Professor Sarah Jenkins
Professor of Human Resource Management
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
I am a sociologist of work and organizations and an active teacher and researcher in the Management, Employment and Organization Section. My research contribution focuses on the changing nature of work and organizations and I have been involved in a number of internally and externally funded research projects to examine issues relating to employees' working experiences within the contemporary workplace. These have included studies on gender and employment, emotion work, job quality and organizational deception. My research focuses on detailed qualitative studies in a variety of organizational contexts including social care, teachers and call centre workers. More recently my work examines cooperative organizational settings and has a specific interest in care cooperatives.
My research has been published in a range of national and international journals including, Gender, Work and Organizations, Work, Employment and Society, British Journal of Industrial Relations, Organization and Organization Studies. In 2019 with my co-author Rick Delbridge we won the Roland Calori Prize awarded bi-annually for the best article published in Organization Studies for the paper on organizational deception.
I am currently the Wales Lead for the IMPACT Cente (Improving Adult Social Care Together) which is a UK wide implementation centre focusing on improving evidence-based practice in social care and is funded until 2027 by the ESRC and Health Foundation.
Publication
2024
- Galazka, A. M. and Jenkins, S. 2024. Doing essential ‘dirty work’: Making visible the emotion management skills in gendered care work. In: Helfen, M. et al. eds. Essentiality of Work. Research in the Sociology of Work Vol. 36. Emerald, pp. 11-38., (10.1108/S0277-283320240000036002)
2022
- Jenkins, S. and Chivers, W. 2022. Can cooperatives/employee-owned businesses improve ‘bad’ jobs? Evaluating job quality in three low-paid sectors. British Journal of Industrial Relations 60(3), pp. 511-535. (10.1111/bjir.12637)
2020
- Jenkins, S. and Delbridge, R. 2020. Exploring organizational deception: Agency, context and social relations. Organization Theory 1(2), pp. 1-24. (10.1177/2631787720919436)
2017
- Jenkins, S. and Delbridge, R. 2017. Neo-normative control and value discretion in interactive service work: a case study. In: Vallas, S. P. ed. Emerging Conceptions of Work, Management and the Labor Market., Vol. 30. Research in the Sociology of Work Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 59-85.
- Jenkins, S. and Delbridge, R. 2017. Trusted to deceive: A case study of 'strategic deception' and the normalization of lying at work. Organization Studies 38(1), pp. 53-76. (10.1177/0170840616655481)
2013
- Jenkins, S. L. and Delbridge, R. 2013. In pursuit of happiness: A sociological examination of employee identifications amongst a 'happy' call-centre workforce. Organization n/a (10.1177/1350508413491444)
- Jenkins, S. L. and Delbridge, R. 2013. Context matters: Examining 'soft' and 'hard' approaches to employee engagement in two workplaces. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 24(14), pp. 2670-2691. (10.1080/09585192.2013.770780)
2011
- Conley, H. and Jenkins, S. L. 2011. Still 'a good job for a woman'? Women teachers' experiences of modernization in England and Wales. Gender, Work & Organization 18(5), pp. 488-507. (10.1111/j.1468-0432.2011.00573.x)
2010
- Jenkins, S. L., Delbridge, R. and Roberts, A. J. 2010. Emotional management in a mass customised call centre: examining skill and knowledgeability in interactive service work. Work Employment & Society 24(3), pp. 546-564. (10.1177/0950017010371665)
2009
- Delbridge, R. and Jenkins, S. L. 2009. Theorizing discretion in service work: value discretion in a high performance call-centre. Presented at: European Organisation Studies Conference (EGOS), Barcelona, July 2009.
- Jenkins, S. L. and Delbridge, R. 2009. Multiple identities and identifications in the high commitment call-centre examining connections in a complex organization. Presented at: Employment Research Unit Conference (ERU), Cardiff, September 2009.
- Jenkins, S. L. and Delbridge, R. 2009. Exploring multiple identities in the high performance call-centre: A recipe for success?. Presented at: International Industrial Relations Conference (IIRA), Sydney, Australia, Monday 24 - Thursday 28 August 2009.
2007
- Jenkins, S. L. and Conley, H. 2007. Living with the Contradictions of Modernization: Emotional Management in the Teaching Profession. Public Administration 85(4), pp. 979-1001. (10.1111/j.1467-9299.2007.00675.x)
- Jenkins, S. L. and Delbridge, R. 2007. Disconnected workplaces: interests and identities in the 'high performance' factory. In: Bolton, S. C. and Houlihan, M. eds. Searching for the Human in Human Resource Management: Theory, Practice and Workplace Contexts.. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 195-218.
2006
- Jenkins, S. L. 2006. Where is the 'H' in HRM?. Presented at: 2006 Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, USA, 11-16 August 2006.
2005
- Jenkins, S. L. 2005. Emotional labour and the teaching profession. Presented at: Showcase Symposium, Employment Research Unit, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff, UK, September 2005.
2004
- Jenkins, S. L. and Conley, H. 2004. Another brick in the wall: Emotional labour in the teaching profession. Presented at: BSA Work, Employment and Society Conference 2004, Manchester, UK, 1-3 September 2004.
- Jenkins, S. L. 2004. Restructuring Flexibility: Case Studies of Part-Time Female Workers in Six Workplaces. Gender Work and Organization 11(3), pp. 306-334. (10.1111/j.1468-0432.2004.00233.x)
2002
- Jenkins, S. L., Martinez Lucio, M. and Noon, M. A. 2002. Return to gender: an analysis of women's disadvantage in postal work. Gender work & organization 9(1), pp. 81-104. (10.1111/1468-0432.00150)
Articles
- Jenkins, S. and Chivers, W. 2022. Can cooperatives/employee-owned businesses improve ‘bad’ jobs? Evaluating job quality in three low-paid sectors. British Journal of Industrial Relations 60(3), pp. 511-535. (10.1111/bjir.12637)
- Jenkins, S. and Delbridge, R. 2020. Exploring organizational deception: Agency, context and social relations. Organization Theory 1(2), pp. 1-24. (10.1177/2631787720919436)
- Jenkins, S. and Delbridge, R. 2017. Trusted to deceive: A case study of 'strategic deception' and the normalization of lying at work. Organization Studies 38(1), pp. 53-76. (10.1177/0170840616655481)
- Jenkins, S. L. and Delbridge, R. 2013. In pursuit of happiness: A sociological examination of employee identifications amongst a 'happy' call-centre workforce. Organization n/a (10.1177/1350508413491444)
- Jenkins, S. L. and Delbridge, R. 2013. Context matters: Examining 'soft' and 'hard' approaches to employee engagement in two workplaces. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 24(14), pp. 2670-2691. (10.1080/09585192.2013.770780)
- Conley, H. and Jenkins, S. L. 2011. Still 'a good job for a woman'? Women teachers' experiences of modernization in England and Wales. Gender, Work & Organization 18(5), pp. 488-507. (10.1111/j.1468-0432.2011.00573.x)
- Jenkins, S. L., Delbridge, R. and Roberts, A. J. 2010. Emotional management in a mass customised call centre: examining skill and knowledgeability in interactive service work. Work Employment & Society 24(3), pp. 546-564. (10.1177/0950017010371665)
- Jenkins, S. L. and Conley, H. 2007. Living with the Contradictions of Modernization: Emotional Management in the Teaching Profession. Public Administration 85(4), pp. 979-1001. (10.1111/j.1467-9299.2007.00675.x)
- Jenkins, S. L. 2004. Restructuring Flexibility: Case Studies of Part-Time Female Workers in Six Workplaces. Gender Work and Organization 11(3), pp. 306-334. (10.1111/j.1468-0432.2004.00233.x)
- Jenkins, S. L., Martinez Lucio, M. and Noon, M. A. 2002. Return to gender: an analysis of women's disadvantage in postal work. Gender work & organization 9(1), pp. 81-104. (10.1111/1468-0432.00150)
Book sections
- Galazka, A. M. and Jenkins, S. 2024. Doing essential ‘dirty work’: Making visible the emotion management skills in gendered care work. In: Helfen, M. et al. eds. Essentiality of Work. Research in the Sociology of Work Vol. 36. Emerald, pp. 11-38., (10.1108/S0277-283320240000036002)
- Jenkins, S. and Delbridge, R. 2017. Neo-normative control and value discretion in interactive service work: a case study. In: Vallas, S. P. ed. Emerging Conceptions of Work, Management and the Labor Market., Vol. 30. Research in the Sociology of Work Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 59-85.
- Jenkins, S. L. and Delbridge, R. 2007. Disconnected workplaces: interests and identities in the 'high performance' factory. In: Bolton, S. C. and Houlihan, M. eds. Searching for the Human in Human Resource Management: Theory, Practice and Workplace Contexts.. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 195-218.
Conferences
- Delbridge, R. and Jenkins, S. L. 2009. Theorizing discretion in service work: value discretion in a high performance call-centre. Presented at: European Organisation Studies Conference (EGOS), Barcelona, July 2009.
- Jenkins, S. L. and Delbridge, R. 2009. Multiple identities and identifications in the high commitment call-centre examining connections in a complex organization. Presented at: Employment Research Unit Conference (ERU), Cardiff, September 2009.
- Jenkins, S. L. and Delbridge, R. 2009. Exploring multiple identities in the high performance call-centre: A recipe for success?. Presented at: International Industrial Relations Conference (IIRA), Sydney, Australia, Monday 24 - Thursday 28 August 2009.
- Jenkins, S. L. 2006. Where is the 'H' in HRM?. Presented at: 2006 Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, USA, 11-16 August 2006.
- Jenkins, S. L. 2005. Emotional labour and the teaching profession. Presented at: Showcase Symposium, Employment Research Unit, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff, UK, September 2005.
- Jenkins, S. L. and Conley, H. 2004. Another brick in the wall: Emotional labour in the teaching profession. Presented at: BSA Work, Employment and Society Conference 2004, Manchester, UK, 1-3 September 2004.
Research
Research interests
My core research spans a number of different themes with a combined focus on examining the contemporary experience of work and employment. My research develops detailed qualitative studies of workplaces and varied organizational contexts to explore and explain the diversity of contemporary working realities. These include the following core areas:-
- Alternative organizations and employee ownership models
- Social care work - including job quality and work meanings
- Organizational deception/lying at work
- Emotional management/emotional labour
- Gender relations in organizations
External Funding
2021 - 2027 - ESRC/Health Foundation UK Centre for Evidence Implementation in Adult Social Care (£15m) - Sarah is the Welsh Lead on the Leadership Team for the IMPACT Centre (Birmingham University - Prof Jon Glasby). IMPACT is a 'implementation centre' to bring together research and knowledge to develop practical improvements and long term culture change in adult social care.
Research Projects
Job Quality and Social Care: A Study of a Care Co-operative – funded by Cardiff Business School seed-corn research scheme. (2018)
Examining Job Quality in Worker Cooperatives’ – funded by Cardiff University Research Fellowship Leave Scheme (2014-15)
A Contextualised Case Study of Employee Engagement (with Prof. Rick Delbridge) - funded by ESRC/AIM Research (2011)
Examining the Nature and Management of Work in a High Performance Call-Centre (with Prof. Rick Delbridge) – funded by ESRC/AIM Research (2007)
Emotional Management in the Teaching Profession: Examining the Impact of the Modernization Agenda’ – Cardiff Business School seed–corn research funding scheme (2006)
PhD supervision research interests
- Emotional labour/management
- Cooperative organizations
- Social care work
- Lying at work
- Workplace skills
Teaching
Teaching commitments
I am dedicated and committed teacher and have experience of a range of teaching across under-graduate and post-graduate modules including:-
BSc Business Management - Contemporary Issues in Work and Employment Year 3 (current Module Leader)
BSc Business Management - Business Enviornment Year 1
BSc Business Management - Industrial Society Year 1
MSc HRM - Contemporary Issues in HRM Research
MSc HRM - Qualitative Research Module
MSc Social Science Research Methods - Organizational Research
MBA (Exec) - Qualitative Research Methods
Biography
I received a BSc (Hons) in Social Science from Nottingham Trent University and a PhD in Sociology from Northumbria University. I moved to Cardiff Business School in 1994 as a Research Assistant.
I am a memeber of the British Sociological Association
Contact Details
+44 29208 76826
Aberconway Building, Room E08, Colum Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF10 3EU