Prof Rachael Finn
Director of Postgraduate Research
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| Room: | E014 Sheffield University Management School Conduit Road, Sheffield S10 1FL |
| Phone: | +44 (0)114 222 3222 |
| Fax: | +44 (0)114 272 7206 |
| Email: | R.L.Finn@sheffield.ac.uk |
Rachael studied for a joint degree in Psychology and Sociology, followed by a PhD in Sociology, at the University of Nottingham. Having previously worked at the Universities of Loughborough, Nottingham and York, she joined the HRM/ OB Division of the University of Sheffield Management School in January 2011.
Research Interests
Rachael's research lies broadly within the field of Organisation Studies, with a particular interest in public-sector, professional organisations, and healthcare more specifically. She has undertaken research funded by ESRC, Department of Health, and NIHR SDO, broadly focussed on examining the interaction of institutional and organisational influences on processes and outcomes. Her work aims to contribute to `critical´ approaches to understanding organisation, and reflects a particular interest in qualitative and discursive methodologies, and the development of innovative qualitative methods in organizational research. Recently, Rachael has become interested in the theme of the `materiality´ of organisational life, and the inherent connections between the physical and the social in the workplace.
Current Research Projects
Recently, Rachael worked upon a four year, Department of Health-funded project, which examined the institutional and organisational factors impacting upon development of new genetic services in the NHS. She is currently working on a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) SDO-funded project with colleagues at the Universities of Leicester, Warwick and Nottingham. This project is a qualitative study examining the factors influencing the medium-term sustainability of innovations in the NHS.
Teaching
Rachael is committed to research-led teaching, whereby students are introduced to theoretical and conceptual ideas through discussion of empirical materials and the latest academic debates. Reflective of her own research activity and interests, Rachael is keen to develop critical thinking skills in students, whereby they are equipped to evaluate, question and challenge orthodox assumptions. Her teaching specialises within the field of organisational theory and behaviour, and qualitative methodology.
Rachael currently leads two modules, one at Undergraduate level and one on the Sheffield MBA Programme:
- MGT120 Introduction to Behaviour at Work (Level one undergraduate)
- MGT6120 Managing Behaviour at Work (MBA)
Rachael also contributes to teaching of research methods on the MSc courses in Occupational and Work Psychology. She is involved in supervising the dissertation process for students on Masters Programmes within the School.
In September 2011, she took on the role of Director of Postgraduate Research within the Management School. Within this role, Rachael is committed to ensuring access to excellent core and specialist research training and career development for our doctoral students, through delivery within the School, the White Rose Doctoral Training Centre at Sheffield, and the Northern Advanced Research Training Initiative (NARTI) more broadly.
Publications
Peer-reviewed journals
G.P.Martin & Finn, R. (2011 forthcoming) Patients as team members: opportunities, challenges and paradoxes of including patients in multi-professional health-care teams. Sociology of Health & Illness
Lockett, A., Currie, G.M., Waring, J.J., Finn, R. And Martin, G.P. (2011 forthcoming). The role if institutional entrepreneurs in reforming healthcare. Social Science and Medicine
Martin, G.P., G. Currie, R. Finn and R. McDonald (2011) The medium-term sustainability of organisational innovations in the National Health Service. Implementation Science 6: 19
Finn, R., G. Currie and G.P. Martin (2010) Team work in context: institutional mediation in the public-service professional bureaucracy. Organization Studies 31(8): 1069-1097