About me
Dr Alireza Nazarian completed his PhD in Management Studies at Brunel University London, United Kingdom. His doctoral research examined the relationship between organisational culture and organisational effectiveness, investigating the mediating role of leadership style and the moderating effects of national culture and organisational size within private sector organisations.
Dr Nazarian is a Reader in Management at Westminster Business School, University of Westminster, London. He currently serves as the Head of the Cross-Cultural and Global Management Research Group at Westminster Business School, leading research initiatives and collaborations in the areas of international business, cross-cultural management, leadership, organisational culture, and global workforce challenges. He has extensive experience in higher education, research, and academic leadership, having taught and supervised students across undergraduate, postgraduate, MBA, and doctoral programmes since 2013.
He is the Founder of Management & Business Academy and serves as Chair of the MBAcademy International Business Conference. In addition, he is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Organisational Studies and Innovation (JOSI), Senior Editor of the European Journal of International Management, and Editor of Cogent Business & Management.
Prior to joining the University of Westminster in August 2020, Dr Nazarian held academic positions at several UK universities. Between 2013 and 2016, he worked at the University of West London as Postgraduate Director and Senior Lecturer in Business and Management. In 2016, he joined the University of Roehampton as Senior Lecturer in International and Cross-Cultural Management before moving to Westminster Business School.
Dr Nazarian's research interests span a broad range of management disciplines, including organisational studies, human resource management, leadership, international business, and cross-cultural management. He has developed extensive expertise in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research approaches, enabling him to investigate complex organisational and managerial challenges from multiple perspectives.
His current research focuses on integrating insights from business management, international business, leadership, and cultural studies to enhance organisational performance and effectiveness in both local and global contexts. He is particularly interested in understanding the behavioural, organisational, and managerial dimensions of organisational success and transformation.
Research Interests
Organisational Studies and Organisational ChangeCross-Cultural Studies (National and Organisational Culture)Leadership Development and Leadership EffectivenessOrganisational Effectiveness and PerformanceHuman Resource Management and Employee EngagementInternational Business and Global ManagementDiversity, Inclusion, and Cultural IntelligenceOrganisational Behaviour and Workplace Culture
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
Chartered Manager (CMgr), Chartered Management Institute (CMI)Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)Member of the British Academy of Management (BAM)Member of the Academy of International Business (AIB)
Academic and Professional Activities
Dr Nazarian actively collaborates with academics, researchers, practitioners, and organisations worldwide through research projects, consultancy, editorial activities, conferences, and executive education initiatives. His work focuses on bridging the gap between academic research and managerial practice, supporting organisations in developing effective leadership, positive organisational cultures, and sustainable performance outcomes.
He has published extensively in leading international journals and continues to contribute to the advancement of management knowledge through research, teaching, editorial leadership, research group leadership, and professional engagement.
Teaching
With over 20 years of teaching, training, and professional development experience, including more than a decade in UK higher education, I am committed to delivering an engaging, inclusive, and intellectually stimulating learning environment that supports student development and academic success. My teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that learning is developmental in nature, where new knowledge is constructed upon existing understanding and strengthened through meaningful connections between concepts, theories, and real-world practice.
This developmental approach is particularly important within business and management education, where students are often required to integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines to address complex organisational challenges. I believe that effective learning occurs when students are encouraged to critically evaluate concepts, recognise interrelationships between different subject areas, and apply theoretical insights to practical situations.
A key aspect of my teaching practice is helping students connect current learning with prior knowledge and related modules across their programmes of study. For example, understanding cross-cultural management in isolation from organisational behaviour, leadership, human resource management, communication, ethics, and diversity management provides only a limited perspective on the complexities of contemporary organisations. Therefore, I encourage students to adopt a multidisciplinary perspective, enabling them to develop a more comprehensive understanding of managerial and organisational challenges in diverse and global contexts.
Through this approach, students are better equipped to bridge the gap between theory and practice, apply evidence-based knowledge to organisational settings, and develop the critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills required for professional success. My ultimate objective is to empower students to become reflective practitioners and responsible leaders who can contribute positively to organisations and society.
Teaching Experience
Over the past 20 years, I have taught, trained, and mentored learners across a wide range of educational and professional settings. Since 2013, I have taught a variety of undergraduate, postgraduate, MBA, and executive education modules across business, management, international business, human resource management, leadership, and organisational studies.
My teaching portfolio includes:
Undergraduate and Postgraduate Modules
Cross-Cultural ManagementInternational Business ManagementResearch MethodsUndergraduate and Postgraduate DissertationsProject ManagementBusiness StrategyStrategic ManagementIntroduction to ManagementIntroduction to Human Resource ManagementOrganisational BehaviourLeadership and Change ManagementManaging Across BordersManaging People and OrganisationsGlobal Business EnvironmentDiversity and Inclusion in Organisations
My teaching practice combines academic rigour with practical relevance, drawing upon current research, consultancy activities, editorial experience, and international case studies to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. Throughout my career, I have sought to create supportive learning environments that foster critical thinking, independent learning, intercultural awareness, and employability skills, preparing students to succeed in increasingly complex and globalised organisational environments.
Research
Research Overview
My research focuses on investigating cause-and-effect relationships within business and management, with a particular emphasis on organisational studies, leadership, culture, and organisational effectiveness. Throughout my academic career, I have been interested in understanding how organisational and national cultures shape managerial practices, employee behaviours, leadership effectiveness, and organisational performance across different sectors and international contexts.
My early research was grounded in organisational culture and effectiveness, drawing extensively upon the Competing Values Framework, organisational effectiveness theory, and national culture perspectives. This work explored the relationships between organisational culture, leadership styles, and organisational outcomes, with particular attention to the mediating and moderating mechanisms that influence organisational success. Over time, my research has expanded to incorporate a wider range of organisational and behavioural constructs, including transformational and transactional leadership, ethical leadership, servant leadership, organisational justice, organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB), employee engagement, job satisfaction, trust, organisational commitment, and workplace performance.
Although my research portfolio is predominantly quantitative in nature, I have extensive experience employing qualitative and mixed-methods approaches across a variety of disciplines, including management, organisational studies, human resource management, marketing, and international business. This methodological diversity has enabled me to examine complex organisational phenomena from multiple perspectives and contribute to both theoretical and practical developments within the field.
In recent years, my research has expanded into the tourism and hospitality sector, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and international business environments. I have developed a particular interest in exploring how leadership, organisational culture, and employee behaviours influence organisational effectiveness and performance across different industries and cultural contexts. My work seeks not only to identify key organisational drivers of success but also to examine interventions and mechanisms that can enhance organisational outcomes through factors such as reward systems, employee development, trust, organisational commitment, organisational justice, resource acquisition capabilities, and positive workplace behaviours.
More recently, my research has evolved to include emerging themes such as diversity and inclusion, cultural intelligence, employee engagement, organisational resilience, sustainable management practices, and the impact of artificial intelligence and digital transformation on organisations and employees. I actively collaborate with international colleagues on empirical research projects spanning customer satisfaction, consumer behaviour, leadership, organisational culture, workplace diversity, and gender-related issues such as the glass ceiling.
As Head of the Cross-Cultural and Global Management Research Group at Westminster Business School, I lead and support interdisciplinary research initiatives that examine contemporary organisational challenges in global and multicultural environments. My research aims to generate practical insights that contribute to organisational effectiveness while advancing academic knowledge in management and organisational studies.
Research Interests
My primary research interests include:
Cross-Cultural Management and National CultureOrganisational Culture and Organisational ChangeLeadership and Leadership DevelopmentOrganisational BehaviourEmployee Engagement and Positive Employee BehaviourOrganisational Effectiveness and PerformanceHuman Resource ManagementDiversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Cultural IntelligenceTourism and Hospitality ManagementInternational Business and Global ManagementOrganisational Justice and Employee WellbeingSmall and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work
Conference Leadership
Conference Chair and Director
Chair, MBAcademy International Business Conference (2015–Present)Founder, Management & Business Academy
Under my leadership, the MBAcademy International Business Conference has developed into an international platform for academics, researchers, doctoral students, and practitioners to exchange knowledge and foster research collaborations across business and management disciplines.
Editorial Leadership and Academic Service
Current Editorial Roles
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Organisational Studies and Innovation (JOSI)Senior Editor, European Journal of International ManagementEditor, Cogent Business & ManagementEditorial Board Member, Iranian Journal of Management StudiesAssociate Editor, International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change ManagementEditorial Board Member, Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian ResearchEditorial Board Member, Independent Journal of Management & Production
Through these editorial positions, I contribute to advancing scholarly knowledge, supporting academic quality assurance, and mentoring researchers across a wide range of management and business disciplines.
Doctoral Supervision and Examination
Doctoral Supervision
I have successfully supervised and supported the completion of nine doctoral candidates across PhD and DBA programmes. I am currently supervising three doctoral researchers whose projects focus on leadership, organisational behaviour, cross-cultural management, and organisational effectiveness.
Areas of Doctoral Supervision
I welcome doctoral students interested in the following research areas:
Cross-Cultural ManagementLeadership and Organisational ChangeOrganisational BehaviourPositive Employee Behaviour and EngagementHuman Resource ManagementOrganisational Culture and EffectivenessTourism and Hospitality ManagementInternational BusinessDiversity and InclusionOrganisational Justice and Employee Wellbeing
Doctoral Examination and Academic Reviewing
I have served as an External Examiner for doctoral candidates at several universities and have examined multiple PhD theses across management and business disciplines. In addition, I have participated in doctoral committees and viva examinations internationally, acting in roles including External Examiner, Internal Examiner, Committee Member, and Chair of Doctoral Examination Panels.
Publications
For details of all my research outputs, visit my WestminsterResearch profile.