Dr Helen O'Sullivan
- 01202 962205
- hosullivan at bournemouth dot ac dot uk
- Principal Academic
- Dorset House D233, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB
Biography
Dr Helen O’Sullivan is a Principal Academic in Marketing and Behavioural Science at Bournemouth University Business School. Her interdisciplinary research is underpinned by a commitment to social justice and equality, examining how individuals and communities perceive, experience and respond to the organisations, institutions and environments that shape their lives. Her work is particularly concerned with the relationships between human behaviour, place, power and inequality, and how differences in resources, representation and voice influence experiences of safety, belonging, vulnerability and wellbeing.
These interests are rooted not only in Helen’s academic career but also in her earlier professional experience. Before entering academia, she worked in journalism, marketing and events management in the UK and Australia. While working as a broadcast journalist in Kununurra, Western Australia, she reported within a remote and geographically dispersed region characterised by significant cultural, social and spatial inequalities...
Kununurra and its surrounding area include Aboriginal town camps and temporary and transitional forms of settlement that share important characteristics with those examined within international research on informality, housing precarity and marginalised urban space. Working in this environment brought Helen into contact with communities whose everyday experiences were shaped by questions of place, access, representation, inequality and voice. These experiences helped shape her enduring interest in the relationship between institutional narratives and lived realities, particularly where conventional understandings of places and communities fail to reflect the perspectives of those who experience them.
Today, these concerns provide a connecting thread across Helen’s interdisciplinary research, which draws upon behavioural science, marketing and wider social science perspectives to examine how people understand and respond to complex societal and environmental challenges. Her research increasingly explores perceptions of risk, safety and vulnerability, the behavioural and social dimensions of resilience, and the ways in which individuals and communities navigate uncertainty, inequality and change.
Her current research interests encompass urban fear and perceived safety, environmental vulnerability, community resilience and the relationship between institutional assessments of risk and lived experience. Through interdisciplinary collaborations, she is developing research that considers how behavioural insights and community perspectives can inform more inclusive approaches to preparedness, adaptation, policy and intervention.
This developing research agenda builds upon Helen’s established work in branding, consumer behaviour, institutional reputation, trust and legitimacy. Across these areas, a consistent concern is the relationship between the narratives and expectations created by organisations, institutions and places and the ways in which these are interpreted, negotiated and experienced by individuals and communities.
Helen is a Chartered Marketer and Senior Fellow of Advance HE and has held a range of senior academic leadership roles, including Head of Education, Deputy Head of Department and Interim Head of Department. She contributes to research leadership and impact development, including through her involvement in Research Excellence Framework (REF) activities, interdisciplinary collaborations and postgraduate research supervision.
Her teaching spans Consumer Behaviour, Branding, Marketing Communications and Strategy, and is informed by her commitment to research-led education. She is particularly interested in how behavioural science and interdisciplinary perspectives can help students critically examine contemporary societal challenges, question established assumptions and understand the relationships between individual behaviour, institutional practices and wider social change.
moreResearch
Helen's research examines the behavioural and social dimensions of risk, vulnerability, inequality and resilience, exploring how individuals and communities perceive, interpret and respond to the environments, institutions and societal challenges shaping their lives.
Drawing on behavioural science, marketing and interdisciplinary social science, her work combines established expertise in trust, identity, institutional legitimacy and human behaviour with an expanding research agenda addressing environmental risk, urban safety, community resilience and social inequality.
Her research encompasses three interconnected areas.
1. Behavioural Science, Risk and Resilience
An emerging focus of Helen's research examines how individuals, communities and institutions understand and respond to environmental and societal risks. This includes relationships between perceived and assessed risk, behavioural responses to uncertainty, preparedness, adaptation and the social dimensions of resilience.
Current research development addresses climate-related vulnerability, including extreme heat and flooding, household preparedness and community responses to severe weather. Particular attention is given to how behavioural insights and lived experiences can inform inclusive and effective interventions for communities disproportionately exposed to environmental risks.
A central concern is the disconnect between technical assessments of vulnerability, institutional assumptions about preparedness and people's everyday experiences of risk...
2. Place, Safety and Social Inequality
This strand investigates how individuals and communities experience and negotiate the places in which they live, work and participate in society.
Helen explores perceptions of safety and fear, belonging, exclusion, spatial inequality and the relationship between physical environments and lived experience. Her current research on urban fear considers how perceived threats influence people's relationships with urban spaces, including their agency, mobility and sense of belonging.
Related work examines how place-based inequalities shape opportunities, aspirations and participation, particularly among younger people and communities whose perspectives may be overlooked in institutional decision-making.
Across this research, she considers how conventional indicators, planning frameworks and institutional representations of places may differ from the experiences of those who inhabit them.
3. Trust, Identity and Institutional Behaviour
Building upon established research in branding, consumer behaviour and institutional reputation, Helen examines how organisations, institutions and places construct and maintain trust, legitimacy and social value.
Her research encompasses brand activism, authenticity, sustainability, place branding, soft power, sportswashing and institutional reputation. She is particularly interested in discrepancies between organisational claims, institutional practices and stakeholder experiences.
This work provides a foundation for her wider interests in institutional authority, information credibility, public trust and behavioural responses to organisational and societal change.
Research Approach and Methodology
Helen predominantly adopts qualitative and interpretivist approaches, with expertise in interviews, focus groups, narrative and discourse analysis, and recursive abstraction.
Her developing interdisciplinary research incorporates participatory, visual and place-based approaches to understanding lived experience, risk perceptions and relationships with the built and natural environment.
She is particularly interested in research that connects behavioural understanding with practical and policy-relevant outcomes, bringing together academic disciplines, public institutions and communities to inform more inclusive decision-making and interventions.
moreExpertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
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 SDGs:
Good health and well-being
"Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages"
Quality education
"Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all"
Journal Articles
- O'Sullivan, H., Alshikhy, T., Polkinghorne, M., Gennings, E., 2026. From Brand Success to Soft Power: How Post-1992 UK Universities Generate Resources of Global Influence. Trends in Higher Education, 5 (4).
- O'Sullivan, H., Polkinghorne, M., Gennings, E., Alshikhy, T., 2026. The use of Soft Power Strategies to Enhance Organisational Performance. Eurasian Business and Economics Perspectives, 38.
- O'Sullivan, H., Polkinghorne, M., Chapleo, C., Cownie, F., 2026. Authentically Green: Unlocking Perspectives. Eurasian Business and Economics Perspectives, 38.
- O’Sullivan, H., Babaee, F., Polkinghorne, M., Chapleo, C., 2026. Brand Activism: Gen Z and Socio-Political Branding. Encyclopedia, 6 (1).
- Ngugi, I., O'Sullivan, H., 2025. Early Adoption of Online and Mobile Banking: An Analysis of Consumer Attitudes. International Journal of Data Science and Advanced Analytics, 7 (1).
- Pérez‐Escolar, M., Morejón‐Llamas, N., Alcaide‐Pulido, P., 2025. Populist Rhetoric and Hate Speech: Analyzing Xenophobic Narratives in Vox’s 2023 Election Campaign. Politics and Governance, 13.
- Alshikhy, T., O’Sullivan, H., Polkinghorne, M., Gennings, E., 2025. The Role and Impact of Sporting Mega-Events in the Context of Soft Power. Encyclopedia, 5 (1).
- Liang, Y., Chen, S., Abeyskera, R., O'Sullivan, H., Bray, J., Keevill-Savage, I., 2024. Examining the adoption of technology-enhanced learning in universities and its effects on student performance, satisfaction, and motivation. Computers and Education Open, 7.
- O’Sullivan, H., Polkinghorne, M., O’Sullivan, M., 2024. Understanding Success: An Initial Investigation Considering the Alignment of University Branding with the Expectations of Future Students. Administrative Sciences, 14 (10).
- O’Sullivan, H., Polkinghorne, M., Chapleo, C., Cownie, F., 2024. Contemporary Branding Strategies for Higher Education. Encyclopedia, 4 (3), 1292-1311.
- O'Sullivan, H., Chapleo, C., Cownie, F., 2024. . Location, Vocation, Education: Place Marketing in the context of English ‘new’ universities. Pannon Management Review.
- Alcaide-Pulido, P., O’Sullivan, H., Chapleo, C., 2024. The application of an innovative model to measure university brand image. Differences between English, Spanish and Portuguese undergraduate students. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 34 (1), 283-300.
- O'Sullivan, H., Polkinghorne, M., Taylor, J., 2022. Investigating the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Undergraduate Business Education: Using Learning Gain as a Measure to Compare Two Cohorts of Marketing Students. Businesses, 2 (2), 214-227.
- O'Sullivan, H., Ngugi, I., 2022. Marketing mix. Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing.
- Zhu, H., O’Sullivan, H., 2022. Shhhh! Chinese students are studying quietly in the UK. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 59 (3), 275-284.
- Polkinghorne, M., O’Sullivan, H., Taylor, J., Roushan, G., 2021. An innovative framework for higher education to evaluate learning gain: a case study based upon the discipline of marketing. Studies in Higher Education, 46 (9), 1740-1755.
- Leijerholt, U., Chapleo, C., O’Sullivan, H., 2019. A brand within a brand: an integrated understanding of internal brand management and brand architecture in the public sector. Journal of Brand Management, 26 (3), 277-290.
- Chapleo, C., O’Sullivan, H., 2017. Contemporary thought in higher education marketing. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 27 (2), 159-161.
- Bolat, E., O’Sullivan, H., 2017. Radicalising the marketing of higher education: learning from student-generated social media data. Journal of Marketing Management, 33 (9-10), 742-763.
Books
- Polkinghorne, M., Bancroft, A., Hull, A., Lummen, A., Fripp, A., Adams, A., Allen, A., Barnes, A., Metzger, A., Carstensen, A., Arbab-Zavar, B., Goldsmith, B., Heffernan, C., Oliveira, J., Dugdale, C., Talbot, C., Martin, C., Casey, C., Chapleo, C., Van Raalte, C., Hunt, D., Rendell, D., Farrell, D., Holley, D., Bickle, E., Chaudhry, E., Anderson, E., Brooks, E., Sweeting, F., Whiting, F., Cownie, F., Knight, F., Roushan, G., Coombes, G., O'Sullivan, H., Ribchester, H., Henderson, H., Lim, H.-J., Darby, I., Chang, J., Zhang, J., Moran, J., Taylor, J., Brennan, K., Parry, K., Roper, L., Oliver, L., Garon, M., Hughes, M., Bobeva, M., Ayer, N., Stewart, N., Bottomley, N., Moore-Oats, O., Harvey, O., Phillips, P., Alexander, P., Shipway, R., Williams, R., Bowra, R., Leung, S.M., Wang, R., Waldron, S., Stride, S., Hillier, S., Robinson, S., Hedger, S., Begum, S., Allen, S., Hall, S., Clarke, S., Andrewes, T., Galling, T., Webb, T., Vu, T., Patel, U., Brosnan, U., Adzhiev, V., Leonard, Z., Darlow, J., 2023. Fusion Learning Conference 2023 - Proceedings. Poole, Dorset, UK, BH12 5BB: Bournemouth University.
- Allen, S., Bickle, E., Bancroft, A., Khattab, A., Quinney, C., Goldsmith, B., Hunt, D., Biggins, D., Holley, D., Andreou, D., Akcay, E., Knight, F., Roushan, G., Singleton, H., O'Sullivan, H., Darby, I., Thurston, J., Moran, J., Whittle, J., Branney, J., Taylor, J., Kooli, K., Musarskaya, M., Mayer, M., Polkinghorne, M., Koohgilani, M., Hughes, M., Klinkner, M., Bowden, M., Moital, L., Mallia, M., Bobeva, M., Phillips, P., Haratian, R., Wang, R., Pyne, S., Baker, T., Webb, T., Patel, U., Rolfe, U., 2022. Fusion Learning Colloquium 2022 - Proceedings. Poole, UK: Bournemouth University.
- O’sullivan, H., Ngugi, I., 2022. Marketing Mix.
- O’sullivan, H., Alcaide-Pulido, P., Buhalis, D., 2022. Corporate Reputation.
- Ngugi, I.K., O'Sullivan, H., Osman, H., 2020. Consumer Behaviour in Food and Healthy Lifestyles A Global Perspective. CABI.
Chapters
- Riches-Suman, K., Graham, A.M., Paluch, K.J., Roushan, G., O'Sullivan, H., Polkinghorne, M., Kumar, V., Kaur, A., Bakar, F., 2026. Supporting doctoral students through completion. In: Polkinghorne, M., Taylor, J., Knight, F., eds. Innovative Approaches to Doctoral Supervision: Selected Case Studies. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 190-213.
- Devis-Rozental, C., O'Sullivan, H., Polkinghorne, M., Rose Clarke, S., 2024. Life Gain: Using a Co-creation Approach to Developing the Socio-emotional Intelligence of a Foundation Year Student Cohort. In: Jamil, M.G., O'Connor, C., Shelton, F., eds. Co-Creation for Academic Enhancement in Higher Education.. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 233-249.
- O'Sullivan, H., 2022. Ask not what marketing practice can do for NPOs; ask what NPOs can do for marketing practice. Charity Marketing: Contemporary issues, research and practice.. Routledge.
Conferences
- Brackenbury, D., O'Sullivan, H., Nwebonyi, F., Wilson Vasquez, G., 2026. The Image of Fear: Visualising Safety, Threat and Belonging in the Contemporary City. In: 17th International Conference on The Image 01/10/2026 Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
- Chapleo, C., OSullivan, H., Kővári, E., 2025. Does being green matter for university branding; an exploration. In: Academy of Marketing 2025 07/07/2025 Cork.
- O'Sullivan, H., 2025. Green Advantage: Leveraging Sustainability in Higher Education Institution Branding. In: 51st EBES Conference 11/04/2025 Rome.
- Alshikhy, T., O'Sullivan, H., Polkinghorne, M., Gennings, E., 2025. Developing a Framework for Enhancing Organisational Performance through Soft Power Strategies. In: 51st EBES Conference 11/04/2025 Rome.
- O'Sullivan, H., Chapleo, C., Cownie, F., 2023. Antecedents, nature and consequences of brand success in comparable English newer universities. In: 44th Eurasia Business & Economics Society Conference 06/07/2023 Istanbul.
- O'Sullivan, H., Chapleo, C., Cownie, F., 2023. Location, Vocation, Education: Place Marketing in the context of English 'New' Universities. In: 22nd International Congress on Public & Non-Profit Marketing 04/07/2023 Hungary.
- O'Sullivan, H., Alcaide-Pulido, P., 2023. How have undergraduate students’ wellbeing and quality of life changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic? A cross-national European analysis. In: 22nd International Congress on Public & Non-Profit Marketing 04/07/2023 Hungary.
- Chapleo, C., Leijerholt, U., O'Sullivan, H., 2023. A complex identity and brand structure: insights from the Swedish public sector. In: International Congress on Public and Nonprofit Marketing 07/07/2022 Braga, Portrugal.
- O'Sullivan, H., Musarskaya, M., Hibbert, J., 2019. Ask not what marketing practice can do for NPOs; ask what NPOs can do for marketing practice. In: When you tire of Marketing you tire of life. Academy of Marketing annual conference 02/07/2019 Regents.
- O'Sullivan, H., 2019. The antecedents of Brand Success in post-1992 British universities. In: Managing uncertainty through a time of change in HE marketing colloquium 03/04/2019 Universidad Loyola Andalucia..
- Leijerholt, U., Chapleo, C., O'Sullivan, H., 2018. A brand within a brand in the public sector. In: The Global Brand Conference 06/03/2019 Northumbria University.
- Leijerholt, U., Chapleo, C., O'Sullivan, H., 2018. A brand within a brand in the public sector. In: The Global Brand Conference 06/03/2019 Northumbria University.
- O'Sullivan, H., 2017. Interpretations of brand success from post-applicant students in the context of newer UK universities. In: Innovation in HE Marketing Colloquium. Academy of Marketing 03/04/2017 Kingston, Univeristy, London.
- O'Sullivan, H., 2017. Branding with a conscience in Higher Education. In: Brands' search for meaning 28/03/2017 Universidad Loyola, Andalucia.
- O'Sullivan, H., Chapleo, C., Garcia Garcia, M., 2016. The role of social media in university brand strategy; an exploration. In: Contemporary Thought in HE Marketing. Academy of Marketing 27/04/2016 Bournemouth University.
- O'Sullivan, H., Bolat, E., sreedharan, C., 2016. Listening to students' conversations and stories - how, what and where? In: Contemporary Thought in HE Marketing. The Academy of Marketing. 27/04/2016 Bournemouth Univeristy.
- O'Sullivan, H., Bolat, E., sreedharan, C., 2016. Listening to students' conversations and stories - how, what and where? In: Contemporary Thought in HE Marketing. The Academy of Marketing. 27/04/2016 Bournemouth Univeristy.
- O'Sullivan, H., 2016. What is Brand Success in Post-92 UK HEIs? In: Academy of Marketing Annual Conference 2016 04/07/2016 Newcastle Business School.
- Bolat, E., O'Sullivan, H., Sreedharan, C., 2016. Radicalising the Marketing of Higher Education: Learning from students - generated social media data. In: Academy of Marketing 04/07/2016 Newcastle, UK.
- Bolat, E., O'Sullivan, H., Sreedharan, C., 2016. Listening to students' conversations and stories - how, what and where? In: Contemporary Thought in HE Marketing Colloquium. 27/04/2016 Bournemouth, UK.
- O'Sullivan, H., 2015. The Impact of consumer culture in higher education. In: 2015 Academy of Marketing Conference 07/07/2015 University of Limerick.
- O'Sullivan, H., 2015. Assessing and Understanding the influences on brand effectiveness in different contexts. A study of UK higher education as it moves towards marketisation. In: 2015 Academy of Marketing Conference 06/07/2015 University of Limerick.
- OSullivan, H., 2015. How do we measure successful HEI brands? In: Bournemouth University Research Conference 27/01/2015 Bournemouth University.
- O'Sullivan, H., 2015. Branding success in post-92 HEIs. In: The 7th Annual Postgraduate Conference 20/01/2015 Bournemouth University.
- O'Sullivan, H., 2007. The importance of work-based learning in partnership with the local college. In: Work-Based Learning Conference 21/06/2007 Bournemouth University.
Reports
- Babaee, F., O'Sullivan, H., Chapleo, C., Polkinghorne, M., 2026. Authenticity, Activism and Trust: Understanding the Loyalty of Generation Z Consumers. Poole, UK: Bournemouth University.
Theses
- O'Sullivan, H., 2022. Antecedents, nature and consequences of brand success in comparable newer universities. Bournemouth University Business School.
Posters
- O'Sullivan, H., Chapleo, C., Cownie, F., 2023. The Two Branches of Inclusivity in Higher Education. In: FLIE Fusion Learning Colloquium 2023..
- O'Sullivan, H., Polkinghorne, M., 2022. Reviewing the Role of the Academic Adviser. In: FLIE Fusion Learning Colloquium 2022.
PhD Students
- Abdullah Allaboon. The perceived impacts of the Riyadh season on the quality of life and the satisfaction of Saudi locals in Riyadh city, (In progress)
- Tariq Alshikhy. An investigation into the role of soft power applied to sporting mega-events to enhance the global reputation and cultural visibility of the host country: A case study focussed on Saudi Arabia., (In progress)
Profile of Teaching PG
- MSc International Marketing Management
- MSc Marketing Management: Marketing Communications
Profile of Teaching UG
- BA (Hons) Industrial Design: Commercial Design Project
- BA (Hons) Design Business Management: Market Research for Design
- BA (Hons) Industrial Design: Business Development
- BA (Hons) Business Studies: Consumer Behaviour
- BA (Hons) Business Studies: Marketing
Invited Lectures
-
Embracing Sustainability: A cross-culture review, Universitas Pendidikan, Indonesia, 30 Oct 2023 more
Embracing Sustainability: A cross-culture review -
Fashion Branding, Universidad de Loyola, Andalusia, 10 Mar 2023 more
Fashion Branding: A case study best practice review. Universidad de Loyola, Andalusia -
01 Jul 2019 more
The Antecedents, Nature and Consequences of Brand Success in post-1992 English universities. Universidad de Loyola, Andalusia -
Brand Success. Foreign Trade University, Vietnam, Foreign Trade University, Vietnam, 25 Oct 2018 more
Brand Success. Foreign Trade University, Vietnam
Grants
- Feeling Safe? Human Narratives of Fear, Protection and Wellbeing in Urban Public Space (Quality Research Funding, Bournemouth University, 28 Jan 2026). Awarded
- Shades of Green: Greening Higher Education: Examining Institutional Practices, Community Attitude and Public Perceptions (University of Pannonia, Hungary, 16 Oct 2024). Awarded
- International Writing Retreat (Quality Research Funding, Bournemouth University, 17 Jul 2023). Awarded
- Excellence in Sustainable Teaching (Bournemouth University, 08 Jul 2019). Awarded
- Charity Impact Fund Award (Bournemouth University, 12 Feb 2019). Awarded
- Contemporary Thought in Higher Education Marketing Colloquium, 2016 (Bournemouth University, 27 Apr 2016). Awarded
External Responsibilities
- Coventry University, External Examiner, (2020-2024)
- University of Bolton, External Panel Member: Validation (2017-)
- Academy of Marketing Science, Reviewer (2017)
- British Conference of Undergraduate Research, Reviewer (2017)
- Journal of Marketing of Higher Education, Guest Editor (2017)
- University of Salford, External Advisor for Periodic Review (2017-)
- Leeds Beckett University, External Examiner (2016-2020)
- Kingston University, External Examiner (2015-)
- Manchester Metropolitan University, External Examiner (2015-2019)
- Academy of Marketing, Reviewer (2015-2017)
- Chartered Institute of Marketing: Dorset Branch, Committee member (2010-)
Internal Responsibilities
- BUBS Lead, JISC Learning Analytics Working Group
- Impact Champion, REF Impact Sub-committee
- Member, BUBS Faculty Postgraduate Research Committee
- REF Impact Champion Unit of Assessment Lead, UoA 17: Business & Management Studies., REF - UoA17
Journal Reviewing/Refereeing
- Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, Open peer review, 31 Jan 2017
Public Engagement & Outreach Activities
- The Hunger Games: Let’s Win Together! (16 Jul 2015)
Consultancy Activities
- Showcasing Best Practice and Models of University- Industry Partnerships., Round table. British Embassy, Vietnam
Attended Training
- European Academy of Innovation. Romania, 20 Feb 2023
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Branding (Bournemouth University, 2022)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education Practice (2015)
- MA in Marketing Management (Southampton Solent University, 2014)
- PGCE in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (City & Guilds, 2013)
- Chartered Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing (Chartered Institute of Marketing, 2010)
- BA (Hons) in English (University of Surrey, 2001)
Honours
- Excellence in Sustainable Teaching award. Bournemouth University (2019)
- Best Paper (Academy of Marketing, 2016)
- Vice-Chancellor's Staff Award: Collaborative Team Award (2016)
- Best Paper in Track "HE Marketing" Award. (Academy of Marketing, 2016)
- Vice-Chancellor's Staff Award 2015: Achievement of qualification relevant to your role (Bournemouth University, 2015)
- Nominated Vice-Chancellor's Staff Awards 2014: Collaborative Team (Bournemouh University, 2014) (2014)
- Best Marketing Campaign (HEIST, 2014)
- Marketing Excellence Award (Best Marketing Campaign) (Chartered Institute of Marketing, 2013)
- Vice-Chair CIM Dorset Committee (Chartered Institute of Marketing, 2012)
- Chartered Marketer (Chartered Institute of Marketing, 2010)
- Student of the Year award. Business Consultancy Award. CMI.
Memberships
- Chartered Management Institute, Member (2017-),
- Academy of Marketing, Chair (2014-),
- Higher Education Academy, Senior Fellow (2014-),
- Chartered Institute of Marketing, Chartered Marketer (2010-),