Lara Bianchi

Lara Bianchi is an active Associate Professor in Business and Society at the Nottingham University Business School, University of Nottingham, affiliated with the Haydn Green Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (ICCSR). Her research centers on stakeholder engagement, business and human rights, and responsible corporate conduct with emphasis on marginalized groups.

Education

• Ph.D. from Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna Pisa
• Fellow of The Higher Education Academy

Research Focus

Bianchi's work pioneers dialogical approaches to stakeholder engagement, particularly for marginalized stakeholders in global supply chains. She investigates human rights remedy mechanisms for agricultural workers and women in conflict zones, challenging traditional accountability frameworks through micro-processual analysis. Her expertise spans Business and Human Rights implementation, gender governance in value chains, and ethical corporate practices.

Publication Trends

Her recent articles (2019-2025) reveal three dominant trajectories: (1) dialogical theorization of corporate-rightsholder remedy, (2) gender-focused governance in global value chains, and (3) non-judicial accountability mechanisms. Cross-cutting themes include marginalized voices in healthcare settings, reverse innovation for sustainability, and pandemic response management controls, demonstrating interdisciplinary rigor across business ethics, human rights law, and development studies.

Scientific Awards

• Rising Star Public Engagement Award by the University of Nottingham Institute for Policy and Engagement (2022)
• Best Paper Award, SIMA SINERGIE Management Conference (2019)

Grants & Leadership

Bianchi has secured major research funding as Principal Investigator for projects addressing critical global challenges:

• UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund: Women's agency in conflict-affected societies
• ESRC Impact Accelerator Account: Women's agency in conflict zones
• Research England Quality-related Research Policy Funding: Policymaker roles in human rights remedy for UK agricultural workers

Professional Context

She leads research within the Haydn Green Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and ICCSR. Previously at Alliance Manchester Business School, she directed the Business and Human Rights Catalyst programme and co-drafted the UN OHCHR Accountability and Remedy Project Phase III scoping report. Her UN General Assembly secondment during doctoral studies contributed to Sustainable Development Goals drafting at Rio+20.