Overview
Background
Dr Gaala Watson is a Gangalu and Birri-Gubba (Wiri) scholar, strategist, and governance expert whose work bridges Indigenous governance, systems innovation, and impact enterprise. Based at the University of Queensland Business School, she leads research on Aboriginal governance, Indigenous economics, Indigenous management and leadership.
Her practice is grounded in cultural integrity, nation-building, and systems change, bringing together Indigenous knowledge systems with foresight and strategy to shape ethical, inclusive, and future-oriented governance. Gaala has advised national organisations, contributing to reforms that embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance principles in leadership education and policy frameworks.
With experience across academia, business, and community sectors, she is recognised for her ability to build trust across diverse stakeholders, translate research into practice, and design culturally grounded approaches. Her research and practice advance Indigenous-led models of governance and enterprise that reframe economic participation through principles of relationality, collective benefit, and self-determined development.
Availability
- Dr Gaala Watson is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Masters (Coursework) of Business Administration, Griffith University
- Certificate of Research, University of Melbourne
Research impacts
Dr Gaala Watson’s research aims to transform how governance, leadership, and enterprise are understood and practiced across Australia. Her work bridges Indigenous knowledge systems with organisational design and policy, creating models that enable ethical decision-making, accountability, and nation-building.
Her co-authored study Connecting Community (2025) provided the first empirical evidence of Indigenous management approaches improving outcomes in disability care, directly informing culturally responsive evaluation and service delivery frameworks. Her analysis of Black Cladding exposes how policy and corporate practices undermine Indigenous economic sovereignty, influencing current debates on procurement reform and Indigenous economic inclusion.
Her publications and curriculum innovations contribute to a growing evidence base for Indigenous-led governance and business education. This research is changing practice, embedding Indigenous values into education, enterprise, and policy design.
Works
Search Professor Gaala Watson’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Other Outputs
From the belly of the snake: Aboriginal governance theory and praxis
Watson, Gaala (2025). From the belly of the snake: Aboriginal governance theory and praxis. PhD Thesis, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/10f8208
2025
Journal Article
Connecting community: the role of indigenous management in disability care
Cooms, Samantha, Watson, Warrika and Watson, Gaala (2025). Connecting community: the role of indigenous management in disability care. Economic and Labour Relations Review, 36 (1), 85-105. doi: 10.1017/elr.2025.14
2023
Journal Article
Culturally attuned digital learning: scoping Indigenous learning pathways for the future
Meston, Troy, Kim, Eun-Ji Amy, Watson, Gaala and Cutler, Chesley (2023). Culturally attuned digital learning: scoping Indigenous learning pathways for the future. Global Comparative Education, 7 (2), 57-80.
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Gaala Watson is:
- Available for supervision
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Media
Enquiries
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