Steve Sauerwald

Steve Sauerwald is a Professor of Management in the Department of Management & Leadership at the C. T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston. He previously served as Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His research focuses on corporate governance, strategic leadership, and corporate social responsibility within global institutional contexts.

His education includes a Ph.D. and an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas, with his doctoral studies completed in 2014. He was supported by the German-American Fulbright Commission during his MBA program.

Dr. Sauerwald's research explores how domestic and multinational firms are shaped by surrounding institutions, with a particular interest in board dynamics, CEO behavior, stakeholder alignment, and sustainability. His work integrates perspectives from institutional theory, agency theory, and stakeholder theory to understand governance and leadership in complex environments.

The 15 most recent publications reflect a consistent focus on corporate governance, strategic leadership, and CSR. These articles appear in top-tier journals such as Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management, and Journal of International Business Studies. The research trends include shareholder activism, gender diversity on boards, CEO overconfidence, state ownership, and cross-national institutional effects, indicating a strong international and theoretical orientation.

• Best Paper Award, Academy of Management (SIM Division)
• Best Paper in Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability, Academy of Management (IM Division)

Dr. Sauerwald has served on the editorial boards of Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management Studies, and Corporate Governance: An International Review. He co-authored the textbook Strategic Management: Creating Competitive Advantages (McGraw-Hill). Prior to his academic career, he worked as a management consultant specializing in CRM in Germany and Switzerland. No information is available regarding student advising or research grants.

There is no indication of involvement in specific labs or research teams, though his collaborations with scholars such as van Essen, Heugens, and Peng suggest active participation in international research networks focused on governance and institutional analysis.