Professor Dr Jacqueline Baxter

Professional biography

I am Professor of Public Leadership and Management in the Department of Public Leadership and Social Enterprise , and a Chair on the MBA programme.

I began my career working in The City of London for a commodity trading information firm based on Fleet Street London and moved into HE in 2003.

I am Principle Fellow of  The Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and Chartered Business and Management Educator (CMBE). 

My current funded research examines leadership emergence in the NHS, looking particularly at specialities that struggle to develop leaders, due to the introverted personalities of the individuals within them. 

I work with a number of stakeholders, accross the public sector, researching leadership learning and development, strategy, reslience and wellbeing in leadership. 

You can find my current research here: https://business-school.open.ac.uk/research/research-projects/self-perception-introverts-leaders-and-perceived-barriers-leadership

And free course on strategy here: https://university.open.ac.uk/centres/voluntary-sector-leadership/blog/strategic-planning-online-learning-0

You can find my personal website here: https://jacquelinebaxter.net

You can find my column on The Conversation at :Public Spectre : Power and Politics in the Public Sector

My Twitter tag is : @drjacquebaxter

To find me or follow me on Linkedin please go to :

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dr-jacquelineaundrée-baxter-53206a1

Research interests

I have published over 30 articles in peer reviewed journals; 6 books and 30 Chapters in books. As well as contributing to over 150 international conferences. 

I am available for keynotes and seminars via my contact details. 

My research interests lie in the areas of : female leadership in the public services; strategy creation and implementation, and leadership emergence. I work from a socio cultural perspective, and carry out mixed methods research. I am happy to supervise PhDs in the areas of : introverted leadership, leadership emergence; leadership in the NHS, leadership in Policing; leadership in schools. 

Previous funded work includes, for example: 

• 2025: HEIF Funding, for project: Quiet Impact: Introverted leadership Emergence in the NHS. Co Funded by NHS Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust

• 2020. UKRI Covid 19: Project title: Leading school online learning through Covid19 and beyond: Online learning and strategic planning through and post lockdown in English Secondary Schools. Total; £295,867.24.Awarded. 18 months. (Principal Investigator)
• 2017.Grant -ESRC DFID: ES/P005888/2 (formerly ES/P005888/1.) Raising Learning Outcomes in Education Systems. Project title: Accountability, capacity, and trust to improve learning outcomes in South Africa; a systems approach to understand conditions and mechanisms of improvement of teaching and learning. (Co-Investigator with Principal Investigator Professor Melanie Ehren). Awarded: £975K. 
• 2017.Grant application -British Council Leverhulme funding (small research grants.) Awarded: £9893.00. Project title: Understandings and formulation of democratic strategy in federated school structures. PI. 3 years. (Principal Investigator)

Teaching interests

For the last 10 years I have led modules on the MBA programme, including: Leadership (B852) and the capstone module (B875) Leaders of Change. I have also chaired on one of the largest modules in the university : B100, the first level module on the BA Hons in Business Studies. Over the course of the last 20 years I have contributed to the writing of numerous modules accross : Education ; Social Policy/ Social Science and Business. 

As Founding Director of the Centre for Innovation in Online Business and Legal Education (SCiLAB) i have a great interest in effective online teaching and learning design. I also have a personal interest in online teaching identity and have published in this area , some of my teaching focused publications are listed below.

1. Baxter, J, Selby Fell, H, Gilbert, A (2025 in press) Creativity and Critique in digital learning and teaching: insights for business and law, Palgrave, London.
2. 1.     Hardie, L., Ryan, F., & Baxter, J. (2024). Every truth has two sides: The impact of chat GPT on Law and Business education. In J. Baxter, A. Gilbert, L. Hardie, R. Ramanau, & H. Selby-Fell (Eds.), Creativity and Critique in digital learning and teaching: Insights for learning design in business and law London Palgrave
3. 2.     Gilbert, A., Baxter, J., & Selby-Fell, H. (2024). Where are we now with digital teaching? Critical reflections on digital teaching and SoTL in business and law. In J. Baxer, H. Selby-Fell, & A. Gilbert (Eds.), Creativity and critique in digital learning and teaching: Insights for learning design in business and law. . London Palgrave
4. 3.     Baxter, J., Selby-Fell, H., & Gilbert, A. (2024). Introduction to Creativity and Critique in Digital Learning and Teaching: Insights for learning design in business and law In J. Baxter, H. Selby-Fell, & A. Gilbert (Eds.), Creativity and Critique in Digital Learning and Teaching: Insights for learning design in business and law London Palgrave
5. Baxter, J., & Hinton, M., C. (2024). Digital Poverty in the UK and Its Impact on Higher Education: a human rights approach. In J. Baxter, H. Selby-Fell, & A. Gilbert (Eds.), Creativity and Critique in digital learning and teaching: Insights for learning design in business and law. London Palgrave
6. Baxter, J., Callaghan, G, and McAvoy, J. (2018) Creativity and Critique in online learning, London, Palgrave.
7. Baxter, J. Creating community in online teaching and learning, in Tijan, k, Pedagogy and Pedagogical Challenges. Pedagogy and Pedagogical Challenges,” an Open Access book edited by Dr. Kirsi Tirri and  Dr. Auli Toom.
8. Callaghan, G, Baxter, J and McAvoy, J (2018) The Future of online teaching and learning and an invitation to debate. In Baxter, J, Callaghan, G and McAvoy, J (Eds) Creativity and Critique in Online Learning: Exploring and Examining Innovations in Online Pedagogy. London. Palgrave.
9. Baxter, J, Callaghan, G and McAvoy, J (2018) Creativity and Critique in Online teaching and learning: Innovations in Online Pedagogy. In Baxter, J, Callaghan, G and McAvoy, J (Eds) Creativity and Critique in Online Learning: Exploring and Examining Innovations in Online Pedagogy. London. Palgrave.
10. Baxter, J. (2012) Who am I and What Keeps Me Going? Profiling the distance learning student in higher education International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning: Volume 13, No.4: 107-129: online at: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1283
11. Baxter, J. (2012) The Impact of Professional Learning on the Online Teaching Identities of Higher Education Lecturers. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, Volume 11: online at: http://www.eurodl.org/?article=527
12. Baxter, J. (2011). An investigation into the role of professional learning on the online teaching identities of Higher Education Lecturers Doctorate in Education The Open University UK, Milton Keynes.Retrieved from http://oro.open.ac.uk/33928/

Impact and engagement

I am a strong believer in bringing research to a practitioner audience and received my professorship on the Knowledge Exchange pathway. 

I work with organisations, government departments and charities to carry out research and advise on learning , online learning, governance, leadership and accountabiliy in educaiton and the public services. 

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External collaborations and Keynotes

I am regularly invited to give keynotes and seminars, find below a list of some of the most current examples: 

·       2025: Invited Seminar: The Open University Women in change group, ‘Are we allowing our female introverted leaders to be authentic : Implications for wellbeing.’ Online, Jan 21^st 2025, online.

·       2024: Invited Keynote Lecture :NHS England South East, Thames Valley Summer Conference, ‘Does the NHS favour extroverted leaders?’, Tuesday 21 May, Voco Oxford Spires, Abingdon Road, Oxford, OX1 4PS.

·       2024: Invited Keynote Lecture: The Open University Learning at Work Week, ‘Are we allowing self-perceived introverts to flourish in our organisation ?’ online, 160524.

·       2024: Invited Seminar and Lecture: The Open University Change Management Community Group, ‘How does personality feature in the change management process?’  online 250424.

·       2024: Keynote Lecture and Seminar: The British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society, Are our schools discriminating against introverts in educational leadership ? March 27^th, 2024, online at:

·       2024: Keynote Lecture and seminar: Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership, February 15^th, 2024, The Open University UK, Leadership Coaching in the voluntary sector: How can it help ? https://www5.open.ac.uk/centres/voluntary-sector-leadership/events , February 15^th, 2024.

·       2023:Keynote lecture Open University Business School 40^th Anniversary Lecture: The Power of Quiet Leadership, the case for a quieter approach: https://business-school.open.ac.uk/events/power-quiet-leadership-case-quieter-approach. December 05, 2022.

·       2023: Keynote and workshop: The Open University Department of People Services and Organisational Learning: Quiet Leadership, Developing the Orchid leader. November 22^nd, 2023, The Open University UK

·       2023: Keynote: The Open University Faculty of Maths and Computing: Quiet Leadership: How can introverted individuals cultivate the skills to become effective leaders ? September 25^th, 2024.

·       2023: Keynote: The Open University UK: Theories of learning and their role in researching SoTL, February 25^th, 2023. Online.

·       2023: Invited Keynote: University of Warwick Business School: Developing pedagogical research, May 18^th, 2023, online.

·       2023: Invited Keynote: University of Lancaster Business School: The role of scholarship in developing an academic identity, June 22^nd, 2023, online.

·       2022:Invited Keynote: University of Birmingham Business School Conference on learning and teaching, 08/09 Sept: ‘Publishing and promoting your scholarship: Impact and Engagement.’  Birmingham Business School, Birmingham.

·       2022:Invited Keynote: Open University EdD residential school, online, 13 March, 2022: ‘From Thesis to publication.’

·       BBC Ideas Programme, Writer and voiceover, https://www.bbc.co.uk/ideas/videos/the-power-of-quiet-leadership/p0929tnh now with 168 thousand views.

Journalism

I am a regular blogger and contributor to various magazines, newspapers and professional blogging platforms. In 2014 i was shortlisted for CIPR Outstanding Educational Commentary Award, sharing a platform with writers from The Times, The Guardian and The Telegraph  : http://www.cipr.co.uk/sites/default/files/Shortlisted%20Entrants%20Education%20Journalism%20Awards%202014.pdf

Some of my newspaper articles can be found below: 

• The Guardian Newspaper :Sir Philip Dilley’s resignation shows how hard it is to be a public sector chair http://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2016/jan/14/sir-phillip-dilley-resignation-public-sector-chair-environment-agency
• The Observer Newspaper 191014- Expert Commentary on Head teachers as inspectors: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/oct/18/headteachers-ofsted-inspectors-accountability
• Editor of The British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Blog at: https://www.belmas.org.uk/BELMAS-Blog
• Regulatory Overkill. Rising inequality and profiteering from education? Is this the future for English Education?https://www.belmas.org.uk/BELMAS-Blog/regulatory-overkill-rising-inequality-and-profiteering-from-education-is-this-the-future-for-english-education

Recent blogs

·       Chartered Association of Business Schools MBAs are they identity changing experiences ?

·       WONKE : https://wonkhe.com/blogs/why-an-identity-clash-means-practitioners-can-struggle-as-academics/ Why an identity clash means practitioners can struggle as academics

·       Advance HE : https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/news-and-views/role-scholarship-teaching-and-learning-developing-practitioneracademic-identities The role of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in developing practitioner/academic identities

·       Chartered Association of Business Schools : https://charteredabs.org/changing-places-using-pedagogical-research-to-aid-practitioner-to-academic-identities/ Using pedagogical research to help develop academic identity

·       Chartered Association of Business Schools: https://charteredabs.org/strategies-for-developing-academic-identity/: response to Professor Baxter  Strategies for developing academic identity by Dr Simon Blyth Senior Lecturer in Marketing .

·       Management Today: https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/does-introvert-hamper-chances-making-senior-management/personal-development/article/1811100: Does being an introvert hamper your chances of making senior management?

·       ECER Blog: ‘Managing Digital Learning During Covid 19’.

·       Sage Journals Blog: ‘Academic women and Higher Education: some progress but a long way to go’.

·       LSE Blog: ‘Why this government will not regain the trust of the people’.

·       The Conversation: a sample of just some of the 30+ articles written for this publication read by a total of

o   ‘Regulatory Overkill. Rising inequality and profiteering from education? Is this the future for English Education?’

o   ‘More women on company boards but what about the public sector?’

o   ‘By extending the remit of PCCs the government is playing with fire’.

·       HR Magazine: Most Influential Women on Public Sector Boards 2016.

·       Discover Society: ‘Democratic Governance in Education’.

·       The Guardian: ‘Sir Philip Dilley’s resignation shows how hard it is to be a public sector chair’.

·       The Observer: ‘How using headteachers as Ofsted inspectors puts accountability at risk’.

Education Column: The Spectre: policy and politics in the public Sector.www.theconversation.com

My column on education can be found here, along with some of my blogs. 

• Education Column: Ruling the School – Politics, policy and power in education: www.theconversation.com

• Why it is a huge mistake to get rid of parent governors on school boards: https://theconversation.com/why-it-is-a-huge-mistake-to-get-rid-of-parent-governors-on-school-boards-56700
• What does the head of Ofsted do? https://theconversation.com/what-does-the-head-of-ofsted-do-54929
• The Government’s vision for education is difficult to swallow- here’s why. https://theconversation.com/the-governments-vision-for-education-is-difficult-to-swallow-heres-why-53349
• More women on company boards, but what about the public sector? https://theconversation.com/more-women-on-company-boards-but-what-about-the-public-sector-50498
• By extending the remit of PCCs, the government is playing with fire: https://theconversation.com/by-extending-the-remit-of-pccs-the-government-is-playing-with-fire-47909
• Like it or not, schools are being converted into academies, that’s anti-democratic. https://theconversation.com/like-it-or-not-schools-are-being-converted-into-academies-thats-anti-democratic-47012
• Note to the next education minister: leave schools alone: https://theconversation.com/note-to-the-next-education-minister-leave-schools-alone-41378
• There’s more to primary school place shortages than the cost of free schools: https://theconversation.com/theres-more-to-primary-school-place-shortages-than-the-cost-of-free-schools-40608
• First job for the next education minister: avoid a teacher strike over school budgets: https://theconversation.com/theres-more-to-primary-school-place-shortages-than-the-cost-of-free-schools-40608
• The spectre of ‘British Values’ and education policy: https://theconversation.com/theres-more-to-primary-school-place-shortages-than-the-cost-of-free-schools-40608
• Parents at Durham Free School are paying a high price for the ideology of school choice: https://theconversation.com/theres-more-to-primary-school-place-shortages-than-the-cost-of-free-schools-40608
• Governance in the spotlight as Ofsted finds 170,00 children in ‘inadequate’ secondary schools: https://theconversation.com/theres-more-to-primary-school-place-shortages-than-the-cost-of-free-schools-40608
• Debate over national values is a threat to the education system: https://theconversation.com/theres-more-to-primary-school-place-shortages-than-the-cost-of-free-schools-40608
• You wouldn’t want an unqualified doctor or lawyer…so why are untrained teachers ok? https://theconversation.com/theres-more-to-primary-school-place-shortages-than-the-cost-of-free-schools-40608
• Trojan Horse : Snap School inspections will not solve wider governance issueshttps://theconversation.com/trojan-horse-snap-school-inspections-will-not-solve-wider-governance-issues-27824
• Heaping on the pressure won’t attract school governors
• https://theconversation.com/heaping-on-pressure-wont-attract-more-school-governors-27255
• Ofsted’s Future at stake after Trojan Horse Scandal: https://theconversation.com/ofsteds-future-at-stake-after-trojan-horse-scandal-25936
• Lessons from Europe on how best to inspect schools: https://theconversation.com/lessons-from-europe-on-how-best-to-inspect-schools-28638
• Teaching British Values to toddlers will be tough to enforce: https://theconversation.com/teaching-british-values-to-toddlers-will-be-tough-to-enforce-30436
• After Trojan Horse, why paying school governors is not a catch all solution: https://theconversation.com/after-trojan-horse-why-paying-school-governors-is-not-a-catch-all-solution-29500
• Trojan Horse: Snap school inspections will not solve wider governance issues: https://theconversation.com/trojan-horse-snap-school-inspections-will-not-solve-wider-governance-issues-27824
• Heaping on pressure won’t attract more school governors: https://theconversation.com/heaping-on-pressure-wont-attract-more-school-governors-27255
• Sending in Ofsted to inspect private schools could level the education playing field: https://theconversation.com/sending-in-ofsted-to-inspect-private-schools-could-level-the-education-playing-field-26832

• Discover Society

• Riding out the Crisis: The Trojan Horse, the media and the inspectorate- implications for Ofsted: http://www.discoversociety.org/

• Open Learn

• Baxter, J. (2014). Without fear or favour? School inspection in turbulent times. Retrieved from http://www.open.edu/openlearn/people-politics-law/politics-policy-people/social-policy/trojan-horse-snap-school-inspections-will-not-solve-wider-governance-issues
• Blog Posts: www.jacquelinebaxter.net
• Guest Blog: Regulating the governor, a case of MAD?
• http://saseproject.com/2014/01/25/regulating-the-governor-a-case-of-mad/

International links

Work on The South African Education System, in Collaboration wiht JET Education Services South Africa. 

https://www.jet.org.za/work/project-showcase/accountability-in-education/accountability-capacity-and-trust-to-improve-learning-outcomes-in-south-africa-a-systems-approach