Prof. Ebrahim Soltani profile picture

Full Professor

Prof. Ebrahim Soltani

Professor Ebrahim Soltani is a Full Professor of Quality Management at HBMSU, bringing extensive academic leadership experience from the University of Kent, UK. With publications in leading international journals and research funding from the UK Economic and Social Research Council, his work integrates academic rigor with practical application to advance Total Quality Management, organizational excellence, and performance improvement in the era of Quality 4.0 and AI.

School of Business & Quality Management

Academic Biography

  • Quality Management and Organizational Excellence
  • Quality 4.0
  • Performance Measurement and Improvement
  • Sustainability and Future Readiness in TQM
  • Ph.D. in Management Science – Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde – United Kingdom – 2003
  • MBA – Tarbiat Modares University – Iran – 1995
  • B.Sc. in Accounting – University of Tehran – Iran – 1990

Ebrahim Soltani is Professor of Quality Management at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU), UAE. Before joining HBMSU, he served as Professor at the University of Kent, UK, within the Kent Business School. His research has been published in leading international journals, including Human Resource Management, British Journal of Management, Journal of World Business, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, and International Journal of Human Resource Management. Prof. Soltani's research integrates academic rigor with practical application, advancing the understanding and implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM), organizational excellence, and performance improvement – particularly in the era of Quality 4.0 and artificial intelligence (AI) – across diverse sectors. He has supervised doctoral candidates to successful completion and served as an external examiner for PhD theses at leading international universities. He received a postdoctoral fellowship and research funding from the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and serves on the editorial and advisory boards of several peer-reviewed journals, including The TQM Journal, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, and the International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences.

Recent Publications

An overview of academic publications documenting research focus, methodological depth, and scholarly engagement.

  1. Soltani, E., Liao, Y. Y., & Navmehr, N. (2025). Voice flow to managers or voice flow around managers: Voice from the shopfloor. Human Resource Management. Advance online publication.
  2. Liao, Y. Y., Soltani, E., Iqbal, A., & van der Meer, R. (2024). Approaches to performance appraisal in TQM-driven organizations: Does control vs. learning approach matter? Production Planning & Control, 35(12), 1429–1450.
  3. Liao, Y. Y., Soltani, E., & Wilkinson, A. (2023). From product to service quality: The role of managerial mindsets. Production Planning & Control, 34(8), 705–726.
  4. Soltani, E., & Wilkinson, A. (2020). TQM and performance appraisal: Complementary or incompatible? European Management Review, 17(1), 57–82.
  5. Soltani, E., Liao, Y. Y., Gholami, A. K., & Iqbal, A. (2018). Saying it without words: A qualitative study of employee voice. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 29(5), 1015–1055.
  6. Soares, A., Soltani, E., & Liao, Y. Y. (2017). The influence of supply chain quality management practices on quality performance: An empirical investigation. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 22(2), 122–144.
  7. Liao, Y. Y., Soltani, E., Wang, W. Y., & Iqbal, A. (2017). The dynamics of workplace relationships in a diverse, internationally staffed organization: A qualitative ethnographic assessment. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 28(8), 1182–1211.
  8. Soltani, E., Syed, J., Liao, Y. Y., & Iqbal, A. (2015). Managerial mindsets toward corporate social responsibility: The case of the auto industry. Journal of Business Ethics, 129, 795–810.
  9. Soltani, E., Ahmed, P. K., Liao, Y. Y., & Anosike, P. U. (2014). Qualitative middle-range research in operations management: The need for theory-driven empirical inquiry. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 34(8), 1003–1027.
  10. Soltani, E., Barnes, B., Syed, J., & Liao, Y. Y. (2012). Does management’s approach impede service quality? Production Planning & Control, 23(7), 523–540.
  11. Soltani, E., Azadegan, A., Liao, Y. Y., & Phillips, P. (2011). Quality performance in a global supply chain: Finding out the weak link. International Journal of Production Research, 49(1), 269–293.
  12. Soltani, E., & Wilkinson, A. (2011). The razor’s edge: Managing MNC affiliates in Iran. Journal of World Business, 46(4), 462–475.
  13. Soltani, E., & Wilkinson, A. (2010). Stuck in the middle with you: The effects of incongruency of senior and middle managers’ orientations on TQM programmes. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 30(4), 365–397.
  14. Soltani, E., Lai, P. C., & Phillips, P. (2008). A new look at factors influencing total quality management failure: Work process control or workforce control? New Technology, Work and Employment, 23(1–2), 125–142.
  15. Soltani, E., van der Meer, R. B., Williams, T. M., & Lai, P. (2006). The compatibility of performance appraisal systems with TQM principles: Evidence from current practice. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 26(1), 92–112.
  16. Soltani, E., van der Meer, R., & Williams, T. M. (2005). A contrast of HRM and TQM approaches to performance management: Some evidence. British Journal of Management, 16(3), 211–230