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Professor Carola Hieker

Professor for Organisational Behaviour and Leadership

Contact:
Email: carol.hieker@richmond.ac.uk
School: Richmond Business School

About

Carola is Professor of Organisational Behavior and Leadership at The American International University in London and is a pivotal member of staff for the MBA Programme at Richmond Business School. Prior to her current role she ran her own international consultancy mainly in financial services and professional services firms.

Carola holds university degrees as Diplom-Psychologin (corresponding to M.A. in Psychology) and Dr. Phil (corresponding to Ph.D. in Psychology.); she also completed a Diploma in Systemic Management at Birbeck University, is an Ashridge Certified Supervisor (Master level) and a SFHE – senior fellow higher education.

Next to her academic qualifications she is certified in a range of diagnostics and psychometrics to support leadership development.

Carola has a keen research interest in diversity, leadership as well as the influence of training and coaching methods on behavioural change.

Next to her work at university Carola runs her own consultancy business with clients mainly in financial services and professional services firms. Due to her background in psychology, she brings a depth of psychological understanding and rigor to behavioral and mindset changes which she applies to her teaching at university as well as to her work as a senior executive coach.

Research interests

  • Leadership
  • Diversity
  • ESG
  • Senior Fellow Higher Education, SFHE Advance HE
  • Master in Coaching & Organisation Development Supervision Ashridge Business School
  • Diploma in Systemic Management Birbeck University of London
  • Ph.D. Psychology University of Wuppertal, Germany
  • Thesis: Evaluation of Communication and Behavioural Training in Organisation
  • Diplom-Psychologin (M.A. in Psychology) University of Wuppertal, Germany
  • Focus: Organisational Psychology, Cognitive Psychology

Due to her consultant background, Carola integrates her practical experience into teaching on a regular base. Her ambition is to develop future leaders and she believes that a mix of theory, raising self-awareness via diverse diagnostics and earning via case-studies is the best way to achieve this goal.

  • Hieker, C. and Gannon, G., 2021. Corporate ESG commitment and employee engagement. A case study of a FinTech SME. In: CRRC – Corporate Social Responsibility Research. [online] Available at: [Accessed 22 September 2021].
  • Hieker, C. (2021). Opener to build rapport. In Chandi, H. &. Varin, C. (Ed.), Improving Adult Learning Outcomes Through Games and Interactive Teaching. London: RoutledgeTobin, E. and Hieker, C. (2021) ‘What the EdTech Experience in Refugee Camps Can Teach Us in Times of School Closure. Blended Learning, Modular and Mobile Programs Are Key to Keeping Disadvantaged Learners in Education’, Challenges. MDPI AG, 12(2), p. 19. doi: 10.3390/challe12020019.
  • Hieker, C. &. Rushby, M. (2021). Best-Practise Mentor Programmes. In Bejaoui, B. (Ed.), Corporate Leadership and its Role in Shaping Organizational Culture and Performance. Hershey: IGI Global.
  • Hieker, C. & Pringle, J. (2020). ‘The Impact of Megatrends on the Future of Leadership Development’, Oxford: Palgrave Macmillan
  • Hieker, C. and Rushby, M., (2020). Key Success Factors in Implementing Sustainable Mentor Programmes in Large Organisations. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 18(2), pp.197-208.
  • Hieker, C. (2019). Millennials at Work. Coaching at Work , 14 (1), 43-45.
  • Hieker, C. (2017). Breaking the Power of Unconscious Bias. Coaching at Work (9).
  • Hieker, C. &. Rushby, M. (2017). Diversity in the Workplace: How to Achieve Gender Diversity in the Workplace. In B. &. Christiansen (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Industrial and Organizational Research in the Modern Workforce. Hershey: IGI Global.
  • Hieker, C. (2016). The Balance of Power. Power Dynamics in Peer vs. Traditional Supervision. Coaching at Work, 11(6), 31-33.
  • Hieker, C. &. Rushby, M. (2015). Mentoring is Small Talk without Supervision. Coaching at Work, 11(6), 20-22.
  • Hieker, C. &. Huffington, C. (2006, 11). Reflexive Questions in a Coaching Psychology Context. International Coaching Psychology Review, 47-56.
  • Hieker, C. (1996). Evaluation von Kommunikations- und Verhaltenstraining in the Workplace. Aachen: Shaker.
  • Hieker, C. & Schaefer, F. H. (1994). Ein Vergleich von heuristischem und ablauforientierem Softwaretraining. Zeitschrift fuer Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie, 38, 119-122.

Carola speaks regularly at diverse industry conferences about leadership e.g. on the IFES Global World Summit in June 2022 in Amsterdam.

Member of the Advisory Board of Professors without Borders.