Dr Gail Greig

MA, (Hons) Political Studies; MSc, (Dist); PhD
Fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce)

Lecturer in Management

Director of Postgraduate Research, School of Management
Programme Director, MRes

Contact details

Tel: +44 (0)1334 462875
Fax: +44 (0)1334 462812

Teaching 2012/2013

• MN3102 Organisation Studies
• MN4241 Knowledge Work: Practice and Context
• MN5490 Understanding Theory and Practice in the Creative Industries

Biography

My PhD, funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Executive Health Department, concerned the role and importance of context in relation to collective (or organisational) learning. I subsequently worked as a contract researcher for 2 years on a research project (funded by the NHS Service Delivery Organisation) on Managed Clinical Networks. I was then awarded an ESRC Post Doctoral Fellowship to develop my research interests on the "Role of Context in Collective Learning", at the School of Management, University of St Andrews, and Social Dimensions of Health Institute (SDHI), A Joint initiative of Universities of Dundee and St Andrews. I have been a member of Faculty at the School of Management since July, 2010.

Prior to working in academia, I worked in various management positions covering most areas of healthcare.

Research Interests

My research interests concern collective knowing and learning in work and organization, and the relations between the various practices involved in different work settings (including research practice). I work mainly within practice-based approaches, with a particular interest in activity theory. I am interested in the emergent contradictions between key contextual features of collective learning and knowing, and their implications for notions of best practice, and knowledge transfer, translation, exchange or mobilisation. More recently, I have been working on the relations between the dialectical and dialogical aspects of practice in various musical work settings, and in relation to research practice.

I am currently a member of a research group, straddling the Cultural and Creative Industries thematic group and the Knowledge/Practice thematic group within the School of Management, studying organising and musical practices in music festivals and performances.

I also have a developing interest in craft and the relations between craft working practices and the organizing practices involved in this area of endeavour. I am a member of an interdisciplinary group within the University of St Andrews addressing a range of issues related to craft.

Research Students

I currently supervise two research students working on projects concerning practice and aesthetics in advertising, and identity work in music.

My main interest, which is in relational practices and context – I would be pleased to be involved in research on these themes. I am interested in developing such projects in the area of craft and its associated practices. I would be pleased to hear from anyone who shares a similar interest.

Selected Publications

• Greig, G., Gilmore, C., Patrick, H. and Beech, N. (2012) 'Arresting moments in engaged management research'. Management Learning 0(0) 1– 19. doi: 10.1177/1350507612443209.
• Greig, G., Beech, N. and Entwistle, V. (2012) 'Addressing complex healthcare problems in diverse settings: Insights from activity theory'. Social Science and Medicine 74: 305-312. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.02.006.
• Beech, N., Gilmore, C. L., Cochrane, E. & Greig, G. J. (2012) 'Identity work as a response to tension: a re-narration in opera rehearsals'. Scandinavian Journal of Management. 28, 1, p. 39-47.
• Kelly, D., Crossley, J., Lough, M., Rushmer, R. K., Greig, G. J. & Davies, H. T. O. (2011) 'Diagnosing a learning practice: the validity and reliability of a Learning Practice Inventory (LPI)'. Quality and Safety in Health Care. 20, p. 209-215.
• Guthrie, B., Davies, HTO, Greig, G., et al (2009) 'Delivering health care through managed clinical networks (MCNs): lessons from the North'. Project report: http://www.netscc.ac.uk/hsdr/files/project/SDO_ES_08-1518-103_V01.pdf
• Greig, G. (2004) 'Mutual learning between general practitioners with community hospital beds and consultants in Scotland' Work Based Learning in Primary Care 2:338-51.

Selected Conference Papers

• N.Beech, G. Greig, H. Patrick, and Sims, D. (2011) 'A Dialogical Exploration of Solo Improvisation in Musical Performance', British Academy of Management Conference, Birmingham, UK, September 2011. Winner Best Paper in Track Award.
• Beech, N., Sims, D. Greig, G. and Patrick, H. (2011) 'A Dialogical Exploration of Solo Improvisation in Musical Work'. Academy of Management 71st Annual Meeting, San Antonio, Texas, USA, August 2011.
• Greig, G., Beech, N., Sims, D. and Patrick, P. (2011) 'Sound Waves: Learning from Mistake and Repair in Improvisation'. Organizational Learning, Knowledge and Capabilities, (OLKC), Hull, UK, April 2011.
• Beech, N., Greig, G., Patrick, H. and Sims, D. (2010) 'Management Practice in times of change: lessons from improvisation' presented at the International Conference on Organizational Discourse, Amsterdam, July 2010.
• Greig, G. (2010) 'Catalysing "best practice"' presented at the European Group for Organization Studies (EGOS) Conference, Lisbon, July 2010.
• Greig, G. (2010) 'Understanding differences in practices – how "best practice" initiatives fail.' Presented at the International Conference on Organizational Learning, Knowledge and Capabilities, (OLKC), Boston, USA, June 2010.
• Greig, G. (2009) 'Accounting for variation in primary care teams.' Presented at (US) Society for Medical Anthropology conference, Yale, USA, Sept 2009.
• Greig, G. (2009) 'Variation – a desirable aspect of primary care' presented at Society for Academic Primary Care Conference, June, 2009.

Thesis Title

The role and importance of context in collective learning: multiple case studies in Scottish primary care