Christoph Wu

Dr. Christoph Wu is an organisational sociologist with extensive business knowledge acquired as an emerging markets fund manager out of London and Singapore offices. Currently a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Organisational Behaviour, Christoph draws on his experience in multinational enterprises and expertise in organisational networks to inform his research and teaching in OB and Human Resource Management. He holds the CFA Institute Sustainable Investing Certificate and the Investment Management Certificate.

Christoph was awarded the Philip Abrams Memorial Prize by the British Sociological Association in 2023. 

He is currently acting as Co-Director of Equality and Diversity, Co-Lead for Athena Swan and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

A central theme in my research is how sustainable practices are transferred and embedded across multinational enterprises (MNEs). I examine how corporate leaders and HR professionals use social skill and change agency to enable the cross-border movement of sustainability and HR strategies, drawing on institutional theory to explore how these efforts play out in complex international settings. My work bridges sustainable HRM, international management and organisation studies, with a particular interest in how individuals and firms navigate competing pressures around climate goals, workforce equity, and ethical governance. 

Methodologically, I combine qualitative research with network analysis to study how MNEs respond to institutional complexity, including in past and present projects on corporate sustainability, meaningful work, identity in global careers and HR practice transfer.

After transitioning from business to academia, I completed my PhD at the University of Cambridge, where my doctoral research examined the organizational networks of central banks. I hold an MSc from the London School of Economics and a BA (Hons) from the University of Sussex.

Prior to my lectureship, I worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge and the University of East Anglia.

My teaching pedagogy is grounded in constructive alignment, ensuring that learning outcomes, teaching activities and assessments work coherently to support critical and applied learning. I draw on my research in international management and sustainable HRM, as well as my prior experience in fund management, to create teaching materials that speak to the complex problems organisations face today. I use real-world case studies, drawn from both my academic and industry experience, to help students connect theory to practice in an international context. I also aim to create inclusive, intellectually rigorous learning environments that develop reflective and globally minded practitioners.

Teaching Portfolio:

• Advanced Performance and HR

• Sustainable HRM (launching 2025/26)

• Managing Across the Globe

• Managing People and Organisations

• MBA: Global Talent Management and Sustainability

I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD and research degree students interested in sustainable and international HRM or organisation studies. I am especially interested in projects that examine the role of HR and management actors in responding to Grand Challenges, such as climate change, social inequalities or global talent mobility. Methodologically, I encourage qualitative and mixed-method research, including social network analysis and comparative case designs.

Potential topics include:

• Cross-border transfer of sustainable HR practices in multinational enterprises

• Social skill and change agency in institutionalising HR strategies

• Identity and meaningful work in global careers

• Network dynamics in international ESG coordination

Corporate Sustainability, International HRM, Sustainable HRM, Social Networks, Sociology