Dr. Ciara Nolan
Lecturer
Email: ciara.nolan@tudublin.ie
Qualifications: B.Sc. in Management, Higher Diploma in Hospitality Management, M.Phil, D.Phil., Fellow HEA (UK)
I am a Lecturer in Management, specialising in Human Resource Management, in the School of Management, People and Organisations. I am also Programme Coordinator for the part- time BSc Human Resource Management degree programme, accredited by the CIPD, and I manage the School of MPO’s podcast series, Ahead of the Curve, and related digital badge.
Prior to joining TU Dublin, I worked as a Lecturer in HRM at Dublin City University Business School and Ulster University Business School, where I was a Course Director for the award- winning MSc in Management and Corporate Governance programme. I am also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK). My teaching philosophy is student-centred, research- informed, and practice-based, and utilises a range of authentic assessment approaches and the latest pedagogical technologies. Prior to joining academia, I worked in HR practitioner and consulting roles in the retail and hospitality industries.
My research focuses on the intersection of HRM and SMEs, with a particular focus on HRD in professional service firms and the tourism and hospitality industry. I have recently co-edited a collection on Reframing HRM in SMEs: Challenges and Dynamics (Palgrave, 2024) with Professor Brian Harney from DCU, which involves contributions from well-known researchers in the UK, Europe, and Australia. In 2023, I was part of a research team that was awarded best paper at the International Human Resource Development Conference for a study on the predictors of management development in SMEs. I have published my work in leading outlets such as The International Journal of Management Reviews, Tourism Management, Human Resource Development Quarterly, Human Resource Development International, among others. My publications have also been cited in the International Labor Organization “Strategic Staffing in SMEs to Supporting Lifelong Learning” Report.
In the News
Academic Publications
Books
Nolan, C. and Harney, B. (2024) Reframing HRM in SMEs. London: Palgrave Macmillan
Chapter in Books
Nolan. C. (forthcoming) Rebalancing the Agenda: Employee Perspectives on HRD in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. In Rocco, T., Lane, M.L., Poell, R., and Shuck, B. Handbook of Human Resource Development (2nd ed.).
· Harney, B. and Nolan, C. (2023) HRM in SMEs. In Holland, P., Bartram, T., Grant, K., and Garavan, T.G., The Emerald Handbook of Work, Workplaces and Disruptive Issues in HRM. Emerald, pp.87-110.
· Nolan, C.T. (2017) International Human Resource Development in SMEs: Progress and Prospects. In Garavan, T.N. McCarthy, A. and Carbery, R. (eds.), A Handbook of International Human Resource Development: Content, Processes and People. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., pp.76-99.
· Harney, B. and Nolan, C. (2014) HRM in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. In: Harney, B. and Monks, K., eds., Strategic HRM: Research and Practice in Ireland, Dublin: Orpen Press, pp.139-173.
· Nolan, C.T. and Garavan, T.N. (2014) Human Resource Development in Small Firms: Current Issues, Insights and Future Directions for Research and Practice. In: Chalofsky, N.E., Rocco, T.S. and Morris, M.L., eds., The Handbook of Human Resource Development, San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Journal Publications
Garavan, T.N., Wang, J., Nolan, C. et al. (2023) Reinvigorating Research on National Human Resource Development Utilising a Lifespan Developmental in Ecological Context and Configurational Perspectives. International Journal of Management Reviews, 25 (1), 152- 175.
· Freeman, O. Duffy, D., McAlpine, A., Nolan, C., MacMahon, C.H. (2021) Exploring the impact of authentic assessment on sustainability literacy through reflective and action- oriented tasks: A roundtable podcast. Irish Journal of Academic Practice, 9(2), Article 7. doi:https://doi.org/10.21427/CSYC-2271
· Nolan, C., Garavan, T.N. and Lynch, P. (2020) Multidimensionality of HRD in Small Tourism Firms: A Case Study of the Republic of Ireland. Tourism Management, 79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.104029.
· Nolan, C. and Garavan T.N. (2019) External and internal networks and access to HRD resources in small professional service firms. Human Resource Development International, 22 (5), 477-503. · Nolan, C.T. and Garavan, T.N. (2016) HRD in SMEs: A Systematic Review of the Literature. International Journal of Management Reviews, 18 (1), 85-107.
Conference Proceedings/Papers
· Alan Moon Prize for best overall paper: McQuillan, D. Garavan, T., Rashwan, W., Sweeney, L., & Nolan, C. (2023) The predictors of management development in small and medium sized firms in Ireland: size and age contingencies. 23rd International Conference on HRD Research and Practice Across Europe in association with the University Forum for HRD and the Academy for Human Resource Development, 7th-9th June, National College of Ireland, Dublin.
· Nolan, C., MacMahon, C.H., Freeman, O., McAlpine, A., Walsh, L., Duffy, D. (2021) Education for Sustainable Development: Embedding Sustainability Literacy in Business School Curricula. Irish Academy of Management Annual Conference, August 2021.
· McQuillan, D., Garavan, T.N., Rashwan, W., Sweeney, L., Nolan, C., and Osaghae, O-G. (2021) Predictors of Management Development in SMEs in Ireland: A Contingency Perspective. Irish Academy of Management Annual Conference, August 2021.
· Walsh, L., Duffy, D., Freeman, O., McAlpine, McAlpine, A., MacMahon, C.H., Nolan, C. (2021) Sustainability Literacy Focused Digital Authentic Assessment. Presentation at Academy of Marketing Conference, July 2021.
· Nolan, C. (2012) Exploring Discourses of HRD in Small Firms: Insights from Professional Service Firms in the Republic of Ireland, The 11th World Congress of International Federation of Scholarly Associations of Management (IFSAM), 26th – 29th June, University of Limerick, Limerick.
Teaching and Supervision
Over the course of my academic career, my teaching responsibilities have included HRM modules on programmes ranging from Level 6 to Level 9 and executive education. I have significant experience in teaching a variety of student groups including undergraduate and postgraduate students, MBA students, mature students, international students, business and non-business students. I also supervise dissertations on a range of BSc and MSc programmes.
My current teaching involves a broad range of modules within the HRM discipline, including contemporary issues in HRM, health and safety management, people management practice, and an ePortfolio module that focuses on reflective practice and CPD. I have participated in the revalidation of numerous academic programmes, which has involved curriculum revision, development and implementation of new courses, as well as meeting the requirement of professional bodies such as the CIPD.
Research Interests for Potential Research Students
I would welcome applications from students interested in exploring any aspect of HRM in the SME context, particularly the dynamics of training and development practices.
I was part of a research team that was awarded EU funding to pursue my interests in management development in SMEs. I would also welcome applications from students to further develop this work.
Research on Management Development Standards in SMEs (€150,000) awarded by the Structural Reform Support Service (SRSS) of the European Commission – 2019.
Output: McQuillan, D., Cooney, T., Nolan, C., Osaghae, O-G., Sweeney, L., and Rashwan, W. (2020) Leading the Way: Investing in Management Development for SME Productivity and Growth. Dublin: Expert Group for Future Skills Needs.
Areas of Professional Expertise
· Human Resource Management
· Human Resource Development
· Small and medium-sized enterprises
· Professional service firms
· Tourism and hospitality industry
Committee and Panel Membership
· External Examiner, Glasgow Caledonian University (2020-present)
· Reviewer for International Journal of Human Resource Management, Human Resource Development International, Human Resource Development Review, Personnel Review, Irish Journal of Management, European Journal of Training and Development, Studies in Higher Education, Journal of Healthcare and Organization Management, Tourism Management.
· Reviewer for the International HRD Conference on Research and Practice Across Europe, Academy of Management Conference, ANZAM Conference
· Member, TU Dublin, Authentic Assessment Community of Practice
· School representative on the Appeals Eligibility Panel
· Facilitator on an Enterprise Thematic Panel (Management Competencies in SMEs) as part of TU Dublin’s ‘Dublin Region COVID-19 Economic Response Forum’ (2020)
· Programme Committee Member: BSc Business and Management, BSc Business and Law, BSc in Human Resource Management, BBS in Business Studies, Higher Certificate in Business Studies, Musgrave Higher Certificate in Retail Practice, IBEC Global Business Programme (MSc)
