Professor Robert Spillane

BCom (Applied Psychology) (UNSW), PhD (Psychology) (Macq)

Professor of Management
Macquarie Graduate School of Management (Sydney, Australia)

Professor Spillane teaches philosophy in the hope that it will be applied to management and psychology in the hope that it will not. Following eight years with BP and Philips, he joined the School of Behavioural Sciences at Macquarie University in 1972 and accepted a full-time position at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management in 1976. From 1989 to 1991 he was Dean of MGSM.

In the 1970s Professor Spillane worked with American psychologist, Dr. Albert Ellis and has worked, since the 1980s, with renowned psychiatrist, Professor Thomas Szasz. He practiced psychotherapy in Sydney for 25 years, working especially on occupational stress, RSI and ADHD.

Professor Spillane has taught at the London Business School, the Universities of NSW and Stockholm and the ABCOR Institute in Germany. From 2003 to 2009 he delivered more than 120 widely-acclaimed lectures on philosphy and psychology for the Art Gallery Society of NSW.

In 2006 he received the Thomas S. Szasz Award from the Center for Independent Thought in New York for his contribution to the cause of human liberty.

Teaching Areas:

• Managerial Psychology
• Foundations of Management Thought

Research Interests:

• History of Western Ideas
• Philosophies of Management
• Psychology and its Misapplication to Management
• Australian Managerial Values
• Leadership and Management
• ADHD and other Mental Disorders

Published Research

Professor Spillane has written more than 130 professional articles, twelve books and a play — ‘Entertaining Executives’ — which was first performed at the Mermaid Theatre, London, in May 2006. His recent books are:

• ‘Philosophy of Leadership: The Power of Authority’, Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. With Jean-Etienne Joullié.
• ‘Entertaining Executives’, GOKO Publishing, 2015.
• ‘The Rise of Psychomanagement in Australia’, Melbourne: Michelle Anderson Publishing, 2011.
• ‘Enlightened Eccentrics’, Melbourne: Michelle Anderson Publishing, 2010.
• ‘Questionable Behaviour: Psychology’s Undermining of Personal Responsibility’, Melbourne: Michelle Anderson Publishing, 2009.
• ‘An Eye for an I: Living Philosophy’, Melbourne: Michelle Anderson Publishing, 2007. 2nd edition: GOKO Publising, 2015.
• ‘Personality & Performance: Foundations for Managerial Psychology’, (with J. Martin), Sydney: UNSW Press, 2005.

Contact Details

Call +61 2 9850 8995 or email.