Lauren Hajjar, PhD

Biography

Dr. Lauren Hajjar specializes in organizational change, collaboration and coordination of work. This includes structural, work process and relational practices that support high performing teams, organizations and communities. Her research has explored the coordination of inter and intra-organizational work in multiple contexts across the United States and in collaboration with colleagues from around the globe. Recent projects have explored organizational mindfulness, relationships and resilience in the workplace.

Hajjar is skilled in quantitative and qualitative analysis and uses diverse methodologies to answer research questions, including ethnographic methods such as interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and field-based surveys. She has presented her research in papers and symposia at the Annual Meetings of Labor and Employment Relations Association, Academy of Management and other international forums. Recent research has been funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Nellie Mae Education Foundation, National Institute of Corrections and the Sawyer Business School.

She serves as a Senior Advisor at CNA Corporation, an independent, nonprofit research and analysis organization dedicated to the safety and security of the nation. Hajjar is Co-Founder of the Resilient Communities Innovation Lab housed here at SBS and in partnership with Brandeis University. She is also an Affiliated Member of the Organizational Sociology Research Group (OrgSoc) at Aalborg University in Denmark.

Previously, Hajjar was the Director of Research at the Relational Coordination Collaborative at Brandeis University, an NIH Research Fellow at the Institute for Behavioral Health at the Heller School, and a Lecturer at Suffolk University. Prior to her academic roles, Dr. Hajjar spent a decade providing services to adults with disabilities and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders in the nonprofit sector.

Honors and Recognitions

• Principal Investigator, Sawyer Business School Faculty Research Grant, Exploring Creeping Crises in USA and Denmark: A Comparative Pilot Study, 2024-2025
• Academic Partnership, Sawyer Business School Faculty Special Grant, Relational Coordination Collaborative 12th Annual Roundtable, Suffolk University, Boston, MA. 2022-2023
• Principal Investigator, Sawyer Business School Faculty Research Grant, High Performance Healthcare: The Role of Relational Coordination on Worker Outcomes, 2021-2022
• Co-Principal Investigator, Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Organizing for Student Success: The Role of Relational Coordination in Building a Collaborative Culture, 2018-2020
• Research Partner, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Using Readiness and Relational Interventions to Improve Police-Community Relationships in Columbia, South Carolina, 2018-2020
• Research Partner, New York Department of Education, The Bronx Collaborative School Model: Relational Mapping and Family Engagement, 2018-2019
• Research Partner, National Institute of Corrections, Transition from Jails to Communities: A Collaborative Approach, 2017-2019
• Co-Principal Investigator, Rochester City School District, Transforming Relationships to Promote Equity and Inclusion, 2017-2018
• NIH Fellowship Recipient, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2010-2013

Professional Activities

• Hajjar, L., Best, J., Phillips, S., Olaleye, O., & Nicholson, E. (Accepted, November 2024). Exploring Resilience: Relational Practices & Work Systems. Symposia Relational Coordination Collaborative Annual Roundtable. Berkeley, CA.
• Gittell, J., Hajjar, L., Olaleye, W., & Stephens, J.P. (August 2024). Seeing the Whole Together: Relational Mapping for Theory, Research and Practice. Academy of Management Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL.
• Hajjar, L., et. al. (2023). Intervening to strengthen relational coordination in user-centered models of service delivery. Relational Coordination Roundtable, Baltimore, MD.
• Hajjar, L., et al. (2023). Positive Approaches to Management Education. Academy of Management Annual Meeting; Boston, MA.
• Hajjar et. al. (2022). Creating Resilient Communities Through Multi-Sectoral Collaboration. Relational Coordination Collaborative Annual Roundtable. Suffolk University, Boston, MA.
• Hajjar et. al. (2022). Relational Mapping as a Tool for Change. Professional Development Workshop. Relational Coordination Collaborative Roundtable; Suffolk University, Boston, MA.
• Graf, M., Hajjar, L., Maurer, M. & Yang, J. (2022). Use of Incident Command System to Improve Relational Capacity Among Providers. Relational Coordination Collaborative Roundtable. Boston, MA.
• Hajjar et. al (2022). Building Relational Coordination at the Systems Level for Managing Capacity During the Pandemic. Academy of Management Annual Meeting. Seattle, WA.
• Kragen, B. & Hajjar, L. (2022). Testing the Added Value of Telehealth Service Delivery: The Experience of Caregivers During COVID-19 Frontiers in Service Conference; Boston, MA.
• Hajjar, L.M. et al. (2021). Relational Coordination and Stakeholder Alignment: Integrating Theory and Methods for Systems Change. Chair of PDW Workshop at the 81st Annual Academy of Management Virtual Conference.
• Hajjar, L.M. (August 2019). Relational Organizing for Multi-Level Systems Change. Co-organizer of PDW Workshop at the Academy of Management Conference; Boston, MA.
• Hajjar, L.M. (August 2018). Understanding the Relational Dynamics of Multi-Level Systems Change. Co-organizer of PDW Workshop at the Academy of Management Conference; Chicago, IL.

Professional Organizational Positions

• Affiliated Member, Organizational Sociology Research Group (OrgSoc), Aalborg University, DK (2024-present)
• Senior Advisor, CNA Institute for Public Research (2023-present)
• Co-Founder, Resilient Communities Innovation Lab (2022-present)
• Board Member, Relational Coordination Collaborative (2022-present)
• Member, Academy of Management (2018-present)
• Member, American Society of Public Administration (2018-present)

Publications

Recent Intellectual Contributions

Refereed Journal Articles

• Hajjar, L., Gittell, J.H., Stephens, J.P., Meier, N. & Cucher-Gershenfeld, J., (forthcoming). Seeing the Whole Together Through Relational Mapping: A Method for Engaging in Complex Systems Change. American Review of Public Administration.
• Hajjar, L., Olaleye, O., Yang, J., McGirr, S., & Sullivan, E. (forthcoming). Relational Coordination and Team Based Care: Change Initiative Overload and Other Challenges in a Learning Health System. Learning Health Systems.
• Secordel, L., Hajjar, L., Mechanic, R., & Perloff, J. (forthcoming). Characteristics of Skilled Nursing Facility Networks by Accountable Care Organizations. American Journal of Managed Care.
• Hajjar, L.M., Sullivan, R., Maurer, M. & Yang, J. (2024). Lessons for Tomorrow: The Role of Relationships and Mindfulness in Sustaining Services During a Crisis. Health Care Management Review, 49(3).
• Ali, H. N., Bhardwaj, A., Dillon, E., Faraj, S., Hajjar, L., Kragen, B., & Yang, J. (2022). Relationships and Resilience in the COVID-19 Pandemic. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2022, No. 1, p. 10515). Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management.
• Hajjar, L. & Kragen, B. (2021). Timely Communication Through Telehealth: Added Value for a Caregiver During COVID-19. Frontiers in Public Health. 9:755391.
• Hajjar, L., Cook, B. S., Domlyn, A., Ray, K. A., Laird, D., & Wandersman, A. (2020). Readiness and relationships are crucial for coalitions and collaboratives: Concepts and evaluation tools. New Directions for Evaluation, 2020(165), 103-122.
• Gittell, J. H., & Hajjar, L. (2019). Strengthening patient-centered care in the VHA: a relational model of change. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 34, 7-10.

Other Publications

• Hajjar, L., Gittell, J. H., Meier, N., & Gunn, W. (2024). Breaking Down Silos to Build Collaborative Systems. In The Heller School Social Impact Case Collection: Reimagining Capitalism through Case-Based Learning. Brandeis University Press (Teaching Case).
• Hajjar, L.M., Moore, S., & Hoffer Gittell, J. (2019). Central Office Transformation in a Major Urban School District: A Relational Capacity Strategy. Submitted to Rochester City School District, Offices of Accountability and Student Equity and Placement.
• Hajjar et. al., (2019). Organizing for Student Success: The Role of Relational Coordination in Building a Collaborative Culture. Submitted to the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.
• Hajjar, L.M., Hoffer Gittell, J., Stojicic, D., & Olaleye, O. (2018). Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Care Redesign and Relational Coordination: Analysis of Interdisciplinary Team Huddles and Physician Rounds. Submitted to BIDMC Office of Improvement and Innovation.
• Hajjar, L.M. (2016). Adoption of SPI Practices in Police Departments. Smart Policing Initiative Quarterly Newsletter Issue No. XVIII. Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Intellectual Contributions

• Lauren Hajjar's Intellectual Contributions [PDF]

Media Highlights

• Building Resilient Communities – One Conversation at a Time: In St. Louis, Professor Lauren Hajjar applies her work in organizational effectiveness and resilience to advance delivery of mental health services. Suffolk News (March 2023)
• Hajjar, L. Organizational culture and performance and the Boston Bruins. Bloomberg Baystate Business Radio (December 2022).
• Hajjar, L. You’re Fired! What the firing of Boston Bruins Coach Bruce Cassidy says about building high performing teams. Amplification Avenue Podcast (July 2022).
• Hajjar, L. To Avoid Reopening Disasters, Real Engagement with Parents and Teachers is Crucial. Scholars Strategy Network, Policy Brief (September 2020).