John W. Michel

John W. Michel, Ph.D. is the Busch Faculty Chair and an Associate Professor of Management and Organizations at the Sellinger School of Business and Management, Loyola University Maryland. He is an award-winning organizational psychologist whose research has been cited more than 3,000 times and read over 95,000 times according to academic metrics.

Dr. Michel's educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Organizational Studies from the State University of New York at Albany
• M.S. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Baltimore
• B.S. in Psychology from Towson University

His primary research focuses on workplace fun, positive social connections at work, and supportive leadership, with particular emphasis on how to improve prosocial and collaborative behaviors, engagement, well-being, and retention among employees. His groundbreaking work explores how building friendships at work through workplace fun combats loneliness and emotional exhaustion, ultimately enhancing employee well-being and performance. Dr. Michel has published over 30 articles and book chapters in prestigious journals across management and organizational psychology.

His publication record shows a consistent trajectory of high-impact research, with significant contributions appearing in journals like the Journal of Business & Psychology, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Human Resource Management Review, and Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies. His work demonstrates a clear pattern of investigating how positive workplace relationships and fun environments drive organizational outcomes, with a strong presence in hospitality industry research.

Dr. Michel's scholarly excellence has been recognized through numerous awards:

• STARS Award for Excellence in Research (2018)
• Beta Gamma Sigma National Honor Society induction (2018)
• Featured in GOM Editor's Choice Collections (2015)
• Best Paper Award in Cornell Hospitality Quarterly (2013)
• CHRIE Conference Best Paper award (2013)
• Outstanding Scholar Award from Towson University (2011)

Beyond research, Dr. Michel teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership, organizational behavior, and human resources management. He has consulted with numerous organizations across sectors including food & beverage, hospitality, government, and public safety. He serves on multiple editorial boards including Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Journal of Business & Psychology, and Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, and is a certified Hogan Assessments and Leadership Practices Inventory professional for executive coaching.

Dr. Michel actively contributes to academic community development as a co-organizer of the Baltimore IO-OB Consortium, which fosters collaboration among industrial/organizational psychology and organizational behavior scholars in the Baltimore metropolitan area.