Staff Profile

Komal is a Lecturer in International Management at the Newcastle University Business School.  She is passionate about helping organizations recognize and comprehend the strengths of diversity, particularly in emerging economies. Having lived and worked in several countries, including India, Spain, Canada, and the U.K., she has first-hand experience of managing the unique challenges associated with diverse environments. Her aim is to improve the way individuals and organizations cope with diversity, specifically language and gender diversity. 

Komal is a member of the Board of Directors and scientific committee of GEM&L, where she co-manages the social media communications, annual conference organization, and undertakes the role of an editor for the double-blind review process.  She is also a member of the GEDI Lab led by Dr. Ivona Hideg at the Schulich School of Management and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working group at the Newcastle University Business School.

Research Interests:

• Language diversity and multilingualism
• Gender diversity
• International management
• Cross-cultural management
• Multicultural and multilingual teams
• Qualitative methodologies

Komal received her PhD in International Management and Organization from the Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria, Canada in 2020. In her dissertation, Komal employed social identity theory and communication accommodation theory to explore the relationship between within-headquarter linguistic diversity, social identity based clusters and the implementation of on-the-job training programs. Currently, she is working on projects that investigate the intersection between language and gender diversity, the role of non-native accents in multinational organizations, and the challenges to workplace integration of ethnic minority academic staff in universities.

Awards and Grants:

• Newcastle University EDI Funding for project titled "Enhancing the workplace integration of ethnic minority academic staff at Newcastle University: Understanding challenges to inclusion and belongingness’ .
• Alan M. Rugman Young Scholar Award, Academy of International Business Virtual Conference, 2020.
• Jawl PhD Student Scholarship for Research Excellence, 2019     
• Finalist for The Aalto University School of Business “That’s Interesting!” Award, Academy of International Business, Minneapolis, USA 2018.
• WAMMY Award, Western Academy of Management, Palm Springs, USA, 2017
• University of Victoria Graduate Fellowship 2014-2019

Komal is currently teaching on the following modules:

• BUS3035/55 Contemporary Issues in International and Comparative Business
• BUS3052 International Business Management Dissertation
• NBS8045/8945 The International Business Environment
• NBS8142 Current Issues in International Business and Management
• NBS8061 Managing Across Cultures

• Articles

  • Kalra K, Danis W. Language and Identity: The Dynamics of Linguistic Clustering in Multinational Enterprises. Journal of World Business 2024, 59(4), 101541.
  • Kalra K, Szymanski M. Alike Yet Distinct: The Effect of Language Diversity on Interpersonal Relationships within National and Multinational Project Teams. Management & Organization Review 2023, 19(4).
  • Szymanski M, Alon I, Kalra K. Multilingual and Multicultural Managers’ Effects on Team Performance: Insights from Professional Football Teams. Multinational Business Review 2022, 30(1), 40-61.
  • Szymanski M, Kalra K. Performance Effects of Interaction between Multicultural Managers and Multicultural Team Members: Evidence from Elite Football Competitions. Thunderbird International Business Review 2020, 63(2), 235-251.

• Book Chapters

  • Szymanski M, Kalra K, Kaltenecker E, Olszewska A. Cross-cultural differences in inclusive leadership perception and application. In: Marques J, ed. The Routledge Companion to Inclusive Leadership. London: Routledge, 2020, pp.215-222.
  • Szymanski M, Kalra K. Foreign language acquisition, bilingualism, and biculturalism: A new theoretical avenue for organizational research. In: Christiansen, B; Turkina, E, ed. Applied Psycholinguistics and Multilingual Cognition in Human Cognition in Human Creativity. IGI Global, 2019, pp.31-54.
  • Kalra K, Szymanski M, Olszewska A. Do all roads lead to global leadership? Three approaches to teaching global leadership in modern business schools. In: Osland, J; Mendenhall, M; Li, M, ed. Advances in Global Leadership. Emerald Publishing Limited, 2018, pp.257-279.