Dr Sally Wright

Management School

Lecturer in Work & Employment

Sally Wright.
Profile picture of Sally Wright.
s.a.wright@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 3492

Full contact details

Dr Sally Wright
Management School
B057
Sheffield University Management School
Conduit Road
Sheffield
S10 1FL
Profile

Sally joined SUMS in July 2023 as Lecturer in Work & Employment in the Work, Employment & Organisation (WEO) teaching group. She is a member of the Centre for Decent Work (CDW) research group.

Prior to joining SUMS, she was a Senior Research Fellow at the Warwick Institute for Employment Research at the University of Warwick. She has also worked as a Senior Research Analyst at the Workplace Research Centre in the University of Sydney’s Business School and an Adjunct Lecturer in Employment Relations in the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) School of Management. She has also worked for a trade union, in the civil service, and as a consultant in the vocational education and training (VET) sector.

Sally completed a PhD in Employment Research at Warwick University. Her thesis explored the topic of job quality. She constructed a multi-dimensional job quality index.

Qualifications
  • PhD (Employment Research)- University of Warwick
  • MIR&HRM - University of Sydney,
  • BBus - University of Technology, Sydney
Research interests

Sally’s main research interests relate to employment and job quality, working conditions and employment regulation, the future of work, including the impact of technology on work, platform-mediated work, and skills.

Her current specific areas of interest are:

  • Employment, job quality and decent work
  • Working conditions and employment regulation
  • The impact of digitalisation and new technologies on the future of jobs, tasks and skills.
  • Platform-mediated (gig) work and ‘platformisation’ of regular work, with a focus the impact of algorithmic management, digital surveillance and AI on job quality and working conditions
  • Low-paid and insecure work and working conditions
  • Labour market restructuring and trends
Publications

Journal articles

Chapters

  • Mathieu C, Warhurst C & Wright S (2024) Job Quality as a Lever for Organizational Innovation and the Role of Human Resource Management In Struminksa-Kutra M & Rok B (Ed.), Workplace Innovations: Between efficiency and the quality of working life (pp. 51-74). Warsaw: Poltext Publishing. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S, Barnes S-A, Behrend C, Kohlgruber M & Gotting A (2023) Interacting skills: High road strategies for companies for digital transformation In Oeij P, Kirov V & Pomares E (Ed.), The Practical Side of Digital Transformation: A Tool Book for Practitioners (pp. 99-113). Sofia: Printing-office of Prof. Marin Drinov Publishing House of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S, Warhurst C & Mathieu C (2022) Job Quality: A family affair In Warhurst C, Mathieu C & Dwyer R (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of Job Quality (pp. 63-83). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S & Knox A (2022) Understanding job quality using qualitative research In Warhurst C, Mathieu C & Dwyer R (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of Job Quality (pp. 107-125). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S, Warhurst C & Mathieu C (2021) Vorsprung durch Technik: the future of work, digital technology and the politics of the platform economy In Creticos P, Bennett L, Owen L, Spirou C & Morphis-Riesbeck M (Ed.), The Many Futures of Work (pp. 179-195). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S & Warhurst C (2020) What makes a good job for low-waged workers? In Dundon T & Wilkinson A (Ed.), Case Studies in Work, Employment and Human Resource Management (pp. 166-171). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S & Rafferty M (2019) Global Concept: Work In Wright S (Ed.), Core Body of Knowledge for the Generalist OHS Professional RIS download Bibtex download
  • Warhurst C, Mathieu C & Wright S (2017) Workplace Innovation and the Quality of Working Life in an Age of Uberisation In Oeij P, Rus D & Pot F (Ed.), Workplace Innovation Theory, Research and Practice (pp. 245-260). Berlin: Springer Publishing. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S (2015) Current challenges in research job quality In Knox A & Warhurst C (Ed.), Job Quality: Perspectives, Problems and Proposals (pp. 15-36). Annandale, NSW: The Federation Press. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Green A, Illessy M, Mako C & Wright S () Innovation, job quality and employment outcomes in care: Evidence from Hungary, the Netherlands and the UK In Jaehrling K (Ed.), Virtuous circles between innovations, job quality and employment in Europe? Case study evidence from the manufacturing sector, private and public sector (pp. 333-386). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Gautie J, Ahlstrand R, Green A, Wright S & Wright S () Innovation, Job Quality and Employment Outcomes in the Aerospace Industry: Evidence from France, Sweden and the UK In Jaehrling K (Ed.), Virtuous circles between innovations, job quality and employment outcomes in Europe? Case study evidence from the manufacturing sector, private and public sector (pp. 35-87). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Green A, Illessy M, Mako C & Wright S () Innovation, job quality and employment outcomes in care: Evidence from Hungary, the Netherlands and the UK In Jaehrling K (Ed.), Virtuous circles between innovations, job quality and employment in Europe? Case study evidence from the manufacturing sector, private and public sector (pp. 333-386). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S () Innovation and job quality in the Games Industry in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK In Jaehrling K (Ed.), Virtuous circles between innovations, job quality and employment in Europe? Case study evidence from the manufacturing sector, private and public sector (pp. 234-279). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Keune M, Payton N, Been W, Green A, Mathieu C, Postels D, Rehnstrom F, Warhurst C & Wright S () Innovation and job quality in the Games Industry in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK In Jaehrling K (Ed.), Virtous circles between innovations, job quality and employment in Europe? Case study evidence from the manufacturing sector, private and public sector (pp. 234-279). RIS download Bibtex download

Reports

  • Macias-Fernandez E, Urzi Brancati C, Wright S & Pesole A (2023) The Platformisation of Work: Evidence from the JRC Algorithmic Management and Platform Work survey RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S, Barnes S-A, Hogarth T, Wright S & Cardenos-Rubio J (2023) Labour market information and an assessment of its applications: A series of international case studies RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S, Dunkerley F, Bruckmayer M, Flemons L, Virdee M, Hofman J, Virdee M, Wright S & Hogarth T (2022) Labour market and skills demand horizon scanning and future scenarios RIS download Bibtex download
  • Barnes S-A, Bimrose J, Brown A, Gough J & Wright S (2020) The role of parents and carers in providing careers guidance and how they can be better supported: Practice report RIS download Bibtex download
  • Barnes S-A, Bimrose J, Brown A, Gough J & Wright S (2020) The role of parents and carers in providing careers guidance and how they can be better supported: International evidence report RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S, Warhurst C, Muñoz de Bustillo Llorente R, Antón Pérez JI, Rafael Grande Martín R, Pinto Hernández F & Wright S (2019) Upward convergence in working conditions RIS download Bibtex download
  • Barnes S & Wright S (2019) The feasibility of developing a methodology for measuring the distance travelled and soft outcomes for long-term unemployed people participating in Active Labour Market Programmes RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S, Warhurst C, Lyonette C & Sarkar S (2018) Understanding and measuring job quality. Part 2: Indicators of Job Quality RIS download Bibtex download
  • Warhurst C, Wright S & Lyonette C (2017) Understanding and measuring job quality. Part 1: Thematic literature review RIS download Bibtex download
  • Stuart F, Pautz H & Wright S (2016) Decent Work for Scotland's Low-Paid Workers: A Job to be done RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S, Stuart F, Pautz H & Wright S (2016) What makes for Decent Work? A study with low paid workers in Scotland. Initial Findings. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Saundry R, Adam D, Ashman I, Forde C, Wibberley G & Wright S (2016) Managing Individual Conflict in the Contemporary British Workplace RIS download Bibtex download
  • Barnes S-A, Wright S, Irving P & Deganis I (2015) Identification of latest trends and current developments in methods to profile jobseekers in European public employment services: Final report RIS download Bibtex download

Theses / Dissertations

  • Wright S (2019) Conceptualising and operationalising job quality: Australia in focus. RIS download Bibtex download

Working papers

  • Dhondt S, Dekker R, van Bree T, Hulsegge G, Oeij P, Barnes S-A, Götting A, Kangas O, Karonen E, Pomares E , Unceta A et al () BEYOND 4.0 Regional report: entrepreneurial ecosystems in six European countries: Analysis of incumbent and emerging ecosystems in Finland, Bulgaria, Spain, Germany, United Kingdom, and The Netherlands. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Greenan N, Napolitano S, Bachelot M, Bensalem R, Curci Y, Behrend C, Cuypers M, Douwes M, Eekhout I, Erhel C , Guergoat-Larivière M et al () BEYOND 4.0 Analysing the socio-economic consequences of the technological transformation. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright S, Behrend C, Cuypers M, Kohlgruber M & Gotting A () BEYOND 4.0 Understanding Future Skills: Requirements for Better Data. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Behrend C, Götting A, Kohlgrüber M, Pomares E & Wright S () BEYOND 4.0 Understanding future skills and enriching the skills debate. Third Report.. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Oeji P, Dhondt S, Hulsegge G, Kirov V, Pomares E, Barnes S-A, Götting A, Behrend C, Kangas O, Karonen E , Kohlgrüber M et al () BEYOND 4.0 Frontrunner companies and the digital transformation: Strategies to deliver inclusive economic growth. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kohlgrüber M, Behrend C, Götting A, Cuypers M, Warhurst C & Wright S () BEYOND 4.0 Understanding future skills and enriching the skills debate: Second Report. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Warhurst C, Barnes S-A & Wright S () BEYOND 4.0 Guidance paper on key concepts, issues and developments. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Warhurst C, Erhel C, Gallie D, Geurgoat-Lariviere M, Munoz de Bustillo R, Obersneider M, Postels D, Sarkar S & Wright S () Data evaluation report: An evaluation of the main EU datasets for analysing innovation, job quality and employment outcomes. RIS download Bibtex download
Research group
  • Centre for Decent Work (CDW)
Teaching interests

Sally’s approach to teaching and learning is theoretically-grounded yet research-led. She often adopts an international comparative approach to provide students with a critical understanding of work and employment. Through her teaching style, Sally encourages students to think critically through the use of case studies and student-led debates.

Teaching activities

She current teaches on the following modules:

  • MGT6060 Human Resource Management (MBA) (Module Leader)
  • MGT670 International Human Resource Studies (MSc)
  • MGT226 Human Resource Management (BA Bus Mgt) (Module Leader)
Professional activities and memberships
  • Member CIPD
  • Member BUIRA
PhD Supervision

Sally is interested in supervising doctoral research in the following areas:

  • Job quality and decent work
  • Working conditions and the regulation of employment
  • Impact of technology on employment, work and skills and employment
  • Platform-mediated (gig) work
  • Precarious work and job insecurity

Dr Sally Wright supervises: