Dr. Aishath Leeza is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Management at the Maldives National University Business School (MNUBS), with over two decades of experience in higher education, teaching, research, academic leadership, and professional training. She holds a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, an MBA with Distinction (Batch Top) from Cardiff Metropolitan University, for which she was awarded the President’s Award for Academic Excellence, and a BA (Hons) in Business Management from Middlesex University, United Kingdom.
Her teaching and research expertise include Human Resource Management, Organisational Behaviour, Leadership, Strategic Management, Organisational Change, and Research Methods. Her research focuses on workplace bullying, organisational power, managerial control, employee wellbeing, and tourism employment, with publications in internationally peer-reviewed journals and presentations at leading international conferences.
Dr. Leeza has held several academic leadership roles, including Acting Dean, Head of the Department of Management, and MBA Programme Coordinator, and has contributed extensively to curriculum development, quality assurance, postgraduate supervision, and academic governance. She also serves as a Board Member of the Maldives Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and is a member of its Corporate Governance and Remuneration Committees. In addition, she actively delivers executive training, consultancy, and community engagement programmes for government agencies, local councils, educational institutions, and private sector organisations across the Maldives.

Educational Qualifications
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business Administration, Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture (PGIA), University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (2026).
• Master of Business Administration (MBA) with Distinction (Batch Top), Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, United Kingdom (2013). Awarded the President’s Award for Academic Excellence.
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Business Management, Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom (2011).
• BTEC Higher National Diploma in Business, Edexcel, London, United Kingdom (2010). Graduated as Batch Top with 22 Distinctions and 1 Merit.
• Diploma in Teaching (Secondary – Commerce), Maldives College of Higher Education, Malé, Maldives (2005).

Professional Qualifications and Certifications
• Professional Diploma in Corporate Governance (with Distinction), Singapore Management University (SMU) in collaboration with the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID), Singapore (2025).
• Level 5 Certificate in Designing and Facilitating E-Learning (Distinction), Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand (2017).
• Introduction to Technology-Enabled Learning (Technology-Enabled Learning – TEL), Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada (2018).
• Basic Unit Leaders Training Course, The Scout Association of Maldives, Malé, Maldives (2008).
• Training Life Skills Workshop, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Maldives (2006).

Research Interests
Workplace Bullying
Organisational Power and Managerial Control
Human Resource Management
Leadership and Organisational Behaviour
Employee Wellbeing
Organisational Change
Tourism Employment
Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research

Research Grants
Principal Investigator
MNU Research Grant (URG-2026-C2-L-14), The Maldives National University
Project: Power, Leadership, and Isolation: Understanding Women’s Experiences in Maldivian Resorts
Grant Amount: MVR 32,000 | Duration: September 2026 – August 2027
• Leading a funded research project examining how organisational power, leadership, and workplace isolation influence the experiences of women employed in Maldivian tourist resorts.

Co-Investigator
MNU Research Grant (URG-2026-C2-L-19), The Maldives National University
Project: Enhancing Financial Management Among SMEs in the Maldives: Challenges, Digital Adoption, and Policy Pathways for Sustainable Business Growth
Grant Amount: MVR 85,395 | Duration: September 2026 – August 2027
• Collaborating on a multidisciplinary research project investigating financial management practices, digital transformation, and policy pathways to strengthen the sustainability and growth of Maldivian SMEs.

Co-Author
MNU Book Grant (UBG-2024-C2-L04), The Maldives National University
Project: Navigating Success: Stories of Maldivian Business Leaders
Grant Amount: MVR 54,000 | Duration: January 2025 – October 2025 (Ongoing)
• Contributing as a co-author to an institutional publication documenting the leadership journeys, strategic decisions, and success stories of leading Maldivian business leaders.

Principal Investigator
MNU Research Grant (URG-2020-M-AS08), The Maldives National University
Project: Workplace Bullying: A Study of the Tourism Industry in the Maldives
Grant Amount: MVR 99,952 | Duration: April 2021 – June 2025
• Led a nationally funded research project examining workplace bullying within the Maldivian tourism sector.
• Produced peer-reviewed publications in the Maldives National Journal of Research and the South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management, together with presentations at national and international conferences.

Master of Social Policy (MPS) – Research Supervisor, Centre for Open Learning, The Maldives National University (2017–Present).
Master of Education (MEd) – Research Supervisor, MI College, Maldives (2018–Present).
Master of Education (MEd) – Research Supervisor, Avid College, Maldives (2021–Present).
Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Dissertation Supervisor, MNU Business School, The Maldives National University (2020–Present), supervising postgraduate research in Human Resource Management, Organisational Behaviour, Leadership, Strategic Management, Organisational Change, and related business disciplines.

Human Resource Management
Strategic Human Resource Management
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Management
Organisational Change and Development
Strategic Management
Research Methods
Business Management

1. Leeza, A., & Kumar, S. (2023a). A systematic review of Maldivian national laws to combat workplace bullying. The Maldives National Journal of Research, 11(2), 19–39. https://doi.org/10.62338/pd8v9525
2. Leeza, A., & Kumar, S. (2023b). We’re monitored too much! Workplace bullying or managerial control in the Maldivian tourist resorts. South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management. https://doi.org/10.1177/23220937231182061
3. Leeza, A., & Kumar, S. (2025). We’re Monitored Too Much! Workplace Bullying or Managerial Control in the Maldivian Tourist Resorts. South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management, 12(1), 153-171.

University Committees
• Member, Academic Senate, The Maldives National University.
• Member, Faculty Advisory Committee, MNU Business School.
• Member, Faculty Management Committee, MNU Business School.
• Member, Faculty Curriculum Committee, MNU Business School.
• Member, Quality Assurance Committee, MNU Business School.
• Member, Faculty Assessment and Moderation Committees, MNU Business School.
• Member, Faculty Research Committee, MNU Business School
• Chair and Member of programme development, curriculum review, moderation, and quality assurance panels.
National Committees
• Board Member (Public Representative), Maldives Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC since 2022 to Present)
• Member, Corporate Governance Committee, MTDC.
• Member, Remuneration Committee, MTDC.
Professional and Community Service
• School Board Member, Hiriya School, Malé, Maldives.
• Programme reviewer, external examiner, and moderator for higher education programmes.
• Academic reviewer for curriculum development and programme validation.

Presented research at the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, 37th PGIA Annual Congress, Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture (PGIA), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (2025).
Presented research at the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, 4th International Conference on Management and Entrepreneurship (ICOME 2025), The Open University of Sri Lanka (2025).
Presented the paper Nature of Workplace Bullying in the Maldives Tourist Resorts at the Peradeniya University International Management Research Sessions (iPUMSE 2021), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Presented the paper Workplace Bullying: A Study of the Tourism Industry in the Maldives at the Third International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (Theveli 2019), The Maldives National University.
Presented the paper Technology-Enabled Learning in the Maldives: Learner Use of Technology at The Maldives National University at the Theveli International Conference (2018).
Presented the paper Students’ Perceptions of Maldivian Teachers’ Practices of Teaching Thinking at the 4th International Teachers’ Conference, Maldives (2017).
Presented The Role of Social Media in Teaching and Learning at Ilmy Foavahi (MNU Research Seminar) (2015).
Conference Moderator, Theveli International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research, The Maldives National University (2024–Present).
Member, Best Paper Evaluation Panel, Theveli International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research, The Maldives National University (2025–Present).
Served as a Judge for business competitions, innovation challenges, entrepreneurship competitions, and student research presentations organised by educational institutions and professional organisations.
Organised and coordinated academic seminars, research workshops, conferences, and professional development programmes at The Maldives National University.
Delivered invited talks, executive training, and professional development programmes for government agencies, local councils, educational institutions, and private sector organisations across the Maldives.

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• Second Place, PhD Research Showcase Competition 2025, organised by the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS) in collaboration with the British Council, for the presentation Exploring Workplace Bullying Dynamics within Maldivian Tourism Resorts: An Investigation into Variations and Influencing Factors.
• Second Place, Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, 4th International Conference on Management and Entrepreneurship (ICOME 2025), The Open University of Sri Lanka, for the presentation Exploring Workplace Bullying Dynamics within Maldivian Tourism Resorts: An Investigation into Variations and Influencing Factors.
• Best Paper Award, HR Transformation and Organisational Agility Track, Peradeniya University International Management Research Sessions (iPUMSE 2021), University of Peradeniya, for the paper Nature of Workplace Bullying in the Maldives Tourist Resorts.
• MNU Research Grant Award (2021), The Maldives National University, as Principal Investigator for the research project Workplace Bullying: A Study of the Tourism Industry in the Maldives.
• President’s Award for Academic Excellence (2015), awarded for outstanding academic achievement in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme.
• Outstanding Academic Award (Batch Top with Distinction), Master of Business Administration, Cardiff Metropolitan University (2013).
• Outstanding Academic Excellence Award (Batch Top), BTEC Higher National Diploma in Business, Edexcel, United Kingdom (2010).
• Academic Excellence Award, Sh. Atoll Education Centre, for outstanding performance in the GCE O’ Level Examination (10 A grades) (2001).

• Designed and delivered executive education, professional development, and consultancy programmes for government agencies, local councils, educational institutions, healthcare organisations, and private sector organisations across the Maldives.
• Facilitated leadership and governance development programmes for local government authorities, including Leading with Integrity and Impact in Island Councils, Future Ready Council Training Programme, and Ethics and Leadership, delivered for In’guraidhoo Council, Gaafu Alif Atoll Council, and B. Kihaadhoo Council.
• Delivered organisational development and leadership programmes for The Maldives National University, including workshops on Building Work Ethics and Accountability in the Workplace, Harassment and Workplace Bullying: Causes, Effects and Prevention, Uplifting Leadership, Conflict Resolution, Everyone Is a Leader: Developing a Growth Mindset, and Developing Self-Leadership.
• Conducted executive and management development programmes for public sector leaders, including the Strategic Planning and Goal Setting module for the Management Development Programme for hospital executives and political appointees.
• Facilitated professional development programmes for healthcare professionals, including leadership workshops for Head Nurses organised by the Nursing Education Research Committee (NERC), Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).
• Delivered organisational effectiveness, ethics, leadership, service excellence, and workplace culture programmes for organisations including the Civil Service Training Institute (CSTI), Maldives Police Service, Maldives Customs Service, Elections Commission of Maldives, Maldive Gas, MIFCO, Addu Equatorial Hospital, Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital, schools, and local councils.
• Delivered student development and youth engagement programmes, including workshops on Time Management, Stress Management, leadership, and personal development for schools, universities, and youth organisations.
• Provided consultancy and academic support in curriculum development, programme review, quality assurance, assessment moderation, and organisational development within higher education.