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Dana Sumpter, PhD

Associate Professor of Organization Theory and Management
Graziadio Business School
Curriculum Vitae

Biography

Professor Dana Sumpter is an Associate Professor of Organization Theory and Management. Previously, she was tenured professor at CSULB, and a Vice President of Human Resources at Citigroup based in New York and Singapore.  Across 10 Asia-Pacific nations, she has led live executive training and coached executives on people management skills and leadership.

Professor Sumpter's vision is to make work and workplaces more humane.  Her research employs a cross-cultural lens in understanding social behavior at work, studying topics including energy, mindfulness, power, work/family systems, support, and work relationships. She has published in numerous academic journals, including Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Academy of Management Perspectives, Journal of Management Studies, Human Resource Management, and Organizational Dynamics. Her recent award-winning international management case focused on a woman’s human resource management expatriate role in Oman. She is particularly passionate about qualitative research methods and cutting-edge analysis tools.

In addition, she amplifies her research through multiple media outlets. She has written several book chapters and published in practitioner outlets including Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review. Professor Sumpter has had her research mentioned in media sources including The Atlantic, Vox, HR Magazine, and Business Management Daily. Her engaging, evidence-based insights on working mothers and support for caregiving employees has driven invited appearances on podcasts, tv/radio shows, and numerous corporate events.

Dr. Sumpter's research has received grants from the Julian Virtue Professorship, the Center for Innovation Research in Cultural Intelligence and Leadership, and UC Irvine’s Center for Organizational Research. She is a co-founder of the Mindfulness at Work micro-community of scholars, and is a member of the Positive Relationships at Work micro-community of scholars through the Positive Organizational Scholarship community - believing business can be a force for good.

In addition to her teaching and scholarship, Professor Sumpter enjoys consulting, giving presentations and talks, and running professional workshops. She gave a widely-viewed TEDx talk titled "Don't Underestimate Working Mothers."  She is also an athlete, artist, and avid traveler, who has spent time in more than 30 countries, and counting!

Education

  • PhD in Management
    University of California, Irvine, Paul Merage School of Business 

  • MS in Human Resources and Industrial Relations
    University of Illinois, School of Labor and Employment Relations

  • BS in Liberal Arts/Industrial-Organizational Psychology
    University of Illinois, College of Liberal Arts

     

 

  • Sumpter, D.M., Greenberg, D., & Rosado-Soloman, E. 2024. Others matter when mothers return: An investigation of relational movement and its role in post-maternity leave reentry 
    transitions. Journal of Vocational Behavior. 155: 104045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2024.104045
  • Zanhour, M. & Sumpter, D.M. 2024. The entrenchment of the ideal worker norm during the Covid-19 pandemic: Evidence from working mothers in the U.S. Gender, Work and Organization. 31:625–643. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12885 
    *Special issue on Old norms in the new normal: Exploring and resisting the rise of the ideal pandemic worker.
    *Recognized while in-press as among the journal’s Top Cited Articles of 2022-3
  • Sumpter, D.M. & Gibson, C.G. 2023. Riding the wave to recovery: Relational energy as an HR managerial resource for employees during crisis recovery. Human Resource Management. 62(4): 581-613.  https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22117 
    *Special issue on Relational perspectives on human resource management.
  • Reina, C., Mills, M. & Sumpter, D.M. 2023. A mindful relating framework for understanding the trajectory of work relationships. Personnel Psychology, 76(4), 1187-1215. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12530
  • Sumpter, D.M., Gibson, C.B., Phan, J. & Porath, C. 2023. Vicarious empowerment as a novel mechanism for empowering high power distance employees. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 54(8), 763-783. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221231202400
  • Sumpter, D.M. & Gibson, C.B. 2023. Enhancing work relationships across cultures: The role of energy in cross-cultural work interactions. International Journal of Cross Cultural
    Management, 23(1):193-214. https://doi.org/10.1177/14705958231155009
  • Mills, M., Reina, C. & Sumpter, D.M. 2023. Bringing our humanness to the workplace: Fostering reflection and reflexivity via mindful relating. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 16(1), 105-107. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2022.104
  • Thomason, B., Chawla, N., Gabriel, A., Greenberg, D., Lampert, C., Moergen, K., Sumpter, D.M., & Umphress, E. 2022. How organizations can take a lead in protecting reproductive rights. MIT Sloan Management Review. 64(1): 1-4. 
  • Sumpter, D.M., Greenberg, D., & Kim, S. 2021. The dark side of construct convergence: Navigating consensus, evolution, and practical relevance in theory building. Academy of Management Perspectives. 35(3), 485-502. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2018.0153 
    *Symposium (special issue) on Empirical path dependence and the theory-practice gap.
  • Sumpter, D.M. & Zanhour, M. November 2020. 3 ways companies can retain working mothers right now. Harvard Business Review (Digital Edition). 
  • Sumpter, D.M. 2019. Bro or kook? The effect of dynamic member evaluation on incivility and resources in surf lineups. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: An International Journal, 39(3): 261-284. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-04-2018-0075 
    *Special issue on Advancing research on selective incivility toward devalued groups in organizations.
  • Gibson, C.B., Birkinshaw, J., Sumpter, D.M., & Ambos, T. 2019. The hierarchical erosion effect: A new perspective on perceptual differences and performance. Journal of Management Studies, 56(8): 1713-1747.   
    *Special issue Commemorating the 60th anniversary of March and Simon’s “Organizations”.
  • Sumpter, D.M., Gibson, C.G., & Porath, C.P.  2017.  Act expediently, with autonomy: Vicarious learning, empowered behaviors, and performance. Journal of Business and Psychology, 
     32(2): 131-145.
  • Owens, B. P., Baker, W. E., Sumpter, D. M., & Cameron, K. S. 2016. Relational energy at work: Implications for job engagement and job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101(1), 
     35-49.
  • Szkudlarek, B. & Sumpter, D.M. 2015.  What, when, and with whom? Investigating expatriate reentry training with a proximal approach. Human Resource Management, 54(6): 1037-
     1057.
  • Kopelman, S., Feldman, E., McDaniel, D.M., & Hall, D.T. 2012. Mindfully negotiating a career with a heart.  Organizational Dynamics, 41: 163-171. 
  • Gibson, C.B. & McDaniel, D.M. 2010. Moving beyond conventional wisdom: Advancements in cross-cultural organizational behavior theory. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(4): 
    450-462.
  • 2024  Outstanding Reviewer Award, Academy of Management Review
  • 2024  Outstanding Bridge Reviewer Mentor Award, Academy of Management Review
  • 2022-2024 Julian Virtue Professorship, Pepperdine Graziadio Business School
  • 2023  Outstanding Reviewer Award, Academy of Management Review
  • 2022 Pepperdine Graduate and Professional Schools Faculty Research Retreat Grant Award 
  • 2021 Pepperdine University Childcare Grant
  • 2020 CSULB Online Teaching Incentive Program
  • 2019 Outstanding Reviewer Award, Academy of Management Review
  • 2018 Outstanding Reviewer Award, Academy of Management Review 
  • 2017-2018 Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program research stipend 
  • 2015 CSULB Hybrid Teaching Incentive Program
  • 2015 CSULB Research Summer Stipend
  • 2015-2016 Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program research stipend 
  • 2013 Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership Ethics Across the Curriculum award
  • 2012 Center for Innovation Research on Cultural Intelligence and Leadership grant
  • 2010 UC Irvine Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship (only campus winner from the business school) 
  • 2009 Runner-up for Dissertation Award, International Management division of AOM
  • 2009 UC Irvine Center for Organizational Research Student Fellowship 
  • 2009 UC Irvine Ray Watson Dissertation Fellowship 
  • 2008-2009 UC Irvine, Nominated as Pedagogical Fellow
  • 2000-2001 Corporate Fellowship, Eaton Corporation
  • 1996 American Association of University Women Scholarship
  • 1996 Indiana University Founders Scholarship

  • Academy of Management (August) “Parrying the blow: How Indian women cope with career shocks” Presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Chicago.

  • Academy of Management (August) “The New Landscape of Teaching Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in 2024”  Professional development workshop facilitated at the annual meeting of
     the Academy of Management, Chicago.

  • CareerCon (April), “‘We’re in the same storm, but we're not in the same boat’: A comparative case study analysis of the longitudinal impact of a career shock on working mothers’ careers.” Presented at the annual CareerCon (annual meeting of the Careers Division of the Academy of Management), virtual.

  • Western Academy of Management (March), “How post-crisis recovery redefines working mother career visions: A social cognitive career theory lens” Presented at the annual meeting of Western Academy of Management, Long Beach.
  • Sumpter, D.M. & Zanhour, M. 2023. “What a Difference Two Years Make: How Shifts in Flexible Work Arrangements Impact Well-being and Career Choices of Working Mothers”. Presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Boston.
  • Sumpter, D.M. 2023.  “Healthier Lives Before Tenure: The Mindful Academic” Presented at Professional Development Workshop at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Boston.
  • Sumpter, D.M. 2022. “The Multilevel Manifestation of Ideal Worker Norms: Evidence from Working Mothers During Covid-19”. Presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Seattle WA.
  • Sumpter, D.M. & Zanhour, M. 2022. “Managing Unmanageable Work/Life Boundaries: Working From Home With Children During COVID-19”. Presented at the annual meeting of the Western Academy of Management.
  • Sumpter, D.M., Greenberg, D., & Rosado-Solomon, E.. 2021. Relational identity formation during identity transitions: Evidence from reentry of working mothers Presented at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, virtual.
  • Capistrano, R., Francavilla, J., Strom, P., Rosado-Solomon, E., Cronin, M.S., Hardin, A.E., Pillemer, J., Sumpter, D.M., Thatcher, S.M., & Williams, K. 2020. “Spread and Transformation of Psychological Pain in Organizations.” Symposium presentation at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, virtual. 
  • Daniels, S.R., Holmvall, C.M., Sobhani, S., Sumpter, D.M., Thornton, L. 2019.   Selective Incivility:  Undermining Ambitions of Inclusion in Organizations.” Symposium presentation at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Boston, MA. 
  • Sumpter, D.M., Greenberg, D. & Kim, S.  2018. "Reentry and Beyond: The Varied Transitions of Becoming and Being a Working Mother." Presented research at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Chicago, IL.
  • Sumpter, D.M. 2018.  “A stress management professional development workshop (3rd Annual).” Presenter at Professional Development Workshop at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Chicago, IL.
  • Sumpter, D.M. & Gibson, C.B.  2018.  “Clash to Congruence: A Model of Cultural Identity and Energy in Intercultural Work Relationships”  Presented paper at the annual meeting of Academy of International Business, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Sumpter, D.M. 2017.  “Staying Rational in a Sea of Emotions:  Exploring the Associations among Emotional Expression, Regulation, and Work Relationship Quality”  Presented paper at symposium at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Atlanta, GA.
  • Sumpter, D.M. 2017.  “What were you thinking? Developing cognitive sensibilities for inductive coding.”  Presenter at Professional Development Workshop at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Atlanta, GA.
  • Sumpter, D.M. 2017.  “A stress management professional development workshop (2nd Annual).” Presenter at Professional Development Workshop at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Atlanta, GA.
  • Sumpter, D.M. 2016.  “A stress management professional development workshop.” Presenter at Professional Development Workshop at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Anaheim, CA.
  • Sumpter, D.M. 2016.  “Mindfulness at work: Extensions and explorations.” Presenter at Symposium at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Anaheim, CA.
  • Sumpter, D.M. 2015.  “Thrive! Energizing ourselves and others as academics. (2nd annual)”  Organizer for and presenter at Professional Development Workshop at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • Sumpter, D.M. 2014.  “Thrive! Energizing ourselves and others as academics.”  Organizer for Professional Development Workshop at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Sumpter, D.M. 2014.  “New directions in positive relationships at work.”  Organizer for Professional Development Workshop at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Sumpter, D.M. 2014.  “Innovations for developing intercultural competencies in B-school students and executives.”  Presenter for Professional Development Workshop at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Sumpter, D.M.  2013.  “The role of energy in intercultural work relationships” Paper presented at the annual meeting of Academy of International Business, Istanbul, Turkey.
  • Sumpter, D.M.  2013.  “Perspectives of psychological capital”  Session chair at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Lake Buena Vista, FL. 
  • Sumpter, D.M.  2013.  “Towards a multilevel perspective of energy in work relationships”  Research presented at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Lake Buena Vista, FL. 
  • Sumpter, D.M.  2013.  “Infusing vitality: Using positive organizational scholarship in teaching OB and management topics”  Professional Development Workshop discussant at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Lake Buena Vista, FL.
  • McDaniel, D.M.  2012.  “From subjective to shared:  Revisiting energy in organizations”  Paper presented at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Boston, MA.
  • McDaniel, D.M.  2012.  “Connection to country: The case of bicultural indigenous employees”  Symposium paper presented at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Boston.
  • McDaniel, D.M.  2012. “The process of discovery in international management research” Research presented at the annual meeting of Academy of International Business, Washington D.C. 
  • McDaniel, D.M.  2012.  “The experience of biculturalism: Identity integration and cultural intelligence”  Paper presented at the Cultural Intelligence Research Forum at the annual meeting of Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA.
  • McDaniel, D.M.  2012.  “Emergent ideas from emerging markets:  The process of discovery in organizational research” Paper presented at the annual meeting of Western Academy of Management, San Diego, CA.
  • McDaniel, D.M.  2010.  "Caring about context:  Contextualizing energy research in organizations" Chair of symposium at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Montreal, Canada.
  • McDaniel, D.M. & Gibson, C.B.  2010.  “When high energy is highly inappropriate: The use of subtle relational energy across cultures”  Symposium paper presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Montreal, Canada.
  • McDaniel, D.M. & Sharma, P. 2010 “Interpersonal mistreatment:  The dark side of work relationships”  Co-chair of symposium at the annual meeting of Academy of Management, Montreal, Canada.
  • McDaniel, D.M. & Gibson, C.B.  2010.  “Black holes & generative potential: Negative energy across interdependent work contexts”  Symposium paper presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Montreal, Canada.
  • Szkudlarek, B. & McDaniel, D.M.  2010  “Qualitative as proximal:  The role of qualitative research in organizational scholarship”  Paper presented at the annual meeting of  the Academy of Management, Montreal, Canada.
  • McDaniel, D.M. 2010. “A Multilevel Examination of Positive Organizational Constructs across Cultures” Chair of panel at the annual meeting of Academy of International Business, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
  • McDaniel, D. M. & Harrison, S.H.  2009.  “Snap, crackle, pop!  Energy and passion in organizations”  Co-chair and organizer for symposium at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Chicago, IL.
  • McDaniel, D.M.  2009.  “Energizer bunny or wet blanket?  The social processes, outcomes, and contingencies of relational energy in organizations” Symposium paper presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Chicago, IL.
  • Gibson, C.B. & McDaniel, D.M.  2009.  “Have we moved beyond conventional wisdom?  A hard look at the value-add of cross-cultural management research.”  Co-chair of panel at the annual meeting of the Academy of International Business, San Diego, CA.
  • McDaniel, D.M. & Gibson, C.B.  2009.  “Advancements and future directions for cross-cultural organizational behavior theory” Presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of International Business, San Diego, CA.
  • McDaniel, D.M.  2008.  “Appropriately enthusiastic: The functioning of emotional energy across cultures”  Paper presented at the Positive Organizational Psychology annual conference, Ann Arbor, MI.
  • McDaniel, D.M. & Gibson, C.B.  2008.  “A new level of empowering acts: Relationships between vicarious empowerment, power distance, and organizational outcomes”  Presented at the DOME Culture Conference with Geert Hofstede, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
  • McDaniel, D.M. & Gibson, C.B.  2008. "When empowered leaders make for empoweredemployees: Vicarious empowerment and performance across cultures" Symposium paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Francisco, CA. 
  • McDaniel, D.M.  2008. "Performance implications of empowerment constructs across cultures" Presented at the annual meeting of the International Academy of Management and Business, San Diego, CA.

2024

  • Invited moderator at Emerge Business Conference 2024, Pepperdine University
  • Quoted in The Information, “Inside TikTok, It's Business as Usual-ish as Ban Looms”
  • Quoted in Reworked, “4 Metrics To Watch With Remote Work”

2023

2022:

2021:

  • Quoted in HR Magazine on business ethics in HR roles. 
  • Invited speaker for Women in International Trade in Orange County event, titled ‘Leading through
     uncertainty : Forging an inclusive next chapter of work’
  • Invited speaker for IICF Inclusion in Insurance Forum 2021 annual event, talk titled ‘Inclusion as an 
    investment‘
  • Contributing author to Professional Woman’s Magazine, ‘In a dual career household during COVID,
     whose job wins ?’ 
  • Quoted in Business Because on the competitive advantages of Pepperdine’s MS in Business program
  • Quoted in Spectrum News 1 Inside the Issues, online article ‘How COVID-19 has hurt working 
    mothers’ 
  • Contributing author to Beauty and Beast in Business Magazine, ‘Devising your post-COVID career 
    strategy’

2020:

2019:

  • Quoted in article for Forthe Media

2018:

  • TEDxCSULB speaker, ‘’Don’t underestimate working moms’’
  •  Invited speaker for Long Beach Moms Business Network  

2014:

  • Invited columnist for the Long Beach Business Journal. “Research explores the neglected return of expatriate employees”

Areas of Expertise

  • Human Resources
  • Management
  • Qualitative Research Methods

Topics

  • Cross-Cultural Management

  • Humane Workplaces

  • People Management Skills

  • Gender in Organizations

  • Careers

  • Inclusive Work Practices

Courses

  • Executive DBA: Qualitative Research Methods
  • Executive DBA: Research Design
  • MS in Human Resource Management: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
  • MS in Human Resource Management: HR Consulting and Managing Change
  • MS in Management and Leadership: Leading Cross-Cultural and Virtual Teams 

  • MS in Management and Leadership: Cross-Cultural Management 

  • Part-Time MBA: Cross-Cultural Management

Links