CCCM Conversation series

Advancing Abductive Theory Building: Balancing Creative Curiosity and Programmatic Rigour

The Centre for Cross-Cultural Management (CCCM) hosted Professor Peter Fleming from the University of Technology Sydney for a special Visiting Scholar day.  During his visit, he presented the 32nd CCCM Conversation on his recently published Journal of Management Studies (A* on ABDC) paper on Advancing Abductive Theory Building.

Date: 30 October 2025
Time: 10.30am to 12.00 noon 
Venue: 24.202 and Via Zoom  https://uow-au.zoom.us/j/88405968626?

Presenter

Peter Fleming is Professor at the University of Technology Sydney. He has previously held positions at the University of Cambridge and University of London. His research focuses on the dark side of labour and life in the new economy. In addition to publishing papers in journals such as the Academy of Management Review and Organization Studies, Peter has also written numerous books including The Death of Homo Economicus (Pluto, 2017), Sugar Daddy Capitalism (Polity, 2019) and Dark Academia: How Universities Die (Pluto, 2021). His latest book is Capitalism and Nothingness: Critical Theory in Unwanted Times (Bloomsbury, 2025).

Coming home: Connecting PhD Findings on Academic Careers to My Personal Journey

The Centre for Cross-Cultural Management (CCCM) held its 31st CCCM Conversation to share a rare PhD journey of CCCM’s latest PhD awardee, Dr Iresha Donmanige. Her thesis examined the “Identity navigation of women academics and the role of decision-makers in the career progression landscape of STEM academia”. Iresha’s PhD outcome is a first for CCCM! Her thesis examination concluded with her being awarded the PhD without ANY revisions, and with commendations from both examiners.
 
Date: 17 September 2025
Time: 11.30am to 12.30pm
Location: Via Zoom (Passcode 349718)

Presenter

Dr Iresha Donmanige is a Sessional Academic and Research Assistant at UOW, as well as a Franchise Faculty Member at Arden University, UK. Iresha’s research interests centre on identity, intersectionality, and career progression, situated within the fields of critical management and vocational psychology. Her work has been presented at leading international conferences, including the Academy of Management (AOM), the British Academy of Management (BAM), the European Group for Organizational Studies Colloquium (EGOS), and the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM). In recognition of her scholarly service, she received the Outstanding Reviewer Award from the Careers Division at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting (AOM 2025, Copenhagen). In the teaching and learning space, Iresha’s interests include inclusive pedagogy and critical reflexivity in higher education. 

Virtue Signalling or Substantive Commitments to Australian Society and Environment? How can we tell?

The Centre for Cross-Cultural Management (CCCM) held its 30th CCCM Conversation presented by its PhD student, Jacki Johnson. Jacki shared the early findings of her PhD study, which examines how Australian publicly listed companies create value for all stakeholders.  

Date: 18 July 2024
Time: 11.30 am to 12.30 pm
Location: Via Zoom (Passcode 619765)

Presenter

Jacki Johnson is a passionate leader, facilitator and speaker on the role business and leaders play in the fields of strategy and governance to build a more resilient and sustainable future for all. She has been motivated by her early career as an Occupational Therapist then as a Safety Scientist consulting with many of Australia and New Zealand’s largest companies. The last 20 years has been spent as an Executive and Board member in the finance industry (insurance and banking) and NSW government statutory authorities (Workcover Authority and Greater Cities Commission).

During the last ten years she served as President of Insurance Council New Zealand, Co-Chair of United Nations Environment Programme Financial Institutions (UNEPFI)and the founding Co-Chair of Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative (ASFI). In 2016 Jacki was recognised for her leadership as NZ Herald Executive Leader of the Year and in 2022 received the Lifetime Achievement Award Australia New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF).

She is currently completing her PhD exploring how Australian businesses make the strategic decision to commit to social and environmental goals. Jacki is also a faculty member of the Cambridge Institute of Sustainable Leadership. Jacki is a Fellow of the Australia Institute of Company Directors, a member of Chief Executive Women and has a B. App. Sc (Occupational Therapy, Sydney University), Graduate Diploma Safety Science (UNSW), and an Executive MBA (AGSM, UNSW). 

You Have More Influence Than You Think!

Have you ever felt ineffective, invisible, or inarticulate?

Chances are you weren’t actually any of those things. The Centre for Cross-Cultural Management (CCCM) is excited to invite you to attend its 26th CCCM Conversation, presented by CCCM’s Advisory Committee Member from Cornell University, Professor Vanessa Bohns.

Date: Tuesday, 7 November, 2023 
Time: 10.00am-11.00am
Delivery: Via Zoom  

While we often assume our actions, input, and requests will be overlooked or rejected, Cornell University Professor Vanessa Bohns’ research demonstrates that people see us, listen to us, and agree to do things for us much more than we realize — for better and worse.

Vanessa is the Chair of Organizational Behaviour at Cornell's Industrial and Labour Relations School (ILR School). Among her many accolades, Vanessa is a TEDx Cambridge presenter (2023) on the Thinkers50 Radar list of 30 Management thinkers to watch (2022).

In this talk, Vanessa will use the unappreciated power of a simple ask to reveal why instead of seeking ways to gain influence, we should become more mindful of how we use our already existing influence.

Reflections on Conducting Quantitative Business Ethics Research

The 25th CCCM Conversation was presented by Associate Professor Rafi M. M. I. Chowdhury of Bond University who is an editorial board member of the Journal of Business Ethics and the Australasian Marketing Journal. This presentation reflects Rafi’s experience in publishing theory-driven, empirical research in business ethics journals and marketing journals on ethics-related topics.  The critical importance of highlighting research contributions will also be discussed. Some special challenges for business ethics research will be noted.  

Date: 18th October 2023
Time: 11.30-12.30 pm

Presenter

Rafi M. M. I. Chowdhury is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Bond Business School, Bond University. He was earlier with the School of Management and Marketing at UOW. He obtained a PhD in Marketing from the University of Alberta, Canada. He has research interests across a range of business ethics topics including marketing ethics, consumer ethics, and organizational ethics. His research has been published in the European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Macromarketing, and Marketing Letters. Rafi is an editorial board member of the Journal of Business Ethics and the Australasian Marketing Journal. 

The Future of Work, AI, and the Role of the Manager

The Centre for Cross-Cultural Management (CCCM) invites you to attend its 24th Conversation presented by Distinguished University Professor Wayne Cascio. Wayne is the Patron of CCCM and is at the University of Colorado. He returns to addressing CCCM since his successful in-person visit to Wollongong in 2019.

If you’d like to expand your knowledge base on what the future of work looks like and the role of AI in managing organisations, consider attending this talk by one of the world’s leading scholars on human resource management. 

Date: Thursday, 16  March, 2023
Time: 11.00 am - 12.00 pm
Delivery: Via Zoom (Passcode 711713)
Format: 40 minutes talk, 20 minutes Q&A

This CCCM Conversation will highlight:

• Why work-schedule flexibility is here to stay
• The rising influence of AI in the workplace
• Hiring, onboarding, and managing in a hybrid work environment
• Rethinking total rewards for a post-pandemic workplace

The 23^rd Conversation was presented by three CCCM HDR Student Members as they prepared their Research Proposal Review (RPR). 

Identities, Intersectionality and Career Progression of Women Academics in STEM - A Study of the Australian Higher Education Sector

Gender disparity in STEM fields has been the subject of much attention in recent years in Australia and globally. Women’s under-representation in Australian STEM higher education surpasses those in STEM more broadly. This gender disparity is amplified for women academics at more senior levels of the organisational hierarchy. Research has advanced awareness and understanding of causes, and government policies have made some progress, however, women’s under-representation in STEM higher education remains. This is partly due to the lack of focus on the individual self and the way women identify at work. Research to date has explored career progression, with little or no acknowledgment to a woman’s various roles and identities, and how they impact their work and career aspirations. The study provides a multilevel analysis of women’s under-representation in senior levels of STEM higher education using intersectionality and constructivist grounded theory to explore 1) how various identity intersections of women academics in STEM influence their career progress decision (micro level) and 2) how the interactions of organisational stakeholders (meso-level) play a role in the career progression of women academics in STEM. 

Presenter: Iresha Donmanige is a doctoral candidate and researcher at the School of Business, University of Wollongong. Iresha’s thesis supervisors are Associate Professor Shamika Almeida and Dr. Betty Frino.

The Influence of Artificial Intelligence-Driven Cognitive Capabilities on Responsible Leadership in an Emerging Economy

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has seen exponential growth in various sectors of economies around the globe. There has been a corresponding increase in the academic literature on the potential of AI to achieve competitive advantage. However, the literature on the requisite leadership challenges to realize such AI potential in business is scarce. Frequent media reports on the misuse of AI alert us to the need for responsible use of AI. Most initiatives to address AI ethics issues through responsible actions are found in the big technology companies in developed countries. Based on the theoretical lenses of the upper echelon and responsible leadership, this research will primarily investigate the impact of the new form of AI-driven cognitive capabilities on leaders’ responsible outcomes. Moreover, this research will also explore whether such impact appears to be different in the presence or absence of leaders’ AI ethics awareness. 

Presenter: Sahadat Hossain is a doctoral candidate and researcher at the School of Business, University of Wollongong. Sahadat’s thesis supervisors are Professor Mario Fernando and Associate Professor Shahriar Akter.

Is rivals’ misfortune our joy? A study of senior leaders’ schadenfreude in business 

This study aims to develop a theory of schadenfreude in leadership by exploring schadenfreude in senior leaders. Schadenfreude is the emotion of having pleasure at others’ misfortune. The extant research related to schadenfreude is mainly in psychology and social psychology. However, the topic is gaining increasing attention among organisational scholars, particularly co-worker schadenfreude. Surprisingly, there are no direct and transparent attempts to study senior leaders’ schadenfreude regarding rivals’ misfortune. The proposed study explores how leaders perceive schadenfreude and how it impacts their decision-making and behaviour. 

Presenter: Sachinthanee Dissanayake is a doctoral candidate and researcher at the School of Business, University of Wollongong. Sachinthanee’s thesis supervisors are Professor Mario Fernando and Dr. Kumar Biswas.

Identity work by a young petite female academic home comer: Quest for social power in masculine settings

The Centre for Cross-Cultural Management (CCCM) is pleased to invite you to attend its 22nd CCCM Conversation on a fascinating topic by PhD Candidate Nelly Liyanagamage.

Date: 31st March 2022
Time: 11.30am-12.30pm
Delivery: Via Zoom (password: 406216) 
Format: 40 minutes talk, 20 minutes Q&A

Watch Presentation recording

This CCCM Conversation will highlight:
1. Social power and the intersections of gender and physical stature
2. Social power and identity strategies of female researchers in masculine settings
3. Ethical considerations of revealing (collaborative) autoethnographic accounts
4. Negotiating identities as an academic home comer

Presenter Bio:

Nelly Liyanagamage is a final year PhD candidate in the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Wollongong. Her current research explores Machiavellian leadership, relational processes in organisations, emotions at work and relationships in education and research settings. She has published her work on the emotional experiences of working students and evolving supervisor-student relationships in higher education. Nelly was a Three Minute UOW Thesis Finalist in 2021 and a presenter and conference track chair at the 2021 Academy of Management (AOM) Annual conference.

Algorithmic bias in business decision making in the age of AI 

When: Thursday 18 November 2021, 11.30am-12.30pm.
Format: 40 minutes presentation, 20 minutes Q&A Via Zoom (password: 600149).  

Have you wondered why Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testified that the company’s algorithms are dangerous?

In this final CCCM Conversation for 2021, we are excited to host Associate Professor Shahriar Akter to share his expertise on algorithmic bias in artificial intelligence (AI).

Research on AI has gained momentum in recent years. Digital giants Amazon, Alibaba, Google, Apple, and Facebook enjoy sustainable competitive advantages using AI. However, little is known about algorithmic biases that may be present in AI processes that could result in unjust, unfair, or prejudicial decision making. Many scholars and practitioners increasingly highlight the dark sides of AI, particularly related to algorithmic bias.

This presentation will cover:

• A demonstration of neural network models using IBM Watson.
• Situations in which AI-enabled analytics systems make biased decisions based on gender, race, religion, age, nationality or socioeconomic status.
• Various approaches to overcome such biases in AI-driven decision making.

Presenter Bio:

Dr Shahriar Akter is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Business and Law at University of Wollongong. He obtained his PhD from the UNSW Business School, with a doctoral fellowship in research methods from University of Oxford.  He has published in top-ranked business journals including European Journal of Marketing, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business Research, International Marketing Review,  European Journal of Information Systems, Information & Management, International Journal of Information Management,  Journal of the Association of Information Science & Technology, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, International Journal of Production Economics, International Journal of Production Research and in Electronic Markets. His research areas include AI & analytics, digital marketing & innovations, data privacy and security.

Some of Shahriar’s recent AI-related articles include:

• Algorithmic bias in data-driven innovation in the age of AI
• Understanding dark side of artificial intelligence (AI) integrated business analytics: assessing firm’s operational inefficiency and competitiveness
• Addressing Algorithmic Bias in AI-Driven Customer Management
• How to Build an AI Climate-Driven Service Analytics Capability for Innovation and Performance in Industrial Markets?
• Transforming business using digital innovations: the application of AI, blockchain, cloud and data analytics

Towards a Harvard Fellowship 

When: Wednesday, 13 October 2021, 11.30am-12.30pm. 
Format: 40 minutes talk, 20 minutes Q&A Via Zoom (password: 446690).  

Are you thinking of applying for a Fellowship at a prestigious university? 

In this CCCM Conversation, we are thrilled to host Senior Professor Simon Ville to share his story of securing the prestigious Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser Chair in Australian Studies at Harvard University. Simon was also a Chandler Visiting Fellow at Harvard Business School in 2012.

Fellowship offers typically include opportunities to teach, deliver seminars and undertake academic research. This CCCM Conversation will be useful for those of us eager to undertake impactful research and develop collaborations with colleagues from prestigious universities so we can accelerate our research trajectories and careers. 

Simon will share his experience on:

• How to target fellowships that align with our research interests
• The common pitfalls to avoid when applying for fellowships
• Organising time away from your university
• How to keep motivated and be persistent to secure your targeted fellowship

Presenter Bio:

Simon is the Associate Dean of Research at the Faculty of Business and Law at UOW. He is an internationally recognised economic and business historian who has worked with scholars in a broad range of disciplines including economics, history, management, sociology, engineering, and museum science. He has published extensively on big business, foreign investment, the primary industries, the history of transportation and trading, and the Vietnam War. Simon’s research partners range across the public and private sector including Shell Corporation, the South Korean Government, the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs, the NSW Office of Women, the National Council of Wool-selling Brokers, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and the Australian Museum. Simon is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and has served the Australian Research Council in various roles particularly as a member of the College of Experts. 

Self-Compassion: The need of the hour

When: 29 September 2021, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM AEST. 
Format: Experiential, via Zoom  (password: 895121)

Are we more stressed and anxious? An increasing number of research studies show that self-compassion is strongly associated with lower levels of anxiety and depression, and better emotional wellbeing. Self-compassion includes the capacity to comfort and validate ourselves—treating ourselves with the same care and concern we would extend to our best friend.

 This special CCCM Conversation is proud to host Venerable Dr. Juewei Shi from the Nan Tien Institute at Wollongong. Amidst the extraordinary times we live in, Juewei experienced a major health scare just weeks earlier. She will share ways to avoid pain and suffering by responding compassionately to our imperfections by ‘The BEST Self-Compassion’ process.

Yes, we can easily learn to practice self-compassion daily.

In this session, you can expect to:

• Apply skills in real time to help bring self-compassion into your daily life and motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism
• Participate in a guided meditation session
• Deepen your understanding of self-compassion to handle difficult emotions with greater ease, and
• Personalize and apply practices to stop being too hard on yourself.

Presenter Bio:

Venerable Dr Juewei Shi holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies, Master of Business Administration (Cranfield University), Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies, and a Master of Science in Computer Science and Engineering. Juewei began her career as an applied research and development engineer in Artificial Intelligence systems in the 1980s and moved on to management positions in Singapore’s statutory bodies. She made her millennial decision to join the Fo Guang Shan order when she realised that she could be of the best service to humanity through promoting humanistic values in an increasingly-divided world. Juewei is the Head of Program for Humanistic Buddhism, Director of the Humanistic Buddhism Centre, and Senior Lecturer at Nan Tien Institute. She teaches subjects related to Humanistic Buddhism (HB) and Chinese Buddhism, supported by her research on acculturation and application of Buddhist teachings in the modern world.

Doing Precarious Research: Mitigation Strategies to Minimise Risks when undertaking Controversial and Dangerous Topics

When: 18^th August 2021
Format: Open Forum via Zoom (password: 213646)

Have you been weighing the pros and cons of conducting research on a controversial and dangerous topic due to potential ethical and legal risks? As social science researchers striving to develop impactful research careers, we need to strike a balance between upholding academic responsibility and the well-being of others.

This CCCM Conversation will be useful for those of us who are undertaking or eager to undertake impactful research projects that can help our research trajectories and careers but are challenged by the potential ethical and legal risks of the project.

This is an open forum CCCM Conversation where you can share your stories on the topic. I will set the scene by sharing the thrills and challenges I experienced during a research project examining corruption in the public sector. After 10 years and several journal submission rejections, the research was finally published in 2020 in an ABDC A ranked journal. I will share how ethical and legal aspects of the research impacted on the quality of the research design, methods and dissemination outcomes, and also the risk mitigation strategies that worked from the constructive roles played by UOW’s Human Resource Ethics Committee, the Legal Services Unit, senior scholars, and the journal publisher.

If you have a story to tell at this CCCM Conversation, you are welcome to raise your hand in the chat room at the start of session so we can all have a chance to share our stories.

AoM 2021 CCCM HDR Student Presentations

When: Wednesday 21 July 2021
Format: Zoom (password: 439457)

We are thrilled to announce that four of our CCCM HDR Student conference paper submissions to the Annual Academy of Management (AoM) Conference (2021) have been accepted!

The annual AoM conference is a premier event for scholarly engagement around management and organization research. This year and in its virtual format, the conference is due to host over 7000 delegates. To provide a valuable opportunity for our HDR students to get experience and feedback prior to their conference presentations, CCCM’s 17^th Conversation will feature their presentations in a 4x10-minute presentation format followed by 20 minutes of Q&A at the end.

1. Title: Resource depletion as a significant issue for junior medical officers - A case study of a regional hospital in Australia
   
   Junior medical officers (JMOs) report many mental health concerns, including stress and overall poor wellbeing. Given that they are often considered the 'public face' of the medical frontline, it is essential to examine the issues they face during their training program. This study applied the Conservation of Resources (COR) approach to examine the factors that influence the resource depletion of JMOs and organizational practices that mitigate resource loss of the JMOs within an Australian public hospital. The study used 49 semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals, including 11 junior medical officers working in an Australian regional hospital. The findings suggest that the resource loss of JMOs occurred due to 'job-related challenges' and 'person-related challenges’.
   
   Presenter: Afshan Rauf is a doctoral candidate and researcher at the School of Business, University of Wollongong. She is actively involved in research about the wellbeing of healthcare workers. Afshan’s thesis supervisors are Dr. Shamika Almeida and Dr. Laura Rook.
   
   
2. Title: Borderline Machiavellians - A Call for Reclassification of High and Low Machiavellianism
   
   The MACH IV scale is the primary tool used to measure Machiavellian personality. It labels individuals scoring 60+ Mach IV into high Mach and below 60 Mach IV into low Mach.  While this classification has been useful, the arbitrary nature of classifying low and high Machiavellians on the cut-off point of 60 is leading to confusion and ambiguity. The findings show that contrary to the current understanding, ‘borderline’ high Machs express both high and low Machiavellian characteristics and their behavior may be influenced by cultural values. The study calls for a reclassification of the MACH IV scale to include those who project characteristics of both low and high Machiavellians.
   
   Presenter: Nelly Liyanagamage is a doctoral candidate and researcher at the School of Business, University of Wollongong. Her doctoral study focuses on Machiavellian leadership in business organizations. Her research interests are on ‘dark’ leadership and relational theory, emotions and work–life balance. Nelly’s thesis supervisors are Professor Mario Fernando and Dr. Belinda Gibbons.
   
   
3. Title: Equity, Equality and Digital Inclusion - Evidence of Practice from an Australian University
   
   With the global pivot to remote working, the learning and education sector has highlighted the importance of improving students’ access to technology to reduce digital exclusion. Applying Adams’ Equity Theory, this study examines perceptions of fairness and justice to achieve digital inclusion in higher education. Twenty three interviews with learning and development specialists, librarians, information technology specialists, peer support leaders, course coordinators, teaching staff and undergraduate students at an Australian university reveal that digital inclusion policies must be communicated clearly and then linked specifically to equity or equality goals to achieve digital inclusion.  
   
   Presenter: Geraldine Hardie  is a doctoral candidate in the School of Business, University of Wollongong. Her research is on inclusion in higher education and to develop support systems to promote inclusion in higher education. Geraldine’s thesis supervisors are Professor Mario Fernando and Dr. Jan Turbill.
   
   
4. Title: Emotional Distancing Identity Work by Sri Lankan Skilled Immigrant Women in Australian Workplaces
   
   The identities of skilled immigrant women are often challenged and threatened as they enter the host country workforce. Skilled immigrant women hence seek avenues to stabilize their identities to acquire a more socially acceptable self as they navigate the host country workforce. This study draws on 31 in depth interviews of Sri Lankan skilled immigrant women in Australian workplaces to understand the identity work strategies employed in the sensemaking process. We contribute to identity scholarship by furthering the understanding of identity work strategies employed by skilled immigrant women in their early stages of the migration and propose a future research agenda on immigrants’ identity work in host country work places.
   
   Presenter: Gayani Gunasekera is a third year doctoral student at the School of Business, University of Wollongong. Her research interests include identity, intersectional identities of multiply identified individuals, doctoral student and international student learning experience, and peer learning. Gayani’s thesis supervisors are Professor Mario Fernando and Associate Professor James Reveley.

Tips to accelerate your research: Unleashing the power of NVivo

When: Wednesday 22 June 2021
Format: Zoom (password: 667889)

As researchers most of us face a challenging problem: “I need to develop high-quality research that has impact to publish in high-ranking journals. The problem is, I just don’t have as much time as I really need.” This CCCM Conversation aims to present a few practical solutions to this problem. NVivo is a tool for research and writing that is poorly understood and seldom used to its full potential. It is a valuable tool for both qualitative and quantitative researchers. This session will provide a practical demonstration of some of the more advanced and subtle features of NVivo that will add value to your research and writing. Features covered include conducting advanced literature reviews, hypothesis testing, data-mining and enhanced presentation of data.

To maximise available time, please forward any burning NVivo related questions you may have to mario_fernando@uow.edu.au prior to the session so that we can address these during the presentation.

Presenter

Michael Jones (B. Comm Hons-1^st Class, PhD) is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Business and Law, University of Wollongong. Michael has been using NVivo for research and training across Australia, and overseas for the last 15 years. Michael has research strengths in qualitative analysis and in the areas of organisational behaviour and organisational psychology. In particular, he has expertise in commitment, motivation, group dynamics, organisational culture, leadership and retention of volunteers. From 2013 to 2017, Michael was the Project Leader of the Australian Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre entitled “Improving the retention and engagement of volunteers in emergency service agencies”. He led a team of interdisciplinary academics to develop a leadership development course which has been delivered to volunteers at emergency services around Australia, contributing to the practice and management of emergency volunteers. Michael currently has over 90 peer-reviewed published papers.