Faculty and staff

Dr. Kirsten Robertson is a Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources in the School of Business. She holds a PhD in Management and Organization Studies from Simon Fraser University, and was a recipient of the SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship for her doctoral research.

Her research explores the lived experiences of individuals at work, with a particular focus on work meaningfulness, the interface between work and non-work, and workplace relationships with both people and animals. She has published her research in leading management journals, including the Academy of Management Review, Journal of Management Studies, and Journal of Organizational Behavior.

She is an enthusiastic teacher who encourages critical thinking and integrates experiential learning methods into the classroom. Two of her experiential learning exercises have been published in Management Teaching Review, one of which won Best Paper in 2016. She continues to learn new instructional approaches by attending Professional Development workshops every year and is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach.

Courses recently taught at UFV:

• BUS 201 –  Human Resource Management
• BUS 203 –  Organizational Behaviour
• BUS 304 –  Organization Theory and Design
• BUS 306 –  Strengths-Based Development

Hannah, D., Robertson, K., & Van Poorten, B. A qualitative study of the work of social ecological system intervention. Paper presented to the Western Academy of Management Meeting, California, March 2024.

Brcic, J., Suedfeld, P., Johnson, P., Robertson, K., & Law, L. Post-mission growth in extreme and unusual environments. Abstract presented to the International Positive Psychology Association Science Day for Scientists, Vancouver, July 2023. 

Robertson, K. M. You got the job! An experiential approach to teaching evidence-based recruitment and selection. Paper presented to the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Conference, Toronto, June 2023.

Robertson, K., Lautsch, B., & Hannah, D. “Something to get me through the day”: The integration of work and serious leisure. Presented to the Academy of Management Meeting, Seattle, August 2022.

Kumar, T., Schnider, A., & Robertson, K. “Break for squirrels, speed up for my manager”: An exploration of supervisor-perpetrated mistreatment in front-line service work. Presented to the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Conference, Halifax, June 2022.

Hannah, D., Van Poorten, B., & Robertson, K. Ecological narratives. Presented to the Western Academy of Management Meeting, Hawaii, March 2022.

Robertson, K. (2021, June). "Can we Really?!" A classroom-as-HR firm method for teaching Introductory Human Resources. Paper presented at the Administrative Sciences of Canada (ASAC) Conference, Online.

Robertson, K. M., Lautsch, B. L., & Hannah, D. R. (2021, April). Distraction or savior? Serious leisure and its intersection with the meaningfulness of work. Paper presented at the Western Academy of Management Meeting, Online.

Robertson, K. M., & O'Reilly, J. (2018, June). Negotiating the challenge of an uncivil customer: Four overarching strategies. Paper presented at the Administrative Association of Canada (ASAC) Conference, Toronto, ON. (BEST PAPER AWARD, OB DIVISION).

Robertson, K. M., & O'Reilly, J. (2017, August). Negotiating the challenge of an uncivil customer: Four overarching strategies. Workplace Incivility: New Frontiers and Research Directions Division. Symposium conducted at the Academy of Management (AoM) Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.

Lautsch, B., Robertson, K. M., & Hannah, D. R. (2016, June). Part of the package? A grounded exploration of work-life (im)balance in the legal profession. Paper presented at the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) Conference, Edmonton, AB. (BEST PAPER AWARD, OB DIVISION).

Hannah, D. R., & Robertson, K. M. (2016, March). It's not all puppies and sunshine: Emotional regulation and workers' emotional comfort zones in veterinary euthanasia. Paper presented at the Western Academy of Management Meeting, Portland, OR.

Robertson, K. M., Hannah, D. R., & Lautsch, B. L. (2015, August). Connecting with animals: Cognitive relationship crafting and the mechanisms of meaningful work. Paper presented at the Academy of Management (AoM) Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC.

Hannah, D. R., & Robertson, K. M. (2015, March). Precarious practice: The emotionally precarious work of veterinary euthanasia. Paper presented at the Western Academy of Management Meeting, Kauai, HI.

Robertson, K. M., Hannah, D. R., & Lawrence, T. B. (2014, August). Finding meaning in social networks: How strong and weak ties can lead to meaningful work. Paper presented at the Academy of Management (AoM) Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

Hannah, D. R., & Robertson, K. M. (2014, May). Work with the animals. Paper presented at the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) Conference, Muskoka, ON.

Lautsch, B. L., Robertson, K. M., & Hannah, D. R. (2013, August). When “balance” means working all the time: Life values, role negotiation and work-life balance. Paper presented at the Academy of Management (AoM) Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL.

Robertson, K. M., & Hannah, D. R. (2013). Finding meaning in social networks: How strong and weak ties can lead to meaningful work. Paper presented at the Western Academy of Management Meeting, Santa Fe, NM.

Robertson, K., Hannah, D. R., & Lautsch, B. L. (In press). Harm, then good? How work meaningfulness emerges from doing harm. Journal of Management Studies.

Robertson, K. (2023). Using a classroom-as-organization method to bridge the research-practice gap in human resource management. The International Journal of Management Education, 21, 100871

Hannah, D. R., & Robertson, K. (2021). "It's not all puppies and sunshine": Veterinary workers' emotional comfort zones and companion animal euthanasia. Academy of Management Discoveries, 7(1), 130-154. doi:10.5465/amd.2018.0037.

Hannah, D. R., & Robertson, K. (2020). Emotional regulation in veterinary work: Do you know your comfort zone? Canadian Veterinary Journal, 61(2), 178-180.

Robertson, K., & O'Reilly, J. (2020). "Killing them with kindness"? A study of service employees' responses to uncivil customers. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 41(8), 797-813. doi:10.1002/job.2425.

Robertson, K. M., O'Reilly, J., & Hannah, D. R. (2020). Finding meaning in relationships: The impact of network ties and structure on the meaningfulness of work. Academy of Management Review, 45(3), 596-619. doi:10.5465/amr.2015.0242.

Robertson, K. M., Lautsch, B. A., & Hannah, D. R. (2019). Role negotiation and systems-level work-life balance. Personnel Review, 48(2), 570-594. doi:10.1108/PR-11-2016-0308.

Robertson, K. M., Chase, H., & Castonguay, A. (2018). Outfitting the office: An experiential health and safety exercise. Management Teaching Review, 4(3), 219-242. doi:10.1177/2379298118775950.

Hannah, D. R., & Robertson, K. M. (2016a). Human-animal work: A massive, understudied domain of human activity. Journal of Management Inquiry, 26(1), 116-118. doi:10.1177/1056492616655076.

Hannah, D. R., & Robertson, K. M. (2016b). Jarvis Manufacturing: An experiential exercise for teaching the fundamentals of teamwork. Management Teaching Review, 1(1), 7-18. doi:10.1177/2379298115616750. (BEST PAPER AWARD - 2016 Management Teaching Review).

Hannah, D. R., & Robertson, K. (2015). Why and how do employees break and bend confidential information protection rules? Journal of Management Studies, 52(3), 381-413. doi:10.1111/joms.12120.

Robertson, K. M., Hannah, D. R., & Lautsch, B. A. (2015). The secret to protecting trade secrets: How to create positive secrecy climates in organizations. Business Horizons, 58(6), 669-677. doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2015.07.004.