Dr Amir Mehralian

About me:

Dr. Amir Mehralian is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter Business School. Before joining Exeter, he served as a Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Business School and previously as an Associate Professor at Shahid Beheshti University (Tehran University) for over 11 years. He was also a Visiting Fellow at the Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University (Canada) in 2017.

Amir brings extensive professional experience in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry, having served as a Chief Executive Officer, member of several boards of directors, and consultant to both public and private sector organisations. This blend of academic and industry experience has deeply informed his research and teaching, providing a strong foundation for bridging theory and practice.

His research sits at the intersection of strategy, organisational behaviour, and innovation and focuses on how organisations mobilise knowledge, leadership, and collective learning to generate innovation and sustained performance. In particular, his work examines how managerial cognition, team processes, and knowledge flows shape organisational decision-making and innovation outcomes. This research explores how organisations navigate competing demands such as exploration and exploitation, stability and change, and efficiency and experimentation. By examining the microfoundations of these dynamics, his work contributes to theoretical debates in management research while also addressing practical challenges faced by organisations seeking to stimulate innovation and learning in complex environments.

Amir is currently engaged in a diverse range of projects, collaborating with researchers from both the UK and worldwide. His research will continue to advance three interconnected themes. First, to investigate human–AI collaboration in organisations, examining how HR systems and leadership practices shape the integration of algorithmic decision-making into professional work. Second, to study sustainable work systems, exploring how organisations design roles and organisational practices that support long-term employee adaptability, resilience, and well-being. Third, to analyse leadership and employee cognition under technological and institutional complexity, explaining how leaders enable employees to navigate competing organisational demands without eroding professional autonomy or organisational commitment.

Amir’s research has been published in leading journals, including Human Resource Management, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Human Resource Management Journal, the British Journal of Management (ABS 4*/FT50), as well as in reputable outlets such as the International Journal of Human Resource Management, Journal of Business Research, Personnel Review, and the Journal of Knowledge Management, among others. His paper was also awarded the Best Paper (Quality & Impact) in the HR Division at the Academy of Management (AOM) Conference in Copenhagen, 2025.

Interests:

· HRM Systems

· Leadership

. Human–AI collaboration

. Cogntion and Creativity

· Organizational Change and Innovation

· Healthcare

Amir has a track record of successfully supervising 15 Ph.D. students and currently supervises two Ph.D. students. If these research areas align with your interests, please contact me to discuss the possibility of PhD supervision.

Qualifications:

MSc and Ph.D.