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Steve Childers

Associate Dean, Davis College of Business and Economics/Professor

Business & Economics, Coll of

Address:

Kyle Hall 305
Box 6950

Headshot of Steve Childers

Biography

I serve as Associate Dean and Professor of Management in the Davis College of Business and Economics at 福利导在线观看, where I鈥檝e taught since 2004. My courses in entrepreneurship, strategy, and innovation blend academic rigor with real-world application, from business simulations to experiential consulting projects. 

My research focuses on the human side of strategy, leadership, and innovation. I鈥檝e published in journals such as Group & Organization Management, Journal of Management Education, and Journal of Small Business Strategy, with several papers earning Best Paper awards from the Academy of Management and others. I'm especially interested in executive coaching, faculty identity, and small business resilience. 

A native of Eastern North Carolina, I鈥檓 shaped by a love of family, barbecue, and coaching others鈥攚hether students, entrepreneurs, or colleagues. I believe in showing up, doing the work, and lifting others along the way. 

Education

  • Ph.D., Concentration in Strategic Studies; Social Issues- Secondary Area; Science and Technology Studies- Minor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA
  • MBA, Concentration in Health Care Administration, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
  • B.S. in Business Administration, Concentration in Marketing, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 

Recent Research and Engagement鈥�

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative, 鈥淏razil GEOINT Initiative,鈥� with A. Foy and P. Uppuluri. 2025.  
鈥淗ow executive coaches actually coach: Leveraging a relational lens鈥� with R. Chory, E. Offstein, and R. Dufresne, Human Resource Management Review, 2025, 35(1), 101055. 

Officer and Board Member, Small Business Institute (2024鈥� ) 

鈥淗ow Executive Coaches Actually Coach: Leveraging a Relational Lens鈥� with R. Chory, E. Offstein, and R. Dufresne. Presented at the NCA 110th Annual Convention in November, 2024. Selected as a Training and Development Division 鈥淭op Paper.鈥� 

"Holding Out for a Hero: The Need for Courage from Business Management Faculty" with E. Offstein and R. Dufresne. Academy of Management Conference in August, 2023. Management Education and Development Best Paper Award. 

100k Americas Grant, "Analyzing and Securing IoT systems," with P. Uppuluri. 2019- 2023. Hosted Brazilian IT/Entrepreneurship team to US in November of 2022. Accompanied team to Brazil in January of 2023.  

鈥淟everaging the Student Consulting Model to Create a Comprehensive Academic Program鈥� with D. Barber and M.L. Harris, Small Business Institute Journal. 18(1), 2022, 33-39. 

鈥淧roviding Boundaries: Social Media's Espoused Values through the Lens of Virtue Ethics鈥� with A. Stanaland and I. Clelland. Journal of Ethical and Legal Issues, 14, 2021, 1-11.

鈥淧reserving innovation and promoting workplace collisions in the age of COVID-19鈥� with A.J.S. Stanaland. In V.S. Sohmen, D.V. Siegfeldt, & M. Ludlum (Eds.), Global Journal of Entrepreneurship, 5 (2021 Special Issue), 101-111. 

"Executive Coaching Explored: Toward a Contingency Approach" with E. Offstein and R. Dufresne. Academy of Management Conference in August, 2020. Management Consulting Division Outstanding Field Report Paper Award. 

"Executive Coaching Explored: Toward a Contingency Approach" with E. Offstein and R. Dufresne, Journal of Management Development, 39(9/10), 2020, 1041-1056. 

"Let鈥檚 Get to the Point: Pragmatic and Pedagogical Lessons on Behavioral Ethics from the United States Military Academy at West Point" with E. Offstein and R. Dufresne, Journal of Management Education Special Issue: Behavioral Ethics, 41 (4), 2017, 480-496.

Courses Taught

UNIV 100, Introduction to Higher Education  
MGNT 101, Introduction to Business and Entrepreneurship 
MGNT 240, Social Enterprise 
ENTR/MGNT 250, Entrepreneurship and Innovation 
MGNT 326, Cultural Diversity and International Management 
ENTR/MGNT 350, Owning and Managing a Small Business 
MGNT 428, Business Policy and Strategy 
MGNT 450, Managing New Venture Creation 
MGNT 460, Business & Society 
MGNT 472, Moral Reasoning, Technology and Innovation, Honors Capstone 
MGNT 490, Management Internship 
MGNT 651, Entrepreneurship (graduate) 
MGNT 635, Strategic Innovation (graduate) 
MGNT 671, Applied Projects (graduate) 
MGNT 698, Directed Study (graduate)

Publications-Journals

鈥淗ow executive coaches actually coach: Leveraging a relational lens鈥� with R. Chory, E. Offstein, and R. Dufresne, Human Resource Management Review, 2025, 35(1), 101055. 

鈥淟everaging the Student Consulting Model to Create a Comprehensive Academic Program鈥� with D. Barber and M.L. Harris, Small Business Institute Journal. 18(1), 2022, 33-39. 

鈥淧roviding Boundaries: Social Media's Espoused Values through the Lens of Virtue Ethics鈥� with A. Stanaland and I. Clelland. Journal of Ethical and Legal Issues, 14, 2021, 1-11. 

鈥淧reserving innovation and promoting workplace collisions in the age of COVID-19鈥� with A.J.S. Stanaland. In V.S. Sohmen, D.V. Siegfeldt, & M. Ludlum (Eds.), Global Journal of Entrepreneurship, 5 (2021 Special Issue), 101-111. 

"Executive Coaching Explored: Toward a Contingency Approach" with E. Offstein and R. Dufresne, Journal of Management Development, 39(9/10), 2020, 1041-1056. 

"Let鈥檚 Get to the Point: Pragmatic and Pedagogical Lessons on Behavioral Ethics from the United States Military Academy at West Point" with E. Offstein and R. Dufresne, Journal of Management Education Special Issue: Behavioral Ethics, 41(4), 2017, 480-496. 

鈥淎 Cross-Cultural Analysis of Factors Influencing Choice in Volunteering Activities,鈥� with E. Offstein and R. Chory, Competitiveness Review, 25(1), 2015, 74-97.  

鈥淪trengthening Reliability in High Hazard Industries: Reconciling Tensions for Impact,鈥� with E. Offstein, R. Kniphuisen and R. Bichy, American Journal of Business, 29(2), 2014, 125-145. 

鈥淩ebuilding Reliability: Strategy and Coaching in a High Hazard Industry,鈥� with E. Offstein, R. Kniphuisen and R. Bichy, Journal of Organizational Change Management. 26(3), 2013, 529-555. 

鈥淗uman Resources Taxonomy Revisited: Conflict, Collaboration, and Implication,鈥� with E. Offstein, G. Harrell-Cook and J. McClellan, Journal of International Business Disciplines, 7(2), 2012, 48-73.  

鈥淩econciling Competing Tensions in Ethical Systems: Lessons from the United States Military Academy at West Point,鈥� with E. Offstein and R. Dufresne, Group & Organization Management, 37(5), 2012, 617-654. 

鈥淒eveloping Business Policy to Enhance Rural Small Business Competitiveness,鈥� with J.B. Shore, and D.A. Henderson, Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal, 17(1), 2011, 47-64. 

鈥淪mall Business E-Commerce Adoption Through a Qualitative Lens: Theory and Observation,鈥� with E. Offstein, Journal of Small Business Strategy, 19(1), 2008, 35-53. 

鈥淚ncommensurability and the Inability of Firms to Evolve: Using Science to Explain Firm Failure,鈥� with J.R. Hunt, Issues in Innovation, 2(1), 2008, 1-21. 

鈥淏uilding Entrepreneurial E-Commerce Competitive Advantage: A Blending of Theory and Practice,鈥� with E. Offstein, Advances in Competitiveness Research, 15(1&2), 2007, 41-53. 

鈥淭he Engagement of Employees in the Strategy Process and Firm Performance: The Role of Strategic Goals and Environment,鈥� with L.F. Tegarden, Y. Sarason, and D.E. Hatfield, Journal of Business Strategies, 22(2), 2005, 75-99. 

鈥淓ntrepreneurship and E-commerce: Using Trust to Attain Competitive Advantage,鈥� with E. Offstein and B. Geiger, Competition Forum, 2(1), 2004, 117-126. 

鈥淐ompetitive Environments and Sustained Economic Rents: A Theoretical Examination of Country- Specific Differences within the Pharmaceutical Industry,鈥� with R.L. Simerly and K.E. Bass, International Journal of Management, 19(1), 2002, 89-98. 

Publications-Proceedings

鈥淗ow Executive Coaches Actually Coach: Leveraging a Relational Lens鈥� with R. Chory, E. Offstein, and R. Dufresne. Presented at the NCA 110th Annual Convention in November, 2024. Selected as a Training and Development Division 鈥淭op Paper.鈥� 

"Holding Out for a Hero: The Need for Courage from Business Management Faculty" with E. Offstein and R. Dufresne. Academy of Management Conference in August, 2023. Management Education and Development Best Paper Award. 

鈥淪mall Business Resilience Amidst the Pandemic: Enhancing Workplace Collisions.鈥� with A.J.S. Stanaland. Institute for Global Business Research Spring Online Conference. April 14-16, 2021. 

"Executive Coaching Explored: Toward a Contingency Approach" with E. Offstein and R. Dufresne. Academy of Management Conference in August, 2020. Management Consulting Division Outstanding Field Report Paper Award. 

鈥淒edication, Loyalty, and Passion 鈥� Three Overlooked Constructs in the Leadership Literature鈥� with J. Kopf and B. Blaylock, Academy of Business Research Proceedings, 2020. Best Paper Award. 

鈥淭he Influence of Gender and Team Membership on Performance and Learning Outcomes Within a Strategic Management-Based Industry Competition Simulation: An Empirical Study鈥� with I. Clelland, J. Kopf, B. Thomas, and D. Henderson, Academy of Business Research Proceedings, 2020. 

鈥淚mproving Business Policy Effectiveness in Rural Small Businesses,鈥� with J.B. Shore, and D.A. Henderson, Allied Academies International Conference Proceedings, 2010. 

鈥淲hat Students Want from Their Employers Today,鈥� with J.R. Hunt, SAM Conference Proceedings, 2008.  

鈥淚ncommensurability and the Inability of Firms to Evolve: Using Science to Explain Firm Failure,鈥� with J.R. Hunt, SAM Conference Proceedings, 2007.  

鈥淏uilding an Entrepreneurship Distinction at 福利导在线观看,鈥� White Paper, 2006. 

鈥淭rust as an Asset: The Use of Trust by Internet Firms as a Source of Competitive Advantage,鈥� with B.D. Geiger, International Association of Business & Society Proceedings, 2002. 

鈥淐orporate Philanthropy, Social Responsibility, and Crises Situations: An Examination of Possible Motivations for Corporate Philanthropy in the Aftermath of Hurricane Floyd,鈥� with B.D. Geiger, International Association of Business & Society Proceedings, 2001. 

Honors and Awards

  • Dalton Eminent Scholar Award, 福利导在线观看, 2020
  • Outstanding Faculty Award, Davis College of Business and Economics, 福利导在线观看, 2016
  • Beta Gamma Sigma Inductee, International Business Honor Society, 2018
  • Litschert Memorial Fellowship for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement, Virginia Tech, 2003
  • Pamplin Graduate Student Teaching Award, Virginia Tech, 2003
  • Jack Hoover Teaching Award, Virginia Tech Department of Management, 2002
  • Phi Kappa Phi, National Honor Society, 2002
  • S.A.M. National Outstanding Advisor, 1996, 2000
  • SBIDA National Case Competition 鈥� Multiple Finalist and Runner-Up Awards, 1995鈥�2000 
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