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Ran Zhang

Teacher Creative Business
Dr. Zhang is a lecturer and researcher at the faculty of Creative Business, he mainly teaches courses on applied business research and applied statistics and data analysis.

Biography

Dr. Zhang has taught and conducted research with University of Groningen and NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. He currently teaches business research at the faculty of Creative Business. Dr. Zhang doctoral research focused on power and influence in organizations and his current research interests include leadership, team building, and video content creation by organizations and enterprises. Dr. Zhang's research has been published in journals such as Studies in Higher Education, International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, and Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism. Dr. Zhang is also an active online content creator for his two YouTube channels, focusing on music, research methods and statistics, social psychology, as well as other topics related to higher education and research.

Fields of expertise

  • Business research
  • Organisational psychology
  • Leadership and followership
  • Data analysis
  • Communication and influence

Research themes

Dr. Zhang doctoral research focused on power and influence in organizations and his current research interests include leadership, team building, and video content creation by organizations and enterprises.

Project title How do employees really feel about teambuilding? An exploratory netnographic investigation.
Keywords Team building, employee perceptions, organizational development
Years of completion 2021
General project description This study explored employees’ attitudes towards team-building events. Anonymous qualitative data were obtained using netnography and analysed through an interpretive content analysis approach. The data analysis yielded sixteen codes and five main themes, on the basis of which employees’ attitudes were modelled into eight categories, represented on a two-dimensional coordinate system along two axes (attitudinal and behavioural): true believers, go with the flow, rational thinkers, pragmatists, saboteurs, political dropouts, honest opt-outs, and absentees with genuine reasons. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed both in general terms and managers and organizations.
Your Role in project Principal investigator and first author

Key publications

Professional publications

Book chapters, conference papers, presentations, and public speaking

  • Eringa, K., & Zhang, R. (2020). Attractiveness of working in the Hospitality Industry. Tourism, Hospitality & Events International Conference 2020: Revisiting value co-creation and co-destruction in tourism, hospitality and events,10-11 June, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
  • Zhang, R. (2019). How Do & How To: What Are Hotels Currently Doing on YouTube and What More Can Hotels Do? Institute of Hospitality Webinar Series.
  • Eringa, K., & Zhang, R. (2019). Attractiveness of the Hospitality Industry. APacCHRIE & EuroCHRIE Joint Conference, 20-24 May, Hong Kong SAR, China.
  • Losekoot, E., Zhang, R., & Hornby, J. (2019). Developing a code book for content analysis of popular movies showing hospitable moments. Council for Hospitality Management Education Conference, 21-24 May, Greenwich, The United Kingdom.
  • Anthonio, G., & Zhang, R. (2018). Story-telling, music, and leadership: A master class on the fine art of leadership. 11 October, Zeist, The Netherlands.
  • Zhang, R. (2018). Leadership: The boat that never sinks? Faculty of Business, Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, 28 September, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
  • Zhang, R. (2018). Culture Shock, Friend or Foe? City Council Leeuwarden, 15 October, The Netherlands. http://www.liwwadders.nl/burgemeester-ontvangt-buitenlandse-studenten-daarna-cultuur-schok-pannenkoeken-eten/
  • Zhang, R. (2017). Team Building - In Quotation Marks. In G. Anthonio (Ed.) Circles in the pond: Reflections on leadership from multiple perspectives. NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences and University of Groningen, The Netherlands. ISBN: 9789491589195
  • Zhang, R. (2016). Internationalization in Higher Education and Beyond, Far Beyond. City Council Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
  • Zhang, R. (2016). Culture Shock, Friend or Foe? City Council Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. http://www.liwwadders.nl/crone-ontvangt-internationale-studenten/
  • Zhang, R. (2014). Employee Gender vs. Supervisor Gender: Gender Interaction Effects in Employees' Upward Influence Behaviour in Hotels. Academy of International Hospitality Research (AIHR) Symposium, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands.
  • Zhang, R. (2014). Employee voice and its influence on the supervisor: A multiple goal orientation perspective. University of Groningen PhD Research Conference, Groningen, The Netherlands

Selected published videos

  • Zhang, R. (2021). How To Develop Research Topics and Ideas for Your Dissertation or Thesis? Do These 10 Things. [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/7nqQPMnmaak
  • Zhang, R. (2020). How to Avoid Plagiarism? 5 Simple and Straightforward Things to Do. [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/JToPR9wR-fQ
  • Zhang, R. (2020). 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Defending Your Thesis. [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/cRlRbu66Hy0
  • Zhang, R. (2020). How To Write An Abstract In 5 Minutes? A Practical Guide With Examples. [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/sxixLYBtBH0
  • Zhang, R. (2020). 100 Thesis Defense Questions in 3 Categories. [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/M2D0OTVFk-w
  • Zhang, R. (2019). How to Prepare for Plagiarism / Academic Misconduct Hearings? [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/0j35eQFWamY
  • Zhang, R. (2019). Examples of Causal, Correlational, Descriptive, and Exploratory Research Questions. [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/oqdItyBSKSs
  • Zhang, R. (2018). How To Analyze Data In RStudio? Six Bachelor Level Analysis Methods Quickly Demonstrated. [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/_I-1EJ58rmk
  • Zhang, R. (2018). How To Make a Survey for Data Collection? 12 Key Considerations. [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/w8hORpHHVUE
  • Zhang, R. (2017). How To Defend Your Thesis? Top 10 Tips For Success. [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/nPJBbcNftFI
  • Zhang, R. (2017). How To Write A Research Proposal? 11 Things To Include In A Thesis Proposal. [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/YNkws0x0W0o
  • Zhang, R. (2017). How to find academic articles? Google Scholar vs. EBSCOhost. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/g3NtCkSIwcY
  • Zhang, R. (2016). Research types, research designs, data collection, and sampling. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/WY9j_t570LY
  • Zhang, R. (2016). How to make a report-ready correlation matrix quickly using SPSS and Excel? [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/cq0M0lcxN4k

Scholarly publications

  • Zhang, R., & Zwaal, W. (2021). A review of research about the psychology of hospitality management in three leading hospitality journals. Research in Hospitality Management, 11(3), 177-183. https://doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2021.2006920
  • Zhang, R., & Losekoot, E. (2021). How do employees really feel about teambuilding? An exploratory netnographic investigation. Research in Hospitality Management, 11(2), 151-158. https://doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2021.1917797
  • Zhang, R. (2020). An examination of the relationship between hotel employees' use of upward influence tactics and supervisor rating of employee promotability. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 19(3), 296-318. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332845.2020.1737767
  • Zhang, R., Zwaal, W., & Otting, H. (2018). Measuring and monitoring conceptions of research. Studies in Higher Education, 43(2), 359-374. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2016.1172306
  • Zhang, R. (2017). All work and no play? What hotel employees prefer as teambuilding interventions. Research in Hospitality Management. 7(1), 5-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2017.1355448
  • Zhang, R. (2016). In times of stress, be tough or be soft? Examining the relationship between work stress and upward influence behaviour. International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 16(3/4), 196-218. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJHRDM.2016.078207
  • Ellen, T., & Zhang, R. (2014). Measuring the effect of company restaurant servicescape on patron's emotional states and behavioural intentions. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 17(2), 85-102. https://doi.org/10.1080/15378020.2014.902642
  • Zhang, R. (2013). Employee gender vs. supervisor gender: Gender interaction effects in employees' upward influence behaviour in hotels. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, 12(4), 355-375. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332845.2013.790256

Qualifications

  • PhD Organisational Behaviour, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (2017)
  • MA International Leisure and Tourism Studies, London Metropolitan University, The United Kingdom (2004)
  • BSc International Hospitality Management, Christelijke Hogeschool Nederland, The Netherlands (2002)