Sara Willis

Dr. Sara Willis holds the position of Senior Lecturer in the PMO Organisational Psychology department at The University of Manchester. Her research focuses on leadership in safety-critical contexts, occupational safety, and workplace stressors. She contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives through affiliations with the Thomas Ashton Institute and Work and Equalities Institute.

Her work addresses paradoxical safety leadership frameworks, team agility, and regulator-regulatee dynamics in high-risk industries. Notable achievements include the 2017 Best Paper Proceedings - Academy of Management award. Sara’s research has practical implications for safety culture development and regulatory practices, influencing industrial safety standards.

• Key Research Areas:
  • Leadership Development
  • Risk Management
  • Occupational Health
  • Team Performance
• Impact Contributions:
  • Guided regulatory practices through safety culture analysis
  • Enhanced understanding of leadership roles in safety-critical environments