Dr Chidozie Umeh
Associate Professor of Human Resource Management

Profile

Biography

Dr Chidozie (‘Chido’) Umeh is Associate Professor of Human Resource Management (HRM) at School for Business and Society. He is Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research (PGR) and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Champion in the School for Business and Society, where he also serves on the School’s EDI Committee. He is also Deputy Director for the Sustainable Growth, Business and Economic Productivity Pathway of the White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership, an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded consortium of universities across Yorkshire.

He joined the University of York in 2020 and holds a PhD in Business and Management from Queen Mary University of London. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA, Advance HE) and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Chido serves as Associate Editor of Personnel Review and has served as Guest Editor of several Special Issues. He co-edited two Special Issues of Personnel Review (2022; 2024) and is currently co-Guest Editing forthcoming Special Issues on workplace violence (Human Resource Management) and on reframing feminism through non-Western epistemologies (Gender, Work & Organization).

His research, supported by external funding from national and international organisations, focuses on equality, diversity and inclusion, work and employment, AI and digitalisation, and sustainable management practices in diverse and international contexts. His work has been published in leading international journals, including Human Resource Management, Human Resource Management Journal, Work, Employment & Society, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Gender, Work & Organization, Industrial Marketing Management, Personnel Review, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: An International Journal, Computers in Human Behavior Reports, and Journal of Open Innovation.

Chido regularly presents his research at international conferences and convenes thematic tracks at the European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS). He is an active member of the Academy of Management (AoM), British Sociological Association (BSA), British Academy of Management (BAM), and European Academy of Management (EURAM). He is also a member of the BAM Peer Review College.

Leadership and Service Roles

Deputy Director, Postgraduate Research (PGR), School for Business and Society

Deputy Director, Sustainable Growth, Business and Economic Productivity Pathway, White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership (WRDTP)

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Champion, School for Business and Society and Member, EDI Committee

Research

Overview

Dr Umeh’s research examines contemporary challenges at the intersection of work, organisations and society, with particular interests in inequality, technological change, and sustainable and responsible management. His research interests include:

• Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in organisations, with particular attention to power, inequality, race, and institutional reproduction
• Theoretical and conceptual approaches to management and organisation, drawing on sociological and critical perspectives, including critical HRM, intersectionality, and practice-based approaches
• AI, digitalisation and the changing nature of work, including algorithmic decision-making, the governance of work, and organisational responses to technological change
• Human resource management, employment and leadership practices across emerging and developed economies
• Sustainability, responsible management and development, particularly in emerging and transnational contexts

Supervision

Dr Umeh is currently open to supervising new PhD students. He welcomes enquiries from prospective applicants whose proposed research aligns with his research interests.

Publications

Selected publications

• Umeh, C., Alsalman, A., Cornelius, N., Ndoma-Egba, M., Niaz, F. (2026). Crying more than the bereaved: Women's lived experiences of equality and polychronous gender diversity management in Saudi Arabia International Journal of Human Resource Management (CABS 3)
• Umeh, C., Kele, J., & Cornelius, N. (2026). Unveiling the ‘Quiet Revocation’: How Organizations Reframe DEI in an Anti-Inclusion Era Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal (CABS 2; ABDC A)     
• Iluromi, A., & Umeh, C. (2026). AI in the NHS: A Quarter-Century Review of Healthcare Processes and Outcomes Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 101269 (Q1; IF: 5.8)
• Cornelius, N., Umeh, C., & Gillon, A. (2026). Closing the credibility gap: Leadership, governance and the realities of EDI and wellbeing in UK business schools In R. Ashworth, E. Cornuel, H. Thomas, & M. Wood (Eds.), Addressing mental health and wellbeing in the contemporary business school: The role of culture, collegiality and leadership (pp. 164–173). Global Focus. 

• Cooke, F., Umeh, C., Jiang, Z., Ren, S. (2025) From Workplace-based to Work-related Violence: Reframing HRM Research and Practice in the Era of Growing Tensions. Human Resource Management (CABS 4; FT 50).
• Umeh, C., Cooke, F. L. (2025). White Feminism and the Limits of Solidarity: A Call for Epistemic Reckoning. Gender, Work & Organization (CABS 3).
• Ng, E. S., Stanton, P., Umeh, C., Bamber, G. J., Stone, D., Lukaszewski, K., Aw, S., Lyons, S., Schweitzer, L., Ren, S., Ozbilgin, M., & Varma, A. (2025). Megatrends affecting the world of work: Implications for human resource management. Personnel Review. (CABS 2; ABDC A).
• Kolawole, O. A., Dora, M., Umeh, C., Hina, S. M., Eldabi, T. (2025). Leveraging organizational agility in B2B ecosystems to mitigate food waste: A stakeholder perspective. Industrial Marketing Management. 125, 254-271 (CABS 3)
• Ng, E., Stanton, P., & Umeh, C. (2025). Re-emphasising human resources in management: Where have we come from and where are we going? Personnel Review, 54(5), 1107-1112. (CABS 2; ABDC A)
• Soe, A. C., Wongsaichia, S., Pienwisetkaew, T., Umeh, C., Yaroson, E. V., & Ketkaew, C. (2025). Blockchain-enabled carbon footprint traceability in Thailand’s organic food sector: A quintuple helix innovation approach Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 11, 100656. (Q1; ABDC B)
• Umeh, C., Cornelius, N., Wallace, J. (2024) A Bourdieusian exploration of ethnic inequalities at work: the case of the Nigerian Banking Sector. Work Employment and Society, 38(4), 885-910. (CABS 4)
• Umeh, C., Cornelius, N. (2024) Financial Wellbeing and Ethnicity. In: Forson, C., Healy, G., Özturk, M., Tatli, A. (Eds.) Research handbook on inequality and work. Chapter 23, (pp. 335-353). London: Edward Elgar Publishing
• Umeh, C., Cornelius, N., Wallace, J. (2023) Exploring equality, diversity, and Inclusion in multiethnic settings: A context-sensitive approach. Human Resource Management Journal, 33(1):148-169. (CABS 4*)
• Umeh, C. (2019) The Ethnicization of Identity. In: Mahadevan, J., Primecz, H. and Romani, L. (Eds.) Critical cross-cultural management – An intersectional approach to culture. New York/London: Routledge. Chapter 11 (pp. 137-149).

Funded Reports

• BUILDING FAIRER, MORE INCLUSIVE SUPPLY CHAINS (2026). Commissioned by Business in the Community (BITC).
• DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE SUPPLY CHAIN INSIGHTS REPORT: Unlocking diversity in procurement practices and removing barriers to growth (2024). Commissioned by Business in the Community (BITC) with YouGov
• Cornelius, N., Gillon, A., Umeh, C. (2023): Mental health and wellbeing policies and practices: the lived experiences of academics in UK Business Schools. A research report funded by the British Academy of Management (BAM)
• Cornelius, N., Umeh, C., Abdullah, R. Khan, B., Marks., S., Bau, L. (2023). Voices from the Race at Work Survey. A research report funded by Business in the Community (BiTC)/Enterprise Rent A Car Foundation
• Beech, N., Cornelius, N., Gordon, L., Healy, G., Ogbonna, E., Sanghera, G., Umeh, C., Wallace, J., and Woodman, P. (2017) Delivering diversity: Race and ethnicity in the management pipeline. London: Chartered Management Institute & British Academy of Management.

Selected and Recent Conference Papers

• 2026. Toward Sustainable Reimagination of Business and Management as a Force for Good. Academy of Management (AoM).  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (31st Jul-4th Aug)  
• 2026. How Reflective Practice Generates Absorptive Capacity in Strategic Leadership Academy of Management (AoM).  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (31st Jul-4th Aug)
• 2026. Reimagining Fairness: A Dialogical Approach to Equity in Assessed Group Work. Academy of Management (AoM).  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (31^st Jul-4^th Aug)  
• 2026. When inclusion narrows: how AI-powered HR ecosystems ontologically reconfigure ‘who counts’ as a worker. European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Conference, Bergamo, Italy. (Jul 9-11)
• 2026. When Inclusion Becomes Infrastructural: Algorithmic Closure and the Epistemic Ordering of Organizations. European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Conference. Bergamo, Italy. (Jul 9-11)  
• 2026. Beyond the Prototype: Protoadaptability and the Relational Politics of Leadership Legitimacy. European Academy of Management (EURAM), Norway (June 16-19)
• 2026. Rethinking Inclusion: Towards A Dialogic Approach to Addressing Inequalities at Work. British Sociological Association Conference (BSA), Manchester, UK. (April 8-10)
• 2026, Strategic Forgetting and Ethical Paramnesia: Toward a Critical Ethics of Organizational and Collective Memory. British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference. London, (Sept 9-11).
• 2025. Professional Gatekeeping and Migrant Exclusion: An Intersectional Analysis of the Career Experiences of Black African Legal Professionals in the UK. British Academy of Management Conference (September 1-5, 2025).
• 2025. Rethinking Inclusion: Towards A Dialogic Approach to Addressing Inequalities at Work. British Sociological Association Conference (April 23-25,2025)
• 2025. A Sociological Exploration of the Experiences of Minoritised Employees in ‘Post-Race’ Workplaces in the UK. British Sociological Association Conference (April 23-25,2025)
• 2024. Examining women’s experiences of gender equality progress – A capabilities approach. Academy of Management (AoM).
• 2023. Leadership and Identity at Work: A Study in Photo-Elicitation. Academy of Management (AoM) Conference.
• 2023. Bridging the service-quality gap in international hospitality business in Emerging markets. Academy of Management (AoM) Conference.
• 2023. Exploring women’s lived experiences of gender diversity management in a Middle Eastern Context – A Capabilities Approach.
• 2023. Crying more than the bereaved: Exploring women's lived experiences of gender diversity management in a middle eastern context. European Academy of Management (EURAM), Dublin, Ireland.
• 2023. Exploring Relational Approaches to Human Resource Management in Turbulent Periods. European Academy of Management (EURAM), Dublin, Ireland.

 2017. Award for Best Paper:

National cultures and employee commitment in a developing country context:          

Perspectives from Nigeria. 

Developmental paper, Presented at The British Academy of Management (BAM) 

31st Annual BAM Conference. 

Awarded Best Paper –International Business and International Management Stream. 

Warwick, United Kingdom.

2016. Award for Best Developmental Paper: 

University of Bradford, 

National culture and employee commitment in Nigerian Organizations: Exploring the conflicts and Relationships. 

Developmental paper presented at The University of Bradford PhD Conference. 

Bradford. UK

External activities

Overview

1. Research Impact, Funded Projects and Policy/Practice Engagement

My research engages directly with organisations, policymakers, professional bodies and third-sector partners to address inequalities in work, employment and organisations. This programme of externally funded research has generated evidence and knowledge exchange relating to racial equality, social mobility, inclusive supply chains, financial wellbeing and workplace inclusion.

• 2026–2028 | Nuffield Foundation | Co-Investigator | £260,000
  From Policy to Impact: Racial Equity Practices in FTSE 350 Firms with Nottingham Trent University and the University of Sheffield. The project examines how racial-equity commitments are translated into organisational practice across major UK companies.
• 2026 | Business in the Community (BiTC) | Co-PI | £10,000
  Race at Work 2025 (18–24 Booster Sample): Thematic Review, with Queen Mary University of London and the University of Dundee.
• 2025 | Business in the Community (BiTC) | Co-PI | £11,500
  Diverse and Inclusive Supply Chains in the UK, with Queen Mary University of London.
• 2023–2026 | The LEAD Curriculum/Santander | Co-PI | £40,000
  Evaluation of Social Mobility and Leadership Development Interventions, with Queen Mary University of London.
• 2023–2024 | Business in the Community (BiTC) | Co-Investigator | £16,227
  Race at Work Survey Panel Data Analysis, with Queen Mary University of London and the University of Birmingham. Analysis of qualitative data from three national surveys on race, equality and work, funded by the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation/Lloyds Banking Group.
• 2021–2023 | British Academy of Management | Co-Investigator | £11,775
  Mental health and wellbeing policies and practices: the lived experiences of academics in UK Business Schools.
• 2020–2021 | Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) | Co-PI | £10,000
  Financial Wellbeing and Ethnicity in the UK, undertaken in a Cabinet Office/Treasury context.
• 2016–2017 | Chartered Management Institute/British Academy of Management | Co-Investigator | £10,000
  Delivering Diversity: Race and Ethnicity in the Management Pipeline, examining racial inequalities in management progression in the UK.

2. Research Leadership and International Academic Engagement

International Research Leadership

• 2026 | Convener, Reimagining (In)equality and Inclusion in AI-Powered Organisational and HR Ecosystems European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Conference, 9–11 July 2026. With Professor Fang Lee Cooke (Monash University, Australia) and Professor Jacqueline O'Reilly (University of Sussex, UK).

• 2025 | Convener, Beyond boundaries: Unravelling creative, destructive, an ambivalent dynamics of leadership in the world of work European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Conference, Athens, Greece, 3–5 July 2025. With Professor Nelarine Cornelius (Queen Mary University of London, UK) and Professor Thomas Garavan (University College Cork, Ireland).
• 2025 | Discussant, Fluid Workers and Fluid Work Arrangements in the Age of Digital Technologies Symposium, Academy of Management (AoM) Annual Meeting.
• 2025 | Panellist, Linguism's Impact on Careers: Identity Formation, Mobility, Flexibility in Multinational Corporations, Panel Symposium, Academy of Management (AoM) Annual Meeting.
• 2024 | Convener, Revealing and addressing unaccounted configurations of inequalities in the world of work European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Conference, Milan, Italy, 4–6 July 2024. With Professor Lilian Otaye-Egbede (University of Liverpool, UK) and Professor Eddy Ng (Queen's University, Canada).
  
  
• 2023 | Co-Chair, Professional Development Workshop, Mental Health and Wellbeing: the lived experiences of Academics in UK Business Schools: Implication for Policy and Practice, British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference, University of Sussex, UK, 1–6 September 2023. With Professor Nelarine Cornelius (Queen Mary University of London), Dr Anne Gillon (University of the West of Scotland), and Professor Emma Parry (Cranfield University).
  
  
• 2022 | Co-Chair, Professional Development Workshop, Mental Health and Wellbeing of Business School Academics: What works? British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference, University of Manchester, UK, 31 August–2 September 2022. With Professor Nelarine Cornelius (Queen Mary University of London) and Dr Anne Gillon (University of the West of Scotland).
  
  
• 2021 | Co-Chair, Professional Development Workshop, Mental Health and Wellbeing for Business School Academics, British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference, University of Manchester, UK, 31 August–3 September 2021. With Professor Nelarine Cornelius (Queen Mary University of London) and Dr Anne Gillon (University of the West of Scotland).

International Appointments and Fellowships

• Visiting Research Fellow, Université Paris Nanterre, Paris, France.

3. Editorial Leadership

Personnel Review

• Associate Editor, 2025–Present
• Special Issues Editor, 2023–2025
• Managing Editor, 2022–2023
• Editorial Assistant, 2019–2021

Guest Editorship

• 2025–2027 | Guest Editor, Human Resource Management (CABS 4*/FT50)
  From workplace violence to work-based violence: Advancing human resource management scholarship with policy and practical implications. With Fang Lee Cooke (Monash University), Zhou Jiang (RMIT University), and Shuang Ren (Queen's University Belfast).
• 2025–2027 | Guest Editor, Gender, Work & Organization (CABS 3) Towards a More Inclusive Approach to Feminist Research and Praxis. With Fang Lee Cooke (Monash University) and Talia Esnard (University of the West Indies).
• 2023–2025 | Guest Editor, Personnel Review (CABS 2)
  Re-emphasising human resources in management: Where have we come from and where are we going? With Eddy Ng and Pauline Stanton.
• 2020–2022 | Guest Editor, Personnel Review (CABS 2)
  Local engagement with global challenges: geopolitics of HRM. With Dima Murtada, Eric Pezet, and Nelarine Cornelius.

4. Professional and Academic Service

• 2026–Present | Member, British Academy of Management (BAM) Peer Review College.
• Reviewer, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Journal Peer Review

Reviewer for leading international journals, including:

• Journal of International Business Studies (CABS 4*/FT50)
• Human Resource Management Journal (CABS 4*)
• Human Resource Management (CABS 4*/FT50)
• British Journal of Management (CABS 4)
• International Journal of Human Resource Management (CABS 3)
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal (CABS 2)
• Personnel Review (CABS 2)

5. Invited Keynotes, Talks and External Engagement

Selected Keynotes and Invited Talks

• 2026 | Keynote Speaker, Beyond Survival: Becoming a Scholar in an Unequal and Uncertain World, Northern Advanced Research Training Initiative (NARTI) Conference, Leeds, UK.
• 2026 | Panellist, Advancing Diversity and Inclusivity in Business Research, Northern Advanced Research Training Initiative (NARTI) Conference, Leeds, UK.
• 2026 | Guest Speaker, Addressing Real World Issues and Driving Impact through Doctoral Research, University of Greater Manchester School of Law, UK.
• 2026 | Guest Speaker, Can Manufacturing Transform Without Inclusive Workforce Talent? Equality and Capability in Industrial Transformation, Manufacturing Institute/Lancaster University Business School, UK.
• 2026 | Panellist, Building Fairer, More Inclusive Supply Chains, Report Launch, Business in the Community, UK.
• 2021–2024 | Guest Speaker, Managing Diversity in the Global North and South, School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London, UK.
• 2021–2024 | Guest Speaker, Employment Relations in a Global South Context, School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London, UK.
• 2023 | Invited Speaker, Publishing in Business and Management, Centre for Leadership and Empowerment, University of Bolton, UK.

Selected Practitioner and Public Engagement

• 2024 | Speaker/Panellist, Voices from the Race at Work Surveys, Business in the Community (BiTC)/Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation, UK.
• 2024 | Speaker/Panellist, Diverse and Inclusive Supply Chains, Business in the Community (BiTC)/YouGov, UK.
• 2022–2024 | Co-Organiser, CIPD North Yorkshire Branch Mock Mediation Event, University of York, UK.
• 2023 | Speaker/Panellist, The Mobilise Project on Adaptive Preferences, The LEAD Curriculum, UK.
• 2023 | Speaker/Panellist, The Mobilise Project: Social Mobility and Leadership, The LEAD Curriculum/Santander, UK.
• 2022 | Speaker/Panellist, Race at Work: The Hidden Barriers Facing Diverse Talent in the UK, Business in the Community (BiTC)/Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation, UK.

6. Government and Policy Consultations

My research has contributed evidence to government and policy initiatives addressing racial inequality and financial wellbeing in the UK.

• 2021 | Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, with Nelarine Cornelius. Contributed evidence to the UK Government's call for evidence on Ethnic Disparities and Inequality in the UK.
• 2021 | Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), with Nelarine Cornelius and Geraldine Healy. Produced Financial Wellbeing and Ethnicity in the UK: A Literature Review for the Money and Pensions Service (Cabinet Office/Treasury).

Teaching

Undergraduate

• Introduction to Business Ethics & Sustainability

Postgraduate

• The Changing Nature of Work
• Global Perspectives on Human Resource Management & Employment Relations

Dr Umeh has been nominated for several teaching awards, including Assessment and Feedback Champion, Innovative Teaching, Academic Support, and Teacher of the Year.