About Me
I am an Assistant Professor of Strategic Management and Public Policy at the George Washington University School of Business. I am a scholar of organization theory, with a focus on social issues and business-society tensions. I consider these issues from the lens of paradox, authenticity, and issue selling. View my CV here: Pamphile-CV
My research is broadly driven by a desire to understand how companies navigate the tensions and trade-offs between business and society. I earned a dual-Ph.D. in Management and Sociology from Kellogg School of Management. Prior to graduate school, I directed the education nonprofit the I Have a Dream Foundation, in Newark, NJ and was an AmeriCorps member. I received my B.A. in Sociology and American Culture from the University of Michigan. I proudly hail from Ypsilanti, MI.
My research is broadly driven by a desire to understand how companies navigate the tensions and trade-offs between business and society. I earned a dual-Ph.D. in Management and Sociology from Kellogg School of Management. Prior to graduate school, I directed the education nonprofit the I Have a Dream Foundation, in Newark, NJ and was an AmeriCorps member. I received my B.A. in Sociology and American Culture from the University of Michigan. I proudly hail from Ypsilanti, MI.
Reseach
I am an organization theorist whose research investigates how organizations manage tensions between business and societal issues. Since joining GWSB in 2018, I have developed an active research program that examines the complexities of how firms engage with societal issues.
I advance understanding of these issues through two primary, related streams of inquiry. One stream of my research seeks to understand how actors work through business-society tensions that arise when firms engage in social impact. This stream draws on interviews and ethnographic fieldwork (i.e., observations of individuals at work) with professionals who oversee social issues within firms (e.g., studies of corporate philanthropists and chief diversity officers). A second stream of my research seeks to understand the consequences of businesses’ engagement with societal issues. This stream of research draws on archival and experimental data. I primarily consider the effects on employees as internal stakeholders (e.g., employee retention and productivity).
I advance understanding of these issues through two primary, related streams of inquiry. One stream of my research seeks to understand how actors work through business-society tensions that arise when firms engage in social impact. This stream draws on interviews and ethnographic fieldwork (i.e., observations of individuals at work) with professionals who oversee social issues within firms (e.g., studies of corporate philanthropists and chief diversity officers). A second stream of my research seeks to understand the consequences of businesses’ engagement with societal issues. This stream of research draws on archival and experimental data. I primarily consider the effects on employees as internal stakeholders (e.g., employee retention and productivity).
Teaching
At George Washington University, I teach core courses on business ethics and public policy to undergraduate and MBA students. Occasionally, I teach a ethical negotiations course. I have also taught undergraduate and MBA students at the University of Michigan and Northwestern University (Kellogg).