Bayan Farhan, Ph.D

Associate Professor

Al Ain Campus

Tel: +971 3 7024824

bayan.farhan@aau.ac.ae

Biography

Dr. Bayan Farhan is an Associate Professor of Management at the College of Business, Al Ain University since 2015. She holds a Doctorate in Leadership from the University of Calgary, Canada and Master Degree in Economic Policy and Bachelor Degree in Economics from McMaster University, Canada. Dr. Farhan teaches courses in leadership and management. Her fields of research interest include leadership development, strategic leadership, women leadership, and economic perspective of leadership. Her research often integrates these areas to explore the leadership effectiveness and consequences of strategic leadership. Dr. Farhan has published in leading peer-reviewed journals; she has also presented her work at several academic conferences.

Education

Doctorate: Leadership. University of Calgary, Canada

Master: Economic Policy. McMaster University, Canada

Bachelor (Honours): Economics. McMaster University, Canada

Bachelor: Economics. Laurentian University, Canada

Research Interests

Leadership Development, Styles of Leadership, Leadership Communication and  Change, Women Leadership, Strategic Leadership, Strategic Management, Economic Perspective of Leadership, Leadership of Higher Education.

 

Selected Publications

 

  •  Farhan, B.Y. (2024). Strategic Leadership for Organizational Sustainable Competitive Advantage: The Stimulation of Innovation and Creativity in an Organization. In Book:  Information and Communication Technology in Technical and Vocational Education and Training for Sustainable and Equal Opportunity. Technical and Vocational Education and Training: Issues, Concerns and Prospects, (38), 389-400. Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6909-8_34
  • Farhan, B. Y. (2024). Canada's leadership and housing affordability: Evidence from the Canadian real estate market. Journal of Urban Management (Elsevier), 13(1), 52-61.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jum.2023.11.001
  • Farhan, B. Y. (2022). Women leadership effectiveness: Competitive factors and subjective and objective qualities. Cogent Social Sciences (Taylor & Francis), 8(1), 2140513. DOI:10.1080/23311886.2022.2140513.
  • Farhan, B.Y. (2022). An Organization’s success and a three-factor model of leadership: Evidence from Harvard University. Interchange, Springer, 53(2), 167–191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-021-09446-0.
  • Farhan, B. Y. (2021). Customizing leadership practices for the millennial workforce: A conceptual framework. Cogent Social Sciences (Taylor & Francis), 7(1), 1-14. DOI: 10.1080/23311886.2021.1930865.
  • Farhan, B. Y. (2021). A new strategic leadership model for surviving and coping:  Lessons from Canada’s leadership approach to COVID-19. Cogent Business & Management (Taylor & Francis). 8(1), 1-14. DOI: 10.1080/23311975.2021.1883221.
  • Farhan, B. Y. (2019). Managerial decisions to enhance student/customer retention: The case of Ontario’s academic institutions. Interchange, Springer, 50(2), 155-174. DOI 10.1007/s10780-019-09351-7. 
  • Farhan, B.Y. (2018).  Entrepreneurial behaviour and the role of transformational leadership in higher education institutions. Int. J. Economics and Business Research, 16(4), 476-486. 
  • Farhan, B. Y. (2018). Managing academic institutions by enhancing student experience.  Int. J. Economics and Business Research. 16(3), 382-394.   
  • Farhan, B. Y. (2018). Application of path-goal leadership theory and learning theory in a learning organization. Journal of Applied Business Research. 34(1), 13-22.
  • Farhan, B.Y. (2017).  Action research methodology as a managerial tool:  Discussion and implications. AAU Journal of Business and Law. 1(2), 7-20.
  • Farhan, B, Y, (2017).  Examining competition in Ontario’s higher education market. Interchange,Springer, 48(1), 71–95.  
  • Farhan, B. Y. (2016). The structure of Ontario’s higher education market.  Int. J. Economics and Business Research, 12 (2), 154-168.  
  • Farhan, B. Y. (2016).  Competitive behaviour in publicly funded academic institutions. Interchange (Springer), 47(4), 357–373.  
  • Farhan, B. Y. (2016).  Tuition elasticity of demand as a tool to manage higher education institutions.  International Journal of Arts & Sciences,9(1), 159-172. 

 

Conferences

  • 6th Equal Opportunities ‎Conference “Sustainable Leadership and Technology Innovation Management”. 6th - 8th February 2023. Manama Bahrain (Presenter and Discussant).
  • Towards Advanced Scientific Knowledge in Business Sciences, 2nd AFU International Conference (May 1st -3rd, 2018), Dubai, UAE.  (Presenter and Discussant).
  • The 30th Business & Economics Society International (B&ESI) Conference (January 8-11, 2017), Abu Dhabi, UAE.  (Presenter and Discussant).
  • International Conference for Academic Disciplines, (January 31st - February 4th, 2016), Al Ain, UAE.  (Presenter and Discussant).

Teaching Courses

  • Leadership and Teamwork (U).
  • Business Leadership (U).
  • Principles of Management (U).
  • Change Management (U)
  • Fund. of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (U).
  • Innovation Management & Creativity (U).
  • Business Ethics (U).
  • Business Law and Ethics (U).
  • Time Management (U).
  • Compensation and Benefits Management (U).
  • Principles of Economics (Pre-MBA).

 

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all.

This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  

 

Memberships

Academics Beyond Boundaries (ACABB) 

https://www.acabb.com/profile/bayanfarhan69914/profile

 

Article

Women Leadership Effectiveness: Competitive Factors and Subjective and Objective Qualities

Published in: Cogent Social Sciences

Nov 10, 2022

/ Bayan Farhan

The purpose of this study is to identify the competitive factors that contribute to leadership effectiveness for women. I posed two research questions: How do women lead? And what are their competitive factors and leadership qualities? I used an instrumental cases approach to investigate the top 10 women CEOs leading Fortune 500 companies in 2021 and better understand how competitive factors and subjective and objective leadership qualities may drive women leadership effectiveness. Using an explanatory mixed-method design, I analyzed quantitative data about the profitability of these leaders’ organizations and secondary qualitative data of their own words regarding their competitive factors. Study results highlight women leaders’ competitive factors, which are grouped into soft and hard competitive advantages, as well as the subjective and objective qualities that contribute to the effectiveness of women’s leadership.


Article

An Organization’s Success and a Three-Factor Model of Leadership: Evidence from Harvard University

Published in: Interchange

Jun 01, 2022

/ Bayan Farhan

The study illustrates the leadership role in an academic organization and investigates the leadership approaches that might account for an organization’s success. Leadership at Harvard University is studied as a case study to characterize leadership legacy and to explore whether or not a combination of three leadership factors might be indispensable to the success of academic organization. This study is conducted through a thematic design. Short quotes are reviewed to provide a practical analysis of the combination of three leadership factors that are associated with long-term leadership (20 years or more) in comparison to medium and short-term leadership (fewer than 20 years). Qualitative data is obtained from secondary sources such as published documents, university biographies, and relevant literature. Results from this study suggest that the success of an organization is conditional on the existence of a three-factor model of leadership (visionary, transformational, and learning leadership). The study also shows that a three-factor model has been more useful in long and medium-periods of leadership when leaders have implemented changes and have transformed the organization, in comparison with shorter periods of leadership. Further research should be conducted to examine the effect of other leadership approaches and to explore the idea of inappropriate laissez-faire leadership in academic organizations.


Article

Customizing leadership practices for the millennial workforce: A conceptual framework

Published in: Cogent Social Sciences

May 13, 2021

/ Bayan Farhan

This study is a critical review of literature to develop a conceptual framework that offers new insights on the complicated interaction between the millennial workforce and leadership competencies. The current study applies contingency approach as a theoretical foundation to answer the question of which leadership practice is suitable for leading the millennial workforce. The study contributes to research on leadership by developing a theoretical framework in which the contingency approach becomes a theoretical basis for the analysis. The analysis investigates the contingent style of leadership needed in different situations. The framework is built on two suggested factors (the millennial workforce and leadership competencies) as a critical means to answer to the question raised. Literature that shows the theoretical interaction between the two factors was used to build this framework, which in turn develops three complementary parallel leadership practices (ethical–tournament, servant–tolerant, and authentic–stringent). The three practices provide a foundation for theoretical development in the field of leadership in order to actively engage, retain, and develop millennials within their current organizations. While the current study provides a theoretical framework, there is a need for empirical work to examine the three proposed practices and examine the relationship between the two suggested factors: the millennial workforce and leadership competencies.


Article

A new strategic leadership model for surviving and coping: Lessons from Canada’s leadership approach to COVID-19

Published in: Cogent Business & Management

Feb 04, 2021

/ Bayan Farhan

In order to improve leadership effectiveness, it is critical to highlight leadership approaches and practices that contribute to improving situations of uncertainty and instability. This paper investigates and reviews Canada’s leadership at the federal level during the COVID-19 pandemic to propose a new leadership model that explains what leadership looks like and how it can make a difference in a time dominated by uncertainty and instability. The primary benefit of this new model is identifying leadership practices for coping and surviving unpredicted crises through four stages: Gathering, Protecting, Challenging, and Integrating. This novel focus on the specific situation of the COVID-19 crisis has important implications for leadership effectiveness and development.


Article

Managerial Decisions to Enhance Student/Customer Retention: The Case of Ontario’s Academic Institutions.

Published in: Interchange

Feb 14, 2019

/ Bayan Farhan

Academic institutions invest significant sums of money to serve their students and to influence their decisions to stay. This study sheds light on the challenge for academic institutions to allocate their investments to keep students and enhance their retention rates. This study aims to investigate whether or not providing academic services has affected the retention rate in Ontario’s higher education market. The variable of academic services is measured through an examination of the effect of providing student services, technology and library acquisition, and scholarships and bursaries. The retention rate variable reflects students returning to an institution for the second year. The results of this study were reported based on examining the responsiveness; first, for all universities together (the whole market), and then for each university in Ontario’s higher education market.


Article

Entrepreneurial behaviour and the role of transformational leadership in higher education institutions

Published in: Int. J. Economics and Business Research

Sep 12, 2018

/ Bayan Farhan

Abstract: Over the last quarter of the 20th century, higher education institutions (HEIs) were affected by social and economic policy changes. These changes encouraged HEIs to adopt entrepreneurial behaviour and act as a business. This paper is a review, critique, and discussion of literature on the new shape of higher education institutions and the need for transformational leadership in entrepreneurial universities. This review shows that academic leaders are needed to build and maintain the competitiveness of their institutions to succeed in the international education market. It also shows that there is a need for transformational leaders who are able to craft and implement the desired plans and have the vision to make HEIs more efficient while maintaining the core values of academia.


Article

Managing academic institutions by enhancing student experience

Published in: Int. J. Economics and Business Research

Jul 30, 2018

/ Bayan Farhan

Abstract: Student experience or, in a more sensible terminology, ‘customer satisfaction’ is a current issue in higher education leadership. This paper discusses how academic leaders can deal with and develop positive experiences among students as providers of a key source of revenue. The paper proposes some strategic recommendations to guide the management process of enhancing student experience and satisfaction. Adopting an effective strategic planning philosophy and implementing competitive strategies to enhance student experience could increase the competitiveness of academic institutions and have the potential to sustain an important source of revenue. But different academic institutions may require different strategies, since each academic institution has its own circumstances and conditions. Therefore, this paper attempts to answer the question of how to manage the challenge of improving student experience and satisfaction.


Article

Application Of Path-Goal Leadership Theory And Learning Theory In A Learning Organization

Published in: The Journal of Applied Business Research

Jan 09, 2018

/ Bayan Farhan

ABSTRACT This paper used learning theory and path-goal theory to propose a learning leadership model. The practical side of these two theories is suitable for this proposed model, its agenda, and its tools for improving organizational learning. The model is based on the assumption that leaders need to develop their competences and the competences of subordinates by creating a continuous learning process through sharing, exchanging, and improving knowledge and experiences. The model states that learning leaders act as facilitators of the organizational learning process and adopt the right attitude to motivate subordinates for learning by removing obstacles and creating a learning culture.


Article

Action Research Methodology as a Managerial Tool: Discussion and Implications

Published in: AAU Journal of Business and Law

Dec 20, 2017

/ Bayan Farhan

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of action research methodology as a managerial tool. A practical example was employed to explain the dynamic process of action research and its role in understanding a managerial problem: observe, reflect, plan, & act. This paper argues that the implementation of this tool in organizations can be considered as a foundation for managerial problem solving. Employing action research can facilitate the crafting of appropriate strategies and lead to highly desirable results, and thus three points should be recognized: )1( the intention in a given situation is to get a deep understanding and to construct a social reality based on participants’ perceptions; )2( involving managers to help in understanding what might be done to improve the situation and what action should be implemented to overcome the problem; )3( implementing the recommended solutions )action(, as well as repeating and evaluating the process is to be considered the cornerstone to improve an undesired situation.


Article

Examining Competition in Ontario’s Higher Education Market

Published in: Interchange

Jan 17, 2017

/ Bayan Farhan

Abstract Financial challenges have forced many publicly funded academic institutions in Ontario to adopt a corporate model and to use market tools to compete in the higher education market and maintain their enrolment and revenue levels. This study has analyzed how competition affects publicly funded universities in Ontario. Competition was examined by relating universities’ expenditures on price and non-price competitive variables (awards, marketing, graduates, and professors), as well as population to the total number of applicants, total number of enrollees, and capacity filling ratio over the period of 2006–2013. The study used quantitative research design and panel data regression method to draw conclusions. This study provides empirical evidence on how the effect of the adopted competitive variables varies for each university.


Article

Competitive Behaviour in Publicly Funded Academic Institutions

Published in: Interchange

Nov 04, 2016

/ Bayan Farhan

Abstract The need to compete is not limited to business organizations but is also one of the normal practices of publicly funded academic institutions. Reforming higher education and the adoption of neoliberal policies have transformed publicly funded colleges and universities and have forced them towards the market. The paper reviews and critiques: (1) Historical context of competition in higher education and the role of government in enhancing competition. (2) Competition and the use of competitive strategies in higher education.


Article

The structure of Ontario’s higher education market

Published in: Int. J. Economics and Business Research

Sep 21, 2016

/ Bayan Farhan

Abstract: Similar to many other institutions in a market economy, colleges and universities operate in their own ‘marketplace’. The purpose of this paper is to provide analysis of the structure of Ontario’s higher education market that is dominated by publicly funded universities. The theoretical framework for this paper is based on the theories of perfect and imperfect competition market structures. Analysis in this paper shows that Ontario’s higher education market has some features of a monopolistic competition market. The paper also shows that other market structures (e.g., perfect competition, monopoly, oligopoly, and monopsony) do not represent Ontario’s higher education market. While this market structure might not be consistent with the profit maximisation feature in a monopolistic competition market, analysis shows that it is consistent with other features. The combination of competition (many suppliers or institutions) and monopoly (product differentiation) can be seen in the market of higher education in Ontario.


Article

TUITION ELASTICITY OF DEMAND AS A TOOL TO MANAGE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Published in: International Journal of Arts & Sciences

Jun 01, 2016

/ Bayan Farhan

This study investigates the phenomenon of elasticity of demand in higher education and how tuition elasticity can affect enrolment among international students in comparison to national students in publicly funded universities in Ontario. This study examined the relationship by categorizing universities into three categories (research intensive, teaching intensive, and comprehensive universities), and by sorting demanders (students) into two groups: national students and international students. The study also examined international-national students’ ratio with respect to tuition fees at each category of universities. The results allow academic leaders and policy makers to predict the reaction of national and international students as a result of changing tuition fees. Examining tuition elasticity of demand in Ontario’s higher education market can help academic leaders respond effectively to the proposed federal policy that international students should be doubled by 2020.