Professor Yufeng Zhang

Professor Yufeng Zhang

Department of Management
Chair in Operations Management
Head of the Department of Management
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Turing Fellow

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0) 121 414 6695
Email
zhangys@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
Birmingham Business School
University House, University of Birmingham
116 Edgbaston Park Road
Birmingham
B15 2TY
United Kingdom

Yufeng Zhang is a Professor of Operations Management at Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. Yufeng’s work aims to help companies cope with complex challenges and opportunities in managing global network operations with a primary focus on sustainability, digitalisation and engineering innovation. He is Head of the Department of Management, Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), and Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute.

Feedback and office hours

Monday 11am-1pm, Thursday 1-2pm

Room 220, University House, Birmingham Business School

Qualifications

  • PhD, Engineering (University of Cambridge)
  • MSc/Dipl-Ing, Global Production Engineering (Technical University of Berlin)
  • BEng, Mechanical Engineering & Automation (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
  • BEng, International Finance (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
  • PG Cert in Learning & Teaching in Higher Education
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Biography

Yufeng Zhang is a Professor in Operations Management at the University of Birmingham. He received his undergraduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering (BEng) and International Finance (BEng) from Shanghai Jiao Tong University; earned his MSc/Dipl-Ing in Global Production Engineering from the Technical University of Berlin; gained his PhD in Engineering at the University of Cambridge. After that he stayed at Cambridge as a Research Associate with the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM). He moved to Birmingham in 2009 for a Lectureship in Operations Management, and then was promoted to a Senior Lecturer in 2013 and a Reader in 2018. Yufeng had an earlier industrial career with responsibilities for project management and new business development. He continues working very closely with industry in his research and teaching activities.  

Teaching

Yufeng’s teaching is research informed. He has been the leader of Operations Management and Supply Chain Management courses for UG, MSc, MBA and Executive MBA programmes. He received the university’s award for excellence in teaching and learning in 2013.

Postgraduate supervision

Yufeng has supervised over 20 PhD students.

His current work focuses on sustainability, digitalisation, engineering innovation and global network operations. He welcomes PhD applications in the broad areas of Operations and Supply Chain Management. Doctoral scholarships are available. 

Research

Yufeng’s work aims to help companies cope with complex challenges and opportunities in managing their global network operations. Within a research framework drawing together engineering and management, his research has been supported by a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods as well as modelling and simulation techniques.  He has led and participated in a large number of research projects supported by UK, EU and other international funding bodies.

Other activities

  • Deputy Lead for Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) from 2018.
  • Director of Business Programmes with Engineering, Sciences, Law and Languages from 2010 to 2017.
  • Coordinator of Europe China High Value Engineering Networks (EC-HVEN) from 2012 to 2016.
  • External Examiner for Aston, Glyndrw, Nottingham and Warwick Universities.
  • Visiting Professor at Zhejiang University
  • Senior Fellow of Henan Academy of Social Sciences
  • Guest editor for IJPD and IJMTM.
  • Scientific committee member for GMC, ProLog, etc.  

Publications

Yufeng has published over 80 refereed papers extensively on global network operations, engineering innovation, green operations, sustainable supply chains and digital transformation, including articles in top operations management journals and highly respected engineering journals.  He has over 20 high quality research outputs in the current REF cycle.

Sample Publications:

  • Liu, T., Liang, D., Zhang, Y., Song, Y. and Xing, X. 2019. The antecedent and performance of environmental managers’ proactive pollution reduction behavior in Chinese manufacturing firms: Insight from the proactive behavior theory. Journal of Environmental Management, 242, pp.327-342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.04.050
  • Liu, T., Zhang, Y. and Liang, D. 2019. Can ownership structure improve environmental performance in Chinese manufacturing firms? The moderating effect of financial performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 225, pp.58-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.03.267
  • Liu, Y., Zhang, Y., Rong, K. and Batista, L. 2019. Green Operations: What’s the role of supply chain flexibility? International Journal of Production Economics, 214, pp. 30-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2019.03.026
  • Li, T., He, T., Wang, Z. and Zhang, Y. 2019. SDF-GA: a service domain feature-oriented approach for manufacturing cloud service composition. Journal of intelligent manufacturing (impact factor 3.667), pp. 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10845-019-01472-1
  • Zhang, Y., Usui, H. and Yang, Z. 2019. The Internationalisation and Firm Performance of Engineering Services in Japan: A Comparative Study with Manufacturing. Kindai Management Review, vol.7, pp.99-115. ISSN: 2186-6961
  • Zhang, Y. 2019.  Engineering Innovation and Network Operation. Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering, 2(1), pp. 1-2. DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2019.02.000528
  • Wang, X. and Zhang, Y. 2019. Engineering Network Operations for International Manufacturing: Strategic Orientations, Influencing Factors and Improvement Paths. Journal of Production Planning and Control, 30(2-3), pp. 239-258. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2018.1534290
  • Zhang, Y. and Gregory, M. 2018.  Value Creation through Engineering Excellence: Developing Network Capabilities.  Palgrave McMillian, London.  ISBN 978-3-319-56335-0, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56336-7
  • Zhang, Y., Yang, Z and Zhang, T. 2018. Strategic Resource Decisions to Enhance the Performance of Global Engineering Services. International Business Review, Volume 27, Issue 3, pp. 678-700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2017.11.004
  • Li, T., He, T., Wang, Z. and Zhang, Y. 2018. An Approach to IoT Service Optimal Composition for Mass Customization on Cloud Manufacturing. IEEE Access, Volume 6, issue 1, pp. 50672-86.
  • Esfahbodi, A., Zhang, Y, Zhang, Tao, 2017. Governance Pressures and Performance Outcomes of Sustainable Supply Chain Management - An Empirical Analysis of UK Manufacturing Industry. Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 155, no. 2, pp. 66-78. doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.07.098
  • Herrington, T. and Zhang, Y. 2017. Supply Network Evolution in Emerging Industries. International Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, Volume 31, No. 1/2/3. pp. 1-3.
  • Zhang, Y., Gregory, M. and Neely, A. 2016. Global Engineering Services: Shedding Light on Network Capabilities. Journal of Operations Management, volume 42/3, pp. 80-94. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2016.03.006
  • Esfahbodi, A., Zhang, Y. and Watson, G. 2016. Sustainable supply chain management in emerging economies: Trade-offs between environmental and cost performance. International Journal of Production Economics, vol. 181, pp.350-366. DOI:10.1016/j.ijpe.2016.02.013
  • He, T., Ho, W., Zhang, Y. and Dey, P. 2016. Organising the business processes of a product servitised supply chain: A value perspective.  Journal of Production Planning and Control, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 378-393. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2015.1128571
  • Zhang, L., Akwei, C. and Zhang, Y. 2016. Exploring how complex solution-based capabilities (CSC) are developed and integrated in engineering companies. Journal of Production Planning and Control, vol. 27, No. 9, pp. 727-739.  DOI: 10.1080/09537287.2016.1166281
  • Li, T., He, T. and Zhang, Y. 2016. A QFD-based evaluation method for business models of product service systems. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, Volume 2016, Article ID 8532607. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8532607
  • Wang, X. Liu, C. and Zhang, Y. 2016. Manufacturing enterprise network structure influencing mechanism on its ecological performance under different strategies. International Journal of Service, Science and Technology, Vol.9, No. 1, pp.265-276.  DOI: 10.14257/ijunesst.2016.9.1.28
  • Zhang, Y. and Zhang, L. 2014. Organizing complex engineering operations throughout the lifecycle: A service-centred view and case studies. Journal of Service Management, volume 25, issue 5, pp. 580-602. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-07-2013-0182
  • Zhang, Y., Gregory, M. and Shi, Y. 2014. Managing Global Engineering Networks (GEN) PART I: Theoretical Foundations and the Unique Nature of Engineering. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, volume 228, issue 2, pp. 163-171. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0954405413490160
  • Zhang, Y., Gregory, M. and Shi, Y. 2014. Managing Global Engineering Networks (GEN) PART II: Case Studies and Directions for the Future Research. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, volume 228, issue 2, pp. 172-180. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0954405413490161
  • Zhang, Y. and Gregory, M. 2013. Towards a Strategic View of Engineering Operations. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, volume 227, issue 6, pp. 767-780. DOI: 10.1177/0954405413478524
  • Hansen, N., Zhang, Y. and Ahmed-Kristensen, S. 2013. Viewing engineering off-shoring in a network perspective: Addressing and managing risks. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 24, issue 2, pp. 154-173. Literati Nomination for Highly Recommended Paper. https://doi.org/10.1108/17410381311292287
  • Zhang, Y., Ahmed-Kristiansen, S. and Gregory, M. 2012. International Engineering Operations: New Explorations of High Value Engineering and Service. International Journal of Product Development, vol. 17, issue 3-4, pp.171-173
  • He, T., Zhang, Y. and Xu, X. 2012. On Service Supply Chain Operations Management: A Service Value Perspective. International Journal of Product Development, vol. 17, issue 3/4, pp. 277-295. DOI: 10.1504/IJPD.2012.052105
  • Engelseth, P. and Zhang, Y. 2012. Engineering Roles in Global Maritime Construction Value Network. International Journal of Product Development, vol. 17, issue 3/4, pp. 254-276. DOI: 10.1504/IJPD.2012.052104
  • Zhang, Y. and Gregory, M. 2011. Managing global network operations along the engineering value chain. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, volume 31, issue 7, pp.736-764. https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/01443571111144832
  • Zhang, Y., Fleet, D., Srai, J. and Gregory, M. 2010. Network Integration for International Mergers and Acquisitions. European Journal of International Management, 4(1/2), 56-78. https://doi.org/10.1504/EJIM.2010.031275
  • Zhang, Y., Shi, Y. and Gregory, M. 2008. Global Engineering Networks (GEN): Drivers, Evolution, Configuration, Performance, and Key Patterns. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 19(3), 299-314. Literati Nomination for Highly Recommended Paper. https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/17410380810853740
  • Zhang, Y., Gregory, M. and Shi, Y. 2007. Global Engineering Networks (GEN): The Integrating Framework and Key Patterns. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, volume 221, issue 8, pp. 1269-1283. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1243/09544054JEM820

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