Professor Lynn Nichol

dr-lynn-nichol

Professor of HRD and University of Worcester Staff Researcher Development Lead

Worcester Business School

Senior Management Team

Contact Details

email: l.nichol@worc.ac.uk

Lynn is Professor of Human Resource Development at Worcester Business School and Staff Researcher Development Lead for the University of Worcester. She is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a recognised Research Supervisor by the UK Council for Graduate Education. She has supervised 9 PhDs, 3 DBA and one MRes to completion.

Lynn is a member of the People and Work Research Theme in the cross-disciplinary Interpersonal Relationships and Well-being Research Group. She is the co-chair of the European academic network, University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD). Her own research interests are located in Critical Human Resource Development and developing work based practice. Her current work focuses on knowledge transfer and evaluation, machine learning and HR and working lives in faith based organizations. Her PhD was awarded for a thesis entitled exploring working lives through the framework of the Psychological Contract. A study of Clergy in the Church of England in the 21st Century.

Teaching, Doctoral Supervision & Research

Lynn works with practitioners who want to develop their skills and capacity to conduct research that will influence and change organisational life.  She teaches reflective practice and research methods on the Doctorate in Business Administration and leads the Approaches to Research Module on the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods for Doctoral Students. 

She supervises extensively on DBA and PhD programmes in the areas of Human Resource Development, Careers, Employee Relations and working in Faith Based Organisations. 

Recent doctoral supervisions include: 

What keeps experienced nurses in NHS roles?

The Human Resources Management challenge of predicting employee turnover using machine learning and system dynamics

New Entrant Christian Denominational Performance - the performance of Seventh Day Adventists and Christian Scientists, as new entrants to the market for religious services in Britain

How do NHS executive leaders experience personal resilience?  

The impact of mLearning on the effective management of incoming ICT support inquiries

Using Open Source Intelligence to vet job applicants: Peeling back the layers to make trust-based selection decisions

An exploration of survivors’ experience of organizational downsizing in German manufacturing

Archetypes and stereotypes: The use of symbolic interaction to explore employee in-group behaviour and career growth

Generational difference, career paths and the British hospitality manager

Working lives – the early years practitioners' perceptions of OFSTED Inspection

Part-time telework – the experience of the Conseil-General du Finistere France

Corporate culture: An investigation into the operationalization of the concept and divergences between management and staff 

Capital Accrual: the influence of personality and interaction on career success       

The personal impact of adults undergoing an assessment within a work-based context

Membership of Professional Bodies

Chartered Fellow, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA)

Publications

Ross, C. Stewart , J Nichol. L., Elliot, C, Sambrook, S, (2023) Sustaining the critical in CHRD in higher education institutions: the impact of new public management and implications for HRD. Human Resource Development International. Vol 26, No 4, 356-377. Available at https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2022.2121016. Winner of the Monica M. Lee Research Excellence Award.

Meddeb, Eya, Bowers, Christopher and Nichol, Lynn (2022) Comparing Machine Learning Correlations to Domain Experts’ Causal Knowledge: Employee Turnover Use Case. In: Machine Learning and Knowledge Extraction, August 23–26, 2022, Vienna, Austria. ISSN Series ISSN 0302-9743; Online ISBN 978-3-031-14463-9

Ross, C. Ross, C. Nichol. L., Elliot, C, Sambrook, S, Stewart. J (2021) Discourses of practice: an examination of KEF and its effects on the AL/HRD community. Action Learning: Research and Practice Available at https://doi.org/10.1080/14767333.2021.1954880

Harrison, P. Nichol, L. Gold, J, (2020) Redefining HRD roles and practice in the Machine Learning Revolution. Chapter 6 in The Future of HRD, Volume I. Innovation and Technology, ed Loon, M. Stewart, J, Nachmias, S. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-3-030-52410-4.

Gold, J. Nichol, L. Harrison, P (2020) L&D must be a participant not a bystander in machine learning. People Management. Available at https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/voices/comment/ld-must-be-participants-not-bystanders-in-machine-learning

Ross, C. Nichol. L., Elliot, C, Sambrook, S, Stewart. J (2020) From Chain to Net: Re-modelling the knowledge translation process to assess interdisciplinary contributions to academic impact. Studies in Higher Education. 10.1080/03075079.2020.1723522

Emblen-Perry, K Nichol L. Ross C (2020) How do UK universities support commuter students? At Chartered Association of Business School (CABS) Online Festival of Learning, Teaching and Student Experience.

Welch, Ruel, Alade, Temitope and Nichol, L. (2020) Mobile learning adoption at the science museum group. In: Proceedings of the 16th International Conference - Mobile Learning. IADIS Press, pp. 39-46. ISBN 9789898704160.

Emblen-Perry, Kay, Nichol , Lynn Ross, Catharine (2020) Does commuting to university influence students’ personal and professional development and the likelihood of graduate level employment? The International Journal of Professional Management. ISSN 2042-2341.

Nichol, L., Bradley, E., Heathcote, C., Watt, H (2019) NHS Talent Management Innovation: End-to-End Talent Management’ What next? National Health Service.

Ross, C. Nichol. L., Elliot, C, Sambrook, S, Stewart (2019) The Role of HRD in Bridging the Research-Practice Gap: The case of Learning and Development Human Resource Development International. 10.1080/13678868.2019.1667691.

Lawless, A. Stewart, J. Nichol, L (2018) Scholarly practice: reconnecting the l, p and q. Action Learning: Research and Practice. Vol 15 No 3. 207-209. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767333.2018.1513437

Harrison, T. Nichol, L. Gatto, M. Wai M. Cox. A. Gold, J (2018) What will be the Surprises for HRD in 2028? A Futures Scenario. International Journal of HRD Practice, Policy and Research. Vol 3 No 2 63-71. doi 10.22324/ijhrdppr.3.113

Turner, A. Nichol, L (2016) Development Assessment Centres: Practice implications arising from exploring the participant's voice. International Journal of HRD Practice, Policy & Research. Vol 1. Issue 1. pp 85-99.

Lewis, R. A. Nichol, L. Ward, P (2015) The Effects of French Organisational Relationships on Telework Job Roles: An Exploratory Role Set Analysis. Organizational Cultures: An International Journal, Volume 15, Issue 3, October 2015, pp.1-13.

Qualifications

BA
MSc
PhD
Chartered Fellow of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Recognised Research Supervisor, UK Council for Graduate Education

External Responsibilities

Co-Chair, University Forum for HRD (UFHRD)

Member of Church of England's General Synod and Archbishop's Council Remuneration and Conditions of Service Committee

Reviewer, American Academy of Human Resource Development Conference

Reviewer, Action Learning; Research and Practice

Reviewer, Studies in Higher Education