Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice
Source: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/research/units/obbs/centres/cdprp Parent: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/research/research-centres
Director: Professor Charikleia (Charoula) Tzanakou
Contact:
About us
Established in 2004, the Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice specialises in inter-disciplinary research and knowledge exchange on gender, diversity and inclusion in organisations, the economy and society. Its work spans gender and diversity issues in the workplace, diversity and organisational change, work-life balance, age discrimination and extending working lives, LGBT, religion or belief, social mobility and human rights.
The Centre’s research holds great relevance to both local and national communities. Through various national and European projects, the Centre helps practitioners and policymakers to take an evidence-based approach to develop policies and practices on equality and diversity. The Centre aims to create a virtuous circle between research, knowledge exchange and impact.
The Centre is also involved in consultancy work, informings and helps tochange of sectoral and organisational policies and practices beyond academia. These interventions influence the way policies are developed and enacted within the workplace to create inclusive and fulfilling workplaces. Through consultancy activities, the Centre’s researchers act as independent partners, providing insight and advice based on research-based experience and knowledge to help organisations to develop their gender and diversity strategies and mitigate relevant potential risks
Part of
Related courses
- Doctor of Coaching and Mentoring (DCM)
- Business and Management (MPhil / PhD)
- Human Resource Management - Admission with Credit (12 month fast-track route to the MA) (MA)
Research impact
The Centre brings together academic and management expertise from the University's Faculty of Business, Law school, and the Directorate of Human Resources. Its main activities include:
- interdisciplinary research linking legal and management perspectives to inform equality policies and practices in the workplace and around
- events to facilitate debate and discussion on equality and diversity issues between academics, policy-makers, trade unions, senior managers and equality specialists
- consultancy and knowledge exchange to assist organisations in developing and implementing equality programmes.
The impact of the Centre's research helps practitioners and policy-makers to take an evidence-based approach to develop policies and practices on equality and diversity. The Centre aims to create a virtuous circle between research, knowledge exchange and impact.
Leadership
Dr Sola Adesola
Senior Lecturer in Business and Management
Dr Beldina Owalla
Senior Lecturer in Business and Management
View profile for Beldina Owalla
Professor Charikleia (Charoula) Tzanakou
Director of CDPRP and Reader in Human Resource Management
View profile for Charikleia (Charoula) Tzanakou
Membership
Staff members Research students Collaborators
- Staff
- Students
- Collaborators
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Staff
| Name | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Sola Adesola | Senior Lecturer in Business and Management | sadesola@brookes.ac.uk |
| Dr Sylwia Ciuk | Reader in Organisation Studies | sciuk@brookes.ac.uk |
| Dr Maria Daskalaki | Professor in Organisation Studies | mdaskalaki@brookes.ac.uk |
| Dr Birgit den Outer | Senior Lecturer in Organization Studies | b.den-outer@brookes.ac.uk |
| Dr Audrey Harroche | Lecturer in Leadership and HRM | aharroche@brookes.ac.uk |
| Alexis Hawthorne | Research Assistant | |
| Dr Cal Horton | Research Fellow | chorton@brookes.ac.uk |
| Anna Klenert | Senior Lecturer in Hospitality and Tourism Management | aklenert@brookes.ac.uk |
| Dr Fabien Littel | Lecturer in Business and Management | f.littel@brookes.ac.uk |
| Professor Sonia Morano-Foadi | Professor in European Law | smorano-foadi@brookes.ac.uk |
| Dr Beldina Owalla | Senior Lecturer in Business and Management | bowalla@brookes.ac.uk |
| Professor Nick Rumens | Professor in Business and Management | nrumens@brookes.ac.uk |
| Professor Lucy Vickers | Director of Research | lrvickers@brookes.ac.uk |
Projects
Active projects Completed projects
- Active projects
- Completed projects
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Active projects
| Project title and description | Investigator(s) | Funder(s) | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| UniSAFE UniSAFE will provide up-to-date, robust and reliable quantitative and qualitative data on gender-based violence, including newly emerging forms of violence, in universities and research performing organisations. These results will be translated into policy recommendations and a toolbox for universities and research organisations. | From: February 2021 Until: January 2024 | ||
| Cross-Cultural Exploration Of Parenthood Perceptions And Practices In Higher Education This project is an exciting collaborative research study between UK and Brazil that aims to understand better how parenthood is conceptualised and practised in higher education across these two different contexts. It will map existing policies and practices in UK and Brazilian HEIs and will lead to an open database of promising initiatives on parenthood that can serve as inspiration for other HEIs beyond UK and Brazil. | Professor Charikleia (Charoula) Tzanakou | British Council | From: January 2024 Until: December 2024 |
| BLA-HAJ (Culturally competent outcome measurement in trans youth healthcare) BLA-HAJ: Building Lived Experience Accountability into Culturally Competent Health and Well-being Assessment for Trans Youth Social Justice This project focuses on understanding culturally competent approaches to outcome measurement of trans youth health and well-being. It examines the healthcare outcomes and indicators in use in a range of healthcare and well-being related services in and beyond the UK, and works with trans youth to improve alignment with service user priorities and perspectives. | Dr Cal Horton | ESRC | From: April 2024 Until: March 2028 |
| Catalyst for Change: Transformative and Inclusive Strategies in Social Science Commercialisation | Innovation Caucus | ||
| ASPIRE (Trans inclusion in STEM careers) ASPIRE: Addressing Systemic Precarity: Trans Inclusion and Retention in STEM. ASPIRE aims to address the current exclusion and drain of trans talent from STEM workforces, strengthening creativity, innovation and impact within a field that welcomes all. The research involves surveys of the experiences of trans professionals from the UK and US, qualitative interviews, and a review of existing literature. ASPIRE seeks to build a policy oriented body of statistical evidence and lived experience insight to inform sector, discipline and institutional approaches to trans inclusion in STEM. | The Royal Society | From: September 2023 Until: December 2024 | |
| SEE-ERA: Advancing Gender Equality & Inclusiveness in Research & Innovation Across South East Europe SEE-ERA aims to drive structural change in research organisations by fostering knowledge exchange and the sustainable transformation of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) within five Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) and two Research Funding Organisations (RFOs) in Greece, Albania, Croatia, and Romania. By engaging internal and external stakeholders from the partners’ ecosystem, the project seeks to enhance gender capacities and advance the implementation of inclusive and intersectional GEPs in South East Europe regions while integrating gender equality in research and innovation processes. | Professor Charikleia (Charoula) Tzanakou | Horizon 2020 | From: February 2025 Until: January 2028 |
Consultancy
Our research informs and helps to change policy and practice and shape debates in key areas including gender, diversity, work-life balance and age discrimination. Our interventions influence the way senior managers develop policies to manage their workforce, and shape legal thinking.
We provide consultancy services where we can act as independent partners, providing insight and advice based on our broad research-based experience and knowledge to help organisations to develop their gender and diversity strategies and manage potential risks related to gender and diversity issues.
Equalities legislation and our consultancy: The context
The equality legislation framework has developed significantly since its inception in the 1970s, and the past decade has seen the introduction of the public sector duties from 2001 onwards, and most recently, the passage into law of the Equality Act.
These legislative developments have come to play a key role in shaping employment policies for all employers, and many large employers now set out explicitly to achieve and sustain high levels of labour market participation from the different equality target groups. Citizenship is closely related with participation in the labour market and equality of opportunity in employment contributes substantially to social cohesion. At an organisational level equality policies and legislation have significant implications for the management of human resources in the workplace. They require the development of leadership capabilities to deliver fair and inclusive employment practices as part of organisations’ corporate social responsibility.
Key experience
- Consultant and advisor to the European Commission, MPs and UK government
- Research and consultancy provided to global organisations such as BMW and KPMG
- Advice provided to institutions and organizations to help challenge status quo and shape interventions
- Influencing legal thinking through evidenced-based research.