About the lecture
Work is part of who we are – what happens to our sense of self if work becomes insecure, precarious or if it changes dramatically thanks to technology?
Eva’s lecture will introduce the Working Identities Model which posits that having a clear, positive sense of self in relation to work is core to optimal functioning at work – and beyond.
By knowing who we are in terms of work, we not only feel better about ourselves, but can also perform more effectively, know which goals to pursue and even become more tolerant citizens.
Drawing on extensive empirical evidence, her lecture will show that self-understanding does not happen in a vacuum – it is influenced by job insecurity, precarity and change which can threaten our sense of self. Thereby, not only leading to poor mental health, but also impacting work performance and wider political thinking.
The Working Identities Model, therefore, presents a new bridge between working conditions on the one hand and individual well-being, thinking and behaviour on the other.
About the lecturer
Professor Eva Selenko studied Social Psychology at the University of Groningen (The Netherlands) and completed her PhD in Psychology, on justice and identity, at the University of Graz (Austria).
She began her academic career as a Lecturer in Work Psychology at the University of Linz (Austria), before moving to the Institute of Work Psychology (University of Sheffield) in 2013. She joined Loughborough in 2016 – and was promoted to Professor in 2023.
Her research focuses on the effects of precarious work on well-being, work behaviour and wider societal attitudes. Taking a programmatic approach, she aims to suggest new ways of understanding the meaning of work in our lives.
Eva has published in world-leading journals, and her ideas have been very well received by academia and industry alike. As an esteemed academic she collaborates with eminent international institutions, and acts as an editor for esteemed journals.
In 2020, she was awarded a Fellowship by the Royal Society of Arts in recognition of her work around well-being in times of crisis. She is Head of the Business School’s Work and Organisation Academic Group.
For further information on this lecture, please contact the Events team.
