Faculty and staff

Assistant Professor Donna Derksen brings to the classroom an extensive business background in the intersecting concepts of strategic human resource management and strategic management. Drawing on the depth of knowledge she gained through 20+ years of experience working in various leadership positions within both the small-business and non-profit industries and, most recently, in academia, Donna fosters a holistic understanding of organizational dynamics to cultivate future generations of workforce members. Her passion lies in empowering people with the skills and insights needed to drive positive change in their environment. Her practical and theoretical knowledge of the role of HRM data analytics in helping organizations identify patterns and trends in their labour costs and performance metrics, guiding them through the necessary protocol changes needed to be successful, has been evident throughout her career. In roles ranging from Vice President to Executive Director and in sessional instructor positions at both UFV and the Australian Institute of Business MBA program, Donna has bridged the worlds of business and academia. Additionally, Donna’s work experience in the Indigenous non-profit sector has given her a unique understanding of the reconciliation priorities needed for Indigenous students to thrive.

Donna completed her MBA (Dean's List) in 2021 and is currently a PhD Candidate in International Human Resource Management. Her research topic is “An investigation of multinational enterprises' (MNEs) mental health supports for company-assigned expatriates during pre-departure and post-arrival for international assignments.” She holds a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation, giving recognition to her level of achievement in the Human Resources field.

Donna’s teaching philosophy centers around Kolb’s (1984) five core academic beliefs. Foremost is that learning is a lifelong process requiring active engagement with experiential and theoretical concepts. Donna believes educators must model life-long learning by continuously seeking out new knowledge and skills. By doing so, educators can inspire students to embrace a similar mindset and approach to their learning journeys.

Further, an effective learning environment should be practical, accessible, and culturally attuned, offering dynamic and contemporary opportunities while respecting seminal works. Educational tools and environments must be flexible and adaptive to current realities and student needs, ensuring they meet the highest standards in line with benchmarked performance measures. Maintaining academic integrity is crucial to the success of students and the university, especially in today's AI-driven landscape.

Ultimately, her goal as an educator is to help students develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to succeed in their chosen fields and make meaningful contributions to their communities.

Courses recently taught at UFV:

• BUS 201 – Introduction to HRM
• BUS 306 – Strengths-Based Development
• BUS 309H – HRM Data Analytics and Analysis
• BUS 403 – Strategic Management

Donna’s research interests lie in the nexus of Strategic Human Resource Management (HRM), HRM operations, and organizational behaviour dynamics. This is evidenced in her published article “Mental health and expatriate adjustment post-COVID: Towards a new framework” published in Personnel Review (Derksen et al. 2023). This paper provides a framework to address an urgent and critical situation for IHRM practitioners, theorists, and researchers, i.e., what factors influence successful expatriate adjustment on an international assignment in the post-COVID environment? The proposed theoretical framework postulates that mental health is an antecedent to psychological adjustment.

Donna is particularly interested in examining how individuals' unique characteristics, skill sets, and personalities intersect with organizational development outcomes. Her aim is to contribute to the empirical research on these underlying mechanisms driving organizational success. Specific topics of interest relevant to the workplace include but are not limited to strength-based development, mental health, neurodiversity, and the Five-Factor Model (FFM). Further, she is interested in how HR data analytics intersects with such topics, particularly ethical and privacy considerations.

Derksen, D. (2022). An investigation of multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) mental health supports for company assigned expatriates during pre-departure and post-arrival for international assignments. Paper presented (online) at the Doctoral Colloquium. 6th International Conference of Marketing, Strategy & Policy (MSP), Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.

Derksen, D. (2024.) An investigation of multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) mental health supports for company assigned expatriates during pre-departure and post-arrival for international assignments. Paper presented (online) at the AIB 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, Adelaide, Australia. Placed 2^nd in the competition.

Derksen, D. (2023.) An investigation of multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) mental health supports for company assigned expatriates during pre-departure and post-arrival for international assignments. Paper presented (online) at the AIB 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, Adelaide, Australia. Placed 2^nd in the competition.

Derksen, D. (2024). Expatriate Role and Psychological Adjustment in Ratten, V. (Ed) International Encyclopedia of Business Management, Elsevier, forthcoming.

Derksen, D., Patel, P., Mohyuddin, S., Prikshat, V., & Shahid, S. (2023). Mental health and expatriate psychological adjustment post-COVID: Towards a new framework. Personnel Review. 10.1108/PR-04-2023-0282.