Dr Christina Purcell

Photograph of Christina Purcell

Dr Christina Purcell

Senior Lecturer

My profile

Biography

I joined MMU as a lecturer in 2016. Prior to this I was a MMU doctoral student researching temporary agency workers in French car manufacturing. My research interests have been primarily around precarious forms of work. My original focus on temporary agency labour has moved to a focus on emerging forms of precarious employment commonly referred to as work in the gig economy. Building on my PhD research, I have been particularly interested in the playing out of consent, coercion and resistance within the gig economy labour process.

More recently my research has shifted to the intersection of work and climate change, specifically on how conditions of work and the organisation of work compromise moves towards a just transition to a more sustainable economy.  I am interested in how unions are responding to the challenges of climate change, and the reconfiguring of industrial relations to encompass demands associated with a just transition, and the quality of new jobs emerging in the green economy. At the heart of all these issues lies the question of who decides what we produce and how we produce, questions which oblige us to think about the nature of our socio-economic systems. 
 

Interests and expertise

Teaching

I teach on the following undergraduate and postgraduate modules:

  • Power, Politics and Conflict
  • Social Psychology
  • Designing a Research Project
  • Work and Working Lives

Supervisions

I supervise UG and PG dissertations.

Current Doctoral Supervisions:

- Gender balance in brass playing and the influence of positive role models.

- A Grounded Theory Study of the Employee Experience of Location Sharing Technology

I am interested in supervising doctoral students in the broad areas of labour process, digital platform work, unions and climate change, green HRM, green industrial relations, workplace democracy and green skills.

Research

I am a member of the Decent Work and Productivity Research Centre, researching within the Work and Working Lives theme, and the Industrial Relations Subgroup.

Other Roles

Carbon Literacy Champion

Wellbeing and Voice Champion
Wellbeing and Voice Champion

Citizenship
Peer reviewer: Work, Employment and Society, Work and Occupations, International Journal of HRM, Social Media and Society,  Acta Sociologica, Labour Studies Journal, Theory, Culture and Society

Get in touch

0161 247 6923
5.18 Business School

Teaching

Teaching

I teach on the following undergraduate and postgraduate units:

  • Power, Politics and Conflict
  • Social Psychology
  • Designing a Research Project
  • Undertaking a Research Project
  • Work and Working Lives

Supervision

Supervisions

I supervise UG and PG dissertations.

Current Doctoral Supervisions:

- Gender balance in brass playing and the influence of positive role models.

- A Grounded Theory Study of the Employee Experience of Location Sharing Technology

I am interested in supervising doctoral students in the broad areas of labour process, digital platform work, unions and climate change, green HRM, green industrial relations, workplace democracy and green skills.

Research outputs

Journal Articles

Purcell, C. and Brook, P. (2022) ‘At Least I’m My Own Boss! Explaining Consent, Coercion and Resistance in Platform Work’. Work, Employment and Society, Vol., 36(3) 391-406

Brook, P. and Purcell, C. (2020) ‘The resistible rise of the temporary employment industry in France’. Economic and Industrial Democracy’. Vol 41(1) 121-144

Purcell, C., Brook, P. and Lucas, R. (2011) ‘Between keeping your head down and trying to get noticed: agency workers in French car assembly plants.’ Management Revue: The International Review of Management Studies, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 169-187.

Book chapters

Albertson, A, Purcell, C and Whittle, R (2021) ‘The history and future of work’. In Antoniadou, M, Christie, F, Albertson K and Crowder (eds) Decent Work: opportunities and challenges. Emerald

Purcell, C and Garcia, R (2021) ‘Indecent Work: The rise of digital platform work in France and the UK’. In Antoniadou, M, Christie, F, Albertson K and Crowder (eds) Decent Work: opportunities and challenges. Emerald.

Purcell (2013): Sage Sociology of Work Encyclopedia. Entry on Michael Burawoy (control and consent, concept of labour process)

Purcell, C., Flynn, M. and Chatrakul Na Ayudhya, U. (2011) ‘The effects of flexibilization on social division and career trajectories in the UK labour market.’ In: H. Blossfeld, S. Buchholz, D. Hofäcker and K. Kolb (eds), The Flexibilization of European Labour Markets: The Development of Social Inequalities in an Era of Globalization Palgrave Macmillan.

Kellock A., Lawthom R., Sixsmith J.A., Duggan K., Mountian I., Haworth J.T., Kagan C.M., Brown D.P., Griffiths J., Hawkins J., Worley C., Purcell C., Siddiquee A. (2011). ‘Using Technology and the Experience Sampling Method to Understand Real Life’. In: S. Hesse-Biber (eds) The Handbook of Emergent Technologies in Social Research . Oxford University Press. pp.542-562.

Mountian I., Lawthom R., Kellock A., Sixsmith J.A., Duggan K., Haworth J.T., Kagan C.M., Brown D.P., Griffiths J., Hawkins J., Worley C., Purcell C., Siddiquee A. (2009). ‘On Utilising a Visual Methodology: Shared Reflections and Tensions’. In: P.Reavey (eds) Visual Psychologies: Using and Interpreting Images in Qualitative Research. Routledge, London.

Purcell, C., Lewis, S., Smithson, J. and Caton, S. (2007) ‘Work-life balance, best practice and healthy organisations: a European Perspective’. In: Ronald J. Burke and Cary L. Cooper (eds), Building More Effective Organizations: HR Management and Performance in Practice. Cambridge University Press.

Lewis, S. and Purcell, C. (2007) ‘Well-being, paid work and personal life’. In: John Howarth and Graham Hart (eds), Well-Being: Individual, Community and Social Perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan.

Reports

Purcell, C. and Flynn, M. (2010) ‘The UK: Public Policy.’ Global Policy Brief, No, 7, January, 2010 (Sloan Centre for Ageing and Work).

Sixsmith, J. and Purcell, C. (2007) Context-Mapping the Situation of Older People for Manchester Partnerships for Older People Project. (Research Institute for Health and Social Change, MMU)

Purcell, C. and Kagan, C. (2007) Joy at Work: The Impact of Non-Professional Singing on Employee Well-Being (Research Institute for Health and Social Change, MMU).

Lewis, S. and Purcell, C. (2006) Socio-Economic Trends and Welfare Policies. UK National Report for the EU funded Quality Project.

Purcell, C., S, Lewis, S., Smithson, J. and Caton, S. (2005), Good Practice. Report for EU FP5 Study ‘Gender, Parenthood and the Changing European Workplace. (Research Institute for Health and Social Change, MMU).

Conference presentations

Can labour save the planet, Industrial Relations in Europe Conference, Helsinki, September 2022

Consent, Coercion and Resistance in the Gig Economy, Work Employment and Society, Belfast, September, 2018

Manufacturing precarity: Agency workers in French car plants, Industrial Relations in Europe Conference on Vulnerable Workersand Precarious Work, Toulouse, September 2013.

Temporary agency work and new forms of despotism within car manufacturing, 2013 Work Employment and Society Conference, September 2013

Coming in from the cold? Assessing the challenges of union organising of agency workers in the French car industry, 2012 International Labour Process Conference, Stockholm.

Shifting dynamics of consent, control and resistance: agency workers in the automobile sector, 2010 International Labour Process Conference, Rutgers, New York.

The effect of welfare regimes on the working conditions of agency workers in Europe, Manchester Metropolitan University Annual Postgraduate Research Student Conference, 2009.

Flexibility and its discontents: A comparison of UK and French temporary agency workers, Research Institute for Business and Management Symposium, 2008, Manchester, 2nd Prize for Best Paper.

Non-refereed article

Purcell, C. (2013) Institutionalising Agency Work, RMT News, January 2013.

  • Chapters in books

    Albertson, K., Purcell, C., Whittle, R. (2021) 'The History and Future of Work.' In Christie, F., Antoniadou, M., Albertson, K., Crowder, M. (ed.) Decent Work: Opportunities and challenges. Emerald Publishing,

    Purcell, C., Garcia, R. (2021) 'Indecent Work? The Rise of Digital Platform Work in France and the United Kingdom.' Decent Work: Opportunities and Challenges. pp. 99-112.

    Mountian, I., Lawthom, R., Kellock, A., Griffiths, J., Purcell, C. (2020) 'On Utilising a Visual Methodology: Shared Reflections and Tensions.' A Handbook of Visual Methods in Psychology Using and Interpreting Images in Qualitative Research. Routledge,

    Purcell, C.M. (2013) 'Control and Consent, Concept of Labour Process.' Sage Sociology of Work Encyclopedia.

    Mountian, I., Lawthom, R., Kellock, A., Duggan, K., Sixsmith, J., Kagan, C., Hawkins, J., Haworth, J., Siddiquee, A., Worley, C., Brown, D., Griffiths, J., Purcell, C. (2012) 'On utilising a visual methodology: Shared reflections and tensions.' Visual Methods in Psychology: Using and Interpreting Images in Qualitative Research. pp. 346-360.

    Kellock, A., Lawthom, R., Sixsmith, J.A., Duggan, K., Mountian, L., Haworth, J.T., Kagan, C.M., Brown, D.P., Griffiths, J., Hawkins, J., Worley, C., Siddiquee, A., Purcell, C.M. (2011) 'Using Technology and the Experience Sampling Method to Understand Real Life.' The Handbook of Emergent Technologies in Social Research. Oxford University Press, pp. 542-562.

    Purcell, C.M., Flynn, M., Chatrakul Na Ayudhya, U. (2011) 'The Effects of Flexibilization on Social Division and Career Trajectories in the UK Labour Market.' The Flexibilization of European Labour Markets: The Development of Social Inequalities in an Era of Globalization.

    Mountian, I., Lawthom, R., Kellock, A., Sixsmith, J.A., Duggan, K., Haworth, J.T., Kagan, C.M., Brown, D.P., Griffiths, J., Hawkins, J., Worley, C., Siddiquee, A., Purcell, C.M. (2009) 'Utilising a Visual Methodology: Shared Reflections and Tensions.' Visual Psychologies: Using and Interpreting Images in Qualitative Research.

    Caton, S.J., Smithson, J., Lewis, S., Purcell, C. (2008) 'Work-Life Balance, Best Practices and Healthy Organisations: A European Perspective.' In Burke, R.J., Cooper, C.L. (ed.) Building More Effective Organizations.

    Purcell, C.M., Lewis, S., Smithson, J., Caton, S. (2007) 'Work-Life Balance, Best Practice and Healthy Organisations: A European Perspective.' Building More Effective Organizations HR Management and Performance in Practice. Cambridge University Press,

    Kagan, C., Kilroy, A. (2007) 'Psychology in the community.' Well-Being: Individual, Community and Social Perspectives. pp. 93-109.

    Lewis, S., Purcell, C. (2007) 'Well-being, paid work and personal life.' Well-Being: Individual, Community and Social Perspectives. pp. 225-240.

  • Reports

    Purcell, C.M. (2011) Old Workers in the North West.

    Purcell, C.M. (2011) Intergenerational Transfers.

    Purcell, C.M. (2010) The United Kingdom: Public Policy.

    Purcell, C.M. (2008) United Kingdom Public Policy Report.

    Purcell, C.M., Lewis, S. (2007) Well Being, Paid Work and Personal Life, Well Being: Individual, Community and Social Perspectives.

    Purcell, C., Kagan, C. (2007) Joy at work: the impact of non-professional singing workshops on employee well-being. RIHSC: Research Institute for Health and Social Change, Manchester Metropolitan University.

    Sixsmith, J., Purcell, C. (2007) Context mapping the situation of older people for the Manchester Partnerships for Older People project. RIHSC: Research Institute for Health and Social Change, Manchester Metropolitan University.

    Purcell, C.M., Lewis, S. (2006) Socio-Economic Trends and Welfare Policies.

    Purcell, C.M., Lewis, S., Smithson, J., Caton, S. (2005) Gender, Parenthood and the Changing European Workplace.

  • Journal articles

    Purcell, C., Brook, P. (2022) 'At least I’m my own boss! Explaining consent, coercion and resistance in platform work.' Work, Employment and Society, 36(3) pp. 391-406.

    Brook, P., Purcell, C.M. (2017) 'The resistible rise of the temporary employment industry in France.' Economic and Industrial Democracy, 41(1) pp. 121-144.

    Purcell, C., Brook, P., Lucas, R. (2011) 'Between Keeping Your Head Down and Trying to Get Noticed: Agency Workers in French Car Assembly Plants.' Management Revue - The international Review of Management Studies, 22(2) pp. 169-187.

  • Conference papers

    Purcell, C. (2018) 'Hegemony and Despotism in the 21st Century Labour Process.' In Work, Employment and Society. Belfast, United Kingdom, 1/1/2018 - 1/1/2018.

    Purcell, C.M. (2012) 'Assessing the Challenges of Union Organising of Agency Workers in the French Car Industry.' In International Labour Process Conference "Coming in From the Cold?. Stockholm, 1/1/2012 - 1/1/2012.

    Purcell, C.M. (2010) 'Shifting Dynamics of Consent, Control and Resistance: Agency Workers in the Automobile Sector.' In International Labour Process Conference. Rutgers, New York, USA, 1/1/2010 - 1/1/2010.

    Purcell, C.M. (2009) 'The Effect of Welfare Regimes on the Working Conditions of Agency Workers in Europe.' In Manchester Metropolitan University Annual Postgraduate Research Student Conference. Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom, 1/1/2009 - 1/1/2009.

    Purcell, C.M. (2008) 'Flexibility and its Discontents: A Comparison of UK and French Agency Workers.' In Research Institute for Business and Management Symposium. Manchester, United Kingdom, 1/1/2008 - 1/1/2008.