Studies in Organization and Human Resources (OHR) focus on the behavior of individuals and groups in organizations, the relations between individuals and organizations, organizations themselves, and the behavioral/social science foundations of these subjects.
For the most part, specific class information is not explicitly listed on this page because of uncertainty as to when classes will be offered. Be sure to speak with your faculty advisor when deciding which classes you need to take to plan your curriculum according to class prerequisites and progression in the program.
The second-year paper in the OHR PhD program requires students to exercise their hypothesis building and analytic skills. Preferably, students’ second-year papers will be an extension of their first-year papers. In this extension, they will formulate hypotheses, collect and analyze data, and present their final paper in the spring during their second-year in the program. The second year paper would ideally then be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.
Students in other departments are welcome to seek an external area of focus in OHR. An external area of focus in OHR requires students to complete two topical seminars in OHR. Students seeking an external area of focus in OHR must have their participation in OHR courses approved by the OHR PhD coordinator. MGG700, the required research methods course for all incoming PhD students in management, will not count toward an external focus area in OHR. Students seeking an external focus area on OHR will not be required to pass the comprehensive exam in OHR.
Students in OHR must pass a written comprehensive exam to begin their dissertation. Students will take a sit-down, in-class exam in the summer after their second year. The examination will be based on the content of the seminars students completed in their first two years, in addition to a supplemental reading list prepared by students and approved by faculty. Exams will be graded “pass” or “fail” by faculty.
Individual students in the OHR PhD program are evaluated annually by its faculty, ordinarily at the end of the spring semester. This evaluation includes review and assessment of each student’s program, and considers not only the progress of the student in the program and compliance with university requirements, but also the student’s development as an independent scholar. On the basis of its evaluation, the department may make specific recommendations to the student and/or School of Management PhD Committee, including recommendations of termination in the program.
The most important of the annual evaluations will usually be those following the second and third years of a student’s program. The second year evaluation determines whether or not the student is encouraged to continue in the program. The third year evaluation leads to a decision on whether or not the student is to be admitted to candidacy for the PhD degree. Students admitted to candidacy are expected to begin formal work on their doctoral dissertations promptly under the supervision of a major professor and a suitable committee of faculty, and to aim for completion during the fourth year of the program. The faculty will also evaluate the overall performance of all students with research assistantships and decide who among the eligible OHR doctoral students will be awarded aid for assistantship appointments based on their academic record, as well as their performance as a research and/or teaching assistant.
Students in OHR have generally earned minors in statistics. However, students are also welcome to seek minors in other departments. Students who would like to seek minors should discuss this with their advisor, the OHR PhD coordinator, and the OHR department chair (all of whom must approve the minor). In the past, students have typically sought minors in the following departments:
OHR PhD students at UB have the opportunity to work with top researchers in the field of organizational behavior who have published in top journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Organization Science, and Psychological Bulletin. Students also have access to an undergraduate student subject pool for data collection, as well as opportunities to collect data from local organizations. The OHR department also has the Center for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness, which offers research resources and data collection opportunities to students. In addition, the OHR department will (to the best of its ability) attempt to subsidize students’ conference travel and support outside learning opportunities (e.g., taking a CARMA research methods summer course).