Lachlan (Lach) Whatley, MComm, MA

Associate Professor

• Biography

  Lachlan Whatley is truly the practitioner/scholar as he has also worked within the Johnson & Johnson family of companies and with the Australian-based holding company that owned Fleischmann's Yeast, Spice Islands, Mauri Foods, Pinnacle, and Dromedary Cornwell's, among others, leading brands within the company's brand portfolio. Lachlan's experience in both of these companies, multi nationals with outstanding leadership, processes and systems, provides him with significant insight to the application of theory. Lachlan has also been a partner in a national accounting firm.

  Lachlan has worked at Trinity Western University, TWU, since August 2008. Prior to joining TWU, Lachlan was a faculty member at the University of the Fraser Valley, UFV. While at UFV, in addition to being an active faculty member, Lachlan was the Chair of the School of Business and a member of the University's senate. Lachlan has an undergraduate degree in business with a major in accounting, a master of commerce in finance, and an MA in organizational leadership. Lachlan is also a CPA and a CGA. Currently, Lachlan is a PhD student in Organization Development at Benedictine University, Chicago, USA.

  Lachlan’s research interests are in relation to virtues and their role within group dynamics. This interest has significant implications within the fields of ethics, leadership, innovation, and the dynamics of change. The lens taken to this research is within the domain of positive organizational scholarship and the role and importance of authentic community. 

  As a result of his background, Lachlan is a rare individual who can and does balance the practical aspects of building sustainable businesses, while ensuring that the organization is humanistic and transcends all involved. Lachlan received the School of Business’ “Professor of the Year Award” as determined by the graduating class of 2010/2011. 

  Lachlan enjoys spending time with his wife and their two lovely children. Lachlan also enjoys reading, writing, gardening, triathlon training, snowboarding, and attending live theatre, particularly Shakespeare.

• Education

  • PhD (Organization Development) (Candidate)
  • MA (Organizational Leadership) Gonzaga University, USA
  • MCom (Finance) University of New South Wales, Australia
  • BBA (Accounting) University of Technology, Australia
  • CGA, Canada, & CPA, Australia

• Research & Scholarship

  Lachlan’s research interests are in relation to virtues and their role within group dynamics. This interest has significant implications within the fields of ethics, leadership, innovation, and the dynamics of change. The lens taken to this research is within the domain of positive organizational scholarship and the role and importance of authentic community.

• Recent Publications

  Conference Presentations

  • Midwest Academy of Management 54th Annual Conference entitled "The Power of Positivity: Research and Practice that Makes a Sustainable Difference".  Presented a paper entitled, "Background, Foreground, Tenets of Group Dynamics". Whatley (2011). Omaha, Nebraska, October 20-22, 2011.  (Peer reviewed). Presenter: Lachlan Whatley.
  • EDULearn 11 3rd International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies.  Presented a paper entitled, "Education through the use of film: how "The Green Mile" demonstrated key learnings from Hall's Human Development Model and Styles of Leadership." Whatley (2011).  Barcelona, Spain, July 4-6, 2011.  (Peer reviewed). Presenter: Lachlan Whatley.
  • Academy of Management MCD Division 5th International Conference on Management Consulting entitled "Exploring the Professional Identity of Management Consultants".  Presented preliminary research on "Building Consulting Capabilities within the Financial Role for Family Owned Businesses." Whatley (2011), Amsterdam, Holland, June 9-11, 2011.  (Peer reviewed) Presenter:  Lachlan Whatley.
  • Southwest Academy of Management 38^th Annual Conference entitled “Recover, Rebuild, Renew”. Presented a paper entitled, “OD, Transformational vs. Transforming Leadership and Douglas McGregor.” Whatley (2011). Houston, Texas, March 9-12, 2011. (Peer reviewed) Presenter: Lachlan Whatley.
  • Southwest Academy of Management 38^th Annual Conference entitled “Recover, Rebuild, Renew”. Presented preliminary research on, “Family-Owned Business (FOB) Succession: A Canadian Case Study.” Whatley (2011). Houston, Texas, March 9-12, 2011. (Peer reviewed) Presenter: Lachlan Whatley.
  • Midwest Academy of Management 53^rd Annual Conference entitled “Strategizing, Leading and Motivating: Achieving a Hat Trick in Challenging Times”. Presented preliminary research on, “The Rule of Saint Benedict and its implications for the contemporary organization in regards to leadership and authentic community”. Whatley (2010). Grand Forks, North Dakota, October 14-16, 2010. (Peer reviewed) Presenter: Lachlan Whatley.
  • Midwest Academy of Management 53^rd Annual Conference entitled “Strategizing, Leading and Motivating: Achieving a Hat Trick in Challenging Times”. Presented preliminary research on, “The Renaissance Period and its implications for the contemporary organization in regards to leadership and community”. Whatley (2010). Grand Forks, North Dakota, October 14-16, 2010. (Peer reviewed) Presenter: Lachlan Whatley.
  • Verge Arts Series 2009 Conference entitled “Arts and Knowing”.
Presented a paper entitled, “Integrating the Tenets of Epistemology, through the use of Contemporary Film, to Aid in the Development of an Individual’s Metacognitive Processes”. Whatley (2009).
Trinity Western University, October 29, 2009. (Peer reviewed)
Presenter: Lachlan Whatley
  • Alliance of Universities for Democracy (AUDEM) 2009 Conference. Paper presented entitled, “Take Me to Your Leader: Young Voter’s Perceptions of Candidate’s Leadership Capacity”. Popa, A, B., Hazel, M., Whatley, L, R., Andenoro, T. and Crandall, H. (2009).
Uludag University, November 10, 2009. (Peer reviewed)
Presenter: Adrian Popa.

  Publication and Research Reports in Progress

  •  Whatley, L. R. (2011 expected). A New Model for Family Owned Business Succession.
    
  • Whatley, L. R., & Popa, A. B. (2011 expected). Life is a Highway: Exploring the relationship between transforming leadership, experiential learning, authentic community and the Rule of Saint Benedict.
    
  • Whatley, L. R. (2011/2012 expected). OD, Ethics, Transformational vs. Transforming Leadership, and D. McGregor.
    
  • Whatley, L. R. (2012 expected). The Spiral Metaphor – bridging the “polarity” discourse – a positive approach to considering the field of OD.

• Memberships & Affiliations

  • Academy of Management
  • Center for Values-Driven Leadership, Benedictine University
  • Midwest Academy of Management
  • Southwest Academy of Management
  • Christian Business Faculty Association (CBFA)
  • Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences
  • British Columbia Organization Development Network
  • Certified General Accountants (CGA)
  • Certified General Accountants Educational Advisory Group

• Courses Taught at TWU

  • BUSI342 - Business Finance
  • BUSI441 - Advanced Topics in Business Finance
  • BUSI490 - Integrative Group Project – Managing for Eternity
  • BUSI410 -Influencing the Changing Work Place
    
  • MBA542 - Managerial Finance
  • MBA655 - Financial Management of Non-Profit and Charitable Organizations
  • LDRS320 – Leadership and Ethical Decision Making
  • LDRS420 – Leadership and Change Management

• Awards & Honours

  School of Business’ “Professor of the Year Award” as determined by the graduating class of 2010/2011.