Elisabeth Kelan

Elisabeth Kelan, PhD, is a Professor of Leadership and Organisation at Essex Business School, University of Essex. She holds a Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowship [MRF-2019-069] to explore the future of work, digitalisation, and gender.

Her research focuses on women in leadership, men as change agents for gender equality, generations at work, technology in organisations, and diversity, inclusion and belonging.

She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles in leading academic journals such as the British Journal of Management (ABS 4), Human Relations (FT Top 50, ABS 4), the Academy of Management Learning and Education (ABS 4), the Journal of Business Ethics (FT Top 50), and Management Learning (ABS 3). She is also the author of three books.

Elisabeth Kelan held a British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship and was the Dahlem International Network Professor for Gender Studies at Freie Universität Berlin. Her research has been funded by the Leverhulme Trust, the British Academy, the Economic and Social Research Council and various private sector institutions. She is on the editorial boards of the British Journal of Management, Management Learning, and Gender in Management and edits the Routledge Studies in Gender and Organizations book series.

Her research is regularly featured in the media such as the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Telegraph and HR Magazine. The Times featured her as one of the management thinkers to watch. She has won various practitioner and academic awards for her research such as the Academy of Management Gender and Diversity in Organizations Faculty Transnational Research Award 2016 and the award for the Most Influential Leadership Research by the Leadership Awards (2016).

She is regularly providing thought-leadership and consulting to businesses and international organisations. Elisabeth Kelan has worked with businesses such as Accenture, General Electric, Goldman Sachs, Google, KPMG, Linklaters, Johnson & Johnson, Ooredoo and PwC and international organisations such as the Council of Europe, CERN, the European Central Bank, the European Parliament and the United Nations Systems Staff College, United Nations Women, the United Nations Global Compact, and the International Labour Organization.

Prior to joining the University of Essex, Elisabeth Kelan held appointments at London Business School, the London School of Economics and Political Science, King's College London, Cranfield School of Management and Zurich University. She holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Publications

• Articles in journals
• Conference papers
• Books

Articles In Journals

• Gill R, Kelan EK & Scharff CM (2017) A Postfeminist Sensibility at Work, Gender, Work and Organization, 24 (3) 226-244.
• Kelan EK & Wratil P (2017) Post-heroic leadership, tempered radicalism and senior leaders as change agents for gender equality, European Management Review, Early online.
• Kelan E & Humbert A (2016) Editorial: Gender in Management Research, British Journal of Management.
• Adamson M, Kelan EK, Lewis P, Rumens N & Śliwa M (2016) The quality of equality: Thinking differently about gender inclusion in organizations, Human Resource Management International Digest, 24 (7) 8-11.
• Jonsen K, Point S & Kelan EK. (2016) Diversity branding: a five-country comparison of corporate websites, Academy of Management Proceedings, 2016 (1).
• Kelan E (2015) 4/1/2016 - Why male middle managers are the key to equality in the workplace, Management focus, Autumn\Winter (39) 10-11.
• Kelan EK & Wratil P (2015) Skirting Merit-Senior Leaders on Merit and Gender Equality, Academy of Management Proceedings, 2015 (1).
• Quental C & Kelan EK. (2015) The gendered construction of skills in the promotion to partner, Academy of Management Proceedings, 2015 (1).
• Nentwich JC & Kelan EK (2014) Towards a topology of ''Doing Gender'': an analysis of empirical research and its challenges, Gender, Work and Organization, 21 (2) 121-134.
• Kelan EK (2014) Organising Generations - What Can Sociology Offer to the Understanding of Generations at Work?, Sociology Compass, 8 (1) 20-30.
• Kelan EK & Mah A (2014) Gendered identification: between idealization and admiration, British Journal of Management, 25 (1) 91-101.
• Kelan EK (2014) From biological clocks to unspeakable inequalities: the intersectional positioning of young professionals, British Journal of Management, 25 (4) 790-804.
• Kelan E (2014) Faculty Focus: Elisabeth Kelan, Management Focus (37) 26-26.
• Wang M & Kelan EK (2013) The Gender Quota and Female Leadership: Effects of the Norwegian Gender Quota on Board Chairs and CEOs, Journal of Business Ethics, 117 (3) 449-466.
• Kelan EK (2013) The Becoming of Business Bodies: Gender, Appearance, and Leadership Development, Management Learning, 44 (1) 45-61.
• Kelan EK (2011) Moving Bodies and Minds - The Quest for Embodiment in Teaching and Learning, Higher Education Research Network Journal, 3 39-46.
• Kelan EK & Dunkley Jones R (2010) Gender and the MBA, Academy of Management Learning and Education, 9 (1) 26-43.
• Kelan EK (2010) Gender logic and (Un)doing gender at work, Gender, Work and Organization, 17 (2) 174-194.
• Kelan EK (2009) Gender fatigue: The ideological dilemma of gender neutrality and discrimination in organizations, Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences / Revue Canadienne des Sciences de l''Administration, 26 (3) 197-210.
• Kelan EK & Dunkley Jones R (2009) Reinventing the MBA as a rite of passage for a boundaryless era, Career Development International, 14 (6) 547-569.
• Kelan EK (2008) Gender, risk and employment insecurity: The masculine breadwinner subtext, Human Relations, 61 (9) 1171-1202.
• Kelan EK (2008) The discursive construction of gender in contemporary management literature, Journal of Business Ethics, 81 (2) 427-445.
• Kelan EK (2008) Emotions in a rational profession: The gendering of skills in ICT work, Gender, Work and Organization, 15 (1) 49-71.
• Kelan EK (2007) Tools and Toys: Communicating Gendered Positions Towards Technology, Information, Communication and Society, 10 (3) 357-382.
• Kelan EK (2007) ''I don''t know why'' - Accounting for the scarcity of women in ICT work, Women''s Studies International Forum, 30 (6) 499-511.

### Conference Papers

• Quental C & Kelan EK. (2017) Meritocracy and the Construction of Skills in Professional Services Firms. In: Administration Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC), HEC Montréal, Montréal, 29 May - 1 June 2017.
• Quental C. Kelan EK (2017) From Savoir-Faire to Savoir-être: Gender, Meritocracy and the Construction of Skills in Professional Services Firms. In: Administrative Science Association of Canada, HEC, Montreal, 29 May - 1 June 2017.
• Baker DT & Kelan EK (2017) The Confidence Paradox, The Quality of Equality: Critically Debating Inclusion in Organisations. In: 10th International Critical Management Studies (CMS) Conference, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Liverpool, 3-5 July 2017.
• Carr M & Kelan EK (2017) Discord in the gender harmony: Mobilising femininities at work. In: 10th International Critical Management Studies (CMS) Conference, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Liverpool, 3-5 July 2017.
• Quental C & Kelan EK (2017) Gender, meritocracy and the construction of skills in professional services firms. In: VII International Conference of Work and Family, IESE Business School, Barcelona, 3-4 July 2017.
• Kelan EK (2017) The Power to Include – Men, Middle Managers and Gender, Equality The Quality of Equality: Critically Debating Inclusion in Organisations. In: 10th International Critical Management Studies (CMS) Conference, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Liverpool, 3-5 July 2017.
• Baker DT & Kelan EK (2017) The Psychic Life of Neoliberal Women: Splitting, Blaming and Perseverance. In: Association for the Psychoanalysis of Culture and Society Annual Conference, Rutgers, New Brunswick (NJ), 20-21 October 2017.
• Kelan EK (2016) Men, Managers and Moderate Feminism – Analysing the Construction of Men in Gender Equality Efforts. In: 9th Biennial International Interdisciplinary Gender, Work and Organization conference, Keele University, 29 June - 1 July 2016.
• Carr M & Kelan EK (2016) Mobilising femininities in the workplace: Offering intra-gender support as a way to make work ''work''. In: 9th Biennial International Interdisciplinary Gender, Work and Organization conference, Keele University, 29 June - 1 July 2016.
• Brown SE & Kelan EK (2016) ''There’s Never Been a Better Time to be a Woman’: Neoliberal Feminism and Women on Board. In: 9th Biennial International Interdisciplinary Gender, Work and Organization conference, Keele University, 29 June - 1 July 2016.
• Baker DT & Kelan EK (2016) Snakes and ladders: comparing the career trajectories of men and women in finance and accounting. In: 9th Biennial International Interdisciplinary Gender, Work and Organization conference, Keele University, 29 June - 1 July 2016.
• Baker DT & Kelan EK (2016) Giving an account of oneself. In: 9th Biennial International Interdisciplinary Gender, Work and Organization conference, Keele University, 29 June - 1 July 2016.
• Baker DT & Kelan EK (2016) Transmogrifying organisational space. In: 9th Biennial International Interdisciplinary Gender, Work and Organization conference, Keele University, 29 June - 1 July 2016.
• Adamson M & Kelan EK (2016) Modelling the corporate feminist? Celebrity business women as postfeminist role models. In: 9th Biennial International Interdisciplinary Gender, Work and Organization conference, Keele University, 29 June - 1 July 2016.
• Humbert AL, Kelan EK & van den Brink M (2016) How Leaders See Gender Quotas: A comparative analysis of attitudes toward legislated board quotas in the EU. In: 9th Biennial International Interdisciplinary Gender, Work and Organization conference, Keele University, 29 June - 1 July 2016.
• Carr M & Kelan EK (2016) Femininities at work: How women support other women in the workplace. In: BAM2016 Conference: Thriving in turbulent times, Newcastle University, 6-8 September 2016.
• Jonsen K, Point S & Kelan EK (2016) Diversity branding: a five country comparison of company websites. In: Academy of Management Annual Meeting, 2016, Anaheim, 5-9 August 2016.
• Kelan EK (2016) Men, middle managers and gender inclusive leadership - a critical performative approach. In: American Academy of Management Annual Meeting, 2016**, Anaheim, CA. 76th, 5-9 August 2016.
• Brown, SE & Kelan EK (2015) Corporate and Management elites. In: Change Elites in Europe Conference, London School of Economics, 26 November 2015.
• Quental C & Kelan E (2015) The gendered construction of skills in the promotion to partner. In: Academy of Management Annual Conference, 2015**, Vancouver, British Columbia (75th), 7-11 August 2015.
• Brown SE & Kelan EK (2014) Gender in the Board Appointment Process: Discursive Effects of the ''Ideal'' Board Member. In: 8th Biennial International Interdisciplinary Conference, Keele, 24 June 2014.
• Kelan EK & Wratil P (2014) In Defence of Merit - Have CEOs become Corporate Feminists?. In: 8th Biennial International Interdisciplinary Conference, Keele, 24 June 2014.
• Kelan EK & Wratil P (2014) The tone at the top - CEOs as macro change agents for gender equality. In: EURAM 2014**: 14th European Academy of Management Annual Conference, Valencia, 4-7 June 2014.
• Kelan EK (2012) Gender in Professional Service Firms - A Review and Research Agenda. In: 2012 Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, 3 August 2012.
• Kelan EK (2012) Gendered Identification: Between Idealization and Admiration. In: 2012 Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, 3 August 2012.
• Kelan EK (2011) Performing Diversity. In: Diversity Conference, Paris, 20 October 2011.
• Kelan EK (2011) Re(dis)covering the Self - Analysing the Practice of Yoga. In: 29th Standing Conference on Organizational Symbolism , Istanbul, 14 July 2011.
• Kelan EK (2010) Embodying Professionalism: The Role of Dress in Constructing Gendered Professionalism. In: 6th international interdisciplinary conference , Keele, 21 June 2010.
• Kelan EK (2010) Collective Individualism - How Technology Changes Expectations of Work. In: 26th EGOS Colloquium, Lisbon, 1 July 2010.
• Kelan EK & Mah A (2009) Making Young Professionals Brand Conform: Embodying Brands and Gender. In: 25th EGOS Colloquium, Barcelona, 2 July 2009.
• Kelan EK & Humbert A (2008) Patchwork Identities: Gendering ICT Entrepreneurship in an Irish Context. In: ISBE 2008, Belfast, 5 November 2008.
• Kelan EK (2008) Gender Fatigue - camouflaging gender discrimination in organizations. In: Academy of Management Annual Meeting, 2008**, Anaheim, CA, 8-13 August 2008.
• Kelan E 15/12/2015 - Doing Leadership, Doing Gender - A Critical Performative Approach to Gender Inclusive Leadership. In: 14th International Studying Leadership Conference, Lancaster University, 13 December 2015.

### Books

• Baker DT & Kelan EK (2015) Policy and practice of diversity management in the workplace. In: Managing Diversity and Inclusion - An International Perspective. Syed J, Ozbilgin MF (ed.), Sage Publications Ltd, p. 78-105.
• Kelan E (2015) Glass Ceiling. In: Wiley Encyclopedia of Management. 5:1, John Wiley & Sons.
• Kelan EK (2014) Unspeakable Masculinities in Business Schools. In: Gender in Organizations: Are Men Allies or Adversaries to Women’s Career Advancement?. Burke R, Major D (ed.), Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, p. 234-269.
• Kelan EK (2012) Rising Stars - Developing Millennial Women as Leaders. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Kelan EK (2012) Gender in Consulting: A Review and Research Agenda. In: The Oxford Handbook of Management Consulting. Kipping M, Clark T (ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Edwards MR & Kelan EK (2011) Employer branding and diversity: Foes or friends?. In: Branded Lives: The Production and Consumption of Meaning at Work. Brannan MJ, Parsons E, Priola V (ed.), p. 168-184.
• Humbert A, Drew E & Kelan EK (2010) Gender identity and ICT entrepreneurship in an Irish context. In: Handbook Of Research On High-Technology Entrepreneurs. Ozbilgin M, Malach-Pines A (ed.), Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., p. 123-141.
• Humbert AL, Drew E & Kelan E (2010) Gender Identity and ICT Entrepreneurship in an Irish Context. In: Handbook of Research on High Technology Entrepreneurs. Ozbilgin, M. and Malach-Pines, A (ed.).
• Kelan EK & Nentwich JC (2009) The value of seeing gender as a ''doing''. In: Equality, diversity and inclusion at work: A research companion. Ozbilgin M (ed.), Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
• Kelan EK (2009) The Politics of Gender and Technology. In: A Companion to Philosophy of Technology. Berg Olsen JK, Pendersen SA, Hendricks VF (ed.), Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, p. 338-341.
• Kelan EK (2009) Performing Gender at Work. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Kelan EK (2009) Discursive Theories of Gender. In: Encyclopaedia of Gender and Society. O''Brien J (ed.), London: Sage.
• Kelan EK (2008) Self-Entrepreneurial Careers: Current Management Practices in Swiss ICT work. In: Management Practices in High Tech Environments. Jemielniak D, Kociatkiewicz J (ed.), Hershey: Information Science Reference, p. 283-297.