Stephen Smulowitz (Steve)

Assistant Professor

OFFICE: Farrell 384

Biography

Stephen J. Smulowitz is an Assistant Professor of Strategic Management at the Wake Forest School of Business. Since joining in 2023, he has taught both undergraduate and MBA courses, focusing on strategic management through a case-based approach that encourages critical thinking and practical application. His teaching integrates real-world challenges and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to equip students with relevant skills for today's evolving business environment. Steve has also developed original case studies, including one centered on sustainability in the tobacco industry, highlighting his commitment to blending academic insights with industry relevance.

Steve's research centers on strategic management, corporate governance, business ethics, and sustainability. His work has been published in leading journals such as the Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management, and Research Policy, with eight articles appearing in FT50 journals since 2019. He actively contributes to the academic community through conference presentations at major venues, including the Strategic Management Society and the International Corporate Governance Society. His research explores the intersection of strategy, corporate governance and sustainability, focusing on the role of governance structures in shaping business outcomes.

Beyond teaching and research, Steve is actively engaged in service roles within the university and the broader academic community. He serves on faculty search committees and is an affiliate faculty member of the Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability. Additionally, he contributes as an ad hoc reviewer for top-tier journals and serves on professional committees that support the advancement of corporate governance scholarship. His dedication to academic excellence and student engagement underscores his broader commitment to advancing the field of strategic management.

Honors

2008 - Achievement Award for Distinguished Pro Bono Service , Delaware State Bar Association

Expertise

Steve has expertise in the areas of Strategy, Executive Compensation, Organizational Wrongdoing, and Stakeholder Management.

Teaching Interests

Steve teaches in the areas of strategy, stakeholder management, and risk management to executives, board members, master's students and undergraduates in custom and degree programs.

Education

Ph D, IESE Business School - 2017
MS, IE Business School - 2014
JD, University of Pennsylvania- 2004
BA, Binghamton University- 2001

Publications

Research Policy

More risk-averse or more innovative? The effect of women board membership and aspirations on patent activity

Smulowitz, S. , Smulowitz, M. , & Cossin, D. (2025)

Journal of Management

The High Cost of Cheap Talk: How Disingenuous Ethical Language Can Reflect Agency Costs

Smulowitz, S. J. , Pfarrer, M. D. , Cossin, D. , & Lu, A. (. (2025)

Human Relations

Female board membership and stakeholder strategy: Consistency under complexity and uncertainty

Smulowitz, M. , & Smulowitz, S. (2023)

Journal of Business Ethics

Managerial Short-Termism and Corporate Social Performance: The Moderating Role of External Monitoring

Smulowitz, S. , Cossin, D. , & Lu, H. (. (2023)

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice

Wrongdoing in Publicly Listed Family and Non-Family Owned Firms: A Behavioral Perspective

Smulowitz, S. , Cossin, D. , DeMassis, A. , & Lu, H. (. (2023)

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

Predicting Employee Wrongdoing: The Complementary Effect of CEO Option Pay and The Pay Gap

Smulowitz, S. , & Almandoz, J. (2021)

Strategic Management Journal

The Behavioral Theory of the (Community-Oriented) Firm: Community Orientation and Banks' Response to Attainment Discrepancy

Smulowitz, S. , Rousseau, H. , & Bromiley, P. (2020)

Human Relations

Racial Diversity and Its Symmetry Across Hierarchical Levels: Effects on Firm Financial Performance

Smulowitz, S. , Becerra, M. , & Mayo, M. (2019)