BIOGRAPHY

I am a Professor at Mount Royal University, specializing in international business. A proud Canadian with a deep and enduring connection to Korea, I believe strongly in global cooperation and multilateral engagement.

My research examines global strategy, returnees and repatriation, the transfer of organizational practices across borders, and the internationalization of firms. More recently, I have explored organizational responsibility and social justice in global settings. I have published in leading peer reviewed journals, including top tier outlets, and have contributed book chapters, teaching cases, and policy focused work.

Alongside traditional scholarship, I am committed to accessible education. I am finalizing a Creative Commons licensed open textbook in international business that will be freely available to students and faculty worldwide. I am also the author of Chasing Sunrises, a reflective work that traces a long distance coastal walk across South Korea and explores themes of hope, place, and spiritual practice.

I have been teaching in postsecondary education since 2000 and earned my PhD from the Ivey School of Business in 2012. Beyond academic life, I remain an avid long distance walker and traveler.

Peer Reviewed Publications:

Roberts, M. J. D. (in press). Chasing Sunrises: A Spiritual Trek Through Korea’s Coastal and City Trails. University of Alberta Press.

Roberts, M. J. D., Muralidharan, E., & Cave, A. H. (2024). International experience, growth opportunities, and repatriate job satisfaction. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, (ahead-of-print).

Finch, D. J., Levallet, N., Saunders, C., Field, E., Ribeiro, J., Raby, S., Roberts, M., Uzoka, F.-M., & Campbell, A. (2023). A dynamic capability view of career adaptation: An exploratory study. Education + Training, 65(5), 769-789.

Roberts, M. J. D., Connolly, R., Conley, J., & Miller, J. (2023). Digital citizenship and the Big Five personality traits. Informatics, 10(3), 58. MDPI.

Cave, A. H., Roberts, M. J. D., & Muralidharan, E. (2023). Examining antecedents of repatriates’ job engagement and its influence on turnover intention. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 34(19), 3687-3720.

Roberts, M. J. D., & Ige, A. (2022). Practice-enabled organizational change: Practice reconfiguration through environmental turbulence. Change Management: An International Journal, 22(2).

Roberts, M. J. D., & Muralidharan, E. (2022). Internationalization of service SMEs: Perspectives from Canadian SMEs internationalizing in Asia. Global Business Review, 23(4), 890-910.

Finch, D., Levallet, N., Field, E., Raby, S., Saunders, C., Roberts, M. J. D., & Uzoka, F.-M. (2020). Learning our way forward: Calgary’s path to a learning city. Calgary, Alberta.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2019). Psychological distance and culture: Towards a socially constructed individual-level cultural framework. In R. Brunet-Thornton (Ed.), Examining cultural perspectives in a globalized world. Hershey, PA: Irwin IGI Global.

Roberts, M. J. D., & Beamish, P. W. (2017). The scaffolding activities of international returnee executives: A learning-based perspective of global boundary spanning. Journal of Management Studies, 54(4), 511-539.

Lee, J.-H., & Roberts, M. J. D. (2015). International returnees as outside directors: A catalyst for strategic adaptation under institutional pressure. International Business Review, 24(4), 594-604.

Roberts, M. J. D., & Beamish, P. W. (2013). Psychological distance and zone of proximal development: International returnee knowledge transfer. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2013 (1), Article 10966.

Seijts, G., & Roberts, M. J. D. (2011). The impact of employee perceptions on change in a municipal government. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 32(2), 190-213.

Roberts, M. (2002). TOEFL preparation: What are our Korean students doing and why? Korea TESOL Journal, 5 (1), 81.

Practioner Articles

Roberts, M. J. D., & Muralidharan, E. (2025). Trump, tariffs, and trade: Is Asia the future for Canadian SMEs? The Conversation.

Roberts, M. J. D., & Muralidharan, E. (2025). Trump, tariffs, and trade: Is Asia the future for Canadian SMEs? Project Design Japan. (Japanese translation and reprint of original article in The Conversation).

Cave, A., Roberts, M. J. D., & Muralidharan, E. (2023, January 30). How companies can improve the retention of employees returning from abroad. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com

Roberts, M. J. D. (2017). Korea Papers: Tium Environmental. Canada West Foundation, Calgary, Alberta.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2017). Korea Papers: Greenlight Innovation. Canada West Foundation, Calgary, Alberta.

Teaching Materials: Textbooks and Cases

Roberts, M. J. D. (forthcoming). Global Business: An Open Educational Resource (OER) Textbook. Thompson Rivers University: Open Learning.

Roberts, M. J. D. (forthcoming). ZayZoon: A Strategic Growth Challenge. In O. Osiyevskyy, & S. Raby (Eds.), Casebook on High-Growth Entrepreneurship: Scaling Up for Success . Edward Elger.

Pearl, C., & Roberts, M. J. D. (2020). Windmill Microlending: Converting potential to prosperity. (Ivey Case Study; with teaching note) (Case #: 9B20M084).

Mehrotra, S., & Roberts, M. J. D. (2015). Robert Bosch Engineering, India (RBEI) – An innovative frugal engineering. (ET Cases; with teaching note).

Roberts, M. J. D., & Guay, T. (2013). Alta injection molding & SAIT Polytechnic: Creating a model for private-public partnership. (Ivey Case Study; with teaching note) (Case #: 9B13M100w).

Roberts, M. J. D., & Beamish, P. W. (2013). Lundbeck Korea: Managing a growth engine. In C. A. Bartlett & P. W. Beamish (Eds.), Transnational Management: Text, Readings and Cases in Cross Border Management (7th ed.). Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2013). Our role as managers in understanding and fulfilling the labour principles of the UN Global Compact. In J. Lawrence & P. W. Beamish (Eds.), Globally Responsible Leadership: Managing According to the UN Global Compact. Sage Publications.

Government Reports

Massing, C., & Roberts, M. J. D. (2016). A call to action: Indigenizing MacEwan’s School of Business. Aboriginal Education Forum Report, MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta.

Roberts, M. J. D., Kincaide, H., & Muralidharan, E. (2014). Canada-Asia Energy Technology and Services Forum: Findings Report. Vancouver, BC: Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2013). The China Market Development Program for Wood Products: A Retrospective Report. Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Vancouver, BC.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2011). Official Report on the 9th Canada-Korea Forum. Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Vancouver, BC.

Peer-Reviewed Conference Presentations

Zhang, M., Lv, J., & Roberts, M. J. D. (2025). The impact of job crafting on employee attitudes: A comprehensive meta-analysis. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC), Waterloo, Ontario.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2024). The use of expatriates at greenfield start-up: The impact of industry. ASAC Montreal.

Roberts, M. J. D., Cave, A. H., & Muralidharan, E. (2023). International experience, growth opportunities, and repatriate job satisfaction. Academy of International Business, Warsaw, Poland.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2017). Internationalization of SMEs - The 6P perspective. Management in the Digital Era Conference, Prague, Czech Republic.

Howard, K., & Roberts, M. J. D. (2017). Academic and administrative collaboration on developing and implementing a university’s internationalization strategy. CONAHEC Conference, Regina, SK.

Roberts, M. J. D., & Muralidharan, E. (2017). Internationalization of SMEs - Perspectives from Canadian SMEs internationalizing in developing economies. ASAC, Montreal.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2016). International returnees and the scaffolding of knowledge across boundaries. Prague International Business and Management Conference, Prague, Czech Republic.

Roberts, M. J. D., & Beamish, P. W. (2014). Psychological distance and the zone of proximal development: International knowledge transfer by returnee managers. Academy of International Business, Vancouver, BC.

Roberts, M. J. D., & Guay, T. (2013). Alta injection molding & SAIT Polytechnic: Creating a model for private-public partnership. Administrative Science Association of Canada (case track), Calgary, Alberta.

Roberts, M. J. D., & Lee, J.-H. (2011). International returnees on corporate boards: A mechanism for institutional change. Academy of Management, San Antonio, Texas.

Mazutis, D., & Roberts, M. J. D. (2010). Global corporate citizenship: An empirical investigation of institutional determinants. Administrative Science Association of Canada, Regina, Saskatchewan.

Roberts, M. J. D., Lupton, N., & Beamish, P. W. (2009). Diminishing MNE control of foreign subsidiaries: The distinction between service and manufacturing firms. Academy of International Business, San Diego, CA.

International Invited Presentations 

Roberts, M. J. D. (2024, November). Crafting articles for publication in English journals [Invited presentation]. Tianjin University of Technology, China.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2024, April). The end of globalization and the rise of the multipolar world [Invited presentation]. Korea University, South Korea.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2023, November). Returnees and repatriates: A review of academic work by Dr. Michael Roberts [Invited presentation]. Tianjin University of Technology, China.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2023, November). Beyond the quiet classroom: Innovating classroom dynamics for diverse learners [Invited presentation]. Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, China.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2022, April). The use of expatriates at greenfield start-up: The impact of industry [Invited presentation]. Hanyang University, South Korea.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2022, April). International experience, growth opportunities, and repatriate job satisfaction [Invited presentation]. Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, Germany.

Roberts, M. J. D. (2019, November). Psychological distance and culture: Towards a socially constructed individual-level cultural framework [Invited presentation]. Prague University of Economics and Business - VˇSE, Czech Republic.