Grace Fan

(She, Her, Hers)

Assistant Professor

Faculty of Management, Sustainability (IGS)

Other Titles: grand challenges of sustainability, inequality, community-based entrepreneurship, AI and ethics
Office: EME 4109
Phone: 250.807.9717
Email: grace.fan@ubc.ca

Research Summary

Organization theory;
Institutional logics, agency, and emotions;
Grand challenges of sustainability, inequality, community-based entrepreneurship, AI and ethics;
Ethics of care (feminism philosophy);
Indigenous resurgence (the Peoplehood framework and Two-Eyed Seeing)

Courses & Teaching

MGMT 100 Introduction to Business
MGMT 450 Entrepreneurship and Small Business

Biography

Dr. Fan is an award-winning scholar with a passion for advancing the inclusion of historically marginalized and oppressed communities and social groups. Her research of societal challenges sits at the intersection of environmental sustainability, inequality, community-based entrepreneurship, and AI and business ethics.

Dr.Fan’s research on environmental sustainability contributes to understanding what policy makers, practitioners, and academic researchers can learn from successful and unsuccessful efforts on the ground. Specifically, Dr. Fan examines the processes through which organizations and communities mobilize emotions and ethics of care to achieve environmental sustainability. Related to this theme, Dr. Fan investigates how historically marginalized and oppressed actors themselves (and not through intermediaries) develop innovative solutions to reduce deeply entrenched structural inequality at community and field levels. She draws on the principles of “the peoplehood framework” and “Two-Eyed Seeing” to develop new theories aimed at solving societal challenges.

Dr. Fan’s research on organizations and entrepreneurship focuses on community-based entrepreneurship. Specifically, she investigates the process through which organizations and entrepreneurs draw on narratives, cultural symbols, and materials to initiate social change and innovation. This strand of her research is informed by her prior industry experience in working at the executive board level and mentoring budding entrepreneurs. Related to this research theme, Dr. Fan examines community-based Indigenous entrepreneurship – how Indigenous communities emphasizing the wellbeing of the community as an important factor in pursuing social innovation and cultural revival.

Dr. Fan’s research is interdisciplinary, community-based, and has positive impact on the ground. The findings of her research has informed policy makers, practitioners, and communities about best practices in achieving environmental sustainability, reducing social and environmental inequality, and fostering social innovation at the federal, provincial, and regional government levels. To this end, her work has been selected as finalists for prestigious international research awards bestowed by the Fellows Group of the Academy of Management and the Community for Responsible Research in Business and Management,  for its impact on policy and practice in addition to academic rigour.

Dr. Fan is a member of the Academy of Management, the European Group of Organization Studies, and the International Association of Chinese Management Research. She regularly reviews for the Organization and Management Theory (OMT) Division, Organization and the Natural Environment (ONE) Division of the Academy of Management annual meetings. She has served on the Editorial Review Board of Management & Organization Review. She currently sits on the editorial board of Journal of Business Ethics. She is an ad hoc reviewer for Academy of Management Journal,  Journal of Management Studies, Organization Studies, Organization Science,  Human Relations, and Journal of Management Inquiry. 

Prior to becoming an academic, Dr. Fan worked in the field of private equity, and served as Executive Board Members of companies under investment. She is an invited panellist for “Women in Boardroom” Forum in United Kingdom. She has lived and worked in Asia, Europe, and North America. These experiences have greatly enriched her life, and gifted her the humanity to embrace different cultures and diverse views. Outside of work, Dr. Fan loves travel, music, hiking, swimming, Qigong, healthy food, and growing vegetables and flowers.

Degrees

PhD, Imperial College London
MBA, London Business School

Research Interests & Projects

Dr. Fan experienced two significant and prolonged career breaks due to life-threatening illness. Her healing journey is ongoing.

Currently, Dr. Fan is working on numerous projects directly involving Indigenous-led efforts to reduce inequality: one project examining the role of Indigenous women in creating community-based markets; two projects on Indigenous-led efforts to reduce social and environmental inequality; and one project on co-developing Indigenous curriculum for youth and adult learners, reviving Indigenous language and cultural resurgence. All projects have significant implications for new knowledge creation, policy around reconciliation, and practices around decolonization and Indigenous ways of organizing.

Selected Publications & Presentations

SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY

Selected Referred Publications:

Fan, G.H., Enns, E. (Indigenous leader), Masso, S (Indigenous leader). & Cunliffe, Z.A. forthcoming. Reconciling with the Earth and peoples: The role of the peoplehood model in developing an ethical form of Indigenous resurgence. Journal of Business Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-025-06038-1 Impact Factor: 6.7. Five-year Impact Factor: 8.7.

Fan, G.H. & Cunliffe, Z.A.(graduate research assistant). 2024. Transforming relationships and empowering communities: The role of care ethics in solving grand challenges. Journal of Business Ethics. 191:285-303. Impact Factor: 6.7. Five-year Impact Factor: 8.7.

Fan, G.H. & Zietsma, C. 2017. Constructing a shared governance logic: The role of emotions in enabling dually embedded agency. Academy of Management Journal. 60:2321-2351. Impact Factor: 10.979; five-year Impact Factor: 16.178.

Fan, G.H. July 2022. Tribal parks as an indigenous-led solution to inequality: The role of indigenous value systems in different forms of social-symbolic work. The European Group of Organization Studies Annual Conference, Vienna, Austria. Hybrid format.

Fan, G.H., & Voronov, M. August 2020. From capitalist’ tail to socialism builders: The role of Confucian Moral Virtues in Transforming the Stigma-inducing Moral System, Academy of Management Annual Meeting. Virtual conference.

Fan, G.H. August 2018. Winning hearts to achieve sustainability: Theorizing change from an emotional perspective. The Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings. This represents the top 5%of all submissions. The Academy of Management Annual Conference, Chicago, USA.

Fan, G.H. & Zietsma, C. August 2015. Emotionalizing Logics: Interactions between Cognitive Processes and Emotional Mechanisms in Building a Shared Governance Logic under Institutional Complexity, Academy of Management Annual Conference, Vancouver.

Fan, G. H. July 2015. Values Old and New: Building an Entrepreneurial Logic to Navigate Institutional Complexity. New Institutional Theory Annual Conference, Vienna, March 2015; European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Conference, Athens.

Fan, G.H. & Zietsma, C. 2014. Affective Commitments, Moral Emotions and Emotional Energy: Building a Shared Governance Logic in the Okanagan. Institutions and Emotions Workshop, Toronto.

Fan, G.H. August 2014. Multiple Logics in Action: Water Sustainability in the Okanagan. Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Philadelphia.

Fan, G.H. March 2014. Community, Family, Political and Entrepreneurial Logics in Action: Combining and Balancing Multiple Logics to Navigate Institutional Complexity. Academy of Management Journal and Organization and Management Theory (OMT) Division of the Academy of Management Joint Writing Workshop, United Kingdom.

Fan, G.H. 2013. Combining Multiple Institutional Logics to Construct Collective Identity. Administrative Science Quarterly, and Organization and Management Theory (OMT) Division of the Academy of Management Joint Conference, Singapore. Joined virtually.

 

Other Invited Activities:

Invited Expert panellist on “Ethics in Business, Policy, and Law”, co-hosted by Neuroethics Canada, Ethics for UBC, March 2022.

Invited Expert panellist on “Your Next Step: Starting Your Business in Kelowna” event, organized by UBC and sponsored by CBC Radio, Kelowna, BC, February 2016.

Invited Chair and discussant: “Accommodating Stakeholders and Audiences: Ambivalence, Ambiguity, Misalignment & Prioritization”, Scholarly Paper Session, Organization and Management Theory Division, Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, August 2015

Invited Reviewer for Carolyn Dexter Award, an All-Academy award given to the paper that best meets the objective of internationalizing the Academy of Management, 2013, 2014 and 2015

Invited Chair and Discussant: “Plural Institutionalism”, Scholarly Paper Session, Organization and Management Theory Division, Academy of Management Annual Meeting, St. Antonia, August 2011

Selected Grants & Awards

SSHRC Insight Grant #435-2024-0838, 2024-2028 (PI) with Indigenous collaborators. Reconstructing the relationships between humans and nature to challenge inequality: The role of Indigenous worldviews and Two-Eyed Seeing. Ranked in the top 3. 

Finalist, 2024 Award for Responsible Research in Management

Fan, G.H. & Cunliffe, Z.A. 2024. Transforming relationships and empowering communities: The role of care ethics in solving grand challenges. Journal of Business Ethics. 191:285-303. Awarded by both the Fellows Group of the Academy of Management and Community for Responsible Research in Management and Business. This Award is granted based on theoretical contribution, academic rigour, and policy impact on the ground (e.g. at the organization, community, and societal levels). This research incorporates the theoretical lens of ethics of care from the field of feminism philosophy to examine how a regional water board (the Okanagan Basin Water Board) with no legislative authority is able to change water management from a fragmented basis to a coordinated regional approach. A total of 134 scholarly works published since 2020 were nominated for the 2024 Award. The Award selection went through a rigorous two-stage review process. First, a committee made up of Academy of Management Fellows (top 3% cited scholars in the field of management and organizational studies) reviewed the nominations and identified the short list.  Next, the short list was evaluated by a group of executive reviewers. Winners and finalists were chosen based on the joint recommendations of the Fellows and the executives. The winners and finalist winners represent the top 10% of the nominated publications. The Executive Director of the Okanagan Basin Water Board nominated this paper for the Responsible Research in Management Award. 

 

Eminence Cluster of Research Excellent Grant on plastic recycling, 2021-2025 (co-applicant). $500,000

 

Finalist, 2020 Award for Responsible Research in Management
Fan, G.H. & Zietsma, C. 2017. Constructing a shared governance logic: The role of emotions in enabling dually embedded agency. Academy of Management Journal. 60:2321-2351. This Award was granted based on theoretical contribution, academic rigour, and policy impact on the ground (e.g. at the organization, community, and societal levels). The publication of this paper led to changes in policy, thereby positively improving water sustainability in North America. Awarded by both 49 academic stream (Fellows Group of the Academy of Management) and 45 executive stream (senior Executive Directors in the real business world) reviewers. Over 100 scholar work published between 2015 and 2019 were nominated for the 2020 Award. The nominated works underwent a rigorous two stage review process.  First, academic reviewers identified finalists. Second, the finalists were then read and evaluated by a team of executive reviewers with the final decisions based on the joint assessment of both the academic and executive reviewers. The winners and finalists represent the top 25% of the nominated works, reflecting high standards of accomplishment. These research projects exemplify the principles of responsible research, strive for broad and significant societal benefits, and will leave the world a better place for their presence in the literature and for their usefulness to inform policy and/or practice.

SSHRC Explore and Exchange Small Grant, 2020. (PI)

Humanities and Social Sciences Research Grant, 2020. (PI)

SSHRC Insight Development Grant #430-2014-00826, 2014 – 2019. (PI) Ranked in the top 3. 

Winner, Best Paper on Environmental and Social Practices Award, 2018
Fan, G.H. 2018. Winning hearts to achieve sustainability: Theorizing change from an emotional perspective. Awarded by the Organization and Management Theory (OMT) Division, the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Chicago. This award represents the top 5% of all paper submissions.

Best Reviewer Award, Management and Organization Review, 2015

Finalist, Best Symposium. Fan, G.H. & Jennings, D. 2014. “Bridging institutional analysis with micro cultural dynamics in explaining environment sustainability”, Organization and Management Theory (OMT) Division, Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Philadelphia. This award represents the top 10% of all symposium submissions.

All the grants listed above are competitive.

Media

Finding solutions for the plastic waste (Eminence grant), February 21, 2023 news.ok.ubc.ca/2023/02/21/finding-new-life-for-plastic-waste/

Eminence Cluster of Research Excellent grant, February 2022 https://research.ok.ubc.ca/research-excellence/research-clusters/2021-research-clusters/plastic-recycling/

Invited Expert panelist regarding “Ethics in Business, Policy, and Law”, co-hosted by Neuroethics Canada, Ethics for UBC, March 2022.

Responsible Research in Business and Management Winners Award Webinar, October 6, 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCC0BrmR5QI&feature=youtu.be

Invited Expert Panelist regarding Entrepreneurship, co-hosted by UBC and CBC radio, March 2016

Interviewed on CBC radio regarding the proposed Water Sustainability Act of British Columbia, August 2014

Kelowna Capital News and The Daily Courier reported my research on the new Sustainability Act in British Columbia, August 2014
http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-121363-24-.htm
http://www.obwb.ca/ubco-research-into-b-c-s-most-treasured-resource-h2o/
http://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/ubco-research-into-b-c-s-most-treasured-resource-h2o/