Dr. Giannantonio is a Professor of Human Resource Management at the Argyros School of Business and Economics. Her principal areas of research include image norms, extreme leadership, and autism in the workplace. For ten years Dr. Giannantonio was co-editor of the Journal of Business and Management. From 2015-2016, she served as the president of the faculty senate for the University.

Previously she was on the management faculty at the University of Notre Dame. She earned her doctorate in Human Resource Management from the University of Maryland at College Park, MD.

Q&A With Cris

What research or publications are you most proud of completing and why?

I am proud of our book on extreme leadership, because I was able to merge my teaching and research interests. Most of the time, we bring our research into the classroom, but this is an example where teaching led to research. When I started teaching a class on polar explorers and leadership lessons I became interested in the topic of extreme leadership. From there my co-author, Amy E. Hurley-Hanson and I were encouraged to write a book on extreme leadership.

 

What is the most important lesson you hope your students walk away from your classes with?

I love teaching the organizational behavior class. The foundation of the class is that there are so many variables that impact the behavior of people in organizations. I hope that my students walk away understanding the individual and situational factors that affect organizational effectiveness.

What makes your class different and/or why should students take your class?

I think students should take my class because they will spend their careers working with other people in organizations. Understanding what motivates people, why leaders are effective, and the role of organizational culture are lessons that will help them be successful in numerous work settings. Organizational behavior is an experiential class which allows students to apply the theories they study to real world scenarios.

What is the accomplishment you’re most proud of in your career or what goal are you working toward?

I am always really happy and proud to see my students succeed. Its rewarding to see them realize their professional and personal goals. I am currently working with Dr. Amy Hurley-Hanson on a book that focuses on autism in the workplace.