Personal profile

Research interests

Dr. Anita Garvey is an Assistant Professor in Organisational Studies at Northumbria University. Her research areas involve using the lens of political economy, critical theory and sociological analysis, to analyse phenomena in the field of organisational studies, contextualised by neoliberal capitalism.

Anita is a critical scholar whose qualitative doctoral research focused on the concept of ‘moralistic' workplace bullying in a marketised UK Public Sector, using Gramsci’s theory of hegemony.

The UK public sector has undergone significant changes propelled by neoliberal marketisation, purportedly to enhance competitiveness, financial accountability and efficiency. Moralistic bullying explores how negative interactions towards bullied targets by ostensibly scrupulous individuals are erroneously justified in the workplace, legitimised through privilege, and reconstructed as 'moral' by the actors. Moralistic workplace bullying thereby involves actors of bullying abusing their power and legitimising their behaviour through falling back on organisational norms and mores. Simultaneously, actors of bullying engage in moral condemnation and disdainful criticism of the employees that they target, ultimately leading to the latter’s ejection from the organisation. The actors of moralistic workplace bullying justify their own behaviour through presenting and claiming moral probity, which exonerates their negative actions with the aim of keeping their positions in complex hegemonic workplace environments of financial instability.

From a feminist perspective, Anita also has an interest in gender, racism and class, entailing examining the intersectionality of these areas of political, social and personal identity, and their implications for societal and workplace inequality.

Anita is a Programme Leader, Module Tutor and Dissertation Supervisor, and since her arrival at the university has been nominated for student awards in the category of Best Lecturer and Best Pastoral Support.

Research interests

Critical Organisational Studies, Workplace Bullying and Harassment, Intersectionality, Decolonization, Anti-Racism, Gender Equity.

Biography

Dr Anita Garvey is an Assistant Professor in Organisational Studies at Northumbria University. Her research areas involve using the lens of political economy, critical theory and sociological analysis to analyse phenomena in the field of organisational studies accompanied by a particular focus on the deleterious influence of neoliberal capitalism. From a feminist perspective, Anita also has an interest in gender inequality, racism and class, the intersectionality of these areas, and their repercussions for societal and workplace inequality. 

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 5 - Gender Equality
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Education/Academic qualification

Social Philosophy, PhD, Gramscian Hegemonic Power Relations, the Marketisation of the UK Public Sector, and the Legitimisation of the Moralistic Bully., Northumbria University

Psychology, MA

Human Organisations, PGDip

Careers Guidance, PGDip

Human Organisations, PGCert

External positions

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

International Association of Workplace Bullying and Harassment

The British Psychological Society

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics where Anita Garvey is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
  • 1 Similar Profiles

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or