Dr. Kedar Thakur is an Assistant Professor in the OB & HRM area at the Goa Institute of Management. He earned his doctorate in Human Resource Management from XLRI Jamshedpur, where he was awarded the Gold Medal for Outstanding Doctoral Graduate. Before his doctoral journey, he completed an MBA in HRM from the School of Human Resource Management, XIM Bhubaneswar, an FDP in Advanced Research and Data Analysis from IIM Kozhikode, and a B.Sc. in Mathematics. He was also associated with XIM University in the capacity of Visiting Faculty.

His research broadly examines the evolving role of AI in the HR–OB spectrum, focusing on employer branding and ethical AI adoption. Methodologically, he specializes in experimental designs and quantitative research methods, with expertise in randomized experimental flows, quantitative text analysis, and eye-tracking. His doctoral dissertation, “Covering the Funny Side of GenAI: Exploring Recruitment Through Eye-Tracking, Text Analysis, and Pre-Hire Outcomes”, investigates how humor in job advertisements shapes applicant perceptions, cognitive processing, and impression management strategies.

Dr. Thakur has presented his research at leading global conferences, including the Academy of Management (AoM) in Denmark (2025) and Seattle (2022), the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (EIASM) in Luxembourg (2024), and the Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) in Wellington (2023). His work has been published in peer-reviewed ABDC A* and A journals, with several manuscripts in the FT50 and ABDC A* pipeline. He has also co-authored teaching cases published with Ivey Publishing
and featured in Harvard Business Publishing. He has also attended the Doctoral Consortium on Teaching organized by the Centre for Teaching and Learning, IIM Bangalore.

His scholarship has been widely recognized, with Best Paper Award, CERE 2023, Indian Institute of Management Indore Best Paper Award, MERC 2023, Indian Institute of Management Kashipur (OBHR Track) Best Paper Award, BSIM 2023, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad Best Paper Award, AIRC 2022, Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (OBHR Track)

Dr. Thakur has facilitated workshops on experimental methods in management research for doctoral scholars at XLRI Jamshedpur and conducted a case discussion workshop on Human Resource Planning at XIM University. He serves as a reviewer for reputed journals, including the Journal of Business Ethics (FT50/ABDC A), Annals of Tourism Research (ABDC A*), Management and Labour Studies, and Business Perspectives and Research.

Beyond academia, he has contributed to consulting projects, including co-consultant with Godrej Interio, leading an eye-tracking-based research project on attention spans, and acted as an assessor with Damodar Valley Corporation, supporting a multi-method competency assessment centre through competency mapping and detailed assessment reports

Before his academic career, Dr. Thakur was the Founder of Integrity, an entrepreneurial venture in the education sector. He successfully scaled the organization to multiple branches, secured ISO certification, developed assessment tools for learning outcomes, managed faculty hiring and onboarding, and designed training programs to strengthen professional development and classroom management.

• Thakur, K., Singh, A., & Srimannarayana, M. (2025). May AI come in? Generative AI shaping gender-diverse recruitment in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 126, 104061.
• Thakur, K., Mishra, T., Jena, L. K., & Pal, S. (2023). Psychosocial influence of blended working: The reciprocity of blended working and organizational optimism. International Journal of Manpower, 45(3), 521-538.
• Thakur, K., & Kukul, Y. (2022). Impact of pedagogical changes in management education post-COVID-19: a comparison study. Decision, 49(2), 213-221.

• Randev, K.K., Jha J.K., Thakur, K. (2024). Quick Heal Technologies: Quest For a Performance-Driven Culture. Case Study and Teaching Note. Ivey Publishing
• Kukul, Y., Thakur, K., & Jena, L. K. (2023). Exploring Crisis Leadership During COVID-19: A Case Study on OYO. Business Perspectives and Research, 12(3), 462-473.
• Jena, L. K., Thakur, K., Kukul, Y. (2022). Cognizant Technology Solutions: Retaining Employees Amid Impending Crises. Case Study and Teaching Note. Ivey Publishing

• Singh, A., Thakur, K., Singh, S., & Modukuri, S. (2025). Magnetic Effect: How Employer Branding Through Social Media Affects Organizational Attractiveness. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2025, No. 1, p. 19439). Valhalla, NY 10595: Academy of Management.
• Thakur, K., Gera, N., Bellamkonda, N., & Jha, J. K. (2025). Walking the Talk: How Impression Management Elicits Word of Mouth and Job Pursuit Intention. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2025, No. 1, p. 19348). Valhalla, NY 10595: Academy of Management.
• Thakur, K., Singh, A., & Srimannarayana, M. (2024, September). May AI come in? Impact of impression management as an employer branding tool on hiring outcome. Paper presented at the 13th EIASM Workshop on Talent Management, Luxembourg.
• Thakur, K., & Gera, N. (2023, December). I tell you I like it: Experimental investigation of employer branding techniques to attract talent. Paper presented at the 36th Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Wellington, New Zealand.
• Thakur, K., Singh, A., & Jha, J. K. (2023, June). Humor as a hiring hook: The playful games organizations play to attract talent. Paper presented at the 13th Conference on Excellence in Research and Education, Indian Institute of Management, Indore, India.
• Thakur, K., & Gera, N. (2023, May). I tell you I like it! Experimental investigation of creative job advertisement. Paper presented at the Management Education and Research Colloquium, Indian Institute of Management, Kashipur, India.
• Thakur, K., Mishra, S., & Jain, A. (2023, April). Experimental investigation of manipulation and moral disengagement: The game of cheating. Paper presented at the 3rd Annual Behavioral Sciences in Management Conference, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India.
• Thakur, K., & Mishra, T. (2022, December). An integrated training effectiveness scale for entry-level executives and the influencing factors from a learner's perspective. Paper presented at the 2nd Annual International Research Conference and Doctoral Workshop, Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, India.