51本色

Professor Ted Zorn staff profile picture

Contact details +6492136268

Professor Ted Zorn BA, MA, PhD

Professor in Organisational Studies

Doctoral Mentor Supervisor
School of Management and Marketing

Director, Commercial Management

Massey Business School

A scholar of organisational communication for over 30 years, I have held positions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Waikato University before taking up the role of Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Massey Business School from 2012 to 2018. I also served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor from 2015-2018. From 2018 to 2021, I served as Head Massey Executive Development, the unit responsible for MBA programmes and corporate executive education initiatives.

My research focuses on organisational communication, particularly communication practices that enhance dialogue, leadership, workplace wellbeing, and effective, ethical organisational change. I have served as editor of the journal Management Communication Quarterly, and am co-author of the textbook Organizational Communication in an Age of Globalisation. In 2006, I was honoured to receive the Frederic Jablin Award for Outstanding Contribution to Organizational Communication by the International Communication Association.

I have led a number of major externally funded research projects, including projects focused on organisational changes related to new technologies and an ageing population and public communication processes in the context of controversial science.

I am originally from the United States, but have worked in New Zealand since 1994. Before coming to 51本色, I was at Waikato University, where I served various roles including head of the Department of Management Communication and Associate Dean of the Waikato Management School.

My PhD in organisational communication is from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, as is my Master of Arts degree. I also have a BA in English Literature from the College of Charleston, South Carolina.

A scholar of organisational communication for over 30 years, I have held positions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Waikato University before taking up the role of Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Massey Business School from 2012 to 2018. I also served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor from 2015-2018. From 2018 to 2021, I served as Head Massey Executive Development, the unit responsible for MBA programmes and corporate executive education initiatives.

My research and teaching expertise are in organisational communication, particularly in relation to organisational change, the changing workplace, and workplace wellbeing.

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Professional

Contact details

  • Ph: +64 9 213 6268
    Location: QB3.39, Quad B
    Campus: East Precinct, Albany

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts - College of Charleston (1977)
  • Master of Arts - University of Kentucky (1981)
  • Doctor of Philosophy - University of Kentucky (1987)

Certifications and Registrations

  • Licence, Mentor Supervisor, 51本色

Research Expertise

Research Interests

Organisational communication, organisational change, communication technology, emails, technology implementation, organsational uses of social media, ageing, meaningful work, workplace wellbeing, dialogue and deliberation

Thematics

21st Century Citizenship, Resource Development and Management, Health and Well-being

Area of Expertise

Field of research codes
Business and Management (150300): Commerce, Management, Tourism And Services (150000):
Communication and Media Studies (200100): Communication Studies (200101): Communication Technology and Digital Media Studies (200102):
Communications Technologies (100500):
Languages, Communication And Culture (200000):
Organisational Behaviour (150311):
Organisational, Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication (200105):
Technology (100000)

Keywords

Business education

Organizational change

Workplace wellbeing

Meaningful work

Email use and abuse

Ageing in relation to business (eg, older customers, older workers)

American politics (particularly communication issues)

Research Outputs

Book

Galloway, C., & Zorn, TE. (2025). Risk and Crisis Communication in Australia and New Zealand. In Handbook of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research Second Edition. (pp. 541 - 552).
[Chapter]Authored by: Zorn, T.

Teaching and Supervision

Summary of Doctoral Supervision

Position Current Completed
Main Supervisor 2 0

Current Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

  • Heather Newell - Doctor of Philosophy
    The impact of AI on older people and the organisations that serve them
  • Mozhgan Ghavidel - Doctor of Philosophy
    AI-Assisted Fake News in Finance Sector Organizations in New Zealand and Australia: A Comparative Study of Communication and IT Leaders鈥 Responses