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.

My research focuses on two key areas: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)—with an emphasis on building employer capability to support the employment of people with cognitive disability and the integration of migrants into the workforce—and industry talent branding, examining how industry attracts and retains diverse talent.