McIntire faculty continue to earn recognition for their innovative, award-winning research, with Professors Amanda Cowen and Jeffrey Lovelace recently receiving the 2025 Best Review Paper Award from the Journal of Management.
“Metacritiques of Upper Echelons Theory: Verdicts and Recommendations for Future Research,” co-authored with Brett Neely Jr. of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Nathan Hiller of Florida International University, received the accolade at the Academy of Management’s Annual Meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, held July 25-29, 2025.
Their paper examines the foundational critiques of upper echelons theory (UET), a management and organizational theory proposed by Donald C. Hambrick and Phyllis A. Mason in 1984 that explains how characteristics, backgrounds, and values of executives may play a role in shaping an organization’s strategy, performance, and outcomes. Cowen, Lovelace, and their co-authors synthesize what has historically been “fragmented discussions” into what they have developed into “a cohesive framework that clarifies conceptual and methodological concerns.”
Analyzing a decade of research on UET, their work offers findings on unresolved issues and provides guidelines for future explorations in the field.
Cowen, who also serves as the McIntire School’s Interim John A. Griffin Dean, finds that their paper addresses a critical need in management scholarship. “While we have decades of valuable research on how executives influence their organizations, the findings have become increasingly fragmented and difficult to interpret. We hope this comprehensive review will help establish clear standards and guide future research toward generating insights that can meaningfully inform executive decision-making,” she says.
Lovelace, Director of the Commerce School’s Leadership Minor, says, “This paper meant a great deal to me because it allowed us to honor and extend a theory that speaks to a fundamental truth: Who we are shapes how we lead. I’m proud that our author team helps clarify and elevate the work of so many brilliant colleagues and sets the stage for upper echelons theory to continue inspiring impactful research.”
The Journal of Management is a peer-reviewed academic journal founded in 1975 covering research on all aspects of management, as well as the related field of industrial and organizational psychology. The journal is published by the Academy of Management, a professional organization formed in 1936 to advance management research, education, and practice, with nearly 18,000 members across more than 120 countries.
