Education
- PhD Sociology, Harvard University
- AM Sociology, Harvard University
- BA Economics and US History, Northwestern University
Selected Publications
- “The Effects of Opportunities and Founder Experience on New Firm Performance.” Strategic Management Journal. With Marc Gruber
- “Who do Firms Lay Off and Why?” Industrial Relations. 51: 152-169 (2012)
- “Unpacking Generational Identities in Organizations.” Academy of Management Review. 35: 392-414. With Aparna Joshi, Gentz Franz and Joseph J. Martocchio. (2010)
- “Individual and Opportunity Factors Influencing Job Creation in New Firms.” Academy of Management Journal. 52:1125-1147. With Marc Gruber and Sonali Shah. (2009)
- “Relative Bargaining Power, Corporate Restructuring and Managerial Incentives.” Administrative Science Quarterly. 54: 453-485. (2009)
Research & Teaching Interests
Dencker’s research examines effects of corporate restructuring on (1) the employment relationship, (2) public policy programs designed to help the unemployed transition to self-employment (entrepreneurship), (3) generational dynamics in the workplace, and (4) causes and consequences of domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions. He has taught courses on Power and Influence and Organizational Fundamentals at the undergraduate, masters’ and PhD levels.
Industry & Academic Experience
Prior to joining Northeastern University, John Dencker was a professor at the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as a post-doctoral fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Germany. During the 2011-2012 academic year, he was a visiting professor at the ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain.
Awards & Recognition
- IDEA Thought Leader Award, Academy of Management. Entrepreneurship Division. For “Individual and Opportunity Factors Influencing Job Creation in New Firms.”
- Saroj Parasuraman Award Finalist. Academy of Management. Gender and Diversity in Organizations Division. For “Unpacking Generational Identities in Organizations.”
- Carolyn Dexter Award Finalist, Academy of Management. Entrepreneurship Division. For “Individual, Organizational, and Environmental Drivers of Job Creation in New Firms.”
