Dr Wen Wang

I am interested in workplace changes aimed at improving productivity and staff wellbeing, practices that can facilitate the flourishing of a diverse workforce (age, ethnicity, gender, etc.) through job design and harnessing the advancement of technology. As a quantitative researcher, I have endeavoured to capture the 'pulse of change' at the workplace through innovative research methods including using internet-based platform data, administrative data, and secure data in the UK. I joined the University of Leicester in 2021 and taught at University of East Anglia (UK) University of Wolverhampton (UK) and University of Geosciences (China)

My research explores how management practices in responding to external uncertainty (resulted from economic, technological, political or legal change) impact on its workforce and good practices which can enhance performance, innovation and productivity.

My research has three main themes. First, I investigate the unintended consequences of people management in the Not-For-Profit (NFP) sector (charities and public sector) since the new public management in 1990s. I unpack how business-like transformation has unintendedly reinforced or reproduced inequality- thus contradict the purpose of most NFP organisations. Second, I identify management practices to improve productivity through an inclusive approach including working with trade unions, an ageing working population and a diverse workforce. Third, I exploit triangular data sources to better understand organisational behaviours and its impact on workers in different contexts or under different business conditions: automation, recession, Brexit, Covid, etc.

Currently I lead to research projects to research trainee doctors in the NHS funded by the British Academy and ESRC, please see more details on the project website https://careinuncertainty.le.ac.uk/ and its digital chanel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4KILawuXqQYjd7_qi6XFA/addons

2024

 Seifert, R., Wang, W., Trade-union engendered employee trust in senior management: a case study of digitalization,Industrial Relations Journal, DOI: 10.1111/irj.12445

Wang, W. Senior trust leaders who show understanding and compassion are crucial in retaining junior doctors BMJ2024; 386doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q1569(Published 17 July 2024)

Wang, W., Creese, J., Karanika-Murray, M., Harris, K., McCarthy, M., Leng, C., King, C., Can Compassionate Leadership of Hospital Senior Leaders Help to Retain Trainee Doctors? BMJ Leader. https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2024-001010.

Wang, W.,  Seifert, R.,  Bamber, M.,  Breaking the Inequality Reproduction Circle in the NHS: the Importance of Senior Management Team’s Actions (SMTA), Employee Relations,19 April 2024, DOI: 10.1108/ER-09-2023-0470, https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ER-09-2023-0470/full/html

Wang, W., Creese, J. Seifert, R., Tarrant, C., and Armstrong, N., 2024, Written evidence for the UK Parliament Leadership, performance and patient safety in the NHS, accepted and published (NHL0114)

Keshtkar L., Madigan C.D., Ward A., Ahmed S., Tanna V., Rahman I., Bostock J., Nockels K., Wang W., Gillies C.L., Howick J. The Effect of Practitioner Empathy on Patient Satisfaction: A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials. Ann Intern Med. 30 Jan 2024. doi: 10.7326/M23-2168. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38285985. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M23-2168

2023

Wang, W., Marsh, Z., & Seifert, R. (2023). International doctors need an inclusive workplace and career development. BMJ, 381. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.p1304

2022

• Wang W., Bamber, M., Flynn, M; and McCormack. J.,  The Next Mission: Inequality and Service-to- civilian Career Transition Outcomes among 50+ Military Leavers, Human Resource Management Journal, DOI:10.1111/1748-8583.12459
• Wang, W.  Seifert, R.,and Theodorakop, N.,   Do small firms fare better without a professional HR manager?  European Management Review, DOI:10.1111/emre.12508, pp625-638
• Wang, W., Heyes, J., and Seifert, R., Trade Union Influence on Innovation in the British Private Sector: Direct and Indirect Paths, Economic and Industrial Democracy, DOI: 10.1177/0143831X221086015

2021

• Wang, W., Seifert, R., The end of meaningful work in charities? A case study of ethics in employee relations, Journal of Business Ethics, DOI: 10.1007/s10551-021-04891-4
• Wang, W. and Seifert, R.  Job stress and employee outcomes: employment practices in a charity, Employee Relations, 43(5), 1178-1193, DOI: 10. 1108/ER-05-2020-0242
• Wang, W., Cook, M., & Seifert, R., Foreign-ownership and job insecurity during the recession: the moderating effect of union density in the UK. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 42(3): 1-20, DOI: 10.1177/0143831X18808596

2019

• Wang, W.,  Using Survival Analysis in HRM research, SAGE Research Methods Cases Business & Management, invited submission, March 2019

2018

• Wang, W., & Seifert, R., BAME staff and public service motivation: the mediating role of perceived fairness in English local government, Journal of Business Ethics, 161(3), 653-664. DOI: 10.1007/s10551-018-3953-8.
• Seifert, R., & Wang, W., The moderating role of trade unions in embedding equality at work practices: a case study of five English local authorities, Industrial Relations Journal, 49(3), 259-277. DOI: 10.1111/irj.12214
• Wang, W., Mather.K., & Seifert, R., Job insecurity, employee anxiety, and commitment: the moderating role of collective trust in management, Journal of Trust Research, DOI:10.1080/21515581.2018.1463229, 8(2), 220-237

2017

• Wang, W., & Heyes, J., Flexibility, labour retention and productivity, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(3): 1-21, 23 Jan 2017, DOI: 10.1080/09585192.2016.1277370
• Wang, W., & Seifert, R.,  Pay reductions and work attitudes: the moderating effect of employee involvement practices, Employee Relations, 39(7), 935-950. DOI 10.1108/ER-04-2016-0078.
• Wang.W., & Seifert, R.,   Employee referrals: A study of 'close ties' and career benefits in China, European Management Journal, 35 (4), 514-522. DOI 10.1016/j.emj.2016.09.004

2015

• Machold, S., & Wang, W., Breaking through the glass ceiling, Institute of Directors.
• Machold, S., & Wang, W., Gender-Balanced Decision Making, Handbook.

2011

• Wang, W., & Machold, S., Work-life balance, pay, and job satisfaction: an investigation of long-tenured workers in the UK, CMI Top Management Articles, Chartered Management Institute in collaboration with Wiley Publishers.

2008

• Wang, W., & Moffatt, P. G., Hukou and Graduates’ Job Search in China, Asian Economic Journal, 22, 1-23. Doi/10.1111/j.1467-8381.2008.00266.x

2004

• Wang, W., Analysis of Income Disparity between Urban and Rural Households in China, USA-China Business Review, 3, 52-59.
• Wang, W., Private Return to Human Capital in China, Journal of China University of Geosciences (Social Science Edition), 6, 10-13.2004    Wang, W., Position of ALL-in-English Teaching at Higher Education in China, Journal of China Higher Education Research, 10, 37-40

2003

• Wang, W., Yang. J. Building an Agricultural Support System in China, Journal of Rural Economy, 2, 46-48.

2001

• Wang, W., Lv.Z.F., Obstacles of the Development of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in China, Science and Technology Progress and Policy, 2, 95-96.

I would like to work with Ph.D. applicants who share a similar passion with me to address societal challenges of our time; I am fascinated by projects that take a socio-technical system approach that enables personal growth intertwine with organisational growth. I particularly value innovation in research methods in the application.

These are the current PhD projects I work with 

• Ms Ololade George-Aremu
  • Women’s career progression in private sector in Nigeria
• Miss Yang Gu
  • Work-life balance in MNEs in China
• Mr. Mehran Habib
  • Integrated care system in North England
• Mr. Hussein Lubbad
  • International Medical Graduates career progression in the NHS
• Mr. Precious Reuben
  • Black and Asian nurses’ career progression in the NHS
• Ms Mariya Yeldhos    
  • Career progression of Allied Health Professionals in the NHS

PG modules

MN7369 Implementing Improvements in Organisational Performance

MN7415 Managing Clinical Professionals in Healthcare

UG modules

MN3161 Big data and HRM analytics

MN1027 Enterprise in Practices

MN1028 Contemporary Issues in Business and Management 

Current research project survey is open: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iijbXVYLfwM%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B

I have the expertise to comment on diversity and inclusion practices at the workplace

• 2024  Leadership, Performance and Patient Safety, evidence accepted and published by the UK Parliament, April   https://careinuncertainty.le.ac.uk/written-evidence-to-the-parliament-inquiry-nhs-leadership-performance-and-patient-safety/

• 2022  I have provided written evidence to the UK Parliament: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o30HP3FIYDg
• These evidences were included in two reports published on 25th July 2022
• Workforce recruitment, training and retention in health and social care
• Expert Panel: evaluation of Government’s commitments in the area of the health and social care workforce in England.
• Diversity and Inclusion in NHS : https://le.ac.uk/news/2022/march/nhs-staff-shortage
• 2021
  • Inclusive employment transition in the British Army:  50+ ex-service leavers civilian employment transition
  • Diversity and Inclusion project in Walsall area (Blog): Dispelling the myths of diversity and inclusion practices
• 2018
  • Black Country Chamber of Commerce: FDI and Job insecurity
• 2016
  • Opinion: What is the recipe for high absenteeism? People Management, CIPD.
  • older workers deprived of performance appraisals and training in the UK-what can we do? HRZone.
• 2013
  • Workplace absenteeism research was covered by a wide range of national and international mass media
    • BBC Radio 2, the Guardian, ITV, The Independent, The Daily Mirror, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, Belfast Telegraph, BT news, Eastern Daily Express, TUC
    • Management professional media: People Management, HRZone, the Manufacturer; BSA website; CMI website;  IoD, Personnel Today
    • International media: AOL, Onrec, Focus Germany

I am a member of the Academy of Management (AOM) Association of British Chinese Professors (ABCP) British Academy of Management (BAM) and European Management Academy (EURAM). I regularly review conference paper and grant applications for these organisations. I am the conference track chair and organiser of the ABCP annual conference 2021/2022. I also review articles for European Management Review The International Journal of Human Resource Management Industrial Relations Journal Journal of Business Ethics European Management Journal Employee Relations Personnel Economics International Journal of Management Practice International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics.

Engage with the UK Parliament to support better policy: Engage with the UK Parliament Webinar.

• Finalist, Best Paper Award, Academy of Management annual conference, Chicago, USA, 2024
• Finalist, Research Excellence & Impact Award, The Citizens’ Awards 2024, University of Leicester
• 2024-2025 The EMPEROR project (East Midlands Partnership for Health Workforce Retention) Funded by the ESRC
• 2023-2024  Trainee Doctors' Retention, Funded by the British Academy Innovation Fellowship
• 2020-2022 Walsall Diversity and Inclusion Project DWP
• 2019-2021 European Academy Management Grant 
• Reviewer of the Year for Industrial Relations Journal in 2018 2019

I regularly presented at AOM BAM EURAM International Labour Process Conference (ILPC) and Work Employment and Society (WES) conference

I have a passion for research impact since my research aims to address the societal challenges of our time. In this pursuit I have formed good partnerships with wide stakeholders through funded research/impact projects including British Academy, European Management Academy, DWP, Officers’ Association, PCS Union, Unison and YMCA. This has led to evidence that was referred by or reached policy-makers including the Selective Committee of the UK parliament Department for Work and Pensions, the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, and TUC.

I have a passion to facilitate employment transition (graduates and 50+) or over fully working life this strand of research has been reported in the media CMI and HR zone since 2011. In 2021 my research into 50+ ex-servicemen civilian employment transition workplace diversity and inclusion practices have been disseminated by the media.

• https://pathfinderinternational.co.uk/colonels-and-generals-more-likely-to-find-quality-jobs-after-leaving-armed-forces-than-other-ranks/
• https://icrd.medium.com/dispelling-the-myths-of-diversity-and-inclusion-practices-cef64e8d1d0c

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) PhD in Labour Economics University of East Anglia UK. MSc HRM&OB Zhongnan Finance and Law University Wuhan China BSc Business Management China University of Geosciences China