;

Isabel Fernandez-Mateo

Adecco Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship; Chair, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Faculty

BA (Carlos III, Madrid) MSc (UPF, Barcelona) PhD (MIT)

A native of Spain, Dr Isabel Fernandez-Mateo holds the Adecco Chair at London Business School. As Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, she has taught in various degree programmes at London Business School, including the required core Strategic Management course for the full time MBA and Executive MBAs, as well as two electives: “Building your Career Strategy” and “People Analytics.” She also teaches in the PhD programme.

Dr Fernandez-Mateo is an expert on how relationships influence career outcomes – particularly in hiring, job transitions, and career advancement. She also studies gender diversity in the executive labor market. In her recent work, she examines the organizational and social barriers that prevent women’s access to positions of leadership. Her work has been published in leading academic journals such as Administrative Science Quarterly, American Sociological Review, American Journal of Sociology, Management Science, and Organization Science. She is currently Department Editor of Management Science (Organizations Section).

  • 2018 Finalist for the Strategic Human Capital Interest Group Best Conference Paper and Best Interdisciplinary Paper (Strategic Management Society Conference)

  • 2018 Best OMT Published paper of 2017 Award by the OMT Division of the Academy of Management (for “Leaning Out: How Negative Recruitment Experiences Shape Women’s Decisions to Compete for Executive Roles”)

  • 2018 Outstanding Publication in OB Award by the OB Division of the Academy of Management (for “Leaning Out: How Negative Recruitment Experiences Shape Women’s Decisions to Compete for Executive Roles,” published in 2017)

  • 2013 Meritorious Service as Associate Editor Award, Management Science.

  • 2013 American Sociological Association’s W. Richard Scott Award for Distinguished Scholarship. Organizations, Occupations and Work Section (for “Anticipatory Sorting and Gender Segregation in Temporary Employment”)

  • 2012 INFORMS-Industry Studies Association Best Paper Prize (for “Anticipatory Sorting and Gender Segregation in Temporary Employment,” published in 2011.)

  • 2007-to date, Adecco Associate Professor (Endowed Chair at London Business School)

  • 2007 Outstanding Reviewer Award, the Editorial Board of the Academy of Management Review

  • 2005 Academy of Management, Careers Division Best Paper Award (for “Beyond Organizational Careers. Information, Learning and Trust in Mediated Employment Arrangements.”)

  • 2004 Industrial Relations Research Association, Best Dissertation Award – Honorable mention.

  • 2004 American Sociological Association’s James D. Thompson Award for Best Graduate Student Paper. Organizations, Occupations and Work Section.

  • 2002 Research Fellowship, MIT Sloan Center for e-Business

  • 2001, 2004 Research Fellowship, MIT Workplace Center

  • 1998-2000 Full funding of graduate studies, La Caixa Fellowship (Spain)

  • 1997-1998 Research Fellowship, Catalan Government (Spain)

  • 1996 Research fellowship, Spanish Institute for Iberoamerican Cooperation

  • 1995 European Union Erasmus Fellowship

  • Economic sociology
  • Inter-organisational relationships
  • Price setting processes
  • Market intermediaries
  • Labour market inequality and employment relationships

2023

Global Careers and Compensation: From Initial Penalties to a Superglobal Premium

Capponi G; Bidwell M; Fernandez-Mateo I; Haas M

Academy of Management Discoveries 2023 In Press

2018

Gender and organization science: introduction to a virtual special issue

Fernandez-Mateo I; Kaplan S

Organization Science 2018 Vol 29:6 p 989-1236

2017

A study of the champagne industry shows that women have stronger networks, and profit from them.

Ody-Brasier A; Fernandez-Mateo I

Harvard Business Review Digital Articles 2017

Leaning out : how negative recruitment experiences shape women's decisions to compete for executive roles

Brands R A; Fernandez-Mateo I

Administrative Science Quarterly 2017 Vol 62:3 p 405-442

When being in the minority pays off: relationships among sellers and price setting in the champagne industry

Fernandez-Mateo I; Ody-Brasier A

American Sociological Review 2017 Vol 82:1 p 147-178

Women are less likely to apply for executive roles if they’ve been rejected before

Brands R A; Fernandez-Mateo I

Harvard Business Review Digital Articles 2017

2016

Bending the pipeline: Executive search and gender inequality in hiring for top management jobs

Fernandez-Mateo I; Fernandez R

Management Science 2016 Vol 62:12 p 3636-3655

2015

Coming with baggage: Past rejections and the evolution of market relationships

Fernandez-Mateo I; Coh M

Organization Science 2015 Vol 26:5 p 1381-1399

2013

The employment relationship and inequality: How and why changes in employment practices are shaping rewards in organizations

Bidwell M; Briscoe F; Fernandez-Mateo I; Sterling A

The Academy of Management Annals 2013 Vol 7:1 p 61-121

2011

Anticipatory sorting and gender segregation in temporary employment

Fernandez-Mateo; King Z

Management Science 2011 Vol 57:6-989 1008

2010

Relationship duration and returns to brokerage in the staffing sector

Fernandez-Mateo I; Bidwell M

Organization Science 2010 February Vol 21:6 p 1141-1158

The permanence of temporary workers

Fernandez-Mateo I

Business Strategy Review 2010 Vol 21:4 p 52-57

2009

Cumulative gender disadvantage in contract employment

Fernandez-Mateo I

American Journal of Sociology 2009 Vol 114:4 p 871-923

2008

Three is a crowd? Understanding triadic employment relationships

Bidwel M; Fernandez-Mateo I

Book Chapter: In Cappelli P. Ed., Employment Relationships: New Models of White Collar Work, CUP, 2008

2007

Long-term brokerage: relationship duration and returns to brokerage in the staffing sector

Bidwell M; Fernandez-Mateo I

Academy of Management Proceedings 2007 p 1-6

Who pays the price of brokerage? Transferring constraint through price-setting in the staffing sector

Fernandez-Mateo I

American Sociological Review 2007 April Vol 72:2 p 291-317

2006

Networks, race and hiring

Fernandez R; Fernandez-Mateo I

American Sociological Review 2006 Feb Vol 71:1 p 42-71

Three is a crowd? Understanding triadic employment relationships

Bidwell M; Fernandez-Mateo I

In Cappelli P ed., Strategic employment relations, Cambridge University Press, 2006

2005

Beyond organizational careers: information, learning and trust in mediated employment arrangements

Fernandez-Mateo I

in Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, 2005

Temporary workers and temporary help agencies: an exploration of labor market outcomes

Munoz-Bullon F; Fernandez-Mateo I

in Cabrera A and Bonache J eds., Direccion estrategica de personas. 2nd ed., Prentice Hall/Financial Times, 2005

2002

Career management

Fernandez-Mateo I

in Cabrera A and Bonache J eds., Direccion estrategica de personas, Prentice Hall/Financial Times, 2002


Teaching portfolio

Our teaching offering is updated annually. Faculty and programme material are subject to change.

  • Masters Degrees electives

    Optional courses providing a deep dive into specialist areas.

    View electives Show less
    • Building Your Career Strategy
      This course’s approach to strategic career management has two crucial elements. First, we will take a long-term perspective. This course is not only about the next step in your journey, but it is aimed to equip you with skills and tools that will serve you for the rest of your career. Second, unlike other courses focused on developing leadership or career skills, we will spend less time discussing how to analyse yourself (i.e. your personality, strengths, weaknesses, etc.) and more time discussing how understanding and managing your context helps you succeed. While technical and personality skills are crucial at the beginning of one’s career, progression as an executive increasingly depends on developing a robust network of key relationships that allow you to access opportunities, become a better leader and prepare for career transitions.
      PROGRAMMES WITH THIS ELECTIVE
    • People Analytics

      Firms are accelerating the use of analytics to translate human capital into competitive advantage. This trend has increased the demand for leaders who are informed users and consumers of analytical tools to manage and develop talent. This course meets such demand, by drawing on the latest evidence-based research on people analytics and educating students on how to use these tools in a thoughtful, effective, and responsible manner.

      Students will be expected to use and analyse data, hence you need a basic knowledge of statistics. However, previous experience with statistical or programming packages is not required. We will provide you with some basic code and tools in class. The goal is to help you understand what kind of data and analytical techniques are more appropriate for each problem, as well as to train you in a thoughtful evaluation of the evidence required to make sound decisions.

      PROGRAMMES WITH THIS ELECTIVE
    Show less
  • PhD courses

    The first step to academic excellence.

    View courses Show less
    Show less
  • Executive Education

    Short programmes offering academic excellence, global focus and exceptional diversity of perspective.

    View programmes Show less
    Show less