The Remote Engineer: Organising global project work
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Alliance Manchester Business School
Abstract
The proposed research aims to contribute to and advance the field of management and organisation studies (henceforth: MOS) by problematizing the underlying assumptions of established organisational literature; primarily the role of 'culture management' as a control mechanism. By conducting an extended multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork in a multinational manufacturing firm, critical trends can be observed and explored. A central concern for the study is the evidenced erosion of the boundary between the professions of engineering and management.
The proposed study will address the following research questions:
1. What is engineering project work and how is it managed across dispersed offices and sites of the organisation?
2. What forms of control are utilised across the organisation and how is control exercised over remote project workers?
3. What professional identity do remote project workers conform to?
The proposed study will address the following research questions:
1. What is engineering project work and how is it managed across dispersed offices and sites of the organisation?
2. What forms of control are utilised across the organisation and how is control exercised over remote project workers?
3. What professional identity do remote project workers conform to?
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES/P000665/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2027 | |||
| 1881253 | Studentship | ES/P000665/1 | 01/10/2017 | 31/03/2021 | Rita Davidson |
| Description | The company where this ethnographic study was conducted was provided with preliminary findings. A report was generated on their behalf explaining some of the taken-for-granted and likely invisible to them dynamics within the field. The team who received the report can utilise it to improve the conditions of their workforce, implement new regulations within the company, and ran associated trainings. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Impact Types | Economic |