Tracey Messer

Tracey Messer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, where she has been a faculty member since 2004. She holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior and an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Organizational Behavior, both from Case Western Reserve University, and a BS from Goucher College.

Education:

• PhD in Organizational Behavior, Case Western Reserve University (2015)
• MBA in Entrepreneurship and Organizational Behavior, Case Western Reserve University (1999)
• BS, Goucher College (1983)

Research Focus: Messer’s research centers on entrepreneurship, particularly family business and social ventures such as B Corps. Her work explores how these ventures reflect the values of their leaders, informed by her own experience in a family-owned chemical company and as a small business founder. She also investigates emotional intelligence and team effectiveness in organizational contexts.

Teaching: She teaches courses in leadership assessment and development, team development, and emotional intelligence across undergraduate and specialized master’s programs in engineering and management, business analytics, and operations and supply chain management.

Publications & Impact: Her scholarship has appeared in academic journals, textbooks, and monographs. Recent work includes studies on appreciative inquiry in large classes and peer coaching in leadership education. She has also contributed to case studies on family business succession and Reliance Industries.

Awards & Recognition:

• Exemplary Service Award (2019)
• Department of Organizational Behavior Outstanding Faculty Award (2018)

Advisory & Service Roles: Messer has served as a reviewer for the Academy of Management, Family Business Review, and other journals. She was a consultant for the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative and faculty advisor for QGrad, the LGBTQ graduate and professional student organization.