OBAIR | Dublin City University

Lead researcher

Dr. Margaret Heffernan

OBAIR-Decent and Sustainable Work is a research group that is shaping the future of work, management, and careers, aiming to create fair and sustainable workplaces. This is a group of multi-disciplinary researchers, with backgrounds in human resource management, industrial relations, organisational psychology, leadership and OB, and accounting, who actively collaborate with organisations and policymakers. The group promotes decent and sustainable work and supports the delivery of quality jobs along with social protection and respect for rights at work to achieve sustainable, inclusive economic growth. This is done by building on the significant academic expertise of group members, the group’s strong national and international research partnerships, track record of securing external funded research, winning research funding support, and active industry engagement.

Research Themes

Individual and collective aspects of decent and sustainable work. Research on individual aspects of decent work, including job design and job control, employee voice, job security, equality and labour market participation
Employee wellbeing, health and safety and psycho-social risks at work. Research on individual and collective aspects of wellbeing. Key areas we focus on include work life balance, mental health and work, occupational health and safety, nature of work (including line managers, autonomy, voice, and job demands)
Sustainable careers, skills and employability. Research on the dynamic interplay between individuals' skills, changing work environments, and the socio-economic context
Technology and the future of work. Research on technology and how it impacts (a) how work is done; (b) when and where work is done, and (c) who does the work. Key themes our research looks at include: flexible and remote work; non-standard work schedules (e.g., gig work, zero-hour contracts); impact of AI and technology on work