Ben Walker

Ben Walker is a Senior Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour at Victoria University of Wellington's School of Management, where he has been a full-time faculty member since completing his PhD at UNSW Sydney in 2018. As a Māori academic (Ngāti Raukawa), he integrates indigenous perspectives into his research on work and identity.

His research centers on four interconnected programs: the work-identity interface examining how work shapes self-perception; counter-perspectives on motivation revealing 'dark' psychological drivers of high performance; Māori workplace experiences addressing challenges and opportunities; and expert engagement mechanisms. He employs diverse methodologies including interviews, experiments, and social media analysis.

Walker's publications in premier journals like Academy of Management Annals and Human Relations demonstrate significant scholarly impact. His recent work analyzes positivity bias in job performance research, develops theories of performance-based identity, and explores Māori cultural double-shifts in workplaces. He maintains active media engagement through The Conversation and New Zealand outlets.

• Victoria University of Wellington Early Career Teaching Excellence Award (2021)
• Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association Outstanding Lecturer Award (2019)

As an educator, Walker has taught over 1,000 students annually in MGMT101 and currently co-leads the ANZSOG Executive Master of Public Administration program. His teaching philosophy emphasizes deep understanding over superficial prescriptions, fusion of academic and student expertise, and evidence-based 'no bullshit' communication. He supervises doctoral research on identity, expertise, and indigenous management topics while maintaining active connections with executive education programs.