Dr Anna Topakas
Research Associate
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Areas of Expertise
Leader-Member Exchange
Leadership Categorisation and Implicit Leadership Theories
Followership
Employee Engagement
High Performance Work Systems
People Management in Healthcare
Current Areas of Research
Anna’s research interests evolve around two general themes - organisational leadership and human resource management in healthcare.
Contemporary research in the area of leadership shows that the effectiveness of the leadership processes is not only dependent on leader-related and situational factors, but also on follower characteristics and attitudes. Anna is particularly interested in investigating the cognitive processes of followers that are involved in forming leadership perceptions, and on the effects of follower leadership perceptions on individual and group outcomes.
With regards to healthcare research, although the primary focus of Anna’s work was on employee engagement she has had the opportunity to work on other topics as well, such as training and development, appraisal, work-related well-being, and presenteeism. Currently she is interested in investigating High Performance Work Systems and their link to employee attitudes and organisational performance in the healthcare sector.
The mythological approach taken in her research is predominantly quantitative and she has thus far used techniques such as structural equation modelling, latent congruence models, latent growth curve models, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and hierarchical linear modelling in her data analysis.
Qualifications
PhD Management – Work and Organisational Psychology, Aston University
MSc Human Resource Management and Business, Aston University
Aston Certificate in Learning and Teaching, Aston University
BA Public and Business Administration – Marketing/Management, University of Cyprus
Professional Affiliations
Chartered Institute of Personnel Development – Graduate member
British Psychological Society – Graduate member
Higher Education Academy – Associate Member
Teaching
Anna has taught a wide range of topics at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. These include among others leadership, learning, training and development in organisations, current topics in HR, cross-cultural management, and organisational behaviour. Her perception of learning as a dynamic process has led her to develop and adopt innovative techniques that facilitate learning and enhance learners’ experiences. For instance, she has successfully employed social media as tools for collaborative learning, group-based learning that encourages creativity and critical thinking, and peer-assessment methods.
Example Publications
West, M. A., Topakas, A., & Dawson, J. (forhtcoming). Climate and Culture for Healthcare Excellence. Chapter in Oxford Handbook of Climate and Culture, C. Schneider and K. Barbera (eds.)
Senior, C., Martin, R., Thomas, G., Topakas, A., West, M, & Yeats, R. (2012). Developmental stability and leadership effectiveness. Leadership Quarterly, 23(2), 281-291
Martin, R., Thomas, G., Epitropaki, O., & Topakas, A. (2010) Leader-Member Exchange review and future directions. Chapter in International Review of Industrial and Organisational Psychology, Vol 25, G.P Hodgkinson & K. Ford (Eds), New York: Wiley
Example Research Reports
Topakas, A., Admasachew, L., & Dawson, J. (2011). Changes in employee engagement in the NHS 2009-2010. Institute for Health Services Effectiveness, Aston Business School
Topakas, A., Admasachew, L., & Dawson, J. (2011). NHS Staff Survey scores as predictors of trust outcomes: A multi-method longitudinal analysis. Institute for Health Services Effectiveness, Aston Business School
Topakas, A., Admasachew, L., & Dawson, J. (2010) Staff advocacy and NHS trust performance: Advocacy of treatment as a predictor of trust level outcomes. Institute for Health Services Effectiveness, Aston Business School
Topakas, A., Admasachew, L., & Dawson, J. (2010) Outcomes of staff engagement in the NHS: A trust level analysis. Institute for Health Services Effectiveness, Aston Business School
Example Conference Presentations
Topakas, A., Richardson, J., Martin, R., & West, M. (2011) Leader-Member Exchange as a mechanism for building real teams. Paper presented at the 15th Conference of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Topakas, A., Richardson, J., & Martin, R. (2010) The effect of leader-follower relationships on team processes and outcomes. Paper presented as part of a symposium at the British Academy of Management Conference, Sheffield, UK
Topakas, A, Admasachew, L., & Dawson, J. (2010) The role of team working and managerial support in the NHS. Paper presented as part of a symposium at the International Human Resource Management Conference, Birmingham, UK
Topakas, S. & Topakas, A. (2010) Risk Society and the Natural Environment: The Response of Oil Companies to Societal Changes in their Communications on the World Wide Web. Paper presented at the 26th EGOS Colloquium, Lisbon, Portugal.
Admasachew, L., Topakas, A. & Dawson, J. (2010) Performance appraisal in the NHS and its relationship with Job Satisfaction and Intentions to Leave: Supervisors’ Support as a moderator. Poster displayed at the Delivering Better Health Services Conference, Manchester, UK
Topakas, A & Martin, R. (2009) The mediating role of Leader-Member Exchange in the relationship between Implicit Leadership Theories congruence and group performance. Paper presented at The 8th International Studying Leadership Conference, Birmingham, UK
Topakas, A & Martin, R. (2008) Identifying the appropriate reference person in Implicit Leadership Theories Measurement: The role of employees’ job-specific leadership expectations. Paper presented at The 7th International Studying Leadership Conference, Auckland, New Zealand