Qualifications
PhD (University of Sydney), MBA (University of Wollongong), M.Sc.(Tech.) (BITS-Pilani, India)
Academic Positions
University Human Research Ethics Committee Member
Research Interests
Services and Tourism Marketing; Marketing Education
Awards
Outstanding Paper Award (2011, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Emerald).
Faculty OCTAL Award (2010, University-level teaching award).
Commerce Early Career Academic Award (2007, Faculty-level teaching award)
Best Paper in Services Marketing Track (2007, ANZMAC conference proceedings)
Background
Venkat’s research interests are in services marketing and its application in various contexts including tourism marketing. He has joint publications forthcoming in top-tiered outlets namely Annals of Tourism Research (ERA ‘A*’), Journal of Business Research (ERA ‘A’) and the Handbook of Tourism and QOL Research (book chapter; publisher: Springer). He has joint publications in several journals including the Australasian Marketing Journal (ERA ‘B’), Journal of Service Management (ERA ‘B’), Managing Service Quality (ERA ‘B’), Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (ERA ‘B’), Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice (ERA ‘B’), International Journal of Bank Marketing (ERA ‘C’) and The International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing (ERA ‘C’).
Venkat has presented at and published articles in the proceedings of various national and international conferences that include, but not limited to Frontiers in Service, Services Marketing Special Interest Group (SERVSIG), Academy of Marketing (AM), Australia and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (ANZMAC), Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE), and Teaching & Learning (T&L) Forum. Venkat supervises two higher degree research students.
Venkat teaches Marketing Principles and Services Marketing at both the UG and PG levels. Venkat provides education that encourages students to be socially responsible. His teaching approach extends beyond providing an interesting and entertaining classroom performance to one that engages students to think critically in a context of a large classroom environment. He sets assessment tasks that allow students to evaluate the role of social responsibility and ethics in improving marketing performance of organisations.
Venkat has worked with others to introduce a systematic means to embed academic integrity in the Commerce curriculum to provide students with a learning experience that supports their development of the graduate quality 'socially responsible'. Venkat has also co-investigated the learning of his students and his teaching by publishing peer-reviewed papers that describe a part of the developmental progression of an academic integrity module, scaffolding of academic integrity, student reflections of the strengths and weaknesses of team teaching, multiple assessment supports to first-year marketing students in a large class, and arguments for research skills training for first-year marketing students in a large class.
Prior to joining academia, he held key-account sales positions in the information technology industry overseas.
Research Profile
UOW RIS profile
