Dr. Tianyuan Yu, Associate Professor, Management

Dr Tianyuan YuTianyuan Yu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Business and Tourism at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada. She obtained her first PhD in Management from Sun Yat-Sen University, China in 2012 and earned her second PhD in Management at Saint Mary’s University, Canada in 2024.

Tianyuan possesses extensive teaching experiences both in Canada and in China. Prior to joining the Mount, She worked as a full-time Assistant Professor (term position) as well as in various part-time teaching positions at Saint Mary’s University during 2013-2016. Before coming to Canada, she was an Associate Professor and Chair of Department of Business Administration at Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai during 2003-2013 and won many awards for her teaching excellence.

Tianyuan’s research interests include management spirituality and religion, gender and diversity in organizations, management and organizational history, management education and pedagogy, cross-cultural management, and multi-paradigm research methodology. She is particularly interested conducting multi-paradigm spiritual research informed by the rich cultural heritage of Chinese history and philosophies (e.g., Zen Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism). She is currently exploring how Zen Buddhism informs spiritual research paradigm, feminist spiritual leadership, and management education. She aims to develop a Zen-informed spiritual research paradigm that fundamentally transcends the mainstream functionalist paradigm in terms of ontology, epistemology, axiology, methodology, and evaluation criteria.

Tianyuan is dedicated to promoting intercultural communication and cross-cultural education because of her research interests and cross-cultural experiences. She is passionate for advancing mutual understandings between the East and the West, and searching for an innovative, hybrid way of rethinking knowledge of management and organization studies that crosses geo-political borders.

Detailed Profile

Dr. Tianyuan Yu
Associate Professor
Management

Office: McCain Centre 405C
Fax: 902 445 2582
Email: Tianyuan.Yu1@msvu.ca
Office Hours: Available by appointment

Qualifications:
B.Econ (Nankai University), M.Econ (Nankai University), PhD in Business Administration (Sun Yat-Sen University), PhD in Business Administration (Saint Mary’s University)

Joined the Mount: 2017

Relevant Prior Work Experience:

  • Assistant Professor (term position), Management, Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax. (2016)
  • Sessional Instructor, Management, Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax. (2015)
  • Workshop Coordinator & Teaching Assistant, Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax. (2013)
  • Visiting scholar, Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Canada. (2013-2015)
  • Chair, Department of Business Administration, International Business Faculty, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China (2010- 2013)
  • Associate Professor, Management, International Business Faculty, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai (2009-2013)
  • Visiting scholar, Leicester Business School, De Montfort University, Leicester, U.K. (2005)
  • Assistant Professor, Management, International Business Faculty, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai (2003-2009)

Courses Taught:

  • BUSI 1112 Introduction to Business Administration
  • BUSI 2202 Communications Management
  • BUSI 2214 Organizational Behaviour: Individuals in Organizations
  • BUSI 2215 Organizational Behaviour: Groups, structure and culture
  • BUSI/WOMS 4406 Managing Diversity: Gender and Other Issues
  • BUSI 4413 Strategic Compensation
  • BUSI 4416 Management Topics

Research Interests:

  • Management spirituality and religion
  • Gender and diversity in organizations
  • Management and organizational history
  • Management education and pedagogy
  • Cross-cultural management
  • Multi-paradigm research methodology

Research Grants, Scholarships, and Awards:

  • Recipient of the 2024 Durland Family Chancellor’s Doctoral Convocation Award, Saint Mary’s University.
  • Recipient of the 2023 Fetzer Institute MSR Scholarship, MSR (Management, Spirituality & Religion) Division, Academy of Management.
  • Recipient of the 2020 Mount Saint Vincent University SSHRC Explore Grant.
  • Recipient of the 2018 Mount Saint Vincent University New Scholars Research Grant.
  • Recipient of the 2015-2017 Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship.
  • Recipient of the 2015-2017 Saint Mary’s University Ph.D. Fellowship.
  • Recipient of the 2007 ‘Research Grant to Young Teachers’, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai

Best Paper Awards:

  • Finalist, ‘William H. Newman Award for Best Paper Based on a Dissertation’, AOM (Academy of Management) Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, USA (2024)
  • Best Paper Award, MSR (Management Spirituality & Religion) Division, AOM (Academy of Management) Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, USA (2024)
  • ‘Honorable Mention Award’ (with Mills, A.), BH (Business History) division, ASAC (Administrative Sciences Association of Canada) 2020 Conference, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador (2020)
  • ‘Honorable Mention Award’ (with Loughlin, C.), GDO (Gender and Diversity in Organizations), ASAC (Administrative Sciences Association of Canada) 2016 Conference, Edmonton, Alberta (2016)
  • ‘Best Paper Award’ (with Wu, N.), the fifth China’s Forum on Enterprise Management Case Study and Theory Constructing Research, Renmin University of China, Beijing (2011)

Teaching Awards and Honours:

  • ‘Outstanding Teacher of Zhuhai’, the Municipal Government of Zhuhai (2012)
  • ‘Award for Teaching Excellence’, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai (2011)
  • Winner of the Second Prize, ‘Teaching Contest among Young Teachers’, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai (2004)

Academic Activities and Publications:
Books:

  • Yu, T. (2013). Government-Enterprise Relationship and Organizational Culture Change. Beijing: The Commercial Press.

Refereed Book Chapters

  • Yu, T. & Mills, A. J. (2023). ‘Lest We Forget: The Zen Centers’ Storytelling of Their Controversial Founding Abbots’. In J. Helms Mills & A. Thurlow (Eds.), Diversity and Business Storytelling (A World Scientific Encyclopedia of Business Storytelling (D. Boje, Editor), Vol.4) (pp.51-69). World Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811273513_0003
  • Yu, T. ‘Evocative Autoethnography’. In J. Helms Mills, A. J. Mills, K. S. Williams, & R. Bendl (Eds.), Elgar Encyclopedia of Gender and Management. Edward Elgar Publishing. Forthcoming.
  •  Yu, T., Mills, A. (2022). ‘Zen Koan Pedagogy: A Spiritual Approach to Management Education’. In M.C. Vu, N. Singh, N. Burton, I. Chu (Eds.), Faith Traditions and Practices in the Workplace. Volume II. Palgrave Studies in Workplace Spirituality and Fulfillment (pp.137-156). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09540-5_7
  • Yu, T., Mills, A. & Helms Mills, J. (2020). ‘Towards a Zen-informed Approach to Management and Organizational History’. In K. Bruce (Ed.). Elgar Handbook on Management and Organizational History (pp.146-168). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Refereed Journal Articles:
  • Yu, T. (2024). ‘Zen-informed Spiritual Research Paradigm: A Buddhist Approach to Decolonizing MSR Research’. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.51327/YVTO3030
  • Yu, T. (2024). ‘Can AI do Spiritual Research? A Zen Buddhist Perspective’. Journal of Management, Spirituality, Religion. https://doi.org/10.51327/THGF7043
  • Jeong, J., Yu, T., Teehankee, B. & Saini, K. (2023). ‘Call for papers: Decolonization and Decoloniality in MSR research’. Journal of Management, Spirituality, Religion. https://www.iamsr.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/JMSR-SI-Decolonization-and-Decoloniality-for-web.pdf 
  • Yu, T. & Mills, A. (2021) ‘Cultural Learning Process: Lesson from Microhistory.’ Journal of Management History. 27 (4), pp.440-463. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMH-12-2020-0075
  • Yu, T., Mills, A. & Peng, N. (2018) ‘A Reflexive Critique of a Critical Hermeneutics Analysis of Wu Zetian.’ Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management. An international Journal. 13 (3), pp.250-260 https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-10-2016-1454
  • Peng, N., Yu, T. & Mills, A. (2015) ‘Feminist thinking in late seventh-century China: A critical hermeneutics analysis of the case of Wu Zetian.’ Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal. 34 (1). pp. 67-83. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-12-2012-0112
  • Yu, T. (2013) ‘How Government-Enterprise Relationship Influences the Organizational Culture of Privately-Owned Enterprises.’ CEIBS Business Review. Issue 1.
  • Yu, T. & Wu, N. (2012) ‘Organizational Culture Change Paths and Government-Enterprise Relationship: A Multiple-Case Study on High-tech POEs in the Pearl River Delta.’ Management World. Issue 8:129-146.
  • Yu, T. & Wu, N. (2011) ‘Bureaucratic Hierarchy vs. Feudal Hierarchy: A Study on the Organizational Culture of China’s SOEs.’ International Journal of Business and Management. 6 (2): 139-146.
  • Yu, T. & Wu, N. (2009) ‘A Review of Study on the Competing Values Framework.’ International Journal of Business and Management. 4(7): 37-42.
  • Yu, T. & Wu, N. (2009) ‘A Review of Theories on Transnational Transfer of HR Practice within Multinationals.’ International Journal of Business and Management. 4(5): 121-127.
  • Yu, T. & Wu, N. (2009) ‘A Review of Definitions and Research Methodology of Organizational Culture.’ Economic Management Journal 31(4):178-182.

Papers in Refereed Conference Proceedings:

  • Yu, T. (2024). ‘Towards a Zen-informed Spiritual Research Paradigm: Philosophy, Methodology, and Evaluation Criteria’, Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, Chicago, Illinois, USA. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMPROC.2024.59bp
  • Yu, T. & Mills, A. (2020) ‘Lest We Forget: The Zen Centers’ Storytelling of Their Controversial Founding Abbots’, Proceedings of ASAC 2020 conference, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, June.
  • Yu, T. & Mills, A. (2016) ‘A Reflexive Critique of a Critical Hermeneutics Analysis of Wu Zetian’ Proceedings of ASB 2016 conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia, October.
  • Yu, T. & Loughlin, C. (2016) ‘An Exploratory Study of Challenges to Chinese Students’ Cross-Cultural Adaptation in the Canadian Workplace: More about Sitcoms and Less about Values?’ Proceedings of ASAC 2016 Conference, Edmonton, Alberta, June.
  • Yu, T. & Wu, N. (2011) ‘Organizational Culture Change in High-tech POEs: A Multiple-case Study.’ Proceedings of the fifth China’s Forum on Enterprise Management Case Study and Theory Constructing Research, Renmin University of China, Beijing, November.

Refereed Conference Presentations Symposiums and PDWs:

  • Yu, T. (2024). ‘Towards a Zen-informed Spiritual Research Paradigm: Philosophy, Methodology, and Evaluation Criteria’. [Paper presentation]. The 84th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Chicago, IL., United States, 9-13 August.
  • Bachani, J., Bhawuk, D., Case, S., Culham, T., Venkateswarn, R., & Yu, T. (2024). ‘Eclectic Research Methods: The Ways to Know, by Doing and Being’. [Professional Development Workshop]. The 84th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Chicago, IL., United States, 9-13 August.
  • Yu, T., Teehankee, B. & Rocha, R.G. (2023). ‘A Systematic Review of Research Paradigms in the Journal of Management Spirituality and Religion’. [Paper presentation]. The 83rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Boston, MA., United States, 4-8 August.
  • Marques, J., Brownlee, S., Chappell, S., Grant, G., Indrajaya, A., Jeong, S., Malik, E., Storberg-Walker, J., Walker, C., Yu, T., (2022) ‘What I Like about You: Appreciative Observation toward Positive Reinforcement’, PDW presented at 82nd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, virtual, 5-10 August.
  • Yu, T., Teehankee, B., Rocha, R. (2022). ‘A Systematic Review of Empirical Research Methodologies Adopted by JMSR Articles’. Paper presented at Management Spirituality & Religion Scholarly Research Colloquium, Virtual, 27-28 July.
  • Yu, T. (2021) ‘The Wounded Healer: Feminist Leadership Nurtured by American Zen Buddhism’, paper presented at 81st Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, virtual, 29 July – 4 August.
  • Yu, T. & Mills, A. (2020) ‘Lest We Forget: The Zen Centers’ Storytelling of Their Controversial Founding Abbots’, paper presented at ASAC (Administrative Sciences Association of Canada) 2020 conference, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, 12-15 June.
  • Yu, T. & Mills, A. (2019) ‘Awakening Moments: A Video-based Analysis of Zen Koan Pedagogy’, paper presented at the 49th Atlantic Schools of Business Conference 2019, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, 27-29 September.
  • Yu, T. & Mills, A. (2019) ‘Enlightenment, intuition and creativity training: Introducing Zen koan pedagogy’, paper presented at the 35th EGOS (European Group for Organizational Studies) Colloquium 2019, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 4-6 July.
  • Yu, T. & Mills, A. (2017) ‘An American entrepreneur’s cultural learning process in 1930s China’, paper presented at 47th Atlantic Schools of Business Conference 2017, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, 29 Sep – 1 Oct.
  • Yu, T., Helms Mills, J. & Mills, A. (2017) ‘Divergent discourses on bureaucracy in China and Canada: A Zen-informed cross-cultural multiparadigm study’, paper presented at 33rd EGOS (European Group for Organizational Studies) Colloquium 2017, Copenhagen, Denmark, 6-8 July.
  • Yu, T. & Mills, A. (2016) ‘A Reflexive Critique of a Critical Hermeneutics Analysis of Wu Zetian’, paper presented at Atlantic Schools of Business Conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 21-23, Oct.
  • Yu, T. & Mills, A. (2016) ‘Reconfiguring Burrell and Morgan’s framework of sociological paradigms by Zen’, paper presented at 32nd EGOS (European Group for Organizational Studies) Colloquium 2016, Naples, Italy, 7-9 July.
  • Yu, T. & Loughlin, C. (2016) ‘An Exploratory Study of Challenges to Chinese Students’ Cross-Cultural Adaptation in the Canadian Workplace: More about Sitcoms and Less about Values?’, paper presented at the International Doctoral Consortium on Management and Organizational Studies, Halifax, N.S. 8-10 June.
  • Yu, T. & Mills, A. (2016) ‘Reconfiguring Burrell and Morgan’s framework of sociological paradigms by Zen’, paper presented at the International Doctoral Consortium on Management and Organizational Studies, Halifax, N.S. 8-10 June.
  • Yu, T. & Loughlin C. (2016) ‘An Exploratory Study of Challenges to Chinese Students’ Cross-Cultural Adaptation in the Canadian Workplace: More about Sitcoms and Less about Values?’, paper presented at ASAC (Administrative Sciences Association of Canada) 2016 conference, Edmonton, Alberta, 4-6 June.
  • Yu, T. (2015) ‘American Businessmen’s Interactions with Chinese Political Elites in the 1930s-1940s: A Critical Hermeneutics Analysis of Pan-Am Expatriates’ Narratives’, dissertation proposal presented at AIB (Academy of International Business) US-North East Chapter 2015 Frontier Conference, Boston, U.S., 22-24 October.
  • Yu, T. (2015) ‘Business and Politics at the Intersection of West and East: Pan Am and the Republican China, 1933-1949’, dissertation proposal presented at the International Doctoral Consortium on Management and Organizational Studies, Halifax, N.S.10-12 June.
  • Yu, T. & Wu, N. (2011) ‘Organizational Culture Change in High-tech POEs: A Multiple-case Study.’ Paper presented at the fifth China’s Forum on Enterprise Management Case Study and Theory Constructing Research, Beijing, China, 12-14 November.

Invited Keynote Addresses and Conference Panels

  • Yu, T. (2023, September 22-24). Connecting the body to the spirit: A Zen-informed spiritual research paradigm. [Keynote address]. The 51st Annual Conference of Atlantic Schools of Business, Halifax, NS., Canada.
  • Pio, E., Dillard, N., Dutta, S., Saxena, S. & Yu, T. (2023, August 4-8). Tiptoeing On Hot Coals: Startling Sacred Sins. [Plenary panel]. The 83rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Boston, MA., United States.
  • Marques, J., Burton, O., Kumar, P., Schuyler, K. G., Smith, J. G. & Yu, T. (2023, July 26-27). DEIB, AI & MSR: Some spiritually induced impressions [Panel session]. Management Spirituality & Religion Research Colloquium. Virtual.