Shawn Zhou

About Me

Hi, this is Shawn. I am a Ph.D. student in the management department at Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. I use various methods (experimental, computational, quantitative, and qualitative) to study performance, team dynamics, and the future of work.

Before South Carolina, I had a wonderful time doing research with scholars in various departments at the University of Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. I obtained my master's degree in information science and bachelor's degree in economics.

Research

My research falls under the broader umbrella of organizational behavior, and I use various methods to study them. Currently, I am working on four lines of research:

1 . Star Introverts

What type of high performers make the team better? To answer this, the project investigates how high performers’ personality, specifically their level of introversion, shapes team communication and learning.

2. Intentional Underperformance

Why do employees sometimes choose to underperform? This project develops a framework to explore the concept of intentional underperformance, examining its drivers and complex impacts within organizational settings.

3. Rewards and Motivation (experiments)

Can rewards always boost motivation? This project challenges the common belief by examining how employee-manager relationship quality alters the effect of different type of rewards on motivation.

4. Hybrid Work Configurations and Job Satisfaction (large-scale content analysis)

Can large-scale content data reveal the secrets to optimal hybrid work configurations? This project uses a quasi- experimental design on national-level employee review and policy document data to empirically assess how variations in remote working time and autonomy impact job satisfaction and work-life balance.

If you are interested in any of these , or have any thoughts want to share with me, send me an email and let's have a chat! :D