Biography

I completed my undergraduate degree in Swansea, Wales, in 2007. The areas of psychology I chose to focus on were health, eating, sleep and work psychology. It was from here that my interest in psychology in the workplace came about. During my undergraduate studies I completed several placements and work tasters, one of which was in the HR department of Land Registries Wales. This enabled me to gain some practical experience of some areas in which occupational psychology can be applied in the workplace.

From my undergraduate degree I had the intention of applying to complete an MSc in Occupational and Organizational Psychology; however I felt that before I did this I needed some experience of being a full-time employee, within a large organization, to provide me with a better understanding of workplace dynamics. I worked full-time as a personal incident manager at Aviva (formerly Norwich Union) Insurance during 2007/2008. My observations and experiences in this company were what inspired my current research interests and also my focus during my MSc degree.

I completed my MSc in Occupational and Organizational Psychology at the University of Surrey in 2009 with the focus of my research being psychological contracts, supervised by Dr Lynne Millward. I applied to complete a PhD at the University of Surrey, starting in October of 2009, whilst nearing the end of my MSc.

Personal interests

I have always had a keen interest in sport and exercise with the philosophy that being active and healthy is a key component in leading a happy life. I was an avid netball player, being in the team at school, college and university. My interests have now turned to running in which I have completed several fun and charity runs with the intention of eventually completing a half marathon.

My other interests include reading, both academic and fiction, music (listening to, not playing!) and spending time with family and friends.

Research Interests

I am currently studying towards a PhD in Occupational and Organizational Psychology with a particular focus on employees within organizations. My research supervisor is Dr Lynne Millward, department of Psychology.

The focus of my research is primarily to understand more clearly the fundamental workings of an organization by looking specifically at some of the dynamic processes within it; investigated at the individual level. The processes being studied include attributions and psychological contracts. The exploration of these processes will be done through a combination of both quantitative and qualitative research methods and studies in order to gain a better understanding of the influences upon, and of, each of the processes.

The purpose of this research is to contribute to organizations understandings of processes (some of which occur on a daily basis and are under the control of the organization) which influence important decisions and behaviours of an employee. Before organizations can create positive working environments for, and with, employees (be it through changing the negative or maintaining the positive) there needs to be an understanding of the reasons behind both positive and negative outcomes.

Publications

Articles/journals

Millward, L.J., & McGrath, M.L. (in review). Who you are and how you feel as keys to making sense of organizational exchange relationships: A diary study of every day psychological contracts. Journal of Organizational Behavior.

McDowall, A., Harris, M., & McGrath, M. (2009). Feedback: Evidence from psychology for best practice. Assessment and Development Matters, 1(3). The British Psychological Society.

McGrath, M. (2007). Where is the health promotion for young adults? Psych-Talk, 57. The British Psychological Society.

Conferences

McGrath, M.L. (2010 January). A daily diary study investigating the role of emotions and identity in psychological contracts: from creation to maintenance. Paper presented at the Postgraduate Occupational Psychology conference, Brighton, UK.

McDowall, A., Harris, M., & McGrath, M. (2009, March). Really understanding feedback! Session taken at the Psychology for All Event: hosted by the BPS, London, UK.

McGrath, M.L (2007, March). Levels of processing: Knowledge of exercise between active and sedentary people. Paper presented at the Welsh BPS student conference, Swansea: UK.

Teaching

I am currently an academic tutor to two first year undergraduate groups. The duties involved in this role include:

• Taking regular tutorial sessions covering academic skills, such as essay writing, referencing and critical analysis of resources.
• Marking all of their subject essays across the year

Contact Michelle

If you are interested in the research I am carrying out and would like to discuss anything (be it interest in participation, details of others who may be interested, or just a general query) please feel free to contact me using the details listed above.