD will be to investigate organisational resilience in elite sport with a view to ultimately enhancing elite sport performance. The aims of this PhD will be to: 1) develop definitional and conceptual clarity of organisational resilience in elite sport; 2) identify the resilient characteristics of elite sport organisations; 3) identify the psychosocial processes of organisational resilience in elite sport; 4) explore how organisational resilience can be developed in elite sport; and 5) conduct an intervention to enhance an organisation’s resilience in elite sport. The project will utilise both qualitative and quantitative approaches so knowledge and experience with both types of methods will be desirable.
Specific qualifications/subject areas required of the applicants for this project
(e.g. 2:1 BSc Hons. Chemistry):
UK 1st Class / 2.1 Bachelor’s degree (or UK equivalent according to NARIC) (essential) in Sport and Exercise Science, Psychology, or related discipline.
Strong UK Master’s degree (or UK equivalent according to NARIC) (desirable) in Sport and Exercise Psychology, or related discipline.
Funding Notes
This studentship competition is open to applicants who wish to study for a PhD on a full-time basis only. The studentship will pay UK/EU fees (currently set at £4,121 for 2016/17 and are revised annually) and provide a maintenance stipend linked to the RCUK rate (this is revised annually and is currently £14,296 for academic year 2016/17) for up to three years*.
*Applications from non-EU students are welcome, but a successful non-EU candidate would be responsible for paying the difference between non-EU and UK/EU fees. (Fees for 2016/17 are £12,600 for non-EU students and £4,121 for UK/EU students)
References
Morgan, P. B. C., Fletcher, D., & Sarkar, M. (2013). Defining and characterizing team resilience in elite sport. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 14, 549-559.
Morgan, P. B. C., Fletcher, D., & Sarkar, M. (2015). Understanding team resilience in the world’s best athletes: A case study of a rugby union world cup winning team. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 16, 91-100.
Wagstaff, C. R. D., Sarkar, M., Davidson, C. L., & Fletcher, D. (2016). Resilience in sport: A critical review of psychological processes, sociocultural influences, and organizational dynamics. In C. R. D. Wagstaff (Ed.), The organizational psychology of sport: Key issues and practical applications (pp. 120-150). London, UK: Routledge.
Wagstaff, C. R. D., Fletcher, D., & Hanton, S. (2012) Positive organizational psychology in sport. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 5, 87-103.
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