Study design● Live
300–350
employees, multi-organization survey
BankingTelecomHealthcare
Sampling
Master's thesis● Ongoing
Leader Affiliative Humor & Employee AI Adoption
Can a leader's humor ease employees' anxiety about algorithms, and make them more willing to use AI?
Stress & coping theorySurvey study2025–2028
Leader humor × AI adoption
Journal article● Under review
Leader Sense of Humor & Construction Workers' Safety Behavior
Journal of Safety Research · Elsevier
2nd authorSafetyLeadership
Safety study
Management researcher / Beijing, China

Asif
Nisar

Nine years inside hospitals, now studying how leaders help people cope with change. CSC Scholar researching leader humor, AI adoption and safety.

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9+ Years
in hospital imaging and healthcare operations
CSC Scholar
Chinese Government Scholarship, master's at BUCT
3.75 CGPA
in the Master of Business Management (of 4.0)
2 Studies
thesis in progress and one article under review
About
Portrait of Asif Nisar

Asif Nisar

Management Researcher · Organizational Behavior and Leadership

9+Years in healthcare
7Years as MRI in-charge
HSK 3Chinese language
Organizational behavior Leader humor Stress & coping AI adoption Safety behavior SPSS · PROCESS Mplus · SmartPLS Survey research

I'm Asif Nisar, a master's researcher at the School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, studying on a Chinese Government (CSC) Scholarship.

Before research, I spent nine years in hospital radiology, seven of them in charge of an MRI unit, then moved into healthcare marketing and management. I saw up close how leaders shape the way teams handle pressure, new technology and safety rules.

That is now my research: how leader humor works as a coping resource. My thesis tests whether a leader's affiliative humor reduces employees' algorithmic anxiety and encourages AI adoption. A co-authored article examines how leader humor shapes construction workers' safety behavior.

Open to

PhD positions, research assistant roles and research-focused jobs in Organizational Behavior, Leadership and Human Resource Management. Happy to discuss collaborations and joint papers.

Selected research

Studies in
progress

Work in progress. These studies are not yet published, so only their aims and design are described here. Full citations and findings will be added after publication.
01 Leader Humor & Employee AI Adoption Thesis · Ongoing
01 / 02Master's thesis · OngoingBeijing University of Chemical Technology · 2025–2028

Leader humor
& AI adoption

When organizations bring in AI, many employees worry about algorithms judging or replacing their work. This study asks whether a leader's affiliative humor helps them cope, and so makes them more willing to use AI.

  • Theory: the transactional theory of stress and coping (Lazarus & Folkman), with leader humor as an interpersonal coping resource.
  • Focus: leader affiliative humor, employees' algorithmic anxiety and AI adoption behavior, under different levels of AI implementation.
  • Design: multi-organization survey of 300–350 employees in banking, telecom and healthcare.
  • Analysis: mediation and moderated mediation with SPSS, the PROCESS macro and Mplus.
Leader humorAlgorithmic anxietyAI adoptionStress & copingPROCESS
StatusOngoing master's thesis
TheoryTransactional theory of stress and coping
SettingBanking, telecom and healthcare organizations
MethodMulti-organization survey, mediation and moderation analysis
Expected completion2028
02 Leader Humor & Construction Safety Article · Under review
02 / 02Journal article · Under reviewJournal of Safety Research (Elsevier) · Second author

Leader humor
& safety behavior

Construction sites are among the most dangerous places to work. This study looks at how a leader's sense of humor reaches frontline workers' safety behavior: through how workers think, and through humor aimed at safety itself.

Leader Sense of Humor and Construction Workers' Safety Behavior: Cognitive Pathways and Safety-Specific Humor Behaviors. Under review at the Journal of Safety Research.

  • My role: second author, working with my supervisor as first author and a second professor as corresponding author.
  • Focus: the cognitive pathways linking leader humor to safety behavior, and the role of safety-specific humor.
  • Setting: frontline workers in high-risk construction operations.
Safety behaviorLeadershipCognitive pathwaysQuantitative
StatusUnder review
JournalJournal of Safety Research (Elsevier)
My roleSecond author
SettingFrontline construction workers
MethodQuantitative survey analysis
Experience & education

The route so far

Two careers that meet in my research: business and leadership on one side, a decade of hands-on healthcare on the other.

A

Business, Marketing & Research

From business studies and healthcare marketing to OB research in Beijing.

2025 to presentBeijing, China
Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Master of Business Management · CSC Scholar · CGPA 3.75 / 4.0

Research in Organizational Behavior at the School of Economics and Management: leader humor, stress and coping, AI adoption and safety behavior. Coursework in research methodology, statistics, leadership behavior and management communication.

Thesis on leader humor & AI adoptionCo-author, Journal of Safety Research submissionHSK 3 Chinese
Jan 2021 to Aug 2023Rawalpindi, Pakistan
National Lab & Diagnostic Centre
Marketing Manager · Supervisor, MRI Section

Ran marketing, patient outreach and day-to-day administration for a diagnostic centre while supervising its MRI section. Managed budgets and reporting, digital campaigns and relationships with referring doctors.

Healthcare marketing strategyBudgeting & cost controlMRI section supervision
Jan 2021 to Jan 2022Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Abrar Diagnostic Centre & Surgery Hospital
Marketing Internship

Worked with the medical team to align marketing with the hospital's services, and helped run campaigns to raise visibility and patient engagement.

2018 to 2022Khairpur, Pakistan
Shah Abdul Latif University
BBA (Hons) · CGPA 3.61 / 4.0

Business administration with a focus on supply chain, operations, entrepreneurship, HRM and marketing. Final-year project on the impact of medical advertising on consumer behavior.

B

Healthcare & Medical Imaging

Nine years in radiology, seven of them running an MRI unit.

Mar 2014 to May 2023Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Fauji Foundation Hospital
Radiology Imaging Technologist · MRI In-charge (7 years)

Nine years in radiology, seven running the MRI unit: advanced dynamic studies, angiography and venography, equipment operation, staff training and strict patient safety protocols.

MRI unit leadershipSafety protocols & trainingCanon Vantage Titan 1.5T trained
Jan 2021 to May 2023Islamabad, Pakistan
MEDSO Medical Solutions
MRI Application Specialist · Freelance

Specialist support for MRI systems: helping hospital teams use scanners well, with applications training and protocol advice.

2010 to 2012Pakistan
Diploma in Radiography & Imaging Technology
Professional diploma

Radiological principles, imaging methods and patient safety: the start of the healthcare career.

Toolbox & credentials

Methods, skills
& certificates

Research methods

SPSSPROCESS macroMplusSmartPLSPythonAdvanced ExcelSEMSurvey designConstruct validationEndNoteMendeley

Certificates & courses

  • Artificial Intelligence using PythonDigiSkills Training Program · 2026 · certificate pending
  • Startup Strategies & EntrepreneurshipDigiSkills Training Program · 2026 · certificate pending
  • Data Analytics & Business IntelligenceDigiSkills Training Program · 2024
  • Affiliate MarketingDigiSkills Training Program · 2024
  • Creative WritingDigiSkills Training Program · 2022
  • E-Commerce ManagementDigiSkills Training Program · 2021
  • Digital MarketingDigiSkills Training Program · 2021

Conferences & recognition

  • International Conference on Business Management (ICBM 2023)Muhammad Ali Jinnah University, Karachi
  • 4th International Scientific Conference on Basic & Advanced MRI TechniquesHoly Family Hospital, Rawalpindi · 2019
  • Chinese Government (CSC) ScholarshipMaster's study in China
  • Prime Minister's Youth Program laptop awardGovernment of Pakistan

Languages

EnglishFluent
Urdu · PunjabiNative
ChineseHSK 3
Contact

Let's talk
research

Supervisors with open PhD positions, research teams and collaborators in Organizational Behavior and Leadership: I'd be glad to hear from you.

Emailasifnisarrao@gmail.comWrite to me → LinkedInin/asifnisarraoView profile → ORCID0009-0009-3957-3344Researcher ID → WhatsApp+92 332 4300877Message me →