Staff Profile
Dr George Boak
Associate Professor
I have worked on aspects of individual and organisational development for over 30 years, with managers and professionals from a wide range of public sector and large private sector companies in manufacturing, banking and energy, as well as with smaller companies. I have taught managers and professionals on programmes leading to postgraduate qualifications, and also on short courses, have provided one-to-one coaching, and have facilitated action learning sets and workshops.
- School – York Business School
- Email – g.boak@yorksj.ac.uk
- Research - View my work in RaY
Teaching
I am Module Director for Essence of Leadership, a module on a number of MBA courses. I lead a block teaching session on research methods for executive MBA participants.
Research
My research interests are in the leadership of innovation and change, leadership development, coaching and teamworking.
Professional Activities
I have worked with a range of businesses and public sector organisations over the past 30 years, particularly on issues of change, and workforce development. I have worked with organisations from a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, service and finance organisations in the private sector, local authorities, healthcare organisations and the civil service, and healthcare regulators and professional bodies. I work as a tutor/trainer, coach and consultant. Much of my work has been UK-based, but I have also worked with organisations in Russia, India, Brunei and Australia. I am a member of the Leadership Special Interest Group of the British Academy of Management. I was awarded a PhD in 2008 for my research into the leadership of change in healthcare organisations.
I am one of the two editors of the international journal Action Learning: Research and Practice
Publications
Journal articles
George Boak 2022 ‘Action learning and healthcare 2011–2022’ Action Learning: Research and Practice, 19/3, 251-268
Sanyal, J. Edmonstone, C. Abbott, K. Winterburn & G. Boak 2022 ‘Action learning and healthcare: affinities and challenges’ Action Learning: Research and Practice, 19:3, 269-274
Wilfried Niehueser and George Boak 2020 ‘Introducing Artificial Intelligence into a human resources function’ Industrial and Commercial Training Vol.52 No.2, pp.121-130
George Boak, Jeff Gold and David Devins 2020 ‘Action Learning and Action Research to alleviate poverty’ Action Learning: Research and Practice 17:1, 48-61
George Boak and Sarah Crabbe 2019 ‘Experiences that develop leadership capabilities’, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 40 Issue: 1, pp.97-106
George Boak and Sarah Crabbe 2019 ‘Evaluating the impact of coaching skills training on individual and corporate behaviour’, European Journal of Training and Development, Vol. 43 Issue: 1/2, pp.153-165
George Boak, Ruth Sephton, Elaine Hough and Ruth ten Hove 2017 ‘Quality Improvements in Physiotherapy Services’, International Journal of Healthcare Quality Assurance Vol. 30 Issue: 5, pp.424-435
George Boak, Peter Watt, Jeff Gold, David Devins and Bob Garvey 2016 ‘Procuring a Sustainable Future: An Action Learning Approach to the Development and Modeling of Ethical and Sustainable Procurement Practices’ Action Learning: Research and Practice 13/3 204-218
George Boak 2016 ‘Enabling Team Learning in Healthcare’ Action Learning: Research and Practice vol 13 No 2 pp. 101-117
Shawn Baird and George Boak 2016 ‘Leading change: introducing an electronic medical record system to a paramedic service’ Leadership in Health Services, vol 29 No 6 pp 136-150
George Boak, Victoria Dickens, Annalisa Newson & Louise Brown 2015 ‘Distributed leadership, team working and service improvement in healthcare’, Leadership in Health Services, Vol. 28 No 4 pp. 332- 344
George Boak 2014 'Team learning and service improvements in healthcare' Team Performance Management, Vol 20 No 5/6, pp. 242-261
George Boak 2012 'Learning to achieve service improvements in healthcare' paper to the International Conference on Organisational Learning, Knowledge and Capabilities, Valencia, 25-27 April
Boak 2011 'Blending Q and P: Incorporating Action Learning in a Master’s Programme' Action Learning: Research and Practice Vol. 8 No. 2 pp. 165-172
Lindsay Mitchell and George Boak 2009 ‘Competence frameworks in UK healthcare: lessons from practice’, Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 33 No. 8/9 pp. 701-717
MA Papworth, George Boak and Derek Milne 2009 'An exploratory content analysis of situational leadership' Journal of Management Development Vol 28 No 7 August pp. 593-606
George Boak and Diane Coolican 2001 ‘Competencies for retail leadership: accurate, acceptable, affordable’ Leadership and Organization Development Journal, Vol 22 No 5, pp. 212-220
George Boak and David Thompson 1997 'What Do Senior Managers Do?' in Career Development International Vol 2 Iss 1, pp. 6-10
George Boak 1995 'Successful Pilot Programmes' in Industrial and Commercial Training Vol 27, No 11
George Boak 1995 'Two Paths to Management Competency' in Management, the journal of the Australian Institute of Management, March
George Boak 1991 'Three Dimensions of Personal Development' in Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol 23, Issue 5
George Boak and Denise Nesbitt 1990 'Management Competences' Modern Management, Winter
George Boak, Peter Joy and Shaun Meek 1989 'Under New Management' Training Officer, March
George Boak and Mac Stephenson 1987 'Training Needs Analysis and Time Management' Industrial and Commercial Training, Nov/Dec Vol 19, No 6, pp. 11-12
George Boak and Mac Stephenson 1987 'Management Learning Contracts: from Theory to Practice' Journal of European Industrial Training Vol 11 No's 4, pp. 4-6 and 6, pp. 17-20
Book chapters
Rachelle Pascoe Deslauriers and George Boak 2023 ‘Strategic Management, Innovation and Leadership’ in John Bratton (Ed) Organizational Leadership, Sage, 2nd edition
Peter Watt, George Boak and Jeff Gold 2023 ‘Leadership Development’ in John Bratton (Ed) Organizational Leadership, Sage, 2nd edition
Boak 2021 ‘Shining a light on toxic leadership’ in Anders Ortenblad (Ed) Debating Bad Leadership, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 105-120
John Bratton and George Boak 2020 ‘Strategic Management, Innovation and Leadership’ in John Bratton (Ed) Organizational Leadership, Sage, pp. 35-56
Peter Watt, George Boak and Jeff Gold 2020 ‘Leadership Development’ in John Bratton (Ed) Organizational Leadership, Sage, pp. 267-286
Peter Watt, George Boak, Marija Krlic, Dawn Heather Wilkinson and Jeff Gold 2019 ‘Introducing Predictive Policing Technologies (PPT): An Action Research-Oriented Approach for EBOCD Initiatives’ in Robert G. Hamlin, Andrea D. Ellinger and Jenni Jones (Eds), Evidence-Based Initiatives for Organizational Change and Development, IGI Global, pp. 472-482
George Boak 2013 'Situational Leadership' entry in Erich Kessler (Ed) Sage Encyclopaedia of Management Theory, Vol 2 pp. 704-707
G Boak 2001 ‘Characteristics of effective competency frameworks’ in Neil Rankin, (Ed) The IRS Handbook on Competencies, IRS LexisNexis,, pp. 55-62
George Boak 1999 ‘Personal development plans’ in Anthony Landale, (Ed), The Gower Handbook of Training and Development, Gower, pp. 184-193
George Boak 1995 'Learning Contracts in Management Development Programmes' in Diana Thomas (Ed), Flexible Learning Strategies, Cassells, pp. 149-163
George Boak 1994 'Management Learning Contracts' in Alan Mumford (ed) the Gower Handbook of Management Development 3rd Edition, pp. 139-155
George Boak and David Thompson 1991 'The Third Partner: the role of the line manager in management development', in Individual and Organisational Development, Ashridge Management Research Group
George Boak and Peter Joy 1990 'Management Learning Contracts: the Training Triangle' in Self Development in Organisations ed: M Pedler, J Burgoyne, T Boydell and G Welshman, McGraw Hill, pp. 135-145
Publications continued
Conference papers
Hanne Finnestrand, Olas Edvin Vie and George Boak 2023 ‘Critical incident technique and action learning to enable organisational learning’ paper to the 8th International Conference on Action Learning, April, York St John University
Wilfried Niehueser and George Boak 2019 ‘Artificial Intelligence: attitudes towards new technology in a human resources function: implications for training and development’, paper to UFHRD Conference, 24-26 June, Nottingham
George Boak and Sarah Crabbe 2019 ‘Experiences that develop leadership capabilities’ paper to the University Forum for Human Resource Development International Conference in Lisbon, June
George Boak and Sarah Crabbe 2018 Developing coaching skills for organisational change Paper to the University Forum on Human Resource Development Conference, June, at Northumbria University
Peter Watt, George Boak, Marija Krlic, Dawn Wilkinson and Jeff Gold 2017 ‘The challenges and impact of implementing predictive policing technologies: Culturally embedding change through Action Learning Research and Coaching in West Yorkshire Police’ paper to the University Forum for Human Resource Development International Conference in Lisbon, June
George Boak and Sarah Crabbe 2016 ‘Enhancing our understanding of learning styles for management and leadership development’, paper to UFHRD Conference, 8-10 June, Manchester
Peter Watt, George Boak, Jeff Gold and Bob Garvey 2016 ‘Reconnecting Leaders to Leadership in Turbulent Times’ Developmental Paper to the BAM Conference, Newcastle upon Tyne, September
Peter Watt, George Boak, Jeff Gold, David Devins and Bob Garvey 2016 ‘Procuring a Sustainable Future: An Action Learning Approach to the Development and Modeling of Sustainable Procurement Practices’ paper to the International Action Learning: Research and Practice Conference, March
Karim Elsayed and George Boak 2015 ‘Crisis Competencies of Organisational Leadership’ refereed paper delivered to the EURAM Conference, June, Kozminski University, Warsaw, Poland
Boak, S. Greenhalgh, P. Eastburn, M. Parks and S. Fowler-Davies. 2011 'Better quality and productivity in physiotherapy through service improvement' paper to the Annual Congress of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, October
George Boak 2009 'Sensemaking within complex social systems: core capabilities for leadership in complexity' paper delivered to the 10th International Conference on Human Resource Development Research and Practice across Europe, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 10-12 June
George Boak 2008 ‘Competencies demonstrated by change agents in healthcare: implications for leadership and management development’ paper delivered to the 9th International HRD Conference on Human Resource Development Research and Practice Across Europe, Lille 21-23 May
George Boak, Maggie Watkinson and Carole Hewitt 2004 ‘A competency framework for diabetes healthcare’ workshop paper delivered to the Diabetes UK National Conference
George Boak 1994 'Implementing Management Competencies', paper to conferences on Applying Management Competencies in Your Enterprise, APESMA, Melbourne and Sydney
Books
George Boak and Helen Jones (Eds) 2002 Leading Innovation and Change in the Health Service, Kingsham Press
George Boak and David Thompson 1998 Mental Models for Managers Century Publishing, Random House
George Boak 1998 A Complete Guide to Learning Contracts Gower
George Boak 1990 Developing Managerial Competences: The Management Learning Contract Approach, Pitman
Reports
David Devins, Jeff Gold, George Boak, Robert Garvey and Paul Willis 2017 Maximising the local impact of anchor institutions: a case study of Leeds City Region, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
George Boak, Lindsay Mitchell and David Moore 2010 'An exploration of options for the delivery of revalidation: A project for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain' Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Other
David Devins, Jeff Gold, George Boak, Robert Garvey and Paul Willis 2017 Maximising the local impact of anchor institutions: a case study of Leeds City Region, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
George Boak, Lindsay Mitchell and David Moore 2010 'An exploration of options for the delivery of revalidation: A project for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain' Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
