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Dr Rita Fontinha

Associate Professor of International Business and Strategy

Director of Flexible Work in the World of Work Institute

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Specialisms

  • Alternative Work Arrangements, 
  • Flexibility, 
  • Job Insecurity and Perceived Employability, 
  • Expatriation, 
  • Human Resource Management within Multinational Enterprises

Location

HBS 136, Whiteknights

Rita Fontinha is an Associate Professor of Strategic Human Resource Management at Henley Business School – International Business and Strategy department.

Rita has published several research articles in relevant journals including Research Policy and Human Resource Management. She has also published several book chapters and co-authored the book "Research Methods in Human Resource Management". She has currently been involved in research concerning flexible working practices, including the Four-Day Working Week.

Her broad research interests focus on the way human resource management practices may potentially influence attitudes and behaviours in the organisation which may ultimately influence organisational performance. More specifically her research includes:

    • Workplace Flexibility and Remote Work
    • Alternative Work Arrangements
    • The Four-Day Working Week
    • Job Insecurity and Perceived Employability
    • Human Resource Management and the Psychological Contract
    • International Human Resource Management and Expatriation

Before joining Henley Business School, Rita was a Research Fellow in Organisation Studies and Human Resource Management at Portsmouth Business School. She was also a visiting researcher at the Rotterdam School of Management – Erasmus Research Institute of Management.

She has a Joint PhD from the University of Lisbon (Faculty of Psychology) and the University of Leuven (KU Leuven – Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences). Prior to becoming a full-time researcher, she worked in HR management in areas such as performance appraisal, selection and training.

Reference: Haak-Saheem, W. , Fontinha, R. , Brewster, C. , Jastram, S. M. and Ahmady, A. Z. (2025) Exploring pre- and in-employment experiences of refugees in Germany: a Bourdieusian approach. European Management Review. ISSN 1740-4762 doi: 10.1111/emre.12704
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Washika Haak-Saheem - Dr Rita Fontinha - Professor Chris Brewster
Reference: Fontinha, R. , Hassan, F., Al Ariss, A. , Brewster, C. and Hoteit, A. (2025) A latent profile analysis of expatriate’s assessment of the local business environment: cross country comparisons. Thunderbird International Business Review. ISSN 1520-6874 doi: 10.1002/tie.22441
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha - Professor Chris Brewster
Reference: Lee, J., Chae, C., Lee, J. M. and Fontinha, R. (2024) Understanding the evolution of international human resource management research: a bibliometric review over the past 25 years (1995-2019). Journal of Global Mobility. ISSN 2049-8799 doi: 10.1108/JGM-09-2023-0062
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Jongmin Lee - Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Laker, B. , Fontinha, R. and Walker, J. (2024) Balancing health and work: employees demand more flexibility in when, where, and how they work. BMJ Leader. ISSN 2398-631X doi: 10.1136/leader-2023-000869
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Benjamin Laker - Dr Rita Fontinha - Prof James T Walker
Reference: Fontinha, R. and Brewster, C. (2024) A history of research on expatriates. In: Hutchings, K. (ed.) The Authoritative Research Guide To Expatriates. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham. (In Press)
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha - Professor Chris Brewster
Reference: Gomes, P. and Fontinha, R. , (2024) Four-day week: results from the Portuguese trial. Report. IEFP
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Brewster, C. , Fontinha, R. , Haak-Saheem, W. , Lamperti, F. and Walker, J. (2023) Linking embeddedness to physical career mobility: How Brexit affected the preference of business, economics and management academics for leaving the UK. Research Policy, 52 (9). 104855. ISSN 0048-7333 doi: 10.1016/j.respol.2023.104855
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Chris Brewster - Dr Rita Fontinha - Dr Washika Haak-Saheem - Prof James T Walker
Reference: Mostafa, R., Fontinha, R. and Lages, C. (2023) Turning bad into good: the role of service recovery journey in healing the pain of psychological contract violation. International Journal of Business and Economics. ISSN 2545-4137 doi: 10.1504/IJBEX.2023.10061248 (In Press)
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Kinsella, P., Williams, S., Scott, P. and Fontinha, R. (2022) Varying degrees of boundarylessness? The careers of self-employed and directly employed ICT professionals in the UK and Germany. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 33 (8). pp. 1696-1717. ISSN 1466-4399 doi: 10.1080/09585192.2020.1841815
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Walker, J. , Brewster, C. , Fontinha, R. , Haak-Saheem, W. , Benigni, S. , Lamperti, F. and Ribaudo, D. (2022) The unintended consequences of the pandemic on non-pandemic research activities. Research Policy, 51 (1). 104369. ISSN 0048-7333 doi: 10.1016/j.respol.2021.104369
Henley faculty authors:
Prof James T Walker - Professor Chris Brewster - Dr Rita Fontinha - Dr Washika Haak-Saheem
Reference: Walker, J. T. , Fontinha, R. , Haak-Saheem, W. and Brewster, C. (2022) The effects of the COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ on teaching and engagement in UK business schools. In: Machado, C. and Davim, J. P. (eds.) Organizational Management in Post Pandemic Crisis. Springer, pp. 1-28. ISBN 9783030980528 doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-98052-8_1
Henley faculty authors:
Prof James T Walker - Dr Rita Fontinha - Dr Washika Haak-Saheem - Professor Chris Brewster
Reference: Yusuf, R. , Fontinha, R. and Haak-Saheem, W. (2022) The dynamics of workplace relationships among expatriates and host country nationals in international development organisations. Journal of Global Mobility, 10 (4). pp. 476-495. ISSN 2049-8799 doi: 10.1108/JGM-03-2022-0011
Henley faculty authors:
Rebecca A.T. Yusuf - Dr Rita Fontinha - Dr Washika Haak-Saheem
Reference: Kinsella, P., Williams, S., Scott, P. and Fontinha, R. (2021) Varieties of flexibilisation? The working lives of information and communications technology professionals in the UK and Germany. New Technology, Work and Employment, 36 (3). pp. 409-428. ISSN 1468-005X doi: 10.1111/ntwe.12204
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Walker, J. , Brewster, C. , Fontinha, R. , Haak-Saheem, W. and Lamberti, F., (2021) Examining the impact of Brexit & COVID-19 on the working lives of business, management and economics’ academics in the UK. Report. Henley Business School pp16.
Henley faculty authors:
Prof James T Walker - Professor Chris Brewster - Dr Rita Fontinha - Dr Washika Haak-Saheem
Reference: Walker, J. , Della Giusta, M. and Fontinha, R. , (2020) Initial findings from the consultation on the impact of research metrics on the work of academic economists 2020. Report. University of Reading, Reading. pp19.
Henley faculty authors:
Prof James T Walker - Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Fontinha, R. and Brewster, C. (2020) Self-initiated expatriate adjustment over time. In: Andresen, M., Brewster, C. and Suutari, V. (eds.) Self-Initiated Expatriates in Context: Recognizing Space, Time, and Institutions. Routledge, New York. ISBN 9780429352690 doi: 10.4324/9780429352690-10
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha - Professor Chris Brewster
Reference: Anderson, V., Fontinha, R. and Robson, F. (2019) Research Methods in Human Resource Management. Investigating a Business Issue. Kogan Page, pp456. ISBN 9780749483876
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Walker, J. , Salter, A., Fontinha, R. and Salandra, R. (2019) The impact of journal re-grading on perception of ranking systems: exploring the case of the academic journal guide and business and management scholars in the UK. Research Evaluation, 28 (3). pp. 218-231. ISSN 1471-5449 doi: 10.1093/reseval/rvz010
Henley faculty authors:
Prof James T Walker - Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: De Cuyper, N., Piccoli, B., Fontinha, R. and De Witte, H. (2019) Job insecurity, employability and satisfaction among temporary and permanent employees in post-crisis Europe. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 40 (2). pp. 173-192. ISSN 1461-7099 doi: 10.1177/0143831X18804655
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Fontinha, R. , Easton, S. and Van Laar, D. (2019) Overtime and quality of working life in academics and non-academics: the role of perceived work-life balance. International Journal of Stress Management, 26 (2). pp. 173-183. ISSN 1072-5245 doi: 10.1037/str0000067
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Pereira, V., Fontinha, R. , Pawan, B. and Arora, B. (2018) Human resource management and performance at the Indian railway. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 31 (1). pp. 47-61. ISSN 0953-4814 doi: 10.1108/JOCM-04-2017-0157
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Fontinha, R. , De Cuyper, N., Williams, S. and Scott, P. (2018) The impact of HRM, perceived employability and job insecurity on self-initiated expatriates’ adjustment to the host country. Thunderbird International Business Review, 60 (6). pp. 861-871. ISSN 1520-6874 doi: 10.1002/tie.21919
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Fontinha, R. , Van Laar, D. and Easton, S. (2018) Quality of working life of academics and researchers in the UK: the roles of contract type, tenure and university ranking. Studies in Higher Education, 43 (4). pp. 786-806. ISSN 0307-5079 doi: 10.1080/03075079.2016.1203890
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: De Cuyper, N., Fontinha, R. and De Witt, H. (2018) Nontraditional employment: the careers of temporary workers. In: Klehe, U.-C. and van Hooft, E. A.J. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Job Loss and Job Search. Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN 9780199764921 doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199764921.013.016
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Pereira, V. and Fontinha, R. (2016) An exploration of the role duality experienced by HR professionals as both implementers and recipients of HR practices: evidence from the Indian railways. Human Resource Management, 55 (1). pp. 127-142. ISSN 1099-050X doi: 10.1002/hrm.21717
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Pereira, V. and Fontinha, R. (2014) Global talent management in knowledge intensive firms in and between Western Europe and India: future research directions. In: Al Ariss, A. (ed.) Global talent management: Challenges, strategies, and opportunities. Management for Professionals. Springer, Berlin, pp. 183-196. ISBN 9783319051246 doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-05125-3
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Fontinha, R. , Chambel, M. J. and Cuyper, N. D. (2014) Training and the commitment of outsourced information technologies' workers: psychological contract fulfillment as a mediator. Journal of Career Development, 41 (4). pp. 321-340. ISSN 0894-8453 doi: 10.1177/0894845313495587
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Fontinha, R. , José Chambel, M. and De Cuyper, N. (2012) HR attributions and the dual commitment of outsourced IT workers. Personnel Review, 41 (6). pp. 832-848. ISSN 0048-3486 doi: 10.1108/00483481211263773
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Fontinha, R. and Chambel, M. J. (2011) A dupla relação de emprego dos trabalhadores temporários: A agencia e a empresa utilizadora [The dual employment relationship of temporary workers: The agency and the client organization]. In: Chambel, M. J. (ed.) Novos desafios para a gestão de recursos humanos: O caso dos trabalhadores temporários [New challenges for human resource management: The temporary workers]. RH Editoria, Lisbon. ISBN 9789728871390
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha
Reference: Chambel, M. J. and Fontinha, R. (2009) Contingencies of contingent employment: psychological contract, job insecurity and employability of contracted workers. Revista de Psicología del Trabajo y de las Organizaciones (Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology), 25 (3). pp. 207-217. ISSN 1576‐5962
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Rita Fontinha

Managing work and people: Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Mgt

https://www.reading.ac.uk/modules/document.aspx?modP=MM297&modYR=2324...

Module code: MM297

International Human Resource Management

This module examines how practices of managing human resources could be different across countries and explores companies’ approaches to managing their human resources in an international business context....

Module code: MM340