Portrait of Dr Martin James

Dr Martin James

Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour / Human Resource Management

Bayes Business School , Faculty of Management

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About

Overview

Dr Martin James is an education focused academic who has specialised in leading and delivering world-class teaching and learning experiences for students at Level 6 and 7. Prior to joined Bayes in August 2024, Dr James was the overall Director of the BSc Business Management Suite at the University of Birmingham – its largest degree programme. In this role, he oversaw a review and redesign of the Suite with a view to enhancing the quality of its content and innovativeness across assessment and delivery.

As a lecturer at Bayes, Dr James disseminates and develops knowledge drawn from is disciplinary expertise in organisational behaviour and Human Resource Management. In 2020, he was awarded a PhD in organisational behaviour from Warwick Business School, the University of Warwick, having carried out a four-year ethnographic study of a large UK corporate service provider. Prior to his transition into academic research and teaching, Dr James held several roles in the private sector. This provided him with working knowledge and front-line experience across data analytics, human resource management and operations management.

Dr James’ knowledge and expertise are widely recognised and accredited. Most recently he was awarded a high distinction in the PG Cert. HE by the University of Birmingham whilst becoming a fellow of AdvanceHE (the UK’s chartered industry body). In 2024, Dr. James attended the International Teachers Programme (Vlerick, Belgium), renowned as the world's most prestigious teacher training programme for higher education practitioners. Dr James is an accredited member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (“CIPD”) and has been so since 2005. In the same year, he was awarded a double-Distinction by the University of Warwick for his respective performances in a HRM Masters and Personnel Management PGDip. Dr James is a member of the British Academy’s Early Career Researcher Network and serves as an Expert Evaluator for Malta’s Further & Higher Education Authority. In the latter role, he serves on panels that oversee the approval of new degree programmes in Malta.

Dr James has contributed to the national news agenda, featuring on the BBC News and in Business News Wales. His work has been presented at international conferences in London, New York, Buenos Aires and Rio De Janeiro in recent years. His discipline-specific research pokes (critical) holes in the veneer of “normalcy” that shrouds work and organisational life. Another research focus for Dr James is the viability of pedagogic solutions to teaching and learning enhancement challenges within higher education. Along these lines he recently presented work at the CABS Teaching & Learning conference international students’ experiences within UK context.

Qualifications

  • PG Cert. HE, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, July 2024
  • PhD, University of Warwick, United Kingdom, January 2020
  • CIPD PGDip, University of Warwick, United Kingdom, May 2005
  • MA, University of Warwick, United Kingdom, January 2005
  • BA (Hons), University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, July 2002

Postgraduate training

  • International Teacher Training Programme, Vlerick Business School, Ghent, Belgium, January - July 2024

Employment

  • Expert Evaluator, Malta Higher & Further Education Authority, Malta, May 2024 - present

Administrative role

  • Programme Director, BSc Business Management Cluster, Birmingham Business Schoool, University of Birmingham, July - August 2023

Fellowships

  • AdvancedHE, July 2024 - present
  • Chartered Institute of Personnel development (CIPD), May 2005 - present

Expertise

Primary topics

  • Organization Theory
  • Management
  • Human Resource Management
  • Qualitative Research Methods

Publications

Conference papers and proceedings (7)

  1. James, M., Alajaty, M. and Fearon, C. (2023). Should we preach if we don’t practice?: A critical exploration of how universities can help make the rhetoric of “life-changing experiences” more like reality for international students. Birmingham Business School Education Conference 12-13 September, Birmingham, UK.
  2. James, M. (2023). Fail to prepare, prepare to fail: a critical discussion of academic induction within the UK Higher Education Context. Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics (SASE) 20-22 July, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
  3. James, M. (2023). Anarchy in the UK: Maybe we need some in the business school. Birmingham Business School Department of Management Research Conference 27 June, Birmingham, UK.
  4. Alajaty, M., James, M. and Fearon, C. (2023). Pluralism Vs Inclusion: Ensuring a safe space, free speech and a welcoming environment for international students. Chartered Association of Business Schools Learning & Teaching Conference 22-23 May, Newport, Wales.
  5. James, M. (2023). How fine is the line?: Mobs in management. International Labour Process Conference 12-14 April, Glasgow, Scotland.
  6. James, M. (2018). An exploration of missing actors in front-line service work. European Doctoral Workshop 11-12 June, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
  7. James, M. Locating class in “high-end” service work. International Labour Process Conference Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Professional activities

Consultancy

  1. Malta Further & Higher Education Authority (Public Sector) (May 2024 - present)
    Expert Evaluator, responsible for accrediting new degree programmes