Exploring career shocks experienced by female employees

We are offering a self-funded PhD position with the Brunel Business School. The project focuses on exploring career shocks experienced by female employees.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

If you have any questions about the project or would like to arrange an informal discussion, please reach out to Dr Didem Taser-Erdogan at didem.taser-erdogan@brunel.ac.uk.

The project

Are you intrigued by the concept of career shocks and their impact on different genders and occupational groups? Do you have a passion for exploring new phenomena in career studies?

If so, we invite you to apply for a unique opportunity to join our research team.

The “Career Shock and Gender” Project is dedicated to understanding the relatively new phenomenon of career shock within various contexts, occupational groups, and genders.

Career shock refers to unexpected events that can significantly alter an individual’s career path.

Our project aims to delve into this concept, contextualize it, and address relevant gaps within the gender and career literature.

We welcome proposals that focus on:

• Examining the concept of career shock: thoroughly investigate the concept of career shock, particularly how it affects different genders across various occupations
• Contextualising career shocks: Explore the contextual factors that influence the impact of career shocks on career development
• Addressing gaps in literature: Identify and address gaps in the existing research, especially concerning gender differences in experiencing career shocks

Opportunities for collaboration

There are numerous opportunities for the student to engage with external stakeholders. For instance, you may choose to focus on a specific sector, such as technology, healthcare, or education, and collaborate with industry leaders in these fields. Such partnerships could provide valuable insights and data for the research, as well as potential pathways for knowledge exchange and impact.

Eligibility

The successful candidate should have a strong understanding of relevant methods and theory. A solid background in research methods and theoretical frameworks related to career studies and gender is essential.

The candidate must have completed a Master’s dissertation in a relevant field, demonstrating prior experience in conducting independent research.

Additionally, possessing strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret complex data sets and draw meaningful conclusions, is crucial for this project.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for the above PhD topic please follow the steps below:

1. Contact the supervisor by email or phone to discuss your interest and find out if you would be suitable. Supervisor details can be found on this topic page. The supervisor will guide you in developing the topic-specific research proposal, which will form part of your application.
2. Click on the 'Apply here' button on this page and you will be taken to the relevant PhD course page, where you can apply using an online application.
3. Complete the online application indicating your selected supervisor and include the research proposal for the topic you have selected.

Good luck!

This is a self funded topic

Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. See more information here: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/research/Research-degrees/Research-degree-funding. The UK Government is also offering Doctoral Student Loans for eligible students, and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%.

Meet the Supervisor(s)

Didem Taser-Erdogan - Dr Didem Taser Erdogan is a lecturer in Human Resources Management (HRM) and Organisational Behaviour (OB). She has received her PhD degree from King's Business School. Didem holds an MSc degree from London School of Economics and a BA degree from Bilkent University, Turkey. Her research interests include gender and organisations, diversity and inclusion, work-life balance and flexible working. Didem has experiences of teaching core HRM and OB topics to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, including recruitment and selection, teamwork, work motivation, and cross cultural management. Her research interests are mainly related to gender and organisations and work-life balance issues. Specifically, she is interested in individuals careers and the factors that influence its impact on individual work attitudes and behaviours. Using a qualitative design, her research investigated women's limited representation at senior management through the interplay between macro, meso and micro level issues which in turn impacted women's career aspirations.

Related Research Group(s)

Human Resource Management and Organization Behaviour - The group's five main themes of research include excellence in workplace innovation, diversity, team work, social inclusion, and employee selection.