Emily Block

After over 20 years living in the US, I am thrilled to come back to Canada and join the SMO department at U of A. I received my B.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and my PhD from the University of Illinois. I then returned to Notre Dame where I taught courses in management, human resources and the role of business in conflict prevention. I previously worked at Accenture as a strategic HR consultant.

Research

My research focuses on the generation (by organizations) and interpretation (by external constituents) of symbols. Symbols are the formal and informal structures, language, practices and features of organizations that make up a large part of how they communicate to various organizational stakeholders. Just as non-verbal communication provides valuable information about individuals beyond their spoken words, symbols do the same for organizations. Symbols may be purposefully or un-intendedly generated by organizations, and the ways that they are interpreted may have significant consequences. My research to date includes two publications at the Academy of Management Journal, as well as a publication at the Strategic Management Journal.

Exciting Research In Progress

I am currently working on a number of new exciting projects. I have a series of projects looking at how social value is captured among hybrid organizations.

Publications

Block, E., Glavas, A. & Mannor, M. 2015. The unintended consequences of strategic giving: Evidence of employee backlash from centralized philanthropy. Journal of Business Ethics: 1-17.

Broschak, J.P. & Block, E.S. 2014. “With or Without You: When Does Managerial Exit Matter for the Dissolution of Dyadic Client-Agency Relationships?” Academy of Management Journal, 57(3): 743-765. *Author order determined by ownership of data (Google citations; 8).

Block, E.S. & Erskine, L. 2012. “Interviewing by Telephone: Specific Considerations, Opportunities, and Challenges.” International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 11(4): 428-445. *Author order determined by contribution. (Google citations; 12)

Mishina, Y.M., Block, E.S. & Mannor, M. 2012. 2012. “The Path Dependence of Organizational Reputation: How Social Judgment Influences Assessments of Capability and Character.” Strategic Management Journal, 33: 459-477. Oxford University Best Reputation Paper *Each author equally contributed to manuscript. (Google citations; 57)

Mishina, Y., Johnson, B., Block, E.S & Pollack, T. 2010. “Why good firms do bad things: The effects of high aspirations, high expectations and prominence on the incidence of corporate illegality.” Academy of Management Journal, 25(3): 701-722. Nominated for Best Paper, AMJ 2010. *First 3 authors equally contributed. (Google citations; 129)

Broschak, J.P., Davis-Blake, A. & Block, E.S. 2008. “Nonstandard, not substandard: The relationship between work arrangements, work attitudes and job performance.” Work and Occupations, 35: 3-43. Work and Occupations is a top 10 Industrial and Labor Relations Journal.

*Author order determined by contribution. (Google citations; 44)

Kraatz, M.S. & Block, E.S. 2008. “Organizational implications of institutional pluralism.” Handbook of Organizational Institutionalism. R. Greenwood, C. Oliver, R. Suddaby & K. Sahlin-Andersson (eds.) London: Sage. (Google Scholar Citation Count: 429). *Each author equally contributed. (Google citations; 435)