Rate My Professor Ngaire Malcolm

Ngaire Lynne Malcolm is the Finance Manager for ITS, Divisional Services and Administration in the Financial Services Division at the University of Otago. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Master of Business (MBus), and Diploma in Graduate Studies (DipGrad), all from the University of Otago, and is a qualified Chartered Accountant (CA). Her academic work includes a Master of Business thesis completed in 2013, titled 'Internal Employees versus External Employees (Contractors): Are the 'Outcomes' the same?', which investigates whether outcomes differ between internal employees and external contractors in organizational settings.

Malcolm contributed to research affiliated with the Department of Management at the University of Otago. She is a co-author of the 2013 publication 'Employing graduates: Selection criteria and practice in New Zealand', published in the Journal of Management & Organization. The study draws on comprehensive data from 20 New Zealand firms and examines selection criteria profiles and practices for graduate recruitment. It finds that, irrespective of firm characteristics, employers seek a similar graduate profile, emphasizing candidate 'well roundedness' and 'fit' as most vital. Selection practices are closely aligned with this profile. The paper highlights what employers seek—and do not seek—in candidates, offering guidance for graduates navigating competitive entry into graduate programmes and aiding universities in preparing students for the employment market. Entry into such programmes is highly competitive, and while careers advisors assist, many graduates remain uncertain about employer expectations and assessment methods.