Dr Alireza Nazarian
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.
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.
