March L To

Overview 

March L. To is an Associate Professor in the School of Management, College of Business and Law at RMIT University, Australia. He is Co-Director of NOBLE (Network for Organisational Behaviour and Leadership Enquiry), a research group of dedicated specialists in organisational behaviour and leadership.

A/Prof. To’s dedication to organisational psychology is driven by a deep commitment to creating inclusive and positive workplaces. His research spans critical areas including workplace emotions, employee wellbeing and creativity; positive leadership and motivation; and team diversity and cooperation. At the heart of this work are emotions and creativity - two uniquely human capabilities that are increasingly central and differentiating in the Human–AI era, shaping how organisations foster innovation, collaboration, and thriving at work. 

 

A/Prof To has published in top-tier international journals, including the Journal of Applied Psychology (ABS: 4*; ABDC: A*), the Journal of Organizational Behavior (ABS: 4; ABDC: A*), and the Leadership Quarterly (ABS: 4; ABDC: A*), as well as in the prestigious Financial Times Top 50 Journals. A/Prof. To has been invited to contribute to renowned handbooks like the Oxford Handbook and Cambridge Handbook. His research has been supported by competitive government grants and inter‑university grants. Beyond academia, strategies derived from his work have been incorporated into leadership training programs across industry sectors and government agencies. A/Prof. To’s work attracts attention in various media outlets, with high-attention scores (top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric). This underscores the practical implications of his research for both industry and the broader community. 

 

Awards

A/Prof. To has earned numerous awards, both nationally and internationally. These honours include:

 

Research Awards - 

• Best Paper Award at the Journal of Organizational Behavior (a top-ranked journal in the field)
• Best Reviewer Award at the Journal of Organizational Behavior (a top-ranked journal in the field)
• Dean's Award - Best Journal Publication Award (RMIT)
• Best Stream Paper Award - Organisational Behaviour stream (ANZAM)
• Highly Recommended Paper Award (ANZAM)
• Outstanding Reviewer Awards at the Academy of Management (USA)
• Dean’s Award for Research Higher Degree Excellence (UQ)

 

Teaching Awards -

• Outstanding GTS Awards (RMIT)
• Excellence in Teaching Award (UWA)

 

 

Editorial Services

• Contributing (Consulting) Editor, Journal of Applied Psychology (ABS 4*; FT Top 50; ABDC A*).
• Editorial Board, Journal of Organizational Behavior (ABS 4; ABDC A*)

 

Competitive Government Grants

• Jiang, J., To, M. L., & Kang, H. (2024-2027), “Expanding the STEM Talent Pipeline for Australian Defence Workforce.” Australian Government Department of Defence, $156,568.50
• To, M. L., & Fisher, C. D. (completed in 2020), “Creative pleasure or pressure? Everyday creativity, mood shift, and instrumental climate at work,”, Hong Kong University Grant Committee, $506,546. Score = 4.5/5 - “Demonstrates very high international standards … funded as a matter of priority.”
• To, M. L., Fisher, C. D., & Ashkanasy M. N. (completed in 2017), “Capitalizing on affect to foster team creativity,” Hong Kong University Grant Committee, $561,999. Score = 5/5 - “Outstanding and internationally excellent … accorded the highest priority for funding.”

 

Industry Engagement

• A/Prof. To’s research has been applied to leadership training programs in diverse sectors, including industries (e.g., Woodside), government agencies, and higher education institutes (e.g., RMIT; University of Western Australia, Murdoch University), yielding impacts. He has successfully translated his research expertise into a practical skill-mapping tool tailored for team leaders. This tool facilitates effective team coordination, knowledge exchange, accountability building, and diversity management within teams
• Please watch a 3-minute video abstract: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6954291557126598656

 

• Engagements with Prominent Organisations/Institutes
  • Woodside Energy (Global Energy Leader): a training workshop for Woodside, with the involvement of 7 top executives from the USA and Australia; applying the skill-mapping technique for team building and goal setting.
  • Leadership Training Programs for Local Government: leadership training programs for a local government, with involvement of 40 team leaders; facilitating skill/knowledge exchange and promoting inclusivity among employees of different age groups.
  • Joint-University Collaborations: joint-university projects with Monash University, aiming to study emotional recovery and employee wellbeing. 
  • Lendlease (Global Real Estate and Investment Group): a longitudinal project with Lendlease, exploring employees’ proactivity and its emotional impacts.
  • Hong Kong General Chamber of Social Enterprises (HKGCSE): a Total Wellbeing Scheme for employees in collaboration, aiming to deepen the understanding of how to promote employee wellbeing in both business and social enterprises.