Niro Wellalage

APrf Niro Wellalage

Associate Professor of Finance

School of Accounting and Finance

College of Business and Law

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Available For Media Comment.

Dr Nirosha (Niro) Wellalage is an accomplished Associate Professor at UniSA Business, having joined the University of South Australia in 2023. Prior to this, she held academic appointments at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Dr Niro is a leading scholar in corporate finance with a focus on inclusive and sustainable financial practices. Her research investigates how marginalised and under-resourced firms—including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), businesses owned by women, ethnic minorities, and refugees—access and utilise finance to achieve long-term sustainability and contribute to economic development.
She is ranked among the top 5% of female economists globally (based on the last 10 years of publications) by RePEc, the world’s largest bibliographic database in economics. Her work has been cited over 2,500 times on Google Scholar, and she has published in high-impact journals such as Journal of Business Ethics, Small Business Economics, International Review of Financial Analysis, Finance Research Letters, and Business Strategy and the Environment.
Dr Nirosha’s research has been recognised internationally, earning her prestigious awards including the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) Outstanding Scholar Award, the Young Researcher Award from the Baku World Science Forum, and the Early Career Research Excellence Award from the Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand (MSSANZ).
She is currently the principal researcher on three grants funded by the Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand (AFAANZ) and is also a co-investigator on a Lottery Community Sector Research grant in partnership with the University of Canterbury and the Refugee Orientation Centre (NZ).
In addition to her research leadership, Dr Niro is actively engaged in postgraduate supervision, having examined several Master’s and PhD theses. She serves as Associate Editor for the Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal, and is a regular reviewer for top-tier international journals. Her academic network includes honorary fellowships at the University of Wollongong (Australia) and the University of Kelaniya (Sri Lanka).
Dr Nirosha is passionate about research that drives social impact and financial inclusion—and is always open to collaborative opportunities in research, teaching, and academic leadership.

RECENT GRANTS

2021-Ongoing:  Lottery Community Sector Research;  Project Title: Economic integration of refugees

Co-researchers-Dr R. Helen Samujh, Refugee Orientation Centre Trust, New Zealand, Dr. Herb De Varies, University of Canterbury and Dr.Nadeera Ranbahu, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

2021-2022:  Accounting and Finance Association in Australia and New Zealand (AFAANZ); Project Title: “Building wellbeing via financial empowerment: The case of Māori youth in Aotearoa/New Zealand”

Co-researchers-Dr Vijay Kumar, University of Waikato, New Zealand

2019-2020: Accounting and Finance Association in Australia and New Zealand (AFAANZ); Project Title: The Indigenous model of business sustainability: Learning from Indigenous Knowledge

Co-researcher - Dr. Anura De Zoysa, The University of Wollongong, Australia

2018-2019: Waikato Management School Research Trust Contestable Fund Project Title: Does ICT reduce the gender gap in financial inclusion?

Co-researcher - Dr. Gazi Hassan , The University of Waikato, New Zealand

2018-2019: Waikato University Summer Research Project; Project Title: Impact of ICT on financial inclusion for women refugees

2018-2019: Waikato University Summer Research Project; Project Title: Financial services and products suitable for refugees

AWARDS

2019: Early Career Research Excellence Award

                Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand

2018: Publication Award- Waikato Management School

2014: Young Researcher Award- Baku World Science Forum

                 Baku World Sciences Forum 2014 for Young Researchers (Economics and Social science stream)

2012: Alastair Ross Goobey Memorial (ARG) Scholarship

                 The Alastair Ross Goobey Memorial Scholarship aims to provide the financial assistance necessary to encourage and develop the emergent corporate governance leaders of the future.

2012: International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) Outstanding Scholar Award    

Year Citation
2025 Wellalage, N., Wallace, D., & Reddy, K. (2025). Access to finance: the role of production level technology. Finance Research Letters, 71(106460), 1-8.
DOI
2025 Reddy, K., Wallace, D., & Wellalage, N. H. (2025). The impact of financial literacy on financial inclusion. Australian Journal of Management, 5(528), 1-28.
DOI
2025 Benjamin, S. J., Wellalage, N., Biswas, P. K., & Wasiuzzaman, S. (2025). Do negative social media sentiments affect firm risk?. Accounting Research Journal, 38(2), 190-207.
DOI
2025 Islam, T., Arunachalum, M., Wellalage, N., & Benjamin, S. (2025). Corporate environmental performance leading financial performance: impacts of social media sentiment and corporate reputation. Business Strategy And The Environment, 34(4), 4274-4290.
DOI
2025 Rasool, N., Arunachalam, M., Wellalage, N. H., & Kumar, V. (2025). Unveiling the relationship between ESG and growth of unlisted firms: empirical insights from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Business Strategy And The Environment, 34(5), 5669-5686.
DOI
2024 Kijkasiwat, P., Cave, J., Wellalage, N. H., & Locke, S. (2024). Forecasting symbiosis in tourism enterprise networks: Monte Carlo simulation of risk and return. International Journal of Services, Economics and Management, 15(1), 63-83.
DOI
2024 Zhang, D., Wellalage, N., & Fernandez, V. (2024). Temporary employment and financial distress in times of crisis. Journal of Risk Finance, 25(4), 602-628.
DOI
2023 Reddy, K., & Wellalage, N. H. (2023). Effects of family ownership and family management on the performance of entrepreneurial firms. Research in International Business and Finance, 65(101977), 1-14.
DOI
2023 Wellalage, N. H., Zoysa, A. D., & Ma, S. (2023). Corporate cash holdings and firm performance in India: an empirical investigation of the effects of audit quality and firm growth. American Business Review, 26(1), 122-147.
DOI
2023 Wellalage, N., Reddy, K., & Wallace, D. (2023). Environmental performance and the role of government support: evidence from the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Finance Research Letters, 58(104318), 1-11.
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2023 Wellalage, N. H., Fernandez, V., & Bui, T. Q. T. (2023). Immigration and entrepreneurship: is there a uniform relationship across countries?. International Review of Economics and Finance, 85, 270-285.
DOI
2022 Wellalage, N. H., Kumar, V., Hunjra, A. I., & Al Faryan, M. A. S. (2022). Environmental performance and firm financing during COVID-19 outbreaks: evidence from SMEs. Finance Research Letters, 47(102568), 1-8.
DOI
2022 Zhang, D., Wellalage, N. H., & Fernandez, V. (2022). Environmental assurance, gender, and access to finance: evidence from SMEs. International Review of Financial Analysis, 83(102326), 1-14.
DOI
2022 Zhang, D., & Wellalage, N. H. (2022). Comparative analysis of environmental performance measures and their impact on firms' financing choices. Journal of Cleaner Production, 375(134176), 1-11.
DOI
2022 Wellalage, N. H., Boubaker, S., Hunjra, A. I., & Verhoeven, P. (2022). The gender gap in access to finance: evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic. Finance Research Letters, 46(102329), 1-9.
DOI
2022 Wellalage, N. H., Thrikawala, S., & Ghardallou, W. (2022). Political connections, family ownership and access to bank credit. Finance Research Letters, 50(103347), 1-8.
DOI
2022 Benjamin, S. J., Biswas, P. K., Wellalage, N. H., & Man, Y. (2022). Environmental disclosure and its relation to waste performance. Meditari Accountancy Research, 31(6), 1545-1577.
DOI
2021 Wellalage, N., & Thrikawala, S. (2021). Does bribery sand or grease the wheels of firm level innovation: evidence from Latin American countries. Journal of Evolutionary Economics, 31(3), 891-929.
DOI
2021 Wellalage, N. H., & Kumar, V. (2021). Environmental performance and bank lending: evidence from unlisted firms. Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(7), 3309-3329.
DOI
2021 Kijkasiwat, P., Wellalage, N. H., & Locke, S. (2021). The impact of symbiotic relations on the performance of micro, small and medium enterprises in a small-town context: the perspective of risk and return. Research in International Business and Finance, 56(101388), 1-19.
DOI
2021 Wellalage, N. H., & Thrikawala, S. (2021). Bank credit, microfinance and female ownership: are women more disadvantaged than men?. Finance Research Letters, 42(101929), 1-8.
DOI
2021 Wellalage, N. H., Hunjra, A. I., Manita, R., & Locke, S. M. (2021). Information communication technology and financial inclusion of innovative entrepreneurs. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 163(120416), 1-13.
DOI
2020 Wellalage, N. H., & Locke, S. (2020). Remittance and financial inclusion in refugee migrants: inverse probability of treatment weighting using the propensity score. Applied Economics, 52(9), 929-950.
DOI
2020 Benjamin, S. J., Regasa, D. G., Wellalage, N. H., & Marathamuthu, M. S. M. (2020). Waste disclosure and corporate cash holdings. Applied Economics, 52(49), 5399-5412.
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2020 Hewa Wellalage, N., Locke, S., & Samujh, H. (2020). Firm bribery and credit access: evidence from Indian SMEs. Small Business Economics: an entrepreneurship journal, 55(1), 283-304.
DOI
2020 Wellalage, N. H., & Reddy, K. (2020). Determinants of profit reinvestment undertaken by SMEs in the small island countries. Global Finance Journal, 43(100394), 1-13.
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2020 Wellalage, N. H., Fernandez, V., & Thrikawala, S. (2020). Corruption and innovation in private firms: does gender matter?. International Review of Financial Analysis, 70(101500), 1-14.
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2020 Wellalage, N. H., & Locke, S. (2020). Formal credit and innovation: is there a uniform relationship across types of innovation?. International Review of Economics and Finance, 70, 1-15.
DOI
2019 Wellalage, N. H., Locke, S., & Samujh, H. (2019). Corruption, gender and credit constraints: evidence from South Asian SMEs. Journal of Business Ethics, 159(1), 267-280.
DOI
2019 Wellalage, N. H., & Fernandez, V. (2019). Innovation and SME finance: evidence from developing countries. International Review of Financial Analysis, 66(101370), 1-14.
DOI
2018 Wellalage, N., Locke, S., & Acharya, S. (2018). Does the composition of boards of directors impact on CSR scores?. Social Responsibility Journal, 14(3), 651-669.
DOI
2016 Hewa Wellalage, N., & Locke, S. (2016). Informality and credit constraints: evidence from Sub-Saharan African MSEs. Applied Economics, 48(29), 2756-2770.
DOI

  • Non-binary Individuals and Financial Wellbeing in Australia, Accounting And Finance Association of Australia And New Zealand Limited, 01/07/2023 - 30/06/2024

Courses I teach

  • BANK 5054 International Perspectives in FinTech (2025)
  • INFS 5128 Data Visualisation and Communication for Business Professionals (2025)
  • INFS 5130 Fundamentals of Data Analytics for Business (2025)
  • BANK 5054 International Perspectives in FinTech (2024)
  • INFS 5128 Data Visualisation and Communication for Business Professionals (2024)

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2024 Principal Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Arti Jhuremalani

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