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Background

Background: Sharon Docherty is a doctoral researcher and founder of BlueTurtleHR, a consultancy specialising in helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) navigate complex HR challenges and foster psychologically safe cultures. Her current DBA research at Cranfield School of Management explores the lived experiences of managers facing workplace bullying, bridging the gap between academic theory and organisational practice.

Drawing on a distinguished 20-year career as a senior civil servant within the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), Sharon brings an elite level of strategic expertise to her work. Her MOD tenure included high-profile appointments such as Liaison Officer to the Prime Minister鈥檚 Special Representative and Legislative Policy Officer for international bilateral agreements. She concluded her service within the Central Transformation Team at Whitehall, where she led initiatives to build transformation capability across the Defence sector.

Academic Qualifications Sharon鈥檚 academic foundation is rooted in strategic leadership and organisational change. She holds an MBA from Henley Business School and a Master鈥檚 in Defence Studies from King鈥檚 College London, where she attended the prestigious Advanced Command and Staff Course. A certified Agile Change Practitioner and Management Consultant (Level 7), her move into doctoral research was driven by a commitment to dismantling toxic work environments. Following her own experience with discrimination and ill-health retirement, Sharon is dedicated to helping businesses build resilience, empathy, and equity through ethically grounded HR.

Research opportunities

1. Workplace Bullying and Organisational Culture

My research investigates the systemic drivers of workplace bullying within hierarchical and bureaucratic environments. I examine how leadership behaviours, structural dynamics, and cultural norms converge to either foster or mitigate toxic behaviours. This work evaluates the long-term psychological and social consequences of prolonged exposure to adverse workplace environments.

2. Disability Discrimination and Inclusive HR Systems

I explore the intersection of chronic illness, disability, and organisational support systems. My work focuses on the "lived experience" of navigating formal institutional processes鈥攕uch as ill-health retirement, reasonable adjustments, and grievance procedures鈥攖o assess how inclusive policies are operationalised versus how they are experienced by the individual.

3. Strategic HR Management in SMEs

Focusing on the unique constraints of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), I analyse how these organisations manage complex employee relations without extensive internal HR infrastructure. I am particularly interested in developing scalable, ethically grounded frameworks that enable smaller businesses to cultivate psychological safety and effective informal resolution mechanisms.

4. Change Leadership in Public Sector Transformation

Drawing on my background in the Ministry of Defence, I assess the human and relational dimensions of large-scale strategic change. This research explores how mission-driven institutions communicate and adopt transformation initiatives, focusing on capability-building and its impact on workforce resilience and adaptability.

5. Qualitative Methodology: Autoethnography and IPA

I advocate for the use of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and autoethnography in management research. By utilizing personal narratives of discrimination and system navigation, I explore how lived experience can enrich academic inquiry and provide legitimised, deep-dive insights into complex organisational failures.

6. Ethics, Power, and Procedural Justice

This theme examines the ethical dilemmas inherent in HR practice, particularly concerning power imbalances and "voice." I investigate the role of procedural justice in interpersonal conflicts, exploring how HR practitioners can maintain ethical integrity when navigating sensitive disputes in under-resourced or high-stakes settings.

Current activities

Through her consultancy, BlueTurtleHR, Sharon leads a diverse portfolio of work focused on resolving complex organisational challenges, with a primary emphasis on workplace bullying, cultural transformation, and employee wellbeing. Her work bridges the gap between doctoral research and frontline HR intervention.

Recent engagements and collaborations include:

- The FDA Union: Collaborating on a series of workshops and webinars designed to develop evidence-based strategies for addressing workplace misconduct and fostering inclusive environments across the UK Civil Service.

- Coventry City Council (Thrive Programme): Delivered specialist workshops on the nuances of "upward bullying," providing leaders with the tools to foster healthy team dynamics and implement trauma-informed leadership practices.

- Business Forum International (BFI): Facilitated high-level learning initiatives and workshops aimed at dismantling bullying and harassment within the corporate sector.

Doctoral Research Sharon is currently advancing her Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), where she investigates the lived experience of workplace bullying and the efficacy of organisational responses. Utilising Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), her research seeks to foreground employee voice and experiential insight, challenging traditional management frameworks and advocating for more empathetic, ethically grounded HR practices.