Academic Staff | TU Dublin

Sharon Feeney

Senior Lecturer in Strategic Management

Qualifications: C.Dir, Ed.D, MSc (Work & Org. Psych.), BSc (Psych.)

A Fulbright Research Scholar and a Chartered Director who is a highly experienced academic with over 35 years’ experience in the Irish higher education sector. An experienced non-executive Board member (NED) (from 2016 to present) of numerous State Boards in Ireland (appointed by Ministers from different governments and political parties), includin the Higher Education Authority (HEA), the National Forum for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education in Ireland (the National Forum, Ireland), the Education Research Centre (ERC), and Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) and former Vice-Dean for Learning Development (2014-2024) in the Faculty of Business in TU Dublin (formerly Dublin Institute of Technology). Recognised as an expert in Board Governance, Governance in Higher Education, Governance of Public and State Bodies. Proven skills and experience in change management, organisation development, and in developing, writing, implementing, revising and reviewing policy in the higher education sector at institutional, national, European and international levels. A proven knowledge of quality systems in higher education; accreditation systems and processes for higher education at national and international levels; qualifications frameworks (development, implementation and dissemination activities), and an active researcher in higher education issues with numerous peer reviewed journal publications and book chapters. Current research topics include Education Policy, Higher Education Policy, Human Resource Practice in Higher Education, Management in the Public Sector, Public Administration, Quality Systems in Higher Education, Motherhood Penalty, Gender Equality in Higher Education, Diversity in Higher Education, Entrepreneurship Education, Health and Well-being in Higher Education Institutions, Elite System Formation, Comparative Public Policy (in Higher Education), Change Management, Organisational Design, Governance in Higher Education and Public Sector Organisations.

Professional Engagement

Fulbright Research Scholar 2023 (East Tennessee State University)
Board Member, Quality Qualifications Ireland (QQI) [Non-Executive Director] 2023-2027
Chair, Programmes & Awards Oversight Committee, QQI. 2023-2027
Member, Human Research & Organisation Committee, QQI. 2023-2027
Board Member, Education Research Centre (ERC) [Non-Executive Director] 2021-2026
Deputy Chair, ERC 2023 - 2026
Member, Audit Committee, ERC. 2021-2026
Member of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) 2016 - 2023 [Non-Executive Director]
Deputy Chairperson of HEA Board (2018-2020)
Chair, Audit Committee, Higher Education Authority (HEA) 2016-2023
Member, Student Engagement, Teaching & Learning Committee, HEA. 2023-2025
Board Member, National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education [Non-Executive Director] (2019-2023)
Member of the System Development & Performance Management Committee, HEA (2016-2023)
Member of the Higher Education Policy & Planning Committee, HEA (2016 – 2023)
Appointed as an Equality Charter Panellist, Athena Swan (Gender Equality Unit) (2018 – present)

External Examiner experience includes examining at PhD level, Masters Level, Undergraduate Level in: South East Technological University, Ireland; Dundalk Institute of Technology; Waterford Institute of Technology; Letterkenny Institute of Technology.

Academic Publications - Chapters in Books

Feeney, S. & Hogan, J. (2021) Using Drawings to Understand Undergraduates’ Perceptions of Civic Engagement Across Countries – Ireland and Egypt in Elizabeth C. Matto, Alison Rios Millett McCartney, Elizabeth A. Bennion, Alasdair Blair, Taiyi Sun, and Dawn Whitehead (Eds), Teaching Civic Engagement Globally. Washington, DC: American Political Science Association. September 2021. https://web.apsanet.org/teachingcivicengagement/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2021/09/Teaching-Civic-Engagement-Globally.pdf

Whelan, R. & Feeney, S. (2019) Transitioning from Military Careers to Civilian Careers: An Investigation of Practice in Ireland. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the International Technology, Education and Development Group (INTED), Valencia, Spain. 11-13 March 2019. INTED.
Feeney, S., Hogan, J. and O’Rourke, B.K. (2017) ‘Elite formation in Ireland and the UK: The Role of Higher Education Institutions’. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management 2017. Vol. 2017, No. 1. https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/ambpp.2017.16127abstract .
Feeney, S. & Hogan, J. (2017) ‘Using Drawings to Understand Civic Engagement’. In Buckley, A. P. & Lawlor, K. (Eds), Proceedings of the 16^th European Conference on Research Methods in Business and Management. Reading: ACPI
Feeney, S. & Horan, C. (2015) ‘The Bologna Process & the European Qualifications Framework (EQF): A routines approach to understanding the emergence of educational policy harmonisation – from abstract ideas to policy implementation’. Howlett, M. & Hogan, J. (Eds) Policy Paradigms in Theory and Practice: Discourses, Ideas and Anomalies in Public Policy Dynamics. Palgrave McMillan.
Feeney, S., Edge, O. & Quinn, E. (2015) ‘Developing Organisational Design Criteria in the Redesign of an Irish Higher Education Institution. Conference Proceedings: Higher Education in Transformation Conference, Dublin, Ireland, 2015, pp.369-373.
Munnelly, J.; Feeney, S.; Wu, B.; Hussey, M.; Duff, T.; O’Neill, P.; Burns, R. (2014) ‘An Initiative to apply the concept and philosophy of Industry-Oriented Higher Education to Technician level Software Programmes. Motta, G. & Wu, B. (Eds) ‘Software Engineering Education for a Global E-Service Economy State of the Art, Trends and Developments’. Springer Series on Progress in Information Systems (IS). Conference Proceedings from The China–Europe International Symposium on Software Engineering Education (CEISEE 2013). Springer International Publishing Switzerland

Internationally Peer Reviewed Journal Publications

Hogan, J., & Feeney, S. (2024). Comparing the roles of secondary schools and universities in the formation of British cabinet ministers, 1922–2022. Review of Education, Vol. 12, No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.70008
Feeney, S. & Hogan, J. (2024) Sustainability in Supply Chain Management: Using drawings to understand undergraduates’ Perceptions of Sustainability. International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 51, No. 4, pp. 555-568
Hogan, J., Feeney, S., & O’Rourke, B. K. (2023) Quantitatively comparing elite formation over a century: ministers and judges. Administration, Vol. 71, No. 2, pp. 1-25
Feeney, S. & Hogan, J. (2020) Employing a visual representation technique to understand undergraduates’ perceptions of civic engagement across countries. Journal of International Education in Business. Vol. 13, No.2 pp.163-182. April 2020.
Whelan, R. & Feeney, S. (2020) Transitioning from Military Careers to Civilian Careers: An Investigation of Practice in Ireland. DBS Business Review. Vol. 3. January 2020
Feeney, S., Ramsey, L. & Lillis, D. (2020) Students as Partners? Exploring Student Engagement in the Creation of new TUs in Ireland. Irish Journal of Academic Practice. Vol. 8, No.1 January 2020.
Fitzgerald, K, Northover, J., Finnegan, D. & Feeney, S. (2019) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems: A Threat Analysis for the Irish Air Corps, Irish Defence Forces Review pp 42-50. December 2019
Feeney, S. & Lillis, D. (2019) Structured Employer Contributions as an alternative funding mechanism for higher education: the Irish experience. Internationalisation of Higher Education: Developments in the European Higher Education Area and Worldwide. 3/2019. Sn. C4.5: https://www.handbook-internationalisation.com/en/handbuch/gliederung /#/Beitragsdetailansicht/170/2746/Structured-Employer-Contributions-to-Higher-Education-Funding---The-Irish-Experience October 2019.
Flynn, G., Hogan, J., & Feeney, S. (2019) ‘Whistleblowing in the Irish Military: The Cost of Exposing Bullying and Sexual Harassment’ Journal of Military Ethics. Vol. 18, No. 2 pp.129-144. August 2019.
Feeney, S. & Hogan, S. (2019) ‘Using drawings to understand perceptions of civic engagement across disciplines: seeing is understanding’. Politics. Vol. 39, No. 2 pp. 233-251. May 2019.
Feeney, S. & Hogan, J. (2018) ‘Drawings of Corporate Social Responsibility – a picture draws a thousand words’. Irish Journal of Academic Practice. Vol. 7, No.1. December 2018.
Deegan, J., Hogan, J., Feeney, S. & O’Rourke, B.K. (2018) The Self and Other: Portraying Israeli and Palestinian Identities on Twitter. Irish Communications Review. Vol.16, No. 1. June 2018
Feeney, S., Hogan, J. and O’Rourke, B.K. (2017) ‘Elite formation in the higher education systems of Ireland and the UK: measuring, comparing and decomposing longitudinal patterns of cabinet members’. British Educational Research Journal. Vol.43, No.4. pp.720-742. August 2017.
Keeling, S., Hogan, J. & Feeney, S. (2017) ‘Transparency! Transparency? Comparing the new lobbying legislation in Ireland and the UK’ Interest Groups and Advocacy. Vol.6, No. 2. pp.121-142. May 2017.
Feeney, S. and Hogan, J. (2017) ‘A Path Dependence Approach to Understanding Educational Policy Harmonisation: Framework for Qualifications in the Higher Education Area’. Higher Education Policy, Vol. 30, No. 3. pp. 279-298. September 2017.
Feeney, S., Hogan, J., Donnelly, P. (2015) ‘What stick figures tell us about Irish politics: Creating a critical and collaborative learning space’. Teaching in Higher Education, Vol. 20, No.3, pp. 313-327. April 2015.
Hogan, J. and Feeney, S. (2012) ‘Crisis and Policy Change – The Role of the Political Entrepreneur’. Risk Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy, Vol. 4, No. 2, Article 6. pp. 1-16. June 2012.

Conference Proceedings/Papers

2025 papers are currently under consideration and review and will be added following each presentation.

Hogan, J. & Feeney, S. (2024) The Education of the British Political Elite, 1922–2022. Presented at the Annual Conference of the American Political Science Association, Philadelphia, 7 September.
Israni, B., Basini, S. & Feeney, S. (2004) The Influence of Psychosocial Factors and Sociocultural Situatedness on Mindfulness by Employees. Presented at the 33^rd Annual International Congress of Psychology (ICP), Prague, Czech Republic, 24 July.
Shoemaker, L. & Feeney, S. (2024) Supporting Women in Higher Education: Experience of a Mentoring Programme. Presented at the Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association, Palmer Hilton, Chicago, 5 April.
Hogan, J. & Feeney, S. (2024) Quantitatively comparing the formation of cabinet ministers in the British secondary school and higher education systems between 1922-2022. Presented at the Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association, Palmer Hilton, Chicago, 5 April.
Hogan, J. & Feeney, S. (2024) Examining how the British secondary school and university systems created cabinet ministers over the century 1922-2022. Presented at the Political Studies Association Annual Conference, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, 25 March.
Shoemaker, L. & Feeney, S. (2023) Supporting women in Science, Engineering and Technology programmes: A TU Dublin approach. Presented at the Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI), Dublin, 11 September.
Feeney, S. &Hogan, J. (2023) Using Drawings to understand students' perception of sustainability. Presented at the Annual Conference of the American Political Science Association, Los Angeles, 2 September.
Feeney, S. and Hogan, J. (2023) What is Sustainability? Using sketches to understand students' perception of sustainability. Presented at the Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, 15 April.
Feeney, S., and Hogan, J. (2023) Sustainability in supply chain management: Using drawings to understand undergraduates’ perceptions of sustainability. Presented at the Political Studies Association Annual Conference, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK, 3 April.
Hogan, J., Feeney, S. and O’Rourke, B. K. (2022) Elite Formation in The Irish School System: Ministers and Judges. Presented at the American Political Science Association Annual Conference, Montreal, Quebec, 17 September.
Hogan, J., Feeney, S. and O’Rourke, B. K. (2022) A Century of Elite Formation in The Irish Secondary School System: Cabinet Ministers and Superior Court Judges. Presented at the Political Studies Association Annual Conference, York, UK, 13 April.
Hogan, J., Feeney, S. and O’Rourke, B. K. (2022) Quantitatively comparing elite formation over a century: ministers and judges. Presented at the Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, 9 April.
Feeney, S (2022) Developing an Organizational Design of an Irish Higher Education Institution. Presented at the Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, 9 April.
Feeney, S. & Hogan, J. (2021) Understanding Undergraduates’ Perceptions of Civic Engagement Across Countries. Annual Conference of the American Political Science Association (APSA), Seattle, Washington, 30 September – 3 October, 2021
Feeney, S. & Hogan, J. (2021) Using Drawings to Understand Perceptions of Civic Engagement Across Countries. Annual Conference of the American Political Science Association (APSA), Seattle, Washington, 30 September – 3 October, 2021
Feeney, S. & Hogan, J. (2021) Using Drawings to Understand Undergraduates’ Perceptions of Civic Engagement Across Countries – Ireland and Egypt. Polytechnic Summit Annual Conference, TU Dublin. 2 – 4 June 2021.
Feeney, S., Ramsey, L., & Lillis, D. (2021) Students as Partners? Exploring Student Engagement in the Creation of new Technological Universities in Ireland. Polytechnic Summit Annual Conference, TU Dublin. 2 – 4 June 2021.
Feeney, S., Ramsey. L, Lillis, D. & Irvne, G. (2021) Gender Equality in Irish Higher Education - An overview from 2014 – 2021. Polytechnic Summit Annual Conference, TU Dublin. 2 – 4 June 2021.
Feeney, S., and Hogan, J. (2021) A Comparative Examination of Using Drawings to Understand Undergraduates’ Perceptions of Civic Engagement in Ireland and Egypt. Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), Chicago, 14-18 April, 2021
Feeney, S., Ramsey, L., Lillis, D. & Irvine, G. (2021) Gender Equality in Irish Higher Education. Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), Chicago, 14-18 April, 2021
Feeney, S., Ramsey, L. & Lillis, D. (2021) Students as Partners? Exploring Student Engagement in the Creation of New Technological Universities in Ireland. Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), Chicago, 14-18 April, 2021
Lillis, D. & Feeney, S. (2021) Structured Employer Contributions to Higher Education Funding: The Irish Experience. Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), Chicago, 14-18 April, 2021
Fitzgerald, K, Northover, J., Finnegan, D. & Feeney, S. (2019) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems: A Threat Analysis for the Irish Air Corps, Launch of the Irish Defence Forces Review University College Dublin. 5 December 2019
Feeney, S., Irvine, G., Lillis, D. & Ramsey, L (2019) Gender Diversity in Irish higher education. Annual Conference of the Irish Academy of Management, Dublin, Ireland. 28-30 August, 2019.
Whelan, R. & Feeney, S. (2019) An investigation into the career path of non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in the Defence Forces of Ireland (Army only) on retirement. Annual Conference of the Irish Academy of Management, Dublin, Ireland. 28-30 August, 2019.
Donnelly, P., Özkazanç-Pan, B., Osorio, A.E., Ruane, S., Feeney, S. and Burgos-Mirabal, R. (co-organizers) (2019) Getting Out of the Hotels and Getting Things Done. Professional development workshop accepted by the Critical Management Studies Division for the Academy of Management Annual Meeting. Boston, MA, USA (August).
Feeney, S. (2019) A New Type of University for Ireland: the Technological University. Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), Chicago, Ill. 4-7 April 2019.
Feeney, S. & Ramsey, L. (2019) Student Feedback in Irish Higher Education. Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), Chicago, Ill. 4-7 April 2019.
Feeney, S. & Jennings, M. (2019) Adult Education Tutors and Participation in Continuing Professional Development – Implications for Public and Education Policy. Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), Chicago, Ill. 4-7 April 2019.
Feeney, S. & Jennings, M. (2019) Housing Policy in Ireland: Privitisation by the Back Door. Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), Chicago, Ill. 4-7 April 2019.
Feeney, S. & Hogan, J. (2019) Comparing understandings of civic engagement across countries through drawings: ‘now that I see it I understand it’. Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), Chicago, Ill. 4-7 April 2019.
Feeney, S. & Hogan, J. (2019) Socialism for the rich: Investigating groupthink in the Irish elites’ decision to guarantee the banks in 2008. Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), Chicago, Ill. 4-7 April 2019.
Feeney, S. & Ramsey, L. (2019) Student as Partners? Exploring student engagement in the creation of new Technological Universities in Ireland. Annual Conference of the Student Partnerships in Quality Scotland (SPARQS) Edinburgh, Scotland. 28 March 2019.

Whelan, R. & Feeney, S. (2019) Transitioning from Military Careers to Civilian Careers: An Investigation of Practice in Ireland. Annual Conference of the International Technology, Education and Development Group (INTED), Valencia, Spain. 11-13 March 2019.

Donnelly, P., Özkazanç-Pan, B., Osorio, A.E., Ruane, S., Feeney, S. and Burgos-Mirabal, R. (co-organizers) (2018) Getting Out of the Hotels and Getting Things Done. Professional development workshop accepted by the Critical Management Studies Division for the Academy of Management Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL, USA (August).
Feeney, S. & Hogan, J. (2018) Understanding perceptions of civic engagement across disciplines through the use of freehand drawing. Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), Chicago, Ill. 5-8 April 2018.

Feeney, S., Jennings, M. & Hogan, J. (2018) Freedom of Information in Irish higher education institutions. Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), Chicago, Ill. 5-8 April 2018.

Donnelly, P., Özkazanç-Pan, B., Osorio, A.E., Ruane, S., Feeney, S. and Burgos-Mirabal, R. (co-organizers) (2017) Getting Out of the Hotels and Getting Things Done. Professional development workshop accepted by the Critical Management Studies Division for the Academy of Management Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA, USA (August).
Deegan, J., Hogan, J., Feeney, S., and O’Rourke, B. K. (2017) The self and other: portraying Israeli and Palestinian identities on Twitter. Critical Media Literacy Conference, Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Dublin 2, Ireland. October 21, 2017.
Feeney, S. & Hogan, J. (2017) Using drawings to understand perceptions of civic engagement across disciplines: ‘seeing is understanding’ Engaging Young People in Politics through Citizenship Education, National University of Ireland (NUI). Dublin. October 6, 2017.
Feeney, S. & Hogan, J. (2017) Using Student Generated Freehand Drawings to Understand Civic Engagement. Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA). San Francisco, USA August 31- September 3, 2017.

Feeney, S., Hogan, J. and O’Rourke, B. K. (2017) Elite Formation in the Higher Education Systems of Ireland and the United Kingdom’ Engagement. Poster Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA). San Francisco, USA August 31- September 3, 2017.

Teaching and Supervision

I currently teach modules in Strategic Management to final year degree students.

PhD level supervision includes:

2023– 2027. Human Resource Management in Chinese Universities: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach (Working title)
2021 – 2025. A Qualitative Study to Explore the Influence of Psychosocial Factors and Sociocultural Situatedness on the Practice of Mindfulness among Employees in Commercial Organisations (Working title)
2021 – 2025. Social Capital/Social interaction in front line service in the Irish Public Service (Working title).
2024-2027. The Volatility of the Vietnamese Stock Market: An Empirical Analysis from 2001-2024

Completed:

June 2025: “In the eye of the storm: the reality of DEIS in a second level school in Tallaght”
June 2025: “The Development of a Formative Instrument to Evaluate Synchronous Online Teaching Effectiveness in Higher Education”
2025: “An Investigation of the Structure of Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy and its Role in the Digital Economy”

Research Interests for Potential Research Students

Higher Education Policy; Education Policy; Teaching Practice; Organisational Change; Funding Higher Education; Public Sector Studies; Public Sector Management; Governance in Public Sector Organisations; Quality Assurance in Higher Education; Education Research; Gender Equality in Higher Education; Diversity and inclusion in Higher Education; Board Effectiveness and Performance

Areas of Professional Expertise

Governance in Public Sector Organisations; Board Governance; Quality Systems in Higher Education; Comparative Higher Education Studies; Designing and Development of Awards Frameworks at national and regional levels; Higher Education policy design, policy review and revision in higher education settings at international, European, National, Regional and Institutional level; change management and organisation design, organisation issue diagnosis and development, strategy development and strategy review.

Committee and Panel Membership

Externally Appointed by Minister/Government for specific expertise:

Board Member, Quality Qualifications Ireland (QQI) [Non-Executive Director] 2023-2027
Chair, Programmes & Awards Oversight Committee, QQI. 2023-2027
Member, Human Research & Organisation Committee, QQI. 2023-2027
Board Member, Education Research Centre (ERC) [Non-Executive Director] 2021-2026
Deputy Chair, ERC 2023 - 2026
Member, Audit Committee, ERC. 2021-2026
Member of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) 2016 - 2023 [Non-Executive Director]
Deputy Chairperson of HEA Board (2018-2020)
Chair, Audit Committee, Higher Education Authority (HEA) 2016-2023
Member, Student Engagement, Teaching & Learning Committee, HEA. 2023-2025
Board Member, National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education [Non-Executive Director] (2019-2023)
Member of the System Development & Performance Management Committee, HEA (2016-2023)
Member of the Higher Education Policy & Planning Committee, HEA (2016 – 2023)
Appointed as an Equality Charter Panellist, Athena Swan (Gender Equality Unit) (2018 – present)

Committee Memberships at internal University level include:

I have been a member on over 100 Committees and working groups in TU Dublin and it’s founding institutions over the past 12 years. The Committees include being part of the Faculty Leadership Team in the Faculty of Business from 2014-2024; the Academic Council of the University; the Quality Enhancement Committee; and other strategically focussed committees.

School of Management, People and Organisations