Dr Katayoun Zafari

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Dr Katayoun Zafari

Lecturer in Marketing

My profile

Biography

I am a lecturer in Marketing at Marketing, Retail and Tourism department. I currently lead level 5 Business-to-Business Marketing, teach marketing subjects and supervise both undergraduate and postgraduate students. I am also involved in international activities of the department as Marketing programme’s link tutor. In this role I work closely with international partners to promote our Marketing Programme and support our international students during and after they join us.

Prior to Manchester Metropolitan, I was a lecturer at Otago University in New Zealand where I completed my PhD while teaching Marketing and Management subjects. I was also a practitioner before joining academia and worked for ten years as Key account manager and Marketing manager in various international firms within chemical and petrochemical industry. 

My main research area is management of business relationships. My PhD, which was awarded distinction, explored Relationship Management in turbulent environments of less developed countries. My research interest further expands to Relationship Marketing, Business Resilience, Consumer/Manager Decision Making and consumer culture.

Interests and expertise

Expertise: My main expertise is business-to-business marketing. I teach and lead business to business marketing units and research in the same area. I specifically explore business-to-business relationship management in turbulent and uncertain contexts and study how such relationships contribute to business resilience. 

Interests: I also enjoy teaching other marketing topics and researching consumer behaviour in general and consumer decision making in particular. 

Get in touch

0161 247 2754
6.12 All Saints Building

Teaching

Teaching

The units I have taught at Manchester Metropolitan include Services Marketing, Business to Business Marketing, Introduction to Marketing and Principles of Marketing. I have also taught Business Marketing, Consumer behaviour, Business and Society and Market-led innovation units prior to this at Otago University. 

Unit Leadership

My unit leadership responsibilities include Business to Business Marketing. I have previously been unit leader of Services Marketing, Introduction to Marketing and Principles of Marketing. 

Supervision

I supervise marketing undergraduate and post-graduate students and I am interest to take on PhD supervisions in my research areas. 

Research outputs

Conference proceedings:

  • Zafari, K., Najafi Tavani & S., Naude, P. (2022). Improving firm’s resilience through management of relationships. Paper accepted for the forthcoming IMP 2022, Florence, Italy.
  • Zafari, K, Biggemann, S. & Garry, T. (2022). Development of business to business relationships in turbulent environment. IMM summit, Online.
  • Zafari, K., Biggemann, S. & Garry, T. (2018). Dynamics of inter-firm commitment in turbulent environments. Paper presented a IMP 2018, Marseille, France
  • Zafari, K., Biggemann, S., Knight, J. & Garry, T. (2017). The nature of inter-firm trust in turbulent environments. Paper presented at ANZMAC 2017, Melbourne. Australia
  • Biggemann, S., Zafari, K. (2016). Explaining pace of change in network mobilisation: Case of Dunedin Gigatown. Paper presented at ANZMAC 2016, Christchurch. New Zealand
  • Zafari, K., Biggemann, S., Knight, J. & Garry, T. (2016). Managing via capabilities in less developed countries’ turbulent environments. Paper presented at the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing conference IMP 2016,Ponanz, Poland
  • Gary, T., Biggemann, S., Zafari, K. & Toth, Z. (2015). The effect of corporate psychopaths within the business to business networks. Paper presented at the British Academy of Management, Portsmouth.UK.
  • Zafari, K, Biggemann, S., Knight, J. (2015) Modelling the role of capabilities in dealing with uncertainty and turbulence, Paper presented at ANZAM 2015, Queenstown. New Zealand
  • Demangeot, C., Zafari, K. & Allison, G. (2015) Journeys towards the adoption of non-native cuisines: Examples of lived multiculturalism’, Paper presented at the 16th Cross-Cultural Research Conference 2015, Mexico
  • Zafari, K., Allison, G., Demangeot, C. (2014) Ethnic Cuisines in Multicultural Context: Accompanying Self-Identity Construction and Social Lubrication Projects, Paper presented at ANZMAC 2014, Brisbane. Australia

  • Journal articles

    Zafari, K., Biggemann, S., Garry, T. (2023) 'Development of business-to-business relationships in turbulent environments.' Industrial Marketing Management, 111pp. 1-18.

    Zafari, K., Biggemann, S., Garry, T. (2020) 'Mindful management of relationships during periods of crises: A model of trust, doubt and relational adjustments.' Industrial Marketing Management, 88pp. 278-286.

    Zafari, K., Allison, G., Demangeot, C. (2015) 'Practising conviviality: social uses of ethnic cuisine in an Asian multicultural environment.' Journal of Consumer Marketing, 32(7) pp. 564-575.

  • Conference papers

    Smith, P., Zafari, K., Najafi Tavani, S., Grainger, S., Naude, P. (2022) 'Network positioning and reconfiguration through the lenses of network theory, stakeholder theory, and dynamic capabilities: A case study.' In 6th IMM Summit. Bamberg, Germany, 19/1/2023 - 20/1/2023.

Career history

2006-2014

Key account manager and marketing manager at various chemical and petrochemical companies in the Middle East. 

2014-2019

Lecturer, tutor, and PhD candidate at Otago University, New Zealand

2019-to date

Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University