Jonathan Shaffer

Jonathan Shaffer serves as the Pickens Professor of Management and Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives at the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, West Texas A&M University, where he has held progressively responsible academic and administrative positions since 2010. His career progression includes roles as Assistant & Pickens Professor (2010-2015), Associate & Pickens Professor (2015-2018), Associate Dean of HR & Strategic Initiatives (2018-2020), and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Business Programs (2020-2021). Prior to joining West Texas A&M, he held academic positions at Oklahoma State University and the University of Iowa.

Dr. Shaffer's educational foundation includes a Ph.D. in Management from the University of Iowa (2010), an M.B.A. in Management from Oklahoma State University (2004), and a B.A. in Spanish from Oklahoma State University (2002). His doctoral training was supported by five consecutive University of Iowa Presidential Fellowships (2006-2010) and Ponder Summer Research Grants (2006-2009).

His research program investigates leadership dynamics, human resource management practices, employee selection methodologies, and the work-family interface, with particular emphasis on how conscientiousness and general mental ability influence job performance, health outcomes, and career trajectories. Methodologically, he specializes in meta-analytic techniques and longitudinal designs to examine complex relationships between individual differences and organizational phenomena. His work has significantly advanced understanding of abusive supervision, counterproductive work behaviors, and the contextual validity of personality assessments.

Dr. Shaffer's scholarly contributions have been recognized through multiple awards including the College of Business Research Excellence Award (2016) and publication in premier outlets such as Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, and Organizational Research Methods. His current research pipeline includes investigations into conscientiousness-health relationships and cannabis use career impacts.

• College of Business Research Excellence Award (2016)
• Teaching Excellence Award, College of Business (2013)
• Texas A&M University System Teaching Excellence Awards (2011, 2012)
• Horizon Award, College of Business (2012)
• University of Iowa Presidential Fellowship (2006-2010)
• Ponder Summer Research Grant (2006-2009)

As an educator, Dr. Shaffer teaches foundational and advanced courses in leadership, organizational behavior, and human resource management at both undergraduate and graduate levels. His administrative leadership spans strategic planning, graduate program development, and accreditation efforts. While no formal research lab is designated, his collaborative work involves extensive co-authorship networks examining organizational behavior phenomena through rigorous quantitative methodologies.