Professor John Brocklesby

Human resource management and business strategies are important components for an organisation to be successful and achieve its business plans and visions post Covid-19 pandemic.

Two distinguished academics, Professor John Brocklesby from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and Professor Ruth McPhail from the University of Griffith, will deliver presentations addressing this at the International Conference on Business, Hospitality and Tourism (ICBHT).

The event is organised by the Fiji National University’s (FNU), College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies (CBHTS) and will take place at the Namaka Campus on 25-26 November 2022.

Professor Brocklesby will deliver a Keynote Address on the topic of The Strategic Positioning of Business and Hospitality Schools in a Post-COVID Environment.

Prof Brocklesby started working in the steel industry in Britain in the 1970s. He then developed an academic background in the social sciences. His work is now at the intersection of complex systems theory, organisation studies, and management theory and practice. He has degrees from Coventry University (BA Hons), the London School of Economics (MSc Econ), and Warwick Business School (PhD).

Prof Brocklesby has published books on management science and competitive capability and has published extensively in prestigious journals across his primary fields. He is a past editor of the New Zealand Journal of Business and has served on the editorial board of numerous academic journals, including the prestigious “Organization Studies’.

CBHTS Dean Professor Arun Elias highlighted that the duo’s presentation will give insight and knowledge on the topic of discussion.

“Professor John Brocklesby is currently a Professor of Management Studies and Head of the Victoria University of Wellington Management School. He has worked in a mentoring role for the US Academy of Management; he previously served as New Zealand President of the ANZAM. In 2003, 2006, and 2012, he was a member of the NZ Performance-Based Research Fund Business and Economics Panel in 2003, 2006, and 2012. He is currently researching the organisational law enforcement response to global crime,” Prof Elias said.

“His expertise would be very valuable at the conference, and I have no doubt people would make the most of his presentation and the discussions that will take place.”

Professor Ruth McPhail

Prof Elias said Professor Ruth McPhail, who is a Professor of Human Resource Management, will present on Building Resilience through People, Productivity, and the Planet in the Post-Covid Workplace.

“We are proud to have Prof McPahil, the President-Elect of the Australia New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) to be a keynote speaker of the conference. She has served as Head of the Department of Employment Relations and Human Resources for over five years. She is on the board of ANZAM and is Standards Australia’s representative to ISO on the development of a standard for diversity and inclusion,” Prof Elias said.

“She has served as Head of the Department of Employment Relations and Human Resources for over five years. She is on the board of ANZAM and is Standards Australia’s representative to ISO on the development of a standard for diversity and inclusion.

“In May 2018, Prof McPhail was admitted as a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, recognising her ongoing commitment and academic contribution of academics to student learning. She is a nationally recognised educator, receiving an OLTC citation, the University Teacher of the Year Award in 2015 and the Vice-Chancellor’s Educator of the Year Award in 2019.”

“She has wide experience in management consulting, human resource management, and leadership, having trained management teams in Australia, China, Malaysia, Thailand, the USA, and India. Before joining Griffith University, Prof McPhail was a high school educator before becoming a director of human resources in the industry.”

Prof McPhail’s research interests include international human resource management, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender expatriates, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and intersex elders and aged care, student success, educating adults and first-year preparation and transition.

Prof McPhail holds a PhD from Griffith University and a Master’s and Bachelor of Education from the University of South Australia.