| Description | CDR sound recording of a telephone interview with Sir Cary L.Cooper, CBE, AcSS, CPsychol. Hon.FBPsS, FRSA, FRSM, FRSH, HonFRCP, Professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University Management School for the British Psychological Society's Oral History project.
The interview was conducted by Abi Methley in 2010.
The following summary is by way of introduction to the full recording held at the British Psychological Society 's History of Psychology Centre, London.
Performers:
Cary Cooper (CC)
Abi Methley (AM)
Topics covered:
The interview begins in media res
CC is talking of his early time in America at the University of California, his MBA in Behavioural Science, his degree in Economics, how he came to England at Leeds University to take his PhD (Supervisor Professor Peter Smith), his PhD in T Groups and Group dynamics
CC talks of his first job at Southampton University as a Lecturer in Social Psychology, his move to Manchester School of Management (UMIST) as senior Lecturer then Professor, the increased interest in Occupational psychology at UMIST
AM asks CC if it is easier to go into his career nowadays
CC answers that it is much more flexible today, there are more courses in Occupational Psychology, how management school helped him by giving access to his lab (the workplace) and how management schools are positively perceived in industry
CC talks of his work on stress, senior management , stress in lives, QW and work-life balance issues in the 1970s
CC speaks of his work with a PhD student on occupational stress (1970s), how it was the first study , its impact on different occupations, well-being, positive psychology, untapped work in stress, job satisfaction, big scale studies, how he developed the popular Occupational Stress Indicator (instrument), the later Asset instrument, wide use of his instruments for research and diagnosis.
CC talks of women in the work place, glass ceilings his work with professor Marilyn Davidson, work-life balance his desire to do more work in intervention and workplace stress
CC says how proud he is of his work with the Foresight Programme in the UK Goverment Office for Science on Mental Capital and Wellbeing from 2007 to 2009, including his role as Lead Scientist and his colleagues, Barbara Sahakian, Usha Goswami and Rachel Jenkins
AM asks CC if psychologists need to develop a more media friendly approach
CC replies saying that it is fundamental as a profession to talk with the media, to try to makes sense of our research for people with issues, how he has tried to be media friendly in his work and the public conception of psychology
AM asks CC to talk of his favourite conferences (attending and presenting)
CC speaks of a talk he gave to top economists about stress at work (asked by the IMF), his work withe World Health Organisation (WHO), His time as Chair of the Chronic Disease and Wellbeing Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum in Geneva, 2009-2010 and conferences with Governments and business leaders looking for change
AM asks CC what does he think is his biggest contribution
CC talks of bringing to the attention of the public what work can do to health, working hours, how the work place can be positive (to the public), how today occupational stress is known, a better management style and workplace improvements
AM asks CC if business has taken his message on board or are they fighting against it
CC speaks of how HR and senior management are now more aware, how it is acceptable to talk about these issues (his biggest achievement) and how they mad a difference and a better science.
The interview ends abruptly.
Total Running Time: c 35mins
Poor quality recording.
Summary by Mike Maskill, BPS Archivist. |
| RunTime | On one CDR disk, running time c 35 minutes |
| AdminHistory | Date of Birth: 28/04/1940
University and Professional Training:
BSc Economics UCLA, Los Angeles (nd)
MBA Behavioral Science UCLA, Los Angeles (nd)
PhD Managerial and Social Psychology, Leeds University & (nd)
Awards:
Knighthood, HM Government, 2014
Commander of the British Empire, (CBE) HMQ 2001
Honorary Doctorates from Aston University (DSc), (nd)
Heriot-Watt University (DLitt), (nd)
Middlesex University (Doc. Univ), (nd)
Wolverhampton University (DBA), (nd)
Sheffield University ( D.Sc.), 2011
Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, 2005,
Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Hon FRCP), 2006,
Life Time Achievement Award from the Division of Occupational Psychology of the British Psychological Society, 2007
Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (College of Occupational Medicine), 2008
Honorary Fellow of the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology 2010,
Honorary Fellow of the British Psychological Society, 2010
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, (nd)
Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, (nd)
Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health, (nd)
Fellow of the British Academy of Management, (nd)
Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences (nd)
Fellow of the (American) Academy of Management (nd)
Distinguished Service Award for contribution to management science, the Academy of Management, 1998.
Lord Dearing Lifetime Achievement Award , Times Higher Education for distinguished contribution to higher education, 2010
Professional career:
Social worker, Los Angeles (nd)
Lecturer in Social Psychology, Southampton University for 6 years (nd)
Head of the Manchester School of Management (UMIST), 1980s
Pro-Vice Chancellor and then Deputy Vice Chancellor of UMIST 1995-2002
Distinguished Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health, Lancaster University Management School (nd)
Founder-Director, Robertson Cooper Limited, 1999-
Involvement with BPS and/or other societies and organisations (selected):
Founding Editor of the Journal of Organizational Behavior, (nd)
Editor-in-Chief of the medical journal Stress & Health, (nd)
Past President of the British Academy of Management, (nd)
Companion of the Chartered Management Institute, (nd)
Chair, Academy of Social Sciences, (nd)
Former Chair of the Chronic Disease and Wellbeing Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum in Geneva, 2009-2010
Editor-in-Chief of the Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Management (nd)
Editor of Who’s Who in the Management Sciences, (nd)
Adviser to the World Health Organisation (WHO), (nd)
Adviser and the International Labour Organisation ( ILO) (nd)
Special adviser to the Defense Committee of the House of Commons, Duty of Care enquiry 2004-2005
Former Chair, The Sunningdale Institute, 2004-2009
Lead scientist , UK Government Office for Science Foresight programme on Mental Capital and Well Being, 2007-2008
Member of the expert group on establishing guidance for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on ‘promoting mental wellbeing through productive and healthy working conditions’, 2009
President of the Institute of Welfare, (nd)
President of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, (nd)
President of RELATE, (nd)
Patron of the Anxiety UK (nd). |