Group members

Professor Shireen Kanji My research addresses inequalities in workplaces, in homes and their many interconnections. I am an expert in how inequalities relate to demographic issues. Much of my research is situated where gender, work and social inequality intersect. My previous research has analysed gender inequality in organisations, working hours of men and women, the work-family interface, performance appraisal, career choices, self-employment and wellbeing. Parents’ experiences at work. My research has examined, firstly, women’s participation and exit from work. Secondly, male breadwinners' working hours preferences and actual hours of work. Thirdly, the impact that the care grandparents provide to grandchildren has on the labour force participation of mothers in the UK. I have analysed how becoming a parent or partner differentially affects the transitions of men and women to self-employment and business ownership. Occupations. I have studied the occupational aspirations of younger workers in relation to the gender mix of occupations and gendered self-concepts in mathematics, the long-lasting impact of precarious work on the wellbeing of younger workers in Germany. Research on occupations and inequality is based on women scientists in the pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland and women’s changing occupational status in China (conducted for the Asian Development Bank). Current research: Working hours and paid work participation of older men and women in Europe. The experiences of women bankers in Bangladesh. Young people's transitions from school to work in developing countries. My work has been widely reported in national and international media in The FInancial Times, The Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Wirtschaftswoche, Time Magazine, The Daily Express, ITV News and BBC News. I have appearedtwice on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and on the BBC World Service. I have undertaken consultancy work for international organisations. For example I was involved in an OECD project on how the school to work transition in Switzerland is gendered, an Asian Development Bank research project on women’s changing occupational status in China and several DFID projects on poverty in Russia. I have also undertaken consultancy work for private organisations including Starling Bank. I am a Council Member of the British Society for Population Studies and serve on one of the ESRC Grant Assessment Panels. I have served as an evaluation member panel for the Portuguese and Swedish Social Research Councils. I was a member of the editorial team of Work, Employment and Society from 2010-2013. I am currently on the Editorial Board of Industrial Relations Journal. I joined Brunel Business School in 2019, having previously held posts at the University of Birmingham, University of Leicester, Basel University and the University of Cambridge. I have taught courses on Leadership, Human Resource Management, Statistical Modelling, Research Methods, International Human Resource Management, the Sociology of the Family and Gender and Employment. At Brunel I have designed and tuaght a module on ethics, power and inequality in artificial intelligence in Brunel's new Masters in AI Strategy. Prior to working in academia, I had a career in international finance I am currently teaching the following courses: MG3018 Gender in Organisations MG2063 Critical Perspectives on Management MSc in Artificial Intelligence Ethics, Power and Inclusion in AI HRM for small and medium sized businesses

Dr Emeka Oruh Dr Emeka Smart Oruh is a Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management (HRM) and Organisational Behaviour (OB), and the Post Graduate (PGT) Deputy Admission Director at Brunel University London, UK, where he obtained a PhD in Employment Relations (ER) and Human Resource Management (HRM) in 2017. Before now, he lectured at the University of Portsmouth School of Business and Law, UK between 2018 and 2020. His key research examines OB, ER and HRM issues within international business – particularly in emerging and developing markets. Dr Emeka (Smart) has authored several publications – some of which have appeared in highly rated international journals such as Human Relations, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Journal of Managerial Psychology, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Marketing Theory, Management Decision, European Management Journal, Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, and Employee Relations journal among others including Edited Books and Book Chapters. ​

Professor Mustafa Ozbilgin Mustafa F. Özbilgin is a Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Brunel Business School, London. His research focuses on workplace equality, diversity and inclusion from comparative and relational perspectives. He has conducted field studies in the UK and internationally. Supported by international and national grants from the ESRC, EPSRC, EU Horizon 2020, CIPD, ACE, ACCA, and the British Academy, he studied changing policies and practices in workplace equality, diversity, and inclusion. He is an engaged scholar, driven by values of workplace democracy, equality for all, and humanisation of work. -- -- All of his research papers are available in preprint format on ResearchGate: Video presentations of his research publications are available in the following YouTube channel: Equality Research: Check Google Scholar listing for a detailed list of papers and books: If you wish to contact me on Linkedin: -- -- He has authored and edited more than 20 books and published over 200 papers in academic journals such as the British Medical Journal, Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Learning and Education, Journal of Management Studies, British Journal of Management, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Human Resource Management, Human Relations, Gender Work and Organization, and Social Science and Medicine, among others. -- -- He has conducted research, consultancy and training at a large number of organisations, including the House of Commons, Barclays Bank, The Bank West Australia, Google, Halifax, the CIPD, the National Health Service, the NHS Employers, L'Oreal, Tesco, the Probation Services, The UK Fire Service, the Economist Research Unit, the OECD, the WRVS, DTI, Rio Tinto, PwC, Linklaters and ACCA. -- -- He served as the editor-in-chief of the journal, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: an international journal (Emerald Press) between 2006 and 2010. He served as the editor-in-chief of the European Management Review (EMR), the official journal of the European Academy of Management (EURAM), from 2014 to 2018 and as the editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Management, the official journal of the British Academy of Management, for four years from 2010 to 2014. He is currently serving on the editorial boards of over 20 journals internationally. -- -- He currently holds the following editorial roles: Book Series Editor: Equality Diversity and Inclusion: international perspectives (Emerald Press) Managing Global Challenges (World Scientific) Associate editor: Gender Work and Organization (Wiley, founding editor of the section: Policy Directions) Asian Business and Management (Wiley) Frontiers in Psychology and Frontiers in Sociology (Frontiers) Member of the Editorial Board: Academy of Management Learning and Education (AMLE) British Journal of Management International Journal of Human Resource Management Journal of Management Studies Equality Diversity and Inclusion: an International Journal (Emerald Press) -- -- He is the founder of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: an international conference (EDI). The EDI conference was established in 2008 and has travelled to 17 different countries to date across four continents: www.edi-conference.org Mustafa Ozbilgin is a member of the Reform Club: My research interests are on equality, diversity and inclusion at work from international and comparative perspectives, drawing mainly on sociology theory. In particular, I am interested in engaged scholarship that can support the development of theory and practices that promote equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights across public, private and voluntary sector organisations in Britain and internationally. Global diversity management Comparative employment relations Social and organisational change Discrimination at work International perspectives on equality at work Intersecting inequalities at work Academic labour process Global Diversity Management Qualitative Research Methods; International Human Resource Management Responsible Leadership Consultation and feedback sessions (please email me to make sure spaces are available): Wednesday 14:00-16:00 hrs

Dr Marios Samdanis Dr Marios Samdanis is a Senior Lecturer in Strategy, Entrepreneurship and International Management. Prior to joining Brunel, he was a Lecturer in Digital Creativity and New Media Management at Birkbeck College, University of London, and a Lecturer in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. He has a PhD in Management from Kent Business School, University of Kent, and a Master degree in Innovation Management and Technology Policy from Birkbeck College. His research has been published in journals such as International Journal of Management Reviews, International Business Review, Journal of Business Research, European Management Review, Information and Organization and International Journal of Human-Computer Studies. He is active reviewer for a wide range of journals in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship. Dr Samdanis’s research interests focus on innovation and entrepreneurship in the creative industries, and in particular in contemporary visual arts, architecture and design drawing mainly on organisational theory. He is also interested in studying leadership, creativity and diversity in the domains of technology and culture. Innovation in art, design and technology Leadership and diversity management New institutionalism and sociomateriality Technology, cultural and social entrepreneurship MG5621 Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Module Leader) MG2607 Creativity, Innovation and Leadership (Module Leader) Consultation and Feedback Sessions: Wednesdays and Fridays 1-2pm

Dr Didem Taser-Erdogan Dr Didem Taser Erdogan is a senior lecturer in Human Resources Management (HRM) and Organisational Behaviour (OB). She has received her PhD degree from King's Business School. Didem holds an MSc degree from London School of Economics and a BA degree from Bilkent University, Turkey. Her research interests include gender and organisations, diversity and inclusion, work-life balance and flexible working. Didem has experiences of teaching core HRM and OB topics to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, including recruitment and selection, teamwork, work motivation, and cross cultural management. Her research interests are mainly related to gender and organisations and work-life balance issues. Specifically, she is interested in individuals careers and the factors that influence its impact on individual work attitudes and behaviours. Using a qualitative design, her research investigated women's limited representation at senior management through the interplay between macro, meso and micro level issues which in turn impacted women's career aspirations. Gender and organisations Diversity management Work-life balance Flexible working MG5617 HRM in Context: Resourcing, Performance and Assessment MG 3611 Contemporary HRM in Context: Resourcing, Performance and Assessment

Dr Selcuk Uygur Dr. Selcuk Uygur is a Senior Lecturer in Business Ethics. He has received his PhD degree from Brunel Business School on management researches. Selcuk holds an MBA degree from Baskent University and a BA degree from Inonu University, Turkey. His research interests include work ethic, business ethics and social responsibility, the influence of religion in business, diversity management. He is a reviewer for the Journal of Business Ethics, Gender Work and Organization, International Journal of Human Resource Management. Selcuk is acting as a member of Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour (HRM-OB) research group at Brunel Business School. He has been a member of the European Business Ethics Network (EBEN) since 2007, and an Academic Member of CIPD since 2018. He is the Director of Teaching and Learning at BBS since 2019. Work ethic Corporate social responsibility Diversity management Religion and business ethics Research group(s) Human Resource Management and Organization Behaviour Research Group (HRMOB) MG3113 Business Ethics, Environmental Sustainability and, Governance; MG3119 Issues & Controversies in Management Project; MG5510 Dissertation

Professor Joana Vassilopoulou Dr Vassilopoulou is a Professor in EDI & HRM and the Divisional Lead of the Organisations and People Department at Brunel Business School, Brunel University London. Her research focuses on equality, diversity & inclusion, gender, migration, AI & diversity and precarious work from a critical and international comparative perspective. She has been part of grants in the field of diversity and inclusion with a total value of over £2.5 million, such as for the OECD, the European Academy of Management (EURAM), EU Horizon2020 and EU Erasmus+. She is the Co-Founder of the Centre for Inclusion at Work (CEFI), in Athens, Greece: Joana Vassilopoulou has an established academic and professional record in the field of diversity and inclusion, is frequently invited to deliver talks and has organised and hosted the international Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) conference twice. Joana was an editor at the Work, Employment and Society (WES) Journal from 2020 to 2024 and from 2015 to 2020, she served as an Associate Editor of the European Management Review (EMR). She was a board member of the European Academy of Management (EURAM) and the UK National Representative of EURAM. She has published over 50 publications in edited collections and journals such as Human Resource Management Journal, Work, Employment and Society, European Journal of Industrial Relations, International Business Review and the International Journal of Human Resource Management. She is an associated faculty member at the Erasmus Centre for Women and Organisations, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam/Netherlands, and she has held visiting Professorships at Dauphine University, Paris /France, MCI Innsbruck (Austria), and the University of Wuppertal (Germany). Dr Vassilopoulou is the recipient of a visiting scholarship at Sydney University’s business school (2017), the winner of the Transnational Best Paper Award at the American Academy of Management conference (2012), and the recipient of the University of East Anglia’s Norwich Business School Diversity and Equality in Careers and Employment Research PhD scholarship (2007-2010). She has a PhD from Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia and her Social Science/Sociology degree from the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. Equality, diversity & inclusion, gender, migration, AI & diversity and precarious work, from a critical and international comparative perspective. Research group(s) Human Resource Management and Organization Behaviour Research Group (HRMOB) Dr Vassilopoulou's research focuses on equality, diversity & inclusion, gender, migration, AI & diversity and precarious work, from a critical and international comparative perspective.. MG3018 Gender in Organisations MB5527 Leading People and Managing Organisations

Professor Francesco Moscone I bring extensive experience and a strongly international academic profile that uniquely positions me to advise institutions across Italy, Europe, and the United Kingdom, helping ensure that policy decisions are both economically sound and operationally effective. As an expert member of the Technical-Scientific Committee of the Italian Parliamentary Intergroup on Prevention and Risk Reduction, established in February 2025, I contribute direct experience in supporting public decision-makers on issues of primary importance. Recently, I was invited to testify as an expert before the European Parliament as part of the revision of the Tobacco Directive, with particular reference to fiscal aspects. I am also a member of the Scottish Government HABIT Expert Group on Nicotine Product Evidence. I am currently Full Professor of Economics at Brunel University of London, I teach Public Economics at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and Visiting Professor at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. I am also affiliated with ALTEMS (Graduate School of Health Economics and Management) in Rome, where I direct the Observatory on Public Health Economics. My academic profile is fully European, having developed across multiple Member States. I have also taught at the University of Cambridge and held research positions at the London School of Economics, building a strong network of collaboration with leading European academic institutions. I am among the most cited scholars in the field of health economics, with my research receiving over 1,000 citations in international media. One of my articles published in the scientific outlet The Conversation has reached over 541,000 readers. I have authored more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific articles in leading journals, with a particular focus on health economics and the systemic economic effects of health and welfare policies. My work has had a significant impact on public policy at the highest levels: my studies have been used in the context of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the United Kingdom and in the Scottish Parliament; the World Health Organization has cited my research on COVID-19 and mental health in official documents; and the OECD has included my analyses of healthcare expenditure in its January 2024 report on the fiscal sustainability of healthcare systems. My expertise in the economics of prevention directly addresses some of the key challenges facing national systems. My research demonstrates not only that prevention generates savings, but also to what extent and in which areas interventions are most effective. My analyses of the impact of precarious employment on mental health highlight the interconnections between labor policies and healthcare costs, while my studies on regional health inequalities provide a solid basis for targeted interventions. Through the use of advanced spatial econometric methodologies, my work shows how health outcomes in one region influence those in neighboring areas, offering important insights for coordinated policies at national and supranational levels. I am currently involved in major initiatives funded by the European Union, including the Age-It project under Next Generation EU. Of particular relevance for public policy in Italy, Europe, and the United Kingdom is my research on tobacco. My studies have quantified the economic and healthcare system benefits of smoking cessation and the transition to alternative products, demonstrating how academic research can contribute directly and concretely to the debate on prevention and the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems. Alongside my scientific activity, I have contributed to the development of healthcare policies through institutional collaborations, including participation in the drafting of guidelines by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on prenatal care and the Wanless Social Care Review by The King’s Fund on elderly care. My leadership within the health economics community represents a valuable asset for coordinating initiatives at both national and international levels. Since 2019, I have served as Series Editor for Contributions to Economic Analysis at Emerald Publishing and have organized the Empirical Health Economics Workshop annually since 2008. I am also President of the American-European Health Economics Study Group, contributing to the development of an international research network. As editor of key volumes, including *The Sustainability of Healthcare Systems in Europe* (2021) and *The Economics of Covid-19* (2022), I have made a significant contribution to advancing knowledge in the field. I am also distinguished by my ability to communicate complex content to diverse audiences, through collaborations with national and international media, including Il Sussidiario, GB News, TGCOM24, LBC Radio, and Times Radio, as well as publications such as The Times, The Independent, Il Sole 24 Ore, and Corriere della Sera. In conclusion, I offer institutions across Italy, Europe, and the United Kingdom a set of highly valuable competencies: strong academic credibility, proven impact on public policy, active participation in decision-making processes, a well-established international network, and deep expertise in the economics of prevention. These elements make me a qualified interlocutor to support the development of evidence-based strategies aimed at improving population health and ensuring the sustainability of healthcare systems. Francesco Moscone's research focuses on sustainable health expenditure, investigating possible savings from both demand and supply perspectives. Regarding the demand side, he explores scenarios like potential savings if the smoking population transitions to reduced-risk products like vaping, if heavy drinkers shift to moderate drinking, and if individuals become more physically active. On the supply side, his research delves into questions such as the potential productivity gains in hospitals when physicians adopt more cost-effective medical technologies. The fact remains that anything we do in life will never be entirely risk-free. However, what we can strive for is risk reduction. Transitioning from excessive alcohol intake (defined as consuming, on average, more than half a liter of wine a day) to moderate drinking may not eliminate the risk of certain liver-related diseases, but it can significantly reduce those risks. Similarly, the well-known fact that tobacco consumption claims millions of lives worldwide each year emphasises the potential life-saving impact of adults switching to reduced-risk products like vaping. Moreover, a sedentary lifestyle, spending most of the day on the sofa, is detrimental to health and increases the likelihood of developing numerous chronic pathologies. Engaging in physical exercise is recommended to counteract these risks. Interestingly, transitioning toward various reduced-risk behaviors not only saves lives but also proves to be financially advantageous. My recent published work demonstrates that in Italy, we could save over one billion euros annually in the National Health Services by promoting physical exercise, reducing wine consumption, and encouraging the switch to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.Furthermore, another scientific study of mine revealed that if half of the smokers in England transitioned to vaping, the NHS could save more than a billion pounds each year. This presents a unique opportunity in the public health sector to free up resources, which could be reinvested to revitalise the healthcare system. Such a strategy offers an alternative approach to making the NHS more resilient against shocks like Covid-19 and addressing urgent health issues such as rising waiting times. I've also been exploring healthcare system sustainability from the supply side. My research delves into the connection between hospital quality and health expenditure. It's uncertain whether augmenting health resources, such as having more physicians, will invariably enhance people's health. Conversely, increased spending might increase mortality rates in cases of inefficiency. Recent findings underscore the significance of adopting medical technologies, like increasing the use of aspirins, beta blockers, and statins for patients with cardiovascular issues, to potentially save more lives. These research areas cover a broad spectrum of health economics and healthcare management, offering valuable insights into the financial aspects of healthcare and social care systems. In these fields I contribute to evidence-based policymaking and the development of efficient and sustainable healthcare systems Feel free to reach out if you're interested in learning more about my research. Research group(s) Strategy Entrepreneurship and International Business (SEIB) Healthcare Policy; Business Economics; Analytical Skills; Quantitative Methods in Business and Management Office hours: Tuesday 5-6pm and Thursday 11am-12

Professor Shireen Kanji My research addresses inequalities in workplaces, in homes and their many interconnections. I am an expert in how inequalities relate to demographic issues. Much of my research is situated where gender, work and social inequality intersect. My previous research has analysed gender inequality in organisations, working hours of men and women, the work-family interface, performance appraisal, career choices, self-employment and wellbeing. Parents’ experiences at work. My research has examined, firstly, women’s participation and exit from work. Secondly, male breadwinners' working hours preferences and actual hours of work. Thirdly, the impact that the care grandparents provide to grandchildren has on the labour force participation of mothers in the UK. I have analysed how becoming a parent or partner differentially affects the transitions of men and women to self-employment and business ownership. Occupations. I have studied the occupational aspirations of younger workers in relation to the gender mix of occupations and gendered self-concepts in mathematics, the long-lasting impact of precarious work on the wellbeing of younger workers in Germany. Research on occupations and inequality is based on women scientists in the pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland and women’s changing occupational status in China (conducted for the Asian Development Bank). Current research: Working hours and paid work participation of older men and women in Europe. The experiences of women bankers in Bangladesh. Young people's transitions from school to work in developing countries. My work has been widely reported in national and international media in The FInancial Times, The Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Wirtschaftswoche, Time Magazine, The Daily Express, ITV News and BBC News. I have appearedtwice on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and on the BBC World Service. I have undertaken consultancy work for international organisations. For example I was involved in an OECD project on how the school to work transition in Switzerland is gendered, an Asian Development Bank research project on women’s changing occupational status in China and several DFID projects on poverty in Russia. I have also undertaken consultancy work for private organisations including Starling Bank. I am a Council Member of the British Society for Population Studies and serve on one of the ESRC Grant Assessment Panels. I have served as an evaluation member panel for the Portuguese and Swedish Social Research Councils. I was a member of the editorial team of Work, Employment and Society from 2010-2013. I am currently on the Editorial Board of Industrial Relations Journal. I joined Brunel Business School in 2019, having previously held posts at the University of Birmingham, University of Leicester, Basel University and the University of Cambridge. I have taught courses on Leadership, Human Resource Management, Statistical Modelling, Research Methods, International Human Resource Management, the Sociology of the Family and Gender and Employment. At Brunel I have designed and tuaght a module on ethics, power and inequality in artificial intelligence in Brunel's new Masters in AI Strategy. Prior to working in academia, I had a career in international finance I am currently teaching the following courses: MG3018 Gender in Organisations MG2063 Critical Perspectives on Management MSc in Artificial Intelligence Ethics, Power and Inclusion in AI HRM for small and medium sized businesses