Time: November 9, 10:00-11:30

Guest: Roy Chua, Associate Professor, Singapore Management University

Chair: Wu Suqing, Specially-invited Associate Researcher, Zhejiang University

Location: Conference Room A723, School of Management, Zhejiang University

Title: Women and Innovation: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract:

Although women and men are both well represented in the modern workplace, women appear to lag men in creativity and innovation related achievements. The reasons for this phenomenon are likely to be multi-faceted and complex; yet, as more women enter the workplace and inevitably engage in innovation work, it is important to better understand gender dynamics in the context of creativity and innovation. In this talk, I will share latest findings from my program of research wherein my collaborators and I seek to unpack the dynamics on how women innovate differently compared to men. 

Introduction of Roy Chua:

    Roy Chua is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources and Associate Dean of Postgraduate Programmes at the Singapore Management University (SMU) – Lee Kong Chian School of Business. He teaches primarily in the MBA, EMBA, PhD in Organizational Behavior, and DBA programs. Prior to joining SMU, Professor Chua was on the faculty of Harvard Business School for six years where he taught the core Leadership and Organizational Behavior (LEAD) course in the MBA program as well as the executive education program on talent management. Professor Chua’s research draws on psychological and organizational theories to understand important social processes in business organizations. In his primary stream of research, he studies how cultural diversity in a globalized workplace influences creativity and innovation. Professor Chua also has a keen interest in understanding organizational behavior and management processes in the Asian context.

    Professor Chua is an award winning management scholar and teacher. He has published in leading academic periodicals such as the Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the U.S. (PNAS), Journal of International Business Studies, and MIT Sloan Management Review. His research on “ambient cultural disharmony” won the 2013 Best Article Award at the Academy of Management. In 2016, Professor Chua’s research on diversity and creativity is cited in a high profile U.S Supreme Court case on affirmative action programs – Fisher vs University of Texas Austin. Professor Chua also won the Best MBA core course Professor award (2015-17), Most Appreciated Professor award (2015-16), and Mind-opener award (2016) at Singapore Management University. In 2018, he won the award for best professor in bridging practice and the MBA classroom. In 2021, he won the Teaching Excellence Award for the EMBA program. In 2022, he was voted best instructor for both the MBA and EMBA programs. Professor Chua has also been nominated for the “Excellent Teacher Award” at SMU multiple times.

    Outside academic research, Professor Chua is active in executive teaching. He has conducted case discussions and given talks at various companies including Bank of China, Bank of East Asia, Bank of Thailand, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Beazley Group (insurance), Certis Group, Goldman Sachs, Barclays, DBS Bank, Deustsche Bank, Deutsche Knowledge Services, Singhealth Group, Great Eastern, UOB (United Overseas Bank), SEACEN (South East Asian Central Banks),Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group (Thailand), Sunway Group (Malaysia), Shangri La hotel Group, A.S. Watson, San Miguel, Hitachi, Infineon, Unilab, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), Temasek Holdings, Johnson & Johnson, Sembawang Corp, and John Clements Consulting. A native of Singapore, Professor Chua received a BSc with First Class Honors in Computer and Information Sciences from the National University of Singapore and a PhD in Management and Organizational Behavior from Columbia BusinessSchool, Columbia University (New York).