Yihe Yang

Yihe Yang, Ph.D., is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Organizational Leadership program at Arizona State University. Her research examines leadership in complex human systems, investigating how authority, culture, and emerging technologies shape organizational learning, adaptation, and change. Drawing on organizational leadership, group relations, systems psychodynamics, and intercultural perspectives, she studies leadership as a relational and systemic process through which individuals and groups navigate complexity, uncertainty, and transformation.

Her research integrates theory and practice to advance ethical, human-centered approaches to leadership in increasingly interconnected and AI-mediated organizations. Rather than treating artificial intelligence, organizational change, intercultural leadership, and group relations as separate domains, Dr. Yang examines how each provides a distinct context for understanding the evolving nature of leadership in complex systems. Across these settings, her work explores questions of authority, identity, relationships, and collective sensemaking, aiming to develop leadership practices that strengthen organizational resilience, collaboration, and responsible innovation.

Dr. Yang's scholarship has appeared in New Directions for Student Leadership, Organizational and Social Dynamics, and UNESCO's Higher Education and Society. She also serves as co-editor of a special issue on Leadership and Artificial Intelligence for New Directions for Student Leadership. Her current research includes AI-enhanced leadership development, ethical leadership in intercultural organizations, systemic approaches to organizational change, and the role of generative AI in group relations and leadership learning.

Before joining Arizona State University, Dr. Yang taught leadership at the University of San Diego, where she earned both her M.A. and Ph.D. in Leadership Studies. Her teaching emphasizes critical inquiry, experiential learning, and reflective practice, preparing leaders to navigate the human dynamics of organizations in rapidly changing social and technological environments.

In addition to her academic work, Dr. Yang brings extensive international experience in organizational development, leadership coaching, and intercultural consulting. She has partnered with organizations across multiple countries to support leadership development, organizational transformation, and intercultural collaboration. She also serves in leadership roles with the A.K. Rice Institute for the Study of Social Systems (AKRI), International Group Relations China (IGRC), and Group Relations International, contributing to the advancement of leadership scholarship and group relations practice worldwide.