Dr Michael McGann

    Sociology, Social Sciences Institute (MUSSI), National Centre for Geocomputation (NCG)

    Biography

    I am a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research Fellow in the Department of Sociology and Social Sciences Institute at Maynooth University. I specialise in the sociology of work and social policy on employment, with a particular focus on issues related to welfare-to-work and the marketisation of public employment services as well as ageing and employment. My current research involves a study of the governance of activation in Ireland, looking at the impact of recent marketisation reforms on how public employment services are delivered. 

    Before joining Maynooth University I was Research Fellow in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne for several years. I have also previously worked as a researcher with the Parliament of Victoria (Australia) and with third sector organisations in Australia. 

    Research Interests

    • Social policy, focussing on welfare and employment services reform
    • Public policy
    • Governance of activation
    • Sociology of work

    Research Projects

      Project Role Funding Body / Program Description Start Date End Date Award (€)
    Governing activation in Ireland Marie Curie-Sklodowska Fellowship EU Horizon 2020 / 06-JAN-20 05-JAN-22

    Peer Reviewed Journals

      Year Publication
    2021 'Innovation labs and co-production in public problem solving'
    McGann, M; Wells, T; Blomkamp, E. (2021) 'Innovation labs and co-production in public problem solving'. Public Management Review, 23 (2):297-316 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2020 'Workfare redux? Pandemic unemployment, labour activation and the lessons of post-crisis welfare reform in Ireland'
    McGann M.;Murphy M.P.;Whelan N. (2020) 'Workfare redux? Pandemic unemployment, labour activation and the lessons of post-crisis welfare reform in Ireland'. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 40 (9/10):963-978 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2020 'Contracting personalization by results: comparing marketization reforms in Australia and the UK'
    Considine, M; O'Sullivan, S; McGann, M' Nguyen, P (2020) 'Contracting personalization by results: comparing marketization reforms in Australia and the UK'. Public Administration, 98 (4):873-890 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2020 'The political economy of welfare in a time of coronavirus: Post-productivism as a state of exception'
    McGann M. (2020) 'The political economy of welfare in a time of coronavirus: Post-productivism as a state of exception'. Irish Journal of Sociology, 8 (2):225-230 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2020 'Welfare conditionality and blaming the unemployed'
    McGann, M; Nguyen, P; Considine, C (2020) 'Welfare conditionality and blaming the unemployed'. Administration and Society, 52 (3):466-494 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2020 'When design meets power: Design thinking, public sector innovation and the politics of policymaking'
    Lewis, JM; McGann, M; Blomkamp (2020) 'When design meets power: Design thinking, public sector innovation and the politics of policymaking'. Policy and Politics, 48 (1):111-130 [full-text] [Details]
    2019 'Locked-in or locked-out: Can a public services market really change?'
    Considine, M; O’Sullivan, S; McGann, M; Nguyen, P (2019) 'Locked-in or locked-out: Can a public services market really change?'. Social Policy Journal, [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2019 'The category game and its impact on street-level bureaucrats and jobseekers: an Australian case study'
    O'Sullivan, S; McGann, M.; Considine, M (2019) 'The category game and its impact on street-level bureaucrats and jobseekers: an Australian case study'. Social Policy and Society, 18 (4):631-645 [full-text] [Details]
    2019 'Introduction: rethinking welfare-to-work for the long-term unemployed'
    McGann, M; Danneris, S; O'Sullivan, S (2019) 'Introduction: rethinking welfare-to-work for the long-term unemployed'. Social Policy and Society, 18 (4) [full-text] [Details]
    2018 'The rise of public sector innovation labs: experiments in design-thinking for polic'
    McGann, M; Blomkamp, E; Lewis, JM (2018) 'The rise of public sector innovation labs: experiments in design-thinking for polic'. Policy Sciences, 51 (3):249-267 [full-text] [Details]
    2017 'Work, health and the commodification of life's time: reframing work–life balance and the promise of a long life'
    Biggs, S; McGann, M; Bowman, D; Kimberley, H (2017) 'Work, health and the commodification of life's time: reframing work–life balance and the promise of a long life'. Ageing and Society, 37 (7):1458-1483 [full-text] [Details]
    2017 'Rusty, invisible and threatening: ageing, capital and employability'
    Bowman, D; McGann, M; Biggs, S; Kimberley, H (2017) 'Rusty, invisible and threatening: ageing, capital and employability'. Work, Employment and Society, 31 (3):391-408 [full-text] [Details]
    2016 'The Netherworld between Work and Retirement'
    McGann, M; Kimberley, H; Bowman, D; Biggs, S (2016) 'The Netherworld between Work and Retirement'. Social Policy and Society, 15 (4):625-636 [full-text] [Details]
    2016 'Labour casualization and the psychosocial health of workers in Australia'
    McGann, M; White, K; Moss, J (2016) 'Labour casualization and the psychosocial health of workers in Australia'. Work, Employment and Society, 30 (5):766-782 [full-text] [Details]
    2016 'Gendered ageism in Australia: Changing perceptions of age discrimination among older men and women'
    McGann, M; Ong, R; Bowman, D; Duncan, A; Kimberley, H; and Biggs, S (2016) 'Gendered ageism in Australia: Changing perceptions of age discrimination among older men and women'. Economic Papers, 35 (4):375-388 [Details]
    2016 'Activation and Active Ageing? Mature-Age Jobseekers' Experience of Employment Services'
    Bowman, D; McGann, M; Kimberley, H. (2016) 'Activation and Active Ageing? Mature-Age Jobseekers' Experience of Employment Services'. Social Policy and Society, 15 (4):647-658 [Details]
    2016 'Introduction: Policy Responses to Ageing and the Extension of Working Lives'
    Biggs, S; Bowman, D; Kimberley, H; McGann, M (2016) 'Introduction: Policy Responses to Ageing and the Extension of Working Lives'. Social Policy and Society, 15 (4) [Details]
    2012 'Health, freedom and work in rural Victoria: The impact of labour market casualisation on health and wellbeing'
    McGann, M; Moss, J; White, K (2012) 'Health, freedom and work in rural Victoria: The impact of labour market casualisation on health and wellbeing'. Health Sociology Review, 21 (1):99-115 [Details]
    2012 'Recognition and work in the flexible economy'
    McGann, M (2012) 'Recognition and work in the flexible economy'. Journal of Australian Political Economy, 69 (Summer) [Details]
    2012 'Equal treatment and exemptions: cultural commitments and expensive tastes'
    McGann, M (2012) 'Equal treatment and exemptions: cultural commitments and expensive tastes'. Social theory and practice, 38 (1):99-115 [Details]

    Book Chapters

      Year Publication
    2017 'Retirement and social policy'
    Biggs, S; McGann, M. (2017) 'Retirement and social policy' In: Encyclopaedia of Geropsychology. New York: Springer. [Details]

    Published Reports

      Year Publication
    2020 The High Road Back to Work: Developing a Public Employment Services Eco-System for a Post-Covid Recovery.
    Murphy, Mary P.; Whelan, N.; McGann, M.; Finn, P. (2020) The High Road Back to Work: Developing a Public Employment Services Eco-System for a Post-Covid Recovery. Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute, Maynooth. [Details]
    2019 Mapping Public Sector Innovation Labs in Australia and New Zealand.
    McGann, M; Blomkamp, E; and Lewis, JM (2019) Mapping Public Sector Innovation Labs in Australia and New Zealand. The Policy Lab, University of Melbourne, Melbourne. [Details]
    2018 From Entitlement to Experiment: Industry Report on Case Studies of high performing providers.
    Lewis, JM; Considine, M; O'Sullivan, S; Nguyen, P (2018) From Entitlement to Experiment: Industry Report on Case Studies of high performing providers. The University of Melbourne, Melbourne. [Details]
    2017 From Entitlement to Experiment: The new governance of welfare to work – UK Report back to Industry Partners.
    Lewis, JM; Considine, M; O'Sullivan, S; Nguyen, P (2017) From Entitlement to Experiment: The new governance of welfare to work – UK Report back to Industry Partners. The University of Melbourne, Melbourne. [Details]
    2016 A Gendered Analysis of Age Discrimination among Older Jobseekers in Australia.
    McGann, M; Ong, R; Bowman., D; Duncan, A; Kimberley, H; Biggs, S (2016) A Gendered Analysis of Age Discrimination among Older Jobseekers in Australia. Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre Working Paper, Perth, W.A. [Details]
    2016 From Entitlement to Experiment: The new governance of welfare to work - Australian Report back to Industry Partners.
    Lewis, JM; Considine, M; O'Sullivan, S; Nguyen, P (2016) From Entitlement to Experiment: The new governance of welfare to work - Australian Report back to Industry Partners. The University of Melbourne, Melbourne. [Details]
    2015 Too old to work, too young to retire.
    McGann, M; Bowman, D; Kimberley, H; Biggs, S (2015) Too old to work, too young to retire. The Brotherhood of St Laurence, Melbourne. [Details]
    2011 Health, Freedom and Work in Rural Victoria.
    Moss, J; White, K; McGann, M (2011) Health, Freedom and Work in Rural Victoria. The University of Melbourne and VicHealth, Melbourne. [Details]

    Electronic Article

      Year Publication
    2020 Renewing welfare through universal entitlement: lessons from Covid-19.
    Murphy, Mary P.; McGann, M. (2020) Renewing welfare through universal entitlement: lessons from Covid-19. Electronic Article [Details]
    2020 Reconfiguring welfare in an eco-social state: participation income and universal services.
    Murphy, Mary P.; McGann, M. (2020) Reconfiguring welfare in an eco-social state: participation income and universal services. Electronic Article [Details]