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Bahman Semnani

Lecturer
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Overview

Term Adjunct Lecturer and PhD Candidate in Management researching ecosystem ambidexterity, digital ecosystem strategies, AI governance, and Human-Machine interactions, with extensive academic teaching experience and 14+ years in senior business and technology leadership roles.

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Appointment Type

Term Adjunct

Interest Topics

  • Analytics & Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Innovation
  • Management
  • Social Impact & Sustainability
  • Strategy & Innovation
  • Technology & Information Systems

Faculty Details

Profile

Full Bio

Bahman (Ben) Ashraf Semnani, PMP, is a Term Adjunct Lecturer at Queen’s University and a PhD Candidate in Management at the Sprott School of Business, Carleton University. His main research stream focuses on ecosystem ambidexterity and digital ecosystem strategies, while his other research streams examine AI governance, human–machine interactions, and AI–human interactions in organizations.

Ben has extensive teaching experience across multiple institutions. At the Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, he has taught Corporate and Business Strategy (Online MBA), Organizational Theories, Marketing Research, and Project Management. He also teaches Project Procurement Management, Project Time Management, and Technology at Algonquin College's Project Management Program.

Before commencing his PhD studies at Sprott School of Business, Ben built a 14+ year career in IT and ICT leadership roles, including Director of Strategy, Commercial Director, Project Portfolio Manager, and PMO Director. His work encompassed strategic management, digital transformation leadership, contract negotiation, and large-scale portfolio management. As chairman of the Committee of Digital Transformation and IT for the Shipping Association of Iran, he guided executives in adopting digital technologies, redesigning business models, and developing organizational capabilities to support digital transformation.

He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and contributes actively to the academic community as Co-Editor for the Strategy Division at ASAC 2026, peer reviewer for major conferences, and presenter at major academic conferences like the Academy of Management. His teaching and research aim to equip students with the strategic and analytical skills needed to thrive in digitally enabled, innovation-driven business environments.

 

Academic Degrees

PhD Candidate | Management (in progress)
Carleton University, Canada

Academic Experience

Smith School of Business | Queen's University
Lecturer, term adjunct (2025 - Present)

Carleton University | Canada
Instructor (2023 - Present)

Algonquin College | Canada
Post-Secondary Professor (2023 - Present)

Publications

Work in Progress

Sustainability in AI Ecosystems: An Ambidexterity Approach (in AI Ecosystem sustainability through Ambidexterity)

The New Era of Intelligent Conformity: Artificial Intelligence, Institutional Isomorphism, and the Emergence of Technopolitical Clusters (in AI Governance)

Giving birth in a clean room, the effect of the development team biases on software stereotypes (In Human-Machine Interaction)

Orchestrating Organizational Decisions: An Activity Theory Derived Model for Design and Deployment of AI-Employed DSS Solution for Strategic Decision-Making (In Information Systems and Strategy)

Navigating AI Governance: The Impact of Regulatory Frameworks on Technological Innovation and Organizational Strategies (In AI Governance)

Published

Ashraf Semnani, B., & Sheydaei, A. (2024). From machines to colleagues: Understanding human responses to digital entities in organizations. Proceedings of Information Systems, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC), Montreal, Canada, June 1-3.

Ashraf Semnani, B., & Sur, S. (2025). Navigating AI Currents: How Non-Leader Complementor Firms Choose AI Ecosystems to Join. Academy of Management 85th Annual Meeting, Copenhagen, Denmark, Jul 25-29.

 

Service

Academic Service

ASAC Divisional Officer (2024 - Present)
Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC), Canada

Divisional Co-editor, Strategy Division May 2025- Current
Divisional Co-coordinator, Strategy Division Jun 2024-May 2025

Conference Peer Reviewer

Peer Reviewer for 2 papers, AOM, 2025, Copenhagen
Peer Reviewer for 3 papers, HICSS, 2024, Hawaii
Peer Reviewer for 6 papers, ASAC, 2024, Montreal

Volunteer Experience

Chairman of the Committee of Digital Transformation and IT (2021-2022)
Shipping Association of Iran, Tehran, Iran

Led initiatives to support the Shipping Association of Iran in enhancing digitalization and driving digital transformation among Iranian shipping companies. Assisted in designing strategic projects focused on developing IT infrastructures and modernizing digital capabilities within the industry.

Certifications

Prepare to Teach, by Teaching and Learning Services, Carleton University (2025)

Project Management Professional (PMP), by Project Management Institute (PMI) (2015)