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My multi-method research examines how technological and institutional shifts reconfigure HR systems and practices and, in turn, reshape work and organizational outcomes. I explore this agenda through a series of ongoing projects, each focusing on a different dimension of HR design and its implications for identity, voice, relational governance, strategic talent management, job design, and employee well-being.
Professional Identity Under Algorithmic Evaluation
(Under review at Organization Science; 2025 Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings & OB Division Outstanding Practical Implications for Management Award)
This paper examines how algorithmic evaluation alters the relational foundations of professional identity. Studying technologists on Upwork and Fiverr, I show that volatile performance rankings destabilize professionals’ sense of competence and legitimacy, leading many to seek affirmation through disintermediation—covertly moving client relationships off-platform. I theorize disintermediation as an identity-stabilizing strategy, highlighting how algorithmic architectures cue divergent identity enactments across performance status.
When “Human in the Loop” Builds Commitment
(Prepared for submission to Academy of Management Journal)
This study investigates whether adding human involvement to algorithmic systems preserves fairness and commitment. Drawing on interviews and survey data from experienced freelancers, I find that augmentation strengthens commitment only when paired with credible voice infrastructures—transparent, auditable, and empowered to overturn algorithmic outcomes. By contrast, human touchpoints without remedy authority backfire as tokenistic. The findings specify a boundary condition for effective algorithmic augmentation.
Relational and Reputational Paradoxes of Platform Entrepreneurship
(Under review at Journal of Management)
Organizational theory often frames client relationships and reputational capital as stabilizing resources. I argue that in platform-mediated entrepreneurship, these same mechanisms can paradoxically constrain entrepreneurial autonomy. Recurring client ties reduce discretion while reputation amplifies vulnerability. Relationships and reputation reinforce each other, binding entrepreneurs more tightly. These findings extend theory by showing how relational and reputational logics can turn assets into liabilities and inform strategic HR by implying that talent retention on platforms requires protecting autonomy.
Governance Modality as Differentiated HR
(In preparation for Academy of Management Journal)
This project theorizes “governance modality”—the form of HR delivery (algorithmic, relational, or hybrid)—as a core design choice under algorithmic management. Evidence from Upwork and Fiverr suggests algorithms can substitute for relational HR in retaining lower-value talent, while high-value talent is retained only when algorithmic consistency is paired with relational coaching and feedback. The contribution is to recast differentiated HR as a problem of substitution and complementarity.
AI Developers as Proxy Job Designers in Healthcare Work
(Revise & Resubmit at Work and Occupations)
In this collaborative project, we examine how AI developers’ values, embedded in the tools marketed to healthcare providers, shape clinicians’ job design. Efficiency dominates vendor promises, yet realizing it requires reorganizing tasks, authority, and information flows—altering discretion, monitoring, and learning opportunities. We argue the missing link lies in productization: whether technologies are sold as turnkey automation or customizable augmentation. Analyzing U.S. healthcare marketing materials, we find vendors overwhelmingly promote automation-first solutions, heightening job demands while reducing resources. We theorize this as job design by proxy, where developer values reshape clinical work.
Logic–Practice Fit and Employee Well-Being
(Data collection with the American Veterinary Medical Association)
This collaborative, nationwide field experiment with 100 U.S. veterinary clinics explores how ownership structures condition the effectiveness of well-being interventions. Comparing independent practices with private equity–owned chains, we test how managerial training on culture, work-life practices, and job crafting affects employee outcomes such as burnout, satisfaction, and turnover intentions. We theorize “logic–practice fit,” showing that HR practices improve well-being only when aligned with the institutional logics of ownership.
(Pre-Ph.D.) Peer-Reviewed Publications in Public Policy & Management
Eusuf, M. A., Rana, A., & Rabi, R. I. (2022). "The Political Economy of a COVID-19 Stimulus Package in Bangladesh: The Case of Women-Owned Enterprises." International Journal of SME Development, 5, 35–55. Link
Khan, N. A., Rana, A., & Haque, M. R. (2020). "Rise of the Concepts and Indicators of Social Development: Insights from the Experience of Bangladesh." Journal of Population and Development, 2, 27–38. Link
Kamal, M., & Rana, A. (2019). "Do Internal and International Remittances Affect Households’ Expenditure and Asset Accumulation Differently? Evidence from Bangladesh." The Journal of Developing Areas, 53(2), 139–153. Link
Rana, A., & Kamal, M. (2018). "Does Clientelism Affect Income Inequality? Evidence from Panel Data." Journal of Income Distribution, 27(1), 1–24. Link
Kamal, M., Rana, A., & Wahid, A. (2018). "Economic Reform and Corruption: Evidence from Panel Data." Australian Economic Papers, 57(1), 92–106. Link
Rana, A., & Wahid, A. (2017). "Fiscal Deficit and Economic Growth in Bangladesh: A Time-Series Analysis." The American Economist, 62(1), 31–42. Link
Kamal, M., & Rana, A. (2015). "Probing the Efficacy of Social Business as the New Kind of Capitalism in Alleviating Poverty." International Journal of Economic Perspectives, 9(3), 57–65. Link
Haque, T., Haque, M. R., & Rana, A. (2013). "Holding NGOs Accountable: Reinvigorating Development Management in Bangladesh." Social Science Review, 30(2), 49–74. Link
Khan, N. U., Haque, M. R., & Rana, A. (2012). "The Role of Civil Societies in Development of Democracy in Bangladesh." Development Review, 22, 31–40. Link
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