Dr Linn Eleanor Zhang

Her teaching and research interests cover a wide range of topics in cross-cultural management, such as multiculturalism, language in international business, global leadership, workplace diversity and qualitative research method. 

Linn graduated from Department of Management and Organisation at Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki Finland. Her PhD examines the diversity and dynamics of expatriation in the context of cross-cultural adjustment and acculturation. She is a member of the Higher Education Academy in the UK. Before joining Loughborough London, Linn has taught a wide range of Management subjects such as Strategic Management, Economic and Social Foundations for Sustainable Organisations, International HRM at Royal Holloway, University of London and King’s College London.

Linn's research contributes to a deeper understanding of people management in organisations. Specifically, she researches expatriates and local employees in both private and public sectors from language, identity, gender, and race perspectives. She employs in-depth interview, ethnographic observation, as well as case study to better understand how these employees adjust cross-culturally, develop language competences and cope with challenges related to cultural identity, work-life balance and career development.

A central thread of her research is interaction across boundaries, which is manifested in various research settings, such as the boundary spanning of multicultural employees, the translation of human resource management policies to practices among foreign employees at multinational corporation subsidiaries abroad, and the firm-level activities globalizing actors engage in across national borders.  

Linn’s current research projects are:

• Globalizing actors in MNCs from China’s emerging cities, funded by the Foundation for Economic Education Finland and Loughborough University London’s JOINT Fund.
• Gender and identity in a turbulent space and time: An Interview Study of Dual-Career Diplomatic Couples, funded by the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants. More about a related commercial book can be found here: Spouses of the World: Bullet Dodging Behind Diplomatic Glamour.
• Social Innovation Processes in and around Multinational Companies: The Role of Social Activists and their Transnational Networks, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, led by Professor Tony Edwards.

Apart from her core research areas, Linn also specializes in supervising interdisciplinary dissertations. Linn teaches qualitative research methods in Innovation and Sustainable Business Management Doctoral Programme for DOBA Business School. She is not accepting new PhD students at the moment.

Mr John Vivian

Varieties of neo-colonialism: A study of labour relations at multinational corporations (MNCs) in sub-Saharan Africa

Mr Alan Brejnholt

The institutional maze in home country determinants of Brazilian MNCs’ CSR engagement

Ms Nehad Ali

Goal-setting in family firms: Longevity and transgenerational continuity through adaption

Ms Iman Khan

Revisiting the origins of higher education: Does decolonising the curriculum entail the restoration of its roots?

Ms Hilla Back

Do I belong: How language affects integration and social inclusion

Machado-López, M. (2021) Entrepreneurship and city life: New urban dynamics in transitioning Cuba.

Linn has co-established CYGNA Women in Academia research network in June 2014. The main objective of the group is to promote interaction among female academics based in the London area and to provide a forum for learning, support, and networking. She is the recipient of 2021 Emerging Scholar Award from WAIB (Women in the Academy of International Business).

Linn is a member of the following Professional Associations:

• Academy of Management
• Academy of International Business
• European Academy of Management
• European Group of Organization Studies