Role
Val’s role at NTU includes a wide range of teaching activities primarily on the undergraduate platform delivering courses specifically to HR students. Currently she is the module leader for Researching People and Organisations (level 2) and for the Business Research Project (level 3). She has considerable experience of teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels designing and leading modules of different complexity and scope at all levels including in human resource management; organisational behaviour and qualitative research methods.
She is currently supervising four PhD and Professional Doctorate students on topics which range from management education in Saudi Arabia, the personal resources required for career transitions, comparable worth in academia and management knowledge and understanding of employees with Asperger's Syndrome.
Val has a sustained record of designing and delivering modules in international partnership organisations. Her experience includes delivering modules in International HRM and Cross-Cultural Management at a range of Business Schools in France including ESC Dijon, ESC Clermont Ferrand, ESC La Rochelle, IMEA (ESC Besancon) and IESEG, Lille.
Career overview
Prior to joining NTU Val was Course Leader for MSc Human Resource Management and Training (Singapore) at the University of Leicester. Her early career was in the private sector where she worked as a Quantity Surveyor in both private practice and client organisation environments. Her knowledge and experience of the construction industry has significantly influenced her research interests of construction industry careers, women in male-dominated work environments and diversity issues. Her international teaching experience has enabled her to develop cross-national comparative perspectives to her work having carried out studies in France and Spain with Marie Diop and Dr Elena Navarro Astor.
Research areas
As an active researcher Val has authored and co-authored a number of academic, peer-reviewed publications, including conference papers, book chapters and journal articles which enhance her capability as a lecturer by ensuring that her subject knowledge remains current and also through enabling engagement with and reflection on different approaches to teaching and learning. Current and recent research includes:
- The transfer of EU diversity and equality into practice by Member States (with Professor Rob Ackrill, also of NBS).
- Equality and Diversity at Work, the success or otherwise of initiatives in the construction industry and UK Police Service: from 2013 ongoing. SPUR funding has been awarded to support a student bursary for Summer 2014.
- Cross-national comparative study of architectural careers in UK, France and Spain, in conjunction with Dr Elena Navarro Astor, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain and Marie Diop (formerly of NTU) from 2010 ongoing.
- Work-Life Balance among construction industry professionals, with Dr Ani Raiden, Nottingham Business School and Professor Christine Raisanen, Chalmers University, Sweden, 2009-2012.
- The socialisation of students into the architecture profession, with Dr K Sang, Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia, 2010.
She frequently reviews papers for academic journals including Gender, Work and Organization, Personnel Review and British Journal of Management. Val is a member of the ARCOM (Association of Researchers in Construction Management) Scientific Committee and Stream Convenor for the Gender, Work and Organization Conference in 2014.
Press expertise
Dr Caven can offer comment on working in the construction industry; diversity issues in the construction industry; work-life balance in the construction industry; women in construction.