Current Students and Staff

IAS Seminar: The trials and tribulations of entering a tournament workplace

• 11 June 2024
• 12pm-1pm
• International House and Zoom webinar
• Event website

About this event

Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) Visiting Fellow Professor Helena D Cooper-Thomas will deliver a seminar on their research, fully titled 'The trials and tribulations of entering a tournament workplace: The case of new Members of Parliament'.

Workplace tournaments are characterised by competitive environments where individuals vie for resources and advancement. Tournaments are particularly prevalent at senior levels, yet little is known about how elite newcomers experience and respond to such adversarial contexts. Professor Helena D Cooper-Thomas'  findings shed light on both the key tournament challenges faced by elite newcomers and how these newcomers use promote and protect reputational strategies to navigate such challenges. They also show that the most successful tournament newcomers develop sophisticated patterns of reputational strategy use early on. Their research raises intriguing questions about the practical implications of exposing elite newcomers to workplace tournaments. Is 'trial by fire' an efficient process for forging effective performers, or does it unnecessarily burn up those who could have contributed?

Please from 11.45am for a 12pm start. For those joining in person, lunch will be served after the seminar from 1pm.