Ivy (Xia) Sheng

Ivy Sheng is currently studying for a PhD at Edinburgh Business School, and is a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the HRM and Law subject area. Having completed both an MSc in International Business Management with HRM and an MSc in Business Psychology from Heriot-Watt University, Ivy is currently researching the impact of structural disadvantage on Chinese female leaders. This research will primarily examine the Chinese cultural context, investigating the ethnicity-specific causes of structural disadvantage for female leaders, and discussion of possible interventions to promote a more diverse and inclusive working environment. Ivy’s research is under the supervision of Professor Kate Sang and Dr. Lakshman Wimalasena.

Background

Prior to returning to academia in 2018, Ivy worked for a large organisation and two SMEs in China in various roles including TESOL teacher, administrator, programme manager, and member of the core management team. Since 2011, Ivy has been working closely with mature students, academics and business people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, enabling her to gain a broad perspective of cultural understanding of both Western and Eastern contexts.

Ivy has a passion for supporting and empowering young adults who seek to discover their own identity and learn to live out their full potential, both individually and professionally. Her areas of interest include coaching and mentoring, gender equality, mental wellbeing, and promoting cross-cultural understanding.