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Associate Professor Paula O’Kane holds the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Management within the Otago Business School at the University of Otago. She earned her BSc, PhD, and Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Health Education Practice (PGDCHEP) from Ulster University and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Prior to her current role, she served as a Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour at Ulster University. O’Kane joined the University of Otago more than 15 years ago, progressing through senior lecturer positions before her promotion to Associate Professor, effective 1 February 2025. She also acts as course adviser and approver for undergraduate and Diploma in Graduate studies in Human Resource Management.
A dedicated educator and researcher specializing in human resource management and qualitative data analysis, O’Kane’s research interests encompass human resource business partners, ageing and work, performance management practices, work design and organisation, qualitative data analysis, and computer-aided qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS). Her scholarship has garnered over 2,000 citations on Google Scholar. Notable publications include ‘Building transparency and trustworthiness in inductive research through computer-aided qualitative data analysis software’ (2021, with A. Smith and M.P. Lerman), ‘Performance management: A scoping review of the literature and an agenda for future research’ (2019, with T.C. Brown, B. Mazumdar, and M. McCracken), ‘Betwixt spaces: Student accounts of turning point experiences in the first-year transition’ (2009, with M. Palmer and M. Owens), ‘Human resource business partner lifecycle model: exploring how the relationship between HRBPs and their line manager partners evolves’ (2017, with M. McCracken, T.C. Brown, and M. McCrory), ‘Reframing the performance management system: a conversations perspective’ (2023, with M. McCracken and T. Brown), and ‘Remote Working during COVID19’ (2020, with S. Walton and D. Ruwhiu). In 2024, she received the Best Media Engagement Award from the Otago Business School. O’Kane is a recognized expert on topics including social media in employment, future of work, remote working, and organisational communication.
University of Otago's Sophia Hardie wins HR Student and Person of the Year at HRNZ 2026, highlighting excellence in New Zealand higher education HRM.
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