Dr Andy Brown

Lecturer

Dr Brown is a Lecturer in Human Resource Management and Programme Leader for the MA Human Resource Management and BA Human Resource Management (Top-Up) programmes at the University of Plymouth. Prior to his academic career, management roles across a range of organisational contexts, bringing extensive practitioner experience into his teaching, research, and consultancy.

Dr Brown’s research focuses on performance management, line manager capability, and evidence-based HRM, with particular emphasis on how performance systems are implemented and experienced in practice.  He has authored forthcoming work about the importance of national and organisational context, when considering the implementaiton of HR policy.

His work critically examines the gap between HR policy and organisational reality, exploring how managerial discretion, capability, and context shape employee outcomes and organisational performance. Drawing on his doctoral research and ongoing projects, he has published and presented on issues including performance management in higher education, line manager decision-making, and the use of evidence to inform people management practice.

He is actively engaged with professional and practitioner audiences, contributing to conferences, workshops, and applied research projects, and works closely with organisations to translate research insights into practical, evidence-informed HR interventions. 

Dr Brown’s research and practice-based expertise underpin his commitment to developing reflective, critically minded HR professionals who can design and implement people management practices that are both evidence-based and contextually grounded.  Additionally, he develops managers in the operationalisation of these policies in practice.