Ross Davidson

Dr. Ross Davidson joined Abu Dhabi University in 2017, following a Research Fellowship at Cranfield School of Management in the UK. Before this, he was the recipient of a highly competitive funding to read for his Ph.D. at the Open University Business School, in which he investigated international HRM/organizational adjustment issues of top talents seconded to China. His research is both academic and practitioner-focused and has been published in international journals and presented at international conferences. His current research interests focus on understanding the co-creation of leadership in organizations and the necessary networks of practice to create success.

Research Interests

Dr. Ross's research investigates issues focused on leaderrship, specifically the role and ability to create safe working conditions locally and internationally. The research firmly embraces the mandates of the ILO and UN sustainability objectives. It is not just corporate responsibility to ensure safe work. Everyone is an active particpant in creating safe work; Everyone deserves to return home at the end of their day...healthy.

Teaching

PHILOSOPHY:

Dr. Ross's goal as a teacher and mentor is to create the conditions under which his students can reach their fullest potential as scholars, and to communicate his enthusiasm for the human side of management. Key experiences include teaching People and Organisations and Managerial Skills to Chinese students in the Henley Business School, UK – Beijing Institute of Technology program, tutor trainee for MBA level course, Management: Perspectives and Practice and facilitating a graduate research seminar series with the Open University Business School, UK.

Three threads of experience inform Dr. Ross's commitment to a student centered teaching approach: his experience teaching undergraduates in Canada and China and post-graduate and MBA students in the UK; his experiences teaching sports skills to adults and youth in a diverse mix of environments; and reflection upon his personal experiences with learning. Through these experiences, it became clear each person brings with him his own unique backgrounds, skill sets, and reasons for participating. They are the captains of their learning journey.

While students must understand the content of the course, it is equally important that students acquire the skills of learning, including problem solving, scientific inquiry, self-discipline, and self-motivation. Memorizing facts and theories is only a part of what it takes to master a subject area — the ability to apply this knowledge is where true value is derived. For example, teaching People and Organisations to Chinese students or Organizational Behavior to Emirati students, Dr. Ross supplemented the curriculum notes with videos featuring the most current research along with his research/experience and encouraged students to reflect on and discuss the relevance of Western-cenric research to their context. With over two-thirds of the class in each instance being female, the topics exploring the gender vs. leadership vs. culture values nexus were very popular. Finally, the students applied their knowledge using a case method to apply theories learned and develop solutions to real world business challenges e.g. Develop a strategy to help Nokia avoid losing their Asian market predominance or compare Sheik Zayed to Martin Luther King Jr in the context of George’s Authentic Leadership Model.

To foster student engagement and learning, Dr. Ross feels he has to respect them and the best way to show respect is to be knowledgeable, enthusiastic, prepared, adaptable, and inclusive. Key to his success facilitating for two years of a voluntary monthly post-graduate student research colloquium at the Open University Business School was his commitment to including all students. Employing various classroom management and confidence building strategies, he created an environment that led to the previously reticent Chinese students participating fully.

Finally, it is important that an individual’s progress be evaluated so that students can know if they have progressed in mastering the knowledge. Using a mix of approaches such as tests, projects, and activities allows Dr. Ross to accommodate the various learning styles. For example, the living case allowed evaluation of a student’s ability to work in teams and apply theory to real life problems.

As a teacher, Dr. Ross aspires to share knowledge, provide encouragement, and help the student to develop the tools necessary to continue their process of discovery long after our paths part. As a teacher, he hopes that students will want to engage in learning after our paths have departed. If they do, then he feels he has been a successful teacher.

Teaching style: Engaging, student centred, focused on projects, cases, self-reflection, and practical knowledge creation. Important component is requiring students to become informed consumers of knowledge. That is, students are expected to consider the ideas through their cultrual lens and how relevant the knowledge is.

Courses taught include:

• Leadership (DBA)
• Leadership and Communication (Master)
• Introduction to Management (pre-Master level,face 2 face, online)
• Management and Leadership (undergraduate, online)
• Organizational Change (Undergraduate)
• Training and Development (Undergraduate level)
• Organizational Behavior (Master and Undergraduate level)
• Developing a Leader within You (Master level)

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy - PhD The Open University, UK (2007 — 2012)
• MSc Birkbeck, U. of London, UK (2003 — 2005)
• BA (Honours) The University of Winnipeg, Canada