Ph.D. in Business Administration (Management)
From the Director of the Management PhD Program
With warm wishes, welcome! Our Ph.D. program in Management offers cutting edge training in basic and applied research. If you are condering a career in academia, we offer an interdisciplinary program with faculty members engaged in research in many management areas including organizational behavior, strategic management, human resources management, entrepreneurship, leadership, careers, business ethics, judgment and decision making, behavioral economics, behavioral finance and game theory. I encourage you to take a look at our faculty webpages to more fully investigate our research interests. If a career teaching and inspiring the next generation of business students and publishing in premier journals drives you, I encourage you to get in touch and apply.
James Sundali
Director of Ph.D. in Business Administration, Management Program
The dynamic and growing College of Business offers a Ph.D. in Business Administration (Management), with cutting-edge management training in theoretical foundations and quantitative methods in basic and applied research. The program offers concentrations in organizational behavior, strategy, entrepreneurship, and behavioral decision making. The program also emphasizes interdisciplinary research and encourages collaborations with other disciplines such as economics, psychology, sociology, social psychology and neuroscience.
For fall 2025 admissions, we anticipate awarding two Graduate Teaching Assistantships to provide funding for two Doctoral students.
Ph.D. in Business Administration (Management) from the Βι¶ΉΣ³»
The Βι¶ΉΣ³» is Βι¶ΉΣ³»’s land-grant institution and currently enrolls more than 22,000 students. As of 2019, UNR was chosen as one of just 130 universities to receive the classification as an R1 institution — “very high research activity” — by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This designation is reserved for doctoral-granting universities with exceptional levels of research activity. In 2020, the University also reached the prestigious Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement, becoming one of only 119 institutions in the country so honored. These designations indicate that the Βι¶ΉΣ³» is not only a great place to pursue a research career, but also presents opportunities to connect with local organizations and community members in research endeavors and outreach.
The AACSB-accredited the Βι¶ΉΣ³» College of Business has over 3,000 undergraduate majors and 380 graduate and MBA students. The College of Business is consistently recognized among the best by the Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Reports. The College maintains a collegial and collaborative work environment and is one of the strongest units at the University. Within the College of Business, the Management Department houses a multidisciplinary faculty in areas such as human resource management, organizational behavior, judgment and decision making, strategy, and entrepreneurship.
The Reno-Tahoe area also offers many living advantages. This area is a vast region of high desert, valleys, lakes, and tree-covered mountain tops, with world-class outdoor recreation areas. The region has an active art/cultural scene, a budding entrepreneurial focus, and a rapidly diversifying economy. Reno is a short drive from beautiful Lake Tahoe, offering a mix of urban life and outdoor beauty.
Faculty research areas
Behavioral Economics studies the decision-making processes of individuals and institutions. The discipline is interdisciplinary in nature and draws on insights from economics, psychology, social psychology, and neuroscience among other fields. Our department gathers experimental and empirical data to better understand how economic actors behave.
Publications
Salaghe, F., Guerrero, F., Jones, D., Nichols, M. W., & Sundali, J. (2023). Behavioral Responses to Losses Disguised as Wins: A Field Study of Slot Machine Players. Journal of Gambling Studies, 1-20. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10899-022-10184-w
Guerrero, F., Papadovasilaki, D., Ridinger, G., & Sundali, J. (2021). Investor beliefs in the midst of a market crash and the COVID 19 pandemic: Survey and experimental evidence.
Leonhardt, J. M., Ridinger, G., Rong, Y., Talaei-Khoe, A., 2021. Invincibility Threatens Vaccine Intentions During a Pandemic. PLOS One, 16(10), e0258432.
McBride, M., Ridinger, G., 2021. Beliefs Also Make Social-norm Preferences Social. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 191, 765-784.
Ridinger, G., 2021. Intentions Versus Outcomes: Fairness and Cooperation in a Sequential Prisoner’s Dilemma with Nature. Games 12(3), 58
Ridinger, G., 2020. Shame and Theory-of-mind Predicts Rule-following Behavior. Games, 11(3), 36.
Leary, B.R., Ridinger, G., 2020. Denial without Determination: The Impact of Systemic Market Access Denial on Consumer Power and Market Engagement. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing 39, 99-118.
Ridinger, G., 2018. Ownership, Punishment, and Norms in a Real-effort Bargaining Experiment. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 155, 382-402.
Ridinger, G., John R. S., McBride, M., Scurich, N., 2016. Attacker Deterrence and Perceived. Risk Analysis 36(8): 1666-1681
Ridinger, G., McBride, M., 2015. Money Affects Theory of Mind Differently by Gender. PLOS One 10(12): e0143973
Salaghe, F., Sundali, J., Nichols, M. W., & Guerrero, F. (2020). An empirical investigation of wagering behavior in a large sample of slot machine gamblers. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 169, 369-388.
Papadovasilaki, D., Guerrero, F., Sundali. J. (2018). The effect of early and salient investment experiences on subsequent asset allocations—An experimental study. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance. Volume 19, September 2018, Pages 1-19
Safford, A., Sundali, J., Guerrero, F. (2018). Does experiencing a Crash make all the difference? An Experiment on the Depression Babies Hypothesis.
Wuthisatian, Rattaphon, Federico Guerrero, James Sundali, (2017) "Gain attraction in the presence of social interactions",
Papadovasikaki, D., Guerrero, F., Sundali, J., Stone, G. (2015). How important are early investment experiences on subsequent investment decisions? A laboratory experiment on asset allocation.
Sundali, J.A., Stone, G.R., & Guerrero, F.L. (2012). The effect of setting goals and emotions on asset allocation decisions,
Guerrero, F., Stone, G., & Sundali, J. (2012). Fear in asset allocation during and after stock market crashes: An Experiment in Behavioral Finance. The Journal of Behavioral Finance & Economics. Volume 2, Issue 1, Spring 2012, pp. 50-81.
Sundali, J. & Guerrero, F. (2009). Managing a 401K account: An experiment on asset allocation.
Business Ethics is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics and examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems relevant to a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations.
Publications
Jones, D.N. (2014). Predatory personalities as behavioral mimics and parasites: Mimicry-Deception Theory. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 9, 445-451. doi: 10.1177/1745691614535936
Jones, D.N., & *Mueller, S.M. (in press). Is Machiavellianism dead or dormant? The perils of researching a secretive construct. Journal of Business Ethics. DOI: 10.1007/s10551-020-04708-w
Jones, D.N. (2013). What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine: Psychopathy, narcissism, and gambling with your neighbor's money. Journal of Research in Personality, 47, 563-571. DOI: Full Text
Jones, D.N., & Figueredo, A.J. (2013). The core of darkness: uncovering the heart of the Dark Triad. European Journal of Personality, 27, 521-531. DOI: 10.1002/per.1893.
Carré, J.R., Mueller, S.M., Schleicher, K.M., & Jones, D.N. (2018). Journal of Personality Disorders, 32, 242-361.
Jones, D.N., & Paulhus, D.L. (2017). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113, 329-342.
Carré, J.R., & Jones, D.N. (2017). Review of General Psychology, 21, 23-29.
Behavioral Finance examines the behavior of investors and financial markets. Behavioral finance examines how investors can be influenced by cognitive or emotional heuristics and biases. Our department uses experimental methods to examine a wide variety of research questions such as how investors react to market booms and crashes, the impact of social influences such as the fear of missing out, and how the gamification of investment apps can influence investment decisions.
Publications
Salaghe, F., Guerrero, F., Jones, D., Nichols, M. W., & Sundali, J. (2023). Behavioral Responses to Losses Disguised as Wins: A Field Study of Slot Machine Players. Journal of Gambling Studies, 1-20. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10899-022-10184-w
Guerrero, F., Papadovasilaki, D., Ridinger, G., & Sundali, J. (2021). Investor beliefs in the midst of a market crash and the COVID 19 pandemic: Survey and experimental evidence.
Leary, B.R., Ridinger, G., 2020. Denial without Determination: The Impact of Systemic Market Access Denial on Consumer Power and Market Engagement. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing 39, 99-118.
Papadovasilaki, D., Guerrero, F., Sundali. J. (2018). The effect of early and salient investment experiences on subsequent asset allocations—An experimental study. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance. Volume 19, September 2018, Pages 1-19
Safford, A., Sundali, J., Guerrero, F. (2018). Does experiencing a Crash make all the difference? An Experiment on the Depression Babies Hypothesis.
Wuthisatian, Rattaphon, Federico Guerrero, James Sundali, (2017)
Papadovasikaki, D., Guerrero, F., Sundali, J., Stone, G. (2015). Managerial Finance, Vol. 41, Issue: 6, pp: 582-590.
Sundali, J.A., Stone, G.R., & Guerrero, F.L. (2012).
Guerrero, F., Stone, G., & Sundali, J. (2012). Fear in asset allocation during and after stock market crashes: An Experiment in Behavioral Finance. The Journal of Behavioral Finance & Economics. Volume 2, Issue 1, Spring 2012, pp. 50-81.
Sundali, J. & Guerrero, F. (2009).
Entrepreneurship examines the various functions carried out by individuals and/or organizations resulting in new business in either new or existing organizations ultimately yielding economic and/or social benefits in the form of economic growth and improved human welfare.
Publications
Bylund, P. L. & Packard, M. D. accepted. Back to the Future: Can Counterhistory Accelerate Theoretical Advancement in Management? Academy of Management Perspectives.
Bylund, P. L. & Packard, M. D. in press. Separation of Power and Expertise: Evidence of the Tyranny of Experts in Sweden’s Covid-19 Responses. Southern Economic Journal.
Bylund, P. L. & Packard, M. D. in press. Subjective Value in Entrepreneurship. Small Business Economics.
Emami, A., Packard, M. D., & Welsh, D. in press. On the Cognitive Microfoundations of Effectual Design: The Situated Function-Behavior-Structure Framework. Management Decision.
McBride, R. & Packard, M. D. 2021.On the Ontology of Action: Actors are Not ‘Abstractions’. Academy of Management Review, 46(1): 211-219.
Packard, M. D. & Burnham, T. A. 2021. Do We Understand Each Other? Toward a Simulated Empathy Theory for Entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing, 36(1).
Packard, M. D. 2020. Autarkic Entrepreneurship. Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, 23(3-4): 390-426.
Packard, M. D. & Clark, B. B. 2020. Mitigating versus Managing Epistemic and Aleatory Uncertainty. Academy of Management Review, 45(4): 872-876.
Packard, M. D. & Clark, B. B. 2020. On the Mitigability of Uncertainty and the Choice Between Predictive and Non-predictive Strategy. Academy of Management Review, 45(4): 766-786.
Packard, M. D. & Clark, B. B. 2020. Probability Logic Fails in Immitigable Uncertainty, But Strategic Logic Does Not. Academy of Management Review, 45(3): 704-707.
Packard, M. D. 2019. Entrepreneurship and the Nirvana State of Rest. Mises: Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy, Law and Economics, 7 (3): 523-543.
Brown, L., Packard, M. D., & Bylund, P. L. 2018. Judgment, Fast and Slow: Toward a Judgment View of Entrepreneurs’ Impulsivity. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 10 (e00095).
Packard, M. D. (2018). Why I am not a performativist (yet). Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 9, 39-44.
Packard, M. D. & Bylund, P. (2018). On the relationship between inequality and entrepreneurship. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 12 (1), 3-22.
Packard, M. D., Clark, B. B., & Klein, P. G. (2017). Uncertainty types and transitions in the entrepreneurial process. Organization Science, 28 (5), 840-856.
Packard, M. D. (2017). Where did interpretivism go in the theory of entrepreneurship? Journal of Business Venturing, 32 (5), 536-549.
Packard, M. D. (2016). Consumer sovereignty and entrepreneurship. Published by the University of Missouri.
Packard, M.D., Bylund, P. (2018). What is entrepreneurial judgment, anyway?. 2018 Annual conference of the Strategic Management Society, Paris, France.
Packard, M.D., Bylund, P. (2018). Back to the future? How counterhistory can be a means for progress in management and entrepreneurship theory. 2018 Annual conference of the Academy of Management, Chicago, IL.
Packard, M.D., Bylund, P. (2017). Toward a modern rationalist approach to entrepreneurship. 2017 Annual conference of the Strategic Management Society, Houston, TX.
Packard, M. D., Jiang, L. (2017). Knowledge signals and investors' funding decisions: Evidence from crowdfunding ventures. 2017 Annual conference of the Academy of Management, Atlanta, GA.
Packard, M. D., Jiang, L. (2016). Knowledge signals and investors' funding decisions: Evidence from crowdfunding ventures. 2016 Annual conference of the Strategic Management Society, Berlin, Germany.
Packard, M. D. (2016). Where did interpretivism go in the theory of entrepreneurship? The creative enactive approach. 2016 Annual conference of the Academy of Management, Anaheim, CA.
Packard, M. D. (2016). Needs and technologies: Combining knowledge for innovation. 2016 Annual conference of the Academy of Management, Anaheim, CA.
Packard, M. D., Berns, J. P., Clark, B. B. (2015). Investors' perceptions of uncertainty and crowdfunding strategies. 2015 Annual conference of the Strategic Management Society, Denver, CO.
Packard, M. D. & Bylund, P. (2015). The relationship between inequality and entrepreneurship: A conceptual model and preliminary tests. 2015 Annual conference of the Academy of Management, Vancouver, ON.
Packard, M. D. (2014). Consumer sovereignty: A demand-side theory of the entrepreneurial process. 2014 Annual conference of the Academy of Management, Philadelphia, PA.
Packard, M. D. (2014). Consumer sovereignty and subjective value: A demand-side perspective. 2014 Annual conference of the Academy of Management, Philadelphia, PA.
Packard, M. D., Clark, B. B., & Klein, P. G. (2014). An exploration into the nature of entrepreneurial uncertainty. 2014 Annual conference of the Academy of Management, Philadelphia, PA.
Packard, M. D. & Clark, B. B. (2013). Entrepreneurial judgment: A broadened conceptualization of decision-making under uncertainty. 2013 Annual conference of the Strategic Management Society, Atlanta, GA.
Chiles, T. H., Elias, S. R. S. T. A., Packard, M. D., & McMullen, J. S. (2012). Austrian Economics in organization studies: How Austrian ideas have contributed to strategy, entrepreneurship, and related areas. 2012 Annual conference of the Strategic Management Society, Prague, Czech Republic.
Behavioral Game Theory examines decisions and outcomes in the context of conflict and cooperation. Game theory is the study of strategic interdependence, when players’ outcomes depend upon decisions made by all players in a game. Experiments are used to test whether the decisions of subjects in games coincide with theoretical predictions. Modern theories such as theory of mind are assessed in classic games such as the prisoner’s dilemma.
Publications
McBride, M., Ridinger, G., 2021. Beliefs Also Make Social-norm Preferences Social. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 191, 765-784.
Ridinger, G., 2021. Intentions Versus Outcomes: Fairness and Cooperation in a Sequential Prisoner’s Dilemma with Nature. Games 12(3), 58.
Ridinger, G., 2020. Shame and Theory-of-mind Predicts Rule-following Behavior. Games, 11(3), 36.
Ridinger, G., McBride, M., 2020. Reciprocity in Games with Unknown Types. In Capra, M., Croson, R., Rigdon, M., Rosenblatt, T., eds., Handbook of Experimental Game Theory, Edward Elgar Publishing.
Ridinger, G., 2018. Ownership, Punishment, and Norms in a Real-effort Bargaining Experiment. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 155, 382-402.
Ridinger, G., 2018. Cultural Transmission and Extortion. Games 9(3), 49.
Ridinger, G., John R. S., McBride, M., Scurich, N., 2016. Attacker Deterrence and Perceived. Risk Analysis 36(8): 1666-1681
Leadership research focuses on the human resource related to firm’s including cultural structure. This involves understanding critical organizational processes in order to evaluate how to improve team building, effective communication, multicultural team building, and how to lead change.
Organizational Behavior studies human behavior in organizational settings, the interface between human behavior and the organization, and organizations themselves. The focus of this study can be at the micro-level relating to individuals in organizations, at meso-level relating to work groups, and at the macro-level of the entire organization.
Publications
Wieland, A., Sundali, J., Kemmelmeier, M., Sarin, R. (2014). Gender differences in the endowment effect: Women pay less, but won't accept less.
Sundali, J. A., Safford, A.H., & Croson, R. (2012). The impact of near-miss events on betting behavior: An examination of casino rapid roulette play.
Jones, D.N. (2014). Predatory personalities as behavioral mimics and parasites: Mimicry-Deception Theory. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 9, 445-451. doi: 10.1177/1745691614535936
Jones, D.N., & *Mueller, S.M. (in press). Is Machiavellianism dead or dormant? The perils of researching a secretive construct. Journal of Business Ethics. DOI: 10.1007/s10551-020-04708-w
Jones, D.N. (2013). What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine: Psychopathy, narcissism, and gambling with your neighbor's money. Journal of Research in Personality, 47, 563-571. DOI: Full Text
Jones, D.N., & Figueredo, A.J. (2013). The core of darkness: uncovering the heart of the Dark Triad. European Journal of Personality, 27, 521-531. DOI: 10.1002/per.1893.
Carré, J.R., Mueller, S.M., Schleicher, K.M., & Jones, D.N. (2018).
Jones, D.N., & Paulhus, D.L. (2017).
Carré, J.R., & Jones, D.N. (2017).
Strategic Management is concerned with the management of an organization’s resources to achieve its goals and objectives. Scholars examine how organizations strive to develop sustainable competitive advantages in order to earn excess returns. Research in strategy is multidisciplinary using both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Publications
Klein, P. G., Packard, M. D., & Schnatterly, K. (Forthcoming). Collaborating for innovation: The role of organizational complementarities. Reuer, J. J., Matusik, S. Oxford Handbook of Collaboration and Entrepreneurship. Oxford University Press, New York, NY.
Packard, M. D. (2013). Innovative dependence? Revisiting the effects of firm size on innovation. 2013 Annual conference of the Academy of Management, Orlando, FL.
Chiles, T. H., Elias, S. R. S. T. A., Packard, M. D., & McMullen, J. S. (2012). Austrian Economics in organization studies: How Austrian ideas have contributed to strategy, entrepreneurship, and related areas. 2012 Annual conference of the Strategic Management Society, Prague, Czech Republic.
Packard, M. D. (2012). A theoretical argument for a shift in corporate strategy: The advantages of corporate incubators. 2012 Annual conference of the Academy of Management, Boston, MA.
Careers research focuses on studying people’s lifelong work experiences and choices, as well as the implications of career decisions for outcomes like satisfaction and performance. This area of research is interdisciplinary, blending research and knowledge from fields such as business, counseling, psychology, and education. Topics studied in our department include career choices, predictors of career success, over-qualification and underemployment, and changes in person-environment fit across people’s careers.
Human Resource Management (HRM) is an area of study focusing on ways to most effectively recruit, select, train, and manage employees in organizations. HRM research is designed to maximize employee performance by hiring employees who fit well with the organization, are happier with their jobs, and ultimately want to stay with the company. Research topics include individual differences like personality and interests, improving recruitment and selection practices, and studying predictors of job performance and turnover.
Judgment and Decision Making (JDM) is concerned with normative, descriptive and prescriptive analysis of human judgments and decisions. JDM studies how people should (normative) and do (descriptive) form judgments and make decisions and offers advice how to do make better decisions (prescriptive). Experimental methods are often used to examine the influence of heuristics and biases on decision processes.
Publications
Leonhardt, J. M., Ridinger, G., Rong, Y., Talaei-Khoe, A., 2021. Invincibility Threatens Vaccine Intentions During a Pandemic. PLOS One, 16(10), e0258432.
Burnham, T., Ridinger, G., Carpenter, A., Choi, L., 2020. Consumer Suggestion Sharing: Helpful, Pragmatic and Conditional. European Journal of Marketing 55, 726-762.
Ridinger, G., 2020. Shame and Theory-of-mind Predicts Rule-following Behavior. Games, 11(3), 36.
Ridinger, G., John R. S., McBride, M., Scurich, N., 2016. Attacker Deterrence and Perceived. Risk Analysis 36(8): 1666-1681
Ridinger, G., McBride, M., 2015. Money Affects Theory of Mind Differently by Gender. PLOS One 10(12): e0143973
Salaghe, F., Sundali, J., Nichols, M. W., & Guerrero, F. (2020). An empirical investigation of wagering behavior in a large sample of slot machine gamblers.
Wieland, A., Sundali, J., Kemmelmeier, M., Sarin, R. (2014). Gender differences in the endowment effect: Women pay less, but won't accept less.
Sundali, J. A., Safford, A.H., & Croson, R. (2012). The impact of near-miss events on betting behavior: An examination of casino rapid roulette play.
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Business Administration Ph.D. Student Handbook
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