Hamid Foroughi is Associate Professor in Responsible Management at Warwick Business School. He currently serves on the editorial board of a) Organization Studies and b) Leadership. He is an expert in managing organizational legacy, collective memory and organizational identity. He has published extensively on these topics in internationally leading journals, such as Academy of Management Annals, Organization Studies, Journal of Management Studies and Journal of World Business. He also works as a consultant to help organizations utilize the power of storytelling and memorialization to build just, inclusive and sustainable organizations and partnerships.

Research Interests

My research delves into the historical turn in Organization Studies, offering insights into the processes of organizing, identities, legitimation, and change across diverse empirical contexts. Currently, my work encompasses three areas:

Managing Organizational Legacy: Organizations often draw upon their legacies to enhance their reputation and find inspiration for new innovations or validate new strategies. However, the complexities of legacy management extend beyond mere celebration. I investigate how legacies can impede or drive change, serving as both a barrier and a catalyst for organizational strategy and change. For instance, my recent work explores the critical importance of addressing historical wrongdoing, commonly referred to as historic CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). This aspect is particularly pertinent in contemporary discourse, as organizations grapple with reconciling past actions with present values.

Collective Memories and Storytelling as Catalysts for Change: Here, I delve into the role of memories and storytelling as symbolic resources for instigating change within organizations. By examining how narratives shape perceptions and influence decision-making processes, I uncover the mechanisms through which storytelling serves as a powerful tool for building a "social purpose" in organizations.


Remembering and technological change in occupations: I work on how collective remembering features in the way occupational and professional communities interact with new technologies. Here, I draw on socio-materiality literature to understand the link between collective remembering, adoption of new technology and occupational dynamics.


I am open to discussing supervision for PhD students and Post-Doctorate researchers interested in any of the above areas or overlapping topics I have currently supervised three PhD projects to successful completion on CSR, memory activism and sustainability actors.