• United Kingdom

Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

Professor Colin Lindsay is currently supervising eight Doctoral students. Professor Lindsay is interested in PhD supervision on issues including: public management reform; public service delivery; governance in public policy; employability and skills; workplace innovation; unemployment and labour market disadvantage; health and incapacity in the labour market; welfare reform; active labour market policies.

Personal profile

Personal Statement

Professor Colin Lindsay MA, MSc, PhD has been researching and teaching on employability, employment and skills, public management and social policy for more than twenty five years. He has published more than 70 peer reviewed articles, books, book chapters and policy reports. His books include ‘Disability benefits, welfare reform and employment policy’ (co-edited with Donald Houston, published by Palgrave Macmillan, 2013).

He serves on the Editorial Boards of two journals: ‘Education & Training’; and ‘Social Policy and Administration’. He has co-edited special issues of the journals: ‘Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy’; ‘Policy Studies’; and 'Social Policy and Administration'. He was a member of the Editorial Team for ‘Social Policy and Administration’, 2013-23.

He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and the Social Policy Association.

Research Interests

Professor Colin Lindsay's research interests include: public management reform; HRM and employment relations in the public sector; new governance in public policy; policy evaluation; employability, skills and access to training; experiences of low-skilled work; and approaches to promoting equality in the workplace. He works closely with the Scottish Centre for Employment Research (SCER), and is currently conducting research with colleagues at SCER on workplace innovation. He has conducted research for the UK Commission for Employment and Skills; the Scottish Government; the Scottish TUC; and the European Commission. His current research focuses on the link between health and employability; and the impact of new technology on employees’ experiences of job quality.

Professor Lindsay's research addresses a range of issues including:

  • public sector employment relations and work redesign (e.g. research recently published in the International Journal of Human Resource Management);
  • workplace innovation in SMEs (ongoing research with the Scottish Centre for Employment Research);
  • the governance of employability and labour market policies (e.g. research recently published in Public Administration);
  • labour market exclusion and the barriers faced by disadvantaged groups;
  • and inequalities in access to workplace training.

Teaching Interests

Professor Colin Lindsay teaches human resource management at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level.  He is also Module Leader for programmes within the Department's undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

BA (Year 4 Honours UG) (Human Resource Management). Module Leader: ‘HRM and Employment Relations in Public Services Management’. 

BA (Year 3 Honours UG) (Human Resource Management). Module contributor: ‘Employment Relations’. 

MSc (PG) Human Resource Management/International Human Resource Management. Module Leader: ‘People Resourcing’. 

MSc (PG) Human Resource Management. Module contributor: ‘Critical Issues in Human Resources’; 'Leaning, Managing and Developing People'. 

Expertise & Capabilities

  • workplace innovation
  • performance management (with particular reference to public service organisations)
  • employee resourcing
  • training and development
  • professional practice in public services
  • public management and HRM
  • employability
  • health and labour market disadvantage

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 4 - Quality Education
  • SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

Education/Academic qualification

Doctor of Philosophy, The Concept of Employability and the Experience of Unemployment, Edinburgh Napier University

Award Date: 1 Jan 2009

Master of Science, European Social Policy Analysis, University of Bath

Award Date: 1 Jan 1997

Master of Arts, University of Glasgow

Award Date: 1 Jan 1995

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