Michael Jensen
My research focuses on the role of social structures in markets. I view markets as social structures that encompass social networks and cognitive categories. Within this broad theoretical framework, my research focuses mainly on deepening our understanding of how status, reputation, and identity shape various important outcomes for organizations and individuals in a variety of different empirical contexts.
I teach (or have taught) corporate strategy, strategic alliances, and sociology of strategy in the BBA, MBA, and Ph.D. programs. I have received the BBA and the Global MBA Student Awards for Teaching Excellence.
I am an International Research Fellow at the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation.
Selected Academic Publications:
When “Less Is More”: How Statistical Discrimination Can Decrease Predictive Accuracy. Organization Science, forthcoming.
Single-Actor Scandal or Multiple-Actor Scandal? A Framework for Studying Scandal Dynamics. Research in the Sociology of Organizations, forthcoming.
The Paradox of Awards: How Status Ripples Affect Who Benefits from CEO Awards. Organization Science, 2022, 33: 946-968.
Catching the Big Fish: The Role of Scandals in Making Status a Liability. Academy of Management Journal, 2020, 63: 1652-1678.
Reaching For the Stars: The Importance of Reputational Rank in Artistic Career Success. Poetics, 2020, 80: 1-19.
A Bridge Too Far: Divestiture as a Strategic Reaction to Status Inconsistency. Management Science, 2019, 65: 859-878.
Social Evaluation: Status and Reputation. Oxford Bibliographies, edited by Ricky W. Griffin, Oxford University Press, 2019.
Not in the Same Boat: How Status Inconsistency Affects Research Performance in Business Schools. Academy of Management Journal, 2018, 61: 1021-1049.
I Can Do That Alone…or Not? How Idea Generators Juggle Between the Pros and Cons of Teamwork. Strategic Management Journal, 2018, 39: 458-475.
Status. In The SAGE Encyclopedia of Corporate Reputation, edited by Craig Carroll, SAGE Publications, 2016: Vol. 2 804-806.
The Real Oscar Curse: The Negative Consequences of Positive Status Shifts. Organization Science, 2015, 26: 1-21.
Audience Heterogeneity and the Effectiveness of Market Signals: How to Overcome Liabilities of Foreignness in Film Exports? Academy of Management Journal, 2014, 57: 1360-1384.
Great, Madama Butterfly Again! How Robust Market Identity Shapes Opera Repertoires. Organization Science, 2014, 25: 109-126.
Meeting Expectations: A Role-Theoretic Perspective on Reputation. In The Oxford Handbook of Corporate Reputation, edited by Michael L. Barnett and Timothy G. Pollock. Oxford University Press, 2012, 140-159.
How Product Order Affects Market Identity: Repertoire Ordering in the U.S. Opera Market. Administrative Science Quarterly, 2011, 56: 238-256.
The Importance of Status in Markets: A Market Identity Perspective. In Status in Management and Organizations, edited by Jone L. Pearce. Cambridge University Press, 2011, 87-117.
Legitimizing Illegitimacy: How Creating Market Identity Legitimizes Illegitimate Products. Research in the Sociology of Organizations, 2010, 31: 39-80.
The Use of Relational Discrimination to Manage Market Entry: When Do Social Status and Structural Holes Work Against You? Academy of Management Journal, 2008, 51: 723-743.
Staging Exchange Partner Choices: When Do Status and Reputation Matter? Academy of Management Journal, 2008, 51: 495-516.
Should We Stay or Should We Go? Accountability, Status Anxiety, and Client Defections. Administrative Science Quarterly, 2006, 51: 97-128.
Who Gets Wall Street's Attention? How Alliance Announcements and Alliance Density Affect Analyst Coverage. Strategic Organization, 2004, 2: 293-312.
Corporate Elites and Corporate Strategy: How Demographic Preferences and Structural Position Shape the Scope of the Firm. Strategic Management Journal, 2004, 25: 507-524.
The Role of Network Resources in Market Entry: Commercial Banks' Entry Into Investment Banking, 1991-1997. Administrative Science Quarterly, 2003, 48: 466-497.
My papers can be downloaded here.
