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My Ph.D. Research Life
I hold a Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Change from Pepperdine University, with a research focus on corporate soft power and strategic leadership in global organizations. With over 7 years of experience across arts organizations and visual communications in both the U.S. and China, my work bridges academic research and professional practice. I specialize in creative and branding strategies, cross-cultural communication, and digital marketing consulting, helping organizations enhance their influence and visibility in an interconnected world.
Below includes my research interests and publications.
random (serious)
thoughts
Research Interests:
Soft Power in business
Organizational Behaviors
Organizational Culture
Arts and creativity integration in corporates
Corporate soft power strategy in shaping global influence: a case study of Microsoft
Authors: Qiang Qiang
Soft power, defined as the ability to attract and persuade through appeal and influence rather than coercion, has emerged as a critical component in the arsenal of global corporations navigating the complexities of the interconnected world. This study, using Microsoft as a case, delves into the realm of soft power in global corporations. Drawing upon qualitative methodology, this study aims to uncover the nuanced factors contributing to global corporation soft power prowess. Key areas of investigation include organizational culture and communication, corporate branding, corporate social responsibility, emerging technological applications, global branding strategies, and leadership approaches. Through an analysis of these factors, the study aims to offer valuable insights into how multinational corporations employ soft power to forge significant connections, influence perceptions, and further their objectives across diverse cultural and geographical landscapes. This is done with the aim of appealing to a global audience, setting themselves apart from competitors, and strengthening cohesion among clients and stakeholders.
Through a comprehensive analysis of soft power strategies, this case study not only contributes to the academic understanding of soft power dynamics within global corporations but also offers practical implications for businesses seeking to enhance their influence and effectiveness in an increasingly interconnected world.
Culture: Shifting Your Organization During Post-Pandemic
Authors: Qiang Qiang
Organizations are facing challenges and obstacles caused by COVID-19. After widespread vaccines, lifestyle became normal and entered the post-pandemic era. Organizational culture is the key that organizations shift during the post-pandemic. In this article, there are three recommendations that the organization can think of to make cultural changes effectively. First, the organization needs to assess and diagnose if it is an agile organization. Second, Lewin’s change model and the MCR framework can help the organization manage the changing process. Last, leadership is the key to ensuring the change is in the right direction. The leadership discussion focuses on evolutionary leadership and situational leadership in the changing process. COVID-19 will not be the last crisis that changes the environment. Thus, organizations need to learn how to become agile and future-focused organizations.
Gamification of Leadership Studies Curriculum:
A Systematic Review
Authors: Tianshi Hao Jade G. Winn & Qiang Qiang
Gamification as an educational tool has thrived in recent years. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, online working and learning became more common. Researchers started exploring the possibilities of integrating gamification with curriculum design (Mohammed & Ozdamli, 2021). Current research can mostly be found in the spectrum of K-12 education; however, research on gamification in adult learning is still emerging (Cebulski, 2017). Instead of discussing the application of gamification in general curriculum design, this research explicitly addresses the gamification of leadership learning curricula. Moreover, this research systematically reviews the peer-reviewed literature on gamification and leadership curriculum and what successful and failed applications of gamification in leadership studies curriculum.
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