Steve is currently Director of CMOL (Centre for Management and Organisational Learning) at the University of Hull Business School:
www.hull.ac.uk/hubs/people/staff/profiles/sarmstrong.htm
His specific research interests are concerned with cognitive style, which refers to consistent differences in the way individuals perceive, organise, process and evaluate information. These differences manifest themselves as alternative approaches to problem solving, decision making and the communication of ideas and are believed to affect the way one individual interacts with and relates to others. His recent work, in collaboration with others, has been concerned with how these differences and similarities affect interpersonal functioning in an organisational setting. This research initially focussed on student-supervisor relationships in an academic setting but then moved on to consider how differences in cognitive style affect the quality of leader-member exchange relationships, mentor-protege relationships in formal mentoring systems, the dynamics of self managed work teams, and individual performance outcomes in management education. He is also interested in the implications of cognitive style for teaching and learning in the context of management education and development.