David has held numerous international academic and industry positions in Germany, the Far East, the United States and the United Kingdom together with an executive position at a customer satisfaction management consultancy firm in South Africa. He is currently Associate Professor at the University of Western Australia.

While his research is varied, David’s primary interests are in the domain of regenerative business and planetary health as well as macro-marketing focusing in particular on the interface between marketing and quality of life (QOL), self determination theory, the psychology of consumption and wellbeing.

David serves on many editorial boards and was awarded ‘Distinguished Research Fellow’ of the International Society for Quality of Life Studies (ISQOLS) in 2010 for his contributions to QOL research.

2021 - 2023 Convenor UWA Modern Slavery Research Cluster

2019 - Co-Founder and Co-Manager UWA FABLE Modern Slavery Research Cluster (MSRC)

2017 - Founder Informal UWA Modern Slavery Network

2013 - Dec 2017: Associate Director (UN PRME) UWA Business School, United National Global Compact (UNGC) UWA, Global Compact Network Australia (GCNA).

Expertise:

• Regenerative business
• Planetary health
• Societal & Quality of Life Marketing,
• Self-determination theory,
• Sustainable consumption,
• Applied business ethics,
• Modern slavery (Human Trafficking)

From sustainability to regenerativity: A conceptual pathway.

The role and impact of regenerative business on planetary health (natural environment and human wellbeing).

Societal and public policy marketing with a specific focus on the well-being, quality of life, happiness of populations, health care, poverty alleviation, contentment, materialism, consumer well-being, spirituality, religiosity and moral self-regulation.

Self-determination theory application in various behavioral settings including energy management, health care, social relationships and sustainability.

Ethics and values application in society

Research in Progress (2020 Onwards)

Domestic collaboration

1. Investigating self-determined behaviour, environmental motivation and brand equity in the German energy sector. Research Team: Dave Webb, Associate Professor, University of Western Australia. Dr Doina Olaru, Associate Professor, University of Western Australia. Mr Christopher Rastin, Senior Research Manager, Global Insights & Customer Experience, E.ON SE, Brüsseler Platz 1, 45131 Essen, Germany. Dr Fridrik Larsen, Associate Professor University of Iceland, Faculty of Business. Reykjavik. 2020 > Current.
2. Modern slavery - Together with UWA researcher Dr Liudmila Tarabashkina and Dr Robyn Ouschan (Curtin University), David will be exploring a variety of projects drawing on his knowledge in the growing interest field of modern slavery. This program of research will extend the collaborative relationship inernationally with UN PRME research partners from the University of Leeds (UK) and Sheffield University (UK) in particular. A submission for WUN (World Universities Network) grant is in proces.
3. Agriculture and Tourism.  Fang Liu and Juanyi Liu. This study represents a major part of Juanyi’s PhD studies exploring the role of communication and product placement strategy in the context of agritourism in Western Australia.

International Collaboration

1. Project with Fridrik Larsen (University of Reykjavik) and Christopher Rastin E.ON, Germany, exploring various self-determination and brand-related constructs and subsequent behaviour in the energy sector is currently in progress (2021 >).
2. Exploring the relationship between clothing style, fashion, materialism and subjective well-being. This project is with Professor Wencke Gwozdz (Germany), James Gentry (USA), Kristian Nielsen (Denmark) and Shipra Gupta (USA). An A level paper was published in 2023 and associated developmental work is ongoing.
3. Modern slavery - Together with colleagues from across UWA (See 2 above under domestic collaboration), David will be exploring a variety of projects drawing on his knowledge in the growing interest field of modern slavery. This program of research will extend the collaborative relationship with UN PRME research partners from the University of Leeds (UK) and Sheffield University (UK) in particular.
4. Exploring the role of consumers in respect to Modern Slavery. Project conceptualisation in conjunction with Associate Professor Matthew Davis (University of Leeds). See project 2 domestic above.

1. Regenerative business and Planetary health. Beyond extending a conceptual framework advancing from sustainability to restorativity to regenerativity, David will also be visiting the wider role of business in mediating climate change and human wellbeing at all levels (2024).
2. Self-determination theory - David's future research will continue to draw on self-determination theory to explore the positive behaviour of individuals across a range of societal, environmental and socially beneficial fields.
3. Materialism and Subjective wellbeing - David will also be continuing a program of research exploring materialism, consumption and subjective well-being. This research will be conducted in both goods and service contexts.
4. Modern slavery - Together with Dr Fiona McGaughey (Law School) and other colleagues from across UWA FABLE, David will be exploring a variety of projects drawing on his knowledge in the growing interest field of modern slavery. This program of research will extend the collaborative relationship that David and colleagues enjoy with research partners from the University of Leeds and Sheffield in particular.

• Ethics and Sustainability
• Principles of Responsible Management
• Marketing and Society
• Ethical Dimensions of Organisations, Management and Leadership
• Societal Environmental and Public Policy Marketing
• Marketing Analysis and Planning
• Environmental Marketing
• Strategic Marketing
• Services Marketing
• Consumer Behaviour

Subjective wellbeing - Global relevance - Many organizations (Government departments and NGO's) integrate QOL indicators and related data into their overall decision-making and performance assessment. Providing valid and reliable data collected across multiple contexts is an important contributor to such organizations with significant policy implications of relevance to macro global and micro community groups.

Business ethics - Global relevance - Many organisations struggle with reducing misconduct. In addition to developing compliance orieted materials (codes of conduct etc.), employees need to develop the competence and cofidence to act in accordance with their best values when confronted with values-based dilemmas. The giving voice to values framework (ethics) provides a framework for just such competence development. Dr Webb provides guidance to organisations in both the public and private sectors looking to develop employee competencies in this area.

Collaborations

Professor Mary Gentile (Darden University). Giving Voice to Values

Modern slavery - Global relevance with specific focus on Australia and UK at present. With the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act in Australia in 2019, which requires that all organisations with a turnover in excess of $AUD100 million report on their activities to mitigate against modern slavery, organisations will be considering what this means for them in respect to not only their reporting, but more importantly, their activities across the value chain. The work conducted by David and his colleagues both at UWA as well as overseas in the UK (University of Leeds and Sheffield University) will go a significant way toward addressing these questions.

Collaborations

Dr Fiona McGaughey (Law School - Modern Slavery) - With the development of potential collaborations with Industry partners.

Dr Mathew Davis (University of Leeds)

Dr Louise Waite (University of Leeds)

Dr Hannah Lewis (Sheffield University)