ProfessorBetina Szkudlarek

Betina Szkudlarek’s internationally recognised research can be categorised in the following four streams:

• The role of business sector in social cohesion 
  Betina is the pioneer of an emerging stream of research on the role of the business sector in fostering social cohesion. Her work examines how organizational practices can both advance and hinder social cohesion. By analysing corporate strategies as well as day-to-day practices, Betina’s research provides insights into how employers can play a central role in promoting societal cohesion alongside economic integration.
  
• Cross-cultural management and international human resource management
  Betina has been working with the intercultural community of professional trainers and coaches for over ten years publishing research on cross-cultural training, as well as analysing the professionalization efforts of the community. Within this stream Betina’s focus has been on improving communication within increasingly multicultural workplaces and facilitating adjustment for employees relocating internationally. She is the lead editor of the special issue on Intercultural Communication in the Journal of World Business and the SAGE Handbook of Contemporary Cross-Cultural Management.
• Cross-cultural education and training
  Within this stream Betina’s work is focused on cross-cultural training effectiveness and its ethical execution. Betina’s interest in corporate cross-cultural training finds extension in her work on education practices. In particular, Betina’s research interest lies in the transformative nature of educational practices and aligns with her award-winning teaching and training practice.
• Refugee labour integration
  Betina’s most acclaimed research activity is centred around the topical issue of refugee labour integration. She is a recipient of the “Integrating Refugees in the Workforce: The Role of Host Country Social Support” grant from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and has received multiple grants and awards for her impact-driven research, including the 2022 Academy of Management Research Impact on Practice Award and the 2025 Academy of Management Research Outreach Award. She works with small and large employers (e.g., IKEA and Woolworths Group) on advancing tangible solutions to the most pressing challanges of forced migration.