Staff Profile

Overview

I have been working in the education sector since 1996. Throughout my career I have worked with a wide range of students and I am passionate about motivating students to achieve their full potential both during their time at university and in their future careers. During my time in the education sector, I have led a number of funded projects and initiatives related to curriculum design, development and enhancement.  

Newcastle University Business School

I joined Newcastle University Business School in June 2019 as a Senior Lecturer in Management Practice. I am the Degree Programme Director for the N200 BA (Hons) Business Management programme. I also teach on a number of undergraduate and postgraduate modules. I bring my extensive knowledge and experience into the curriculum to facilitate a better student understanding of management research, theory and practice. 

Prior Work Experience in the Higher Education Sector

Prior to joining Newcastle University Business School, I was a Senior Lecturer in Management and Leadership at Northumbria University where I led the MBA suite of programmes. Before moving to the Newcastle area, I worked at Teesside University for twelve years. During my time at Teesside, I held a range of senior roles including programme lead for the CIPD accredited MA HRM programme and the programme director role for the MBA suite of programmes. During my time at Teesside, I also led on a range of teaching and learning initiatives, widening participation projects, transnational education projects, and student experience initiatives. 

Prior Work Experience in the Further Education Sector

Prior to joining the higher education sector, I held a number of senior management roles within the further education sector. I led on a number of strategic curriculum development and quality enhancement. projects which required significant multi-disciplinary partnership working and transformational leadership. 

Prior Work Experience in the Utilities Sector

Before joining the education sector, I worked in the utilities sector and held a number of senior project quality roles. 

Recognition for Teaching and Curriculum Leadership

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Chartered Association of Business Schools Certified Management & Business Educator. 

External Roles

I am the Doctoral Student Support Officer for the HRM Special Interest Group of the British Academy of Management.

I am a committee member of the Chartered Association of Business School, Chartered Business and Management Educator review board.

I am an Early Careers Researcher representative for the Northern Advanced Research Training Initiative.

I am a member of the UK Research and Innovation Talent Peer Review College.

Reviewer Roles

I am a reviewer for the following journals:

The Journal of Higher Education: Skills and Work-Based Learning

The Journal of Organizational Ethnography

The Irish Journal of Anthropology

Professional Memberships

I am a member of the following professional membership organisations:

The Academy of Management

The British Academy of Management

The Irish Academy of Management

The European Group for Organizational Studies

The Society for Research in Higher Education

The British Sociological Association

The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland

Qualifications

BA (Hons) Anthropology, Queen's University Belfast

PGCE, Open University, UK

TESOL, Trinity College London, UK

MSc Total Quality Management, Sheffield Hallam University, UK

PhD Anthropology, Queen's University Belfast

About Me

I am a keen gardener and spend any free time tending to my plants in my small raised bed garden.

I love swimming (although I am not that great) and managed to achieve my bucket list dream of swimming in Lake Geneva / Lac Léman.

I am an animal lover and have been a vegetarian for 45+ years.

I am a SUPER fan of 1970s and 19080s fashions.

I enjoy painting and photography.

I am a registered carer.

Emotion, Stress and Coping Research: A 'Personal Ecology' Perspective

The focus of my academic research is emotion, stress and coping. I am interested in how our 'personal ecology' influences what we consider to be stressful and the coping strategies and behaviours we adopt to deal with stressful conditions. I define personal ecology as the unique embeddedness of embodied individuals in dynamic socio-cultural and multi-sensorial environments that shift and evolve over time. This relational process comprises personal, environmental, and temporal dimensions. Personal factors include an individual’s sense of well-being and self-worth, and their access to resources in pursuit of salient aspirations and goals. Environmental factors include people’s social networks and wider social, cultural, economic, and political factors. Temporal aspects of the relationship between an individual and their environment are also explored, as interrelated personal and environmental dynamics shift and evolve over time. 

Through my academic research, I have explored themes such as adaptation and resilience; trauma, coping resources and reserves; recourse to intervention strategies; how stress is conceptualised and discussed; readiness and resistance to change; the long-term impact of career disruptions; and how stressful encounters are remembered and narrated. Publications related to this research can be found under 'Publications'.

Research Supervisions

I have supervised many undergraduate and postgraduate research students on a range of people management and organisational behaviour topics. 

UK Doctoral Examinations

2022: Internal Examiner PhD Newcastle University

Scholarly Research

My teaching practice is informed by my scholarly research which falls broadly into two main strands: a scholarly ecology perspective and contextual ethics. These are explored in more detail in the 'Teaching' section.

Scholarly Research Funding

I have secured internal and external funding to conduct a range of scholarly research projects. These are explored in more detail in the 'Teaching' section.

My Teaching

I teach across a range of HRM, research methods, and skills development modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. 

Undergraduate Modules

I deliver on the following undergraduate modules:

BUS1016: Academic and Professional Skills

BUS1015: Management and the Organisation 

BUS2040: Human Resource Management and the Future of Work

BUS2018: Research Methods

BUS2035: HR to Improve Working Lives 

Postgraduate Modules

NBS8288: The Reflexive Human Resource Practitioner

Recognition for Teaching and Curriculum Leadership

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Chartered Association of Business Schools Certified Management & Business Educator. 

Teaching Nominations and Awards

I have been nominated for The Education Awards (TEAs) on three occasions. The TEAs is an annual event organised by Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU) that gives students the opportunity to nominate members of University staff who they believe have had a significant impact on their academic experience.

Scholarly Research

My teaching practice is informed by my scholarly research which falls broadly into two main strands: a scholarly ecology perspective and contextual ethics. These are explored in more detail below. Publications related to this research can be found under 'Publications'.

Scholarly Research: A 'Scholarly Ecology' Perspective

This stream of my scholarly research focuses on the concept of a 'scholarly ecology' which I define as the personal, temporal, and environmental factors that impact how individuals engage with scholarship and the process through which they develop a scholarly identity. Through my research I have explored themes such as how undergraduate students engage with research; how educators conceptualise student engagement with research; and the transition from further education to higher education.

Scholarly Research: Contextual Ethics

This stream of my scholarly research focuses on the concept of 'contextual ethics' which I define as the additional ethical decisions that need to be considered when undertaking research in sensitive, extreme and transitional contexts. Through my research I have explored themes such as the emotional challenges of qualitative research; the inherent ethical challenges of ethnography; the positionality of the researcher; the use of drawings and photographs; the recording of interviews; and the limitations of engaging with home ethnography.

Scholarly Research Funding

I have secured internal and external funding to conduct a range of scholarly research projects. These are summarised below.

Internal Research Funding

2019: Newcastle University Learning and Teaching funding to explore how educators impact UG student perceptions of final year research projects.

2022: Newcastle University Digital Innovation funding to develop a set of digital resources exploring UG student perspectives on maximising the final year research project.

External Research Funding

2007: Teesside University Lifelong Learning funding to develop a best practice toolkit for widening participation activities.

2008: Durham County Council funding to develop a 'new manager' programme for curriculum managers and teachers.

2008: North East Higher Skills Network funding to explore progression pathways from FE to HE.

2009: Association of Colleges funding to develop a transition toolkit for FE colleges.

• Articles

  • Mazzetti AS. Mind the Gap: The Case for Adopting an Ethno-drama Writing Style in sensitive Organisational Ethnography. Irish Journal of Anthropology (IJA) 2019, 22(1), 72-86.
  • Mazzetti AS. An exploration of the emotional impact of organisational ethnography. Journal of Organizational Ethnography 2016, 5(3), 304-316.
  • Mazzetti AS. Children of the Troubles: The need to explore the long-term impact on appraisal and coping. Queen's Political Review 2015, 3(2), 54-64.
  • Mazzetti AS, Blenkinsopp J. Evaluating a visual timeline methodology for appraisal and coping research. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 2012, 85(4), 649-665.

• Book Chapters

  • Mazzetti AS. Using Participant-Produced Drawings as an Alternative to Photographs in Ethnographic Research. In: Dodd, S, ed. Ethics and Integrity in Visual Research Methods. Emerald Publishing Limited, 2020, pp.29-42.
  • Mazzetti AS. Stepping off the career ladder: exploring the impact of career shocks on women’s career decisions in the UK. In: P. R. Kadiyil, A. Frorrier and M. B. Arthur, ed. Career Dynamics in a Global World: Indian and Western Perspectives. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2020, pp.80-95.
  • Mazzetti AS. The Emotional Nature of Qualitative Research. In: Ciesielska M; Jemielniak D, ed. Qualitative Methodologies in Organization Studies. Volume I Theories and New Approaches. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.
  • Mazzetti AS. Growing Up with the Troubles: Reading and Negotiating Space. In: Svasek, M; Komarova, M, ed. Ethnographies of Movement, Sociality and Space: Place-Making in the New Northern Ireland. Berg Publishing, 2018.
  • Mazzetti AS. Occupational stress research: Considering the emotional impact for the qualitative researcher. . In: Perrewé, PL; Rosen, CC; Halbesleben, JRB, ed. The Role of Emotion and Emotion Regulation in Job Stress and Well Being. Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2013, pp.283-310.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Mazzetti AS. Thinking Like a Native? You Can Never Go Home Again. In: Annual Ethnography Symposium, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. 2023. Submitted.
  • Mazzetti AS. Engaging With and Writing Up Ethnographic Research: Key Areas for Consideration. In: NARTI Annual Doctoral Conference. 2023, Teesside University. Submitted.
  • Mazzetti AS. Conducting Qualitative Research in Transitional Contexts: When the Everyday Becomes the Sensitive. In: British Academy of Management. 2023. Submitted.
  • Mazzetti AS. Adopting an Idioms of Distress Approach to Explore Firefighter Resistance to Stress Management Interventions . In: British Sociological Association, Work, Employment and Society Conference. 2023. Submitted.
  • Mazzetti AS. Engaging the Disengaged in Serendipitous Scholarly Exchanges in a Post Covid Environment . In: Society for Research into Higher Education: HEC19 Summer Showcase. 2023.
  • Mazzetti AS. ‘Narrating identity and memory’. In: European Studies virtual symposium, the University of Berkely California. 2020. Submitted.
  • Mazzetti AS. ‘Exploring innovative initiatives for promoting a positive sense of academic and community identity’. In: Chartered Association of Business Schools Virtual Learning and Teaching Conference. 2020. Submitted.
  • Mazzetti A, Reissner S. Developing more diverse and inclusive capstones for undergraduate management and business students. In: Curriculum Design Symposium: The Hidden Curriculum : Unpacking the academic practices critical for student success. 2019, York, England: Advance HE.
  • Mazzetti AS. In Sickness and in Health. In: International Conference on the Changing Nature of Careers: Implications for a Sustainable World. 2018, Jamshedpur, India: Xavier School of Management.
  • Mazzetti AS. The invisible sun: an ethnographic exploration of coping resilience and resource depletion. In: Multi-disciplinary Standpoints on Conflict Transformation. 2017, George Mitchell Institute, Queen's University Belfast.
  • Mazzetti AS. The Ethnographic Rollercoaster: The Emotional Impact of Ethnographic Research. In: 11th Annual Ethnography Symposium. 2016, University of the West of England, Bristol.
  • Mazzetti AS. ‘Growing Up with the Troubles: Reading and Negotiating Space’. In: Movement, Space and Conflict Symposium. 2016, Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice, Belfast.
  • Mazzetti AS. The long-term impact of the Troubles on stress appraisal and coping. In: Explorations of Northern Irishness Symposium. 2015, Queens University Belfast.
  • Mazzetti AS. The long-term impact of growing up during the ‘Troubles’ on coping. In: A Peculiar Society? Ireland, 1970s-1990s Symposium. 2015, National University of Ireland, Galway.
  • Mazzetti AS. A Burning Issue: How ‘Stress Talk’ Impacts Recourse to Stress Management Interventions within the UK Fire and Rescue Service. In: 9th International Workshop on Management & Language. 2015, Helsinki: GEM&L (Groupe d'Etudes Management & Langage).
  • Mazzetti AS. ‘Mind the Gaps’: Exploring conflicting expectations and values created by organisational change. In: European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management 8th Colloquium on Organizational Change and Development. 2013, Ghent.
  • Mazzetti AS. Evaluating a visual timeline methodology for appraisal and coping research. In: Invisio Symposium: Advancing Visual Research in Organization Studies. 2012, University of Essex.
  • Mazzetti AS. Using autoethnography to enrich our understanding of stress as it is felt and coped with. In: Ethnography Symposium. 2011, Cardiff.
  • Mazzetti AS. Using visual research techniques in careers research. In: European Academy of Management (EURAM) Conference. 2010, Rome.
  • Mazzetti AS. The Dream Factory: Supporting managers during difficult change initiatives. In: British Academy of Management, Leadership and Leadership Development Special Interest Group. 2010, BAM, London.
  • Mazzetti AS. The influence of occupational and industry sector culture on stress appraisal and coping. In: 24th Cardiff Employment Research Unit Annual Conference. 2009, Cardiff.

• Digital or Visual Media

  • Addison S, Reissner S, Mazzetti AS. Levelling the Playing Field: Enhancing Capstone Provision for Greater Opportunity?. 2022. Submitted.
  • Mazzetti AS. Fear and Fire. Maynooth, Co. Kildare: Irish Journal Of Anthropology, 2020.

• Online Publications

  • Mazzetti AS. Writing Ethnography. London: SAGE Publications Inc, 2023. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529669084.
  • Mazzetti AS. Using Participant Observation in the Study of Organizational Culture. London: SAGE Publication Inc, 2023. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529627978.
  • Mazzetti AS. The Ethical Challenges of Conducting Research in Transitional Contexts. 2023. In Press.
  • Mazzetti AS. Conducting Life History Research. 2023. Submitted.
  • Mazzetti A. Using Digital Reflective Journaling to Enhance Qualitative Data Analysis. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2022. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529604337.
  • Mazzetti AS. To Tape or Not to Tape? Reflections on the Complexities of Taping Ethnographic Interviews. SAGE, 2019. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526477347.
  • Mazzetti AS. Using a visual timeline method in stress research. Sage Publications Ltd, 2014. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/978144627305013512950.

• Working Papers

  • Mazzetti AS. Researching in Post-Conflict Societies: Insights from the Northern Ireland Context. EGOS Annual Colloquium 2023. Submitted.
  • Reissner S, Addison S, Mazzetti AS. Levelling the playing field: enhancing capstone provision for greater opportunity. British Academy of Management virtual conference 2021. Submitted.
  • Mazzetti AS. ‘Procedural, contextual and relational ethics’. 2020. Submitted.