John Paul Stephens, PhD, received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Morgan State University and his master’s and doctoral degrees in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan. Since joining the faculty at Weatherhead School of Management in 2010, Stephens’ teaching focuses on organizational psychology/behavior, positive organizational scholarship, qualitative research methods, and negotiations and bargaining behavior.
His research focuses on the roles of perception, knowledge, and relationships in organizing, particularly in the performance of musical ensembles. His other research interests fall under the umbrella of positive organizational scholarship and include high-quality connections, strengths-based feedback, and the relationship between character strengths and person-job fit.
Dr. Stephens employs a variety of tools and methods, from structural equation modeling to video-based conversation analysis and ethnography, to examine how people’s self-knowledge, be it about their relationships, their strengths, or their behaviors, impacts their work.
His research has been published in the Journal of Positive Psychology and the Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology and Work, and has been presented in papers and symposia at the Annual Meetings of the Academy of Management.
In 2015 he was awarded the Outstanding Reviewer Award, Academy of Management Review. In 2013, he received the Best Paper Award, University of California-Davis Conference on Qualitative Research. Stephens has been an Ethics Table Fellow, Beamer-Schneider Professorship in Ethics, Case Western Reserve University. He is also the recipient of ACES+ ADVANCE Opportunity Grant Award, ACES+ Initiative, a Cleveland Clinic Foundation Grant for research on coordination, and has been nominated for University and Weatherhead teaching and mentoring awards.
Education
Teaching Information
Teaching Interests
- Organizational psychology/behavior
- Positive organizational scholarship
- Qualitative research methods
- Negotiations and bargaining behavior
Courses Taught
- Managing Negotiations
- The Practice Turn in Organizational Research
- Leading Organizations - LEAD II
- The Art and Science of High-Functioning Teams
Office Hours
By Appointment Only
Research Information
Research Interests
- Psychology of coordination
- Performance adaptation
- Performativity/practice
- Organizational aesthetics
- Mindfulness/attention
- Organizational routines and knowledge
- High-quality connections
- Character strengths & strengths-based feedback
Research Projects
The research of John Paul Stephens, PhD, focuses on the roles of individual-level perception and knowledge, and relationship quality in the collective performance of groups and organizations. These research interests fall under the umbrella of positive organizational scholarship, which addresses how our knowledge and behavior in organizations are shaped in inherently positive or virtuous ways. Stephens has researched how individual perception in group work involves aesthetic knowledge of the beauty of the group’s coordinating and motivates constant adaptation to preserve the quality of collective performance. He has also looked at how individual strengths of good character relate to person-job fit, and how strengths-based feedback influences individual leadership development. In his conceptual work, he has looked at how what we feel in our experiences at work matters both for problem-solving at the organizational level and for a sense of dignity in our relationships at work.
Stephens has used a range of methodologies in the course of his research, including ethnographic methods such as interviews, participant-observation, and video analysis; lab-based experiments; and field-based surveys. His research has been published in Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Journal of Positive Psychology, Journal of Management Inquiry, Journal of Business Ethics, Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology and Work, and the Oxford Handbook of Positive Organizational Scholarship. He has also presented his research in papers and symposia at the Annual Meetings of the Academy of Management and other international forums. Currently, he serves as an editorial board member of Group & Organization Management. He is a former editorial board member of the Academy of Management Review, and a former executive committee member of the Managerial and Organizational Cognition Division of the Academy of Management. He also sits on the Advisory Boards of the Relational Coordination Research Collaborative, based at Brandeis University, and the Center for Positive Organizations, based at the University of Michigan.
Awards and Honors
- Editorial Board Outstanding Reviewer Award2020Group & Organization Management
- Nominee, Undergraduate Teaching Award2018Weatherhead School of Management
- MOC Outstanding Service Award, Managerial and Organizational Cognition Division2017Academy of Management
- Outstanding Reviewer Award, Managerial and Organizational Cognition Division2017Academy of Management
- Outstanding Reviewer Award, Managerial and Organizational Cognition Division2016Academy of Management
- Nominee, Bruce Jackson, MD Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring2016Case Western Reserve University
- Nominee, John S. Diekhoff Award for Distinguished Graduate Student Teaching2016Graduate Student Senate of Case Western Reserve University
- Best Reviewer Award2015Academy of Management Review
- Outstanding Reviewer Award, Managerial and Cognition Division & Organizational Behavior Division2015Academy of Management
- Ethics Table Fellow, Beamer-Schneider Professorship in Ethics2015Case Western Reserve University
- Nominee, John S. Diekhoff Award for Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring2014Graduate Student Senate of Case Western Reserve University
- Best Paper2013University of California-Davis Conference on Qualitative Research
- ACES+ ADVANCE Opportunity Grant Award2012ACES+ Initiative
External Appointments
- Faculty Member, The PhD Project. 2021 - Present
- Faculty Partner, Relational Coordination Research Collaborative. 2014 - Present
- European Group for Organizational Studies. 2011 - 2012
- Association for Psychological Science. 2006 - 2010
- Academy of Managment. 2005 - Present
- Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. 2005 - 2009
- American Psychological Association. 2001 - 2009
- Committee Member, Alumni Research Panel Quality Control Committee, 2020 - 2023
- Task Force Chair, COVID-19 Innovation Team, 2020
- Board of Advisors of a Company, Center for Positive Organizations, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2019 - 2023
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Administrative Science Quarterly, 2018 - Present
- Editorial Review Board Member, Academy of Management Discoveries, PO Box 3020, Briarcliff Manor, New York, 2018 - 2020
- Board of Advisors of a Company, Relational Coordination Research Collaborative, Waltham, Massachusetts , 2018 - 2020
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Business Ethics, 2015 - Present
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Frontiers in Psychology - Personality and Social Psychology, 2014 - Present
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Organizational Research Methods, 2014 - Present
- Officer, Other Officer, Academy of Management Managerial and Organizational Cognition Division, 2014 - 2017
- Editorial Review Board Member, Academy of Management Review, 2014 - 2017
- Committee Member, PhD Student Admissions , 2013
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Organizational Aesthetics, 2013 - Present
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Human Relations, 2013 - Present
- Editorial Review Board Member, Caribbean Journal of Psychology, Mona, 2013 - Present
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Group & Organization Management, 2013 - Present
- Committee Member, PhD Student Admissions , 2012
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Organization Studies, 2012 - Present
- Committee Member, Undergraduate Integrated Studies, 2011 - Present
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Academy of Management Journal, 2011 - Present
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Academy of Management Review, 2010 - 2014
Publications
- Lyddy, C. J., Good, D. , Schroeder, T. D., Stephens, J. (2022).
Contemplating Critique: Mindfulness Attenuates Self-Esteem and Self-Regulatory Impacts of Negative Feedback Mindfulness - Hinz, J. D., Stephens, J. , Van Oosten, E. B. (2021).
Toward a pedagogy of connection: A critical view of being relational in listening Management Learning - Irani, E. , Niyomyart, A. , Dolansky, M. , Stephens, J. , Ganocy, S. , Josephson, R. , Hickman, R. (2021).
A pilot randomized clinical trial of a teamwork intervention for heart failure care dyads Heart & Lung - Stephens, J. (2021).
Where Mindfulness Falls Short Harvard Business Review Digital Article - Lyddy, C. J., Good, D. J., Bolino, M. C., Thompson, P. S., Stephens, J. (2021). In Talya Bauer (Ed.)
The Costs of Mindfulness at Work: The Moderating Role of Mindfulness in Surface Acting, Self-Control Depletion, and Performance Outcomes Journal of Applied Psychology - Stephens, J. (2021). In Michael G. Pratt (Ed.)
How the Show Goes On: Using the Aesthetic Experience of Collective Performance to Adapt while Coordinating (vol. 66, issue 1, pp. 1-41) Administrative Science Quarterly - Stephens, J. (2020). In Edward Powley, Brianna Barker Caza & Arran Caza (Ed.)
From parts to whole: A place for individual tacit knowledge in organizational adaptability and resilience Edward Elgar - Thomas*, N. , Sugiyama, K. , Rochford*, K. , Stephens, J. , Kanov, J. (2018). In Jody Hoffer Gittell (Ed.)
Experiential organizing: Pursuing relational and bureaucratic goals through symbolically- and experientially-oriented work (vol. 43, issue 4, pp. 749-771) Academy of Management Review - Stephens, J. , Carmeli, A. (2017). In Sven Hemlin & Michael Mumford (Ed.)
Relational Leadership and Creativity: The Effects of Respectful Engagement and Caring on Meaningfulness and Creative Work Involvement Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar - Stephens, J. , Carmeli, A. (2016).
The positive effect of expressing negative emotions on knowledge creation capability and performance of project teams (vol. 34, issue 5, pp. 862-873) International Journal of Project Management - Stephens, J. , Lyddy, C. J. (2016). In Ronald H. Humphrey (Ed.)
Operationalizing Heedful Interrelating: How Attending, Responding, and Feeling Comprise Coordinating and Predict Performance in Self-Managing Teams (vol. 7) Lausanne: Frontiers in Psychology - Stephens, J. , Kanov, J. (2016). In Nicola Pless and Delia Mannen (Ed.)
Stories as Artworks: Giving Form to Felt Dignity in Connections at Work New York, N.Y.: Journal of Business Ethics - Stephens, J. (2016). In Kimberly Elsbach & Beth Bechky (Ed.)
Adapting for the sake of beauty: The role of leaders, levels, and learning in the coordination of a choral group (vol. 3) Information Age Publishing - Stephens, J. , Boland, B. J. (2015). In Nelson Phillips (Ed.)
The aesthetic knowledge problem of problem-solving with design thinking (vol. 24, issue 3, pp. 219-232) London: Journal of Management Inquiry - Stephens, J. (2014). In Donna Ladkin & Steven S. Taylor (Ed.)
Leading a group through feeling: Teaching by the movement of learning (vol. 6, pp. 21) Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. - Stephens, J. , Carmeli, A. (2014).
Knowledge creation and project team performance: The role of emotional carrying capacity Academy of Management - Stephens, J. , Heaphy, E. , Carmeli, A. , Spreitzer, G. , Dutton, J. (2013). In Ron Fry & David Bright (Ed.)
Relationship quality and virtuousness: Emotional carrying capacity as a source of individual and team resilience (vol. 49, issue 1, pp. 13-41) Arlington, VA: Journal of Applied Behavioral Science - Stephens, J. , Heaphy, E. D., Dutton, J. E. (2011). In Kim Cameron & Gretchen Spreitzer (Ed.)
High-quality Connections (pp. 385-399) New York, NY: Oxford University Press - Stephens, J. (2011). In Arne Carlsen & Jane Dutton (Ed.)
Making Research Sing: Sharing, building, and feeling knowledge in conversation. Copenhagen: Copenhagen Business School Press - Spreitzer, G. M., Stephens, J. , Sweetman, D. (2009).
The Reflected Best Self field experiment with adolescent leaders: Exploring the psychological resources associated with feedback source and valence (vol. 4, issue 5, pp. 331-348) Journal of Positive Psychology - Peterson, C. , Stephens, J. , Lee, F. , Park, N. , Seligman, M. E. (2009). In P.A. Linley, S. Harrington, & N. Garcea (Ed.)
Strengths of character and work (pp. 221-231) New York, NY: Oxford University Press
Presentations
- Stephens, J. P. Positive Business Conference, "The Co-Creation of Human Connection", Center for Positive Organizations, Ann Arbor, MI. (2021).
- Stephens, J. P. (Author Only), McBride, S. X. (Presenter & Author) Academy of Management Meeting, "Leading MTSs: Unpacking the challenges of balancing external and internal system demands", Academy of Management, Boston, MA. (2019).
- McBride-Walker, S., Stephens, J. P. Relational Coordination Research Collaborative Roundtable, "Getting On the Same Temporal Page: Constructing Timely Communication in Role-Based Relationships For Project Commitment and Success ", Relational Coordination Research Collaborative, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. (2018).
- Thomas, N. K. (Presenter & Author), Sugiyama, K. (Presenter & Author), Rochford, K. C. (Author Only), Stephens, J. P. (Presenter & Author), Kanov, J. (Presenter & Author) Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) Research Conference, "Achieving the common good through experiential organizing: Extending relational and bureaucratic pathways for organizations with purpose", Center for Positive Organizations, Ann Arbor, MI. (2017).
- Stephens, J. P. (Presenter & Author), Varley, A. M. (Author Only) RCRC Research Webinar, "Coordinating Complex Construction Projects – A Relational Approach", Relational Coordination Research Collaborative, (2016).
- Suchman, A. (Coordinator/Organizer), Stephens, J. P. (Presenter Only), Varley, A. M. (Presenter Only), Lawson, R. (Presenter Only) Relational Practices in Health and Healthcare: Healing through Collaboration, "Relational Coordination: a framework for exploring and improving the inner workings of collaborative work processes", Taos Institute, Cleveland, OH. (2016).
- Stephens, J. P. Academy of Management Meeting, "Insights on relational coordination in complex project delivery", Academy of Management , Anaheim, CA. (2016).
- Stephens, J. P. Positive Relationships at Work Meeting, "The roles of relationships, communication, and coordination in construction project management", Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Ithaca, NY. (2016).
- Stephens, J. P. +Lab Pop-up Presentation, "Organizing for beauty: From parts to whole and back again", Center for Positive Organizations, Ann Arbor, MI. (2016).
- Stephens, J. P. Academy of Management Meeting, "Orchestrating the physical space for the learning of coordination", Academy of Management , Vancouver, BC. (2015).
- Stephens, J. P., Carmeli, A. Academy of Management Meeting, "Knowledge creation and project team performance: The role of emotional carrying capacity. ", Academy of Management , Philadelphia, PA. (2014).
- Stephens, J. P., , . Academy of Management Meeting, "The experience of learning to adaptively coordinate with others: A phenomenological perspective across levels of hierarchy and time", Academy of Management , Philadelphia, PA. (2014).
- Stephens, J. P. (Presenter & Author), LeBaron, C. (Presenter & Author) Sixth International Symposium on Process Organization Studies, "Teaching and Learning through Doing and Feeling Organizational Routines", Organization Studies, Rhodes, Greece. (2014).
- Amelia, J. (Presenter & Author), Stephens, J. P. (Author Only), Knight, J. (Author Only) Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, "Surgeons as active leaders in the operating room: Potential cost-saving behaviors.", Society of Gynecologic Oncology, Tampa, FL. (2014).
- Stephens, J. P. Positive Relationships at Work Meeting, "Leading parts and whole in orchestrating adaptive groups", Drexel University and the Center for Positive Organizations, Philadelphia, PA. (2014).
- Stephens, J. P. UC Davis Conference on Qualitative Research, "Repair in collective group performance: How individuals know and respond to breaches in coordination", University of California, Davis, UC Davis. (2013).
- Stephens, J. P. (Presenter & Author) Academy of Management Meeting, "Leading in coordination: The meta-feedback role of leaders of performative groups.", Academy of Management, Boston, MA. (2012).
- Stephens, J. P. (Presenter & Author), Lindberg, A. (Author Only), Heaphy, E. (Author Only) Qualitative Research in Management and Organization Conference, "Bringing the body back in: The role of bodily movement in organizational routines", University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. (2012).
- Stephens, J. P. Academy of Management Meeting, "Learning to coordinate as a large performative group: The roles of leaders and rehearsals", Academy of Management, San Antonio, TX. (2011).
- Stephens, J. P. Academy of Management Meeting, "Performing beauty: Attention, aesthetics and action in the coordination of a community choir.", Academy of Management, San Antonio, TX. (2011).
- Stephens, J. P. (Presenter & Author), Heaphy, E. (Author Only), Carmeli, A. (Author Only), Spreitzer, G. (Author Only), Dutton, J. (Author Only), Bagozzi, R. (Author Only) Academy of Management Meeting, "Relationship capacity as a source of resilience in individuals and teams in the workplace.", Academy of Management, San Antonio, TX. (2011).
- Stephens, J. P., LeBaron, C. (Author Only) Colloquium of the European Group for Organizational Studies, "Aesthetic routines: Examining communication and leadership in intragroup coordination", European Group for Organizational Studies, Gothenburg, Sweden. (2011).
- Stephens, J. P., Boland, B. (Author Only) Colloquium of the European Group for Organizational Studies, "Legitimizing convergence: Aesthetics as a bridge between managing and designing", European Group for Organizational Studies, Gothenburg, Sweden. (2011).
- Stephens, J. P. May Meaning Meeting, "The broadening and narrowing effects of emotions in intragroup coordination. The broadening and narrowing effects of emotions in intragroup coordination. ", Yale and Brigham Young Universities, Sundance, UT. (2011).
- Dutton, J. (Presenter & Author), Spreitzer, G. (Author Only), Heaphy, E. (Author Only), Stephens, J. P. (Author Only) Academy of Management Meeting, "When and how coworkers lend a hand: Compassionate responding to “gray- zone” events in coworkers’ lives", Academy of Management, Montreal, QC, Canada. (2010).
- Stephens, J. P. May Meaning Meeting, "The experience of individuals in a collective coordinating for beauty", Harvard University, Duxbury, MA. (2010).
- Stephens, J. P. Academy of Management Meeting, "The importance of choirs to organizing", Academy of Management, Chicago, IL. (2009).
- Stephens, J. P. (Presenter & Author), Heaphy, E. (Author Only), Spreitzer, G. (Author Only), Dutton, J. (Author Only) Academy of Management Meeting, "Developing a measure of high-quality connections at work: toward construct validation", Academy of Management, Anaheim, CA. (2008).
- Stephens, J. P. Academy of Management Meeting, " Sideways organizing at center stage: The case of choral singing", Academy of Management, Anaheim, CA. (2008).
- Stephens, J. P. Academy of Management Meeting, "Making music together: The role of attention to relatedness in organizing", Academy of Management, Philadelphia, PA. (2007).
- Spreitzer, G. (Presenter & Author), Stephens, J. P. (Presenter & Author), Rosso, B. (Author Only), Sweetman, D. (Author Only), Dekas, K. (Author Only) Gallup Leadership Institute Summit, "The roles of source and valence of feedback in leadership development: Preliminary findings from a field experiment", Gallup Leadership Institute, Washington, D.C.. (2006).