Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Thought Leaders

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#BestfortheWorldLeaders—Pepperdine Graziadio Business School faculty publish research that investigates the changing business world and impacts of the pandemic. Graziadio thought leaders’ research covers a wide breadth of expertise such as optimizing enterprise risk, volatility in the marketplace, team management and effectiveness, enhancing work efficacy, and new leadership styles. To learn more about Graziadio thought leadership research, visit Graziadio Center for Applied Research. A selection of recent research articles from Pepperdine Graziadio faculty are summarized below:

Changes Across Cohorts in Wage Returns to Schooling and Early Work Experiences

Jared Ashworth, Associate Professor of Economics

The research paper investigates the age returns to schooling and early work experience and how these returns have changed over the last 20 years. Findings show the return to an extra year of schooling increased while the returns to an extra year of in-school work decreased. The return to a college degree has remained stable and the overall return to four years of college has increased.

Ashworth’s expertise and research focus on returns to investments in human capital, as well as understanding how returns vary across individuals.

Shared Leadership and Team Effectiveness: Does Traditionalism and Virtuality Matter?

Cristina Gibson, Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Management

Shared leadership is a new style of leadership and may be more (or less) effective across cultures. Gibson’s research found a positive relationship between shared leadership and team effectiveness for employees that are high on virtuality and traditionalism. In addition, her research also found that leaders who are reluctant to deviate from past norms fail at creating a shared leadership culture.

Gibson’s expertise and research focuses on organizational management, cross-cultural psychology, organizational innovation, virtual team collaboration, and the role of the surrounding community in corporate success.

Evaluating Risk for Top-line Growth and Bottom-line Protection: Enterprise Risk Management Optimization (ERMO)

Charla Griffy-Brown, Professor of Information Systems and Technology

In the newly transformed digital workplace, business success requires a measured appetite for risk in order to achieve top-line growth. Currently, there is a gap in the tools needed to evaluate the upside and downside of emerging technologies. Research shows risk is not a minimizing problem but an optimizing issue.

Griffy-Brown’s expertise and research focuses on digital innovation; emerging technology deployment; their cost and ROI for organizations, cybersecurity, data, and AI policies that are ethical and inclusive; and the cost and risk of consumer facing technologies.

Case Study of Event Risk Management with Options Strangle and Straddles

Clemens Kownatzki, Assistant Professor of Finance

Specific event environments impact abrupt price changes and volatility in the marketplace, both up and down. Research found that selling option straddles and strangles during typical market conditions and then buying option straddles and strangles when market sentiment switches to a more extreme state offers an effective risk management approach for event risk.

Kownatzki’s expertise and research focuses on the financial market, investments, international capital and currency markets, and market volatility.

Reflecting on the Fly: Development of the Team Reflection Behavioral Observation (TuRBO) System for Acute Care Teams

Zhike Lei, Associate Professor of Applied Behavioral Science

In-action team reflection has proven to be an effective way to improve teamwork and improve patient safety in healthcare. Lei developed a framework, Team Reflection Behavioral Observation (TuRBO), to observe in-action team reflection (TR). Research findings found in-action TR consist of evaluating information, and data showed a positive relationship between in-action TR and clinical performances of the teams.

Lei’s expertise and research focuses on performance during high pressure environments, error management, crisis management, and effective leadership.

A Framework of Brand Contestation: Toward Brand Antifragility

Cristel Russell, Professor of Marketing

What is the future of branding? Brands are constantly being contested, and new research shows contestation can be valuable for brands. Brand contestation will continue to increase as markets become increasingly interconnected, dynamic, digital, and more volatile. Consumers use brands to communicate their identity or social identity. Brands have an opportunity to become stronger when subject to marketplace stressors and use consumers’ contestation to develop antifragility.

Russell’s expertise and research focuses on entertainment, marketing, and consumer behavior.

Paradox of Social Support in Virtual Communities

Doreen Shanahan, Assistant Professor of Marketing

Virtual support communities (VSCs) are on the rise. VSCs can provide positive social dynamics but also host judgment and pressures that ultimately harm community relationships and engagement. Organizations that use VSCs must be aware of the beneficial and potential negative social dynamics that can lead to members disengaging and leaving the support group.

Shanahan’s expertise and research focuses on innovation, experiential learning, culture and markets, and global changes.

The Dark Side of Construction Coverage: Navigating Consensus, Evolution, and Practical Relevance in Theory Building

Dana Sumpter, Associate Professor of Organization Theory and Management

Strong cultural norms can inhibit innovation. Managers can benefit and retain talent with contemporary management policies. Research shows when employees return from a leave, their skills and capabilities are enhanced as a result of their experience during their leave. Working mothers and work/family dynamics provide benefits and enrichment to the workplace—employees experience increased positive work efficacy, enhanced relational capabilities, and improved work resilience.

Sumpter’s expertise and research focuses on work/family systems; people management; women in the workplace/working mothers; and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

About Pepperdine University Graziadio Business School

For more than 50 years, the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School has challenged individuals to think boldly and drive meaningful change within their industries and communities. Dedicated to developing Best for the World Leaders, the Graziadio School offers a comprehensive range of MBA, MS, executive, and doctoral degree programs grounded in integrity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The Graziadio School advances experiential learning through small classes with distinguished faculty that stimulate critical thinking and meaningful connection, inspiring students and working professionals to realize their greatest potential as values-centered leaders. Follow Pepperdine Graziadio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Contacts

Hillary Doran

Associate Director of Marketing

Pepperdine Graziadio Business School

(310) 568-2339

hillary.doran@pepperdine.edu