Research interests
Catherine researches how to develop and sustain team effectiveness. She examines how these changes are created from individuals’ proactivity, team processes, work design, organisational structures and systems. Her recent work focuses on how organisational ambidexterity – balancing the tension of coordination across business units for efficiency alongside front line flexibility for innovation and engagement – is needed for teams to thrive. Other research interests include seeking to understand why managers do (or don’t!) use research findings (i.e., evidence-based management) as well as employee well-being. Her applied research in organisations has attracted more than $1M of research funding and is published in top tier journals.
Research grants
- 2013-2016: ARC Linkage, ‘Achieving flexibility through coordination: Reframing the practice of ambidexterity to benefit business and employees during organisational change, $410,000. Chief investigators: Catherine Collins & Cristina Gibson.
- 2012-2014: ARC Linkage, ‘Leveraging organisational context to maximise team performance and thriving: A dynamic approach to understand team learning across diverse settings’, $594,027. Chief investigators: Catherine Collins & Cristina Gibson.
- 2010: Contract with Inenco, ‘Project Ideal: Building proactive sales teams through work redesign and coaching’, $36,000. Chief investigator: Catherine Collins.
- 2008-2009: Contract with MoD Navy, ‘Assessing the importance of team effectiveness to fighting spirit and assessing the impact of alternative manning concepts on team effectiveness’, £29,375. Chief investigators: Mark Griffin., Catherine Collins, & Carol Tighe.
Teaching & Supervision
- MGMT1001 Managing Organisations and People
- MGMT5983 Advanced Research Methods
- PhD supervision: Emily Chew (employee thriving); Christian Criado-Perez Chanin (evidenced based management), Mandy Fong (self-efficacy).
Professional activities
- Member of Academy of Management
- Member of Society of Industrial and Organisational Psychology (SIOP)
- Member of Society of Organisational Behaviour Australia
- SIOP sub-committee for William A. Owens Scholarly Achievement Award
- Editorial Board for Academy of Management Review
- Guest Associate Editor, Australian Journal of Management, Special Issue ‘Looking back and looking ahead: Applying organisational behaviour to explain the changing face for work.’
- Reviewing for Australian Research Council
- Ad hoc reviewer: Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Applied Psychology, Human Relations, and Australian Journal of Management.
- UNSW Human Research Ethics Advisory Panel
- UNSW School of Management Advisory Board
- Various UNSW selection and promotion committees
Media (recent)