Don Vandewalle

Don Vandewalle is an Associate Professor at the Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, specializing in feedback mechanisms, achievement motivation, and growth mindset theory. His research has been published in leading journals including the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, and Personnel Psychology. He has earned five Best Paper Awards from the Academy of Management and Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

• Current Role: Associate Professor, Management and Organizations Department
• Past Role: Department Chair (2006-2014)

His research focuses on:

• Goal orientation theory and its applications
• Implicit person theories in managerial contexts
• Feedback-seeking behavior dynamics
• Leadership development frameworks

Recent publications highlight his contributions to understanding how goal orientation influences organizational outcomes and the role of mindset theory in employee coaching. Teaching areas include Organizational Behavior at EMBA/MBA/BBA levels.

Key Awards:

• Cox Distinguished MBA Teaching Award (7 years)
• SMU Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor Award
• Inductee, SMU Academy of Distinguished Teachers
• SMU Distinguished University Citizen Award