ACU Researcher

Dr Marzena Baker

Head of Discipline – HRM / Management & OHSE
Senior Lecturer
Peter Faber Business School

Areas of expertise: “leadership and governance”; “workforce capability”; “organisational policy design and evaluation”; “organisational performance”; “decision-making in complex organisations”; “workforce participation and representation”; “pay equity and employment outcomes”; “organisational policy design”; “flexible work and work design”; “equality”; “women in leadership”; “effectiveness of diversity practices”; “diversity practices”; “work-life practices”; “neurodiversity”; “construction industry”; “engineering industry”; “mining industry”; “project-intensive and technical industries”; “project-based organisations”.

Phone: 07 3623 7639

Email: marzena.baker@acu.edu.au

Location: ACU Brisbane Campus

HDR Supervisor accreditation status: HDR Supervisor (Full)

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4108-5325

ORCID link: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4108-5325

Dr Marzena Baker is a Senior Lecturer in Management whose research and teaching focus on leadership, governance, and organisational practices in complex, project-based and professional service environments. Her work examines how organisations design and implement policies, structures, and leadership practices that shape performance, decision-making, and workforce capability over time.

Dr Baker has published extensively in leading management, project management, construction, and engineering journals, including Human Resource Management Journal, the International Journal of Project Management, British Journal of Management, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Journal of Management in Engineering, Employee Relations and Personnel Review. Her research is recognised for its strong empirical grounding and relevance to industry and policy contexts, particularly in sectors characterised by complexity, risk, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

She is an alumna of Queensland University of Technology, where she completed her PhD and Master of Business degrees, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Auckland. Prior to joining Australian Catholic University, Dr Baker was a Lecturer in Project Management at the University of Sydney.

At Australian Catholic University, Dr Baker currently serves as Head of Discipline for Human Resource Management, Management, and Occupational Health, Safety and Environment, where she provides academic leadership across curriculum development, teaching quality, accreditation processes, and staff coordination across multiple campuses.

Before entering academia, Dr Baker held senior corporate roles for over 25 years, leading consumer research, marketing, and strategic communication projects across fast-moving consumer goods, construction, and property development sectors. This industry experience continues to inform her applied research, teaching, and engagement with industry and professional bodies.

Select publications

Published journal articles:

• Baker, M., Ali, M., Hassett, E., & Tumpa, R.J. (2025). Tapping the Untapped Resource to Address Construction Skills Shortages: Perceptions of Australian Women Career Changers and Construction Women. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151 (4), 04025006.https://doi.org/10.1061/JCEMD4.COENG-15382
• Danish, R.Q., Ali, M., Baker, M. and Islam, R. (2025). Influence of corporate social responsibility, green practices and organizational politics on sustainable business performance: the importance of employee pro-environmental behavior.  Social Responsibility Journal, 21 (1), 54-77.  https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-10-2023-0548
• Ali, M., Baker, M., Grabarski, M. K., & Islam, R. (2025). A Study of Inclusive Supervisory Behaviors, Workplace Social Inclusion, and Turnover Intention in the Context of Employee Age. Employee Relations, 47 (9), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-04-2024-0252
• Hackman, D. C., Pollack, J., & Baker, M. (2024). Individual perceptions of complex projects: A window into project team and stakeholder mental models. International Journal of Project Management, 102603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2024.102603
• Ali, M., Grabarski, M.K., & Baker, M. (2024), An exploratory study of benefits and challenges of neurodivergent employees: roles of knowing neurodivergents and neurodiversity practices. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, 43 (2), 243-267. https://doi.org/10.1108/edi-03-2023-0092
• Ali, M., Grabarski, M. K., & Baker, M. (2024). The influence of neurodiversity management on affective commitment and turnover intention: the role of neurodiversity awareness. Employee Relations: The International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-09-2023-0476
• Baker, M., French, E., Ali, M., & Tootoonchy, M. (2024). Influence of Work-Life Programs on Women's Representation and Organizational Outcomes: Insights from Engineering and Construction. Journal of Management in Engineering, 40(3), 04024005. https://doi.org/10.1061/JMENEA.MEENG-5715
• Baker, M., & Clegg, S. (2023). Policies and practices of gender-based equality and diversity in Australian project-based organizations. Project Leadership and Society, 100087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2023.100087
• Baker, M., Ali, M., & Crawford, L. (2023). What do women want? An exploration of workplace attraction and retention factors for women in construction. International Journal of Construction Management, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2023.2222987
• Baker, M., Ali, M., & French, E. (2023). Investigating how women leaders and managers support other women's entrance and advancement in construction and engineering. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 149(2), 04022166. https://doi.org/10.1061/JCEMD4.COENG-12399 Editor's Choice Collection.
• Wanigasekara, S., Ali, M., French, E. L., & Baker, M. (2023). Internal and external networking behaviors and employee outcomes: a test of gender moderating effect. Personnel Review, 52(9), 2103-2132. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/PR-08-2020-0641
• French, E., Ali, M., Baker, M., & Alsaree, L. (2022). Effectiveness of Gender Equality and Diversity Initiatives: A way forward in Dhakal, S., Cameron, R., & Burgess, J. (eds.), A Field Guide to Managing Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion in Organisations, Edward Elgar Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781800379008.00012
• Baker, M., Ali, M., & French, E. (2021). Leadership Diversity and its Influence on Equality Initiatives and Performance: Insights for Construction Management. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 147(10), Article number: 04021123. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0002147
• Baker, M., French, E., & Ali, M. (2021). Insights into ineffectiveness of gender equality and diversity initiatives in project-based organizations. Journal of Management in Engineering, 37(3), 04021013. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000893 Editor's Choice Collection.
• Baker, M., Ali, M., & French, E. (2019). The impact of women's representation on performance in project-based and non-project-based organizations. International Journal of Project Management, 37(7), 872-883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2019.06.001
• Baker, M., Ali, M., & French, E. (2019). Effectiveness of gender equality initiatives in project-based organizations in Australia. Australian Journal of Management, 44(3), 425-442. https://doi.org/10.1177/0312896218805809
• Baker, M., & French, E. (2018). Female underrepresentation in project-based organizations exposes organizational isomorphism. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, 37(8), 799-812. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-03-2017-0061

Delivered Conference papers:

• French, E., Baker, M., Ali, M., & Islam, R. (2024). Gender equality in Male Dominated Organizations: Leadership is the key [Paper presentation]. In European Academy of Management (EURAM) Annual Conference, Bath, UK.
• Baker, M., Ali, M., & Hassett, E. (2024). An Exploration of Attraction Factors, Barriers to Working in Construction, and Factors for Leaving Construction [Paper presentation]. In 17th Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) International Conference, Seville, Spain.
• Ali, M., Baker, M., Grabarski, M., & Islam, R. (2024). Insights into Inclusive Supervisory Behaviors, Workplace Social Inclusion, and Turnover Intention in the Context of Employee Age" [Paper presentation]. In 17th Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) International Conference, Seville, Spain.
• Ali, M., Baker, M., Grabarski. M., & Konrad, A. (2023). Leadership Diversity Driving Pay Equity Practices and Productivity: Does Industry Gender Gap Matter? In 2023 Academy of Management (AOM) Conference, Boston, USA.
• Baker, M., Ali, M., French, E., & Tootoonchy, M. (2023). Work-life balance in engineering and construction and their effects on women's representation. In 2023 Academy of Management (AOM) Conference, Boston, USA.
• Grabarski, M., & Baker, M. (2023). Exploration of Neurodiversity Perceptions in Australian Retail. In 2023 Academy of Management (AOM) Conference, Boston, USA.
• Danish, R. Q., Ali, M., Baker, M., & Islam, R. (2023). Impact of CSR, Green Practices and Organizational Politics on Sustainable Business Performance: Moderating Role of Employee Pro-Environmental Behavior. In 2023 Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Conference, Wellington, NZ.
• Baker, M. (2023). How Effective is Implementation of Gender-based Equality and Diversity Practices in Project-based Organizations? In 2023 European Academy of Management (EURAM) Conference, Ireland.
• Ali, M., Grabarski. M., & Baker, M., (2023). The Relationships of Perceived Organizational Neurodiversity with Affective Commitment and Turnover Intention: The Case of the Australian Retail Industry. In 2023 Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) Conference, Toronto, Canada.

Projects

• Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project (DP26, commencing 2026) – Chief Investigator
  Project Governance and Governmentality as Collaborative Challenges.
• Project Governance and Controls Symposium (PGCS) Academic Research Grant (2024) - Chief Investigator
  Enhancing Infrastructure Project Governance Practices and Strategies to Engage Stakeholders in Creating and Distributing Social Value.
• Project Management Institute (PMI) Research Scholarship Grant (2022) - Chief Investigator
  Influence of Gender Equality on Organisational Performance in Project Organisations: Is Employee Engagement the Key?

Awards

• 2024 FLB Executive Dean's Learning and Teaching Innovation and Impact grant.
• Equality Diversity Inclusion Conference 2024. The Emeral Conference Best Paper Award: Insights into Inclusive Supervisory Behaviors, Workplace Social Inclusion, and Turnover Intention in the Context of Employee Age.
• EURAM 2023. Most Inspirational Paper Award: How Effective is Implementation of Gender-based Equality and Diversity Practices in Project-based Organizations?
• JCEM Best Paper Award 2022. Leadership Diversity and Its Influence on Equality Initiatives and Performance: Insights for Construction Management. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management.
• Early Career Session research competition winner 2021. Ineffectiveness of gender equality and diversity initiatives in project-based organisations. - "Project Leadership for a Changing World" International Symposium, John Grill Institute for Project Leadership.
• Editor's Choice Collection 2021. Insights into ineffectiveness of gender equality and diversity initiatives in project-based organizations. Journal of Management in Engineering.
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

Appointments and Affiliations

• Fellow, Advance HE (formerly Higher Education Academy), UK 
• Member, Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) 
• Member, European Academy of Management (EURAM) 
• Member, Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) 
• Member, Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) 
• Member, National Association of Women in Construction 
• Former Member, State Committee, Australian Marketing Institute 
• Former Member, State Diversity Committee, Property Council of Australia