Dr Rodriguez's research falls within two broad areas: gender and organization, and international human resource management. Her work explores intersectional inequality in work and organisations, recently focusing on intersectional inequality from a transnational feminist perspective; and the interplay between identity, work and regulation, specifically looking at the experiences of transnational skilled migrants. Dr Rodriguez's published work has reported on these issues in Latin America, the Hispanic Caribbean and the Middle East.

Dr Rodriguez was principal investigator of the ESRC Seminar Series 'Regulation of Work and Employment: Towards a multidisciplinary, multilevel framework' (2013-2015 - regulationseminars.org.uk).

She has guest-edited the following special issues:

- Rodriguez, JK, Günther, EA, Nkomo, S & Mandiola, M (2022) Intersectional inequalities in work and employment: Advances, challenges and renewed possibilities, Frontiers in Sociology.

- Rodriguez, JK, Rajendran, D & Nkomo, S (2021) Intersectionality in progressive research: Contesting privilege, fostering inclusion. Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.

- Rodriguez, JK, Ridgway, M & Kemp, L (2019) Women, work and management in the Middle East, Gender in Management: An International Journal, Volume 34, Issue 7.

- Pullen, A, Kerfoot, D, Rodriguez, JK & Lewis, P (2019) Joan Acker (1924-2016), Gender, Work & Organization, Volume 26, Issue 12.

- Rodriguez, JK, Johnstone, S & Procter, SJ (2017) Regulation of work and employment: Advancing theory and research in international and comparative human resource management, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Volume 28, Issue 21.

- Rodriguez, JK & Stewart, P (2017) Workplace regulation, employment and the state, Employee Relations, Volume 39, Issue 3.

- Rodriguez, JK, Holvino, E, Fletcher, JK & Nkomo SM (2016) The theory and praxis of intersectionality in work and organizations, Gender, Work & Organization, Volume 23, Issue 3.

- Rodriguez, JK and Mearns, L (2012) Employee Relations, Migration and Geographical Mobility, Employee Relations, Volume 34, Issue 6.

Dr Rodriguez is involved in scholar activism as founding member of the Decolonizing Alliance, an international community committed to intellectual and practical collaboration, translation, active solidarity and resistance to tackle intersectional inequalities and neo-colonial power relations faced by people of colour in the Global South and the Global North.

At Alliance Manchester Business School, she has served as Associate Head of Social Responsibility & Civic Engagement in the People, Management and Organizations (PMO) Division (2019-2021) and Chair of the AMBS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (2021-2023).