Peter Simpson

I joined Bristol Business School in 1988 and since then I have taught leadership, change and organizational analysis on a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Throughout my career I have had a particular interest in designing and delivering programmes into organisations, notably in financial services, IT, local authorities, health and social care.

My current focus is on research and teaching. However, I have previously held a range of leadership positions in the Business School including Director of MBA and Executive Education, Director of Business Development, Head of School, Director of the Research Unit in Organisation Studies, and Deputy Director of the Bristol Centre for Leadership and Organizational Ethics.

Area of expertise I am Associate Professor (Reader) in Organisation Studies. My current research interests are in the application of ideas on spirituality, psychodynamics and complexity to the study and practice of leadership. Recent research projects a Strategic Action Research project with a US non-profit (2017-ongoing) and the ESRC Seminar Series ‘Ethical Leadership: the contribution of philosophy and spirituality’ (2014-2017). I have published on leadership education and development, strategic and cultural leadership, and the challenges of leadership in conditions of uncertainty. Consultancy and research contracts have included working with senior management teams on the leadership of strategic change.
To date I have published in excess of 20 refereed journal articles, presented papers at over 50 international conferences, 16 book chapters, and 2 books. Last but not least, I am an experienced and committed supervisor of doctoral students, having worked with 11 PhD students to completion.

Publications

French, R. and Simpson, P. (2017) Developing the leader's negative capability: Mobilising attention for the greater good. In: 33rd European Group for Organization Studies (EGOS) Colloquium 'The Good Organization', Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, Denmark, 6-8 July 2017. Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/31548 ' Gaggiotti, H., Simpson, P. and Cicmil, S. (2017) Re-imagining business schools of the future as places of theorizing. In: Izak, M., Kostera, M. and Zawadzki, M., eds. (2017) The future of university education. 1. London: Palgrave. ISBN 9783319468938 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/31284 ' von Bülow, C. and Simpson, P. (2017) Envisioning a future by paying attention to the past: Rediscovering the work-of-leisure. In: International Studying Leadership Conference 2017: 'Leadership, Dissent, and Disobedience: Leaders and Followers in a Populist Age', Richmond University, Richmond, USA, 10-12 December 2017. Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/34738 ' Tomkins, L. and Simpson, P. (2015) Caring leadership: A Heideggerian perspective. Organization Studies, 36 (8). pp. 1013-1031. ISSN 0170-8406 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/21493 ' Gaggiotti, H. and Simpson, P. (2015) Should we teach students to theorize? Classical Greek philosophy and the learning journey. In: Mabey, C. and Mayrhofer, W., eds. (2015) Developing Leadership. Questions Business Schools Don’t Ask. London: Sage. ISBN 9781446296110 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/25261 ' French, R. and Simpson, P. (2014) Attention, cooperation, purpose: An approach to working in groups using insights from Wilfred Bion. 1st. UK: Karnac. ISBN 9781782201311 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/24450 ' French, R., Gaggiotti, H. and Simpson, P. (2014) Journeying and the experiential gaze in research: Theorizing as a form of knowing. Culture and Organization, 20 (3). pp. 185-195. ISSN 1475-9551 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/22960 ' Jarvis, C., Gulati, A., McCririck, V. and Simpson, P. (2013) Leadership matters: Tensions in evaluating leadership development. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 15 (1). pp. 27-45. ISSN 1523-4223 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/17223 ' Case, P., French, R. and Simpson, P. (2012) From theoria to theory: Leadership without contemplation. Organization, 19 (3). pp. 345-361. ISSN 1350-5084 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/15916 ' Edwards, G. (2012) Worldly leadership and concepts of community. In: Turnbull, S., Case, P., Edwards, G., Jepson, D. and Simpson, P., eds. (2012) Worldly Leadership. First. UK: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 85-103. ISBN 9780230284708 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/22826 ' Simpson, P. (2012) Complexity and change management: Analyzing church leaders’ narratives. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 25 (2). pp. 283-296. ISSN 0953-4814 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/16824 ' Turnbull, S., Case, P., Edwards, G., Jepson, D. and Simpson, P. (2011) Worldly leadership: Alternative wisdoms for a complex world. London: Palgrave. ISBN 9780230284708 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/14689 ' Jepson, D. (2011) National language and its importance for worldly leadership. In: Turnbull, S., Case, P., Edwards, G., Jepson, D. and Simpson, P., eds. (2011) Worldly Leadership. Palgrave. ISBN 9780230284708 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/14686 ' Case, P., French, R. and Simpson, P. (2011) Philosophy of leadership. In: Bryman, A., Collinson, D., Grint, K., Jackson, B. and Uhl-Bien, M., eds. (2011) SAGE Handbook of Leadership. London: Sage, pp. 685-727. ISBN 9781848601468 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/11782 ' French, R. and Simpson, P. (2011) Downplaying leadership. Researching how leaders talk about themselves. In: Bell, D., ed. (2011) Political Leadership. Sage. ISBN 9780857020888 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/12889 ' French, R. and Simpson, P. (2010) The 'work group': Redressing the balance in Bion's Experiences in Groups. Human Relations, 63 (12). pp. 1859-1878. ISSN 0018-7267 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/12886 ' Simpson, P. (2010) Engaging with the unknowable through narratives of personal experience. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 23 (2). p. 173. ISSN 0953-4814 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/13772 ' Simpson, P. (2010) Engaging with the unknowable through narratives of personal experience. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 23 (2). pp. 173-179. ISSN 0953-4814 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/12253 ' French, R., Simpson, P. and Harvey, C. (2009) Negative capability: A contribution to the understanding of creative leadership. In: Sievers, B., Brunning, H., De Gooijer, J. and Gould, L., eds. (2009) Psychoanalytic Studies of Organizations: Contributions from the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations. Karnac Books. ISBN 9781855756076 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/14498 ' Simpson, P. (2008) Stories. In: Broussine, M., ed. (2008) Creative Methods in Organizational Research. London: Sage, pp. 92-107. ISBN 9781412901345 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/12255 ' Simpson, P. and Beeby, M. (2008) Creative dialogue. In: Broussine, M., ed. (2008) Creative Methods in Organizational Research. London: Sage, pp. 53-69. ISBN 9781412901345 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/12258 ' Simpson, P. and Hill, C. (2008) Leadership, spirituality and complexity. Wilberforce and the abolition of the slave trade. In: Turnbull-James, K. and Collins, J., eds. (2008) Leadership Perspectives. Knowledge into Action. Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN 9780230516045 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/12903 ' Simpson, P. (2007) Organising in the mist: A case study in leadership and complexity. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 28 (5). pp. 465-482. ISSN 0143-7739 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/6367 ' Simpson, P. (2007) Organising in the mist. A case study in leadership and complexity. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 28 (5). pp. 465-482. ISSN 0143-7739 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/21977 ' French, R. and Simpson, P. (2006) Downplaying leadership: Researching how leaders talk about themselves. Leadership, 2 (4). pp. 469-479. ISSN 1742-7150 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/6390 ' Simpson, P. and French, R. (2006) Negative capability and the capacity to think in the present moment: Some implications for leadership practice. Leadership, 2 (2). pp. 245-255. ISSN 1742-7150 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/6365 ' Simpson, P. and French, R. (2005) Thoughtful leadership. Lessons from Bion. Organisational and Social Dynamics, 5 (2). pp. 280-297. ISSN 1474-2780 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/6366 ' Simpson, P., French, R. and Harvey, C. (2002) Leadership and negative capability. Human Relations, 55 (10). pp. 1209-1226. ISSN 0018-7267 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/6364 ' Simpson, P. and French, R. (2001) Learning at the edges between knowing and not-knowing: ‘Translating’ Bion. Organisational and Social Dynamics, 1 (1). pp. 54-77. ISSN 1474-2780 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/21976 ' Simpson, P., French, R. and Vince, R. (2000) The upside of the downside. How utilising defensive dynamics can support learning in groups. Management Learning, 31 (4). pp. 457-470. ISSN 1350-5076 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/22027 ' French, R. and Simpson, P. (1999) ‘Our best work happens when we don’t know what we’re doing’. Discuss. Socio-Analysis, 1 (2). pp. 216-230. ISSN 1442-4444 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/21973 ' Simpson, P. and French, R. (1998) Managing oneself in role. A working tool for the management of change. Public Money and Management, 18 (2). pp. 45-50. ISSN 0954-0962 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/22299 ' Simpson, P. (1997) The place of faith in management learning. Management Learning, 28 (4). pp. 409-422. ISSN 1350-5076 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/22298 '