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Dennis Gillen
Chair and Associate Professor of Management
(315) 443-3432
dgillen@syr.edu
Sue B. Dean
Secretary/Office Coordinator
(315) 443-1381
sbdean@syr.edu
Management

PhD Program


Program Overview
The program involves the following three main components:

Coursework
During their first two years, doctoral students complete coursework in their specific area of study and in courses related to their chosen minor. Students are encouraged to minor in areas in which active Whitman faculty members offer doctoral seminars. These include, but are not limited to, public administration, sociology, and accounting. The first two years are also dedicated to taking the departmental four-seminar sequence in organization theory, strategy, organizational behavior, and research methods. This coursework culminates into one comprehensive exam taken at the end of the second year.

Teaching
During their first year in the program, students are required to shadow a professor who teaches either strategy or human resource management at the undergraduate level. This observation period, along with individual faculty mentoring, prepares students to teach courses independently in their second and third years. In addition, students are required to participate in the university's Future Professoriate project, a university-wide program that prepares graduate and doctoral students for teaching in higher education.

Research
Doctoral students conduct research throughout their four years at Whitman under the supervision of faculty members, often co-authoring research projects by their second year. Current projects are in the areas of executive compensation, corporate governance, organizational attitudes, organizational risk, and corporate political activity. Students are encouraged to present their findings at conferences and competitions and also attend the Academy of Management on a regular basis. This prepares students to spend their fourth year working independently on their dissertation research.

Program Timeline

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4+
Coursework
Coursework
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching
Comprehensive Exam
Dissertation
Dissertation
Research Projects
Research Projects (including 2nd Yr. Year Project)
Research Projects
Research Projects

Recommended Readings:
  • Writing for Scholarly Publication by Anne Huff (Sage Publications)
  • Approaches to Social Research by Royce Singleton & Bruce Straits (Oxford University Press)
  • A Guide to Econometrics by Peter Kennedy (MIT Press)
  • The Craft of Research by Wayne Booth, Joseph Williams, and Gregory Colomb (University of Chicago Press)

Program Highlights

Recent doctoral student presentations at the Academy of Management meetings:
  1. Das, D. "Globalization and the Theater of Work: Exploring Identity Dynamics in Indian International Call Centers." South Asia Center-Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, SU, April 10, 2007.
  2. Das, D., Dharwadkar, R., & Brandes, P. "The Importance of Being 'Something': Identity Centrality and Work Outcomes in Off Shored Call Centers in India." Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, 2007.
  3. Goranova, M., Khan, R., Hadani, M., & Das, D. "Two Sides of Same Coin? Longitudinal Examination of Monitoring and Activism on Earnings Management." Academy of Management Conference, 2006.
  4. Hadani, M., & Brandes, P. "Riding the Stock Option Roller Coaster: How Closely Do Employee Attitudes and Behavior Track with Stock Options' Value?" Academy of Management, 2005.

Recent papers by Management doctoral students coauthored with management faculty:
  1. Maria Goranova, Alessandri, T., Brandes, P., & Dharwadkar, R. "Managerial Ownership and Corporate Diversification: A Longitudinal Examination." Strategic Management Journal, 28(3): 211-225, 2006
  2. Supriya Mitra, & Webster, S. "Competitive Strategy in Remanufacturing and the Impact of Take-Back Laws." Journal of Operations Management, 2007.
  3. Maria Goranova, Dharwadkar, R., Brandes, P., & Raihan Khan. "Institutional Ownership and Monitoring Effectiveness: It's Not Just How Much You Own but What Else You Own," 2007.
  4. Morris, M.H., Miyasake, N.M., Watters, C.R., & Susan Coombes, S.M.T. "Growth Orientation and Female Entrepreneurs: Why Women Choose to Remain Small and Why It Matters." Journal of Small Business Management, 44(2): 221-244, 2006.
  5. Morris, M.H., Susan Coombes, Allen, J., & Schindehutte, J. "Antecedents and Outcomes of Entrepreneurial and Market Orientations in a Non-Profit Context: Theoretical and Empirical Insights." Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 13(4): 12-39, 2007.
  6. Brandes, P., Michael Hadani, & Maria Goranova. "Stock Options Expensing: An Examination of Agency and Institutional Theory Explanations." Journal of Business Research, 59:595-603, 2006.
  7. Guy Fernando, Elder, R., Ahmed M. Abdel-Meguid. "Audit Firm Size, Industry Specialization, Client Size and Cost of Capital-Information and Monitoring Effects." Social Science Research Network, http://ssrn.com/abstract=817286, 2006.

Recent completed dissertations by management doctoral students:
  1. Globalization and the Theater of Work: Exploring Identity Dynamics in the Indian International Call Centers, by Diya Das (2007)
  2. On Both Sides of the Deal: Overlapping Institutional Ownership and Mergers and Acquisitions, by Maria L. Goranova (2007)
  3. Governance Mechanisms and Corporate Political Activity: Ownership Considerations in a Non-Market Context, by Michael Hadani (2006)
  4. The Effects of Heterogenous and Discontinuous Ownership and Options Compensation on Managerial Behavior: An Extension of Agency Theory, by Raihan Khan (2004)

Recent grants awarded to management doctoral students:
  1. Maria Goranova: Whitman Summer 2006 Research Award; "Two Sides of the Same Coin? Longitudinal Examination of Principal Monitoring and Shareholder Activism Impact on Earnings Management."
  2. Michael Hadani: Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises Summer 06 Research Award; "Family Matters: Founding Family Firms and Corporate Political Activity."
  3. Diya Das: Best International Paper Award; Organizational Behavior Division for "The Importance of Being 'Something': Identity Centrality and Work Outcomes in Off Shored Call Centers in India." Nominee for the Carolyn Dexter Award for Best Academy-wide International Paper

Contact
For more information about the exciting opportunities the Whitman doctoral program offers, contact the PhD program coordinator, Ravi Dharwadkar, at (315) 443-3386 or at rdharwad@syr.edu.