It’s our great pleasure to invite you to our ICEBS Zoom Lecture and Paper Development Workshop “A Practical Discussion about Theory Writing and Managing the Review Process” by and with Professor Jeffrey Lovelace (McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia) on December 10, 3pm to 6.30pm (Passau time). The afternoon will be especially valuable for all PhD candidates and early career scholars who are interested in writing theory and publishing in top journals.
Apart from his lecture, Professor Lovelace (Google Scholar) will provide feedback to up to four specific papers. Please let us know as soon as possible if you’re interested in such feedback (details for submission of papers below).
Professor Lovelace’s research examines the social and cognitive influences that shape leader behavior, leader-follower relationships, and performance at the individual and firm level. He is currently working on several projects that examine the sensemaking processes of leaders and how variables like celebrity, status, and reputation influence their behaviors and performance in dynamic environments. He has published journal articles and book chapters in a variety of outlets such as Academy of Management Review; Journal of Management; The Leadership Quarterly; Creativity Research Journal; The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist; and Studies in Conflict & Terrorism. Professor Lovelace has taught leadership and various psychology classes. He has also run corporate education workshops for a variety of organizations in the public and private sectors. Prior to his academic career, he served as an Officer in the United States Army from 2002 until 2014, most recently as Assistant Professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He has earned a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and a M.S. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Pennsylvania State University as well as a B.S. in American Politics from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Part I: Paper Presentation (1 hour)
Paper Title: Underdog narratives inside organizations: The cultivation and consequences of an underdog identity
Abstract: Underdog stories are ubiquitous––the disadvantaged and outmatched protagonist overcoming the odds. Often, leaders across industries, from telecom to sports, employ these narratives to inspire members of their organizations. However, little is understood about the mechanisms that make underdog narratives operate effectively within organizations. To address this gap, we explicate the process through which a leader’s communication of an underdog narrative instills confidence in members of the organization that together they can overcome their shared disadvantage to achieve a clear set of organizational aspirations. In doing so, we introduce a conceptual model that draws on the sensemaking and social identity literatures to explain how a leader’s underdog narrative fosters the adoption of a collective underdog identity by members of an organization. Further, we explain that the specific attributes of the leader’s underdog narrative influence how this unique form of a collective identity can lead to nuanced outcomes for members of an organization. As such, this paper aims to contribute to the understanding and utilization of a prevalent but under-examined organizational phenomenon.
Note: In the lecture, Professor Lovelace will highlight some keys to effective theory writing during the discussion.
Part II: Managing the Review Process (45-50 minutes)
The focus of this section of the talk will be a pragmatic discussion of the review process for theory papers. To feed the discussion, I will make available an early version of the AMR paper by Lovelace, Bundy, Hambrick, & Pollock (2018) entitled “Shackles of CEO Celebrity: Sociocognitive and behavioral role constraints on ‘star’ leaders”. Students will be encouraged to share criticisms and then we will discuss how those match with the comments from the AE and reviewers. I will describe how we handled those criticisms and provide some general review process recommendations for theory papers.
Part II: Student Workshop (1 hour)
The final part of the discussion will be a chance for a few students to present working theory ideas. Students will be encouraged to provide an extended abstract upfront (approx 1-2 pages) and will give 10 minute presentations. Then the audience and I can provide early feedback and ask questions about the ideas.
Please, send a note by November 20th to andreas.koenig@uni-passau.de to let us know if you are interested in participating in the session and whether you want your idea/paper outline to be discussed. Those of you who want to work on a paper and get selected, please, send the paper (and/or an extended abstract as noted above) and your questions to lovelace@virginia.edu by December 3rd (please put andreas.koenig@uni-passau.de in cc). You can also attach a ppt file or any other kind of material you want Prof. Lovelace to study in preparation for your feedback.
The idea is to organize the PDW as a “masterclass” where everyone participates in the discussion of maximum four ideas/papers. As such, the discussion of your paper will be on a first come first serve basis. However, note that listening in to the PDW will certainly be worthwhile, as Professor Lovelace will attempt to address issues that will almost certainly be of value to all. You are also invited to contribute feedback and ask questions.
Please, send a note by October 5th to ilonka.weinberger@uni-passau.de to let us know if you are interested in participating in the session and whether you want your idea/paper outline to be discussed. Those of you who want to work on a paper and get selected will be notified on October 6. You can also attach a ppt file or any other kind of material you want Prof. Pollock to study in preparation for your feedback.
The idea is to organize the PDW as a “masterclass” where everyone participates in the discussion of maximum four ideas/papers. As such, the discussion of your paper will be on a first come first serve basis. However, note that listening in to the PDW will certainly be worthwhile, as Professor Pollock will attempt to address issues that will almost certainly be of value to all. You are also invited to contribute feedback and ask questions.