Research outputs per year
Research outputs per year
Professor
Accepting PhD Students
I am a Professor of Organisational Studies at the University of Portsmouth, and previously held the position of Associate Dean for Research and Innovation for the Faculty of Business and Law. I successfully led the Business and Management (UoA17) unit of submission to the Research Excellence Framework (REF2021), which was the largest unit of submission for the University.
My research focus is on public administration and public management. Within this, my specific interests are in public governance and gender representation.
My work has been published in highly-respected journals, including my research on representative bureaucracy in Public Management Review, and public policies to support women entrepreneurs in the International Review for Administrative Sciences. I've also edited the book: The International Handbook on Public Administration and Governance by Edward Elgar and authored the book: Making and Managing Public Policy by Routledge.
In 2015, I was made a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences for my contribution to the study of gender equality. Then, in 2018, I received the prestigious Julia J. Henderson award by the American Society for Public Administration for my outstanding contribution to public administration scholarship.
In 2002 I received my PhD from the University of Cape Town on the impact of public sector reforms on leadership within the civil service. This followed my degrees in social sciences and public administration from the University of Cape Town, the University of the Western Cape (South Africa) and Ohio State University (USA).
I have worked for leading universities in South Africa, the USA and the UK, holding positions as a professor and as an Associate Dean for Research.
During my career in academia, I've published books, chapters and journal articles on the topic of public management and gender representation. I've acted as editor of the Journal of Public Policy and Administration and serve on boards for journals such as the Public Money & Management.
Alongside my career in academia, I've worked for the Ohio Department of Development in the US, The South African Public Service Commission, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in the UK and the European Commission.
I'm actively engaged in academic and practitioner networks and have been an executive member of the International Research Society for Public Management and the European Group for Public Administration. I am the only academic in the field to have held both prestigious positions.
I lecture on public management, leadership, gender equality and research methods. My lectures are research-informed and involve a combination of classroom, blended and distance learning delivery. I focus my teaching on topical issues to help students inform their research on contemporary issues.
I also supervise undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral dissertations.
My research interests include:
I'm interested in improving the understanding of barriers and enablers to female representation, progression and influence on the gender equality policy agenda and public debate.
Two journal articles that reflect my research interests are:
PhD Research Supervision
I welcome enquiries and applications from students wishing to be supervised in PhD projects broadly within the area of public management and gender equality.
I am happy to take calls and emails from the media on my research, and am aware of the need to respond to journalists in a timely manner. Please contact me by email at karen.johnston@port.ac.uk.
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Ph.D., University of Cape Town
Award Date: 6 Jun 2002
Research output: Other contribution › Blog posts
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
Johnston, K. (Creator), Alberti, F. (Creator) & Kravariti, F. (Creator), University of Portsmouth, 20 Jul 2023
DOI: 10.17029/b5e05505-5008-4fc1-a24c-0d9edfe3e7f4
Dataset
Owalla, B., Sokhela, P., Johnston, K. & Pickernell, D.
1/10/22 → 30/09/23
Project: Research
Dann, Z., Ekinsmyth, C., Johnston, K., Busoi, G., Huang, X., Murzacheva, E., Doyle, A., Pickernell, D., Panaro, S. & Owalla, B.
1/09/18 → 30/04/23
Project: Research
Karen Johnston (Editor)
Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial activity
Karen Johnston (Interviewee)
Activity: Grant Peer-Review › Grant Peer-Reviewer (External)
Zoe Dann (Invited speaker), Karen Johnston (Speaker) & Courtney Elkins (Speaker)
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
Karen Johnston (Presented paper), Federica Alberti (Presented paper) & Foteini Kravariti (Presented paper)
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
Zoe Dann (Presented paper), Karen Johnston (Presented paper) & Ekaterina Murzacheva (Presented paper)
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
Johnston, Karen (Recipient), 12 Mar 2018
Prize: National/international honour
Johnston, Karen (Recipient), 12 Mar 2018
Prize: National/international honour
2/11/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research cited