Poets&Quants | Gies Faculty Profile

Two things fueled Michael Bednar’s journey to a professorship at Gies College of Business, where he has been teaching since 2008: growing up with family in academia, and having the positive influence of strong mentors in college.

“My dad was a business professor,” Bednar recalls. “He seemed to love being in the classroom with students.”

That love has been passed on: Bednar says he finds fulfillment in his students’ drive and practical mindset. “I try to find ways to make the material immediately applicable to students,” he says.

In envisioning the future of business education, Bednar advocates for more opportunities for students to engage with real-world organizational challenges. He also emphasizes the importance of companies articulating their purpose and fostering meaningful connections within their organizations.

“I really believe that we can drastically improve people’s lives by improving organizations and practicing better management,” he says.

Bednar’s research interests lie in corporate governance, executive leadership, and media-organization relationships. “A lot of my work has looked at how the media can act as a type of governance mechanism,” he says.

He is currently exploring how strong leaders shape external perceptions and media coverage, with a focus on the intricate interplay between organizations and their stakeholders. His teaching philosophy is rooted in a belief that “management is the most noble of professions if practiced well.”

Title: Associate Professor of Business Administration and Academic Director of the Magelli Office of Experiential Learning

At current institution since what year? 2008

Education:

BS Accounting – Brigham Young University

PhD Strategic Management -University of Texas at Austin

Professional bio, highlighted awards/achievements:

Michael Bednar is an associate professor of business administration, academic director of Experiential Learning, and Robert & Karen May Faculty Fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His primary research interests include corporate governance, executive leadership, and the relationship between the media and organizations. He joined the University of Illinois in 2008 after receiving his PhD in strategic management from the University of Texas at Austin. He also holds a BS from Brigham Young University, graduating cum laude in 2002. Bednar has been recognized on the List of Teachers ranked as Excellent each year he has taught and has received numerous teaching awards, including the Gies College of Business Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award in 2019 and the Dean’s Impact Award in 2018. He was named one of Poets and Quants top 50 undergraduate professors in 2020. He serves on the editorial review board of Strategic Management Journal.

List of courses you currently teach:

BADM 509 – Designing and Managing Organizations (in the iMBA program)

BUS 301 – Business in Action

TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR

I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when…

My dad was a business professor. I remember as a kid going to his class a couple of times to watch him teach and he seemed to love being in the classroom with students. But it wasn’t until I was in college and realized that I should figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up that I started thinking more seriously about it. There were a couple of professors at BYU who encouraged me to learn more about what it would take to get a PhD. So the combination of seeing academic life up close as a kid and strong mentors when I was in college is what ultimately made me decide to become a business school professor.

What are your major research interests?

My research is primarily about corporate governance, executive leadership and the relationship between organizations and the media.

What are you currently studying?

Right now, I have several research projects that examine how leaders of firms influence how outsiders view their firms. For example, one study is looking at how firing a CEO impacts the reputation of the firm. And I am working on another study that looks at how different CEO behaviors and characteristics can shape how journalists write about controversial firm decisions.

What is the most significant discovery you’ve made from your research?

A lot of my work has looked at how the media can act as a type of governance mechanism. That just means that the media is often thought of as a watchdog that can hold powerful individuals and firms accountable for their actions and put pressure on them to act in proper ways. My research suggests that while in theory the media can play this role, it often is not as effective as we might expect for a variety of reasons.

If I weren’t a business school professor…

I started out in college thinking that I would go into medicine in some capacity. I liked the idea of going into a profession that can help people. But then I saw my roommates studying for organic chemistry and I had second thoughts. As someone who studies the problems associated with organizational life, I guess I am an organization doctor at this point in my life.

What do you think makes you stand out as a professor?

I genuinely care about students and am passionate about the things that I teach. I use a quote from Clayton Christensen in my management class that “management is the most noble of professions if it is practiced well.” I really believe that and think that we can drastically improve people’s lives by improving organizations and practicing better management.

One word that describes my first time teaching: Exciting

Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor:

I’m not sure I realized how your time and attention can get pulled in so many different directions. There are a lot of things to try and juggle between trying to be an excellent teacher, doing rigorous and relevant research, and serving in a meaningful way.

Professor I most admire and why:

I have a number of professors that have been an inspiration to me starting with my own dad. I also had great professors in college who helped to get me where I am today. My advisor, Jim Westphal, has been an amazing mentor to me. He is very accomplished as a scholar but is incredibly humble and a genuinely nice guy.

TEACHING GIES STUDENTS

What do you enjoy most about teaching business students?

Business students tend to be very driven and practical. I like that because in my classes, I try to find ways to make the material immediately applicable to students.

What is most challenging?

Sometimes students can be overly focused on grades. In some ways that is the product of years of schooling where grades are the main metric of success. Sometimes I want to tell students to worry less about 2 points on an assignment and worry more about learning something that will help you be a more successful professional.

In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Engaged

In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Disengaged

When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as… Fair

LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM

What are your hobbies?

I love spending time with my family. I often coach my kids in rec sports. I’m a mediocre golfer. I also enjoy running with my wife and kids.

Favorite book(s):

“How will you measure your life” by Clayton Christenson is a favorite book of mine because it takes theories that we teach in business schools and shows how we can personally apply those ideas in ways that can help us lead happier and more fulfilling lives.

What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much?

When my wife and I first got married we owned two DVDs. One was “Remember the Titans” which is one of my favorite movies. I like it because we can watch it as a family and it has a great message of overcoming adversity and the positive impact of truly great leadership.

What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why?

I’m not a big music guy but I guess I’d have to say anything that can lead to a spontaneous dance party with my kids in the living room. Nothing beats “Eye of the Tiger” at the end of a run.