Natalie Cunningham

Natalie Cunningham is a Senior Lecturer in Leadership for Development at the Global Development Institute. Her research focuses on leadership development, organizational culture, and qualitative research methodologies including constructivist grounded theory, Interpretive Phenomenology Analysis (IPA), autoethnography, and narrative research. She emphasizes the intersection between academic research and practitioner knowledge, advocating for mutual learning and co-creation. As Co-Director of the Master of Leadership for Development program, she leads studies on lifelong learning needs in the development sector.

Education: PhD in Developing Coaching Theory from University of Witwatersrand (2017), MBA (1998), and BA in Medical Social Work (1987), all from University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Research Interests:

• Leadership Development in Global Contexts
• Qualitative Research Methodologies
• Coaching Theory and Practice
• Organizational Culture Transformation
• Academia-Practice Knowledge Synergy

Recent articles explore topics ranging from coaching process theories to dermatological case studies, reflecting her multidisciplinary approach.

She has supervised 1 graduate student and actively collaborates in interdisciplinary research initiatives.