HRM Musings | The Hidden Toll: Maintaining dignity and civility in the face of extreme HR practice

Presenter Details

Speaker: Dr. Justine Ferrer

Dr. Justine Ferrer is a Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management at Deakin Business School. She has held many leadership roles including, Director of Teaching, and Discipline Lead for the Human Resource and Employment Relations group and has played a key role in shaping HR/ER education and research. Justine’s research explores the complexities of the HR profession, including its ethical challenges, evolving role in organizations and its dark side. Recently leading a national study on the state of the HR profession in Australia. Her broader research interests include workforce diversity, career development, and the experiences of minority groups in the workplace. Most recent publications in the International Journal of Human Resource Management, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, Industrial Relations Journal. Justine is also involved in many industry consulting projects, around workforce analysis, flexible work, enterprise bargaining and workplace diversity. Beyond academia, Justine is actively engaged in professional governance, where she is a Board Member of the Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM), serving as Board Secretary and Chair of the Education and Outreach Committee. Justine also holds the role of Conference Chair for the 2025 ANZAM conference.

Speaker: Catherine Stapleton

Catherine Stapleton is the founder of Better HR Co. (formerly Stapleton Consulting), a Waikato-based consultancy dedicated to helping organisations navigate the complexities of people, performance, and culture. Since establishing the business in 2016, she has worked with clients of all sizes across New Zealand and Australia, spanning diverse industries. This breadth of experience means Catherine has seen a lot over her career, often working alongside HR teams to support them through challenging and sensitive employment processes. With a sports management degree as the foundation of her career, Catherine transitioned into HR after completing further study in business and human resources. She brings together her knowledge of performance, teamwork, and resilience with deep expertise in people and capability development. Drawing on her experience as a competitive club and masters rower, Catherine offers a unique perspective on how the discipline and strategies of high-performance sport can be applied to everyday workplace challenges. An active member of HRNZ and the Institute of Directors, and a certified Mental Health First Responder, Catherine brings both professional depth and a people-centred philosophy to her work. She is passionate about enabling leaders and HR professionals to approach even the most difficult employment issues with clarity, balance, and confidence.

Speaker: Rebecca Jury

With over 15 years of experience in Human Resources working across the Energy/Resources sector in Australia and Education sector in New Zealand, Rebecca has experience navigating the full spectrum of people-related matters as a trusted HR partner. In her current role, Rebecca leads a team of People & Culture Business Partners at the University of Canterbury who provide HR guidance support and direction to staff and leaders.

Panel Moderator: Dr. Russell Wordsworth

Dr. Russell Wordsworth is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Canterbury Business School where he teaches in the field of Human Resource Management. His core research interests centre on employee turnover and retention, career transitions and career sustainability. Russell is a chartered member of HRNZ and a member of the HRNZ Academic Special Interest Network.

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