A key aspect of our mission is to advance empirical and theoretical understanding of work and employment matters. Faculty engage in research across the full spectrum of work-related issues, from training to human resource development, human resource management, organisational behaviour and industrial relations. The Department has gained an international reputation for this research, collaborating with leading international scholars in Europe, Asia and North America.

Faculty in the department have published in major international journals such as Human Relations, British Journal of Industrial Relations, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Journal of Managerial Psychology and the Journal of World Business. Editorial Board memberships include Human Resource Management Journal, Industrial Relations Journal, Journal of Managerial Psychology and Journal of European Industrial Training.

Key ongoing projects include Employment Relations in Multinationals in Comparative Perspective, Who Learns at Work? Employer and Employee Perspectives on Training & Development and the Cranfield Network ('Cranet') Project on International Human Resource Management, involving more than 30 international universities and business schools. Faculty are involved in variety of other research projects covering areas such as diversity management, expatriation, partnership in the workplace and human resource development. These projects are funded from a variety of sources such as the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences, European Union Framework 7 Programme, European Commission, Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, FAS, Motorola, Health Services Executive, National Centre for Partnership and Performance, Labour Relations Commission, Apple Computers and Royal Bank of Scotland.