Last Revised: January 2015

Y. Sekou Bermiss The University of Texas at Austin | McCombs School of Business Management Department | 2110 Speedway Stop B6300 CBA 4.202 | Austin, TX 78712-1282 512.232.5005 | [email protected]

ACADEMIC POSITIONS McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin Department of Management 2009-present Assistant Professor of Management

EDUCATION Northwestern University, Evanston, IL Ph.D in Management and Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, 2009 Northwestern University, Evanston, IL M.S. in Management and Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, 2005 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY B.S. in Chemical Engineering, 1999

RESEARCH INTERESTS: My research program operates at the crossroads of organizational theory and strategy. Stated broadly, I focus on the social construction of value within markets and firms. My research is situated in organizational theory in that I examine the social aspects of exchange and market valuation. I subscribe to the view that economic exchange is embedded within social structures, and thus understanding how exchange occurs requires also understanding the socio-cognitive motivations of market actors beyond profit maximization. In particular, the concept of what is considered legitimate and valuable within economic exchange is often strongly influenced by shared social meanings among market actors. These perceptions emerge and change due to institutionalized cultural values, historical path dependencies, as well as the rise and fall of popular management fads and fashions. Moreover, the subjective opinions of market actors become formalized and treated as objective facts, which have material consequences for firm viability and performance. Strategy research is relevant to my research because of its focus on which possessed capabilities provide firms a competitive advantage over their rivals. While this question has historically been analyzed at the firm and business unit level of analysis, a growing body of research has begun investigating the extent to which a firm’s capabilities reside at the individual level of analysis. My research, which fits squarely in this latter category, examines what individual level experiences and characteristics make certain executives and managers particularly valuable to their firms.

PUBLICATIONS Bermiss, Y.S. & Murmann, J.P. (forthcoming). Who matters more? The impact of functional background and top executive mobility on firm survival. Strategic Management Journal. Bermiss, Y.S., Zajac, E.J., & King, B.G. (2014). Under construction: How commensuration and management fashions affect corporate reputation rankings. Organization Science, 25(2): 591-608. Whitson, J., Weber, K., Hirsch, P.M., & Bermiss, Y.S. (2014). Chemicals, companies, and countries: The concept of diffusion in management research. Research in Organizational Behavior, 33: 135-150.

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Bermiss, Y.S. & Murmann, J.P. (2010). The individual and the organization: Locating knowledge capabilities in professional service firms. Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings (1): 16. Hirsch, P.M. & Bermiss, Y.S. (2009). Institutional ‘dirty’ work: Preserving institutions through strategic decoupling. In T. Lawrence’s, R. Suddaby’s & B. Leca’s (Eds.) Institutional Work: Actors and Agency in Institutional Studies of Organization, pp.262-283. Murmann, J.P., Homburg, E., Geven, R., Bermiss, Y.S., & Forgione, A. (2008). Automatic coding of printed materials. International Journal of Humanities and Arts Computing, 2: 151-185. Bermiss, Y.S. (2008). Introductory essay to Charles Tilly’s writings on methodology. Historical Social Research, 33(4): 358-368.

PAPERS UNDER REVIEW Bermiss, Y.S. & Greenbaum, B. “Too close for comfort? The effect of relational embeddedness and executive mobility on market tie dissolution.” Under second-round review at Administrative Science Quarterly. Bermiss, Y.S., McDonald, R., Hallen, B., & Pahnke, E. Entrepreneurial beacons: The Yale endowment, run-ups, and the growth of venture capital. Revise and resubmit at Strategic Management Journal.

WORKING PAPERS Bermiss, Y.S. & Murmann, J.P. Framing transaction value: The role of rhetoric in the emergence of the U.S. advertising industry. Target Journal: Organization Science Bermiss, Y.S. Spinning off onto shaky ground: Executive mobility in uncertain environments. Target Journal: Academy of Management Journal Bermiss, Y.S. & McDonald, R. Ideological misfits: Political affiliation and employee departure in the private equity industry. Target Journal: Administrative Science Quarterly

RESEARCH IN PROGRESS Bermiss, Y.S. (with Brayden King and Edward Carberry). Reputation ranking’s effect on impression management strategies. Development Stage: Data Collection.

CONFERENCE & INVITED PRESENTATIONS Bermiss, Y.S. 2014. “Ideological misfits: Political affiliation and employee departure in the private equity industry” presented at Strategic Management Society Conference on Micro-foundations of Strategy, Copenhagen, Denmark. Bermiss, Y.S. 2013. “Framing transaction value: The role of rhetoric in the emergence of the U.S. advertising industry” presented at Academy of Management 2013 Annual Meeting, Lake Buena Vista, FL.

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Bermiss, Y.S. 2013. “Capitalism, culture, and symbolic coupling” presented at Academy of Management 2013 Annual Meeting, Lake Buena Vista, FL. Bermiss, Y.S. 2013. “Too close for comfort? The effect of relational embeddedness and executive mobility on market tie dissolution” presented at the University of Utah. Bermiss, Y.S. 2012. “Spinning off onto shaky ground: Executive mobility in uncertain environments” presented at 32nd Annual International Conference of the Strategic Management Society in Prague, Czech Republic. Bermiss, Y.S. 2012. “Too close for comfort? A micro-foundational analysis on the effect of relational embeddedness on market tie dissolution” presented at Academy of Management 2012 Annual Meeting, Boston, MA. Bermiss, Y.S. 2010. “Power to the people. The role of human capital in modern organizations” presented at Undergraduate Business Council Faculty Research Presentation Series in Austin, TX (McCombs School of Business). Bermiss, Y.S. 2010. “Too close for comfort? The impact of client interaction on human capital asset specificity” presented at 30th Annual International Conference of the Strategic Management Society in Rome, Italy. Bermiss, Y.S. 2010. “The individual and the organization: Where do knowledge-based capabilities reside in professional service firms?” presented at Academy of Management 2010 Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada. Bermiss, Y.S. 2009. “Organizational heterogeneity and competitive advantage: Central distinctions in firmbased perspectives” presented at 2nd People and Organizations Conference: Understanding Human Capital as a Valuable and Variable Asset, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Bermiss, Y.S. 2009. “The individual and the organization: Where do knowledge-based capabilities reside in professional service firms?” presented at The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. Bermiss, Y.S. 2007. “The emergence and evolution of professional service industries” presented at INFORMS/Organizational Science Proposal Competition, Seattle, WA. Bermiss, Y.S. 2007. “Institutional ‘dirty’ work: Preserving institutions through strategic decoupling” presented at The International Workshop on Institutional Work, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada. Bermiss, Y.S. 2007. “The source of capabilities in professional service firms” presented at 14 th Consortium on Cooperation and Competition (CCC) Doctoral Colloquium, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA. Bermiss, Y.S. 2007. “A person, place, or thing? The source of capabilities in professional service firms” presented at 7th Trans-Atlantic Doctoral Conference, London Business School, London, United Kingdom. Bermiss, Y.S. 2006. “The emergence and evolution of professional service industries” presented at Doctoral Workshop at 26th Annual International Conference of the Strategic Management Society in Vienna, Austria. Bermiss, Y.S. 2006. “Changing fortunes: Making sense of corporate reputation over time” presented at Academy of Management 2006 Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.

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Bermiss, Y.S. 2004. “The diffusion of problematic innovation within historically Black colleges and universities in the 20th century: A comparative test of classical and new institutional theory” presented at 8th Annual Graduate and Professional Student Research Conference, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin Organizational Behavior (MAN 336 & MAN 336H) This is an advanced undergraduate survey course in organizational behavior designed to give students an exposure to essential theories and concepts for analyzing, understanding, and managing human behavior in organizations. In this course, we tie concrete organizational situations, through both cases and exercises, to essential theories and effective management practices. MAN 336 Sections Taught: Spring 2010 (2), Spring 2011 (1), Spring 2014 (1) Mean Instructor Rating: 4.7 / 5 MAN 336H Sections Taught: Spring 2011 (2), Spring 2012 (2), Spring 2013 (2), Spring 2014 (2) Mean Instructor Rating: 4.4 / 5 Organizational Theory & Design (MAN 390.5) This is a Ph.D. seminar that covers the major theoretical perspectives that explain how organizations form, survive, grow, change, compete, interact, influence, and generally manage problems internal and external to their boundaries. Each session provides students with an introductory exposure to classical, neoclassical, and modern theories of organizational theory covering both theoretical and empirical work. Sections Taught: Fall 2012 (1), Fall 2013 (1) Mean Instructor Rating: 4.5 / 5

Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University The Art and Science of Negotiation (MORS 470) The primary objectives of this MBA course are to provide students with a broad analytic understanding of central concepts of negotiation and to develop a repertoire of negotiating tools, options, tactics, and strategies in order to increase negotiating flexibility and to find the most optimal response to a particular negotiation situation. Sections Taught: Summer 2007 (1), Summer 2008 (1) Mean Instructor Rating: 9.4 / 10 (2007) Leading High-Impact Teams This single-class session was a module within the Leadership Core Series for The Manager’s Program (Evening MBA). Students learn about the different types of high-performing teams, team performance evaluation, the key challenges and threats to effective teamwork, and how to overcome these challenges. Sections Taught: Fall 2007 - Spring 2009 (5)

MEDIA MENTIONS National Public Radio, 07/26/2012; Elise Hu: “Chick-Fil-A Gay Flap A 'Wakeup Call' For Companies.”

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Harvard Business Review Blog Network, 08/12/2014; Sarah Cliffe: “Don Draper Is Replaceable; Joan Holloway Isn’t.” Valor Econômico (Brazil), 08/21/2014; Leticia Arcoverde: “Losing operating executives is more risky for agencies”

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE & AFFILIATIONS Editorial Boards Africa Journal of Management (2014 - 2017) Association Membership & Activities Academy of Management (Divisions: Organization & Management Theory, Business Process & Strategy) Academy of Management OMT Research Committee (2013-present) American Sociological Association (Sections: Economic Sociology, Organizations, Occupation, and Work) Strategic Management Society (Strategic Human Capital Interest Group) INFORMS, College of Organization Science Executive Committee Member (2014) Coordinator, INFORMS Organization Science Dissertation Proposal Competition (2014) Reviewer, INFORMS Organization Science Dissertation Proposal Competition (2008-2013) Reviewing Ad hoc journal reviewer Management Science Organization Science Organizational Studies Strategic Management Journal Additional Service The University of Texas at Austin, Management Department Executive Committee (2013-2014) Chair, Work-in-Progress Speaker Series (2011-2013) Ph.D. Student Comprehensive Examination Committee (2010-2012) Ph.D. Curriculum Committee (2012-2013) Faculty Research Committee (2011-2013) The Ph.D. Project Management Doctoral Student Association, President (2006) Annual Conference Presenter (2005-present) Doctoral Students Supervised Bruce Greenbaum; Ph.D. Dissertation Committee (2012-2014) Christina Kyprianou: Ph.D. Dissertation Committee (2014)

AWARDS & RESEARCH GRANTS Alfred D. Chandler, Jr., Travel Fellowship in Business History and Institutional Economic History, Harvard University (2008) INFORMS Organization Science Dissertation Proposal Competition; Finalist (2007) H. Naylor Fitzhugh PhD Fellowship, National Black MBA Association (2007) GM Center for Strategy in Management, Kellogg School of Management (2006)

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PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE Management Consultant, Deloitte Consulting, 1999-2003

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