Joana Kuntz

Joana Coelho Kuntz is a New Zealand academic, and is a full professor in the School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing at the University of Canterbury, specialising in organisational and employee resilience, diversity and inclusion, and managing organisational change.

Academic career
Kuntz completed a PhD at the University of Tennessee and then worked in organisational development in America and Europe. Kuntz moved to New Zealand to join the faculty of the School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing at the University of Canterbury in 2009, rising to full professor in 2024. Kuntz's research covers employee and organisational resilience, leadership development, managing organisational change, and diversity and inclusion. She is interested in how resilience is measure and assessed for individuals and organisations. Kuntz is a co-founder of Canterbury's Employee Resilience Research group, who work with government agencies and companies to improve resilience after the Christchurch earthquakes. One of Kuntz's students examined the relationship between the resilience of employees and the resilience of their organisation. Kuntz has also published on the stressors reported by workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also commented on why workers might be more willing to accept pay cuts to help businesses stay afloat during the pandemic. Kuntz is also interested in the future of work.

In 2011 Kuntz was awarded an Erskine Fellowship, an academic exchange programme at the University of Canterbury. In 2013 she was nominated for lecturer of the year.