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Professor George Callaghan

Profile summary

  • Regional Academic Staff
  • Deputy Associate Dean, Academic Communities
  • Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
  • School of Social Sciences & Global Studies
  • Economics
  • george.callaghan

Professional biography

Since begiinning my teaching career i have worked mainly with the Open University. This reflects my dedication to and enthusiasm for bringing learning to as wide a section of society as possible. The OU offers a great base to do this from as it operates at scale, both in terms of geography, social class and demography.

The OU is also an excellent Higher Education Institutiion to build skills in distance learning, more particularly using on-line methods. My research interests are now focused on how we use digital media to enhance informal learning, with a particular interest in teaching personal finance and economics. The potential to use on-line tutorials to reach students over time and place, the potential to use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to broaden and deepen debates in personal finance education is huge. 

My commitment to leadership in this area is demonstrated by me gaining Principal Fellow status with the Higher Education Academy in 2018.

Research interests

George Callaghan's research interest began in labour markets and the labour process. He has written and led on teaching in Economics and Personal Finance. He is now working on research into the scholarship of distance learning and the impact teaching personal finance has on behavioural change.

Books:

Baxter, J., Callaghan, G, and McAvoy, J. (2017) Creativity and Critique in Online Learning: Exploring and Examining Innovations in Online Pedagogy, Open University Social Media Unconference, 11/10/17, Open University, Milton Keynes.

Papers

Callaghan, G. and Fribbance, I. (2016) ‘The use of Facebook to build a community for distance learning students: a case study from the Open University’ Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, Vol 31, 3, pp260-272.

Callaghan, G. and Williams, D. (2014) ‘Teddy bears and tigers: how renewable energy can revitalise local communities’, Local Economy, Vol. 26, No. 6-7, pp: 657-674.

Cumbers, A., Danson, M.,  Whittam, G., Morgan, G. and Callaghan, G. (2013) Repossessing the Future: a Strategy for Community and Democratic Ownership of Scotland’s Energy Resources, Jimmy Reid Foundation, Glasgow.

Callaghan, G.; Danson, M. and Whittam, G. (2012) ‘Economic and enterprise development in community buyouts.’ In Danson, M. and de Souza, P. (Eds). Regional development in Northern Europe: personality, marginality and border issues. Routledge, pp. 196-211.

Workshop participation

Campbell, A., Callaghan, G., McGarvie, D.W., and Hynd, M. (2013) ‘Do students study and learn differently using e-Readers?  A cross-discipline research investigation into the pedagogical implications of using e-Readers to study university level texts.’ The QAA Enhancement Themes International Conference on Enhancement and Innovation in Higher Education, Glasgow, UK

Other publications

Callaghan, G., Danson, M. and Whittam, G. (2011) 'Community ownership and sustainable economic development.', Scottish Affairs, 74. pp. 79–100.

Callaghan, G., Thompson, P. and Van den Broek, D. (2004) 'Keeping Up Appearances: Recruitment, Skills and Normative Controls in Call Centres', in Deery, S. and Kinnie, N. (Eds) Human Resource Management and Call Centre Work, Macmillan, Hampshire, pp129–152.

Callaghan, G. Thompson, P. and van de Broek, D. (2004) 'Teams without teamwork? Explaining the call centre paradox', Economic and Industrial Democracy, 25, 2, pp 197–218.

Callaghan, G. and Thompson, P. (2002) ''We Recruit Attitude': The Selection and Shaping of Call Centre Labour'. Journal of Management Studies , Vol. 39, No. 2.

Callaghan, G. and Thompson, P. (2002) 'Skill Formation in Call Centres', in Kerst, C. (ed) Re-Organising Service Work.

Callaghan, G., Thompson, P. and Warhurst, C (2001) 'Ignorant Theory and Knowledgeable Workers: Interrogating the Connections Between Knowledge, Skills and Services' Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 38, No. 7.

Callaghan, G. and Thompson, P. (2001) ' Edwards Revisited: Technical Control and Call Centres', Economic and Industrial Democracy, Vol. 22, No. 1.

Callaghan, G. , Thompson, P. and Warhurst, C. (2000) 'Human Capital or Capitalising on Humanity? Knowledge, Skills and Competencies in Interactive Service Work', in Pritchard, C., Hull, R., Chumer, M. and Willmott, H. (eds) Managing Knowledge, Macmillan, Hampshire, pp 122–140, ISBN: 0333921577.

Callaghan, G and Thompson, P. (1999) 'Proceeding to the paddling pool: the selection and shaping of call centre labour', Economics Working Papers, Open University.

Callaghan, G. (1998) 'Recruitment of labour: the role of kinship and friendship networks', Napier University Business School Working Paper Series.

Callaghan, G. (1997) 'Stakeholding and a Scottish Parliament', Renewal, Vol. 5, No. 2, 1997.

Callaghan, G. (1997) Flexibility, Mobility and the Labour Market, Ashgate, Aldershot.

A repository of research publications and other research outputs can be viewed at The Open University's Open Research Online.

Teaching interests

Discipline teaching across curriculum and scholarship, with a focus on Personal Finance and Economics, digital learning and social media.

Impact and engagement

Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Member of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Member of the Society for Research into Higher Education

Publications

Introducing a Coaching Culture within an Academic Faculty (2022)
Callaghan, George
International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 20(1) (pp. 83-92)

The use of Facebook to build a community for distance learning students: a case study from The Open University (2016-10)
Callaghan, George and Fribbance, Ian
Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-learning, 31(3) (pp. 260-272)

Teddy bears and tigers: how renewable energy can revitalise local communities (2014-09-01)
Callaghan, George and Williams, Derek
Local Economy, 29(6-7) (pp. 657-674)

Community ownership and sustainable economic development (2011)
Callaghan, G.; Danson, M. and Whittam, G.
Scottish Affairs, 74 (pp. 79-100)

Teams without teamwork? Explaining the call centre paradox (2004)
van den Broek, Diane; Callaghan, George and Thompson, Paul
Economic and Industrial Democracy, 25(2) (pp. 197-218)

"We recruit attitude": the selection and shaping of call centre labour (2002-03)
Callaghan, George and Thompson, Paul
Journal of Management Studies, 39(2) (pp. 233-254)

Ignorant theory and knowledgeable workers: interrogating the vonnections between knowledge, skills and services (2001-11)
Thompson, Paul; Warhurst, Chris and Callaghan, George
Journal of Management Studies, 38(7) (pp. 923-942)

Edwards revisited: technical control and call centres (2001)
Callaghan, George and Thompson, Paul
Economic and Industrial Democracy, 22(1) (pp. 13-37)

Flexibility, mobility and the labour market (1997-08)
Callaghan, George
ISBN : 1859726046 | Publisher : Ashgate | Published : Aldershot, U.K.

Introduction to Chapters: Creativity and Critique in Online Teaching and Learning: Innovations in Online Pedagogy (2018-06-28)
Baxter, Jacqueline; Callaghan, George and McAvoy, Jean
In: Baxter, Jacqueline; Callaghan, George and McAvoy, Jean eds. Creativity & Critique in Online Learning: Exploring and Examining Innovations in Online Pedagogy (pp. 1-12)
ISBN : 978-3-319-78297-3 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

Facebook and Informal Learning (2018-06-28)
Callaghan, George and Fribbance, Ian
In: Callaghan, George; Baxter, Jacqueline and McAvoy, Jean eds. Creativity & Critique in Online Learning: Exploring and Examining Innovations in Online Pedagogy (pp. 81-102)
ISBN : 978-3-319-78297-3 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

The Future of Online Teaching and Learning and an Invitation to Debate (2018-06-26)
Callaghan, George; Baxter, Jacqueline and McAvoy, Jean
In: Baxter, Jacqueline; Callaghan, George and McAvoy, Jean eds. Creativity & Critique in Online Learning: Exploring and Examining Innovations in Online Pedagogy (pp. 261-278)
ISBN : 978-3-319-78297-3 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

Skill formation in call centres (2002-12)
Thompson, P. and Callaghan, G.
In: Holtgrewe, Ursula; Kerst, Christian and Shire, Karen eds. Re-organising Service Work: Call Centres in Germany and Britain (pp. 182-204)
ISBN : 754619559 | Publisher : Ashgate

Human Capitals or Capitalising on Humanity? Knowledge and Skills in Interactive Service Work (2000-04-18)
Warhurst, C.; Thompson, P. and Callaghan, G.
In: Pritchard, Craig; Chumer, Mike; Willmott, Hugh and Hull, Richard eds. Managing Knowledge: Critical Investigations of Work and Learning. Critical Perspectives on Work and Organisations
ISBN : 9780333921562 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Basingstoke, U.K.

Creativity & Critique in Online Learning: Exploring and Examining Innovations in Online Pedagogy (2018-06-28)
Baxter, Jacqueline; Callaghan, George and McAvoy, Jean eds.
ISBN : 978-3-319-78297-3 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan, Cham | Published : UK

Promoting renewable energy in community buy out areas in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland (2010)
Callaghan, G.; Danson, M. and Whittam, G.
In : Regional Studies Association Winter Conference (Nov 2010, London)

Economic and enterprise development in community buyouts (2008)
Callaghan, G.; Danson, M. and Whittam, G.
In : Regional Studies Association Annal International Conference, Regions: The Dilemmas of Integration and Competition (27-29 May 2008, University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic)

Edwards Revised: Technical Control and Call Centres (2000-11)
Callaghan, George and Thompson, Paul
Economics Department, The Open University

Proceeding to the Paddling Pool: The Selection and Shaping of Call Centre Labour (2000-01)
Callaghan, George and Thompson, Paul
Economics Department, The Open University