Leadership happens every moment of every day. You always have an opportunity to influence what other people do and why they do it by being a role model. I help students understand their leadership strengths and weaknesses, pushing them to work outside of their comfort zones—for instance, by encouraging those who are not ‘natural leaders’ to take the initiative.”

Courses Taught

• The Individual & Group Dynamics
• Negotiation in Organizations
• Business Policy and Strategy

Research Expertise: Leadership in organizations; perception and management of individual and organizational images; identities and reputations, especially images of legitimacy, trustworthiness and creativity

Degrees

• Ph.D., Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, Stanford University
• M.S., Industrial and Management Engineering University of Iowa
• B.S., Industrial and Management Engineering University of Iowa

Fast Facts

• International Research Fellow, Centre for Corporate Reputation, Oxford University
• NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative and National Champion Masters Swimmer
• UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellow
• Globally visible expert in organizational behavior

Professor Kimberly Elsbach focuses her research on the acquisition and maintenance of organizational images, identities and reputations, especially images of legitimacy, trustworthiness and creativity. She also teaches and studies negotiation skills in competitive business environments. Her research provides a framework for communicating with shareholders, customers and employees in the immediacy of a reputation crisis and through long-term recovery. In a recent paper published in the Harvard Business Review and the Academy of Management Journal, Elsbach showed how Hollywood movie and television producers judge the creativity of people pitching story ideas.