Research and Qualifications
Current Research
My research interests include social network analysis, the role of the corporation in society, theories of the firm, and stakeholder management.
Does Relational Context Matter? An Empirical Test of A Network Theory of Stakeholder Influences
Redundant Governance Structures: An Analysis of Structural and Relational Embeddedness in the Steel and Semiconductor Industries
with Dean Behrens and David KrackhardtInstitutional Investors: Blurring the Lines between Stakeholder Groups
with Kimberly BatesRelationships and Reciprocity in the Investment Banking Industry: Rational Calculation or Inertia? with Stan Li
| Does Relational Context Matter? An Empirical Test of A Network
Theory of Stakeholder Influences Researchers have theorized that the relational context surrounding an organization and its stakeholders impacts dyadic organization-stakeholder relationships. Using social network analysis techniques and data from two stakeholder networks, this study empirically tests whether network density and focal organization centrality influence how organizations respond to their stakeholders’ expectations. In addition to providing evidence that the relational context is important for understanding stakeholder relationships, the results yield several implications for stakeholder and corporate social performance research. |
|
| Email for a copy. | |
| Redundant
Governance Structures: An Analysis of Structural and Relational Embeddedness in the Steel
and Semiconductor Industries (with Dean Behrens and David Krackhardt) |
|
| Network researchers have argued that both relational embeddedness – characteristics of relationships – and structural embeddedness – characteristics of the relational structure – influence firm behavior and performance. Using strategic alliance networks in the semiconductor and steel industries, we build on past embeddedness research by examining the interaction of these factors. We argue that the roles relational and structural embeddedness play in firm performance can only be understood with reference to the other. Moreover, we argue that the influence of these factors on firm performance is contingent on industry context. More specifically, our empirical analysis suggests that strong ties in a highly interconnected strategic alliance network negatively impacts firm performance. This network configuration is especially sub-optimal for firms in the semiconductor firms. Furthermore, strong and weak ties are positively related to firm performance in the steel and semiconductor industries, respectively. | |
| Email for a copy. | |
| Institutional
Investors: Blurring the Lines between Stakeholder Groups (with Kimberly Bates) |
|
| In our paper, we present a model of how the rise of institutional investors can change the way we think about stakeholder management and corporate governance. Peter Drucker focused our attention on the shifting "of the titles of ownership of public companies to the institutional trustees of the country’s employees." (1991:53) He suggests that this shift of ownership from small dispersed blocks to concentration under institutional control has profound consequences for the way business is done. We create a model of institutional investor action which explicates how, why, and when institutional investors will take action to govern managerial decision making to the benefit of shareholders. Moreover, the rise of institutional investors blurs the boundaries between shareholders and other stakeholder groups. This overlap presents new grist for prescribing how stakeholders should influence managers and predicting how managers will respond to different institutional investor actions. | |
| Email for a copy. | |
| The Consequences of Defining Social Issues: Policy Instrument Selections and the U.S. Tobacco Industry | |
| Despite the existence of issue management models, some issues still produce unanticipated outcomes. This paper examines the influence of issue interpretation on policy instrument selections, arguing that the perceived severity and cause of a social issue impact the government tool selected. Relevant events in the tobacco industry are examined. | |
| Email for a copy. | |
| Relationships
and Reciprocity in the Investment Banking Industry: Rational Calculation or Inertia? (with Stan Li) |
|
| Scholars argue that network structures serve as information brokerage mechanisms with respect to available alliance partners and their capabilities as future allies. That is, a firm’s "cumulative pattern of cooperation" is its source of (and constraints on) information used to make partner selections. However, the overall pattern of the relationship structure only indicates whether each pair of actors in a network has had previous alliances, and if so, how many. Merely relying on past ties to predict future alliances suggests that relationship decisions are driven by inertia. In our analysis of the investment banking industry and the relational network surrounding Initial Public Offerings, we examine how reciprocity behaviors in past ties influence future alliance decisions, and what types of reciprocity are necessary to encourage organizations to form alliances with past partners. We ask two questions: Does a partner’s degree of reciprocity in past ties influence whether an organization will invite the partner in subsequent alliance opportunities, and under what conditions is reciprocity balanced or imbalanced between partners? | |
| Email for a copy. | |
| Overview |
| Current Research |
| Degrees & Awards |
| Teaching |
| Contact Info |
| Home |