Portrait of Professor Amit Nigam

Professor Amit Nigam

Professor of Management

Bayes Business School , Faculty of Management

Contact

About

Overview

Amit Nigam is a Professor in Management at the Bayes Business School. His research examines the political, sensemaking, and framing processes of organizational and institutional change - with a specific emphasis on professions and occupations in change processes. His work on institutional change looks at the sensemaking, communicative, and career-related processes by which new institutional logics and professions emerge. His work on organizational change focuses on processes of organizational search and learning, on change in organizational routines, and on how peoples’ social positions shape their engagement with the change process. Empirically, he primarily looks at change processes in hospitals and healthcare systems.

His research has been published a mix of management, medical sociology, and medical journals including Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, Strategic Organization, Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Journal, Organization Studies, Social Science & Medicine, Annals of Emergency Medicine, Medical Care Research & Review and BMJ Leader. He is Deputy Editor-in-Chief at BMJ Leader, a journal targeted at clinical leaders in health care with a focus on leadership and management. BMJ Leader aims to bridge management and social science research on leadership with the world of leadership practice in health care in ways that ultimately improve health and care systems. He is also Co-Editor at Strategic Organization.

Qualifications

  • PhD, Northwestern University
  • MA, Yale University
  • BA, Wesleyan University

Employment

  • Deputy Editor-in-Chief, BMJ Leader, July 2020 - present
  • Co-Editor, Strategic Organization, January 2020 - present

Memberships of committees

  • Leadership roles (e.g. chair), Industry Studies Association - Early Career Development Committee

Memberships of professional organisations

  • Academy of Management
  • Industry Studies Association
  • European Group on Organizational Studies

Expertise

Primary topics

  • Management
  • Organization Theory
  • Qualitative Research Methods

Industries

  • health care

Geographic Areas

  • Americas - Latin
  • Americas - North
  • Europe - Western

Research

My research explores two themes: Institutional change and organizational change with particular foci on the role of professions and occupations in change processes and on interpretive or sensemaking processes in change. I've published papers on these topics in various journals, including Academy of Management Review, Medical Care Research & Review & Social Science & Medicine and forthcoming at Administrative Science Quarterly

Research topics

How do organizations select routines for change?

Drawing on participant observation of a facilitated initiative to increase perioperative efficiency in Ontario hospitals, this work aims to draw on insights from the behavioral theory of the firm to understand how organizations come to select routines for change in organizational search. I am the lead author on this research with Ruthanne Huising (McGill University, Canada) and Brian Golden (University of Toronto, Canada). This manuscript, titled “Explaining the selection of routines for change during organizational search” is currently forthcoming at Administrative Science Quarterly

How can ‘strangers’, through their interactions with organizational insiders, build insiders’ organizational change capacity?

Drawing on the same participant observation study described above, this paper draws on Simmel’s concept of the stranger to develop theory focused on social position and organizational change. It seeks to understand how people who are simultaneously outsiders and insiders can play a recognized role in change processes that leads to enhanced organizational change capacity among insiders. I am the lead author on this research with Esther Sackett (Duke University, USA) and Brian Golden (University of Toronto, Canada). This manuscript, titled “The strengths of strangers: The unrecognized role of outsider-insiders in influencing organizational change processes” is under 3rd review at Academy of Management Journal

How can career scripts enable individuals to change institutions?

This work develops a historical case study of early researchers from diverse academic specialties (e.g. medicine, public health, economics, sociology) who came to create health services research as a distinctive career. Our research examines how career-related actions in having a distinctive career allowed this collection of individuals to ultimately change the larger institutions of the American health care system. I am the lead author on this research with Gina Dokko (University of California, Davis, USA). We are revising this manuscript, titled “Career scripts of institutional entrepreneurs” for resubmission after receiving a Revise and Resubmit at Academy of Management Journal

How do front-line workers achieve change from within in a public agency?

This work develops a historic case study of the transformation of Brazil’s Ministério Publico with the aim of contributing to research on change in the institutions of law and regulation. Complementing research that focuses on top-down and voter-driven change in regulatory institutions, this work aims to develop our knowledge of how front-line regulators can accomplish change from within. I am second author on this research with Salo Coslovsky (New York University, USA). This manuscript, titled “Building state capacity from within: The transformation of the Ministério Publico in Brazil” is under 2nd review at Law & Policy

How does evidence inform decision-making and change in health services?

This is a new collaboration with an emerging group of scholars at City University (School of Health Sciences & Cass) working at the intersection of organizational theory, health services research, and leadership. Together we pulled together a multi-faceted team and developed a research proposal which we intend to submit for funding from the National Institute for Health Research.

Research students

Armit, Kirsten

Attendance: September 2017 - present

Thesis title: How Medical Directors actions influence (medical) professional engagement and organisational performance

Role: 1st Supervisor

Minjie GaoMinjie Gao

Attendance: September 2015 - present, full-time

Thesis title: How does big data influence organisations' decision-making?

Role: 1st Supervisor

Mustafa Kavas

Attendance: September 2014 - present, full-time

Thesis title: The role of Islam in business in Anatolia

Role: 2nd Supervisor

1stsupervisor

2ndsupervisor

  • Mustafa Kavas, Research Student

Publications

Chapters (3)

  1. Dokko, G., Nigam, A. and Chung, D. (2019). Mentoring Institutional Change: Intergenerational Construction of Meso-Structure and the Emergence of New Logics in American Healthcare. Agents, Actors, Actorhood: Institutional Perspectives on the Nature of Agency, Action, and Authority (pp. 163-186). Emerald Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781787560819.
  2. Nigam, A. and Trujillo, D. (2016). Quantification as a philosophical act. In Mir, R., Willmott, H. and Greenwood, M. (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Philosophy in Organization Studies (pp. 525-532). Routledge. ISBN 9781134466085.
  3. van Werven, R., Parker, S. and Nigam, A. Backed by God or backed by evidence? How institutional assumptions within the Church of England changed through debate. Moving beyond the microfoundations and macrofoundations of institutions: A cross-level linguistic perspective Emerald Publishing.

Conference papers and proceedings (4)

  1. Van Werven, R., Nigam, A. and Parker, S. Bible Backers: How Taken-For-Granted Assumptions Changed in The Church of England. .doi:10.5465/amproc.2025.342bp
  2. Balayah, Z., Stavropoulou, C., Chen, Y., Scarbrough, H., Nigam, A. and Ziemann, A. (Re-)conceptualising implementation depth of healthcare innovations - A systematic review and concept analysis. .doi:10.1186/s13012-021-01163-7
  3. Balayah, Z., Stavropoulou, C., Chen, Y., Scarbrough, H., Nigam, A. and Ziemann, A. (2021). (Re-)conceptualising implementation depth of healthcare innovations - A systematic review and concept analysis. 4th UK Implementation Science Research Conference 15-16 July, Online.doi:10.1186/s13012-021-01163-7
  4. Kavas, M., Jarzabkowski, P. and Nigam, A. Islamic Family Business: The Constitutive Role of Religion on Business. .doi:10.5465/ambpp.2017.267

Journal articles (38)

  1. Nigam, A. and Balayah, Z. (2026). Attention-based view of leadership. BMJ Leader, 10(1), pp. 17-20. doi:10.1136/leader-2024-001156

    [publisher’s website]

  2. Nigam, A., Amis, J. and Logue, D. (2025). People as Institutions or Why Taylor Swift Rules the World. Organization Theory, 6(4). doi:10.1177/26317877251398547

    [publisher’s website]

  3. Balayah, Z., Stavropoulou, C., Scarbrough, H., Nigam, A. and Ziemann, A. (2025). Re-conceptualizing implementation outcomes of health innovations as modes or attributes: an integrated framework. Frontiers in Health Services, 5. doi:10.3389/frhs.2025.1373429

    [publisher’s website]

  4. Joseph, J., Laureiro-Martinez, D., Nigam, A., Ocasio, W. and Rerup, C. (2024). Research frontiers on the attention-based view of the firm. Strategic Organization, 22(1), pp. 6-17. doi:10.1177/14761270231223397

    [publisher’s website]

  5. Compagni, A., Cappellaro, G. and Nigam, A. (2023). Responding to Professional Knowledge Disruptions of Unmitigable Uncertainty: The Role of Emotions, Practices, and Moral Duty among COVID-19 Physicians. Academy of Management Journal. doi:10.5465/amj.2022.0697

    [publisher’s website]

  6. Nigam, A. and Guerra, M. (2023). Themed issue: Methodological pluralism and innovation to advance strategic organization research in organizations and fields. Strategic Organization, 21(3), pp. 495-500. doi:10.1177/14761270231184668

    [publisher’s website]

  7. Mountford, J. and Nigam, A. (2023). WhyBMJ Leaderis focusing on equity, diversity, inclusion and on social justice. BMJ Leader, 7(Suppl 2), pp. e000884-e000884. doi:10.1136/leader-2023-000884

    [publisher’s website]

  8. Gemine, R., Busari, J.O., Mountford, J., St. John-Matthews, J., Nigam, A. and Chan, M.-.K. (2023). Why reviewers matter: applying a social justice lens in publishing to build a thriving reviewer environment atBMJ Leader. BMJ Leader, 7(Suppl 2), pp. 1.12-2. doi:10.1136/leader-2023-000949

    [publisher’s website]

  9. Frich, J.C., Allwood, D., Busari, J.O., Chan, M.-.K., Compagni, A., Gemine, R.... Williams, C.E. (2023). Looking back, leading forward:BMJ Leader5 years on. BMJ Leader, 7(1), pp. 1-2. doi:10.1136/leader-2023-000754

    [publisher’s website]

  10. Alexy, O., Berchicci, L., Dowell, G., Jarzabkowski, P., Langley, A., Moschieri, C.... Nigam, A. (2022). SO! Far, SO! Good: Strategic Organization at 20. Strategic Organization, 20(4), pp. 677-682. doi:10.1177/14761270221137160

    [publisher’s website]

  11. Sriharan, A., Hertelendy, A.J., Banaszak-Holl, J., Fleig-Palmer, M.M., Mitchell, C., Nigam, A.... Singer, S.J. (2022). Public Health and Health Sector Crisis Leadership During Pandemics: A Review of the Medical and Business Literature. Medical Care Research and Review, 79(4), pp. 475-486. doi:10.1177/10775587211039201

    [publisher’s website]

  12. Nigam, A., Sackett, E. and Golden, B. (2022). Duality and Social Position: Role expectations of people who combine outsider-ness and insider-ness in organizational change. Organization Studies, 43(3), pp. 413-435. doi:10.1177/0170840621989004

    [publisher’s website]

  13. Hurst, T. and Nigam, A. (2021). Ten minutes with Tom Hurst, Medical Director, London’s Air Ambulance. BMJ Leader, 5(2), pp. 142-144. doi:10.1136/leader-2020-000340

    [publisher’s website]

  14. Frich, J.C., Allwood, D., Berendt, A.R., Delgado, P., Dunscombe, R., Klaber, B.... Joshi, I. (2021). Seeing and managing the icebergs. BMJ Leader, 5(1), pp. 1-2. doi:10.1136/leader-2020-000378

    [publisher’s website]

  15. Jarzabkowski, P., Langley, A. and Nigam, A. (2021). Navigating the tensions of quality in qualitative research. Strategic Organization, 19(1), pp. 70-80. doi:10.1177/1476127020985094

    [publisher’s website]

  16. Ramsey, J. and Nigam, A. (2020). Ten minutes with Dr Jennifer Ramsey, Wellness Officer, Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic. BMJ Leader, 4(4), pp. 254-256. doi:10.1136/leader-2020-000289

    [publisher’s website]

  17. Kozlakidis, Z. and Nigam, A. (2020). Ten minutes with Zisis Kozlakidis, Head of Laboratory Services and Biobanking at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization. BMJ Leader, 4(3), pp. 160-161. doi:10.1136/leader-2020-000282

    [publisher’s website]

  18. Khouli, H. and Nigam, A. (2020). Ten minutes with Hassan Khouli, chair of Department of Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic. BMJ Leader, 4(3), pp. 162-164. doi:10.1136/leader-2020-000283

    [publisher’s website]

  19. Dweik, R.A. and Nigam, A. (2020). Ten minutes with Dr Raed A Dweik, Chairman of the Respiratory Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. BMJ Leader, 4(3), pp. 157-159. doi:10.1136/leader-2020-000278

    [publisher’s website]

  20. Wiedner, R., Nigam, A. and da Silva, J. (2020). GPs are from Mars, Administrators are from Venus: The Role of Misaligned Occupational Dispositions in Inhibiting Mandated Role Change. Work and Occupations. doi:10.1177/0730888420918643
  21. Wiedner, R., Nigam, A. and da Silva, J.B. (2020). General Practitioners Are from Mars, Administrators Are from Venus: The Role of Misaligned Occupational Dispositions in Inhibiting Mandated Role Change. Work and Occupations, 47(3), pp. 348-377. doi:10.1177/0730888420918643

    [publisher’s website]

  22. Kavas, M., Jarzabkowski, P. and Nigam, A. (2020). Islamic Family Business: The Constitutive Role of Religion in Business. Journal of Business Ethics, 163(4), pp. 689-700. doi:10.1007/s10551-019-04384-5

    [publisher’s website]

  23. Allwood, D., Berendt, T., Delgado, P., Frich, J., Klaber, B., Molloy, A.... Swanwick, T. (2020). This is different. BMJ Leader. doi:10.1136/leader-2020-000250

    [publisher’s website]

  24. Nigam, A. and Dokko, G. (2019). Career Resourcing and the Process of Professional Emergence. Academy of Management Journal, 62(4), pp. 1052-1084. doi:10.5465/amj.2015.0038

    [publisher’s website]

  25. Nigam, A. (2018). Multiple and competing goals in organisations: insights for medical leaders. BMJ Leader, 2(3), pp. 85-86. doi:10.1136/leader-2018-000112

    [publisher’s website]

  26. Nigam, A. and Lees, P. (2018). Translating research for medical leaders. BMJ Leader, 2(3), pp. 84-84. doi:10.1136/leader-2018-000113

    [publisher’s website]

  27. Nigam, A. and Gao, M. (2017). Future of clinical leadership: the critical role of front-line doctors. BMJ Leader, 1(4), pp. 33-35. doi:10.1136/leader-2017-000021

    [publisher’s website]

  28. Nigam, A., Huising, R. and Golden, B. (2016). Explaining the Selection of Routines for Change during Organizational Search. Administrative Science Quarterly, 61(4), pp. 551-583. doi:10.1177/0001839216653712

    [publisher’s website]

  29. Rotteau, L., Webster, F., Salkeld, E., Hellings, C., Guttmann, A., Vermeulen, M.J.... Schull, M.J. (2015). Ontario's Emergency Department Process Improvement Program: The Experience of Implementation. Academic Emergency Medicine, 22(6), pp. 720-729. doi:10.1111/acem.12688

    [publisher’s website]

  30. Ocasio, W., Loewenstein, J. and Nigam, A. (2015). How Streams of Communication Reproduce and Change Institutional Logics: The Role of Categories. Academy of Management Review, 40(1), pp. 28-48. doi:10.5465/amr.2013.0274

    [publisher’s website]

  31. Vermeulen, M.J., Stukel, T.A., Guttmann, A., Rowe, B.H., Zwarenstein, M., Golden, B.... Zwarenstein, M. (2014). Evaluation of an Emergency Department Lean Process Improvement Program to Reduce Length of Stay. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 64(5), pp. 427-438. doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2014.06.007

    [publisher’s website]

  32. Nigam, A., Huising, R. and Golden, B.R. (2014). Improving Hospital Efficiency. Medical Care Research and Review, 71(1), pp. 21-42. doi:10.1177/1077558713504464

    [publisher’s website]

  33. Nigam, A. (2013). How institutional change and individual researchers helped advance clinical guidelines in American health care. Social Science and Medicine, 87, pp. 16-22. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.03.006

    [publisher’s website]

  34. Nigam, A. (2012). Changing health care quality paradigms: The rise of clinical guidelines and quality measures in American medicine. Social Science and Medicine, 75(11), pp. 1933-1937. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.07.038

    [publisher’s website]

  35. Dokko, G., Nigam, A. and Rosenkopf, L. (2012). Keeping Steady as She Goes: A Negotiated Order Perspective on Technological Evolution. Organization Studies, 33(5-6), pp. 681-703. doi:10.1177/0170840612443624

    [publisher’s website]

  36. Nigam, A. (2012). The effects of institutional change on geographic variation and health services use in the USA. Social Science and Medicine, 74(3), pp. 323-331. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.07.017

    [publisher’s website]

  37. Nigam, A. and Ocasio, W. (2010). Event attention, environmental sensemaking, and change in institutional logics: An inductive analysis of the effects of public attention to Clinton's health care reform initiative. Organization Science, 21(4), pp. 823-841. doi:10.1287/orsc.1090.0490

    [publisher’s website]

  38. Lau, D.T., Banaszak-Holl, J. and Nigam, A. (2007). Perception and use of guidelines and interprofessional dynamics: Assessing their roles in guideline adherence in delivering medications in nursing homes. Quality Management in Health Care, 16(2), pp. 135-145. doi:10.1097/01.QMH.0000267451.78370.d3

    [publisher’s website]

Report

  1. Schull, M.J., Bell, R., Salkeld, E., Rotteau, L., Webster, F., Hellings, C.... ED Investigator Team, (2012). Ontario’s Emergency Department Process Improvement Program: A qualitative evaluation. Ontario: Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences.

Professional activities

Collaboration (industrial)

  1. Partner of ED Process Improvement Program Investigator TeamED Process Improvement Program Investigator Team project (September 2007 - September 2015)
    Sponsored by Institute of Clinical and Evaluative Sciences
    Other partners: Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care

Editorial activity (14)

  1. Strategic Organization, Co-editor, January 2020 - present.
  2. BMJ Leader, Associate Editor, December 2018 - present.
  3. Advances in Strategic Management, Referee, 2013 - present.
  4. American Sociological Review, Referee, 2013 - present.
  5. Journal of Management Inquiry, Referee, 2013 - present.
  6. Strategic Management Journal, Referee, 2013 - present.
  7. Academy of Management Journal, Referee, 2006 - present.
  8. Administrative Science Quarterly, Referee, 2006 - present.
  9. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Referee, 2006 - present.
  10. Organization Science, Referee, 2006 - present.
  11. Organization Studies, Referee, 2006 - present.
  12. Social Forces, Referee, 2006 - present.
  13. Social Science & Medicine, Referee, 2006 - present.
  14. Strategic Organization, Referee, 2006 - present.

Events/conferences (20)

  1. Department of Management Studies, Aalto University. (Seminar) Helsinki, Finland (2016). Invited speaker.
    Paper: Career scripts of institutional entrepreneurs
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: G Dokko
  2. Judge Business School Seminar Series, Cambridge University. (Seminar) Cambridge, UK (2015). Invited speaker.
    Paper: The strengths of strangers: External facilitators’ organizational change practices and resources
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: E. Sackett, B. Golden
  3. Wharton People and Organizations Conference. (Conference) Philadelphia, USA (2015).
    Paper: The strengths of strangers: External facilitators’ organizational change practices and resources
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: E. Sackett, B. Golden
  4. Western Academy of Management. (Conference) Kauai, HI (2015).
    Paper: Career scripts of institutional entrepreneurs
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: G Dokko
  5. European Group on Organizational Studies. (Conference) Athens, Greece (2015).
    Paper: Career scripts of institutional entrepreneurs
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: G Dokko
  6. Academy of Management. (Conference) Vancouver, BC (2015).
    Paper: Career scripts of institutional entrepreneurs
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: G Dokko
  7. Industry Studies Association, Early Career Scholars Professional Development Workshop. (Conference) Portland, OR (2014). Organising Committee
  8. Graduate School of Business Seminar Series, University of California Davis. (Seminar) Davis, CA (2014). Invited speaker.
    Paper: The strengths of strangers: External facilitators’ organizational change practices and resources
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: E. Sackett, B. Golden
  9. Workshop on Philosophy and Organizational Studies. (Workshop) Philadelphia, USA (2014). Invited speaker.
    Paper: Quantification as a philosophical act
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: D Trujillo
  10. Organization Science Winter Conference. (Conference) Steamboat Springs, CO (2014).
    Paper: Selection of routines in organizational search: Performances and roles in the search process
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: R. Huising, B. Golden
  11. Industry Studies Association. (Conference) Kansas City, MO (2014).
    Paper: The strengths of strangers: External facilitators’ organizational change practices and resources
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: E. Sackett, B. Golden
  12. Health Organizations Research Association. (Conference) Copenhagen, Denmark (2014).
    Paper: The strengths of strangers: External facilitators’ organizational change practices and resources
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: E. Sackett, B. Golden
  13. Davis Qualitative Research Conference. (Conference) Davis, CA (2014). Invited speaker.
    Paper: Career scripts of institutional entrepreneurs
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: G Dokko
  14. Academy of Management. (Conference) Philadelphia, USA (2014).
    Paper: Career scripts of institutional entrepreneurs
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: G Dokko
  15. Industry Studies Association, Early Career Scholars Professional Development Workshop. (Conference) Kansas City, MO (2013). Organising Committee
  16. Wharton People and Organizations Conference. (Conference) Philadelphia, USA (2013).
    Paper: Building state capacity from within: The transformation of the Ministério Publico in Brazil
    Author: Coslovsky S
    Co-authors: A Nigam
  17. European Group on Organizational Studies. (Conference) Montreal, Canada (2013).
    Paper: Career scripts of institutional entrepreneurs
    Author: Nigam A
    Co-authors: G Dokko
  18. European Group on Organizational Studies. (Conference) Montreal, Canada (2013).
    Paper: How streams of communication reproduce and change institutional logics: The role of categories
    Author: Ocasio W
    Co-authors: J Loewenstein, A Nigam
  19. Academy of Management -- Organization and Management Theory Division -- Navigating the Qualitative Dissertation: Ask the Experts. (Workshop)
    Paper: Expert facilitator for qualitative dissertation proposals at this annual OMT Professional Development Workshop
  20. Academy of Management -- Organization and Management Theory Division -- Theorizing Process in Organizational Search.Organising Committee
    Paper: Co-organizer of this research incubator for work on organizational search