Invited Speakers

Prof. Guangming Cao, Ajman University, United Arab Emirates

Guangming Cao, BSc, MSc, PhD, is a Professor of Data Analytics and head of the Digital Transformation Research Center at Ajman University. His scholarly pursuits revolve around the impacts of ICTs such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and social media on organizational decision-making, capabilities, and performance. He has contributed over 100 peer-reviewed articles to the academic discourse. His scholarly contributions extend across an array of journals, including the European Journal of Operational Research, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Journal of Business Research, Technovation, Industrial Marketing Management, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Information Technology & People, International Journal of Management Review, Supply Chain Management, and Production Planning & Control. Dr. Cao’s dedication to excellence in research has been recognized by his receipt of the IMM (Industrial Marketing Management) Best Paper Award 2023.

Topic: The Intricate Connections between Digital Strategy, Absorptive Capacity, Digital Technology Use, and Digital Innovation

Abstract: Digital innovation is often examined solely as the use of digital technology, although there is evidence to suggest that multiple organizational factors play essential roles in the innovation process. This study therefore aims to investigate how a firm’s digital innovation is affected collectively by its digital technology use, absorptive capacity, digital strategy, and environmental dynamism. The research employs partial least squares structural equation modeling with data from a survey of 250 Chinese firm managers. The findings reveal a significant inverted U-shaped relationship between digital technology use and digital innovation. Moreover, both absorptive capacity and digital strategy exert positive influences on digital innovation directly and indirectly through digital technology use. Furthermore, environmental dynamism moderates the impact of digital strategy on digital innovation positively. This research contributes to the literature by developing a richer and more nuanced understanding of how digital innovation is affected jointly by several key organizational factors. It also provides actionable managerial insights for firms aiming to enhance their digital innovation initiatives.
 

 

Assoc. Prof. Lin Xiu, University of Minnesota – Duluth, USA

Dr. Lin Xiu received her PhD in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from the University of Toronto in 2010. Currently, she holds a professorship within the Department of Management Studies at the University of Minnesota – Duluth. Her research encompasses a range of subjects including labor market dynamics, HR analytics, compensation frameworks, as well as the nexus between leadership and employee well-being. Dr. Xiu has made significant scholarly contributions to her field, evidenced by the recognition of her work in prominent journals such as the British Journal of Industrial Relations, the Journal of Total Rewards, the International Journal of Manpower, the Leadership & Organization Development Journal, the Journal of Economic Psychology, and Personnel Review. Her academic impact extends to leading special issues, evaluating substantial research funding applications, and managing multiple research grants. Through her consultancy efforts, Dr. Xiu has exerted a notable influence on organizational practices (e.g., wellness programs) and labor market policy development (e.g. Paid Family and Medical Leave policies). She currently serves as an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Manpower (IJM).

Topic:  The Impact of AI on Talent Management

Abstract: Artificial Intelligence (AI) introduces a transformative shift in the nature of work. This study explores this shift through a holistic framework that moves beyond traditional views of automation, revealing AI’s extensive influence on the facets of work design, conduct, and measurement. AI fundamentally reconceptualizes the very essence of work, necessitating a paradigmatic shift in work design methodologies that underscore flexibility, adaptability, and innovative problem-solving. Through the development and deployment of HR Analytics and Talent Intelligence, organizations attain unprecedented granularity in understanding workforce dynamics, thereby revolutionizing recruitment processes and talent management strategies. Concurrently, labor platforms emerge as pivotal conduits for the provisioning of work, reshaping the contours of work execution. With AI’s ascendancy, conventional performance metrics undergo a metamorphic evolution, compelling a reassessment of entrenched notions of productivity and efficiency. Ethical considerations loom large in this landscape, prompting a critical examination of AI’s impacts on workforce dynamics, privacy, and fairness. By understanding these issues, organizations can make better decisions about how to use AI to improve work processes, drive innovation, and ensure fairness and inclusivity for all.

 

Assoc. Prof. Jenny Lao-Phillips, University of Saint Joseph, Macau, China

Jenny Oliveros Lao Phillips is the Dean of the School of Business and Law at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ). Prior to her current position, Prof. Phillips was appointed Registrar from 2016 to 2018, and Head of Public Relations Office from 2015 to 2018. She started working as a full-time academic at USJ in 2008. Before joining USJ, Prof. Phillips taught Business English at the Macao Polytechnic Institute and worked as a Cantonese/English interpreter and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration awarded with the highest honor of summa cum laude from USJ in 2015. And is now a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Faculty of Human Science at the Catholic University of Portugal (UCP Lisbon) working on a research project bridging cognitive science in empathy and literature studies in catharsis focusing on the tragic theatre. Prof. Phillips was born and educated in Macao. She holds a bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Management from the Institute for Tourism Studies, where she also received a higher diploma in Hotel Management and undertook specialized management training in public relations. She finished her MBA at USJ (IIUM) in 2003 with a thesis on customer satisfaction. Then, diverging from her management studies, she devoted her time in studying literature, and completed an MA dissertation on "The Ritual and the Sacred in Peter Shaffer's Theatre". In 2008, she was awarded a Master of Arts in English Studies (Literature Specialisation) with the highest grade of "Excellent" from the University of Macau. Prof. Phillips has taught a wide range of courses including Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Global Strategy, Service Operations, Financing New Enterprises, Creative Writing, and Literature. Her research interests include family business management, social entrepreneurship, organizational behavior and innovation, empathy, and catharsis in tragedy and modern theatre. She is also a writer and a poet featured at the Macau Literary Festival in 2018 and 2020. Her first children's novel The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac was published in 2006. Her poems, poetry translations, and articles have appeared in Poesia Sino-Occidental, Poetry.com, The Drunken Boat, Poetry Sky, and other publications and local press. She wrote a bi-weekly column about local culture and tradition "Made in Macao" in the English newspaper Macau Daily Times from 2015 to 2019. She is also working on her first book of trilingual poems.

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Assoc. Prof. Mitsunori Hirogaki, Kyushu University, Japan

Mitsunori Hirogaki graduated Bachelor of Science Major in Commerce in Doshisha University and pursued his Master's Degree in Commerce and Ph. D in Commerce in Kobe University. Dr. Hirogaki is currently an Associate Professor of Marketing Strategy at Kyushu University, Graduate School of Economics, Department of Business and Technology Management (QBS Business School), where he teaches Marketing Strategy and International Marketing. Dr. Hirogaki is currently an Associate Professor of Marketing Strategy at Kyushu University, Graduate School of Economics, Department of Business and Technology Management (QBS Business School), where he teaches Marketing Strategy and International Marketing. He has been involved in big data analysis projects, as a member of a research group at the Center for the Study of the Creative Economy (Doshisha University), he works with big data analysis to construct systems that identify seeds of innovation. Dr. Hirogaki’s current research focuses on Cross-Cultural Consumer Behavior in international marketing and marketing strategies in mature, developed societies. He is a member of Japanese Economic Association, Japan Society of Marketing and Distribution, and Japan Association for Consumer Studies.

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Assoc. Prof. João Alexandre Lobo Marques, University of Saint Joseph, Macau, China

Associate Professor, Head of Department, Research Coordinator at the University of Saint Joseph, Macau, SAR China. Founder of the Laboratory of Applied Neurosciences (LAN/USJ). PhD in Engineering Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Brazil. Post-Doctorate and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Leicester - UK. Visiting Associate Professor at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) - Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technologies (SIAT). Associate Professor and Software Department Chief at University Gregorio Semedo (UGS), Angola (2009-15). Has large experience in Artificial Intelligence, Bioengineering, and Applied Computer Science, focusing on signal and image processing. RESEARCH AREAS - Neuroscience applied to management (marketing, leadership, performance) - Business Analytics - Big Data Applications - Theory of Constraints - Project management - Digital Signal Processing - Bioengineering / Computer-Aided Diagnostic Systems - Artificial Intelligence - Deep Learning - Nonlinear analysis and dynamics of time series.

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