Dr. Kelly Meng Parnwell
Staff details

Kelly read for her MA and PhD at the University of Leeds, UK. Her PhD research centred on inward investment into China from South Africa, examining the key institutional factors that have contributed to the effectiveness or otherwise of South African firms entering and operating within the Chinese market, and the business strategies that the firms adopted to negotiate the changing Chinese institutional environment. This was the first academic study in this field, and involved extensive field-based research, in both the PRC and South Africa, of the forty key South African firms operating in China.
Prior to her appointment at Goldsmith’s, Kelly held several senior managerial positions with leading international companies in the retail industry, working with international luxury and mass brands, and consulting on business development, retail location and planning, and human resource development. Kelly also has extensive experience in high-end project management.
Academic qualifications
- PhD, University of Leeds 2014
- MA, University of Leeds 2007
Teaching and Supervision
Research interests
Kelly’s current research focuses on business development and strategic management in the luxury sector, including the evolutionary development of the luxury industry and the revolutionary business strategies of luxury fashion brands.
Publications and research outputs
Article
Meng, Kelly and Hitchcock, Michael. 2020. Sustainability and Authenticity of Chinese Traditional Crafts in the Contexts of Luxury and Tourism. E-Journal of Tourism, 7(2), pp. 205-228. ISSN 2541-0857
Chen, Qiaoshan and Meng, Kelly. 2019. A Comparative Study on the Expression of Traditional Handicrafts and Urban Culture between Shanghai and London 上海—伦敦传统手工艺与城市文化品牌表达比 较研究. Shanghai Vision 上海视觉, 2019(2), pp. 77-83.
Book
Meng, Kelly. 2021. South African Business in China: Navigating Institutions. New York: Routledge. ISBN 9780367761301