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Dr Almuth McDowall awarded prestigious Ian Beardwell Prize

McDowall’s research into the ‘always on’ culture permeating British workplaces was recognised for its impact and excellence.

Dr Almuth McDowall from Birkbeck’s Department of Organizational Psychology has been awarded the 2017 Ian Beardwell Prize for her research into the ‘always on’ culture permeating British workplaces.

The annual award, which Dr McDowall received in collaboration with research partner Professor Gail Kinman from the University of Bedfordshire, was set up by in memory of leading human resources academic Ian Beardwell, following his death in 2002. It is designed to recognise research excellence in a stand-out paper which was published on the back of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Applied Research Conference.

McDowall and Kinman’s paper, The new nowhere land? A research and practice agenda for the 'always on' culture, was presented at last year’s conference and published in the Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance this year. It received significant coverage in the national news, calling for UK employers to recognise that progress must be made to help staff switch off outside of work hours for the sake of their wellbeing.

The esteemed panel of judges praised the paper for its critical perspective on the changing use of technology in the world of work as a crucial employment issue, and its consideration of how e-working can impact on working lives.

Jonny Glifford, Senior Advisor in Organisational Behaviour at the CIPD, said: “The paper is a very worthy winner, particularly its literature with primary data on employee experiences which shows real potential to advance thinking in this area.”

The award was presented at the 2017 Applied Research Conference at Strathclyde University Business School on Friday. Dr McDowall said on receiving the prestigious award: “Gail and I make a great team and we absolutely relish working with each other. We have so enjoyed making this contribution — the award is a real bonus!”

Professor Philip Powell, Executive Dean of Birkbeck’s School of Business, Economics and Informatics, said: “I am delighted that the quality of Almuth’s research has been recognised by the CIPD in this way. Birkbeck greatly values opportunities to engage in knowledge exchange through collaboration; her success sets a great example for students and staff across the College.”

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