Curtis L Wesley

Assistant Professor

Curtis Wesley

Bio

Curtis L. Wesley II is an Assistant Professor in the Management and Leadership Department at the University of Houston C.T. Bauer College of Business. He is an inaugural Faculty Fellow at the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership at the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs, a Faculty Fellow at United Stated Coast Guard Academy Loy Institute for Leadership, and a member of the Community of Scholars for the Center of Positive Organizations at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Wesley's research broadly focuses on the governance of social ventures and traditional businesses. More specifically, he studies the influence of firm managers such as CEOs, boards of directors, top management teams, and new venture founders on strategic organization outcomes and is particularly interested in positive outcomes related to effective leadership of organizations. His research has been published in the Academy of Management Annals, Academy of Management Learning and Education, Business Ethics Quarterly, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Frontiers in Entrepreneurship, Journal of Business Strategy, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Management, and Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. Dr. Wesley's research has been featured in the Indianapolis Business Journal and the University of South Carolina Center for Executive Succession. He also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Management and Africa Journal of Management.

He has consulted senior business leaders, senior military leaders, small businesses, political offices, and more notable enterprises such as the Indy Racing League and the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles on organizational change and marketing strategy.

Dr. Wesley's professional awards include the twice-earned New York University Stern School Satter Conference on Social Entrepreneurs Best Paper Award, Outstanding Reviewer from the Africa Journal of Management, and the National Black MBA Association H. Naylor Fitzhugh Doctoral Fellowship. Professor Wesley is an experienced, award-winning teacher at the undergraduate and MBA levels of instruction. He also teaches the doctoral seminar in Strategic Management and has served as a dissertation chairperson.

Prior to his career in academia, Dr. Wesley worked at the Citigroup Citi Cards SBU as a marketing channel manager in private label credit cards, a program manager in Credit Card Cross-Sell, and as a Director-Level Operations Manager in Credit Card Collections. He began his professional career as a Naval Flight Officer in the maritime patrol and reconnaissance community and as a Diversity Admissions Officer for the United States Naval Academy. He has held several roles as Executive Officer and Officer in Charge in the Naval Reserves and is a retired senior naval officer (Aviation, Human Resource Management warfare communities).

Research Interests

  • Strategy: corporate governance, business ethics
  • Entrepreneurship: social entrepreneurship, venture CEOs/founders, venture capital
  • Positive Organizational Scholarship

Areas of Expertise

  • Board of Directors
  • Executive Leadership
  • Business Ethics
  • Social Entrepreneurship
  • Positive Organizational Scholarship

Publications

  • Wesley C.L., Kong, D., Lubojacky C.J., Saxton, T., & Saxton M.K. (2022). Will the Startup Succeed in Your Eyes? Venture Evaluation of Resource Providers during Entrepreneurs' Informational Signaling. Journal of Business Venturing, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2022.106229
  • Miller, C.C., Chui, S.C., Wesley, C.L., Vera, D., & Avery, D.R. (2022). Cognitive Diversity at the Strategic Apex: Assessing Evidence on the Value of Different Perspectives and Ideas Among Senior Leaders. Academy of Management Annals, https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2020.0387
  • Miller, T.L., Wesley, C.L., Bell, M.P, & Avery, D.R. (2021). Hold the Torch: Shining a Light on the Lives of Black Management Faculty. Journal of Management, 47: 351-367.
  • Coombs, J.E., Gilley, K.M., O'Connor J.P., & Thorley T.E., & Wesley C.L. (2018). Religiosity and Corporate Illegal Activity. Journal of Business Strategy, 35: 22-47.
  • Saxton, T., Wesley C.L., Saxton M.K. (2016). Venture Advocate Behaviors and the Development of the Emerging Enterprise. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 10: 107-125.
  • Ndofor, H.A., Wesley, C.L., Priem, R.L. (2015). Providing CEOs with Cheating Opportunities: The Effects of Complexity-based Information Asymmetries on Financial Reporting Fraud. Journal of Management, 41: 1774-1797. The subject of a research brief at the University of South Carolina Center for Executive Succession (January 15, 2016).
  • Wesley, C.L., Ndofor, H.A. (2013). "The Great Escape": The Unaddressed Ethical Issue of Investor Responsibility for Corporate Malfeasance. Business Ethics Quarterly, 3: 443-475. Subject of feature article (author: Christopher O'Malley) in the Banking and Finance section of the Indianapolis Business Journal, August 31, 2013.
  • Miller, T.L., Wesley, C.L., Williams, D.E. (2012). Educating the Minds of Caring Hearts: Comparing the Views of Practitioners and Educators on the Importance of Social Entrepreneurship Competencies. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 11: 349-370.
  • Miller, T.L., Wesley, C.L. (2010). Assessing Mission and Resources for Social Change: An Organizational Identity Perspective on Social Venture Capitalists' Decision Criteria. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 34: 705-733. Equal authorship. 6th Annual New York University Stern School Satter Conference on Social Entrepreneurs Best Paper Award, 2009.
  • Coombs, J.E., Gilley, K.M, Sirmon, D., Wesley, C.L. (2008). A Contingency Model of Social Corporate Performance in Family Firms (Interactive Paper). Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research, 28: Article 7.

Academic Associations & Editorial Boards

  • Editorial Board, Journal of Management (2011 to present)
  • Editorial Board, Africa Journal of Management (2014 to present)
  • Member, Academy of Management
  • Member, Strategic Management Society
  • Member, Southern Management Association
  • Member, National Black MBA Association

Contact Info

Phone:
713-743-0734 
Email:
cwesley@bauer.uh.edu
Room:
MH 325F
Website:
Visit Web Site

Courses

  • Doctoral Seminar in Strategic Management (MANA 8330)
  • MBA Business Dynamics and Decision-Making (MANA 7A97)
  • MBA Implementation of Strategy (MANA 7A80)
  • MBA Strategic Analysis (MANA 6A83)

Education

Ph.D. Management, Texas A&M University
MBA, University of Maryland
B.S. Political Science, United States Naval Academy