Dr Alan Johnston

Teaching

I have a broad spectrum of teaching experience across a range of disciplines. I currently focus my teaching on HR, Management and Leadership based modules.

At present, I am Module Director for Managing Organisational Development and Design (Year 3), Dissecting Work and Organisational Psychology (Year 3), Perspectives on People Management (Masters), and Managing Learning and Development (Masters) on our full-time programmes, and Managing Human Resources (Year 2) on our Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship.

I have previously taught across a range of modules at several HEIs and FECs.

I also supervise dissertations at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

At present, I teach the following modules:

• Dissecting Work and Organisational Psychology - Level 6 - BA(Hons) Business Management
• Contemporary Visions for HR Policy and Practice - Level 6 - BA(Hons) Human Resource Management
• Managing Organisational Development and Design - Level 6 - BA(Hons) Human Resource Management
• Employee Resourcing for Effective Organisations - Level 5 - BA(Hons) Human Resource Management
• Developing Talent in Organisations - Level 5 - BA(Hons) Human Resource Management
• Managing Human Resources - Level 5 - Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship
• Managing Employee Performance and Reward in a Competitive Environment - MSc Human Resource Management
• Employment Relations in the Contemporary Organisation - MSc Human Resource Management
• Managing Learning and Development - MSc Human Resource Management
• Perspectives on People Management - - MSc Leadership and Management

Research

I am Co-Chair of the People in Employment Settings Research Group and a member of the Higher Education Research Group.

My area of research interest focuses on people's behaviour. I am very keen to investigate (and to help others to understand) why people behave as they do in their workplace setting. A key area of this is appreciated through the lens of the psychological contract.

At present, I am focusing on applying ideas to educational settings and investigating academic staff's behaviour as semi-autonomous professionals. Other areas of interest include student motivation and approaches to learning, pedagogical approaches, scholarship development, and organisational change and development.

Research Student Supervision

I would welcome enquiries from potential research students working on Human Resource Management or Development; Organisational Development; Learning / Training and Development, and from the broad areas of Leadership and People Management.

I am the lead supervisor for a doctoral student investigating the Impact and Relationship between Leadership and Organisational Climate through the lenses of College Principals, Senior Leadership Team, Middle Management and Academic Staff.

And, I currently co-supervise two Doctoral students undertaking the following projects.

Evaluating environmental claim transparency throughout the lifecycle of green bonds: how trustworthy is the green system? – current supervision.

Other Esteem

• I was shortlisted for the Alan Moon (Best Paper) Prize.
• Johnston, A. (2023) Academic citizenship through the lens of the Psychological Contract. University Forum for Human Resource Development Annual Conference. Dublin, 7-9 June 2023
• Johnston, A. (2019) The impact of the psychological contract on academics’ discretionary effort. University Forum for Human Resource Development. Nottingham, 24-26 June 2019

Examining issues of national culture and organizational culture at elite levels of the Greek football industry.

Grants / Funding

• Awarded £500 (Student as Researcher – internal) for the project ‘The impact of gender and perceived social status on career trajectories within academic careers’ – 2023
• Awarded £2900 (Cross School Grant Primer Fund) for the theme ‘Disciplinary spaces in higher education, student identity and sense of belonging’ – 2023/24

Professional Activities

I am a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for two journals. The Journal of Further and Higher Education, and the International Journal of Human Resource Development: Practice, Policy and Research.

I hold membership in a number of professional bodies related to academia and professional practice, which I incorporate into the curriculum.

• British Academy of Management (BAM) – Member
• British Education Leadership Management and Administration Society (BELMAS) – Member
• Chartered Management Institute (CMI) – Member (MCMI)
• University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD) – University Representative
• Higher Education Academy (HEA) – Fellow (FHEA)

I am formerly (2017-2022) the Chair of the Education and Learning Committee of the University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD).

I am also formerly (2016-2019) a member of the Regional Board (North East, Yorkshire and Humberside) of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). In this role, I sought to influence management and leadership development across the region to help improve business performance and operational effectiveness and efficiency in local, regional, national and international organisations.

I currently undertake external examining at two institutions within the UK and one overseas in Gibraltar and have been the external panel member at the validation of awards of a number of UK Universities including collaborative provision with international partners.

I worked with Humberside Police in their implementation of the PEQF. I have previously worked in conjunction with a range of employers and employer groups including York NHS Hospital Trust, the National Skills Academy for Financial Services, Warrington Borough Council, Warrington Chamber of Commerce, and the OMEGA Development Group. I have worked with a local Business start-up (Brewery) and was part of the organising committee of a local beer festival (Coptoberfest).

I was responsible for devising and writing a range of module sets for the Ascentis Awarding Body’s Access to HE (Business) Diploma. These module sets are now available to all providers validated by Ascentis.

I work with a number of bodies to review academic work. These include:

• Journal Reviewer
• Management Teaching Review since 2022
• Voluntary Sector Review since 2022
• Management in Education since 2021
• Industrial and Commercial training since 2017
• Studies in Higher Education since 2016
• International Journal of Management Education since 2015
• Management Research Review since 2015
• Journal of Management Development since 2014
• Journal of Further and Higher Education since 2014
• Business and Management Education in HE: An International Journal since 2013

Conference Paper Reviewer

British Academy of Management Conference

• Organisational Psychology Track papers – 2014, 2015 & 2016
• Leadership & Leadership Development Track papers – 2012 & 2014
• Academy of Human Resource Development Conference 2014, 2015 & 2016
• British Education Leadership Management and Administration Society Conference 2022 & 2023

Commercial Book Reviewer

• McKenna, E. (2020) Business Psychology and Organizational Behaviour. 6th Ed. Abingdon. Routledge. on behalf of Routledge
• Reviewer- Arnold, J., Coyne, I., Randall, R. and Patterson, F. (2020) Work Psychology: understanding human behaviour in the workplace. 7th Ed. Harlow. Pearson. on behalf of Pearson Education
• Reviewer – Lee, L. and Lings, I (2011) Doing Business Research: A guide to theory and practice. London. Sage. on behalf of Sage Publications Ltd
• Reviewer – Wilson, J. (new) An Introduction to Business Research. Sage. on behalf of Sage Publications Ltd
• Reviewer – Rees, G. and Smith, P.E. (eds) (2014). Strategic Human Resource Management: An International Perspective. 4th Ed. London. Sage. on behalf of Sage Publications Ltd
• Reviewer – Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., and Jackson, P. (2012). Management Research. 4th Ed. London. Sage. on behalf of Sage Publications Ltd
• Reviewer – Mulhearn, C. and Vane, H.R. (2012). Economics for Business. 2nd Ed. Basingstoke. Palgrave on behalf of MacMillan Publishers Ltd.

Publications

Journal Articles

Johnston, A., Cock, S., Walsh, S. and Healy, S. (2023) From there to here: Reflections on alternative journeys to a career in academia. International Journal of HRD: Practice, Policy and Research. ¬In press

Walsh, S. and Johnston, A. (2023) Volunteering during Covid-19: Leadership Matters – The case of Scrubs. Voluntary Sector Review. 14 3) 498-518 https://doi.org/10.1332/204080522X16546737814050

Bishop, G., Johnston, A. and Hemmings, M. (2022). Jazzing up the classroom. Reflections on developing a critical pedagogy in M level teaching.   International Journal of Management Education. 20 (2) 1-10

Johnston, A (2016) Motivation and the academic – where the drivers sit. Journal of Management Development. 35 (6) 765-777

Johnston, A. (2014) Rigour in Research: Theory in the Research Approach. European Business Review. 26 (3) 206-217.

Walsh, S. and Johnston, A. (2022) Volunteering during Covid-19: Leadership Matters – The case of Scrubs. Voluntary Sector Review (in press)

Published Abstracts

Johnston, A. (2023) Academic citizenship through the lens of the Psychological Contract. University Forum for Human Resource Development Annual Conference. Dublin, 7-9 June 2023 

Johnston, A., Walsh, S. and Healy, S. (2023) Understanding the motivation of peripheral teaching staff and their commitment to the organisation. University Forum for Human Resource Development Annual Conference. Dublin, 7-9 June 2023

Johnston, A., Walsh, S. and Walker-Smith, L. (2023) The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Academics’ attachment with their institution: Employee Engagement and Academic Identity. University Forum for Human Resource Development Annual Conference. Dublin, 7-9 June 2023

Walsh, S., Johnston, A. and Gabriel, L. (2023) Building Resilient Leadership: A study exploring self-identified Leadership Development. University Forum for Human Resource Development Annual Conference. Dublin, 7-9 June 2023

Reports

Noel P (ed) with Dearing, D., Holmes, J., Johnston, A., Quick, U. and Salter, S. (2009) Sustainability Project (2008-09) TQEF 4a:  Developing HE tutors within the FE Sector. University of Huddersfield.

Johnston, A. (2002) A Response to the Council for Excellence in Management and Leadership.  Warrington Collegiate.

Book Chapters

Johnston, A (2018) Understanding the Psychological Contract and the Challenge of the Individual. In Bishop, G. and Johnston, A.  (eds) Management: Self, People and Organization. Custom Edition. Andover. Cengage Learning

Johnston, A (2018) Thinking and Learning about Management, Leadership and the world of work.  In Johnston, A. (ed) Management and Leadership Custom Edition. Andover. Cengage Learning

Edited Books

Johnston, A. (ed) (2018) Management and Leadership. Custom Edition. Andover. Cengage Learning

Bishop, G. and Johnston, A.  (eds) (2018) Management: Self, People and Organization. Custom Edition. Andover. Cengage Learning

Book Reviews

Johnston, A. (2017) review of “Raelin JA (ed.) Leadership-as-practice: Theory and application, Routledge: Abingdon, 2016.” In Management Learning. 48 (3) 370-372

Conference Papers (Selected – full list available on request)

Walsh, S. and Johnston, A. (2023) Leading from within during Disruptive Times: The Role of Place Leadership.  Workplace Behaviour Research Centre Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds Mini-Conference on Thriving in Challenging Times, Leeds, 28-29 September 2023

Johnston, A. (2023) Academic citizenship through the lens of the Psychological Contract. University Forum for Human Resource Development Annual Conference. Dublin, 7-9 June 2023

Johnston, A., Walsh, S. and Healy, S. (2023) Understanding the motivation of peripheral teaching staff and their commitment to the organisation. University Forum for Human Resource Development Annual Conference. Dublin, 7-9 June 2023

Johnston, A., Walsh, S. and Walker-Smith, L. (2023) The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Academics’ attachment with their institution: Employee Engagement and Academic Identity. University Forum for Human Resource Development Annual Conference. Dublin, 7-9 June 2023

Walsh, S., Johnston, A. and Gabriel, L. (2023) Building Resilient Leadership: A study exploring self-identified Leadership Development. University Forum for Human Resource Development Annual Conference. Dublin, 7-9 June 2023

Johnston, A. (2022) The manifestation of the Psychological Contract within the academic role. University Forum for Human Resource Development Annual Conference. Sheffield (virtual), 8-10 June 2022

Walsh, S. and Johnston, A. (2022) The Accidental Leader: A Leadership Study Exploring Volunteer Activity during Covid-19. University Forum for Human Resource Development Annual Conference. Sheffield (virtual), 8-10 June 2022

Johnston, A. (2019) The impact of the psychological contract on academics’ discretionary effort. University Forum for Human Resource Development. Nottingham, 24-26 June 2019 {shortlisted for Alan Moon (Best Paper) Prize.

Johnston, A., Bishop, G. and Hemmings, M. (2019). Jazzing up the classroom. Developing a critical pedagogy in M level teaching. University Forum for Human Resource Development. Lisbon, Nottingham, 24-26 June 2019

Johnston, A. (2018) Academic Citizenship:  self-promotion or collegiality? YBS Showcase, York 2-3 September

Johnston, A., Nachmias, S. and Rajisinghe, D.  Driving academic motivation – what brings us to the table? British Academy of Management Conference, Coventry, 5-7 September.

Nachmias, S., Johnston, A. and Meade, C. (2015) Migrant Workers and Human Resources Development Practices in the Hotel Sector: A case of Cyprus. University Forum for Human Resource Development. Cork, 3-5 June 2015.

Johnston, A. (2014) Motivation and the Academic. Irish Academy of Management Annual Conference. Limerick, 4-5 September 2014.

Poster Presentations

Johnston, A. (2013) The Psychological Contract and The Academic: A Review of the Literature. Society for Research into Higher Education: Newer Researchers Conference. Newport, 10^th December 2013.

Consultancy

Sustainability Project (2008-09) TQEF 4a:  Developing HE tutors within the FE Sector. School of Education and Professional Development. University of Huddersfield.

Radio Interviews

Education and work-ready young people. (Radio York, 2012, March 23)

Reflections on the budget and impact on Warrington. (Wire FM, 2002, April 18)