Dr Diane Burns
Lecturer
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Diane gained a BSc in Psychology 1st Class (1995) and a PhD in the area of ‘third sector’ organizing, culture and change (2002) from the Discourse Unit, Manchester Metropolitan University. Diane’s back ground is in work and organizational psychology having gained an MSc in Occupational Psychology from Birkbeck College, University of London in (2008). She now lectures in the HRM/OB division of the University of Sheffield Management School.
Current Research
Diane’s research examines organizational culture and change particularly in health and social care systems with two sub themes – organisational failure/recovery and institutional abuse; and partnership working and inter-organisational/professional collaboration. Diane is also interested in qualitative methods particularly ethnography and participatory research approaches in management and organizational research.
Research Grants
Organizational culture of care
Currently Diane is carrying out a Department of Health and Comic Relief funded project to examine organizational cultures in care homes for older people and positive experiences of care (£550k). This study is being conducted with colleagues at the University of East Anglia, University of Stirling, University of Worcester and Cardiff University.
Organizational dynamics of abuse and respectful care
Recently Diane was involved in a two and half year, Department of Health and Comic Relief funded project to examine the organisational dynamics of abuse and respectful care of older people in care homes using participatory research approaches (£375k).
Teaching
Diane contributes to teaching on MGT310 Critical Perspectives in Work and Organizational Psychology and is currently module leader for MGT679 Employee Performance Management. Diane takes a research-led approach to her teaching. Drawing on her colleague’s research and her own to examine current debates and work practices, she aims to facilitate learning experiences whereby orthodox and taken for granted assumptions about the world of work can be usefully questioned and critically examined.
Research Supervision
Diane is interested in supervising qualitative research in to public sector organizing and in particular organizational cultures, performance and change; organisational miss-behaviour; and organizational failure and turnaround. Diane is also interested in inter-organizational, inter-service and inter-professional collaboration.
Selected Publications
Burns, D., Hyde, P. and Killett, A. (forthcoming) Wicked problems or wicked people? Reconceptualising institutional abuse. Sociology of Health and Illness* DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9566.2012.01511.x
*Awarded best paper prize by the Learned Society for Studies in Organising for Health Care at the Organizational Behaviour in Health Care Conference, Trinity, Dublin, 2012.
Burns, D., Hyde, P., Killett, A., Poland, F. and Gray, R. (forthcoming) Participatory organizational research: Examining voice in the co-production of knowledge. British Journal of Management DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8551.2010.00841.x
Killett, A., Hyde, P., Burns, D., Gray, R. and Poland, F. (in press) How organizational factors combine to influence the quality of care of older people in the care home sector. Journal of Health Services Research and Policy.