Grace Fan

(She, Her, Hers)

Assistant Professor

Faculty of Management

Other Titles: specializing in sustainability, inequality, and entrepreneurship involving Indigenous peoples
Office: EME 4131
Phone: 250.807.9717
Email: grace.fan@ubc.ca

Graduate student supervisor

Research Summary

Organization theory; Institutional logics; Emotions and institutions; Social-symbolic work;
Environmental sustainability; Inequality;
Indigenous entrepreneurship; Peoplehood model; Two-Eyed Seeing; Decolonization; Indigenous resurgence and reconciliation;
Feminist care ethics;
Community-based participatory research; Ethnography

Courses & Teaching

MGMT 100 Introduction to Business
MGMT 450 Entrepreneurship and Small Business
MGMT 481 Strategy and Change Management

Biography

Dr. Fan is an award-winning scholar with a passion for Indigenous-led environmental sustainability, inequality, and entrepreneurship involving Indigenous peoples and other marginalized social groups in Canada and worldwide. Her research of societal challenges sits at the intersection of community-based entrepreneurship, inequality, and environmental sustainability.

Dr.Fan’s research on sustainability focuses on Indigenous-led environmental sustainability efforts. Her research contributes to understanding what policy makers, practitioners, and academic researchers can learn from Indigenous peoples, who are leading sustainability efforts in their own nations and communities in Canada and worldwide. Specifically, Dr. Fan examines the processes through which Indigenous peoples mobilize Indigenous ethical practices and Indigenous knowledges, anchored in Indigenous worldviews, to (re)construct the relationships between humans and nature, and revive their Indigenous identity in the process. Related to this theme, Dr. Fan investigates how historically marginalized and oppressed actors (e.g. Indigenous peoples) themselves (and not through intermediaries) develop innovative solutions to reduce deeply entrenched structural inequality at community and field levels. This sub-theme links with the literature on decolonization and Indigenous resurgence.

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 cultural symbols including values and visuals in addition to language and meaning 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, Dr. Fan has won two prestigious international research awards bestowed by the Fellows Group of the Academy of Management and the senior Executive Directors in the real business world.

Dr. Fan’s engagement with Indigenous peoples is based on the core values of reciprocity. Indigenous peoples are receptive to Dr. Fan, primarily because of her prior business background (real world experience of growing and running businesses, and been on the executive board level for nearly a decade). Indigenous peoples want to find ways of revitalizing and growing their community, whilst honouring their worldviews and values. They believe that Dr. Fan’s business expertise could contribute to helping them achieve their economic goals and overall wellbeing. Dr. Fan has been regarded by Indigenous peoples as “a trusted ally”.

Dr. Fan adheres to the principles of “Two-Eyed Seeing”, honouring the best of Indigenous knowledges and Western science, with a view to develop new theory to deepen existing understandings and decolonize mainstream management theory. Dr. Fan adopts a community-based participatory research approach in her work with Indigenous peoples and other marginalized social groups.

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 of the Academy of Management annual meetings. She is an ad hoc reviewer for Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Management Studies, Organization Studies, Organization Science, Human Relations, and Journal of Management Inquiry. She sits on the Editorial Review Board of Management & Organization Review.

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, 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 reviving Indigenous language and cultural resurgence. All projects have significant implications for new knowledge creation, policy around reconciliation, and practices around Indigenous ways of organizing.

Selected Publications & Presentations

SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY

Selected Referred Publications:

Fan, G.H. forthcoming. Can You Hear Nature Sing? Enacting the Syilx Ethical Practice of Nʕawqnwixw to Reconstruct the Relationships Between Humans and Nature. Journal of Business Ethics. DOI 10.1007/s10551-024-05634-x. Impact Factor: 6.1. Five-year Impact Factor: 8.1.

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.

Indigenous Scholarly Activities:

Fan, G.H., Calambas, F. (Indigenous leader, elder, and knowledge keeper), Muelas, W. (Indigenous leader), & H.M. Viveros (PhD student) . July 2024 – present. Community engaged scholarship under the ownership of the Misak Indigenous community, Cauca region, Columbia.

Fan,G.H., Martin, J. (Indigenous leaders, elder, and knowledge keeper), & Masso, S. (Indigenous leader). June- July 2019 & April 2024 – present. Community engaged scholarship work with Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, British Columbia, under the ownership of Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation.

Fan, G.H. & Enns, E (world-renowned Indigenous leader). November, 2015. Providing policy consultation to Indigenous leaders, knowledge keepers, indigenous elders, and youth advocates of the Tsilhqot’in Nation, British Columbia. Implementing the Water Sustainability Act: Opportunities for Indigenous Nations. Part of SSHRC funded IDG grant Knowledge Mobilization Plan.

Scholarship of Teaching:

Fan, G.H. 2024. Dr. Fan is the first scholar at the Faculty of Management who incorporated Indigenous worldview and Indigenous knowledge into MGMT 100 Introduction to Management course. She is working with Centre for Teaching and Learning to further decolonize MGMT 100 course.

Professional Scholarly Activities:

Fan, G.H. October 2012 – December 2019. Dr. Fan participated in the monthly meetings of the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council, a multi-stakeholder group represented by 25-27 organizations from all levels of the government (federal, provincial and regional levels), water-related organizations, and community organizations. Her published work (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) has been disseminated to all members of the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council. The findings of Dr. Fan’s published work galvanized members of the Council and led to the updated policy report “Okanagan Sustainability Water Strategy: Action Plan 2.0”. Dr. Fan contributed to the water governance sub-section of the policy document. Part of SSHRC funded IDG grant Knowledge Mobilization Plan.

Fan, G.H. October – November 2014. Water Leaders Forum, Victoria, British Columbia. Invited panelist to provide policy recommendations to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (provincial government) regarding the new Sustainability Act in BC. Produced “a Statement of Expectation” and delivered the Statement to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (provincial government). Part of SSHRC funded IDG grant Knowledge Mobilization/Dissemination Plan.

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, 2014-2018 (PI) with Indigenous collaborators. Reconstructing the relationships between humans and nature to challenge inequality: The role of Indigenous worldviews and Two-Eyed Seeing.

Finalist Winner, 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. 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. It was selected out of a total of 134 publications, and the winners represent the top 10% of the nominated papers. Awarded by both the Fellows Group of the Academy of Management and the Senior Executive Directors in the real business world. 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 Winner, 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. It was selected out of over 100 publications, and the winners represent the top 10% of the nominated papers.

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)

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

Research in Focus: Dr. Fan’s research focuses on societal challenges at the intersection of inequality and environmental sustainability, involving Indigenous peoples in Canada and worldwide. April 2024. Read more >

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/

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