Dr. James Westphal

Biography

Jim conducts research in the areas of strategic management and organizational theory, with a focus on social psychological processes, corporate governance, and strategic leadership. He has previously served as Division Chair of the Strategic Management Division at the Academy of Management and as a Representative-at-Large for the Organization Management Theory Division. He was Co-Director of the Interdisciplinary Committee on Organizational Studies at Michigan from 2018 to 2025. Over the years, Jim has received the Paper Award from the OMT Division of the Academy on five occasions (1994, 1996, 2006, 2011, 2013) and the Saroj Parasuraman Outstanding Publication Award for the Gender and Diversity in Organizations Division of the Academy in 2014. Additionally, he received the Ross School Senior Faculty Research Award in 2023, the Researcher of the Year Award in 2007 and 2014, and the University of Texas College of Business Administration Award for Research Excellence in 2000 and 2006. He was elected to the Macro-Organizational Behavior Society in 2004, became a Fellow of the Academy of Management in 2011, a Fellow of the Strategic Management Society in 2019, and a Fellow of the Michigan Society in 2022. Jim was also a Harrington Faculty Fellow during the 2005-2006 academic year. His research has garnered attention in media outlets such as Business Week, CNBC, The Economist, Financial Times, Harper's, National Public Radio, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Jim teaches courses in strategic management and organizational behavior at the undergraduate, MBA, and PhD levels.

Research Interests