Upamali Amarakoon

Dr. Upamali Amarakoon is a Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management at Central Queensland University's School of Business and Law, affiliated with the Centre for Regional Economies and Supply Chains. She holds a PhD in Human Resource Management (University of Queensland, 2014), an MBA in HRM (University of Colombo, 2009 with three gold medals), and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Industrial Management (University of Kelaniya, 2005 with first class honors). Her expertise spans HRM innovation, regional workforce challenges, volunteer management, and diversity and inclusion. She currently leads a stakeholder engagement project funded by the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre and collaborates with Foodbank Australia on volunteer management strategies.

Education

• PhD in Human Resource Management, The University of Queensland, Australia (2014)
• MBA in Human Resource Management, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka (2009)
• Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Industrial Management, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka (2005)

Research Interests

Her research focuses on strategic HRM innovation, addressing regional staffing challenges, and managing volunteers in nonprofit contexts. She also explores diversity and inclusion in the resources sector and organizational change management. For instance, her work with Foodbank Australia examines volunteer management systems, while her pilot project on regional staffing tackles SME talent attraction in rural areas. She advocates for integrating HR practices to enhance firm competitiveness and social impact.

Publications Trends

A recent focus on food waste and stakeholder engagement reflects her commitment to applied research. Her work bridges HRM theory with practical solutions for regional industries and social enterprises. Key themes include crisis management, volunteer effectiveness, and policy-driven workforce strategies in diverse sectors like mining and aged care.

• Dean’s Award for Outstanding Research Thesis (2014)
• Three gold medals for academic excellence in MBA (2009)

Advising & Grants

Currently available to supervise research candidates, her expertise includes project teams and organizational restructuring impacts. She leads a grant-funded stakeholder engagement initiative and collaborates on diversity reports for Queensland’s resources sector. Her teaching spans contemporary HRM issues, organizational change management, and volunteer management frameworks.

Labs & Teams

Affiliated with the Centre for Regional Economies and Supply Chains, she engages in multidisciplinary projects addressing regional development challenges and food waste solutions.