Dr Xuan Feng’s research focuses primarily on the human, organizational and corporate factors that influence effective leadership in business. Currently, her work investigates the antecedents and mechanisms of servant leadership in various business contexts. A strong emphasis of her work is given to value congruence and motivation as a key mechanism of linking positive leadership and employee well-being and meaningfulness at work. Additionally Dr Xuan Feng is interested in developing, implementing and evaluating of interventions to promote people and organizational development in compelling work contexts.   

Research Interests

• Ethically-oriented leadership
• Servant leadership
• Leadership interventions
• Positive employee experience at work
• Motivation and Well-being
• Meaningfulness at work
• Women’s career advancement

Dr Xuan Feng is an Associate Professor in Human Resource Management and Organizational Behaviour, Nottingham University Business School China. She received her PhD in Social and Organizational Psychology from the Ludwig Maximilians University, Germany. Her academic and work expertise lands in the areas of Leadership, Employee Well-being, Global Talent Management, Employability and Career Development, and Work Design. Dr. Xuan Feng has published her talent and career research in leading international peer-reviewed journals and practitioners’ magazines. She also presented her research work at reputable international conferences including annual conferences of Academy of Management, European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology and International Association for Chinese Management Research.

Dr. Xuan Feng has extensive government policy research experience and has led four municipal talent research projects as Project Leader (PI) between 2018 and 2021. Her talent research reports were selected into the Ningbo Talent Blue Book and recognized by municipal policy awards. She serves as a talent management expert and provides strategic advisory for local government sectors and talent policy makers. In 2020 she received a special commendation for the “Rising star award – policy impact” from University of Nottingham Institute for Policy and Engagement as a high recognition of her contributions to the local policy making in Ningbo on talent management.

Dr. Xuan Feng is a passionate and innovative educator with an outstanding record in degree and executive teaching, programme development, workshop facilitation, corporate training, and instructional design. She has received the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE) and is recognized as Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). She is recipient of three UNNC small teaching and learning grants as PI and one as CI. She provided high quality teaching outputs via book chapters, EFMD and AGCAS journals, case studies and conference proceedings related to teaching and learning. For her outstanding contributions to advancing innovative teaching and student employability development, Dr. Xuan Feng received several municipal and university awards including one Municipal Outstanding Teaching Achievement Award, two top university awards (i.e. Vice Chancellor’s Medal and Lord Dearing Award) and Department Teaching Innovation Award.

Prior to joining NUBS China, Dr Xuan Feng has extensive experience working with companies, research institutions as well as top and middle management in Europe and China. Combining research approaches and business practices, Dr Xuan Feng has designed and delivered corporate research programmes as well as provided consultancy service for companies and management on leadership and HR topics. During her time in Germany, she worked in different business functions, such as Human Resource, Corporate Communication and Change Management, in DAX and medium-sized corporations. She was a guest lecturer at TUM School of Management in Munich where she led International Management and Leadership courses for EMBA students.

Undergraduate

• Human Resource Management I & II
• Contemporary Developments in HRM and Organisations
• International Human Resource Management
• Human Resource Management with International Perspectives
• Trends in HRM and Organisational Development

Executive Education

• International Human Resource Management
• Global Leadership and Talent Management
• Change Management
• Work and Organisational Design