Farshid Shams
School of Administrative Studies
Associate Professor
Email: farshid.shams@yorku.ca
Dr. Farshid Shams is an Associate Professor of Strategy and Organization Studies at York University. He received his PhD in management from the University of Bath, United Kingdom. He also holds an MBA from the University of West London (UK) and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. He formerly held a full-time academic position in the Faculty of Business Administration at Lakehead University (Canada). Farshid's current research centres on contemporary professional work, processes of organising and matters of identity in and around organizations. He investigates these topics primarily in professional knowledge-intensive service settings such as universities and social work organizations and strives to understand how professionals’ everyday practices lend support to the long-term stability of their organizations or lead to the initiation of a process of change from inside. Drawing on a wide range of theoretical concepts such as practice-driven institutionalism, identity work and sensemaking in his studies, Farshid’s work corresponds to two broad streams of social-symbolic work in pluralistic settings and strategic management.
Farshid also loves teaching and has previously taught several courses such as career management, entrepreneurial venture management, strategy and international business.
Degrees
PhD, University of Bath, UKMBA, University of West London, UK
Appointments
Faculty of Graduate StudiesResearch Interests
- Best paper Emerald Literati Award - 2019
- SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant - 2023
Current Research Projects
-
Summary:
In partnership with a leading medical device development company, this study intends to explore the perceptions and management strategies surrounding creativity and innovation.
Funders:
SSHRC
Pousa, C., Lepage, Z., & Shams, F. (2019). ‘Entomophagy: Understanding Consumers’ Value Perceptions and Intentions to Consume Edible Insects’. in Academy of Marketing Science World Marketing Congress. Springer, Cham, pp. 541-553
Shams, F. (2014). ‘Using crisp and fuzzy set-theoretic analyses for middle-range theorising: A configurational comparative approach to case-based research’, in Huisman, J. and Tight, M. (ed.), Theory and method in higher education research II (International perspectives on higher education research, volume 10), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.161-182
Huisman J., Adelman, C., Hsieh, C., Shams, F. & Wilkins, S. (2012), ‘Europe's Bologna process and global its impact on global higher education. in Deardorff, D., de Wit, H., Heyl, J., Adams, T., (ed.), The SAGE Handbook of International Education, pp. 81-100
Shams, F., & Sanderson, K.(2024). ‘Discipline, caregiving and identity work of frontline professionals: Talking about the acts of compliance and resistance in the everyday practices of social workers’. Journal of Professions and Organization, 11(3):262–278
Shams, F. (2021). ‘A micro-process model of institutional complexity in public hybrid organisations: Construal of identity threats and mitigation strategies’. Public Administration: 99(3): 598-615
Shams, F., (2019). ‘Managing academic identity tensions in a Canadian public university: the role of identity work in coping with managerialism’. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management: 41(6): 619-632
Wilkins, S., Butt, M., Shams, F., Perez, A. (2019). ‘Product standardisation in the food service industry: post-purchase attitudes and repurchase intentions of non-Muslims after consuming halal food ’. Journal of Strategic Marketing: 27(3): 210-226
Wilkins, S., Butt, M., Shams, F., Perez, A. (2019). ‘The acceptance of halal food in non-Muslim countries: Effects of religious identity, national identification, consumer ethnocentrism and consumer cosmopolitanism’. Journal of Islamic Marketing: 10(4):1308-1331
Shams, F., Huisman, J., (2016). ‘The role of institutional dual embeddedness in the strategic local adaptation of international branch campuses: Evidence from Malaysia and Singapore’. Studies in Higher Education: 41(6): 955-970
Wilkins, S., Shams, F., Huisman, J. (2013). ‘The decision-making and changing behavioural dynamics of potential higher education students: the impacts of increasing tuition fees in England. Educational Studies: 39(2): 125-141
Shams, F., Huisman, J. (2012). ‘Managing offshore branch campuses: an analytical framework for institutional strategies’. Journal of Studies in International Education: 16(2): 106-127
Shams, F. (2024), ‘From Body Work to Collective Identity Formation in a Social Movement: A Social-Symbolic Work Perspective ’. Gender, Work and Organization Conference, (GWO 2024), Sydney, Cape Breton, 17th-20th June 2024
Shams, F. (2023), ‘Coping with academic capitalism in Canadian public universities: Reconstructing contradictory institutional logics through identity work’. The future of Higher Education: Competition, Collaboration and Global Good Conference, International Centre of Higher Education Management, Bath, United Kingdom, 19th and 20th June 2023
Zhao, W., Shams, F., ‘The past for the future? Rhetorical history and communicated identity of American business schools'. EGOS, Hamburg, 2020
Wilkins, S., Shams, F., ‘Killing two birds with one stone: Targeting a market segment in a mass market’, The Academy of Marketing Conference, Stirling, United Kingdom, 2018
Zhao, W., Shams, F., ‘Language, Visuals, Materiality, and Beyond: Multimodal Research in Organization and Management Studies’, EGOS, Naples, 2016
Shams, F., ‘Strategic management of transnational knowledge-intensive service firms: a holistic model for universities’ FDI’, presented at the 36th annual conference of European International Business Academy (EIBA), Porto, Portugal, December 2010
Shams, F., ‘Strategic management of transnational higher education institutions: localisation of branch campus practices’, The annual conference, Observatory on Borderless Higher Education (OBHE), Kuala Lumpur, Global forum 2009
Shams, F., ‘Strategies for market positioning in the competitive higher education market: pitfalls for a professional service firm’, The annual seminar of the internationalisation of higher education institutions, ICHEM, University of Bath, 2009
Shams, F., Sanderson, K. (2022). ‘Complying Resistant and Resistant Complying Frontline Professionals: An Identity Work Perspective’. Academy of Management Proceedings
Shams, F. (2018). ‘The determinants of enacting institutional logics on the ground: A set-theoretic approach’. Academy of Management Proceedings
Shams, F. (October 2022), Co-chair, Panel discussant and keynote speaker, International Interdisciplinary Conference on Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IICCIE), Organized by the Institute for Organizational Research and Innovation
Speech title: Organization and the Social Construction of Technology
Panel discussion: The dark side of technology
Current Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | AP/ADMS4010 3.0 | A | Organization and Administrative Theory | LECT |
| Fall 2024 | GS/MSMG6020 3.0 | A | Qualitative Research Methods | LECT |
| Fall 2024 | GS/MSMG6020 3.0 | B | Qualitative Research Methods | LECT |
Upcoming Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter 2025 | AP/ADMS4010 3.0 | N | Organization and Administrative Theory | LECT |
Dr. Farshid Shams is an Associate Professor of Strategy and Organization Studies at York University. He received his PhD in management from the University of Bath, United Kingdom. He also holds an MBA from the University of West London (UK) and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. He formerly held a full-time academic position in the Faculty of Business Administration at Lakehead University (Canada). Farshid's current research centres on contemporary professional work, processes of organising and matters of identity in and around organizations. He investigates these topics primarily in professional knowledge-intensive service settings such as universities and social work organizations and strives to understand how professionals’ everyday practices lend support to the long-term stability of their organizations or lead to the initiation of a process of change from inside. Drawing on a wide range of theoretical concepts such as practice-driven institutionalism, identity work and sensemaking in his studies, Farshid’s work corresponds to two broad streams of social-symbolic work in pluralistic settings and strategic management.
Farshid also loves teaching and has previously taught several courses such as career management, entrepreneurial venture management, strategy and international business.
Degrees
PhD, University of Bath, UKMBA, University of West London, UK
Appointments
Faculty of Graduate StudiesResearch Interests
Awards
- Best paper Emerald Literati Award - 2019
- SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant - 2023
Current Research Projects
-
Summary:
In partnership with a leading medical device development company, this study intends to explore the perceptions and management strategies surrounding creativity and innovation.
Project Type: FundedRole: Principle investigator
Funders:
SSHRC
All Publications
Pousa, C., Lepage, Z., & Shams, F. (2019). ‘Entomophagy: Understanding Consumers’ Value Perceptions and Intentions to Consume Edible Insects’. in Academy of Marketing Science World Marketing Congress. Springer, Cham, pp. 541-553
Shams, F. (2014). ‘Using crisp and fuzzy set-theoretic analyses for middle-range theorising: A configurational comparative approach to case-based research’, in Huisman, J. and Tight, M. (ed.), Theory and method in higher education research II (International perspectives on higher education research, volume 10), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.161-182
Huisman J., Adelman, C., Hsieh, C., Shams, F. & Wilkins, S. (2012), ‘Europe's Bologna process and global its impact on global higher education. in Deardorff, D., de Wit, H., Heyl, J., Adams, T., (ed.), The SAGE Handbook of International Education, pp. 81-100
Shams, F., & Sanderson, K.(2024). ‘Discipline, caregiving and identity work of frontline professionals: Talking about the acts of compliance and resistance in the everyday practices of social workers’. Journal of Professions and Organization, 11(3):262–278
Shams, F. (2021). ‘A micro-process model of institutional complexity in public hybrid organisations: Construal of identity threats and mitigation strategies’. Public Administration: 99(3): 598-615
Shams, F., (2019). ‘Managing academic identity tensions in a Canadian public university: the role of identity work in coping with managerialism’. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management: 41(6): 619-632
Wilkins, S., Butt, M., Shams, F., Perez, A. (2019). ‘Product standardisation in the food service industry: post-purchase attitudes and repurchase intentions of non-Muslims after consuming halal food ’. Journal of Strategic Marketing: 27(3): 210-226
Wilkins, S., Butt, M., Shams, F., Perez, A. (2019). ‘The acceptance of halal food in non-Muslim countries: Effects of religious identity, national identification, consumer ethnocentrism and consumer cosmopolitanism’. Journal of Islamic Marketing: 10(4):1308-1331
Shams, F., Huisman, J., (2016). ‘The role of institutional dual embeddedness in the strategic local adaptation of international branch campuses: Evidence from Malaysia and Singapore’. Studies in Higher Education: 41(6): 955-970
Wilkins, S., Shams, F., Huisman, J. (2013). ‘The decision-making and changing behavioural dynamics of potential higher education students: the impacts of increasing tuition fees in England. Educational Studies: 39(2): 125-141
Shams, F., Huisman, J. (2012). ‘Managing offshore branch campuses: an analytical framework for institutional strategies’. Journal of Studies in International Education: 16(2): 106-127
Shams, F. (2024), ‘From Body Work to Collective Identity Formation in a Social Movement: A Social-Symbolic Work Perspective ’. Gender, Work and Organization Conference, (GWO 2024), Sydney, Cape Breton, 17th-20th June 2024
Shams, F. (2023), ‘Coping with academic capitalism in Canadian public universities: Reconstructing contradictory institutional logics through identity work’. The future of Higher Education: Competition, Collaboration and Global Good Conference, International Centre of Higher Education Management, Bath, United Kingdom, 19th and 20th June 2023
Zhao, W., Shams, F., ‘The past for the future? Rhetorical history and communicated identity of American business schools'. EGOS, Hamburg, 2020
Wilkins, S., Shams, F., ‘Killing two birds with one stone: Targeting a market segment in a mass market’, The Academy of Marketing Conference, Stirling, United Kingdom, 2018
Zhao, W., Shams, F., ‘Language, Visuals, Materiality, and Beyond: Multimodal Research in Organization and Management Studies’, EGOS, Naples, 2016
Shams, F., ‘Strategic management of transnational knowledge-intensive service firms: a holistic model for universities’ FDI’, presented at the 36th annual conference of European International Business Academy (EIBA), Porto, Portugal, December 2010
Shams, F., ‘Strategic management of transnational higher education institutions: localisation of branch campus practices’, The annual conference, Observatory on Borderless Higher Education (OBHE), Kuala Lumpur, Global forum 2009
Shams, F., ‘Strategies for market positioning in the competitive higher education market: pitfalls for a professional service firm’, The annual seminar of the internationalisation of higher education institutions, ICHEM, University of Bath, 2009
Shams, F., Sanderson, K. (2022). ‘Complying Resistant and Resistant Complying Frontline Professionals: An Identity Work Perspective’. Academy of Management Proceedings
Shams, F. (2018). ‘The determinants of enacting institutional logics on the ground: A set-theoretic approach’. Academy of Management Proceedings
Shams, F. (October 2022), Co-chair, Panel discussant and keynote speaker, International Interdisciplinary Conference on Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IICCIE), Organized by the Institute for Organizational Research and Innovation
Speech title: Organization and the Social Construction of Technology
Panel discussion: The dark side of technology
Current Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | AP/ADMS4010 3.0 | A | Organization and Administrative Theory | LECT |
| Fall 2024 | GS/MSMG6020 3.0 | A | Qualitative Research Methods | LECT |
| Fall 2024 | GS/MSMG6020 3.0 | B | Qualitative Research Methods | LECT |
Upcoming Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter 2025 | AP/ADMS4010 3.0 | N | Organization and Administrative Theory | LECT |
