Dr Scott Allan

Biography

Dr Scott Allan is a Lecturer in Management Studies. He undertakes research in the field of organisation theory, with a particular emphasis on the professions, professional careers and management of professional services firms. He currently teaches Leadership, and has taught Strategy, Interpersonal Management, Negotiation and Persuasion.

Scott has a PhD in Organisation, Work and Technology (Lancaster University Management School), a Masters in Business Administration (Distinction), an LLB (law degree) and Diploma in Legal Practice.

Research Overview

My research focuses on professions and professional services firms (PSFs), with a particular interest in how they are organised and managed having regard to their sociological development, associated logics and changes in external and internal environments.

Theoretically, I have engaged with theories of (a) professionalism and professional logics (b) financialisation and its imperatives viewed through a cultural economy lens, and brought together through discourse and the social and material practices in which such discourses and practices are located (c) performativity of metrics and rankings (d) power, identity and subjectivity (e) career as a project, and associated fears, anxieties, tensions and contradictions.

In the wider context i am interested in the interplay between management "thinking" and related practices (manifest in structures, systems, decisions and initiatives) and traditional "professional" values of partner autonomy and participation in decision-making. In particular my research considers management communications at board and lower levels, and how systems, processes and decisions are interpreted, mediated and communicated by managers (functional and professional) to practising professionals. It considers the extent to which management systems enable control, and how and where the assumptions underpinning both management and professional logics are adopted, amended or resisted by managers and practising professionals. It asks what this tells us as regards the organisation of professionals.

My research has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Carnegie Trust.

Current Research

I am currently pursuing a research project on the experiences of career transitions of senior professionals.

Collaborations

I am interested in collaborating on research projects that involve professionals and their work.

Funding and Grants

Economic and Social Research Council and North West Doctoral Training Centre (Lancaster) grant for PhD research.

Carnegie Trust Grant: Performance management: the problem of measuring professionals.

Teaching Responsibilities

Teaching philosophy

My teaching philosophy revolves around three key pillars: preparation, engagement, critical thinking and reflection. I believe that students who are prepared, engaged, able to think critically and reflect on their exprience are best equipped to succeed academically and to approach the world with an open and enlightened perspective. For me all learning, and indeed all experience, takes place in cultural, social and environmental contexts replete with values and norms, and it is incumbent on all of us to recognise how those contexts, values and norms influence how we understand and interpret people, events, and our reactions to them.

In terms of courses I deliver I firstly encourage students to prepare before class. This involves completing assigned readings, watching videos, and completion of pre-class tasks including formative assignments and simulations. This ensures that students have a basic understanding of the topic before class and are ready to engage in meaningful discussions.

Secondly, I strive to create a dynamic and engaging classroom environment that encourages active and open participation from students. This may involve provocations designed to encourage debate and discussion as well as activities such as group discussions, debates, case studies, and role-plays. To facilitate this I use technology such as online discussion and polling tools to promote engagement and to give students a voice in the learning process.

Finally, I believe that developing critical thinking and reflection skills is crucial for students to see the world in an enlightened but evolving way. I challenge students to question their assumptions as well as the assumptions of others, recognise where values play a role in influencing actions and outcomes, analyse evidence, evaluate arguments and produce solutions. I use real-world examples and current events from business, geopolitics, society and life in general to seek to bring to life the relevance and application of course material. By doing so, students are encouraged to connect their experience and learning to their values, personal experiences and to broader societal contexts.

As a supervisor i see my role as encouraging students to think for themselves, solve problems and become independent learners. As such it is not my role to "give students the answers". Rather, it is to encourage and empower students to generate novel and interesting responses to both old and new questions.

Courses delivered

BU501H - Leadership (September)

BU5584 - Leadership (January)

Other courses previously taught:

Interpersonal Management, Negotiation and Persuasion

Strategy

Supervision

MS4540 - Business Management Dissertation (Supervision)

IN4502 - International Business Dissertation (Supervision)

PhD

Non-course Teaching Responsibilities

Former Director of Online Education