University of Southern California

PhD Program

Management and Organization

MOR research includes the study of human behavior in organizational settings, the design of organizational structures and the relationship of organizations to their environments. MOR research draws on the basic disciplines of psychology, sociology and economics to investigate research questions in three general areas: organizational behavior, organizational theory and strategic management.

Organizational Behavior

  • How environmental demands affect organization structure and the boundaries of the firm

  • How individuals make judgments, negotiate with others and lead organizations

Organizational Theory

  • How groups (including corporate boards and top management teams) affect and are affected by the organization

Strategic Management

  • How strategy influences organization performance

  • How organizations evolve and change

Breadth with Depth

Our faculty and curriculum embody breadth with depth.

Breadth:

  • Combinations of areas of emphasis and underlying disciplines lead to an array of educational and research possibilities

  • Complementary methods courses

  • Ample elective opportunities to explore underlying disciplines as well as other areas of research interest both within and outside of Marshall

Depth:

  • Solid grounding in fundamentals within the chosen emphasis

  • Within each emphasis, in-depth instruction on the corresponding underlying discipline 

Faculty Coordinator

Kyle Mayer, Associate Professor of Management and Organization

Learn More

Learn more about management and organization program requirements, research, placements, and students.

Marshall Spotlight

Eunice Rhee

"The best part of the MOR Ph.D. program is the faculty, who are very caring, open and helpful in providing guidance, not only in your research but in your overall career as a scholar. We have great interaction and seminars where people can share ideas. This is a very collegial environment, where we interact not only with students but also with the faculty as colleagues. Our flexible and interdisciplinary curriculum allows us to take classes from other departments, which enhances our research."

—Eunice Rhee, Student, MOR Ph.D. Program