Dr Diana Clayton
PhD (Exeter, MSc, MA, BA (Hons), SFHEA
Senior Lecturer Senior Lecturer in Leadership, Development, HR
Oxford Brookes Business School
Role
I am responsible for teaching and learning in the field of people & organisations/human resource management (encompassing SHRM, Organisational Behaviour, Leadership and Management of Change/Culture) at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
My field of research is knowledge management and knowledge sharing, specifically focused in the field of Event Studies and amongst volunteer resources. I actively conduct research, seek funding applications, collaborate with colleagues, and produce published outcomes. I supervise a range of students research projects up to and including doctoral level (PhD and DCM).
In addition, I am the undergraduate Hospitality and Tourism (HM) and Hospitality (HO) Programmes' Subject Coordinator, working directly with the UG OSHM Programme Lead. I am also the OBBS undergraduate (academic) Induction Coordinator, working with the Associate Dean Undergraduate Studies (ADUS). Finally, in collaboration with Professor Berry O'Donovan, we jointly share the role of TEF Subject coordinator, working with the Associate Dean for Education and Student Experience (ADESE).
Teaching and supervision
Modules taught
- Personal and Professional Development
- Managing People in Hospitality and Tourism
- Leadership and Professional Development
In addition, I am involved in the following modules:
- Management in International Tourism, Hospitality and Events (guest lecturer)
- Dissertation in Events Management (supervisor)
- Research Project (supervisor)
Supervision
My interested in supervising projects are in the areas of knowledge management/sharing, people and organisations related subject, and from a methodological perspective qualitative investigations, particularly interpretivist studies. I can also supervise mixed methods projects.
- Professional Development - placement supervisor
- Dissertation Hospitality - supervisor
- Doctorate of Coaching and Mentoring (DCM) supervisor - As of 2021-22, I have three active doctoral candidates.
- PhD and DCM internal examiner
Research
I research in the area of Knowledge Management/sharing, (volunteer) employees, and (tourism) organisations. I have experience of using hermeneutic phenomenology methodology for my research.
Knowledge Management: This is concerned principally with the organisational and social issues associated with the management of knowledge within and across organisations, teams and individuals at events. This research aims to contribute understanding of aspects of (organisational) knowledge as a means of organisational performance and ultimately competitive advantage. My focus is on organisational knowledge and/or ‘people’ perspective of organisational knowledge management/sharing, rather than knowledge related to ‘performance content’ of (festival) events. Communities of practice is a key area of research that explores learning through and among ‘employees’ within the event organisation. That said the sharing knowledge of actions and activities of volunteers can be considered as co-construction of the event experience.
(Festival) Event Volunteers: This research area is concerned with the interaction of social actors as ‘free’/volunteer, peripheral labour within event organisations, and their interaction amongst the volunteer community and with ‘employing’ organisations. This incorporates a variety of aspects of the event industry including motivation to volunteer, experiences of volunteering, the leadership (and management) of volunteers, and training of volunteers.
My research is applied in nature and applicable for policy makers, practitioners and academics alike.
Research impact
I am published in a special ‘Knowledge Management in the Not-for-Profit Sector’ edition of 2* ABS rating Journal of Knowledge Management. I have an article accepted for publication in 2* ABS rating Events Management. I have presented my doctoral research findings: 'Making Waves: International Conference on Events & 10th AEME
Forum’, Bournemouth University (July 2013), European Conference on Knowledge Management (2016) in Belfast. I have also presented my research at the Knowledge Management Interest Group at Loughborough University (2018) and at various faculty meetings for Warwick Manufacturing Group (2016), and at Oxford Brookes University. I have had papers accepted and presented at the Association of Events Management Educators annual conferences (2019; 2021), and facilitated a 'world cafe' workshop.
Publications
Professional information
Memberships of professional bodies
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- Executive Committee member of AEME Events Management Educators Forum
Conferences
- 'Making Waves: International Conference on Events & 10th AEME
- Events Management Educators Forum’, Bournemouth University (July 2013);
- European Conference on Knowledge Management (2016) in Belfast;
- 'Experience, value creation, and impact in Events education and research' & 16th AEME Events Management Educators Forum’, University of Hertfordshire (July 2019);
- 'Events principles and practice – A level playing field?' & 17th AEME Events Management Educators Forum’, University of Brighton/Online (July 2021)."
Further details
Diana combines both high quality academic experience with nearly 20 years’ senior HRM practitioner expertise. Experience in research, teaching, marking and supervision at UG- and PG-level at two Top Ten UK Universities. Diana has an ESRC-sponsored PhD in (Tourism) Management Studies, exploring how and why volunteers share knowledge in temporary events organisations.
Diana is a highly motivated self-starter with a track record of contributing to personal, team and wider organisational success. Diana has excellent time management, project design and implementations skills. Diana combines proven people management capabilities (directly and through matrix organisations) with good interpersonal skills and change management competencies.