Dr Francesca Andreescu
Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour
F.Andreescu@exeter.ac.uk
Streatham Court 1.46
Streatham Court, University of Exeter, Rennes Drive, Exeter, EX4 4PU, UK
Overview
Dr Francesca Andreescu is a Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management/ Organisational Behaviour and a Deputy Programme Director for the MSc in International Human Resource Management at Exeter Business School.
Francesca has over 20 years’ experience in Higher Education teaching and her research specialisms are strategic human resource management, change management and public sector management. Prior to joining the University of Exeter in September 2023, she held posts at the University of Westminster and the University of Greenwich in London.
Francesca holds a PhD in Management from the University of Southampton in the areas of research specialism: Strategic Human Resource Management, Change Management and Public Management. Francesca's doctoral research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) through a research scholarship granted to the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Southampton. Francesca carried out research and consultancy activities in HRM and change management in a number of public sector organisations. In her research work, she aims to encourage a closer relationship between HRM research and professional practice.
Francesca is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Advance HE) and an Academic Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching Practice in Higher Education (PGDip HE) from the University of Greenwich (London).
Francesca served as a commissioned reviewer for well-known publishers such as Sage, Oxford University Press, Palgrave, CIPD, Macmillan, and has used her expertise to deliver impartial reviews for a wide range of books, monographs and advanced student textbooks in the areas of Strategic HRM, Human Resource Development, International/comparative Human Resource Management, Employee Relations, Organisation Theory & Organisational Behaviour and Cross-Cultural Management.
In her current role as a Deputy Programme Director for the MSc in IHRM, Francesca is focusing on making a positive impact on the students’ experience on the programme and supporting engagement activities, such as career development workshops, introducing industry speakers, alumni panels and integrating employability skills into the curriculum.
Prior to joining academia, Francesca gained experience working in the private sector, building up expertise in the international aspects of HRM and management.
Qualifications
PhD (University of Southampton), PGDip HE (University of Greenwich, London), MSc (HRM), BSc (Hons) (Management)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Advance HE)
Academic Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
Research
Research interests
- The role of HR in change management in organisations at the cusp between public and private sectors
- People (HR) Analytics in public sector organisations and the role of HR managers in creating ‘good work’ through digitalisation
- The effects of flexible working arrangements (the ‘four-day working week’ and the ‘reduced working hours’ models) on productivity, job satisfaction and employee engagement
Research projects
Francesca's research interests span across a range of topics relating to the consequences of hybrids and hybridisation in the UK public sector on the nature and roles of the HR Function; the role of HR in change management and competence development; and the role of HR managers in creating ‘good work’ through digitalisation and People (HR) Analytics in public sector organisations.
Her previous doctoral research called for a rethinking of normative models of strategic HRM and change management adopted by some public sector organisations and for a more contextualised perspective to be taken when considering the application of universal ‘best practices’ to the public sector. The study presented a comparative longitudinal analysis of strategic change and the role of HR in two commercialising public sector organisations of strategic importance for the UK economy. The research that she carried out has also helped her develop strong research and consultancy links with organisations that are leading players in their industries.
Francesca's current research interests focus on investigating how approaches to HRM and public management in the public sector vary between organisations based on the degree of publicness, with a focus on organisations at the cusp between public and private sectors. Within the emerging field of People (HR) Analytics, she is also particularly interested in investigating the role of HR managers in creating ‘good work’ through digitalisation and the implications for HR departments and HR’s strategic roles, especially in a public sector context where more research is needed in this area. Finally, Francesca is interested in the effects of flexible working arrangements (such as the ‘four-day working week’ model and the ‘reduced working hours’ model) on productivity, job satisfaction and employee engagement.
Francesca is part of a number of international networks promoting comparative HRM/public sector research across countries, especially in a public sector context, such as the European Group for Public Administration (EGPA), the Dutch HRM Network (The Netherlands), the British Academy of Management (Human Resource Management Special Interest Group), the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (EIASM) and the European Group for Organisational Studies.
She is a member of the British Universities Industrial Relations Association (BUIRA), the British Academy of Management (BAM) and the “Strategy as Practice” research network supported by the Advanced Institute of Management (AIM), UK.
Publications
No publications found
External Engagement and Impact
Awards and Honours
- Research Scholarship for doctoral research (Southampton Business School, University of Southampton), with the support of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
External positions
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Academic Member (Academic MCIPD) of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
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Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Advance HE)
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Book Reviewer for Sage, Oxford University Press, Palgrave, CIPD, Macmillan
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Presented papers at national and international research conferences, such as the British Academy of Management Conference, the European Group for Public Administration (EGPA) Annual Conference and the International Conference of the Dutch HRM Network.
Teaching
Francesca's academic expertise spans across a range of subject areas relating to Strategic Human Resource Management, Human Resource Development, International HRM / Cross-cultural Management, Leadership & Change Management, Organisational Behaviour & Organisation Theory and Research Methods. She teaches on both postgraduate and undergraduate programmes covering strategic human resource management, international human resource management, organisational behaviour, management/ leadership skills and change management. She delivers teaching on both generalist HRM and International HRM modules, and specialist postgraduate modules in the areas of people resourcing, reward management, people management and organisational behaviour. She possesses knowledge and expertise in contemporary HRM areas, such as The Future of Work, People (HR) analytics, digital working, hybrid/flexible work, employee wellbeing and work engagement; managing equality and diversity; talent management, Generation Z.In her teaching and learning activities, Francesca places a strong emphasis on transferable skills and employability. She integrates industry and community involvement through guest talks, consulting project work and mentoring opportunities.
As well as supervising both postgraduate and undergraduate projects in HRM and management, Francesca is also a personal tutor addressing the academic, career development and pastoral needs of the students. She was nominated for the ‘Extra Mile’ student led award for the ‘Best dissertation tutor/ research supervisor’ between 2020 and 2023 and for the ‘Above and Beyond’ award for her teaching and student support in 2024.
