Dr Vidya Panicker is Senior Lecturer in International Business and Director of Doctoral Programmes at Loughborough Business School. Her research examines how governance shapes organisational strategy, performance and societal impact across corporate, nonprofit and sport organisations.
Her work brings together governance, strategy and institutional perspectives to understand how boards, ownership structures, leadership and regulatory environments influence organisational decision-making, accountability, innovation, resilience and internationalisation. Increasingly, her research extends to charity governance, with a focus on how governance systems support organisational effectiveness and public benefit.
Vidya's research has been published in leading journals including the Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of World Business, Journal of International Management, Journal of Business Research, International Business Review, R&D Management and the European Management Journal.
Vidya welcomes enquiries from prospective PhD students interested in organisational and corporate governance, charity governance, boards and leadership, nonprofit organisations, sport governance, international business, organisational strategy and institutional theory.
Vidya's research examines how governance shapes organisational strategy, decision-making and performance across corporate, nonprofit and sport organisations. Drawing on governance, strategy and institutional perspectives, she investigates how organisational and institutional governance arrangements influence accountability, resilience, innovation and organisational outcomes. Her work employs quantitative, qualitative and comparative research methods and seeks to generate insights for both academic and practitioner audiences.
Current research themes include:
- Organisational and comparative governance systems
- Charity and voluntary sector governance
- Corporate governance, boards and ownership
- Leadership and organisational resilience
- International business and institutional environments
- Governance in sport organisations
- Innovation and strategic decision-making
Academic leadership and service
Vidya is Director of Doctoral Programmes at Loughborough Business School. She is an Associate Editor of the European Management Journal and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of International Management and Cross Cultural & Strategic Management.
Research leadership and funding
Vidya has secured competitive research funding from organisations including the British Academy of Management, BA/Leverhulme and FIFA. Her externally funded research examines organisational governance across corporate, nonprofit and sport settings, with current projects exploring governance capability in charities, governance in women's football and corporate governance.
Policy, practice and public engagement
Vidya works closely with charities, governing bodies and voluntary sector organisations to ensure that research informs policy and organisational practice. She serves as Trustee of Citizens Advice Charnwood, where she contributes to research and strategy. She also collaborates with organisations across the voluntary sector to translate research into accessible resources for practitioners and policymakers.
Professional engagement
Vidya regularly presents her research at leading international conferences, including the Academy of Management, Academy of International Business and British Academy of Management. She is also a member of British Academy of Management Peer Review College.