Varun Rijhwani
  •  varun.rijhwani@spjimr.org

Varun Rijhwani

Assistant Professor, Organisation and Leadership Studies

Varun Rijhwani brings with him a wealth of experience as a communications professional and researcher. He has obtained his doctoral degree in human-machine communication from MICA, Ahmedabad. His thesis examined the personal factors influencing how people interact with digital voice assistants, including Siri, Alexa, and Google Home. By identifying key user motivations and challenges, it offered valuable insights for designers and developers, helping them create more intuitive, user-friendly, and engaging voice technology. He has also been a visiting scholar at the School of Communication, Western Michigan University, MI, USA., where he developed his thesis proposal and worked on various research projects.

As a valued faculty member at the Communications and Social Robotics (COMBOT) Lab, Varun delved into the intricacies of human-robot interaction and the perceptual dynamics shaping these interactions. Equipped with a CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from the University of Cambridge, he holds the license to teach English globally. Prior to joining SPJIMR, he was an Assistant Professor at the School of Business Management, NMIMS, Mumbai. Driven by a fervent curiosity for human-machine interaction, his philosophy centres on merging theory with practice to elevate digital communication tools. Through rigorous research, he strives to offer actionable insights, empowering designers and developers to create intuitive and user-centric technologies. As an educator, he is committed to nurturing critical thinking skills among the youth, fostering effective communication that enriches human connections and fosters positive societal evolution.

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Education

MICA, Ahmedabad

Ph.D. 2023

Focus: Human–Machine Communication

Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi

MA in English Literature 2017

Major: English Literature

Prestige Institute of Management and Research, Indore

MBA 2013

Major: Finance

Prestige Institute of Management and Research, Indore

BBA 2011

Major: Marketing

  • Research interests

    Human-Machine Communication

    Human-Robot Interactions

    Artificial Intelligence

  • Selected publications

    Abendschein, B., Lin, X., Edwards, C., Edwards, A., and Rijhwani, V. (2024). Credibility and altered communication styles of AI graders in the classroom. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 40(4), 1766-1776.

    Edwards, C., Edwards, A., and Rijhwani, V. (2023). When in doubt, lay it out: Over vs. under-accommodation in human-robot interaction. Language Sciences, 99, 101561.

    Rijhwani, V., and Edwards, C. (2023). ‘Hey Siri, You’re Dumb!’: Investigating Blurting Instances of Voice-Based Assistants. Interacting with Computers, iwad047.

    Abendschein, B., Edwards, C., Edwards, A., Rijhwani, V., and Stahl, J. (2021). Human-robot teaming configurations: A study of interpersonal communication perceptions and affective learning in higher education. Journal of Communication Pedagogy, 4, 123-132.

    Edwards, C., Edwards, A., and Rijhwani, V. (2020, August). Rate My Robot: The effect of Word-of-Mouth (WOM) on perceptions of a social robot’s teaching performance. In 2020 29th IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN) (pp. 1063-1068). IEEE.

    Link to Google Scholar

  • Teaching interest

    Oral Communication

    Public Speaking

    Non-verbal Communication

    Visual Communication

    Business Communication

    Written Analysis and Communication

    Public Relations

    Corporate Communication

    Human-Machine Communication

    Computer-Mediated Communication in Interpersonal
    Relationships

  • Courses

    Oral Communication

    Public Speaking

    Non-verbal Communication

    Business Communication

    Written Analysis and Communication

    Public Relations

    Corporate Communication

  • Work experience

    Academic faculty

    Associated with the Communications and Social Robotics lab as a faculty member at School of Communication, Western Michigan University, MI, USA from January 2020 – present

    Worked as an honorary Visiting Faculty at IIT Patna for their EMBA Online programme from May 2023 to December 2023

    Worked as an Assistant Professor at School of Business Management, NMIMS, Mumbai from March 2022 to March 2024

    Worked as an Assistant Professor at Prestige Institute of Management and Research, Indore from August 2017 to May 2018

    Worked as Visiting Faculty at Prestige Institute of Management and Research, Indore from January 2014 to December 2014

    Administrative assignments

    Worked as an Academic Associate at Indian Institute of Management, Indore (IIM)

  • MDPS/FDPS

    State Bank of India: Designed and facilitated dynamic, interactive sessions on Negotiation Skills and Storytelling tailored for middle management professionals, fostering strategic communication and persuasive leadership. (12/2024 – 03/2025)

    GSK: Lakshya 3.0: Conducted sessions on Giving and Taking Corrective and Constructive Feedback, as well as Prioritisation and Time Management, demonstrating abilities to work effectively under pressure. (08/2023 – 08/2023)

    Veritas Technology: Led sessions on Self-Understanding, Johari Window, and Personal Improvement Plan, showcasing expertise in personal development strategies. (09/2022 – 09/2022)

    CIPLA Post Graduate Diploma in Pharmaceutical Management Program: Facilitated a course on Business Communication, contributing to the development of effective communication skills among students. (04/2022 – 06/2022)

  • Licensures and certifications

    CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) holder, certified by the University of Cambridge, with proficiency in delivering English language instruction to diverse learners.

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