Contact Professor Robby Allen
- Email: Robby.Allen@cranfield.ac.uk
Background
Dr Robert A Allen (known as 'Robby') is a Professor of Leadership and Neurodiversity. He is Head of Group for Defence and Security Leadership, Management and Strategic Capabilty.
Professor Allen holds a PhD from the University of South Wales (in Organisational Behaviour having completed a thesis on expert mimicry) and Master of Science degree in procurement from University of Glamorgan. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has a PG Cert in teaching. He is a member of University Senate and an Academic Conduct Officer. He has a diploma in Anxiety and Phobia counselling and a diploma in Neurophysiology.
He is Cranfield University academic lead on neurodiversity and chairs the Neurodiversity Community Working Group. He is also a member of the Disability Network and Deputy Chair of CDS ED&I Committee.
He teaches leadership, organisational behaviour, social psychology, negotiation, procurement strategy and supply chain/Logistics across a range of programmes in the UK and overseas.
Prior to joining Cranfield, Robby was and Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead for Procurement and Supply Chain at the University of Gloucestershire. Teaching in the UK and Kazahkstan. Robby entered academia from the UK Ministry of Defence where he served in various posts in the UK and Germany over a 24-year period. Roles included: Commercial Strategy Lead for Future Submarines (Nuclear Deterrent); Assistant Head of Commercial Policy; Internal Consultant Information and Systems and Services (ISS); British Forces Germany Health Service Procurement; and CRBE (REME) and Project JADE Commercial Lead (Second Gulf war). He has also held concurrent roles in project manager and was a Harassment Investigation Officer (HIO). He was First Lieutenant at MOD-Sponsored Cadet Forces (Sea Cadet unit TS TIGER).
Outside of the University he owns a micro record label.
Research opportunities
Dr Allen is currently working in a number of fields related to leadership, neurodiversity, Executive Wellbeing, Supply Chain, and organisational behaviour and encourages applications in regards to these fields. He is especially interested in:
Neurodiversity (a cognitive process that covers a variety of conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Tourette syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)). He is particularly interested in those wanting to examine how neurodivergents manage within their working life.
Anxiety in relation to the working populace.
Leadership as a human behaviour.
Universal/General Darwinism (extending the principles of Darwinism beyond the original domain of biological evolution). He is particularly interested in its application across management and leadership and human behaviours.
Current activities
Current areas of inetrest fall into two main categories:
In the area of Leadership he is examining the human and natural phenomenon of emergence of leaders.
Social Psychology and Organisational Behaviour - Professor Allen is working on neurodiversity in the workplace and in military veterans; anxiety, the perception of expertise; and the effect on behaviour of threat/stress within the workplace.
Clients
Tata Steel
PP & CS Limited