Richard Thorpe is Professor of Management Development and Pro Dean for Research at Leeds University Business School. His research interests have included: performance, entrepreneurship, knowledge and leadership as well as research methods in management research. His early career as a management trainee on a Clarks programme informed the way his ethos has developed. Following a period in industry his ... Read morefirst academic appointment was as a researcher at Strathclyde University in the Pay and Reward Research Centre. There, as a consequence of the research conducted he developed close links with practitioners, intermediaries and policy makers, something he has strived to maintain as his career progressed. Common themes in his work are: a strong commitment to conducting research in collaboration with practitioners; a focus on action and change; an interest in and commitment to the development of doctoral students and the development of capacity within the sector. Richard has been past president and chair of the British Academy of Management and member of the ESRC Training and Development Board. He is currently chair of the Society for the Advancement of Management Studies. Show Less