Contact Dr Deirdre Anderson

Background

Deirdre is an experienced occupational psychologist, having spent over 20 years working within organizations and then as an independent consultant and trainer in the private sector, before obtaining her PhD and taking up academic research and teaching at Cranfield University.  Earlier degrees include a BSc (Hons) in Business Studies from the University of Bradford, an MSc in Occupational and Organizational Psychology from the University of East London, and a Masters in Research from Cranfield.  

Deirdre is a Chartered Organizational Psychologist, an Academic Fellow of the CIPD and a Senior Fellow of the Foundation for Management Education. She joined Cranfield in 2008 as a Teaching Fellow, progressing to Lecturer in 2010, and Senior Lecturer in 2013, when she also became Director of the Executive MBA from until 2015.  From 2017 to 2019 she was Head of Department, People and Organizations at University of Lincoln before returning to Cranfield.

Deirdre has expertise in flexible working, work-life balance, the gendered nature of careers, and inclusion and diversity.



Research opportunities

I am currently interested in supervising doctoral research students in the areas of the changing nature of work including precarious working, the work-family interface, and inclusion within organizations.  Please contact me if you are interested in pursuing a doctorate in this area. 

Current activities


Deirdre is currently a Senior Lecturer in Organizational Behaviour and Occupational Psychology based in the Organizational Behaviour and Applied Psychology Group.  

Her current research project explores individual experiences of enforced remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Other research interests include flexible and precarious working, work and family (especially in different cultures), and gendered careers.  She is a member of the British Psychological Society’s Work-Life Balance Working Group, a voluntary group of academics and practitioners committed to promoting sustainable strategies for organizations to support the management of the work/non-work interface.  

She teaches on graduate and executive programmes in the areas of Organizational Behaviour and Research Methods.  In all of her work she seeks to increase awareness of inclusion and diversity, challenging the often unconscious processes which can limit individual actions and organizational practices.  Deirdre frequently presents her research at academic and practitioner conferences within the UK and internationally, and she has twice been an invited speaker at the United Nations in New York. She publishes in journals of recognized international excellence, and has written several book chapters on flexible working and work-life balance, women's career choices and women-only leadership development.  She has recently edited a book "Work-life balance in times of recession, austerity and beyond". 

Deirdre is also a member of the British Academy of Management and of the Work and Families Researchers Network. 












Clients

  • Centrica
  • Citi
  • KPMG
  • Logica
  • Microsoft
  • Pfizer
  • Rolls-Royce

Publications

Articles In Journals

Conference Papers

  • Michaelides A & Anderson D (2022) Extending the 'flexible and sustainable' careers model. In: WFRN 6th Biennial Conference: Work-Family Justice: Practices, Partnerships & Possibilities, New York City, 23-25 June 2022.
  • Michaelides A & Anderson D. (2020) Egalitarian Parental Context: understanding Swedish women managers' flexible and sustainable careers. In: British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference 2020: In The Cloud, Virtual Event, 2-4 September 2020.
  • Lewis S, Anderson DA, Lyonette C, Payne N & Wood S (2013) Public sector austerity cuts in the UK and the work-life balance agenda: Under threat or a burning platform for change?. In: V International Conference of Work and Family, IESE Business School, 1 July 2013.
  • Anderson D, Lewis S, Lyonette C, Payne N & Wood S (2013) Work-life balance policies, practices and discourse and public sector cuts. In: The BPS Division of Occupational Psychology Conference 2013, Chester, 9 January 2013.
  • Kelliher C & Anderson D (2013) Implementing flexible working: examining the wider organisational context. In: Fifth International Community, Work and Family Conference 2013, Sydney, 17 July 2013.
  • Hussain N & Anderson D (2013) How does family influence the career experiences of Emirati female managers?. In: BAM 2013: British Academy of Management annual conference, Liverpool, 10 September 2013.
  • Anderson DA & Kerfoot D (2012) Managing the Unmanageable? Work life balance among long parents and non-resident parents. In: Work and Family Researchers Network Inaugural Conference, New York, 14 June 2012.
  • Anderson D & Kelliher C (2011) Managers working flexibly: successful strategies for people management. In: British Academy of Management Annual Conference 2011, Birmingham, 13-15 September 2011.
  • Anderson D & Kerfoot D (2011) Different families work life balance and career challenges among lone parents and non-resident parents. In: Community, Work & Family IV International Conference, Tampere, 19 May 2011.
  • Anderson D & Sealy R (2010) Equality and diversity in UK Higher Education Institutes. In: Academy of Management Annual Meeting, 2010**, Montreal, 6-10 August 2010.
  • Anderson D, Sealy R & Vinnicombe S (2010) Diversity of Governing Bodies of Higher Education Institutions: Positive attitudes, negative practices?. In: Gender Work & Organization Conference, Keele, 24 June 2010.
  • Anderson D (2009) Consistency and adaptability of managers working flexibly: an approach to boundary management. In: EGOS 25th Colloquium, 2009, Barcelona, 2-4 July 2009.
  • Vinnicombe S & Anderson D (2009) Personal reflections on the evolution of women's leadership programmes. In: 2009 Academy of Management annual meeting: green management matters, Chicago, IL, 7 August 2009.
  • Kelliher C & Anderson D (2009) Flexible working and work intensification: trading choice for effort. In: Academy of Management Annual Meeting, 2009**, Chicago, IL, 7-11 August 2009.
  • Kelliher C & Anderson D (2009) Flexible working in organisations: the perspective of co-workers. In: International Industrial Relations Association World Congress, Sydney, 24 August 2009.
  • Anderson D (2008) What is the impact of firm system and societal cluster on the use of flexible working arrangements?. In: Academy of Management Annual Meeting, 2008, Anaheim, 8 August 2008.
  • Parry E, Anderson D & Stavrou E (2008) Flexible working through the configurational approach: The role of firm system and societal clusters. In: Academy of Management Annual Meeting, 2008, Anaheim, 8 August 2008.
  • Anderson D (2008) An exploratory study of the career progression of managers working flexibly. In: British Academy of Management Annual Conference, 2008**, Harrogate, 9-11 September 2008.
  • Stavrou E, Parry E & Anderson D (2007) Flexible working arrangements through the lens of the Configurational Approach: The role of firm system, societal clusters and organizational antecedents. In: Dutch HRM Network Conference, Tilburg.
  • Anderson D, Singh V & Vinnicombe S (2007) Up and out: the exit of women partners from a global consultancy firm. In: Conference proceedings 2007 : British Academy of Management : management research, education and business success : is the future as clear as the past?, Warwick, 11 September 2007.
  • Anderson D, Vinnicombe S & Singh V (2007) Women above the glass ceiling: Exploring why women partners leave. In: Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Philadelphia.
  • Anderson D & Kelliher C (2007) Flexible working in gendered cultures: formal v informal practices. In: Gender, Work & Organisation Conference, Keele, 27 June 2007.
  • Kelliher C & Anderson D (2007) Different workplaces, different work day: an examination of the impact of remote working on lives. In: EGOS 23rd Colloquium, Vienna, 5 July 2007.
  • Singh V, Anderson D & Vinnicombe S (2006) Stepping out from gendered cultures: Fond farewells from successful women. In: British Academy of Management Conference, Belfast.
  • Anderson D, Singh V & Vinnicombe S (2006) Women above the glass ceiling: Exit. In: Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Atlanta.
  • Vinnicombe S, Singh V & Anderson D (2006) Exploring why women partners leave. In: Gender and Career Advancement Small Group Meeting, Netherlands.
  • Anderson D (2006) Flexible working as a form of social exchange: An exploratory study. In: EURAM Annual Conference, Oslo.
  • Kelliher C & Anderson D (2006) Flexible working and performance: balancing the needs of the employer and the employee. In: ACREW/Kings College Conference, Prato, 1 July 2006.
  • Anderson D (2005) The introduction of flexible working practices: An organization theory perspective. In: Gender, Work & Organization Conference, Keele.
  • Anderson D (2005) An exploratory study of the career/life balance of managers and professionals who have a flexible working pattern. In: British Academy of Management Conference, Oxford.
  • Anderson D (2004) Flexible working and managers' career/life balance. In: 13th EDAMBA Conference, 29 July 2004.

Books

  • Anderson D & Kelliher C (2019) Agile working: the case of TechSci, a global technology company. In: Work, Working and Work Relationships in a Changing World, Routledge.
  • Lyonette C, Anderson D, Lewis S, Payne N, Wood & S. (2016) Work-life balance and austerity: implications of new ways of working in British Public Sector Organizations. In: Work-life balance in times of recession, austerity and beyond, Routledge, p. 63-77.
  • Anderson D, Swan J & Lewis S. (2016) Towards a triple agenda beyond recession and austerity: innovations in policy and practices. In: Work-life balance in times of recession, austerity and beyond, Routledge, p. 180-190.
  • Anderson DA & Vinnicombe S (2015) Chapter 27: Senior women, work-life balance and the decision to quit: a generational perspective. In: Handbook Of Gendered Careers In Management: Getting In, Getting On, Getting Out, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, p. 445-459.
  • Vinnicombe S, Moore LL & Anderson D (2013) Women's leadership programmes are still important. In: Handbook of Research on Promoting Women's Careers. Vinnicombe S, Burke RJ, Blake-Beard S, Moore LL (ed.), Edward Elgar, p. 406-419.
  • Anderson D & Kelliher C (2010) Spatial aspects of professional's work-life integration. In: Creating balance? Internation perspectives on the work-life integration of professionals. Kaiser S, Cunha M, Eikhof D (ed.), Springer Publications, p. 305-315.
  • Anderson D, Vinnicombe S & Singh V (2008) Women becoming leaders. In: Leadership Learning: Knowledge into Action. Turnbull James K, Collins J (ed.), Palgrave.
  • Anderson D, Vinnicombe S & Singh V (2008) Women only leadership development: A conundrum. In: Leadership Learning: Knowledge into Action. Turnbull James K, Collins J (ed.), Palgrave Macmillan, p. 147-160.