Sima Sajjadiani

Sima Sajjadiani

Assistant Professor at UBC Sauder School of Business-OBHR Division

University of British Columbia

Biography

I am an Assistant Professor in the Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Division at the Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia. My research interests include strategic human resource management (SHRM) and people analytics, working to:

Interests
  • Human Capital Resources
  • People Analytics
  • Strategic HR
Education
  • PhD in Business Administration, 2018

    University of Minnesota

  • MA of Human Resources and Industrial Relations, 2014

    University of Minnesota

  • MBA in Operations Management, 2008

    University of Tehran

  • B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, 2005

    K.N. Toosi University of Technology

Research


My two research streams, people analytics and strategic HR, are situated in the domain of human capital resources (HCR). Human capital is the unique knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics (KSAOs) that each individual employee brings with them to their organizations. However, these KSAOs remain an individual property until they are made available for colleagues and the larger organization to utilize and direct toward the fulfillment of tasks in the form of HCR.

Human resource (HR) management scholars and practitioners seek to implement strategies to develop human capital and activate it into a resource that an organization can turn into sustained, competitive advantage. One way that professionals go about this is by designing and implementing HR practices and systems, making bundles of workplace activities, “procedures, and policies that are meant to improve outcomes (e.g., financial performance, turnover, creativity) by improving the work experiences and the KSAOs of employees through programs like benefits, competitive pay, extensive training, and performance incentives. An organization can be conceptualized as a dynamic system of human capital entering, exiting, and interacting with the workplace environment. Both of my research concentrations, strategic HR management and people analytics, are oriented toward understanding the antecedents and the consequences of HR practices and systems, human capital development, and the achievement of a sustained, competitive advantage.



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Who is leaving and why? the dynamics of high-quality human capital outflows.

Abstract This study proposes a unified, dynamic framework based on Turnover Event Theory (TET) to evaluate the effects of dismissals, layoff announcements, and voluntary turnover on subsequent work unit voluntary turnover.

The social process of coping with work‐related stressors online: A machine learning and interpretive data science approach

Abstract People are increasingly turning to social media and online forums like Reddit to cope with work-related concerns. Previous research suggests that how others respond can be an important determinant of the sharer’s affective and well-being outcomes.

Using machine learning to translate applicant work history into predictors of performance and turnover

Abstract: Work history information reflected in resumes and job application forms is commonly used to screen job applicants; however, there is little consensus as to how to systematically translate information about one’s work-related past into predictors of future work outcomes.

Are bonus pools driven by their incentive effects? Evidence from fluctuations in gainsharing incentives

Abstract Bonus pools, in which a worker’s realized bonus depends both on a worker’s share of the pool (which serves as the incentive) and on the size of the pool (which is largely outside of the worker’s control), are a common method for distributing incentive pay.

Teaching

Courses Taught

🎓 University of British Columbia

  • COMM 203 - Managing the Employment Relationship
  • COHR 303 - Strategic Staffing
  • BA 550 - Business Immersion: People Analytics