Dr. Sean Hannah

J. Tylee Wilson Chair in Business Ethics; Professor of Management; Senior Research Associate, ACLC

OFFICE: Farrell 242

BIOGRAPHY

Sean holds the Tylee Wilson Chair at the School of Business at Wake Forest University (WFU). He leads research teams, teaches in the MBA program, and is the senior scholar in WFU's Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character. Sean is an experienced senior leader with 26 years of experience leading large and complex organizations as a retired U.S. Army Colonel.

Sean focuses on the study of leader development, exemplary leadership and its positive effects, character development and behavioral ethics, the building of high performing teams, strategic thinking, and crisis leadership. A recent major Stanford University study ranked him as being in the top 1% of cited researchers in the world across all of the sciences (business, humanities, medicine, social sciences, biology, engineering, etc.) in each of the last three years. He also conducts executive education, consulting, and executive coaching engagements with successful organizations in the US, Europe, and Asia. He has been recognized by the Academy of Management (AOM), the international professional body for management scholars, amongst its 19,000-plus members to receive the Practice Impact Award to recognize his contributions to managerial and organizational practices, and has been selected for Fellow status with the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology as well as the Association for Psychological Science.

Dr. Hannah holds a PhD in Management from the U. of Nebraska, MBA from Syracuse U., Masters of Arts in Public Administration from Syracuse U., Masters in National Security Studies from the Marine Corps U., and Bachelor of Political Science from California State U.

He is the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies and He has published over 70 papers including in premier management and applied psychology journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Personnel Psychology, Journal of Management, and many others.

Prior to his appointment to WFU, he served as the founding Director of the Center for the Army Profession and Ethic (CAPE) at West Point -- The United States Military Academy, in NY. CAPE is the Army's overall proponent and subject matter experts for the profession, ethics, and character-based leader development. He previously served as the Director of Leadership and Management Programs at West Point. Dr. Hannah has served in command and staff positions in units in Europe, Cuba, Panama, Southwest Asia, and the United States as an Airborne Ranger qualified Infantry Officer. He served in combat with the lead unit of 3d Armored Division in Desert Storm, where his unit was awarded the Valorous Unit Award, and in other contingency operations such as Operation Sea Signal (Panama and Cuba), and the command cell for Joint Task Force Los Angeles (LA Riots). He was in the Pentagon on 9/11 and immediately after the attack was assigned as the Budget Director of Resource Services-Washington, the Army organization that sustained the highest casualty level in the attack, and led the reconstitution of that organization and its processes and systems to reestablish a $32 billion dollar budget. He has served from the lowest tactical levels to the highest strategic levels, having served on the staffs of two Chiefs of Staff of the Army and an Assistant Secretary of the Army. Upon his retirement from the Army as a Colonel he was awarded his 44th military decoration and was inducted in the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame.

HONORS

2018 - Fellow, Association for Psychological Science
2018 - Fellow, Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology
2017 - 2017 Practice Impact Award, Academy of Management
2013 - Cowan Faculty Research Award , School of Business, Wake Forest University
2012 - Army Achievement Medal (Awarded 4 Times), U.S. Army
2012 - Army Commendation Medal (Awarded 5 times), U.S. Army
2012 - Meritorious Service Medal (awarded 4 times), U.S. Army
2012 - National Defense Service Medal (Awarded 2 Times), U.S. Army
2012 - Legion of Merit, U.S. Army
2011 - Inducted into the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame, 2011, United Stated Army
2010 - Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Department of Defense
2005 - Army Service Ribbon, U.S. Army
2005 - Inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honors society, 2005, Omicron Delta Kappa
2005 - Overseas Service Ribbon (Awarded 2 Times), U.S. Army
2002 - American Society of Military Comptrollers award for education, training, and development, 2002, American Society of Military Comptrollers
2001 - Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management andComptroller) award for outstanding educator, 2001, Secretary of the Army
2001 - Superior Unit Award, U.S. Army
2001 - Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) award for outstanding educator, 2001, Secretary of Defense
1998 - Army Staff Identification Badge, U.S. Army
1997 - Beta Gamma Sigma, Business Honors Society, Syracuse University MBA, Beta Gamma Sigma
1995 - Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation, U.S. Coast Guard
1995 - Humanitarian Service Medal (Awarded 2 Times), U.S. Army
1995 - Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Department of Defense
1991 - Bronze Star Medal, U.S. Army
1991 - Combat Infantryman Badge, U.S. Army
1991 - Kuwait Liberation Medal, Government of Kuwait
1991 - Kuwait Liberation Medal, U.S. Army
1991 - Saudi Arabian Liberation Medal, Government of Saudi Arabia
1991 - Saudi Arabian Liberation Medal, U.S. Army
1991 - Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 3 bronze stars), U.S. Army
1991 - Valorous Unit Award, U.S. Army
1988 - Army Ranger Tab , U.S. Army
1988 - Expert Infantryman Badge, U.S. Army
1987 - Airborne Parachutist Badge, U.S. Army

EXPERTISE

Professor Hannah's expertise is in leader development, character development and behavioral ethics, strategic thinking, building high performance teams, and leadership in extreme contexts and crisis situations.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Leadership Development
Ethical and Authentic Leadership
Character Development
Ethical Culture
Leadership in Extreme Contexts
Leader Identity, Complexity, Self-Efficacy, and Courage,

TEACHING INTERESTS

Leadership
Character Development
Business Ethics
Organizational Behavior, High Performing Teams

EDUCATION

Ph D, University of Nebraska (Business Management) - 2006
MA, Syracuse University- 2002
MA, Marine Corps University (National Security Studies) - 2000
MBA, Syracuse University- 1997
BA, California State University (Political Science) - 1986

PUBLICATIONS

Journal of Applied Psychology

Jekyll and Hyde Leadership: Examining the Direct and Vicarious Experiences of Abusive and Ethical Leadership Through a Justice Variability Lens

Xu, H. , Hannah, S. , Wang, Z. , Moss, S. E. , Sumanth, J. , & Song, M.

Journal of Business Ethics

Generating the moral agency to report peers' counterproductive work behavior in normal and extreme contexts: The generative roles of ethical leadership, moral potency, and psychological safety

Sumanth, J. , Hannah, S. , Herbst, K. C. , & Thompson, R. L.

Human Performance

Authentic leadership's impact on follower psychological capital and performance through organizational identification and role clarity

Johnson, H. H. , Bluhm, D. J. , Hannah, S. T. , Avolio, B. J. , & Lester, P. B.

Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies

Fueling the Creative Spark: How Authentic Leadership and LMX Foster Employees' Proactive Orientation and Creativity

Sumanth, J. , Cerne, M. , Hannah, S. , & Skerlavaj, M. (2023)

Military Psychology

Attributions of responsibility for military misconduct: Constraint, identification, and severity

Woolfolk, R. L. , Hannah, S. , Wasserman, R. , & Doris, J. M. (2021)

Journal of Management Studies

The direct and moderating effects of corporate social responsibility firm valuation: Theoretical and empirical evidence from the global financial crisis

Hannah, S. , Sayari, N. , Harris, F. H. , & Cain, C. (2021)

Academy of Management Journal

Struggling to meet the bar: Occupational progress failure and informal leadership behavior

Schaubroeck, J. , Peng, A. , Hannah, S. , Ma, J. , & Cianci, A. (2021)

Journal of Business Ethics.

Not all followers socially learn from ethical leaders: The roles of followers' moral identity and leader identification in the ethical leadership process

Wang, Z. , Xing, L. , Xu, H. , & Hannah, S. (2021)

Journal of Business Ethics

Quantitative Research on Leadership and Business Ethics: An Agenda for Future Research

Palanski, M. , Newman, A. , Leroy, H. , Moore, C. , Hannah, S. , & Den Hartog, D. (2021)

Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies

Bolstering workplace psychological well-being through transformational and transactional leadership

Hannah, S. , Lester, P. , Perez, A. , & Quick, J. C. (2020)

Human Relations

How leader and follower prototypical and antitypical attributes influence ratings of transformational leadership

Avolio, B. J. , Lord, R. G. , Keng-Highberger, F. , Hannah, S. , Schaubroeck, J. , & Kozlowski, S. W. (2020)

Journal of Management

Moral identity complexity: Situated morality within and across work and social roles

Hannah, S. , Thompson, R. L. , & Herbst, K. C. (2020)

Journal of Applied Psychology

The Generation and Function of Moral Emotions in Teams: An Integrative Review

Dasborough, M. T. , Hannah, S. , & Zhu, W. (2020)

Journal of Business Ethics

The duty to improve oneself: How duty orientation mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and followers' feedback seeking and avoiding behavior

Moss, S. E. , Song, M. , Hannah, S. , Wang, Z. , & Sumanth, J. (2020)

Organizational Dynamics

An Enduring Leadership Myth: Born a Leader or Made a Leader?

Avolio, B. , & Hannah, S. (2019)

Journal of Business Ethics

Bolstering managers' resistance to temptation via the firm's commitment to corporate social responsibility

Beaudoin, C. , Cianci, A. , Hannah, S. , & Tsakumis, G. (2019)

Personnel Psychology

Psychological and Neurological Predictors of Abusive Supervision

Waldman, D. A. , Wang, D. , Hannah, S. , Pierre, B. B. , & Owens, B. (2018)

Journal of Organizational Behavior

Best Practice Recommendations for Scale Construction in Organizational Research: The Development and Initial Validation of the Character Strength Inventory (CSI)

Wright, T. A. , Quick, J. C. , Hannah, S. , & Hargrove, B. M. (2017)

Journal of Vocational Behavior

Staying After the Storm: How Transformational Leadership Relates To Follower Turnover Intentions in Extreme Contexts.

Eberly, M. B. , Bluhm, D. J. , Guarana, C. , Avolio, B. J. , & Hannah, S. (2017)

Academy of Management Journal

A neurological and ideological perspective of ethical leadership

Waldman, D. , Wang, D. , Hannah, S. , & Balthazard, P. (2017)

Journal of Business Ethics

The Moderated Influence of Ethical Leadership, via Meaningful Work, on Followers' Engagement, Organizational Identification, and Envy

Demirtas, O. , Hannah, S. , Gok, K. , Arslan, A. , & Capar, N. (2017)

Journal of Applied Psychology

The Role of Peer Respect in Linking Abusive Supervision to Follower Outcomes: Dual Moderation of Group Potency

Schaubroeck, J. M. , Peng, A. C. , & Hannah, S. (2016)

Journal of Applied Psychology

Transforming followers' value internalization and role self-efficacy: Dual processes promoting performance and peer norm-enforcement

Hannah, S. , Schaubroeck, J. M. , & Peng, A. C. (2016)

Journal of Organizational Behavior

When "It Depends" Amounts to More Than Simple Contingent Relationships: Three Canonical Forms of Inversions.

Cavarretta, F. L. , Trinchera, L. , Choi, D. O. , & Hannah, S. (2016)

New Directions for Student Leadership

Building Moral Strength: Bridging the Moral Judgment-Action Gap.

Sweeney, P. J. , Imboden, M. W. , & Hannah, S. (2015)

Journal of Organizational Behavior

The moral self: A review and integration of the literature.

Jennings, P. L. , Mitchell, M. S. , & Hannah, S. (2015)

Research in Management

Developing leadership capacity: An integration and exploration of ethical and authentic leadership antecedents

Sumanth, J. , & Hannah, S. (2014)

Oxford University Press

Leadership in Extreme Contexts

Hannah, S. , & Parry, K. W. (2014)

Journal of Organizational Behavior

Debunking the False Dichotomy of Leadership Idealism and Pragmatism: Critical Evaluation and Support of Newer Genre Leadership Theories

Hannah, S. , Sumanth, J. , Lester, P. , & Cavarretta, F. (2014)

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.

Duty orientation: Theoretical development and preliminary construct testing.

Hannah, S. , Jennings, P. L. , Bluhm, D. , Peng, A. C. , & Schaubroeck, J. M. (2014)

The Leadership Quarterly

The effects of authentic leadership on followers' ethical decision-making in the face of temptation: An experimental study

Cianci, A. , Hannah, S. , Roberts, R. , & Tsakumis, G. T. (2014)

Journal of Business Ethics

Advertisement disclaimer speed and corporate social responsibility: "Costs" to consumer comprehension and effects on brand trust and purchase intention

Herbst, K. C. , Hannah, S. , & Allan, D. (2013)

Organizational Dynamics

Leader Ethos and Big-C Character

Hannah, S. , & Jennings, P. L. (2013)

Taylor and Francis

Leader Ethos: How Character Contributes to the Social Influence of the Leader

Jennings, P. L. , & Hannah, S. (2013)

Journal of Applied Psychology

Joint Influences of Individual and Work Unit Abusive Supervision on Ethical Intentions and Behaviors: A Moderated Mediation Model

Hannah, S. , Schaubroeck, J. M. , Peng, A. C. , Lord, R. G. , Trevino, L. K. , Kozlowski, S. W. , Avolio, B. J. , Dimotakis, N. , & Doty, J. (2013)

Public Administration Review

Transparent thoughts on invisible leadership: Review essay.

Hannah, S. (2013)

Journal of Applied Psychology

The Psychological and Neurological Bases of Leader Self-Complexity

Hannah, S. , Balthazard, P. A. , Waldman, D. A. , Jennings, P. L. , & Thatcher, R. W. (2013)

Academy of Management Journal

Different Hats, Different Obligations: Plural Occupational Identities and Situated Moral Judgments

Leavitt, K. , Reynolds, S. J. , Barnes, C. , Schilpzand, P. , & Hannah, S. (2012)

Oxford University Press

Leadership in the Profession of Arms

Hannah, S. , & Sowden, W. J. (2012)

Academy of Management Journal

Embedding ethical leadership within and across organization levels

Schaubroeck, J. , Hannah, S. , Avolio, B. J. , Kozlowski, S. W. , Lord, R. L. , Trevino, L. K. , Peng, A. C. , & Dimotakas, N. (2012)

Academy of Management Journal

Developing trust in leaders and peers, relational identity, and the acceleration of organizational identification during entry

Schaubroeck, J. , Peng, A. C. , & Hannah, S. (2012)

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

Leader self and means efficacy: A multi-component approach

Hannah, S. , Avolio, B. J. , Chan, A. , & Walumbwa, F. (2012)

Leadership Quarterly

Differentiating transformational and non-transformational leaders on the basis of neurological imaging

Balthazard, P. A. , Waldman, D. A. , Thatcher, R. W. , & Hannah, S. (2012)

Human Resource Management Journal

Wisdom: A strength of character to reduce stress and facilitate creativity

Avey, J. , Luthans, F. , Hannah, S. , Sweetman, D. , & Petersen, C. (2012)

Organizational Psychology Review

A framework for understanding leadership and individual requisite complexity

Lord, R. L. , Hannah, S. , & Jennings, P. L. (2011)

Leadership Quarterly

Leader character, ethos, and virtue: Individual and collective considerations

Hannah, S. , & Avolio, B. J. (2011)

Leadership Quarterly

Leader development and the dark side of personality

Harms, P. D. , Spain, S. M. , & Hannah, S. (2011)

Organizational Psychology Review

Leadership and collective requisite complexity

Hannah, S. , Lord, R. L. , & Pearce, C. L. (2011)

Personnel Psychology

Leadership in action teams: Team leader and members' authenticity, authenticity strength, and performance outcomes

Hannah, S. , Walumbwa, F. O. , & Fry, J. (2011)

Academy of Management Learning and Education

Mentoring impact on leader efficacy development: A field experiment

Lester, P. , Hannah, S. , Harms, P. , Vogelgesang, G. , & Avolio, B. J. (2011)

Academy of Management Review

Moral Maturation and moral conation: A capacity approach to explaining moral thought and action.

Hannah, S. , Avolio, B. J. , & May, D. R. (2011)

Leadership Quarterly

The locus of leader character

Hannah, S. , & Avolio, B. J. (2011)

Military Psychology

The moralities of obligation and aspiration: Towards a concept of exemplary military ethics and leadership

Jennings, P. L. , & Hannah, S. (2011)

Business Ethics Quarterly

The relationships between authentic leadership, moral courage, and ethical and pro-social behaviors

Hannah, S. , Avolio, B. J. , & Fred, W. O. (2011)

Naval Institute Press

Leader Development for Dangerous Contexts

Palmer, N. F. , Hannah, S. , & Sosnowski, D. E. (2011)

Military Psychology

Advancing a research agenda for leadership in dangerous contexts

Hannah, S. , Campbell, D. J. , & Matthews, M. D. (2010)

American Psychological Association

Developing courage in followers: Theoretical and applied perspectives

Lester, P. B. , Vogelgesang, G. R. , Hannah, S. , & Kimmey, T. (2010)

Military Psychology

Leadership In Military And Other Dangerous Contexts: Introduction to the Special Topic Issue

Campbell, D. J. , Hannah, S. , & Matthews, M. D. (2010)

Consulting Psychology Journal

Moral potency: Building the capacity for character-based leadership

Hannah, S. , & Avolio, B. J. (2010)

Military Review

Owning our Army Ethic

Case, C. , Underwood, R. , & Hannah, S. (2010)

Journal of Organizational Behavior

Ready or not: How do we accelerate the developmental readiness of leaders?

Hannah, S. , & Avolio, B. J. (2010)

International Journal of Conflict Management

Soldiers' negotiations in combat areas: The effects of role clarity and concern for members of the local population

Nobel, O. B. , Campbell, D. J. , Hannah, S. , & Wortinger, B. (2010)

Military Psychology

Tactical military leader requisite complexity: Toward a referent structure

Hannah, S. , Jennings, P. L. , & Nobel, O. B. (2010)

American Psychological Association

The courageous mindset: A dynamic personality system approach to courage

Hannah, S. , Sweeney, P. J. , & Lester, P. B. (2010)

Leadership Quarterly

100 years of leadership intervention studies: A meta-analysis.

Avolio, B. J. , Reichard, R. J. , Hannah, S. , Walumbwa, F. O. , & Chan, A. (2009)

Leadership Quarterly

A framework for examining leadership in extreme contexts

Hannah, S. , Uhl-Bien, M. , Avolio, B. J. , & Cavarretta, F. L. (2009)

Leadership Quarterly

A multilevel approach to building and leading learning organizations

Hannah, S. , & Lester, P. (2009)

Consulting Psychology Journal

Developmental readiness: Accelerating leader development

Avolio, B. J. , & Hannah, S. (2009)

Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice

Leader developmental readiness

Avolio, B. J. , & Hannah, S. (2009)

Journal of Organizational Behavior

Leader self-structure: A framework for positive leadership

Hannah, S. , Woolfolk, R. L. , & Lord, R. L. (2009)

Information Age Publishing

A cognitive affective processing explanation of positive leadership: Toward theoretical understanding of the role of psychological capital

Hannah, S. , & Luthans, F. (2008)

Information Age Publishing

Complex adaptive leadership: Defining what constitutes effective leadership for complex organizational contexts

Hannah, S. , Eggers, J. H. , & Jennings, P. L. (2008)

McGraw Hill

Frameworks of moral development and the West Point experience: Building leaders of character for our Army and the Nation

Hannah, S. , & Sweeney, P. J. (2008)

McGraw Hill

High-impact leadership: The positive effects of authentic moral leadership on followers

Sweeney, P. J. , & Hannah, S. (2008)

Leadership Quarterly

Leadership efficacy: Review and future directions

Hannah, S. , Avolio, B. J. , Luthans, F. , & Harms, P. (2008)

McGraw Hill

The domain of the human spirit

Sweeney, P. J. , Hannah, S. , & Snider, D. M. (2008)

Jossey-Bass

Authentic leadership: The heart of high impact leadership

Hannah, S. (2007)

Journal of Positive Psychology

Toward a courageous mindset: The subjective act and experience of courage

Hannah, S. , Sweeney, P. , & Lester, P. (2007)

Leadership Review

Executive summary: 100 year review of leadership interventions

Avolio, B. J. , Reichard, R. J. , Hannah, S. , Walumbwa, F. O. , & Chan, A. (2005)

Elsevier

Moral leadership: Explicating the moral component of authentic leadership

Hannah, S. , Lester, P. B. , & Vogelgesang, G. R. (2005)

Elsevier

Veritable authentic leadership: Emergence, functioning, and impacts.

Chan, A. , Hannah, S. , & Gardner, W. L. (2005)

McGraw Hill

Authentic Leadership Theory: A theory primer for students of leadership

Hannah, S. , Avolio, B. J. , & Luthans, F. (2004)