Doctoral
The management Ph.D. program at Wayne State University is designed to be small and hands-on, accepting only a few students at a time. Students specialize in either organizational behavior or strategy. This is a full-time, research-based program and takes four to five years to complete. Admitted students typically receive tuition waivers, an assistantship-based stipend and benefits for four years.
Our faculty members take an active role in student development from the first-semester socialization class that teaches students disciplinary norms all the way to dissertation defense. During their first few years, students work with multiple faculty members to hone their interests, gain exposure to a variety of research topics and methodologies, and build relationships and networks. This includes completing courses with students and faculty in other programs (e.g., I/O psychology).
After completing coursework and comprehensive exams, usually after the end of the second year, students will form their dissertation committee and invite a faculty member to become their advisor. Beginning in the third year, students teach undergraduate courses to gain teaching experience. During this time, students continue to work on research and their dissertation, attend and present their work at scholarly conferences, and engage in other professional development activities. Each year, students receive formal feedback from the Ph.D. Committee regarding their progress.
Learn more about the management Ph.D. curriculum.
Management track class profile
Our management students began the program with a 645 average GMAT score.
Placements
Our program graduates have all successfully earned tenure-track positions in universities consistent with their career goals. Initial placements and current positions are indicated below.
Tapan Seth, 2014 Robert Morris University (tenured/associate professor/assistant dean)
Ayse Karaca, 2016 Başkent University (assistant professor), now at Kütahya Dumlupinar University
Abere Kassa, 2017 SUNY-Potsdam (assistant professor), now at Millersville University
Lyo Laulie, 2017 University of Chile (assistant professor)
Agnes Shepard, 2017 Mercer University (assistant professor)
Mike Greiner, 2018 Oakland University (assistant professor)
Viva Nsair, 2022 Western Michigan University (assistant professor)
Recent student publications
As part of an R1 university, Ilitch School students have successfully published their research in respected peer-reviewed academic journals while at Wayne State. Faculty members continue to publish with students after their graduation, demonstrating that our mentorship does not end at graduation.
- Greiner, M., and Lee, J., 2023. "Extending the market theory of corporate political activity," Long Range Planning, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2023.102305
- Laulie, L., Tekleab, A. G., & Rousseau, D. (2023). Psychological Contracts at Different Levels: The Cross-level and Comparative Multilevel Effects of Team Psychological Contract Fulfillment. Group & Organization Management.
- Piszczek, M.M., Yestrepsky, J., & Thrasher, G., 2023. Age-aware organizations and the effects of shift work on psychological well-being across the lifespan. Work, Aging & Retirement. https://doi.org/10.1093/workar/waad014
- Yestrepsky, J., Julian, S., Tekleab, A.G., & Grzebyk, T. (2023) Interactions During Strategic Issue Diagnosis: How Uncertainty, Threat, and Opportunity Impact Response. Journal of Business Research, 164.
- Greiner, M., Sun, J., in press. How corporate social responsibility can incentivize top managers: A commitment to sustainability as an agency intervention. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. DOI: 10.1002/csr.2148.
- Greiner, M., Julian, S.D. (2021). Should you reward your CEO with stock options? Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/01/should-you-reward-your-ceo-with-stock-options?
- Nsair, V., & Piszczek, M. (2021). Gender matters: The effects of gender and segmentation preferences on work-to-family conflict in family sacrifice climates. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 94(3), 509-530.
- Laulié, L., Tekleab, A. G., & Lee, J. J. (2021). Why grant i-deals? Supervisors' prior i-deals, exchange ideology, and justice sensitivity. Journal of Business and Psychology, 36(1), 17-31.
- Piszczek, M. M., Martin, J. E., Pimputkar, A. S., & Laulié, L. (2021). What does schedule fit add to work-family research? The incremental effect of schedule fit on work-family conflict, schedule satisfaction, and turnover intentions. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 94(4), 866-889.
- Greiner, M., and Lee, J. (2020). "A supply-side approach to corporate political activity: Performance consequences of ideologically driven CPA." Journal of Business Research, 115:25-37
- Greiner, M., Julian, S.D. (2020). Avoid making this strategic mistake in a recession. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/07/avoid-making-this-strategic-mistake-in-a-recession
- Tekleab, A. G., Laulié, L., De Vos, A., De Jong, J. P., & Coyle-Shapiro, J. A. (2020). Contextualizing psychological contracts research: a multi-sample study of shared individual psychological contract fulfillment. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 29(2), 279-293.
- Julian, S.D., Ofori-Dankwa, J., & Shepard, A. (2019). Cognitive antecedents of highlighting and decoupling in response to social pressure. Group & Organization Management, 44(3), 652-684.
- Martin, J. E., Laulié, L., & Lelchook, A. M. (2019). Antecedents of union member retention in Right-to-Work environments. Personnel Review.
- Karaca, A., & Tekleab, A. G. (2018). Team Conflict. In Oxford Bibliographies in Management. Ed. Ricky Griffin. New York: Oxford University Press.
Learn more
Our Ph.D. program is a member of DocNet-Consortium of Business Doctoral Programs and the Ph.D. Project.