Faculty Friday: Dr. Hee Young Kim

It’s #FacultyFriday here at Rider CBA, and we would like to recognize Dr. Hee Young Kim, a professor of Management Fundamentals, Advanced Leadership and Negotiation in the Department of Management. Dr. Kim’s interest in the study of management derives from her corporate experience, where she was drawn to the psychological mechanisms that drive human behavior in the workplace. Research Focus: “A major emphasis in my research projects includes cross-cultural differences, particularly Eastern ideology versus Western ideology. This interest is rooted in my experiences as an Easterner who has lived and worked in multiple westernized societies, such as Argentina and the United States. A foundational focus of my studies includes what these two cultures value. My research, that I have done with collaborators at NYU, has indicated that Easterners tend to value prestige and hierarchy more than Westerners. As a result, my work shows that Easterners (vs. Westerners) are more than willing to sacrifice job attributes, such as salary and commute time, in order to work for a high status organization. In addition, I am also examining how cross-cultural differences impact newcomer selection processes. Another subject of my research, and the topic of my dissertation, is group identity. I believe there are primarily two ways groups identify themselves: ‘Who we are’ or ‘Who we want to be.’ Groups that emphasize their similarities (‘Who we are’) have more group cohesion and less competition. Groups that are ambitious and aspire to reach new heights (‘Who we want to be’) experience more conflict and more competition.”