While many University of Tulsa research faculty regularly get papers published, sometimes faculty receive publication in the leading journals in their field, deserving of special recognition. Recently, three new professors in the Collins College of Business had papers accepted for publication in top journals: Shubha Sharma, Langtao Chen, and Huy Do.
Sharma, assistant professor of management, innovation, and entrepreneurship, had a paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Applied Psychology, which is an A* journal on the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) Journal Quality List. The paper, “Considering personal needs in misdeeds: The role of compassion in shaping observer reactions to leader leniency,” was written with Marie Mitchell of the University of North Carolina (UNC), Kate Zipay of Purdue University, Robert Bies of Georgetown University, and Natalie Croitoru of UNC.
This team’s research shows that leaders who are lenient with employee misconduct can face unexpected backlash from their employees. Despite good intentions, letting misconduct slide leads to negative reactions from employees who view leniency as unfair and harmful to the work environment.
The findings reveal that employees expect leaders to address misconduct and hold individuals accountable – whether the issue is an ethical violation or a task-based error – because misconduct is costly. It can be a financial drain on organizations, and it places employees and customers in harm’s way.
This research offers valuable insights into leadership behavior and organizational justice. It is particularly relevant as workplaces continue to emphasize ethical standards, leadership and employee accountability, and employee cooperation and engagement.
Chen, associate professor of business information systems, has been published in the Journal of the Association for Information Systems, one of the top three journals in the academic area of information systems. His paper is titled “Structural Holes and Peer Knowledge Production in Professional Q&A Communities: A Middle-Range Theory of User Engagement” and was written with Aaron Baird of Georgia State University and Detmar Straub of Temple University.
Do, assistant professor of accounting, has been published in the Journal of Business, Finance and Accounting, another A* journal according to the ABDC Journal Quality List. His paper is titled “Managers’ Staging of Earnings Conference Calls around Actual Share Repurchases” and was written with Duong Hong Kim of Old Dominion University and Do Chuong of University of Nevada, Reno.