The Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing aims to develop and support research programmes in key areas of strength so that these areas become internationally recognised. In addition, the Centre aims to contribute to the University’s Strategic Research Programme on ‘Social Change and Human Wellbeing.’

The Centre is an interdisciplinary research group incorporating sociologists, industrial relations and other scholars interested in the field of work. The aim of the Centre is to facilitate the development of world-class research that is distinctive and highly relevant to the future of work. We seek to understand the changing world of work in an era of significant social, economic and technological change via theoretically informed research and to bridge the gap between research, practice and policy. The major research problem that the Centre is seeking to address is how the imperatives for efficiency, quality and high performance can be configured so that good pay, dignity, well-being and social justice are also achieved. The Centre has four research programmes that each address different aspects of this problem drawing on interdisciplinary research.

The four key programme areas are:

• Better Organisational Behaviour
• Regulation and Institutions
• Smart Workplaces
• Work/Leisure Interfaces

There is considerable debate at present in both the academic world and other communities over the direction of work and the desirability of developments both for work and life outside work. A major part of this debate is also influenced by the globalisation of work, the impact of new technologies and the shift of skills and knowledge development to low cost labour countries. Currently there are grand narratives regarding, on the one hand, the knowledge worker, empowerment and portfolio careers and on the other hand about intensification, surveillance and casualisation with work depicted as being nasty, brutish and long. What is required is detailed empirical work investigating such claims. We will examine the changing nature of work and work organisation and the changing nature and orientations of the workforce. The Centre's four key programmes cover this ground drawing on experts in employment, management and leisure.