Applying cutting-edge management research in the classroom

It's standard procedure for professors to start the first class meeting by explaining the syllabus and setting academic expectations. But Amanuel G. Tekleab, professor of management at Wayne State University's Mike Ilitch School of Business, has another motive: to apply his research. 

Tekleab studies "psychological contracts," which are employees' perceptions of the mutual obligations between themselves and the organization for which they work. In other words, these unspoken agreements show what employees believe they owe to the organization and vice versa, forming a crucial aspect of workplace dynamics. So, Tekleab demonstrates his research findings by applying them to the professorial relationship he has with his master of business administration (M.B.A.) students.

"I start the course by describing the reciprocal obligations — those expected of me and those expected of the students," Tekleab said. "I explain my research, and I hold myself accountable to it. Here's what I'm gonna ask you at the end. Did I fulfill my obligations to you? Did I keep my promise?"

Teaching M.B.A. students at the Ilitch School of Business

Hailing from Ethiopia, Tekleab joined the Ilitch School faculty in 2006. He currently teaches M.B.A. and Ph.D. students and conducts research on leadership and team processes, including psychological contracts. But his first love is teaching.

"One of my undergrad students, a long time ago, said, ‘Have you ever thought of becoming a preacher?'" he recalled. "When I teach, I'm enthusiastic because I love what I do. I enjoy discussing, interacting and working with my students. I think that made him think my approach was different from others." 

Because of his teaching style, Tekleab prefers engaging students in in-person and live online courses. He believes these formats enhance their understanding of the course material and foster collaborative learning experiences.

"I would say 95% of my M.B.A. students are working adults, and they come with experience, and that actually is what differentiates our university from others," he said. "When we discuss, we discuss the real problems in the organization because that's what they are experiencing."

In the classroom, Tekleab facilitates conversations where students share real-world problems and practical solutions, creating a dynamic learning environment where theory meets practical application.

"Some of them share their own experience and the best practices, which you don't find anywhere else, and so other students can directly take that and apply it the next day," he said.

Helping management Ph.D. students publish research

Tekleab also enjoys teaching his management Ph.D. students, whom he prepares for future professorships and other career opportunities. 

"We teach our Ph.D. students how to be better writers, researchers, thinkers and statisticians," he explained. "Our job is to do statistics and statistical analysis, so we train them, show them what they mean and so on."

As part of their doctoral program, Tekleab's Ph.D. students assist him in research, and he has published with them on subject areas such as team dynamics to trust. 

Tekleab's current research focuses on psychological contracts. His past research studied the first-year expectations employees had of their employers and whether they felt their employers breached or fulfilled their obligations. 

Now, his research focuses on psychological contracts at the team level, as well as how remote work has impacted expectations and obligations. 

"My colleague, Professor Ajay Ponnapalli, and I were talking about writing a paper on remote work and psychological contracts. So, we later added a doctoral student, Joe Yestrepsky, who has been a really great addition to our team," he described. "He has been very helpful to our team. He does everything that we do — participate in the project discussions, theory formulation, survey preparation, data cleaning and analyses, and more."

Being part of a diverse and accomplished group of business faculty

Tekleab's passion for teaching and research has made him an exemplary professor. In 2022, he received the Inspirational Teacher Award from the Ilitch School of Business and Wayne State's President's Awards for Excellence in Teaching. 

He appreciates working at Wayne State because of the combination of excellence in research and teaching. In fact, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education has designated WSU as one of its R1 or Doctoral Universities with "Very High Research Activity," its highest classification. But that doesn't stop Ilitch School professors from connecting with students. 

"We are expected to do research, but we are not just saying, ‘Research is the only thing that I'm going to do,'" he explained. "Our faculty is a group of people who do both research and teaching, and teaching is really valued. It makes us different from other schools." 

Tekleab also points to the cooperation between professors as things that set the Ilitch School apart.

"All of our faculty are interested in helping their students," he said emphatically. "That dedication is critically important, and they work very hard to really help our students, and that commitment is important."

Furthermore, he points to the faculty's gender, racial, religious and national diversity as key differentiators that help students prepare for the workforce, especially in our global economy. 

"Our students have access to worldwide experts who are well-known," he said. "They bring different perspectives to the classroom." 

Making a difference in management students' lives 

To Tekleab, his biggest accomplishment isn't his research findings — but rather when his students apply what they learned in class to succeed in the workplace. That's when he knows he has fulfilled his obligation to his students. 

"A common theme that I see at the end of the semester is when students tell me, ‘I'm glad I took your course because it helped me solve this problem,' ‘It made me think about my actions and interactions in this way' and ‘I saw the importance of those different things," he said with a smile.