Tjai M. Nielsen, Ph.D.

Dean's Research Scholar and Assistant Professor of Management

Email: tnielsen@gwu.edu
Phone: (202) 994-6976
Office: Funger Hall 311

Bio

Selected Publications

Interests

Bio

Dr. Nielsen concentrates on conducting impactful research on topics ranging from work team effectiveness to predictors of international investment, delivering quality learning experiences to students, and partnering with clients to improve their effectiveness. He is currently a dean's research scholar and assistant professor of management at George Washington University, School of Business (GWSB) and an international faculty member at Copenhagen Business School. Dr. Nielsen has won several teaching awards for his work leading classes in the full-time, part-time, and executive MBA programs and GWSB's doctoral program.

Dr. Nielsen’s academic work has resulted in more than 20 research articles and book chapters and more than 40 refereed paper presentations at national conferences. Recently, Dr. Nielsen was invited to join a United Nations Expert Group on Diasporas and Development and received a Best Reviewer Award from the Academy of Management. He currently serves as an editorial board member for the Journal of Organizational Behavior and Group & Organization Management. The majority of his current research concentrates on the motivational and behavioral contingencies that impact work team performance and the dynamics of diaspora investment patterns. Dr. Nielsen also integrates a significant background in consulting with his academic work.

Prior to joining GWSB, Dr. Nielsen worked as a management consultant for RHR International, a premier executive consulting firm founded in 1945. In this role he partnered with different organizations to assist them with executive selection and development, succession planning, team development, and executive coaching. Dr. Nielsen has worked with a variety of organizations within the financial services, consumer products, retail, pharmaceutical, and utility industries in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. He continues to consult and provide executive education services to several client organizations.

Dr. Nielsen earned his doctorate in Industrial and Applied Psychology from the University of Tennessee (Knoxville), his master’s degree in Education from the University of North Carolina (WCU), and he holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Virginia Tech. He is a member of the Academy of Management and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Selected Publications

Recent Articles:

Nielsen, T.M., Bachrach, D.G., Sundstrom, E., & Halfhill, T. (in press). Utility of OCB:
Organizational citizenship behavior and group performance in a resource allocation
framework. Journal of Management.
*Recognized as a Top Ten paper by SSRN (Social Science Research Network)

Riddle, L., Hrivnak, G.A., & Nielsen, T.M. (2010). Transnational diaspora entrepreneurship in emerging markets: Bridging institutional divides. Journal of International Management, 16, 398-411.

Nielsen, T.M., & Riddle, L. (2010). Investing in peace: The motivational dynamics of diaspora investment in post-conflict economies. Journal of Business Ethics, 89, 435-448.

Nielsen, T. M., Hrivnak, G. A., & Shaw, M. (2009). OCB and performance: A group-level meta-analytic review. Small Group Research, 40, 555-577.

Halfhill, T., Nielsen, T.M., & Sundstrom, E. (2008). The ASA framework: A field study of group personality composition and group performance in military action teams.
Small Group Research, 39, 616-635.

Riddle, L., Brinkerhoff, J.M., & Nielsen, T.M. (2008). Partnering to beckon them home:
Public-sector innovation for diaspora homeland investment. Journal of Public Administration and Development, 28, 54-66.

Nielsen, T.M. & Halfhill, T. (2007). Quantifying the "softer side" of management education: An example using teamwork competencies. Journal of Management Education, 31, 64-80.
*Recognized as one of the most read articles in the Journal of Management Education
(2007)

Kayes, D.C., Stirling, D., & Nielsen, T.M. (2007). Building organizational integrity. Business Horizons, 50, 61-70.
*Recognized as a Top Ten paper by SSRN (Social Science Research Network)

Halfhill, T., Sundstrom, E., Lehner, J., Calderone, W., & Nielsen, T.M. (2005). Group personality composition and group effectiveness: An integrative review of empirical
research. Small Group Research, 36, 83-105.
*Recognized as one of the most read articles in Small Group Research (2006)

Interests

Primary Topics of Interest: Correlates of work team effectiveness, dynamics of team leadership, international investment motivations, levels of analysis, and cultural intelligence

Industries of Interest: Financial services, retail, management consulting, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products

Geographical Areas: Global consulting work performed in: Switzerland, Turkey, Germany, Denmark, France, England, Belgium, Romania, Austria, Canada, and the United States

Current Research:

A multilevel perspective of prosocial behavior and performance
Cultural intelligence and international work teams
International investment motivation
Dynamics of corporate board performance