Role
Dr Katarzyna Lakoma is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Economics, Policy and Public Management at Nottingham Business School. Her research focuses on accountability and governance arrangements in local government and emergency services. She holds a PhD in Public Administration and has published in a range of public administration, management, political science, and accounting journals.
Katarzyna joined Nottingham Business School in 2017 as a Research Assistant in Emergency Services. In 2024, she obtained her PhD degree from Nottingham Business School. Her PhD was entitled "The implications of governance changes on understandings of accountability: The case of Fire and Rescue Services in England". Katarzyna's thesis provided new insights into how governance reforms affect perceptions and practices of accountability in public services.
As a Research Fellow in the Centre for Economics, Policy and Public Management, Katarzyna supports group members with various research projects across the public sector. Katarzyna’s research is mainly focused on the Fire and Rescue Services, but she also contributes to the Health and Social Care, and the Central and Local Government Research Units at the Business School. She regularly attends and presents at national and international conferences.
In addition to her research, Katarzyna is the Editorial Assistant of the International Journal of Emergency Services. She also holds an Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA).
Katarzyna is a member of the Research Staff Network and the Impact Network at NBS.
Career overview
Katarzyna holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Accounting from Poznan University of Business and Economics in Poland. During her studies, she participated in the Erasmus program, studying Accounting and Finance at Nottingham Trent University. She later completed an MSc in Finance and Accounting at Nottingham Trent University, graduating with distinction. During her master’s program, Katarzyna also undertook an internship with Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, which strengthened her interest in the public sector and emergency services.
Katarzyna joined Nottingham Business School in 2017 as a Research Assistant. She started her part-time PhD degree in 2018. Katarzyna also held an Hourly Paid Lecturer position in the Department of Accounting and Finance at Nottingham Business School from 2019 to 2021, alongside her primary research role. She taught modules such as Accounting and Finance for Managers and supervised undergraduate students on their Business Research Projects. She was promoted to Research Fellow in 2022. Katarzyna completed her PhD degree in Public Administration in 2024.
Research areas
Katarzyna's research interests include: Accountability, Public Governance, Public Audit, and Fire and Rescue Services.
Katarzyna has published in various peer-reviewed international journals, including:
- Public Administration
- Public Management Review
- Regional Studies
- Public Money and Management
- Policy Studies
- International Journal of Auditing
- International Journal of Emergency Services
Katarzyna has also co-authored a book entitled "Rebuilding the Fire and Rescue Services: policy, delivery and assurance" with NTU colleagues.
Research Awards:
- Best Paper Award, Accounting and Finance Department, Nottingham Trent University (Nottingham, UK, September 2023)
- Public Administration Award for the best doctoral paper awarded by the Public Administration Committee (Nottingham, UK, September 2022)
- Best Poster Award at the Doctoral Colloquium at the British Academy of Management (Bristol, UK, September 2019)
- FIRE Magazine / Gore Research Excellence Award – Winner for the Best Poster at the Fire Related Research and Developments Conference (RE18) (Birmingham, UK, November 2018)
- EU Postgraduate Scholarship at Nottingham Trent University (Nottingham, UK, September 2016)
External activity
Katarzyna is the Editorial Assistant of the International Journal of Emergency Services.
She is also a member of His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) Academic Advisory Group, where she contributes her expertise to support evidence-based policy and practice in the sector.
Sponsors and collaborators
Katarzyna has held consultancy or research contracts with the National Fire Chiefs Council and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Katarzyna has ongoing academic collaborations with Professor Pete Murphy, Dr Pete Eckersley, Dr Martin Jones and Dr Bernard Kofi Dom from NTU.
Press expertise
Governance and accountability arrangements of Fire and Rescue Services