Eric Waters

I am an Executive Coach/Consultant based out of Houston, TX with a focus on helping professionals hone their “power skills” to become better leaders. A former professor of organizational communication and veteran of the automotive industry, I contribute over 14 years of learning and development and leadership development experience in both corporate and academic settings. Leveraging a unique “pracademic” skill set drawing on state-of-the-art empirical research, thought leadership, and industry best practices, I have become a valued expert and advisor for companies seeking a partner in future-oriented talent development, leadership development, and change management.

When off the clock, I frequent jazz clubs and closely follow my hometown Detroit Lions, Pistons, Tigers, and Red Wings. I am a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., 100 Black Men of America, the Association for Talent Development, and the National Black MBA Association.

I hold a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication & Technology from the University of Texas – Austin's Moody College of Communication, an M.B.A. in Management from the University of Texas – Arlington's College of Business, and a B.B.A in Marketing from Western Michigan University's Haworth College of Business.

Education

• Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin (2016)
• M.B.A., University of Texas at Arlington (2004)
• B.B.A., Western Michigan University (1998)

Courses Taught

• CCOM 2000 Issues in Corporate Communication
• CCOM 6300 Financial Communication and Investor Relations
• CMST 3200 Organizational Communication
• CMST 4230 Managerial Communication
• CMST 4240 Communication, Innovation, and Progressive Change

Research Interests

• Organizational Communication
• New Communication Technologies
• Rules and Norms in Organizations
• Communication and Entrepreneurship

Professional Affiliations

• National Communication Association
• International Communication Association
• National Black MBA Association

Recent Publications

Waters, E. D. (2018). A homeboy in the high north: Seeking and finding Black culture in Norway. In J. Sørnes, L. Browning & F. Fjelldal-Soelberg (Eds.) High north stories in a time of transition: Gutsy narratives and wild observations (pp. 147-158). New York, NY: Routledge.

Stephens, K. K., Cruz, I., Waters, E. D., Zhu, Y. (2017) Meetings as persistent conversations that use ICTs and face-to-face to build social capital. Proceedings of the 50th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2017). Waikoloa, HI, January 4-7. (10 pages).

Stephens, K. K., & Waters, E. D. (2015). How and why technology matters in consulting & coaching interventions. In J. H. Waldeck & D. R. Seibold (Eds.) Consulting That Matters: A Handbook for Scholars and Practitioners (pp. 239–256). New York, NY: Peter Lang.

Waters, E. D. (Ed.) (2014) Technologically mediated communication. In J. Ford, K. Stimpson, & J. A. Daly (Eds.), Professional Communication Skills, (7th ed.) (pp. 165–183). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Stephens, K. K., Waters, E. D. & Sinclair, C. (2014). Media management: The integration of HR, technology, and people. In M. E. Gordon, & V. D. Miller (Eds). Meeting the challenge of human resource management: A communication perspective (pp. 215–226). New York, NY: Routledge.