Associate Professor
Judy Matthews

Biography

Dr. Judy Matthews is an Associate Professor in the School of Management, QUT Business School. and co-leader of the Design-led Learning and Practice Research group in the QUT Design Lab. She commenced her full-time academic career after 15 years in industry in Human Resource Management, Human Resource Development, Community Development, Social Work and higher education teaching. Judy is regularly invited to speak at industry and professional events on managing innovation, problem framing and problem solving, and design led innovation.

Her recent research has focused on bringing together design and innovation with publications in new as well as highly ranked journals such as Design Issues and She Ji: Journal of Design, Business and Economics, and Action Research. Judy receives many requests from journals to review research on teaching design thinking, in response to her articles on 'Design and Design Thinking in Business and Management in Higher Education ' (2017) and 'Design Thinking and Workplace Innovation Interface' (2021).

Prior to joining QUT in January 2007, she was a Senior Lecturer in the School of Management, Marketing and International Business in the College of Business and Economics at the Australian National University and from 2002- 2005 was the Director of Master of Management Programs at the National Graduate School of Management at the Australian National University. In addition to teaching Managing Technological Innovation in local MBA programs, throughout 2005-2006 she developed and delivered units in Knowledge Management and Organizational Behaviour to executives and senior managers in China (through interpreters) in the Master of Management (Technology and Innovation) program at Tsinghua University, Beijing.

Judy works with individuals, groups and organisations to improve their understanding and practice of design thinking and innovation, and leadership and management of people and organisations, particularly the issues, themes and processes that make a difference in managing innovation and effective knowledge generation and implementation. Judy has worked with government agencies to identify barriers to innovation and developed some practical customised solutions to improve innovation.

Research interests Judy completed her PhD at 2000, using a systems theory approach to investigate the responses and learning of senior managers in turbulent environments. Her subsequent research experience includes ARC Linkage Grants in Research and Development and Innovation Systems.

Judy is an active researcher and author in the field of innovation management, in particular, human resource development and design-led innovation. Judy’s research focuses broadly on innovation and entrepreneurship and the contributions of people and systems to innovation and knowledge based strategies, processes and practices in varied workplace environments. Her research includes research projects funded by the public sector and private industry in areas such as design-led innovation, innovation management, and human resource management practices for innovation.

She has supervised Master and PhD research students in design led innovation, technology based innovation and strategic management to successful completion. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers relating to her research.

• Design Led Innovation
• Human Resource Management and Innovation
• Innovation processes and Innovation Management
• Knowledge management
• Creativity, Design and Entrepreneurship

Her advocacy and passion for investigating design-led innovation, co-supervision, collaboration and mentoring led her design innovation colleagues and past PhD students to very generously dedicate their recent book on 'Design Innovation and Integration' as follows:

• "We dedicate this book to Dr Judy Matthews for her constant wisdom and support. Few people are as giving with their time and expert opinion. We have travelled the world together on a quest to push back the boundaries of design (back before it was popular) into the unknown. Without your support the three of us would not be where we are today! Thank you, Judy. you are ACE!"

As a member of the Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research and the Centre for a Waste-Free World World her current research projects include Design and Circular Economy initiatives in building and construction and recycling initiatives for improved manufacturing.