This is not the first time that collaboration between Dr Corina Sheerin (lecturer and Programme Director for the MSc in Finance) and Dr Caitriona Hughes (lecturer and Programme Director for the MA in HRM), has resulted in plaudits from their peers. 2019 saw them bringing back to the College the Outstanding Paper award from the European Journal of Training and Development for their paper Gender-segregated labour spaces and social capital – does context matter?, which explores the role of social capital, specifically networks, in career development for women.

This year sees their paper, co-authored with their colleague from UCC, currently a Visiting Research Professor at NCI, Professor Thomas Garavan, receive the Academy of Human Resource Development ‘Monica M. Lee Research Excellence Award’ for their paper Gendered practices and tacit knowledge sharing in organizations.

The Monica M. Lee Award recognises that this paper makes a significant contribution to the Human Resource Development profession, is of importance in the problem it treats, is justifiably well-argued and is well-reported.

Abstract

"This paper aims to explore gendered practices in the context of tacit knowledge sharing from the perspective of female managers. It specifically explores these practices in two different gendered contexts. Drawing on structuration theory and a social constructionist perspective on knowledge sharing, the authors conducted a qualitative study utilizing semi-structured interview data gathered from 32 female managers working in two distinct and different gendered spaces. The study findings reveal that gendered practices in tacit knowledge sharing occur through organizational structures and processes, organizational informalities and discourse and communication. Therefore, gendered practices in the context of knowledge sharing are informal, invisible, socially situated and involve issues of power. We, therefore, advance understanding of the gender dynamics of knowledge sharing and in particular highlight the inherent tensions between structure and agency which are heightened in spaces governed by gendered hierarchies. We highlight research and practice implications of our findings."

Corina Sheerin, Caitriona Hughes & Thomas Garavan (2020) Gendered practices and tacit knowledge sharing in organizations: a structuration perspective, Human Resource Development International, 23:5, 542-568, DOI:  10.1080/13678868.2020.1769402