Laura Empson

For regular updates on my research activities please see my personal website https://www.lauraempson.com.

I am Director of the Cass Centre for Professional Service Firms and a Senior Research Fellow at Harvard Law School's Center on the Legal Profession.

Qualifications

• PhD, London Business School, unknown
• MBA, London Business School, unknown
• BSc Econ, University College London, unknown

Visiting Appointments

• Senior Research Fellow, Harvard Law School, Sep 2016 – present
• Visiting Professor, University of Navarra, Jan 2012 – Dec 2014

Awards

• Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal (AAAJ) (2016) Awarded Journal's best paper award
• Awarded Journal's best paper award for "Illusio and overwork: Playing the game in the accounting field", co authored with Ioana Lupu
• Financial Times (2013) Financial Times Professor of the Week
• Financial Times Professor of the Week and admission of concept of Leadership Constellation into FT Lexicon
• The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) (2012) Invited to become Member of Peer Review College

Expertise

Primary Topics

• Knowledge Management
• Change Management
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Leadership
• Organization Theory
• Organizational Behaviour
• Organizational Culture
• Management
• Management Consulting

Industries/Professions

• accountancy firms
• investment banking
• legal services
• management consulting
• professional services

Research Topics

Understanding the dynamics of leadership in professional service firms.

ESRC funded study into leadership in professional service firms

Co-constructing plural leadership dynamics among professional peers

Publication strand developed from ESRC Leadership study

Ambiguous authority and hidden hierarchy: collective leadership dynamics in a professional service firm

Publication strand developed from ESRC Leadership study

Antecedents of organizational socialization: the influence of early formative experiences on the careers of professional parents

Publication strand developed from Marie Curie Fellowship

Knowledge, identity, and power: taking stock of management consulting research

Publication strand developed from supervision of Szilvia Mosonyi

Managing paradoxes at the research-practice interface: A boundary management frameworkManaging paradoxes at the research-practice interface: A boundary management framework

Publication strand based on ongoing focus on research-practice divide

Books (3)

• Empson, L., Muzio, D., Broschak, J. and Hinings, B. (Eds.), (2017). Oxford Handbook of Professional Service Firms (Paperback edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Empson, L., Hinings, R., Muzio, D. and Broschak, J. (2015). The Oxford Handbook of Professional Service Firms. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 978-0-19-968239-3.
• Empson, L. (Ed.), (2007). Managing the modern law firm: New challenges, new perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-929674-3.

Chapters (17)

• Empson, L. (2017). My liminal life: Perpetual journeys across the research-practice divide. In Bartunek, J. and McKenzie, J. (Eds.), Academic practitioner research partnerships: Developments, complexities and opportunities Routledge.
• Ashley, L. and Empson, L. (2016). Explaining social exclusion and the 'war for talent' in the UK's elite professional service firms. In Headworth, S., Nelson, R., Dinovitzer, R. and Wilkins, D. (Eds.), Diversity in Practice: Race, Gender, and Class in Legal and Professional Careers (Cambridge Studies in Law and Society) Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-12365-6.
• Empson, L. and Langley, A. (2015). Leadership and Professionals: Multiple Manifestations of Influence in Professional Service Firms. In Empson, L., Muzio, D., Broschak, J. and Hinings, B. (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Professional Service Firms Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Empson, L., Muzio, D., Broschak, J. and Hinings, B. (2015). Researching Professional Service Firms: An Introduction and Overview. In Empson, L., Muzio, D., Broschak, J. and Hinings, B. (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Professional Service Firms Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Empson, L. (2015). Leadership, Power, and Politics in Law Firms. In Normand-Hochman, R. and Gardner, H. (Eds.), Leadership for Lawyers (pp. 89–102). Globe Law and Business in association with the International Bar Association. ISBN 978-1-909416-78-9.
• Empson, L. (2014). My Affair with the “Other”: Identity Journeys across the Research-Practice Divide. In Bell, E. and Willmott, H. (Eds.), Qualitative Research in Business and Management (4 volumes) Sage. ISBN 978-1-4462-8744-6.
• Empson, L. (2012). Beyond dichotomies: A multi-stage model of governance in professional service firms. In Reihlen, M. and Werr, A. (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Entrepreneurship in Professional Services Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84844-626-7.
• Empson, L. (2012). Fear of Exploitation and Fear of Contamination: Impediments to Knowledge Transfer in Mergers Between Professional Service Firms (2001 Reprint). In Avakian, S. and Clark, T. (Eds.), Management Consulting Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84720-910-8.
• Empson, L. (2008). Professions. In Clegg, S. and Bailey, J.R. (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of Organization Studies Sage. ISBN 978-1-4129-1515-1.
• Empson, L. (2008). Professional Service Firms. In Clegg, S. and Bailey, J.R. (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of Organization Studies (pp. 1311–1315). Sage. ISBN 978-1-4129-1515-1.
• Empson, L. (2007). Wrestling with the intangible: Creating value in knowledge-based mergers. In Angwin, D. (Ed.), Images of mergers and acquisitions: A multidisciplinary perspective Blackwell.
• Empson, L. (2007). Your partnership - Surviving and thriving in a changing world: the special nature of partnership. In Empson, L. (Ed.), Managing the Modern Law Firm: New Challenges, New Perspectives (pp. 10–36). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-958964-X.
• Empson, L. (2006). Professionals in partnership. In Craig, J. (Ed.), Production Values: Futures of Professionalism Demos.
• Empson, L. and Chapman, C. (2006). Partnership versus corporation: implications of alternative forms of governance in professional service firms. In Greenwood, R. and Suddaby, R. (Eds.), Professional Service Firms (Research in the Sociology of Organizations, Volume 24) (pp. 139–170). Emerald Group. ISBN 978-0-7623-1302-0.
• Empson, L. (2000). Lessons from professional service firms. In Dickson, T. (Ed.), Mastering Strategy Financial Times/Pitman Publishing.
• Empson, L. (2000). The challenge of managing knowledge. In Dickson, T. (Ed.), Mastering Strategy Financial Times/Pitman Publishing.
• Empson, L. (2000). Mergers between professional service firms: Exploring an undirected process of integration. Advances in Mergers and Acquisitions (Volume 1) (pp. 205–237). Emerald. ISBN 978-0-7623-0683-1.

Journal Articles (16)

• Lupu, I., Spence, C. and Empson, L. (2018). When the past comes back to haunt you: the enduring influence of upbringing on the work-family balance decisions of professional parents. Human Relations, Forthcoming .
• Ashley, L. and Empson, L. (2016). Convenient fictions and inconvenient truths: Dilemmas of diversity at three leading accountancy firms. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 35, pp. 76–87. doi:10.1016/j.cpa.2015.05.002.
• Ashley, L. and Empson, L. (2016). Understanding social exclusion in elite professional service firms: Field level dynamics and the 'professional project'. Work, Employment & Society, 31(2), pp. 211–229. doi:10.1177/0950017015621480.
• Lupu, I. and Empson, L. (2015). Illusio and overwork: playing the game in the accounting field. Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, 28(8), pp. 1310–1340. doi:10.1108/AAAJ-02-2015-1984.
• Empson, L., Cleaver, I. and Allen, J. (2013). Managing partners and management professionals: Institutional work dyads in professional partnerships. Journal of Management Studies, 50(5), pp. 808–844. doi:10.1111/joms.12025.
• Empson, L. (2013). My Affair With the "Other": Identity Journeys Across the Research-Practice Divide. Journal of Management Inquiry, 22(2), pp. 229–248. doi:10.1177/1056492612446068.
• Ashley, L. and Empson, L. (2013). Differentiation and discrimination: Understanding social class and social exclusion in leading law firms. Human Relations, 66(2), pp. 219–244. doi:10.1177/0018726712455833.
• Empson, , L, and None, (2011). gg. .
• Alvesson, M. and Empson, L. (2008). The construction of organizational identity: Comparative case studies of consulting firms. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 24(1), pp. 1–16. doi:10.1016/j.scaman.2007.10.001.
• Empson, L. (2004). Organizational identity change: managerial regulation and member identification in an accounting firm acquisition. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 29(8), pp. 759–781. doi:10.1016/j.aos.2004.04.002.
• Greenwood, R. and Empson, L. (2003). The professional partnership: Relic or exemplary form of governance? Organization Studies, 24(6), pp. 909–933.
• Empson, L. (2001). Fear of exploitation and fear of contamination: Impediments to knowledge transfer in mergers between professional service firms. Human Relations: Knowledge management in professional service firms (Special Issue), 54(7), pp. 839–862.
• Empson, L. (2001). Knowledge management in professional service firms. Human Relations: Knowledge management in professional service firms (Special Issue), 54(7), pp. 811–818.
• Empson, L. (2000). Merging Professional Service Firms. Business Strategy Review, 11(2), pp. 39–46. doi:10.1111/1467-8616.00136.
• Morris, T. and Empson, L. (1998). Organization and expertise: An exploration of knowledge bases and the management of accounting and consulting firms. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 23(5-6), pp. 609–624.
• Empson, L. Elite interviewing in professional organizations. Journal of Professions and Organization . doi:10.1093/jpo/jox010.

Subject/Academic Leadership

• 2008 - present, Centre for Professional Service Firms, Director
• Block I of FTMBA, Leader

Editorial Activities (16)

• Academy of Management Review, Referee, 2015 – present.
• Journal of Professions and Organizations, Member of Editorial Board, 2013 – present.
• ESRC Peer Review College (Academic Member), Member of Editorial Board, 2012 – present.
• Journal of Management Studies, Member of Editorial Board, 2008 – present.
• British Journal of Management, Referee, 2006 – present.
• Harvard Business School Press, Referee, 2006 – present.
• Human Relations, Referee, 2006 – present.
• Journal of Organizational Behaviour, Referee, 2006 – present.
• Organisation, Referee, 2006 – present.
• Organizational Science, Referee, 2006 – present.
• Oxford University Press, Referee, 2006 – present.
• Sage, Referee, 2006 – present.
• Organization Studies, Member of Editorial Board, 2006 – present.
• Academy of Management Journal, Referee, 2006 – present.
• Accounting, Organizations, and Society, Referee, 2006 – present.
• Journal of Management Inquiry, Member of Editorial Board, 2003 – 2007.