Yanqing Lai

Dr Yanqing Lai is a Senior Lecturer at the Business School of Manchester Metropolitan University. Their research focuses on strategic human resource management (HRM), human resource development/training, employee wellbeing, and entrepreneurship. Current research interests include exploring nonlinear impacts of HR practices on wellbeing, management training effects on SME performance, and the implications of work-from-home models post-pandemic.

Dr Lai's work emphasizes contextual and systemic factors in organizational studies, including meta-analytic investigations into training effectiveness and the interplay between HR practices and firm performance. They advocate for greater methodological rigor in evaluating training outcomes and have published widely on topics such as workplace partnerships, job satisfaction, and the role of learning & development professionals in organizational strategy.

Key research contributions include:

• Examining HR sub-bundles and occupational skill differences in wellbeing
• Linking management training to SME export performance
• Systematic reviews of national HRD research
• Advocating for contextualized frameworks in training studies

Dr Lai's office is located in 5.06B Business School, and they can be contacted at y.lai@mmu.ac.uk.