معرفی
Wendy Smith is the Dana J. Johnson Professor of Management and Faculty Director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative at the Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics, University of Delaware. Her expertise spans strategic paradox management, leadership development, and organizational behavior. She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard Business School and has held academic roles at Harvard, Wharton, and the University of Pennsylvania. Smith’s research explores how leaders navigate contradictory agendas in organizations, with a focus on hybrid social enterprises balancing missions and financial goals.
Education:
- Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior, Harvard University/Harvard Business School (2006)
- M.A. in Psychology, Harvard University (2004)
- B.A. in Psychology & Political Science, Yale University (1996)
Her research interests emphasize strategic paradoxes, exploring how organizations balance innovation with tradition, and social missions with financial viability. She has published extensively in top journals like Academy of Management Review and Administrative Science Quarterly. Recent work includes her 2022 book Both/And Thinking and a TEDx talk on paradoxical leadership.
Awards:
- 2018 Mid-Career Excellence in Scholarship Award (University of Delaware’s first recipient)
- 2017 Best Paper Award, Ivey Business School
- 2016 MBA Teaching Award
Smith has advised executive teams on managing crises and paradoxes, and her teaching spans leadership ethics, organizational change, and innovation. She co-edited a special issue of Organization Studies on paradox and innovation, attracting 106 submissions.
Her work bridges academia and practice, addressing real-world challenges in organizational strategy and leadership.
