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Dr Nik Winchester

Profile summary

Professional biography

Nik is Senior Lecturer in Management in the Department for Public Leadership and Social Enterprise. Nik joined the Open University Business School in 2006 as a Research Fellow, progressing to Lecturer in 2008. Prior to joining the Open University, he worked as a researcher (1999-2006) at Cardiff University based in the Seafarers International Research Centre (SIRC) – where he retains the honorary position of Associate Researcher. Nik holds degrees from the London School of Economics (B.Sc. (Econ.)) and the University of Bristol (M.Sc. and Ph.D.).

Research interests

Nik's current research focuses on business ethics with an interest in both theory development and empirical work. Recent research includes: the development of a theoretical account of business ethics in Inter-Organisational Relations (IOR); the business ethical application of Habermas's social theory; the practice and theory of social justice in global labour markets; and, the business ethics of equity and equality in transnational work environments.

Nik has a longstanding research agenda on the governance and regulation of the maritime industry. His research has covered inter alia, the structure and functioning of the global labour market for seafarers; criminal practices within certification systems; transnational trade union practice; and a ground-breaking study of the regulatory impacts of flags of convenience. This research has been disseminated in a variety of books, journal articles, technical reports and conference presentations. 

Nik’s research also has a focus on Inter-Organisational Relations (IOR). His research has analysed managing cultural diversity in cross-national collaborations and using simulations to teach non-prescriptive theory of collaboration (as part of a multi-partner EU-funded project - 'L2C-Learning to Collaborate'). His current research in this area focuses on the conceptualisation of culture in IOR and the socio-theoretic explanation of collaborative failure. 

Teaching interests

Nik has a wide-ranging and innovative teaching agenda with a particular focus on business ethics, organisation and management theory, globalisation and Inter-organisational relations – he also has an interest and expertise in online-pedagogy. Nik has written teaching material for all levels of the OUBS curriculum including: B100 - An introduction to business and management; B201 - Business organisations and their environments (extract here); B301 - Making sense of strategy; B325 - Managing across organisational and cultural boundaries; and BB847 - Management beyond the mainstream (extract here). He also made a significant contribution to the NHS Leadership Academy funded Mary Seacole Programme. He is currently writing material on Leadership and ethics for a new undergraduate module on Leadership.

Impact and engagement

Nik is an authority in the field of Flag State Regulatory practice; as such he has regularly addressed key stakeholders within the maritime sector - at national and international levels. He was appointed as an Observer to the International Labour Organisation and has served on a National Audit Office expert panel in their review of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Nik has carried out research for the NHS, including a major project examining the relationship between governance and outcomes. In addition he produces occasional policy related research, including a recent report on Digital Exclusion and Social Housing funded by the National Housing Federation. 

Publications

What is your intention? Tacit knowledge and community-based learning for collision avoidance in the global maritime industry (2023)
Bailey, Nick; Winchester, Nik and Ellis, Neil
Journal of Vocational Education & Training ((Early Access))


Feminist solidarity building as embodied agonism: An ethnographic account of a protest movement (2021-05)
Smolovic-Jones, Sanela; Winchester, Nik and Clarke, Caroline
Gender, Work and Organization, 28(3) (pp. 917-934)


Enchantment in Business Ethics Research (2021)
Bell, Emma; Winchester, Nik and Wray-Bliss, Edward
Journal of Business Ethics, 174 (pp. 251-262)


Framing Social Justice: The Ties That Bind a Multinational Occupational Community (2018-08-01)
Bailey, Nicholas and Winchester, Nik
Sociology, 52(4) (pp. 796-812)


Putting the discourse to work: On outlining a praxis of democratic leadership development (2016-09-01)
Smolovic-Jones, Nela; Smolovic Jones, Owain; Winchester, Nik and Grint, Keith
Management Learning, 47(4) (pp. 424-442)


Determinantes industriais da solidariedade transnacional: política intersindical global em três setores (2014-05)
Anner, Mark; Greer, Ian; Hauptmeier, Marco; Lillie, Nathan and Winchester, Nik
Estudos Avançados, 28(81) (pp. 229-250)


Managing cultural diversity in collaborations: a focus on management tensions (2014-01-29)
Vangen, Siv and Winchester, Nik
Public Management Review, 16(5) (pp. 686-707)


Making sense of ‘global’ social justice: Claims for justice in the global labour market for seafarers (2012-11)
Winchester, Nik and Bailey, Nicholas
Sociological Research Online, 17(4)


Islands in the stream: revisiting methodological nationalism under conditions of globalization (2012-08)
Bailey, Nicholas and Winchester, Nik
Sociology, 46(4) (pp. 712-727)


The industrial determinants of transnational solidarity: global interunion politics in three sectors (2006-03)
Anner, Mark; Greer, Ian; Hauptmeier, Marco; Lillie, Nathan and Winchester, Nik
European Journal of Industrial Relations, 12(1) (pp. 7-27)


Spotting a fake is no simple matter (2005-11)
Winchester, Nik
The Sea, 178


Crew study of seafarers: a methodological approach to the global labour market for seafarers (2005)
Wu, Bin and Winchester, Nik
Marine Policy, 29(4) (pp. 323-330)


Flags must hoist a different standard (2003-09)
Winchester, Nik
The Sea, 165 (pp. 4-4)


Open registers, zelfregulering en criminaliteit (2003)
Winchester, N.
Justitiele Verkenningen (Criminaliteit op zee), 2003/2 (pp. 71-85)


Globalisation and de-regulation in the maritime industry (2002)
Alderton, Tony and Winchester, Nik
Marine Policy, 26(1) (pp. 35-43)


Flag states and safety: 1997-1999 (2002)
Alderton, Tony and Winchester, Nik
Maritime Policy & Management, 29(2) (pp. 151-162)


Regulation, representation and the flag market (2002)
Alderton, Tony and Winchester, Nik
Journal for Maritime Research, 4(1) (pp. 89-105)


How the squeeze on standards enables small flags to flourish (2001-05)
Winchester, Nik
The Sea, 151 (pp. 4-4)


Speed as metaphysics (1999-08)
Winchester, Nik
History of the Human Sciences, 12(3) (pp. 159-166)


The Global Seafarer: Living and Working Conditions in Globalized Industry (2004)
Alderton, Tony; Bloor, Michael; Kahveci, Erol; Lane, Tony; Sampson, Helen; Thomas, Michelle; Winchester, Nik; Wu, Bin and Zhao, Minghua
ISBN : 92-2-112713-3 | Publisher : ILO | Published : Geneva


Flag State Audit 2003 (2003)
Winchester, Nik and Alderton, Tony
ISBN : 9781900174190 | Publisher : Seafarers International Research Centre (SIRC), Cardiff University | Published : Cardiff


Internationale Regulierung und die Praxis von Flagenstaaten. Eine global vergleichende Analyse. [International regulation and the practice of flag states: A global comparative analysis] (2002)
Alderton, Tony and Winchester, Nik
In: Gerstenberger, Heide and Welke, Ulrich eds. Seefahrt im Zeichen der Globalisierung (pp. 180-196)
ISBN : 978-3-89691-520-7 | Publisher : Westfälisches Dampfboot | Published : Münster


Organizational Collaboration: Themes and Issues (2011-05-10)
Di Domenico, MariaLaura; Vangen, Siv; Winchester, Nik; Boojihawon, Dev Kumar and Mordaunt, Jill eds.
ISBN : 978-0-415-67140-8 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : Abingdon, U.K and New York, NY, U.S.


Toward an ethics of inter-organisational collaboration (2016-09)
Winchester, Nik
In : 30th Annual British Academy of Management Conference 2016 (BAM2016) (06-08 Sep 2016, Newcastle University)


Operationalising ethics in entrepreneurship education: experiential and practice-based approaches (2016-05)
Blundel, Richard and Winchester, Nik
In : ECSB 3e conference (11-13 May 2016, University of Leeds)


Theorising moral-collaborative leadership, or, direction-less-than-domination: Gramsci and beyond (2014)
Smolovic-Jones, S.; Smolovic Jones, O.; Winchester, N. and Grint, K.
In : 13th International Studying Leadership Conference (14-16 Dec 2014, The Copenhagen Business School)


The return of cultural dopes? Cultural explanations and the problem of agency (2012)
Winchester, Nik James and Bailey, Nicholas
In : BAM 2012: Management Research Revisted: Prospects for Theory and Practice (11-13 Sep 2012, Cardiff, UK)


Making sense of global social justice (2010)
Winchester, Nik and Bailey, Nicholas
In : British Sociological Association Annual Conference (7-9 Apr 2010, Glasgow Caledonian University)


Teaching collaboration: Theory, principles and practices using games and simulations (2009-09-17)
Emberson, Caroline; Gould, Nick; Hearne, Pam; Huxham, Chris; Knight, Louise; Vangen, Siv and Winchester, Nik
In : British Academy of Management Annual Conference (15-17 Sep 2009, Brighton, University of Brighton)


An exploration of culture in cross-national collaborations (2007)
Vangen, Siv and Winchester, Nik
In : British Academy of Management annuan conference (11-13 Sep 2007, Warwick)


Managing culture in cross-national collaborations (2007)
Vangen, Siv and Winchester, Nik
In : EURAM annual conference (16-18 May 2007, Paris)


Transnational worker strategies in the global automobile, textile/garment and seafarer industry (2005)
Anner, M.; Greer, I.; Hauptmeier, M.; Lillie, N. and Winchester, N.
In : 2005 IIRA Annual Conference (6-9 Jan 2005)


Global regulation of seafarer certification (2005)
Winchester, Nik
In : Seafarers International Research Centre’s Fourth International Symposium (6-7 Jul 2005, Cardiff, UK) (pp. 7-27)


Industrial determinants of transnational solidarity: global union politics in shipping, autos and apparel (2004)
Anner, Mark; Greer, Ian; Hauptmeier, Marco; Lillie, Nathan and Winchester, Nik
In : Union Renewal in an International Economy (14-15 May 2004, Brussels)


Seafarers, regulation and the practice of sovereignty (2004)
Winchester, N. and Lillie, N.
In : Work, Employment and Society Conference (1-3 Sep 2004, University of Manchester)


Regulation and sovereign privilege: international regulation in the maritime industry (2003)
Winchester, Nik
In : Review of International Political Economy Conference on Global Regulation (29-31 May 2003, University of Sussex)


Flag state conformance: a comparative global analysis (2001)
Alderton, Tony and Winchester, Nik
In : Globalisierung und Seefahrt Conference (22-23 Jun 2001, University of Bremen)


Dropping out of the network: seafarers, international regulation and the exercise of sovereignty (2001)
Winchester, Nik
In : Networks and Transformations, International Conference organised by The Global Studies Association (2-4 Jul 2001, Manchester, UK)


Globalisation and regulation in the maritime industry: its effects upon the human factor (2001)
Alderton, T. and Winchester, N.
In : 1st International Conference on Maritime Transport, "Maritime Transport 2001" (21-23 Nov 2001, Barcelona, Spain)


The flag state audit (2001)
Alderton, Tony and Winchester, Nik
In : 2nd SIRC Symposium (29 Jun 2001, Cardiff University) (pp. 91-110)


Weber, progress and the fin de siècle (1999)
Winchester, Nik
In : British Sociological Association Max Weber Conference (12-14 Sep 1999, University of Derby)


The intended and unintended outcomes of new governance arrangements within the NHS (2010-03)
Storey, John; Holti, Richard; Winchester, Nik; Green, Rod; Salaman, Graeme and Bate, Paul
Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO


Social housing and digital exclusion (2009)
Winchester, Nik
National Housing Federation, London.


Devolved governance systems (2008)
Winchester, Nik and Storey, John
Open University


An Analysis of Crewing Levels: Findings from the SIRC Global Labour Market Survey (2006)
Winchester, N.; Sampson, H. and Shelly, T.
Seafarers International Research Centre (SIRC), Cardiff.