Dr. Theresa Onaji-Benson

Biography

Dr. Theresa Onaji‑Benson is an Assistant Professor of Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility at the University of Bradford, United Kingdom. Her research examines how organisations navigate  institutional complexity, and inequality across Africa and the global South, with a focus on responsible business, sustainability, and corporate political behaviour. She brings extensive academic leadership and international research experience from roles in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Nigeria.

She holds a PhD in International Business and Strategy from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), University of Pretoria, where her doctoral work explored host‑country risk and corporate political strategies among African multinationals. She also earned an MSc in Economics and Econometrics from the University of Essex and a BSc in Economics from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria.

Dr. Onaji‑Benson’s research has been published in Critical Perspectives on International Business, International Journal of Competitiveness, Academy of International Business Insights, and the Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development. She has authored chapters in the Oxford Handbook of Management in Emerging Markets, Springer’s Reduced Inequalities volume, and Palgrave Macmillan’s works on African competitiveness and international business. Her case writing has gained international recognition, including First Prize in the 2024 GIBS Case Writing Competition, Second Prize in the 2023 Fox International Case Writing Competition, and recognition in the 2023 Emerald/CEEMAN Case Writing Competition.

Her impact‑focused publications include policy briefs, white papers, and practitioner articles on sustainability, whistleblowing, gender‑based violence, and Africa's industrial transition. She has contributed to research funded by UKRI (EPSRC), the Global Challenges Research Fund, Irish Aid, and South African corporate partners such as Woolworths and Hollard.

Dr. Onaji‑Benson currently holds the academic leadership role as the current Director of International Relations at the University of Bradford’s School of Management,  and previous roles as the Senior Manager of the Centre for African Management and Markets, and Project Manager at the Centre for Business Ethics at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, South Africa. She teaches across undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive programmes and  has supervised numerous MBA, MPhil, MSc, and PhD dissertations.

Her professional service includes roles with the Academy of Management and the Academy of International Business. She also serves as a reviewer for journals such as Development Southern Africa, Journal of International Business Policy, and Thunderbird International Business Review.

Across her work, Dr. Onaji‑Benson is committed to advancing responsible business practices, strengthening African scholarship in global management research, and fostering inclusive, ethically grounded approaches to international business.

 

Teaching

Modules

• Business Ethics and Social Responsibility - HRM6010-B

Publications