I have a strong business background and over eight years' experience researching and working in the field of bullying in the workplace. I was a member of the Advisory Committee for Ethics at the University of Surrey, where I also tutored students.

I am involved in lecturing and workshops on bullying/harassment for police officers and staff. I am also a speaker on the subject of bullying and harassment; recent engagements include Capita Briefing Managing Stress in the Police, and Cardiff University Dignity at Work Policy launch, and I have spoken as a member of the expert panel discussing 'Bullying: The State of British Workplaces' at the Bullying & Harassment at Work Conference at the CBI Conference Centre in London on the 7th November 2007.

I have continued my involvement with the research field, and last year completed an eighteen month contract working as a Research Fellow with Professor Charlotte Rayner at the University of Portsmouth on a DTI /Amicus the Union sponsored project (the Dignity at Work Partnership) to identify effective interventions for bullying in the workplace. A report based on the findings from the research, which included the input from experts, practitioners, trade union and other employee representatives, was launched in early October 2006.

During the course of my research and subsequent work I have become increasingly aware of the importance of organisational culture in guiding perceptions of accepted and acceptable behaviour within the working environment: behaviour that is deemed bullying in one setting might equally well be seen as part of the normal management style elsewhere. I think this is particularly pertinent in strong cultures such as typified in the emergency and regulatory services. For this reason my work very much focuses on social and organisational approaches to bullying and harassment.