Associate Professor Ashokkumar Manoharan

Associate Professor

College of Business, Government and Law

+61 8 8201 2838

ashokkumar.manoharan@flinders.edu.au

Law & Commerce

GPO Box 2100, ADELAIDE, SA, 5001

Associate Professor Ashokkumar (Ashok) Manoharan is a member of the Centre of Social Impact and a research affiliate with the Flinders Factory of the Future. He is a social scientist whose research advances Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in hospitality and service industries, with a particular focus on the employment and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and culturally diverse workers.

A/Prof. Manoharan is nationally and internationally recognised for his scholarship and impact. In 2025, he was named South Australia’s Young “Tall Poppy” in recognition of his outstanding research leadership. He is the co-editor of the inaugural Routledge Handbook of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Management in the Hospitality Industry and has published extensively in leading hospitality journals (International Journal of Hospitality Management, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Cornell Quarterly, Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Management) and top-tier management journals (International Journal of Management Reviews, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Journal of Industrial Relations).

His work is strongly collaborative and industry-engaged, involving partnerships with researchers and organisations across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Australia. He has a proven track record of successfully leading and delivering industry-oriented, externally funded research as Chief and Co-Investigator. Notably, he has co-created an evidence-based Toolkit to support hospitality SMEs in employing people with intellectual disabilities.

A/Prof. Manoharan has received multiple awards for research excellence and supervision, including the Certificate of Excellence in Supervision (2023, 2024), the Research Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research (2022), and the Research Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement by an Early Career Researcher (2020).

Born and raised in Madurai, India, A/Prof. Manoharan brings a unique interdisciplinary and industry-informed perspective to his work. Trained initially as a chef, he later completed an MBA, an MSc in Psychology, and a PhD in Management at the University of South Australia. Prior to joining Flinders University, he taught management at the University of South Australia and in India, and gained extensive industry experience through training call-centre employees and providing consultancy services to hospitality organisations.

Qualifications

PhD in Management (UniSA), Master of Business Administration, Master of Science (Psychology), Bachelor in Catering Science and Hotel Management.

Honours, awards and grants

External grants

2025 – 2026. $78,688. Advancing CALD Talent in Advanced Manufacturing: Mapping Pathways to Inclusion. AusIndustry, Department of Industry Science and Resources. Manoharan, A., Jones, J., Rampersad, G., Abedin, E., & McMurray, A.

2025 – 2026. $85,266. Industry Talent Branding and Identity: Addressing Workforce Attraction Challenges in South Australia’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector. AusIndustry, Department of Industry Science and Resources. Manoharan, A., Jones, J. & Rampersad, G.

2023-2026. $650,760. Information Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) Program, Department of Social Services, Australian Government. Co-designing disability employment strategies with people with disability, industry mentors, and disability employment experts to diversify the workforce for people with disability in fashion and hospitality nationwide. Goodwin-Smith, I., Manoharan, A., Jones, J., Hutchinson, C. & Yoon, J.

2023-2024. $40,000. Council of Australian-Arab Relations Grant, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Empowering next generation: Women entrepreneurs, gender equality and social cohesion. Manoharan, A, & Jones, J.

2022-2023 - $80,335. Endeavour Foundation. Factors that support positive employment outcomes for intellectually disabled persons in hospitality. Manoharan, A., Hutchinson, C. & Jones, J.

2021-2022. $24,000. Council of Australian-Arab Relations Grant, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.Cross-cultural perspectives on Arab Gender equality. Manoharan, A, & Jones, J.

2018-2019. $29,375. Le Cordon Bleu – University of South Australia Research Grants Scheme 2018 - 2019. The incidence, experience, and consequences of skill discounting among migrant hospitality employees. Treuren, G., Manoharan, A., Bambacas, M., Jones. L.

2018-2019. $58,000. Diabetes SA. Diabetes SA Market Research. Stocchi, L., & Manoharan, A.

Awards

2025. 'South Australia's Young ‘Tall Poppy’.

2025. Best Research Paper Award - APacCHRIE conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

2023 & 2024. Flinders University Certificate of Excellence in Supervision

2022. BGL College Research Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research

2020. BGL College Research Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement by an Early Career Researcher

2012 & 2013. Recipient of Leadership Award, School of Management, University of South Australia

2011 - 2014. Australian Postgraduate Award (APA): awarded to students of "exceptional research potential."

2011 - 2014. University of South Australia Top-Up Research Scholarship.

Key responsibilities

Academic Integrity Officer CBGL