Contact Dr Robby Allen

Background

Dr Robert A Allen is an Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Neurodiversity and Head of Centre for Defence Management and Leadership (Shrivenham).

Dr Allen holds a PhD from the University of South Wales (in Organisational Behaviour having completed a thesis on expert mimicry) and Master of Science degree in procurement from University of Glamorgan. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has a PG Cert in teaching. He is a member of University Senate and an Academic Conduct Officer. He has a diploma in anxiety and phobia counselling.

He is Cranfield University academic lead on neurodiversity and chairs the Neurodiversity Community Working Group. He is also a member of the Disability Network and Deputy Chair of CDS ED&I Committee.

He teaches organisational behaviour, negotiation and procurement strategy across a range of programmes in the UK and overseas.

Prior to joining Cranfield, Robby was and Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead for Procurement and Supply Chain at the University of Gloucestershire. Teaching in the UK and Kazahkstan. Robby entered academia from the UK Ministry of Defence where he served in various posts in the UK and Germany over a 24-year period. Roles included: Commercial Strategy Lead for Future Submarines (Nuclear Deterrent); Assistant Head of Commercial Policy; Internal Consultant Information and Systems and Services (ISS); British Forces Germany Health Service Procurement; and CRBE (REME) and Project JADE Commercial Lead (Second Gulf war). He has also held concurrent roles in project manager and was a Harassment Investigation Officer (HIO). He was First Lieutenant at MOD-Sponsored Cadet Forces (Sea Cadet unit TS TIGER).

Outside of the University he owns a micro record label specialising in developing and recording unsigned artists and singer-songwriter.

Research opportunities

Dr Allen is currently working in a number of fields related to organisational behaviour and encourages applications in regards to:

Neurodiversity (a cognitive process that covers a variety of conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Asperger's syndrome, Tourette syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)). He is particularly interested in those wanting to examine how neurodivergents manage within their working life.

Anxiety in relation to the working populace.

Impression Management (the behavioural strategies that people use to create desired social images or identities). He is interested in those seeking to further IM theory relating to leadership and followership.

Universal/General Darwinism (extending the principles of Darwinism beyond the original domain of biological evolution). He is particularly interested in its application across management and leadership and human behaviours.

Current activities

Current areas of inetrest fall into two main categories:

In the area of Social Psychology and Organisational Behaviour Dr Allen is working on neurodiversity in the workplace and in military veterans; anxiety, the perception of expertise; and the effect on behaviour of threat/stress within the workplace.

Clients

Tata Steel

PP & CS Limited

Publications

Articles In Journals

Conference Papers

Books