Professor Ian Greer

Biography:

Prof Ian Greer is responsible for supporting the Work Employment Research Unit’s (WERU) members in carrying out their research. This involves managing the WERU budget, leading research projects, co-organising events, and representing WERU in various other ways. Prior to coming to Greenwich, Prof Greer participated in PhD work at Cornell University from 2001-05, worked at Leeds University from 2006-11, and held visiting positions in Aix-en-Provence, Berlin, Chemnitz, Cologne, Jena, and Sydney.

Prof Greer’s research interests include trade union strategy (community unionism, labour transnationalism, and responses to migration, privatization, and outsourcing), and active labour market policy (contracting, front-line work, and labour market effects). In both research streams he seeks to theorize the social consequences of market reforms. Prof Greer’s work has been published in the British Journal of Industrial Relations, Industrial Relations, the European Journal of Industrial Relations, New Technology Work and Employment, Politics & Society, and elsewhere. Current projects are funded by the European Research Council, the Hans Boeckler Foundation, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation, the Economic and Social Research Council.

Responsibilities within the university:

Teaching and administrative activities

Director of the Work and Employment Research Unit

MPhil/PhD supervision

Jamie McCallum (completed 2011), now Assistant Professor at Middlebury College

Charles Umney (completed 2012), now Lecturer at Greenwich University

John Ward (current)

Lisa Schulte (current)

Estera Onoakpovike (current)

Current research:

1. 'The Effects of Marketization on Societies' (TEMS). Grant from the European Research Council’s Starting Grants Scheme, from 2012-15, €1.15 million. The team includes Dr Lefteris Kretsos, Dr Charles Umney, and Ms Maria Mantynen.

2. ‘Marketization of Employment Services in European Comparison’ (MESEC). Grant from the Hans Boeckler Foundation in 2012-13, ca. €300,000. Partners for this include Prof Matthias Knuth at IAQ in Duisburg and Prof Flemming Larsen at CARMA in Aalborg. The Greenwich team includes Dr Graham Symon and Ms Lisa Schulte.

3. 'Industrial Relations in Central Public Administration' (CPA). Commissioned report from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Working and Living Conditions (EUROFOUND) in 2012-13, ca. €25,000. The team includes Ms Jane Lethbridge, Dr Lefteris Kretsos, and Dr Charles Umney.

4. 'Research Centre on Outsourcing and Privatization'. Series of commissioned reports by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), starting in 2011. The team includes Mr David Hall, Dr Charles Umney, and Ms Bethania Antunes.

5. 'The Effectiveness of neighbourhood-based Anti-Poverty Programmes.' PhD studentship funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) under their CASE scheme in 2010-13. Partners for this include Prof Mark Stuart at Leeds University and Cllr Tom Murray at Learning Partnerships. The project is carried out by Mr John Ward.

External activities:

Prof Ian Greer has reviewed papers for the British Journal of Industrial Relations, Capital and Class, Employee Relations, European Journal of Industrial Relations, Human Relations, Industrial & Labor Relations Review, Industrial Relations (Berkeley), Industrial Relations Journal, Industrielle Beziehungen, Journal of Industrial Relations, Journal of European Public Policy, Relations Industrielles / Industrial Relations, Work Employment and Society, and Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation.

Starting in 2013 Prof Greer will be the book reviews editor for the British Journal of Industrial Relations.

Prof Greer has presented at seminars at the following institutions. Asterisks denote visiting positions:

2012: Royal Holloway

2011: Basel; Keele; FU-Berlin*

2010: LEST (Aix-en-Provence)*

2009: LSE; Birkbeck; Manchester; New South Wales; Sydney*; Groningen; Kings College London

2008: FORBA (Vienna); Arbeiterkammer Oberösterreich (Linz); WZB (Berlin)*

2007: WSI (Düsseldorf); Jena; East London

2006: Leeds; Manchester; Cardiff; Westminster

2005: Cornell; Jena*; TU-Chemnitz; MIT

2004: Cornell; MPIfG (Cologne)*; FIAB (Recklinghausen)

2003: Cornell; TU-Chemnitz*

Member of the Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA), British Universities Industrial Relations Association (BUIRA), Deutsche Vereinigung für sozialwissenschaftliche Arbeitsmarktforschung (SAMF).

Awards and prizes:

European Research Council Starting Grant 2013-16

Hans-Böckler-Stiftung research grant with Matthias Knuth and Flemming Larsen 2013-14

EUROFOUND commissioned report with Jane Lethbridge, Charles Umney, and Lefteris Kretsos 2012-13

University of Greenwich Investment and Enterprise Grant with Graham Symon 2011-12

Humboldt Foundation ‘Experienced Scholars’ fellowship with Gregory Jackson 2011-13

John T. Dunlop Outstanding Scholar Award for international work on the employment relationship from the Labor and Employment Relations Association 2010

ESRC CASE award with Mark Stuart 2010-13

Hans-Böckler-Stiftung small grant with Lowell Turner 2008-09

DAAD Dissertation Fellowship 2003-04

Max-Planck-Institute for the Study of Societies Research Fellowship 2003-04

Fulbright Scholarship 1998-99

Recent publications:

Anner, M., Greer, I., Hauptmeier, M., Lillie, N. and Winchester, N. (2006) “The industrial determinants of transnational solidarity: Global inter-union politics in three sectors.” European Journal of Industrial Relations. 12:1. March. Pp. 7-27.

Böhlke N., Greer, I., and Schulten, T., “How does market making affect industrial relations? Evidence from eight German hospitals.” Forthcoming at the British Journal of Industrial Relations.

Byrd, B., Fleron, L., and Greer, I., (2007) “Two paths to the high road: Urban organization building Seattle and Buffalo.” In Lowell Turner and Daniel Cornfield (eds.) Labor in the new urban battlegrounds: Local solidarity in a global economy. (Ithaca: Cornell ILR Press). Pp.193-210.

Ciupijus, Z., Greer, I., and Lillie, N., “The European Migrant Workers Union: Union Organizing through Labour Transnationalism”. Forthcoming at the European Journal of Industrial Relations.

Doellgast, V. and Greer, I. (2007) “Vertical disintegration and the disorganization of German industrial relations.” British Journal of Industrial Relations. 45:1. March. Pp. 55-76.

Greenwood, I., Greer, I., and Stuart, M., (2012) "Market orientation and employment conditions in the activation industry: case study of the UK and Germany", (eds.) in Krenn, M., Scherschel K., and Streckeisen, P. New precariousness: the consequences activating labor market policy - European countries in comparison. (New York: Oxford University Press). Pp. 291-310.

Greenwood, I., Greer I., and Stuart, M., (2011) “Beyond national ‘varieties’: Public-service contracting in comparative perspective.” In Cunningham, I., and James, P., (eds) Voluntary organizations and public service delivery. (London: Routledge). Pp. 153-167.

Greer, I., (2012) "Britain: Still home of neoliberalism" in Krenn, M. and Scherschel, K. and Streckeisen, P. (eds.) New precariousness: The consequences of activating labor market policy - European countries in comparison. (New York: Oxford University Press). Pp. 111-138.

Greer, I., and Hauptmeier, M. (2012) “Identity Work: Sustaining Transnational Collective Action at General Motors Europe.” Industrial Relations. 51:2. April. Pp. 275-297.

Greer, I. (2009) “Auto workers’ strikes.” In Day, B., (ed). The encyclopedia of strikes. (Armonk, NY: ME Sharpe).

Greer, I. (2008) “Organized industrial relations in the information economy: The German automotive sector as a test case.” New Technology, Work and Employment. 23:3. November. Pp. 181-196.

Greer, I. (2008) “Social movement unionism in Germany: the case of Hamburg’s hospitals.” Industrial Relations. 47:4. October. Pp. 602-624.

Greer, I. (2008) “From social movement learning: releases a pulse of German trade unions" WSI. April. Pp. 205-211.

Greer, I. (2007) “Special interests and public goods: Organized labor’s coalition politics in Hamburg and Seattle.” In Lowell Turner and Daniel Cornfield (eds). Labor in the new urban battlegrounds: Local solidarity in a global economy. (Ithaca: Cornell ILR Press). Pp. 111-129.

Greer, I. and Hauptmeier, M. (2008) “Political entrepreneurs and co-managers: Labour transnationalism at four multinational auto companies.” British Journal of Industrial Relations. 46:1. March. Pp. 76-97.

Greer, I., and Lillie, N., (2007) “Industrial relations, migration and neo-liberal politics: The case of the European construction sector.” Politics and Society. 35:4. December. Pp. 551-581.