Department of People and Organisations

GCU has been providing high-quality People and Organisation education and professional development for over 40 years. Our faculty members are committed to delivering first-class education, research and consultancy related to human resource management (HRM), people management, responsible leadership, change management, organisational behaviour, workplace relations, employee wellbeing and HRD. Our education, research and consultancy are underpinned by collaborations with business leaders, policymakers, professional bodies and like-minded academics in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Our educational programmes are practice-based, recognised by a number of professional bodies (CIPD and SHRM), accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development, and aligned with the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), in order to inspire, shape and connect students, business and society.

Students have the opportunity to work with staff on extra-curricular projects linked to the UK’s largest corporate responsibility network Business in the Community and the worldwide Enactus network to enhance their commitment to entrepreneurial and responsible action to create a better world. In order to help our students develop critical leadership and management skills for their chosen careers, we underpin our teaching with live contemporary case studies, industry speakers, skills events and masterclasses. Our programme design incorporates heightened employability development to enhance work-readiness, including opportunities for placements, consultancy projects, academic and action- based research. Alongside this, we build key personal and professional skills and behaviours through enhancing the ability enhancing the ability of our students to become self-reflective practitioners and act as their own catalysts for continuous and life-long learning.

Degree courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels vary from our general undergraduate programme of International Business and Global MBA,  to more specialist courses in Human Resource Management and International Human Resource Management. We also are closely involved in a number of trans-national education partnerships in Mauritius, Nepal and Malaysia where we support our TNE partners in the delivery of our programmes. Moreover, our staff contribute to teaching delivery of the Graduate Apprenticeship in Business Management course and work in partnership with the GCU University to Business Centre which also ensures our close connectivity with industry.

Whether you wish to study in our department, work with us on collaborative consultancy or research projects, or explore how our expertise might benefit you, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Academic activity

Staff in the department are involved in a variety of academic activities. This includes active researchers who have published a range of outputs in textbooks and peer-reviewed journals as well as holding editorial board positions. In addition, staff are involved with industry outreach projects to enhance theory-to-practice collaboration and support.  Key areas of interest across the team include wellbeing; in-work poverty; leadership style and approaches; organisational change and development; enhancing pedagogy approaches and leadership; employee relations; fair work and job quality; employability and professional and personal development; professional identity.

Accreditations

From 2015, following a rigorous process of international peer review of the BA (Hons) International Business suite of programmes within our department were successful in becoming the first university in Scotland to be awarded accreditation by the European Foundation for Management Development. The reaccreditation process led by EFMD provides us with further strategic guidance for the continued development of our courses in line with international best practice.

In addition, our undergraduate and postgraduate HRM courses have professional accreditation from the UK-based Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Additionally, our postgraduate HRM courses have curriculum alignment recognition with the US-based Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Meet the department

Our teaching and support staff are here to help.

For course and programme enquiries:

T: +44 (0)141 331 8630

E:  studentenquiries@gcu.ac.uk