School funds staff research development

The School of Management's pump priming research fund supports the development of staff research projects on new and innovative topics, especially those likely to lead to knowledge exchange and impact beyond academia.

Underway with support from the fund is the project, "Let me hear your voice: corporate communications and financial markets", led by Dr Mao Zhang, with Professor Oleksandr Talavera from University of Birmingham and Professor Shuxing Yin from University of Sheffield. The study uses a new neural network model to analyse audio recordings of the earnings calls made by large companies, followed by analysis of financial market reactions.

Dr Neha Gopinath has also begun a research project with backing from the fund. The study, "Working in the NHS: a comparative study of UK- and foreign-born doctors' experiences", considers working conditions in the sector and aims to provide a better understanding of doctors' employment experiences in the NHS by comparing British and foreign-born doctors' working lives. Joining Dr Gopinath in the project are Dr Toma Pustelnikovaite from Cardiff University and Dr Michael Rimmer from University of Edinburgh.

In March 2023, initial insights from a recent pump priming funded project, "Academics' work-life balance: an exploration", were presented by Dr Giulia Giunti at a brown bag seminar in the School. This timely research is being conducted with the University of Liverpool and expands knowledge on how academics manage the boundaries between work and non-work activities, i.e. their work-life balance.