Dr. Sean O’Brady is an assistant professor at the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University. He is also a researcher at Cornell University's Ithaca Co-Lab and a co-researcher with the Inter-University Research Centre on Globalization and Work (CRIMT). Trained in the social sciences, he now uses this training to promote organizational practices, union actions, and labour policies that advance the goals of social justice and equity in workplaces and society.
Sean's research focuses on:
- Low-wage work and its regulation
- Digitalization and the future of work
- Labour unions and collective bargaining
- Comparative capitalism and employment systems
- Management control and worker exploitation
Currently, Sean is involved in two projects. The first investigates how artificial intelligence and algorithmic management technologies are impacting working conditions across various service occupations (e.g. call centers, retail, insurance), as well as union responses to harmful uses of these technologies. The second examines employer attitudes and responses to the living wage initiative.
His research has received awards from the Labor and Employment Relations Association, Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics, Canadian Industrial Relations Association, and the Confédération des syndicats nationaux. He has published articles in Industrial Relations (Berkeley), the British Journal of Industrial Relations, Human Resource Management Journal, Work and Occupations, the European Journal of Industrial Relations, Work, Employment and Society, and elsewhere. This research has been featured in Forbes, the Guardian, BNN Bloomberg (‘Taking Stock’), CBC, the Globe and Mail, the Hamilton Spectator, the Toronto Star, Canadian HR Reporter, and the Ithaca Voice. It has also has been cited by the White House, World Bank, ILO, the European Parliament, and various other policy actors.
Prior to his appointment at McMaster University, Sean completed postdoctoral training at Cornell University's ILR School, and a PhD from Université de Montréal's School of Industrial Relations.
