Dr Ijeoma Okpanum

Biography

Dr Ijeoma Okpanum (FHEA) is a lecturer in the Business School at the Aberdeen - South China Normal University (SCNU) Joint Institute. She received her master’s degree from the University of Dundee (CEPMLP) under the Nigerian PTDF scholarship scheme and a PhD from the Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow.

Dr Okpanum started her career at Diamond Bank Nigeria (Access Bank). Before joining the University of Aberdeen, she was an associate professor at Webster University - Shanghai University of Finance and Economic iMBA partnership program. She was also a senior lecturer and the program leader for the Sheffield Hallam University - Sino-British College (the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology) partnership program.

Dr Okpanum is a 2-time winner of the Sheffield Hallam University Inspirational Teaching Award (2019 and 2021) and has over five years of experience teaching in international higher education partnership programs. Her research interests are leadership, institutional logics, and organisational trust.

Prizes and Awards

Recipient of Inspirational Teaching Award with commendation (Sheffield Hallam University 2021) https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/ita/?doing_wp_cron=1594901274.3112759590148925781250

Recipient of Inspirational Teaching Award (Sheffield Hallam University 2019)

https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/ita/?page_id=1499

Recipient of Best Presenter Award (ABEATS 2020)

Recipient of Best Paper Award (ABEATS 2023)

Research Overview

Interested in leadership, institutional logics and organisational trust.

Current Research

Gender and Leadership: a flipped approach to organisational development (working paper)

Sustainability of international business education: a Sino-British perspective (working paper) 

Past Research

• Okorie, I. (2013). An Analysis Of The Impact of Oil Pollution In The Niger Delta: What Is The Relationship Between Corporate Culture and Pollution? (https://www.lap-publishing.com/catalog/details/store/gb/book/978-3-659-31340-0/an-analysis-of-the-impact-of-oil-pollution-in-the-niger-delta).
• Okpanum, I. (2021). Hybridity in Contemporary Commercial Organization: Implications for Employee Trust (https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-7025-2).
• Okpanum, I. (2022) Religion a driver for employees' trust in CEOs. In the African Context of Business and Society, Omeihe, K and Harrison, C. (Ed.). Emerald Publishing, pp. 13 - 30. DOI1108/9781801178525
• Okpanum, I. and McElhinney, S. (2022) Disruptive innovation in teaching and learning: the post-covid-19 era in China. International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counselling (IJEPC), vol. 7(47), pp. 1 -9. DOI 10.335631/IJEPC.747001
• Okpanum, I. (2023). A Structured Framework Linking Corporate Governance, Institutional Logics and Organisational Trust: A call for an African focus. In Contextualising African Studies: Challenges and the way forward, Harrison, C. and Omeihe, K. (Ed.). Emerald Publishing, pp. 37 - 52.
• Okpanum, I. & Omeihe, K. (2024). Artificial Intelligence in Nigeria: How ready are we? Business Day https://businessday.ng/opinion/article/artificial-intelligence-in-nigeria-how-ready-are-we
• Okpanum, I., Omeihe, K. Amoako, I. & Omeihe, I. (2024). Inviting Submissions to the Special Issue Call on Human-AI Trust Relations: exploring competence and vulnerability. Journal of Trust Studies https://digitalization.site/index.php/jots
• Omeihe, K., Okpanum, I., & Omeihe, I. (2024). Some reasons for optimism about AI and the future of work in Nigeria. Business Day https://businessday.ng/opinion/article/some-reasons-for-optimism-about-ai-and-the-future-of-work-in-nigeria/
• Okpanum, I. & Blanes, R. (2025). When women do men's work: how female leadership drives organisational development in Africa. In Emerald Handbook of African Studies, Omeihe, K. and Harrison, C. (Ed). Emerald Publishing (Upcoming).

Knowledge Exchange

Conference Presentations

Martin, G., Okorie, I., and Sabina, S., (2013) Can We Trust Organizations Too Much? Linking Organizational Trust to Models of Corporate Governance through Institutional Logics, in: 7th FINT Worshop on Trust Within and Between Organizations. Singapore Management University. Singapore. 21st -23rd November, 2013.

Okpanum, I., Martin, G., and Sabina, S., (2014) How Does The Notion Of Hybridization Constitute Trust In The Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry? in: Business and Management Pathway PhD Colloquium Spring, University of Stirling. UK, 28th - 29th April 2014.

Okpanum, I., Martin, G., and Sabina, S., (2014) How Does The Notion Of Hybridity Explain Trust Relations In Organizations? In: 30th EGOS conference: Reimagining, Rethinking, Reshaping: Organizational Scholarship in Unsettled Times. Rotterdam School of Management. Rotterdam, 3rd -5th July 2014.

Okpanum, I., Martin, G., and Sabina, S., (2014) The Hybrid Context: How Does the Notion of Hybridity Constitute Trust in Organizations, in: BAM conference: The Role of Business School in Supporting Economic and Social Development, Belfast, UK. 9th – 11th September 2014.

Okpanum, I., Sabina, S., and Martin, G., (2015) Organizational relations: Employees’ attributions to CEO’s religious values, in: Business and Management Pathway PhD Colloquium: Social Scientists at Large: Achieving Impact in and Outside of Academia, University of Aberdeen. UK, 8th -9th April 2015.

Okpanum, I., Sabina, S., and Martin, G., (2015) Intra-organizational trust: Employees’ attributions of CEO’s religion convictions, in: 31st EGOS conference: Organizations and Examined Life: Reason, Reflexivity and Responsibility, ALBA Graduate Business School, Athens, 2nd–4th July 2015.

Okpanum, I. (2018) Towards disruptive innovation approach to teaching, in: Communication University of Zhejiang, China: How to make education and teaching more internationalised and innovative, 11th January 2018.

Okpanum, I. (2020) Religion: Driver for Employees’ Trust in the CEO in Nigeria? British Academy of Management conference.

Okpanum, 1. & McElhinney, S. (2020). Disruptive Innovation in Teaching and Learning: The post Covid-19 era in China, in ABEATS 2020.

Okpanum, I. (2021). Hybridity, Gender and Leadership: A flipped approach to organisational development, in ABEATS 2021.

Okpanum, I. Zhang, J. Shen, P. Marinelli, M. (2022). Sustainability of Transnational Collaborations in Higher Education: a Sino-British perspective. 2nd Annual Symposium of China Association for Socially Responsible Leadership, Hangzhou, China, 21st – 22nd May 2022.

Okpanum, I. & Salamzadeh, Y. (2023). Black Female Entrepreneurs Digital Readiness: The way forward, in British Academy of Management: Towards Disruptive Sustainability: New Business Opportunities and Challenges, University of Sussex. 1st - 6th September 2023.

Okpanum, I. (2023). Human-AI Trust Relations: The paradoxical effects of AI-enabled work, in ABEATS 2023.

Okpanum, I. (2024). When technology permeates the workplace in Africa. British Academy of Management 2024.

Funding and Grants

Okpanum, I. (Collaborator) – KECEKAPAN: Key Cognitive Education & Knowledge Advancement Project: A Network (UK/Malaysia British Council Catalyst Grant 2022).

Recipient of Graduate School Funding, University of Glasgow (2015)

Recipient of Petroleum Technology Development Fund Scholarship (2010 - 2011)

Teaching Responsibilities

Managing Organisations.

International Business in Context.

Business Strategy.