Skip to main content

Staff Profile

Dr Judith Watson

Lecturer

  • Address: Newcastle University Business School
    5 Barrack Road
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE1 4SE
Background

Judith Watson PhD MPhil BSc (Hons) FHEA

I teach on the Business Management (UG) programme and Global Human Resource Management (PG) programme at Newcastle University Business School.

My teaching explores different aspects of managing employees within organisations including the dynamics of the employee-employer relationship.

My research centres on the ways and means employees are able, or not, to participate at work. I am particularly interested in alternative ways of participation such as through employee-ownership. My interest in this area began during my MPhil (2002), continuing through my PhD (2019) and remains the focus of my research energy.

Previously, I held management roles in the public and private sectors. I have worked at Northumbria and Teesside Universities and have provided guest lectures in cities such as Tokyo and presented conference papers in Bologna, Berlin and Estonia. I also worked in a freelance capacity with third sector organisations and have developed specific knowledge and experience of working with social enterprises including co-operatives and employee-ownership. 

To support my teaching, I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

To support my research, I am a member of the British Sociological Association and the European Group of Organisational Studies.




Research

Research interests:

Employee voice and participation 

Employee-ownership

Employment Relations

Social care


Research funding

Judith Watson, Principal Investigator on a Faculty Impact Fund project: 'Improving Women's Labour Market Outcomes in UK Social Care Work' with Co-investigators Drs Julie Monroe and Nosheen Khan.

 

Conference and seminar papers

Watson, J. and Lopes, A. (2024) ‘Releasing the Reins’: Employee participation, employee-ownership and the intersection of hierarchy and governance. 40th EGOS (European Group for Organisational Studies) Colloquium, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.

Watson, J., Zaeemdar, S., Lopes, A. and Pagan, V. (2023) ‘Alternative Forms of Social Care Delivery in Tackling Structural Gender Inequalities’. Gender, Work and Organisation Conference. Stellenbosch, South Africa.https://gwo2023.co.za/book-of-abstracts/

Watson, J. and Monroe, J. (2022) 'Searching for Real Utopias in UK Social Care Work'. Presentation to 'Another World is Possible' online seminar hosted by Middlesex University Business School (19-05-22)

Watson, J. and Monroe, J. (2021) ‘Labouring for Love (Not Money): A paradox of voice through employee-ownership’ Work, Employment & Society Conference. Cardiff, UK [virtual].

Watson, J. (2017) ‘What is it You Want to Talk About? Employee voice in an employee owned enterprise’. Paper presented at Economics & Management of Workplace Democracy, Employee Participation and Emerging Organisational Models conference, Leeds University Business School.

Watson, J. (2016) ‘The Vector of Employee Voice in an Employee Owned Enterprise’. Paper presented at the 33rd International Labour Process conference, Berlin.

Watson, J. (2015) ‘Employee Voice in the Research Process’. Paper presented at CERIC conference, Leeds University Business School.

Brown, J. (2007) ‘To What Extent Should Social Enterprises Market Their Objectives: Does the customer really care?’ Paper presented at European Equal conference, Genoa, Italy.

Brown, J. Chapman, T. and Baxter, B. (2007) ‘Why do we need to join up? Exploring the Impact of Intra-sectoral Rivalry on the Effective Representation of the Third Sector’. Paper presented to the 4th Annual Social Enterprise Conference, London South Bank University.

Chapman, T. Forbes, D. and Brown, J. (2006) ‘Value Led, Market Driven: Can social enterprises achieve the balance?’ Paper presented to the 3rd Annual Social Enterprise Conference, London South Bank University.

Chapman, T., Forbes, D. and Brown, J. ‘Being Business-like: Can capacity building initiatives succeed in the social enterprise sector? Paper presented to the Second Annual Social Enterprise Conference, Open University.

Brown, J. (1997) ‘Issues Facing the Co-operative Sector’. Paper presented at International Co-operative Alliance conference, Bologna, Italy.

Brown, J. (1996) ‘Third Sector Care: Case Studies of the Organisation of Care Provision Through Co-operatives’. Paper presented at ICA conference, Estonia.

 

Published work

Watson, J. (2019) ‘Employee Voice Through Employee-Ownership: Fabric or Fabrication?’ Published thesis. Newcastle University.

Chapman, T., Brown, J., Ford, C. and Baxter, B., (2010). Trouble with champions: local public sector–third sector partnerships and the future prospects for collaborative governance in the UK. Policy Studies, 31(6), pp.613-630.

Brown, J. and Crow, R. (2008) ‘Entering a Brave New World? An assessment of Third Sector readiness to tender for the delivery of public services in North East England’. Policy Studies. Vol. 28. No. 1.

Brown, J. (2002) ‘Third Sector Care: Case Studies of the Organisation of Care Provision Through Co-operatives’. Published thesis. University of Northumbria.

 

 

 

 

Teaching

Undergraduate

BUS2000 Human Resource Management (Module Leader)

BUS2025 Managing Human Resources (Module Leader)

BUS3033 Critical Organisation Studies

BUS3051 Management Dissertation

 

Postgraduate

NBS8286 People Management in Global Context

NBS8287 Global Employment Relations


Publications