Prof Sukhbir Sandhu
Associate Professor and Director, CWeX
School of Management
College of Business and Law
Associate Professor Sukhbir Sandhu is the executive director for the Centre for Workplace Excellence (CWeX). A/Prof Sandhu's research focuses on social and environmental sustainability issues that confront organisations and societies. Her current research investigates the external drivers that push organisations to act on sustainability issues and the internal strategy and structure changes required to successfully accommodate these social and environmental initiatives.
A/Prof Sandhu has a PhD in Strategy (Sustainability Strategies of Firms) from Lincoln University, New Zealand. A/Prof Sandhu has published in leading management and sustainability journals (e.g., Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Learning and Education, Business and Society, Ecological Economics, Journal of Cleaner Production, Business Strategy and Environment). She has also published three books on social and environmental sustainability.
Her research on organisational sustainability has been recognised by the prestigious Research Impact on Practice Award from the Network for Business Sustainability. Her research has also been listed in the Financial Times "all-time top 100 social science research" articles that can lead to meaningful social impact and help improve society.
A/Prof Sandhu has also won numerous other awards for her leadership, research and teaching. She has been awarded the Academy of Management Award for Outstanding Leadership (2024); Ivan Montiel Award for Leadership in the Organizations and the Natural Environment (ONE) division at the Academy of Management (2023); and Excellence in Research Collaboration and Peer Support Award, UniSA Business (2023).
She has been awarded the Excellence in Ethics and Social Responsibility Award, UniSA Business (2022), the Top Mid-Career Researcher, the Top Mid-Career Teaching, and the Top Research Team awards (2019). A/Prof Sandhu has also received the Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and Learning - Excellence Awards (2023 - 2016). She received Vice Chancellor’s Outstanding Contributions to Digital Learning Award (2016). She was also awarded the Emerald Literati Outstanding Reviewer (2017). She has been a Finalist in Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education Awards (2017, 2016) and a finalist for the Australian National Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2017).
A/Prof Sandhu serves as the Director for Centre for Workplace Excellence (CWeX). She has been elected to the five-year leadership track at the Organisations and Natural Environment (ONE) Division of the Academy of Management (2020 – 2024). She has previously chaired ONE award committee (2016 - 2019).
She is the Deputy Editor of the Australian Journal of Management to oversee all qualitative and CSR/Sustainability papers (ABDC A/Q1) and the Associate Editor for Business and Society (ABDC A/Q1).
She also serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Business Research (ABDC A/Q1) and Sustainability (Q1).
A/Prof Sandhu has served as the UniSA Business lead for the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) from 2017-2022.
Key Highlights
86 high quality outputs: 3 co-edited books with top tier publishers; 18 journal articles (15 A*/A ABDC/Q1 –including leading journals such as the Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Learning and Education, Ecological Economics, and Business and Society); 13 book chapters; 15 outputs in practitioner outlets (such as Harvard Business Review, The Conversation and London School of Economics Business Review); and 37 peer-reviewed conference papers
International research leadership roles (including five-year leadership track of the Organizations and Natural Environment division at the Academy of Management); Deputy Editor of the Australian Journal of Management (ABDC A/Q1); Associate Editor for Business and Society (ABDC A/Q1)
Internal leadership roles including Co-Director, Centre for Workplace Excellence Research centre at University of South Australia; Program Director: Master of Management; UniSA Business Lead on United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (UN PRME)
$927,847 in competitive research grants (including European Union Product Stewardship; Australian Research Council Discovery and Green Industries South Australia)
Developed and taught courses on Sustainability and Ethics (MBA, postgraduate and undergraduate) at UniSA; student evaluation scores for last 4 years averages 93
8 HDR completions (6 PhDs and 2 MBRs). Supervising 9 PhD students (3 as primary supervisor and 6 as co-supervisor); for 2 years in a row my PhD students have won the competitive Graham Arnold Travel Grant
More than 300 newspaper and magazine interviews (e.g., The Washington Post, Australian Financial Review, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The National Geographic); international podcasts and been featured on the ABC, SBS and at the Adelaide Writer’s Festival; delivered more than 20 keynotes on sustainability topics
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| Hindi | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Panjabi; Punjabi | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Urdu | Can speak and understand spoken |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 - 2009 | Lincoln University | New Zealand | PhD |
| Date | Role | Membership | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 - ongoing | Member | Academy of Management | - |
| Date | Role | Editorial Board Name | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 - ongoing | Editor | Australian Journal of Management | University of South Australia | Australia |
| 2021 - ongoing | Associate Editor | Business and Society | University of South Australia | Australia |
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