Speaker:

Ms. Yuna Cho
Ph.D., Management
Yale University

Abstract:

Both organizations and governments have increasingly attended to raising levels of minimum pay for employed individuals, with the aim of improving employee well-being. The current research examines how raising organizational minimum pay affects employee happiness and highlights an individual’s income position within the organization as a critical moderator of the reaction to pay changes. Though social comparison theory usually assumes a single criterion on which individuals make comparisons, we argue that changes in reward structures prompt employees to engage in social comparisons across two dimensions that are made salient through the change. We show that employees in the middle of the pay curve face unfavorable comparisons on both their relative standing in the organization (“positional salience”) and the amount of pay increase they receive in comparison with increases received by others (“magnitude salience”), and exhibit a negative reaction compared to those at the top or the bottom of the pay curve. We investigate this pattern of “middle status dejection” across two studies, a field study exploiting an organizational quasi-experiment and a lab experiment. Perceived respect by the organization (or lack thereof) mediates the relationship between pay changes and employee happiness. This study contributes to the literature on employee well-being and the paradoxical outcomes that organizational policies can trigger, advancing social comparison theory to integrate contexts of social change rather than static snapshots.

Speaker:

• Dr. Zhi Huang
  Ashland Oil Endowed Associate Professor
  Department of Management, University of Kentucky

Abstract:

This study builds on institutional theory to explore penalties and resulting reactions associated with being promoted at a rate that differs from institutional norms in organizations. We propose that individuals promoted to leadership positions either faster or slower than organizational norms are doubted and questioned by coworkers. These doubts lead coworkers to behave differently towards the promoted, resulting in the promoted seeing a need to prove oneself via engaging in bold risk-taking behaviors in the new position. We seek to establish this as a general phenomenon across different hierarchical levels and across cultures with 4 studies. In Study 1, we consider promotion to the CEO position and test our theory using two archival datasets from Chinese and US contexts. In Study 2, we extend beyond the top of the organizational hierarchy to consider promotion at different levels, and test our theory using a survey in a Chinese firms. In Study 3, to address identification issues, we conduct a vignette experiment with MTurk subjects. In Study 4, we conduct two vignette experiments (one using employees in four Chinese firms and the other using MTurk subjects to test whether coworkers as audiences indeed doubt and challenge norm-violating promotions. We conduct additional analyses to verify the premise of our theory (e.g., the existence of institutionalized norms regarding promotion time in organizations and test the scope condition of our theory (e.g., uncertainty about the promoted’ capabilities). Overall, our analyses show consistent support for our theory using different research methods across organizational levels and cultural contexts, suggesting that the practices of faster or slower promotion could have unintended consequences of different magnitude for organizations.

Speaker:

• Mr. David Sullivan
  OB/HR Doctoral Candidate
  Mays Business School, Texas A&M University

Abstract:

Through the study of active job seekers, this dissertation seeks to illuminate the processes underlying the development and manifestation of anticipated misfit during the recruitment and job search process. While research regarding the development and experience of misfit for current employees is beginning to emerge, consensus regarding the development and influence of anticipated misfit by job seekers is less clear. To address the dearth of research regarding misfit and its role during the job search—and in particular how it impacts job seekers’ attitudes and behaviors—this research explores two distinct types of anticipated misfit: discordant misfit (as experienced via person-organizational culture) and deficient misfit (as experienced via idiosyncratic recruitment deal-breakers). Drawing upon the job search and fit literatures, this study explores the theoretical mechanisms related to the manifestation and impact of anticipated misfit on the critical job search outcomes of organization aversion and job search withdraw intentions. Two studies were conducted to examine these processes as they pertain to actual job seekers. The first study examines the validity of newly developed anticipated misfit measures as they pertain to the job search process; the second study examines anticipated misfit with active job seekers across a four-month period. Overall, this dissertation seeks to provide important contributions to the misfit/fit literature, elaborate on the theoretical processes leading to the manifestation of anticipated misfit, and advance the misfit-job search literature.

Speaker:

Dr. Han Jiang 
Assistant Professor in Management (Strategy and Entrepreneurship)
A. B. Freeman School of Business
Tulane University

Abstract:

We develop a political path dependence model to integrate the network embeddedness perspective and the literature on corporate political strategy in order to determine how firms adapt their political connections when anticorruption efforts lead to the turnover of government officials. Firms that have close connections with ousted corrupt officials have stronger motivations to both remove existing political connections (“cleaning the house”), and to develop new connections with their successors (“hosting new guests”). Their political path dependence enables them to do the former, but constrains them from doing the latter. These effects are magnified when firms are highly dependent on the government, and when the ousted corrupt officials have great political power. Evidence from anticorruption campaigns in China between 2012 and 2017 strongly supports our theoretical predictions.

Speaker:

Prof. Thomas Younghoon CHOI
Department of Supply Chain Management
W. P. Carey School of Business
Arizona State University

Abstract:

Recent events involving supplier-caused business disruptions bring to the forefront the issue of managing critical suppliers that may exist deep in a supply chain. While managing prominent top-tier, strategic suppliers is well understood, we have only just begun to recognize a different type of critical suppliers we call nexus suppliers. Nexus suppliers can be several tiers removed in the extended supply network and hence may not be in direct contact with the focal buying firm. They are critical because of their structural positions in the supply network. This presentation weaves together a series of papers published in Harvard Business Review (Online), Journal of Operations Management, Journal of Supply Chain Management, and Decision Support Systems. We will consider the concept of nexus suppliers and the development of nexus supplier index (NSI). Using a publicly available data source (i.e., Bloomberg Terminal), the proposed NSI model is empirically implemented for the real-world network of buyers and suppliers extending out to the fourth-tier from Honda Motor Company as a focal company. The development of NSI has been funded by CAPS Research.

The Black Market for Beijing License Plates (ICGD)

Speaker:

Dr. Junji Xiao
Associate Professor
Department of Economics
UTS Business School
University of Technology Sydney

Abstract:

Black markets can reduce the effects of distortionary regulations by reallocating scarce resources towards those who value them the most. The illegal nature of black markets however creates transaction costs that reduce the gains from trade. We take a partial identification approach to infer gains from trade and transaction costs in the black market for Beijing car license plates which emerged following their recent rationing. We use optimal transport methods to non-parametrically estimate a lower bound on the volume of unobserved black market trade under weak assumptions using comprehensive car sales data. We find that at least 11% of the quota of license plates is illegally traded. We next infer gains from trade and transaction costs and tighten the bounds on the volume of trade under further assumptions on black market transactions. The inferred size of the transaction costs suggests severe market frictions: between 61% and 82% of the realized gains from trade are lost to transaction costs, while between 7% and 28% of the potential gains from trade are realized in the black market.

Speaker:

Ms. Zhuo Chen
Doctoral Candidate in Strategic Management
Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business
Rice University

Abstract:

Existing research in strategy and entrepreneurship has mainly focused on the real-options value of CVC investments. They suggest that CVC investments represent an essential mechanism for the parent company to identify early-stage technologies and limit downside risks. I contribute to this literature by proposing that these CVC investments reveal the parent company’s strategic intent, which can attract other firms’ attention and accordingly affect the latter’s strategic actions, creating what I call information externality of CVC investments. Using a comprehensive dataset that tracks 608 publicly-listed U.S. firms in five high-tech industries between 1990 and 2017, I find that the focal firm is more likely to acquire ventures in a technology domain with a higher intensity of other firms’ CVC involvement. Moreover, this relationship will be amplified if the focal firm has high technological proximity to the technology domain. I also find that the focal firm is more likely to acquire ventures that have received funding from other CVCs, and the technological proximity between the focal firm and a CVC investor is positively related to the likelihood that the focal firm will acquire a venture invested by the CVC investor.

Speaker:

Mr. Li Tong
Ph.D. Candidate in Strategic Management & Organization
Lee Kong Chian Business School
Singapore Management University

Introduction:

Mr. Tong plans to present two studies :

Stakeholder Preservation or Appropriation? The Influence of Target CSR on Market Reactions to Acquisition Announcements

ABSTRACT
This study examines how target corporate social responsibility (CSR) affects market reaction to acquisition announcement from two distinct perspectives: stakeholder preservation versus stakeholder appropriation. The stakeholder preservation perspective suggests that positive market reaction to an acquisition stems from potential new value creation by honoring implicit contracts and maintaining good relationships with target stakeholders. By contrast, the stakeholder appropriation perspective posits that positive market reaction is primarily derived through wealth transfer to acquirers by defaulting on implicit contracts with target stakeholders. Using a dataset of acquisitions in the US, we find that target CSR is positively associated with acquirer abnormal returns upon acquisition announcement. Moreover, stakeholder value congruence between the merging firms strengthens this positive relationship, whereas business similarity between them weakens it. These findings align with the stakeholder preservation perspective and challenge the stakeholder appropriation perspective.

Do They Walk The Talk? CEO Narcissism and Firm Decoupling Practices

ABSTRACT
Grounded in the upper echelons perspective and decoupling literature, the second study establishes a link between CEO narcissism and corporate decoupling behaviors. We theorize that CEO narcissism is positively related to firms’ strategic “adoption” but negatively related to the strategic “implementation”. We further posit that their peers’ strategic “adoption” will further weaken narcissistic CEOs’ enthusiasm for adopting the same strategy. We test and find support for these ideas using the sample of U.S. S&P 1500 firms in two distinct strategic domains: corporate acquisition and corporate environmental practice. The implications of our findings for upper echelons theory and decoupling research are discussed.

Speaker:

Dr. Aaron B. Flaaen
Economist
Research and Statistics
Federal Reserve Board of Governors

Abstract:

We estimate the price effect of U.S. import restrictions on washers. The 2012 and 2016 antidumping duties against South Korea and China led to downward or minor price movements due to subsequent production relocation to other export platform countries. With the 2018 tariffs, on nearly all source countries, the price of washers increased nearly 12 percent. Interestingly, the price of dryers—not subject to tariffs— increased by an equivalent amount. Factoring in dryer prices and price increases by domestic brands, the 2018 tariffs on washers imply a tariff elasticity of consumer prices of above one.

Speaker:

Ms. Zhou Chen
Doctoral Candidate in Strategic Management
Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business
Rice University

Abstract:

Scholars in strategic management have been interested in understanding how potential acquirers can cope with uncertainty in acquiring technology ventures. Existing research adopting a real options logic suggests that CVC investments represent an essential mechanism for established companies to identify early-stage technologies and gather more information, which will facilitate uncertainty resolution and thereby target selection. I contribute to this literature by proposing that these CVC investments reveal the parent company’s strategic preference, and thereby can serve as information cues to other potential acquirers. Other potential acquirers may rely upon this information cue to select targets for their acquisitions, creating what I call information externality of CVC investments. Using a comprehensive dataset that includes 608 publicly-listed acquirers and 15,351 ventures in five high-tech industries, I find that at the technology domain level, potential acquirers are more likely to acquire ventures in a domain with higher intensity of CVC participation. Moreover, the intensity of CVC participation will positively moderate the relationship between the potential acquirer’s technological proximity to the domain and its acquisition timing. At the venture level, potential acquirers are more likely to acquire ventures that have received funding from other CVCs than those that have been solely funded by independent VCs. Besides, technological proximity between a potential acquirer and a CVC investor is positively related to the likelihood that the potential acquirer will acquire a venture invested by the CVC investor.