Lee Kong Chian Professor of Organisational Behaviour & Human Resources Roy Chua has been given the 2025 Excellence in Teaching award by the Lee Kong Chian School of Business. This award recognises outstanding achievements in teaching and is decided by the School’s Executive Committee. It takes into account the views of their peers as well as nominations from the Area Coordinators.
Professor Chua, who is also Associate Dean for the Post-Experience Postgraduate programme, said that the award was deeply meaningful to him because “it affirms not only the efficacy of my pedagogical approach but also the impact I strive to have on students' intellectual and personal growth.”
He added that the recognition is a “reminder that the long hours spent refining cases, challenging students, and facilitating transformative dialogue have made a difference.”
In class, he sees his role as being a provocateur, guide, facilitator, and sometimes a mirror. “My job is to stretch students’ thinking, to question their assumptions, and to facilitate a space where ideas clash constructively. I’m not there to give them answers, but to help them ask better questions. Ultimately, I hope to be a catalyst for both cognitive and emotional growth.”
He said his goal is for students to walk out of his classes not just knowing more, but seeing the world differently.
At the heart of his pedagogic philosophy is the Socratic method — the belief that people learn best when they discover insights themselves. “I create a learning environment where students are compelled to think critically, articulate their perspectives, and wrestle with ambiguity. I see learning not as information transmission but as transformation.”
His style of teaching is participatory, which more introverted students might initially find daunting. However, he feels that participation is not about being extroverted — it is about being engaged.
“I make it clear from day one that every voice matters. I often start by inviting reflections or posing open-ended questions that give space for different entry points. Over time, as students see their peers being respected and listened to —even when views diverge — it builds psychological safety.
“I also remember individual students’ comments and refer back to them across sessions, signaling that I value their contributions. That sense of being seen encourages even the quieter ones to step forward.”
He said he finds it especially gratifying when quiet students tell him that they found their voice in his classroom.
Professor Chua teaches mainly in the DBA, MBA and EMBA programme at LKCSB, which means he teaches three different types of students. As a result, while “the core pedagogical philosophy — participant-centered learning via the case method — remains consistent, my approach flexes depending on the students’ professional maturity and academic orientation.”
For MBA students, he emphasises building foundational management thinking through interactive and often provocative dialogue. With EMBA and DBA participants, who bring significant leadership experience, he acts more as a facilitator of shared wisdom, pushing them to challenge entrenched assumptions and learn from each other’s hard-earned lessons.
For PhD students, the focus shifts toward deconstructing theory and exposing them to the art and science of research itself. Here, he often emphasises the importance of clarity of thought, rigour, and relevance in the research process.
“In sum, teaching at different levels forces me to calibrate content, pace, and tone constantly, which keeps the experience intellectually stimulating for me as well,” said Prof Chua, who joined LKCSB in 2014 after six years teaching at Harvard Business School.
While some academics see teaching as a chore compared to doing research, this is not the case with Professor Chua. “Teaching energizes me. It’s where theory meets lived experience, and where you can see intellectual sparks fly. There’s a particular joy in watching a student light up with a new realization or in seeing a complex concept click into place.”
He added that teaching also keeps him intellectually honest as it forces him to revisit assumptions, stay current, and refine his thinking.
Above all, teaching is meaningful, he said. “It feels like a way to give back, to shape the next generation of thoughtful leaders.”
The end result of all this is that his students often describe his classes as “transformative” or “life-long learning experiences.” “Some say I helped them become not just better managers, but better people. Others point to how I helped them confront their biases, think more deeply, or engage in topics — such as diversity and new questions I want to explore.”
His students are not the only ones to benefit from his teaching efforts, Professor Chua’s own research work benefits as well. “Teaching, especially via the case method, sharpens my understanding of what theories look like in action. It exposes me to real-world nuances that theory alone may miss. Sometimes, classroom debates point to research gaps or lead to new questions I want to explore.”
In addition, writing his own cases has become a form of research. “It demands analytical rigour and gives me a frontline view into pressing business challenges, especially in the Asian context.”
His advice to other lecturers who want to improve is multi-pronged. To improve, start by “observing yourself as if you were a student — what would engage you?”
Listening to the students is also important. And not just their formal feedback but how they respond in real-time, he noted.
He also advised people to “embrace discomfort — it’s where growth happens.” And, he added, do not be afraid to experiment. “Try new methods, write your own materials, and seek feedback from trusted colleagues.”
Finally, he said, you have to teach with conviction. “If you care deeply about the subject and your students, it will show — and that, more than anything, makes a great teacher.”
