Dr Nonhlanhla Dube
Lecturer in Operations ManagementResearch Overview
I am interested in operations management in the humanitarian and public sectors. My on-going work includes an exploration of the implications of insecurity for operations strategy, supply chain management, and logistics in the humanitarian sector. I am also part of a large research group investigating cost-effective measures for dealing with shortages in medicine supply chains.
Given the multifaceted and intertwined nature of issues faced specifically in humanitarian operations, I am also highly interested in interdisciplinary and/ or mixed methods research. For example, I have done mixed-methods empirical work on supply network resilience as well as interdisciplinary research on operations strategy and humanitarian action. I am keen to collaborate on similar work with researchers working in other fields and/ or other methods.
Career Details
My career started during my first bachelor in Zimbabwe: BSc (Hons) Applied Mathematics at NUST. As part of this four-year study (2002 to 2006), I did a year-long internship in a rubber manufacturing company where I focused on process improvement within the factory.
Upon completing my degree in Applied Mathematics, I got a job as a general logistician and eventually moved to supply logistics for the Dutch section of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Zimbabwe. For the latter, I primarily worked on drug supply and inventory management in this resource-poor setting. As this was a new project, I set up systems for inventory control and replenishment; I had to work across departments, mainly the medical department and finance, to ensure timely supply and minimising waste. By 2008 we had a well-running system. So, I needed a new adventure.
In 2008 I began my second bachelor in the Netherlands: BSc (Hons) International Business Administration at Vrije Unieversiteit Amsterdam. During my study, I took on voluntary and paid positions which included developing a governance structure for a 100% volunteer-run online organisation. I also conducted research on humanitarian operations and stayed involved in issues relevant to this field. I successfully graduated cum laude in 2011.
I then undertook a two-year research MSc (2011 - 2013): MSc Economics and Business at the University of Gronigen (UG). During this period, I did more research work on humanitarian operations and interned within the Procurement Unit of MSF in Amsterdam for over 6 months. I eventually became a board member within MSF in Amsterdam having been elected primarily for my knowledge and experience in humanitarian logistics and supply chain management. I served for a single term of 3 years which ended in 2015 and overlapped with the start of my PhD at UG. After that, I focused on my PhD research which I completed in 2022.
As of late 2017, I work at Lancaster University as a Lecturer/ Assistant Professor in Operations Management. I primarily conduct research and teach but have also taken on some projects to remain in touch with the humanitarian world. One of the projects I have was involved in from 2016 - 2021 is a data quality improvement intervention in Afghanistan. This is a multi-million-pound project sponsored by the Global Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) which ultimately sought to improve the availability of, and access to, vaccines to children all over Afghanistan.
PhD Supervision Interests
I am available to supervise PhD students on various topics within operations management in the humanitarian and public sector. I am also interested in Global South perspectives on contemporary supply chain issues like child labour, slavery, resilience, and sustainability. I am also interested in co-supervising interdisciplinary research incorporating Operations Management as well as mixed methods approaches.
Measures for improved availability of medicines and vaccines (MIA TRE)
01/03/2020 → 31/12/2024
Research
Modern Slavery: co-creating joint research agendas to swing the pendulum towards supply chain justice
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
MIA project research seminar on UK medicines supply and shortages
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Supply Chain Management
- Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK
- Supply Chain Management