Dr Esme Terry

Profile

I joined the University of Leeds in February 2020 as a Research Fellow affiliated with the ESRC-funded Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (Digit). The centre aims to advance understanding of digital technologies at work, and the impact of digital change on employers, employees and other stakeholders. Digit is led by the Universities of Leeds and Sussex. Further information on Digit and its research streams can be found here: https://digit-research.org/  

My current Digit research explores digital transformations of work in financial and professional services firms. More broadly, my research interests lie in the sociology of work and employment, particularly around digital change, the nature and future of work in professional sectors, and diversity and (in)equalities in organisations. 

I have published work in leading journals (see publications below) and through other outlets including the Digit blog and Harvard Business Review. I have been featured in NPR’s ‘Planet Money’ newsletter and ‘The Indicator’ podcast.

Recent outputs:

Russell, E., Murphy, C., & Terry, E. (2022). What Leaders Need to Know Before Trying a 4-Day Work Week. Harvard Business Review, 27th May [Article]. Available at: https://hbr.org/2022/05/what-leaders-need-to-know-before-trying-a-4-day-work-week 

Murphy, C., & Terry, E. (2022). Moving beyond lip service on work life balance: are UK workers being left behind on the right to disconnect? Digital Futures at Work Research Centre, 17th January [Blog]. Available at: https://digit-research.org/blog_article/are-uk-workers-being-left-behind-on-right-to-disconnect/ 

Experience:

2020 onwards: ESRC Digit Research Fellow, Centre for Employment Relations, Innovation and Change (CERIC), Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, UK

2018-2019: Senior Researcher, Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, UK

2016-2019: Academic Tutor, Business Management Department, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, UK

Qualifications

• PhD, Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, UK
• MA (Hons), School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (First Class Honours)

Professional memberships

• British Sociological Association (BSA)
• The British Universities Industrial Relations Association (BUIRA)
• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)

Research groups and institutes

• Centre for Employment Relations, Innovation and Change