phd in organizational behavior management

Tepper School of Business

Ph.D. Program in Organizational Behavior and Theory

Interdisciplinary approach & methodological rigor.

Understanding human behavior in organizations and solving problems requires the integration of a variety of social science and related disciplines. A distinguishing feature of the Tepper School's OBT Ph.D. program is the broad interdisciplinary training it provides across an array of areas (e.g., psychology, sociology, economics, strategy, and computer and data science). Not only do OBT doctoral students interact with other students and faculty within the Tepper School of Business, through cross-registration in courses and participation in colloquia, OBT doctoral students also have opportunities to interact with students and faculty in departments such as Engineering and Public Policy, Human-Computer Interaction, Social and Decision Sciences, Psychology and a variety of departments at the University of Pittsburgh. A cornerstone of the OBT Ph.D. program is its methodological training and rigor. From computer science courses in machine learning and AI to courses in advanced statistical methods, students develop a deep understanding of analytical methods and tools.

Collaborative Culture

A small number of students are accepted into the group each year, with a total of about 10 OBT doctoral students in residence. Student-faculty relationships are close, which permits the tailoring of the program of study to fit the background and career goals of the individual.

Course of Study

Our program emphasizes preparation for careers in scholarly research, and graduates of the program usually pursue careers in academic or research institutions. During their course of study, students have the opportunity to engage with faculty in doctoral seminars and joint research, meet with visiting scholars, and interact with other faculty and students across campus. We prepare our graduates to be competitive on the academic job market by getting them involved in research from Day 1.  Program requirements include the successful completion of two research-based papers in the first and second years of the program, qualifying exams, a “minor” area requirement and a doctoral dissertation.  

Research Specializations

Diversity, inclusion, and human capital.

Diversity is at the core of many important organizational problems and many of our OBT faculty make important contributions to the growing knowledge base on diversity and its impact on individual, group, and organizational outcomes.

FACULTY RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Rosalind Chow: gender and promotion processes
• Oliver Hahl: gender, race, and cultural capital effects on supply and demand for human capital in markets (i.e., hiring and career outcomes)
• Denise Rousseau: the employment relationship, evidence-based management
• Catherine Shea: gender issues in management, advice seeking, interpersonal dynamics
• Laurie Weingart: gender and non-promotable tasks in the workplace, gender and negotiation, interdisciplinary teams
• Anita Williams Woolley: gender diversity, cognitive diversity and team collective intelligence

Ethics and Justice

Unethical and unjust behaviors are costly to organizations and society. The OBT group in the Tepper School has three members with expertise in the areas of business ethics and social justice (Aven, Chow, and Cohen). The Tepper School is also home to ethics scholar Tae Wan Kim, whose research takes philosophical perspectives on business ethics.

• Brandy Aven: relational attributes of fraud and corruption
• Rosalind Chow: perceptions of and responses to social inequality
• Taya Cohen: interpersonal misconduct, workplace deviance, moral character, guilt, shame, trust and trustworthiness
• Tae Wan Kim: artificial Intelligence ethics, future of work, business ethics

Groups and Teams

The OBT group in the Tepper School houses three scholars who are leaders in the areas of groups and teams (Argote, Weingart, and Woolley) and others whose work is directly relevant (Aven, Chow, Cohen, and Hahl). The Tepper School and Carnegie Mellon more broadly host several other faculty who work in this area (Carley, Kiesler, and Krackhardt). We regularly graduate students who conduct research on groups and teams.

• Linda Argote: learning, transactive memory and knowledge transfer within and between groups
• Brandy Aven: networked teams
• Rosalind Chow: power and status within/between groups, impacts of diversity on group functioning and performance
• Taya Cohen: cooperation and conflict within and between groups, pathways to status and leadership in groups
• Oliver Hahl: perceptions of status, authenticity and identity within/between groups
• Laurie Weingart: conflict in teams, multiparty negotiation, negotiation and group dynamics
• Anita Woolley: collective intelligence, team strategic orientation, team performance

Knowledge Transfer and Learning in a Technologically-Driven World

The OBT group in the Tepper School includes scholars whose work has been foundational to the field of organizational learning (Argote) and includes four other scholars who are substantially engaged in the growing body of work on knowledge transfer and learning (Aven, Hahl, Lee, and Woolley). Reflecting the Tepper School's focus on the intersection of business and technology, faculty research involves responses to rapid change, coordination of work distributed across time and place, organizational learning. Our work also connects to scholars working in related areas in Information Systems (Mukhopadhyay and Singh) and Economics (Epple) at the Tepper School, as well as researchers at Heinz (Krishnan), Engineering (Fuchs), and Computer Science (Carley, Dabbish, and Rose) at Carnegie Mellon, also conduct research relevant to learning.

• Linda Argote: transactive memory systems, knowledge transfer, organizational learning, the effects of technology on learning and knowledge transfer
• Brandy Aven: transactive memory systems, the effects of technology on networked systems for learning and knowledge transfer
• Oliver Hahl: learning and knowledge transfer, effect on firm performance
• Sunkee Lee: organizational learning, effect of the spatial design of workplaces and incentive systems on organizational learning, knowledge transfer, exploration vs. exploitation, learning from own and others’ experiences
• Anita Woolley: learning and collective intelligence in groups and organizations, increasing collective intelligence in human-computer systems

Networks and Organizations

Research on the formation and consequences of social networks in organizations and markets have become central to our understanding of how organizations and markets work. The OBT group in the Tepper School hosts four scholars who work on important areas related to the role of social networks in organizations (Argote, Aven, Hahl, and Shea). Researchers at Heinz (Krackhardt) and Computer Science (Carley) at Carnegie Mellon, also conduct research in areas that inform our knowledge of social networks as well as the methodologies employed to distinguish their antecedents and effects.

• Linda Argote: learning and knowledge transfer through social networks
• Brandy Aven: formation of social networks, persistence (or not) of social networks, learning and deviance within social networks, knowledge sharing in social networks
• Oliver Hahl: identity in social networks, perceptions of brokers in networks, organizational networks and individual performance
• David Krackhardt: social network analysis theories and methods, informal organizations
• Catherine Shea: social network cognition, network formation, experimental methods in social networks

Entrepreneurial and Organizational Strategy

The “Carnegie School” has long influenced research on strategy, particularly by looking at the microfoundations of strategic selection, implementation, and performance. The OBT group in the Tepper School hosts four scholars who work on important areas in firm strategy (Argote, Aven, Hahl, and Lee) that all tie back to the Carnegie School’s foundations in the Behavioral Theory of the Firm . Additionally, scholars in Economics and Marketing (Miller, Epple and Derdenger) at the Tepper School and in the Engineering and Public Policy school at Carnegie Mellon (Fuchs and Armanios) also collaborate in research with Tepper faculty and students research in areas that inform organizational theory, entrepreneurial strategy, firm strategy selection and implementation, and firm performance.

• Linda Argote: organizational learning and capability development, micro foundations of strategy and firm performance, behavioral theories of strategy
• Brandy Aven: entrepreneurial strategies, entrepreneurial teams, behavioral theories of entrepreneurship and strategy
• Oliver Hahl: identity-based strategies, categories, diversification, status and authenticity in markets, human capital management and firm performance, microfoundations of strategy and firm performance, behavioral theories of strategy
• Sunkee Lee: organization design, exploration/exploitation, incentives, spatial design, response to performance feedback, firm acquisition behavior and performance, microfoundations of strategy and firm performance, behavioral theories of strategy

P lease visit our Ph.D. Student Profiles page t o view the profiles of our current doctoral candidates.

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In the field of organizational behavior we research fundamental questions about the behavior of individuals, groups and organizations, from both psychological and sociological perspectives.

A distinguishing feature of Stanford’s PhD Program in organizational behavior is the broad interdisciplinary training it provides. Our students benefit from their interactions with scholars from many disciplines within the Graduate School of Business, as well as from Stanford University’s long-standing strength in the study of psychology, organizations, and economic sociology.  The program is broken down into two broad subareas: Macro Organizational Behavior and Micro Organizational Behavior .

Cross-registration in courses, access to faculty, and participation in colloquia are available in other Stanford departments, such as sociology and psychology . Strong relations with these departments mean that students can build their careers on the foundation of strong disciplinary training in psychology and sociology, respectively.

A small number of students are accepted into the program each year, with a total of about 20 organizational behavior students in residence.

The doctoral program places a heavy emphasis on training students through active engagement in the process of doing research. In addition to formal seminars with invited presenters, our faculty and students exchange research ideas and advice at informal weekly lunches and lab meetings. Students work as research assistants and are expected to conduct independent research early in the program. 

Macro Organizational Behavior: Organizational Theory and Economic Sociology

The Macro OB track is dedicated to training students who will be leading researchers in the fields of organizational theory and economic sociology. Our faculty members are among the foremost scholars who bring a sociological approach to the study of organizations and markets.

The training provides a deep grounding in the study of:

• Organizations as social systems
• The dynamics of change in organizations
• Industries and markets
• The relationships between organizations and their environments

Faculty study a range of topics, such as:

• The role of identity and categories in organizational processes
• Organizational culture and its dynamics
• Change in cultural categories and markets
• Social movements and their influence on firms and markets
• Firm strategies and the effects of long-run histories of strategic interaction
• The impact of workforce demographic change and labor market inequality
• Organizational learning processes
• Social networks
• Entrepreneurship and firm formation processes

Micro Organizational Behavior

The study of how individuals and groups affect and are affected by organizational context. Drawing primarily on psychological approaches to social science questions, this area includes such topics as:

• Decision-making
• Moral judgment
• Social norms
• Negotiation and bargaining
• Cooperation and altruism
• Group processes
• Stereotyping and injustice
• Personality
• Power, status and influence

There is also a formal institutional link between the behavioral side of marketing and the micro side of organizational behavior, which is called the Behavioral Interest Group. The Stanford GSB Behavioral Lab links members of this group. This lab supports work across field boundaries among those with behavioral interests.

Preparation and Qualifications

All students are required to have, or to obtain during their first year, mathematical skills at the level of one course each of calculus and linear algebra, probability, and mathematical statistics.

Macro Organizational Behavior Faculty

William p. barnett, robert a. burgelman, glenn r. carroll, julien clement, amir goldberg, helena miton, hayagreeva rao, sarah a. soule, jesper b. sørensen, micro organizational behavior faculty, justin m. berg, jennifer eberhardt, francis j. flynn, michele j. gelfand, deborah h. gruenfeld, michal kosinski, brian s. lowery, ashley martin, david melnikoff, dale t. miller, benoît monin, charles a. o’reilly, jeffrey pfeffer, emeriti faculty, michael t. hannan, roderick m. kramer, joanne martin, margaret ann neale, jerry i. porras, recent publications in organizational behavior, social norm change: drivers and consequences, bayesianism and wishful thinking are compatible, changes in social norms during the early stages of the covid-19 pandemic across 43 countries, recent insights by stanford business, why investors throw money at eccentric ceos, psst — wanna know why gossip has evolved in every human society, unlocking the “iron cage” of corporate conformity.

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Organizational Behavior & HR Management

The Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business PhD program in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management (OBHR) will provide you the personalized mentorship and rigorous educational platform from which to launch a successful academic career at a research-oriented university. 

By exposing you to classic and cutting-edge theories , literature streams, research methods, and analytical techniques, we will enable you to conduct exciting and impactful research and to effectively share discovered knowledge with fellow scholars, managers, and students in the U.S. and abroad.  We believe it critical to build your research skills from the outset of your time in our program such that your research record stands out in a highly competitive academic job market.

To that end, we will work one-on-one with you on research projects related to topics such as leadership and teams; work, family, diversity, and personal life; workplace fairness and justice; employee selection; international human resources; stress and burnout; employer branding and recruitment; counterproductive work behaviors; and workplace interventions, training, and employee engagement.

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Most Trusted #4

Morning Consult, 2022

Best Value School #7

The Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education, 2022

Most Innovative School in the U.S. Top 10

US News and World Report, 2023

Want to Learn More? 

If you would like to receive more information about doctoral study in OBHR, please fill out the form and an Admissions Specialist will be in touch to connect you with a department representative!

Contact us for more information. [email protected]

Program Details

Faculty and Students

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PhD in Organizational Behavior

Organizational behavior.

Our Organizational Behavior (OB) PhD Program prepares you to conduct high-impact research on a broad range of topics critical to businesses and managers. Since 2018, our students have secured job placements at many top research schools.

Our faculty have expertise in a wide range of research areas such as leadership (including ethical leadership), emotions, team dynamics, decision-making, motivation, power and influence, negotiations, employee well-being, creativity, voice, and cross-cultural issues. They use cutting-edge methodological approaches including lab experiments, experience sampling, meta-analyses and qualitative interviews.

Through your coursework and research alongside innovative, supportive and passionate faculty, you will learn the necessary skills to become a high-quality researcher and faculty member at a top research university.

While direct research experience is not required, familiarity with academic research in organizational behavior or psychology is a plus to ensure you are prepared for the rigors of conducting research.

We do not narrow our search to students who graduated from a “top” university or have achieved a specific score on a standardized test. We take a holistic approach. We aim to admit students who demonstrate passion for exploring organizational questions and the motivation to put in the work to learn the complex skills and methodological approaches needed to become a high-quality scholar.

We have found the most successful students are self-directed, enjoy problem-solving and are unafraid – if not excited – about digging into some of the most complex challenges facing organizations.

We look for students who are friendly, collaborative and seek a welcoming and intellectually stimulating academic environment.

We welcome potential applicants from all experiences and backgrounds. The UNC Kenan-Flagler OB PhD Program prides itself on a diverse and inclusive student body. Our thriving and collaborative culture (both with faculty and between students) is a focal point to our department. Join us!

Typical course schedule by year

During the first two years of the PhD Program, you will focus on coursework that develops the tools you need to produce high-quality research. Sample classes include:

• Introduction to Organizational Behavior
• Introduction to Social Psychology
• Research Methods
• Dependent Variables
• Groups and Teams
• Interpersonal Processes
• Negotiation, Conflict and Diversity

After the second year, you are required to successfully complete comprehensive exams which covers all of the OB and leadership courses you take in the first two years of the PhD Program.

• Complete a third-year paper
• Full-time research
• Dissertation and oral defense are expected prior to the end of your fifth year.
• Prepare for the job market

We encourage you to attend bi-weekly brown bag lunches organized by PhD students as well as our field’s annual conference – The Academy of Management.

We believe the best scholars are crafted through impactful mentoring relationships. When you begin the program, you will be assigned to one (or two) faculty members with overlapping research interests. These advising relationships are aimed at being both professionally and personally productive for you. From day one you will begin working on research projects (whether self-directed or ongoing faculty projects) alongside these faculty members as they seek to teach you the skills you need to conduct high-quality work and develop your own research identity.

If you ask a UNC Kenan-Flagler OB student the classic question “Who do you work with?” be prepared for a long answer involving multiple faculty. We encourage our students to work with several faculty members to take advantage of the diverse skill sets, theoretical perspectives and research approaches they offer. These collaborations happen informally as you progress and grow within the program and give you flexibility and breadth of resources as you pursue your research passions.

As part of our larger mission to make academia an inclusive place where people of all identities and life experiences can thrive, we view it as a moral imperative to foster a diverse PhD student body that represents the next generation of scholars.

Ensuring that all feel welcome to pursue a doctoral degree is not only the right thing to do – it also is important for producing better science. Identities and life experiences shape the questions that we ask about the world and the knowledge that we produce.

We believe that our understanding of organizational behavior is incomplete if our scholarly community does not reflect the rich diversity of identities, experiences and perspectives that are found in the broader population. Inviting people of all walks of life to enter into our intellectual community can therefore result in better scholarship because it opens the door for new questions to be asked and new truths to be uncovered.

We strive to be a community where every student feels supported in their scholarly journey. We encourage all interested individuals to apply to the program, especially those who belong to historically underrepresented populations. We look forward to learning from you and welcoming you!

View our current Organizational Behavior PhD students .

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Organizational Behavior

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You will choose between two tracks with research focused on either micro-organizational behavior, with a psychological approach to how interpersonal relationships within organizations and groups impact individuals, or on macro-organizational behavior that uses sociological methods to examine organizations, groups, and markets.

Examples of projects students have worked on include exploring issues related to diversity and inclusion in both professional and academic settings, researching the psychology of persuasion and political depolarization, and examining the ways in which workplace dynamics are shaped by gender and power.

Graduates have accepted positions at such prestigious institutions as University of Southern California, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and MIT. Others have gone on to careers in organizations such as the Federal Reserve Bank, National Committee for Quality Assurance, and The Bridgespan Group.

Students in organizational behavior are enrolled in and receive their degree from the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and work with faculty from both the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and  Harvard Business School  (HBS). Harvard Griffin GSAS has offered PhD programs in collaboration with HBS since 1916. In addition to organizational behavior, Harvard Griffin GSAS and HBS collaborate on the programs in Business Economics , Business Administration , and Health Policy (Management Track) . 

Areas of Study

Micro-organizational track | Sociology track | Unspecified

Students in organizational behavior specialize in micro-organizational behavior or sociology, receiving core disciplinary training in either psychology or sociology and gain knowledge of existing research and theory about organizations through advanced coursework in organizational behavior. The sociology track deals with the macro aspects of organizational behavior, focusing primarily on organizational processes and structures and on organizations in relation to their environments. Students also become familiar with some of the more micro issues emphasized within the micro-organizational behavior track, which is for students who wish to concentrate on the psychological aspects of organizational behavior. The primary focus is on the psychology of individuals as they engage in decision-making, interpersonal relations, and small group activities. Students also become familiar with some of the more macro issues emphasized within the sociology track.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Organizational Behavior , and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Admissions Requirements

Please review admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Organizational Behavior .

Academic Background

Applicants with bachelor’s degrees in the social sciences, engineering, sciences, and business are encouraged to apply.

Standardized Tests

GRE General or GMAT: Required iBT TOEFL preferred minimum score: 100 IELTS preferred minimum score: 7.5

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Organizational Behavior

See list of Organizational Behavior faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Organizational Behavior

The Ph.D. program in organizational behavior is an interfaculty program offered by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) at Harvard University and faculty at Harvard Business School (HBS). The program trains scholars who are able to draw on the concepts and methods of psychology and sociology in conducting research on behavior and management within complex organizations and prepares students for careers as researchers and teachers. Program graduates will be comfortable working either in disciplinary departments or in professional schools—especially schools of management.

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Management & Organizations

What we are looking for in applicants.

Our doctoral students come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have substantial work and professional experiences, or are recent MBA graduates, and others enter directly from undergraduate programs in the social sciences, business, engineering, and allied fields. Though not required, successful applicants often possess one or several of the following characteristics:

• Experience in the social sciences, e.g. through undergraduate or graduate coursework in anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, sociology or related fields
• Research experience, e.g. in the form of an honors or master’s thesis, or research assistant work
• Post baccalaureate work experience
• Evidence of quantitative or statistical skills, e.g., high quantitative test scores or advanced courses in mathematics, statistics, engineering or econometrics
• Relevant master’s degree

Program Requirements

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Our Current PhD Students

Learn more about our faculty, faculty journal publications & books.

Organization & Management

One degree many paths, organization & management curriculum timeline, faculty research and published work.

The Organization & Management faculty study a wide range of topics, from micro-level individual perceptions and capabilities to more macro-level phenomena such as the strategies and performance of organizations, industries, and institutions. To do so, they utilize a wide array of research techniques, including experiments, longitudinal event history analysis, computer simulations, surveys, and more.

The Organization & Management group seeks to train future scholars who wish to make an impact on research in the science of organizations through an academic appointment. Applicants to our program should articulate their research interests and should specify whether they wish to work primarily with the macro-oriented or micro-oriented research faculty. On the macro side, faculty who are currently active in advising students include Kocak , Longhofer , Negro , and Swaminathan . On the micro side, faculty who are currently active in advising students include Bianchi , Dittmann , Fernandes , Hall , Perry-Smith , and Williams .

The Organization & Management faculty publish in leading journals in management as well as the reference disciplines of sociology, psychology, and economics. Our scholars have a history of visible roles in professional associations and on the editorial boards of leading journals, including: American Journal of Sociology , Academy of Management Journal , Academy of Management Review , American Sociological Review , Administrative Science Quarterly , Journal of Applied Psychology , J ournal of Experimental Social Psychology , Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , Organization Science , Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes , Psychological Science , Social Forces , and Strategic Management Journal .

Organization & Management Faculty

Emily Bianchi

Andrea Dittmann

Catarina Fernandes

Erika V. Hall

Robert Kazanjian

Özgecan Koçak

Wesley Longhofer

Giacomo Negro

Jill Perry-Smith

Peter Roberts

Anand Swaminathan

L.G. Thomas

Melissa Williams

Organization & management phd students.

Ashlyee Freeman

Sara Kaplan

Sharvika Kherde

Arielle Lewis

Joseph Nixon

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Pursuing a phd in o&m.

Management and Organizational Behavior (PhD)

Program description.

Stern’s PhD program in management prepares students to understand how organizations need to compete in challenging and volatile business environments and how managers must manage in complex and changing workplaces. The training is broad based and interdisciplinary, drawing on the fields of economics, psychology, and sociology. Areas of focus within the management doctoral program at Stern include strategy, the study of the competitive dynamics of firm performance; organizational behavior, the study of the behavior of individual employees and managers within organizations; and organization theory, the study of organizational structures and processes.

All applicants to the NYU Stern School of Business PhD Program are required to submit a complete application for admission. A complete application includes the  online application ,  statement of purpose ,  optional essay ,  educational history and resume or CV ,  letters of recommendation ,  test scores ,  academic transcripts , and an  application fee .

See How to Apply for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

Program Requirements

The program requires the completion of at least 36-54 credits, and students may choose one of three specializations.

Curriculum Details

Although every doctoral student must satisfy general requirements, each student designs and completes an individual program of study.

Each new doctoral student begins a program of study, which requires approval from the Area Coordinator and the Doctoral Office. Any unusual features or revisions of an approved program of study requires permission from both the department Area Coordinator and the Doctoral Office. Unless specifically approved in advance by the Area Coordinator and the Doctoral Office, MBA courses will not be eligible for tuition remission.

The general PhD degree requirement for students entering the program with a Master’s degree or equivalent is to successfully complete a minimum of 36 credits. The requirement for students entering the program with only a Bachelor’s degree is to successfully complete a minimum of 54 credits. If the Doctoral Office and the department Area Coordinator approve, a program of study may include previous graduate work at NYU or other universities. In all cases, students must complete at least 33 credits of coursework at NYU.

An approved program of study becomes part of the student’s permanent academic file and represents a formal commitment by both the student and the school. Any approved program can be modified as appropriate.

A complete program of study must include:

• Prerequisites: Every student must satisfy the prerequisites in calculus, linear algebra, basic probability and statistics, and economics before starting doctoral study. This can be accomplished by taking courses in these subjects for a grade.
• Basic Research Skills Methodology Courses: Every student must complete four research methodology courses, including three courses in probability and statistics, and one course in microeconomics.
• Major Specialization & Elective Courses: Every student must complete the prescribed program of courses in their major specialization, as well as elective courses.

Specialization Requirements

Organizational behavior, organization theory, additional program requirements, program of study.

Successfully complete a program of study, including completion of prerequisite coursework, basic research skills methodology courses, and major field of study and elective courses.

Comprehensive Examination

Successfully pass the comprehensive examination(s) required in the student’s area of study.

Teaching Workshop

Attend the Teaching Workshop and receive certification to teach an undergraduate course.

Teaching Preparations

Successful completion of the teaching practica as described in the PhD Handbook.

Teach an Undergraduate Course

Teach one undergraduate course or the equivalent during the 4th year of study.

Dissertation Proposal

Initiate a major piece of original research and present it for faculty approval.

Dissertation Defense

Complete a satisfactory dissertation and defend it successfully at the defense presentation. The research is the extension and completion of the research presented at the dissertation proposal.

Sample Plan of Study

Learning outcomes.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

• Acquire a broad working knowledge of their field of study.
• Acquire advanced knowledge in a specific field of research.
• Conduct independent research.
• Be skilled presenters of academic research.
• Be skilled teachers.

NYU Policies

Stern policies.

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

Additional academic policies can be found on the Stern Graduate Academic Policies page . 

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PhD, Organizational Behavior Program

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• PhD, Organizational Behavior

Who's It For?

Students graduating with a PhD in Organizational Behavior from this program have received valuable initial placements at schools including Louisiana State University, San Francisco State University, University of Missouri, and the University of Hong Kong. 

Program Type Doctoral

Location On Campus

Time Commitment Full Time

Start Date August

Learn More About Our Program

Top Management Researchers

Research and Teaching

A typical student pursuing the PhD in Organizational Behavior would take the following core courses during the first two years of the program: Organizational Behavior, Individual & Interpersonal Processes, Leadership & Group Processes, Research Methods, Strategic Management, and Social Psychology.

All students in the PhD in Business also complete a core curriculum. Follow the link below for details.

Chester A. Schriesheim

Cecily D. Cooper

Terri A. Scandura

Linda L. Neider

Meet your program coordinator.

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PhD in Operations Management Program

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Organizational behavior ph.d., earn a ph.d. in business and a major concentration in organizational behavior.

The Ph.D. In Business and a Major Concentration in Organizational Behavior* prepares students to research fundamental questions about complex organizations as well as the groups and individuals that behave within them, drawing from both psychological and sociological perspectives. Students pursue high-quality research, at multiple levels of analysis, to advance theoretical understanding of the interdisciplinary behavior of organizations, the environments that shape their behaviors, and the psychological and sociological mechanisms that explain them.

A distinguishing feature of the OB Ph.D. program is its broad interdisciplinary training and focus on both “micro” and “macro” organizational behavior. Students are expected to develop proficiency in both areas but may pursue research that draws from either or both approaches. The field of organizational behavior addresses fundamental topics in contemporary organizations that covers the who (e.g., diversity, individual differences, leadership, teams), the how (e.g., networks, power and influence), the why (e.g., affect, cognition, motivation, trust), and the what (e.g., creativity and innovation, employee wellbeing, ethical decision makings, organizational change, performance, social justice and equity) of organizational life.

The main goal of the organizational behavior doctoral program is to train students to do high-quality research in OB and to prepare them for careers as professors of organizational behavior at top academic, research-focused institutions. To achieve this goal, Ph.D. students are required to take courses in organizational behavior, research methods, statistics, as well as disciplinary elective courses in areas such as psychology, sociology, political science and economics. They will also conduct original research and write research papers examining important and relevant issues in organizational behavior. Students are expected to become active in research at the inception of the program and learn through both formal coursework and informal mentorship. The program also has a teaching requirement to prepare students for the teaching responsibilities typical at a top research university.

Organizational Behavior Area Advisor

Daan van Knippenberg

Recruiting for fall 2024.

The Ph.D. in Business and a Major Concentration in Organizational Behavior will begin accepting applications August 1st for Fall 2024 matriculation. The application deadline is December 15, 2023.

Interested in Rice Business?

Keep exploring.

Melinda Peña

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Organizational Behavior

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• Program Requirements

Scholars in the doctoral program in Organizational Behavior at Harvard Business School are prepared to pursue an interdisciplinary inquiry into issues that are broadly related to the functioning of individuals within groups, at either the micro or macro level. Graduates of our program go on to become the leading researchers and thinkers in organizational behavior, shaping the field and advancing theoretical understanding in posts at schools of management or in disciplinary departments.

The Organizational Behavior program is jointly administered by the faculty of Harvard Business School and the Department of Sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and students have the opportunity to work with faculty from both the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Harvard Business School.

Curriculum & Coursework

Our program offers two distinct tracks, with research focused either on the micro or macro level. Students who choose to focus on micro organizational behavior take a psychological approach to the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and groups, and the effects that groups have on individuals. In macro organizational behavior, scholars use sociological methods to examine the organizations, groups, and markets themselves, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives.

Your core disciplinary training will take place in either the psychology or sociology departments, depending on the track that you choose. You will also conduct advanced coursework in organizational behavior at HBS, and complete two MBA elective curriculum courses. Students are required to teach for one full academic term in order to gain valuable teaching experience, and to work as an apprentice to a faculty member to develop research skills. Upon completion of coursework, students prepare and present a dossier that includes a qualifying paper, at least two other research papers, and a statement outlining a plan for their dissertation. Before beginning work on the dissertation, students must pass the Organizational Behavior Exam, which presents an opportunity to synthesize academic coursework and prepare for an in-depth research project.

Research & Dissertation

Examples of doctoral thesis research.

• Cross-group relations, stress, and the subsequent effect on performance
• Internal group dynamics of corporate boards of directors
• Organizational mission and its effect on commitment and effort
• Psychological tendencies and collaboration with dissimilar others

Aurora Turek

Justine Murray

Jaylon Sherrell

“ In HBS’s Organizational Behavior program I receive outstanding, rigorous training in disciplinary methods and also benefit from the myriad resources that HBS has to offer. HBS scholars are looking to apply their research to real-world problems, come up with interventions, and make a real difference. ”

Current Harvard Sociology & Psychology Faculty

• George A. Alvarez
• Mahzarin R. Banaji
• Jason Beckfield
• Lawrence D. Bobo
• Mary C. Brinton
• Joshua W. Buckholtz
• Randy L. Buckner
• Alfonso Caramazza
• Susan E. Carey
• Paul Y. Chang
• Mina Cikara
• Christina Ciocca Eller
• Christina Cross
• Fiery Cushman
• Frank Dobbin
• Samuel J. Gershman
• Daniel Gilbert
• Joshua D. Greene
• Jill M. Hooley
• Rakesh Khurana
• Alexandra Killewald
• Talia Konkle
• Max Krasnow
• Michèle Lamont
• Ellen Langer
• Joscha Legewie
• Ya-Wen Lei
• Patrick Mair
• Peter V. Marsden
• Katie A. McLaughlin
• Richard J. McNally
• Jason P. Mitchell
• Ellis Monk
• Matthew K. Nock
• Orlando Patterson
• Elizabeth A. Phelps
• Steven Pinker
• Robert J. Sampson
• Daniel L. Schacter
• Theda Skocpol
• Mario L. Small
• Jesse Snedeker
• Leah H. Somerville
• Elizabeth S. Spelke
• Tomer D. Ullman
• Adaner Usmani
• Jocelyn Viterna
• Mary C. Waters
• John R. Weisz
• Christopher Winship
• Xiang Zhou

Current HBS Faculty

• Teresa M. Amabile
• Julie Battilana
• Max H. Bazerman
• David E. Bell
• Ethan S. Bernstein
• Alison Wood Brooks
• Edward H. Chang
• Julian De Freitas
• Amy C. Edmondson
• Robin J. Ely
• Alexandra C. Feldberg
• Carolyn J. Fu
• Amit Goldenberg
• Boris Groysberg
• Ranjay Gulati
• Linda A. Hill
• Nien-he Hsieh
• Jon M. Jachimowicz
• Summer R. Jackson
• Leslie K. John
• Jillian J. Jordan
• Rakesh Khurana
• Joshua D. Margolis
• Edward McFowland III
• Kathleen L. McGinn
• Tsedal Neeley
• Michael I. Norton
• Leslie A. Perlow
• Jeffrey T. Polzer
• Ryan L. Raffaelli
• Lakshmi Ramarajan
• James W. Riley
• Clayton S. Rose
• Arthur I Segel
• Emily Truelove
• Michael L. Tushman
• Ashley V. Whillans
• Letian Zhang
• Julian J. Zlatev

Current Organizational Behavior Students

• Jennifer Abel
• Yajun Cao
• Hanne Collins
• Grace Cormier
• Megan Gorges
• Bushra Guenoun
• Elizabeth Johnson
• Caleb Kealoha
• Kai Krautter
• Justine Murray
• C. Ryann Noe
• Dominika Randle
• Elizabeth Sheprow
• Jaylon Sherrell
• Yoon Jae Shin
• Erin Shirtz
• Samantha N. Smith
• Tiffany Smith
• Channing Spencer
• Yuval Spiegler
• Emily Tedards
• Aurora Turek
• Julie Yen

Current HBS Faculty & Students by Interest

Recent placement, nicole abi-esber, 2023, elliot stoller, 2023, ariella kristal, 2022, leroy gonsalves, 2020, alicia desantola, 2019, catarina fernandes, 2019, rachel arnett, 2018, evan defilippis, 2023, hayley blunden, 2022, lumumba seegars, 2021, karen huang, 2020, stefan dimitriadis, 2019, elizabeth hansen, 2019, erin frey, 2018, jeff steiner, 2023, ahmmad brown, 2022, yanhua bird, 2020, jeffrey lees, 2020, alexandra feldberg, 2019, martha jeong, 2019.

PhD | Management

The Ph.D. in Management

Stern’s Ph.D. program in management prepares students to understand how organizations need to compete in challenging and volatile business environments and how managers must manage in complex and changing workplaces. The training is broad based and interdisciplinary, drawing on the fields of economics, psychology, and sociology. Areas of focus within the management doctoral program at Stern include strategy, the study of the competitive dynamics of firm performance; organizational behavior, the study of the behavior of individual employees and managers within organizations; and organization theory, the study of organizational structures and processes.

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PhD Program

Wharton’s PhD program in Management is flexible and interdisciplinary, applying social science disciplines and research methods to management problems. It offers specializations in strategy, international business, organizational behavior and theory, and human resource management.

The faculty has a broad range of interests ranging from the behavior of individuals and groups to organizational strategy. Major areas of faculty research currently include: human resources and competitiveness; foreign strategic investments and international cooperative relationships; organizational learning and adaptation; technology adoption, diffusion, and transfer within and across organizations; and new venture formation, growth, and corporate entrepreneurship.

Each student draws on the faculty’s diverse expertise and varied interests to develop a program uniquely suited to his or her interests. The program encourages students to gain research experience by working closely with faculty on a variety of projects. Recent placements include the Harvard Business School, INSEAD, New York University, University of Illinois, University of Maryland, University of Michigan and the University of Texas.

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Department of Management and Human Resources PhD Specialization in Organizational Behavior

The primary goal of the Management and Human Resources PhD program is to develop top-class researchers in the field of management, with specializations in the areas of entrepreneurship, human resource management, international business, organizational behavior and strategic management. The specialization in Organizational Behavior (OB) is devoted to understanding individuals and groups within an organizational context. OB focuses on attributes, processes, behaviors, and outcomes within and between individual, interpersonal, group, and organizational levels of analysis. Major topics include: Individual characteristics and processes (e.g., personality, motivation, emotions); Interpersonal processes (e.g., trust, social exchange, networks); Group/team characteristics and processes (e.g., diversity, cohesion, conflict); organizational processes and practices (e.g., leadership, work design, socialization); Contextual influences (e.g., culture, climate); and the influence of all of the above on individual, interpersonal, group, and organizational outcomes (e.g., performance, creativity, stress, turnover).

10 Reasons to Choose to Study at OSU

• High Productivity: Our program was ranked #4 in the 2021 TAMUGA management research productivity ranking ( http://www.tamugarankings.com/rankings/2021-2/ ).
• Strong Student-Faculty Ratio: Our PhD program, with 13 faculty members specializing in Organizational Behavior/Human Resources (OB/HR) and a selective cohort of 5-7 doctoral students, ensures personalized attention and mentorship. This structure offers students abundant opportunities to collaborate with a diverse faculty, each contributing unique expertise and skills.
• Benjamin Campbell, Associate Editor at Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal
• Tracy Dumas, Senior Editor at Organization Science
• Jia (Jasmine) Hu, Associate Editor at Journal of Applied Psychology
• Kaifeng Jiang, Associate Editor at Personnel Psychology
• Howard Klein, Editor-in-chief at Human Resource Management
• Tanya Menon, Associate Editor at Management Science
• Raymond Noe, Former Associate Editor at Journal of Organizational Behavior
• Bennett Tepper, Former Associate Editor at Academy of Management Journal
• Steffanie Wilk, Former Senior Editor at Organization Science
• Editorial Board Representation: Our OB/HR faculty members serve on the editorial boards of numerous top-tier outlets, including Academy of Management Journal (2 faculty), Journal of Applied Psychology (3 faculty), Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes (4 faculty), Personnel Psychology (2 faculty), and Journal of Management (4 faculty).
• Five of our esteemed faculty members - Jasmine Hu, Timothy Judge, Howard Klein, Raymond Noe, and Bennett Tepper - have been honored as Fellows of the Academy of Management and/or the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Each of these distinguished scholars has amassed nearly or over 10,000 citations on Google Scholar.
• Three of our faculty members - Timothy Judge, Howard Klein, and Raymond Noe - hold high rankings on the list of "Most-cited Authors in Popular Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology Textbooks," as per the study by Aguinis et al., 2017.
• Jasmine Hu, Kaifeng Jiang, Timothy Judge, Raymond Noe, Bennet Tepper were recognized as “ World’s Top 2% of the most-cited scholars and scientists ” (2022) 
• Timothy Judge holds the distinction of being the most highly cited academic in the field of business and management among those whose first publication appeared between 1990 and 1999 according to a recent study by Dr. Harzing.
• Jasmine Hu, Timothy Judge, and Bennett Tepper have been recognized as among the most productive and most-cited leadership scholars, as noted in studies by Arici et al., 2021, and Zhao and Li, 2019.
• Our faculty have frequently earned prestigious recognitions such as the 'Best Paper' award (most recently won by Kathleen Keeler in Academy of Management Review in 2021), and the 'Best Reviewer' award (most recently bestowed upon Hun Lee in Journal of Applied Psychology in 2022).
• Our faculty have utilized their expertise to author textbooks in the OB/HR field (e.g., Timothy Judge and Raymond Noe).
• Two of our faculty members, Jasmine Hu and Robert Lount, have been recognized as "Best 40 Under 40 Business School Professors" by Poets and Quants.
• Successful Alumni: Our recent OB/HR alumni hold tenure-track positions at research-intensive institutions, including Sarah Doyle (University of Arizona), Hee Man Park (Penn State University), Seunghoo Chung (Hong Kong Polytechnic University), Carrie Zhang (Wayne State University), and Yuhan Zhan (Florida International University).
• The Fisher Leadership Initiative ( FLI ): With Tim Judge as the executive director, FLI provides additional resources and opportunities for conducting research.
• Networking Opportunities: Our faculty, highly esteemed and well-connected within the field, can assist students in expanding their professional networks. We organize social and professional gatherings on a regular basis.
• Vibrant Location: Columbus is frequently acclaimed as one of the most livable cities in the United States, particularly favored by Millennials and Young Professionals. It is celebrated for its diverse business landscape, dynamic neighborhoods, and an exciting fusion of arts, culture, and culinary delights  (Sources:  Far & Wide , Forbes , NYTimes ,  CommercialCafe ,  ExperienceColumbus ).
• Affordable Living and Strong Financial Support: Residing in Columbus is relatively cost-effective, with the cost of living being lower than the national average. OSU offers a competitive financial support package for PhD students. Furthermore, we have increased the PhD student stipend in 2023, further enhancing the financial benefits of our program.

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PhD in Management

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With its outstanding faculty and leading research labs and centers, the doctoral program in management puts you on the path to a bright future in research and academics.

Admitting just a few PhD students each year, we ensure you’ll have every opportunity to work with management and organizational behavior faculty and develop the essential research and publication skills you need.

The Program

Program essentials.

This full-time doctoral program is interdisciplinary and draws heavily from the fields of psychology, sociology, management and behavioral sciences. You’ll develop a true mastery of each topic within your area of study and build a foundation in theory, research design and methodology. And you’ll gain the teaching skills to succeed in your future academic career.

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Plan of Study

You’ll earn 36 units in your major field, 12 units in your minor field and 18 units of dissertation credit over the course of your program. A master’s project will fall in years one and two, with comprehensive exams generally taking place after year two or three. You’ll also teach one full semester-long course to undergraduate students.

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This program has given me pause to think about what type of leader I am. My classes are challenging me to stop thinking myopically about issues and to start looking for bigger trends in why certain problems arise or exist. Looking back on my career now, I am ready to stop being the leader I think an organization needs and to start being the leader that is true to my personal strengths.

Jeff Larson '23 PhD (Management)

Six Questions with Tamar Kugler Associate Professor of Management and Organizations

Human decision making is not only interesting, but also quite non-intuitive. I therefore spend less time talking in class, and more time engaging the student in decision tasks that demonstrate their own tendencies for decision biases.

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Doctoral Admissions Process

Applicants need to complete an online application and should fulfill minimum requirements including a 3.0 undergraduate GPA or higher, a bachelor’s degree, solid math proficiency and a GRE or GMAT score in the upper 85th percentile.

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Management PhD students receive funding to cover the cost of tuition. Students also typically receive a research assistantship stipend which starts around $20,000 per year.

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Application Deadline

December 15: Application Deadline (Domestic and International)

Doctoral students are admitted only in the fall semester, and all application materials must be submitted online.

By focusing on research during your time in our doctoral program, you’ll be able to successfully compete in the academic job marketplace upon graduation. Our supportive faculty are known for their exceptional research productivity, and facilities like the Organizational Behavior Laboratory will be available for your research use.

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Our faculty work hard to prepare each doctoral candidate to thrive in their academic careers, and the collaboration pays off. Our doctoral alumni have landed exciting jobs around the world, including teaching and research positions at top academic institutions such as Hofstra University, the University of Washington and University of North Carolina.

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Management Faculty

The Management and Organizations Department is proud to be the home of some of the nation’s leading management faculty and researchers. Our 1:2 student-to-faculty ratio means each doctoral student has the support and mentorship to thrive and push themselves academically. Get to know our exceptional faculty and read their recent publications.

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Start Your Journey to the Top of Your Field

Small class sizes. A great faculty-to-doctoral-student ratio. Incredible research resources. A stellar track record. And you.

Contact us with any questions , or if you're ready to apply to the Eller Doctoral Program in Management, just click below. We look forward to making breakthroughs together.

B A 350 - Management and Organizational Behavior

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Justine Murray

Celia Stafford

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Rowan Clarke

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Elliot Tobin

Fanele Mashwama

Maria Roche

Charles Wang

Student Research  

Production complementarity and information transmission across industries.

• 01 MAY 2024
• Journal of Financial Economics

Human-Computer Interactions in Demand Forecasting and Labor Scheduling Decisions

• 15 APR 2024
• Faculty Research

Differences in Care Team Response to Patient Portal Messages by Patient Race and Ethnicity

• 01 MAR 2024
• JAMA Network Open

Find a Current Student