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Work Experience28 yrs 11 mo
Jan 2025 – Jun 2026
Senior Professor (HAG)
XLRI, Jamshedpur
Jul 2014 – Dec 2024
Professor
XLRI, Jamshedpur
Jul 2009 – Jun 2014
Associate Professor
XLRI, Jamshedpur
Sept 2007 – Jun 2009
Assistant Professor
XLRI, Jamshedpur
Jun 2004 – Sept 2007
Reader
Dept. of Personnel Mgmt & IR, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
Jun 2002 – Jun 2004
Lecturer
Visva-Bharati University
Aug 1998 – Jun 2002
Lecturer
Indore School of Social Work
Mar 1997 – Jul 1998
Senior Officer HR
Kirloskar Brothers Limited, Dewas, M.P (India's largest pump manufacturing Co.)
Achievements and Research Interest/Area of Research Interests
Academic Distinction (Awards and Scholarships)
- 2012-13 Fulbright Nehru Senior Research Fellow at the Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) School of Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
- 2009 Eureca Erasmus Mundus (EU) Visiting Fellow at York Mgmt School (Dept. of Lab Rel) in Univ of York, UK (March-June)
- 2023-26 Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Faculty of Business in the Univ of Leeds, UK (3 years)
- 2024 NSTC Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Labour Research in National Chengchi Univ, Taipei (Nov)
- 2023 NSTC Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Labour Research in National Chengchi Univ, Taipei (Oct)
- 2023 IRC Visiting Fellow at the Dept of Industrial Relations in the Leeds Univ Business School, UK (May)
- 2023 Centre for International Cooperation Visiting Fellow at Dept of Ind Relations in Freie Universität, Berlin (Jan-Feb)
- 2019 MOST Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Labour Research in National Chengchi Univ, Taipei (Oct)
- 2018 MOST Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Labour Research in National Chengchi Univ, Taipei (Nov)
- 2017 MOST Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Labour Research in National Chengchi Univ, Taipei (May)
- 2016 MOST Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Labour Research in National Chengchi Univ, Taipei (Oct)
- 2015 Visiting Professor at the Dept. of Management Sciences and Decision Making in Tamkang Univ., Taipei (1 semester)
- 2009 Visiting Associate Professor at the Dept. of International Business in Shih Chien Univ., Taiwan (1 semester)
- 2007 Visiting Scholar at the Dept. of Management Sciences and Decision Making in Tamkang Univ., Taipei (March)
Other Achievements
- AACSB's 2024 Class of Influential Leaders Award in Impactful Business School Research in Policy
Courses Taught
- Employment Relations Laws: Law of Social Security
- Fundamentals of Industrial Relations
- Research in Industrial Relations
- Industrial Relations
- Collective Bargaining
Intellectual Contributions (Publications)
Journal Articles-Refereed
- Sarkar, Santanu & Charlwood, A. 2026. "Glocalising Union Organising: How Access to Power Resources Enables and Constrains Global Union Federation Campaigns in the Global South", Work, Employment and Society 40(3): 603-622. (SSCI)
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2025. "Why are Global Framework Agreements Difficult to Implement in India?", Economic and Political Weekly, 60(50): 14-17.
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2025. "How can the Industrial Relations Code of 2020 Weaken Industrial Adjudication?", Economic and Political Weekly, 60(11): 20-23.
- Lai, Y.C. & Sarkar, Santanu. 2025. "How have R&D investments and participation of high-skilled labour influenced the labour market in Taiwan ROC during the COVID-19 pandemic?", International Journal of Manpower, 46(5): 997-1015. (SSCI)
- Talluri, S.B., Balasubramanian, G. and Sarkar, Santanu. 2024. "Against the tide: A case of industrial relations transformation in the Indian coal sector", Industrial Relations Journal, 55(3): 240-263. (SSCI)
- Sarkar, K. & Sarkar, Santanu. 2024. "Code on Industrial Relations: The Diminishing Bargaining Power of the Trade Unions", Economic and Political Weekly, 59(52): 22-25.
- Lai, Y.C. & Sarkar, Santanu. 2024. "The impact of the US-China trade war on Taiwanese firms' R&D investment and outward investment to technologically advanced countries", International Journal of Manpower, 45(5): 885-907. (SSCI)
- Balasubramanian, G. & Sarkar, Santanu. 2023. "The Curious Case of Judicial Interpretation and Efficiency Affecting Labour Flexibility in India", Industrial Law Journal, 52(3): 696-720. (SSCI)
- Lai, Y.C., & Sarkar, Santanu. 2022. "The role of labour unrest and skilled labour on outward foreign direct investment in Taiwan, Republic of China (ROC", Economic and Labour Relations Review, 33(2): 396-414. (SSCI)
- Lai, Y.C. & Sarkar, Santanu. 2022. "Impact of labour unrest and skilled workforce in host country on inflow of foreign direct investment – a case of Taiwan, ROC", International Journal of Manpower, 43(6): 1469-1484. (SSCI)
- Sarkar, Santanu & Chakraborty, R. 2021. "Determinants of the annual rate of change of union membership in divergent national contexts after the nations survive through major economic crisis", Employee Relations, 43(3): 644-66. (SSCI)
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2020. "Influence of Virulent Nationalism on Proletarian Internationalism", Economic and Political Weekly, 55(36): 33-39.
- Balasubramanian, G. & Sarkar, S. 2020. "Organising experience of informal sector workers - a road less travelled", Employee Relations, 42(3):798-817. (SSCI)
- Sarkar, Santanu & Kuruvilla, S. 2020. "Constructing Transnational Solidarity: The Role of Campaign Governance", British Journal of Industrial Relations, 58(1): 27-49. (SSCI)
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2019. "How independent is India's labour law framework from the state's changing economic policies?", Economic and Labour Relations Review, 30(3): 422-44. (SSCI)
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2019. "Amalgamation of Existing Laws or Labour Reform?", Economic and Political Weekly, 54(28): 33-37.
- Sarkar, Santanu & Liu, M.C. 2019. "How the changing relationship between labour and political party influenced growth of autonomous labour unions in Taiwan", Employee Relations, 41(4): 78-77. (SSCI)
- Balasubramanian, G. & Sarkar, Santanu. 2017. "How has the dark knight risen? Chronicle of Union Revitalization from India", Employee Relations, 39(5):660-82. (SSCI)
- Lai, Y.C. & Sarkar, Santanu. 2017. "Gender equality legislation and FDI: evidence from the labour market of Taiwan, R.O.C.", International Journal of Manpower, 38(2):160-79. (SSCI)
- Lai, Y.C. & Sarkar, Santanu. 2016. "Effects of Paid Parental Leave Allowance on Labor Market Outcomes in Taiwan", International Journal of Information and Management Sciences, 27(5): 379-403. (TSSCI)
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2015. "Murderous Violence at Work: conflict and oppression in Indian auto factories", Work organisation, labour and globalisation, 9(1): 38-62. (SSCI)
- Sarkar, Santanu & Charlwood, A. 2014. "Do cultural differences explain differences in attitudes towards unions? Culture and attitudes towards unions among call centre workers in Britain and India", Industrial Relations Journal, 45(1): 56-76. (SSCI)
- Lai, Y.C. & Sarkar, Santanu. 2013. "Labour Market Effects of Work-Sharing Arrangements in Taiwan, R.O.C.", International Journal of Manpower, 34(6): 635-57. (SSCI)
- Sarkar, Santanu & Huang, K.L. 2012. "Do cultural groups differ in their attitudes toward unions? Evidence from Indian and Taiwanese samples", Asian Business and Management, 11(4): 395-423. (SSCI)
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2012. "Determinants of employees' attitudes toward union membership in India", Journal of World Business, 47(2): 240-50. (SSCI)
- Sarkar, Santanu & Lai, Y.C. 2009. "Foreign Direct Investment, Spillovers and Output Dispersion-The Case of India", International Journal of Information and Management Sciences, 20(4): 491-503. (TSSCI)
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2009. "Individualism-collectivism as predictors of BPO employee attitudes toward union membership in India", Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 26(1): 93-118. (SSCI)
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2008. "Trade Unionism in Call Centre industry in India - an insight from literature", Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 51(4): 1053-64.
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2008. "Industrial Social Work to Corporate Social Responsibility: A Transformation of Priority", Journal of Human Values, 14(1): 31-48. (ESCI)
Chapters in Scholarly Books
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2017. "Possibilities and barriers of workers` co-operative: Lessons from failed takeover experience of a closed mine in Jharkhand" in S George and S Sinha (eds) Redefined Labour Spaces: Organising Workers in Post-Liberalised India, pp.296-317, Routledge: New York.
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2007. "Do cultural groups differ in their attitude towards union membership? Evidence from employees of BPO industry in India" In Labour Sector Reforms in India (Edited Volume), Sarup and Sons: New Delhi.
Paper Presentations-Refereed
- "Deconstructing the Chicken and Egg Problem - Politics of Labour in India", 2025 SASE Conference, Montreal, July 9-12, 2025. Conference Proceedings.
- "Labour Relations of the Indian Coal Sector", International Labour Process Conference (ILPC), Gottingen, Germany, April 3-5 2024. Conference Proceedings.
- "Deciphering GUF's articulation of global campaign to local conditions by using social constructionism", International Labour Process Conference (ILPC), Glasgow, UK, April 12-14 2023. Conference Proceedings.
- "Global labour standards in the context of Indian Industrial Relations: Are global framework agreements a relevant initiative?", Social Policy Colloquium, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Feb 07 2023.
- "Have GFAs been able to bring material gains at local levels in Global South? Evidence from India", Forschungswerkstatt, Freie University, Berlin, Dec 16 2022.
- "State`s moralistic agenda and sex workers` movement in India", International Labour Process Conference (ILPC), Padua, Italy, April 21-23 2022. Conference Proceedings.
- "Change in Union Density in Divergent National Contexts After Major Economic Crisis", International Labour Process Conference (ILPC), Greenwich, UK, April 12-14 2021. Conference Proceedings.
- "Organising the unorganised is a different ball game altogether!", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making. Tamkang University, Taipei, May 18 2019. Conference Proceedings.
- "Global Union Federations and the Local Articulation of Global Campaigns", International Labour & Employment Relations Association World Congress (ILERA), Seoul, South Korea, 23-27 July 2018. [Outstanding Paper-Track 1]
- "Cross-national comparison of IRS considering union membership growth", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making. Tamkang University, Taipei, May 19 2018. Conference Proceedings.
- "Is legal discourse getting tainted by the changing economic policies of the state in India?", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making. Tamkang University, Taipei, May 13 2017. Conference Proceedings.
- "Effect of Paid Parental Leave Allowance on Labor Market Outcomes in Taiwan", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making. Tamkang University, Taipei, May 14 2016. Conference Proceedings (with Lai, Yu-Cheng). [Best Paper Award]
- "Understanding the process of union revitalization - Evidence from India", International Labour Process Conference (ILPC). Berlin, Germany, April 4-6, 2016. Conference Proceedings (with G. Balasubramanian).
- "Functional barriers to workers cooperative in getting off the ground: synthesis of a failed case in India", Annual Conference of Labor & Employment Relations Association (LERA Pittsburgh, USA, May 28-31, 2015. Conference t;
- "Do firms in industries with higher foreign presence in India pay more resulting in productivity dispersion?", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making. Tamkang University, Taipei, May 16 2015. Conference Proceedings (with Lai, Yu-Cheng).
- "Determinants and antecedents of Workplace Violence and Homicides in India", International Labour Process Conference (ILPC). Athens, Greece, April 13-15, 2015. Conference Proceedings.
- "Determinants of Workplace Violence in India", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making. Tamkang University, Taipei, May 17 2014. Conference Proceedings.
- "Inventiveness to feasibility: Case of a failed workers cooperative, British Sociological Association (Work, Employment and Society Conference), Warwick University, UK, September 04, 2013. Conference Proceedings.
- "The Role of Rationality in Self-sustenance of Workers Co-operative in India", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making, Tamkang University, Taipei, May 18, 2013. Conference Proceedings.
- "The Effects of Labor Standards on Labor Quality and FDI in Manufacturing Industry in Taiwan: Evaluating the Conventional Wisdom", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making, Tamkang University, Taipei, May 21, 2012. Conference Proceedings.
- "The Effects of Compressed Work Schedule & Standard-hours Reduction on the Labor Market: Evidence from Taiwan ROC", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making, Tamkang University, May 21, 2011. Conference Proceedings (with Lai, Yu-Cheng).
- "Foreign Direct Investment in India", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making, Tamkang University, Taipei May 22 2010. Conference Proceedings (with Lai, Yu-Cheng).
- "Call centre unionization in India", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making. Tamkang University, Taipei, May 30 2009. Conference Proceedings.
- "Determinants of employee attitude towards union membership: India & Taiwan", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making, Tamkang University, Taipei, June 28 2008. Conference Proceedings (with Huang, Kuo-Long).
- "Labour movement in the changing economic & political situation", International Conference on Management Sciences & Decision Making, Tamkang University, Taipei, June 02 2007. Conference Proceedings (with Huang, Kuo-Long).
- "The impact of inward FDI on Indian manufacturing & telecommunication industry - an econometric study", 66th Annual Meeting of Academy of Management, Atlanta, August 2006. Conference Proceedings.
- "Impact of inward FDI on host county: case of India", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making, Tamkang University, Taipei, June 17 2006. Conference Proceedings.
- "Individualism-collectivism as predictors of employee attitudes towards union membership: an empirical study of employees of BPO sector in India", 65th Annual Meeting of Academy of Management, Hawaii, August 10 2005, Conference Proceedings.
- "Cultural correlates & determinants of executives` work motivation", International Conference in Management Sciences & Decision Making, Tamkang University, Taipei, May 29 2004. Conference Proceedings.
- "A study of the effects of cultural differences in executives` work motivation", 29th EIBA Annual Conference, Copenhagen, December 2003. Conference Proceedings.
- "Cross-cultural management: implications for motivational analysis of organisational behaviour", Accepted at the 17th ANZAM Conference, Fremantle-Perth, Australia, December 2003.
- "Cultural determinants of employees` motivation", Third AsiaAcademy of Management Conference, Bangkok, December 12-14 2002. Conference Proceedings.
Key Note Presentation
- 2024 How did courts' interpretation of laws affect labour flexibility in India? Inst Lab Res, National Chengchi Univ, Taipei, Nov
- 2024 How can Labour Reforms exacerbate trade unions' bargaining power in India? ILR, National Chengchi Univ, Taipei, Oct
- 2023 State's moralistic agenda and social movements in India. Dept of Political Science, NCCU, Taipei, Oct
- 2023 Labour market transformation in an unconventional way. Institute for Labour Research, National Chengchi Univ, Taipei, Oct
- 2023 Local articulation of GFA in the Global South. College of Social Sciences, NCCU, Taipei, Oct
- 2023 Reflection on research beyond discipline. (Plenary Talk) International Conference, St. Xavier's Univ, Kolkata, Mar
- 2019 Digital Capitalism vs Employment Distributive Justice. "2019 Asia-Pacific Intl Labor Relations Forum, Kaohsiung, Apr
- 2018 GUFs and local articulation of their campaigns. College of Social Sciences, NCCU, Taipei, Nov
- 2018 How organising experiences of informal sector workers differ from others? National Chengchi Univ, Taipei, Nov
- 2018 State of Women Workers in India. Institute for Labour Studies, National Chengchi Univ, Taipei, Nov
- 2017 Effect of economic reforms on the judiciary - case of India. College of Social Sciences, NCCU, Taipei, May
- 2015 Relations of independent trade unions and political parties-where are workers' benefits? "Kaohsiung Harb Lab Summit", Sept
- 2015 Mayhem in the making, College of Social Sciences, NCCU, Taipei, Nov
- 2012 Lab dispatching & union organising-story of Indian BPO sector union, "Intnl Conf on Labor Justice & CSR", Taiwan, May
- 2008 Trade unionism in Indian BPO-ITeS industry, Chungwa Telecom Workers Union, Taipei and Kaohsiung, Jul
- 2008 Labour movement in the changing economic & political situation, Chungwa Telecom Workers Union, Taipei and Kaohsiung, Jul
Published Articles in Newspapers/Magazines
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2024. “Ensuring Supply Chain Accountability: India’s Path to Global Export Hub”, Financial Express, July 18.
Cases Developed for Teaching Purpose
- Sarkar, Santanu. 2008. Independent Trade Union in India, a teaching case registered with European Case Clearing House (ECCH).
Other Professional Activities
Chairperson/Co-Chairperson in Conferences
- Labour Standards and Working Conditions, Session Chair, International Labour Process Conference (ILPC), Gottingen, Germany, 05 April 2024.
- Labour and Ecological Transition: A Moral Economy? Session Chair, International Labour Process Conference (ILPC), Gottingen, Germany, 04 April 2024.
- Track Chair (People Issues in Management), Indian Academy of Management Conference (INDAM), GIM, Goa, January 2024.
- Track Chair (HRM), Indian Academy of Management Conference (INDAM), NMIMS, Mumbai, January 2023.
- Self-Employment, Session Chair, International Labour Process Conference (ILPC), Padua, Italy, 23 April 2022.
- Precarious work and labour in the Global South, Session Chair, International Labour Process Conference (ILPC), Greenwich, UK, 13 April 2021.
- Work-from-home at the time of COVID, Panellist, Annual Conf of Assoc of Industrial Relations Academics of Australia & New Zealand (AIRAANZ), Sydney, 3 Feb 2021.
- International Conference in Management Science and Decision Making (ICMSDM), Taipei, May 2008-19.
Co-Ordinating/Organizing Workshop/Conferences /MDPS
- Conference Chairperson, International Industrial Relations Conference, jointly hosted by XLRI and Leeds University Business School (UK) at XLRI Jamshedpur, 08-09 January 2024.
Professional Services such as Member/Editor of Editorial Board/ Advisory Committee etc
- Associate Editor, Employee Relations [2023 onwards]
- Chair, James G. Scoville Best International Paper Award Committee, Labor & Employment Relations Association(LERA)[2024-26]
- Member, James G. Scoville Best International Paper Award Committee, Labor & Employment Relations Association[2019-24]
- Member (Elected), Executive Committee, IndianAcademy of Management (INDAM) [2021-24]
- Advisor, Kaohsiung Independent Trade Union, Taiwan (2017-27)
- Advisor, Taiwan Southern Group Workers' Union, Taiwan (2017-25)
- Consultant, National Chinese Seamen's Union, Taiwan (2022-25)
Reviewer/Referee in Journals/ Conferences etc
- British Journal of Industrial Relations (BJIR)
- Industrial and Labor Relations Review (ILRR)
- Journal of Management Studies (JMS)
- International Journal of Human Resource Management (IJHRM)
- International Journal of Manpower
- Economic and Political Weekly (EPW)
- Employee Relations