Hui Liao Directory Page
Hui Liao
Assistant Dean of Research Outreach
Long Jiang Endowed Chair in Business
Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Dr. Hui Liao is the Long Jiang Endowed Chair in Business in the Department of Management and Organization at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. Professor Liao received her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, and her BA in International Economics from the Renmin University of China.
Professor Liao’s current research interests include leadership, proactivity and creativity, human capital, and cross-cultural management. Professor Liao has conducted field research in the United States, China, Switzerland, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, the UAE, and many other cultural contexts, involving both small business and multinational companies’ worldwide operations. Professor Liao has published numerous papers in top academic journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Organization Science, and Personnel Psychology. Her work has also appeared in popular presses such as the Harvard Business Review, and the Washington Post.
Professor Liao received the Cummings Scholarly Achievement Award from the Academy of Management’s Organizational Behavior (OB) Division, the Scholarly Achievement Award and the Early Career Achievement Award from the Academy of Management’s Human Resources (HR) Division, and the Dorothy Harlow Distinguished Paper Award from the Gender and Diversity in Organizations (GDO) Division. Professor Liao also received the Distinguished Early Career Contributions Award and the Williams A. Owens Scholarly Achievement Award from the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology (SIOP). She has served as an Associate Editor for the Academy of Management Journal, Personnel Psychology, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.
Professor Liao has been inducted as a Fellow of the Academy of Management (AOM), the American Psychological Association (APA), the Association for Psychological Science (APS), and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP).
In addition to her research accomplishments, Professor Liao has been recognized for her dedicated teaching of undergraduate, MBA, PhD, and executive classes. Professor Liao has taught topics such as Leadership Development, Leadership and Human Capital, Cross-cultural Communication and Teamwork, Emotional Intelligence, Strategic Human Resource Management, and Data-based Decision Making to different audiences.
Primary Research Areas
- Leadership
- Service Behavior/Quality
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Creativity and Proactivity
- Strategic Human Resource Management
- Cross-Cultural Management
Selected Publications
Liao, H., Feng, Q., Zhu, L., & Guan, Z. (in press). The award goes to…someone else: A natural quasi-experiment examining the impact of performance awards on the nominees’ workplace collaboration. Academy of Management Journal.
Wei, X., Liao, H., Zhang, Z., Dong, Y, & Li, A. N. (2023). Does passion matter for team Innovation? The conditional indirect effects of team harmonious versus obsessive passion. Personnel Psychology.
Farh, C., Liao, H., Shapiro, D, Shin, J., & Guan, Z. (2021). Out of sight and out of mind? Networking strategies for enhancing inclusion in multinational organizations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106, 582-598.
Han, J. H., Liao, H., Han, J., & Li, A. N. (2021). When leader–member exchange differentiation improves work group functioning: The combined roles of differentiation bases and reward interdependence. Personnel Psychology, 74, 109-141.
Liu, X., Liao, H., Rozin, R., Zheng, X., Wee, E., & Qiu, F. (2020). In line and out of the box: How ethical leaders help offset the negative effect of morality on creativity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105, 1447-1465.
Lu, J., Liu, X, Liao, H., & Wang, L. (2020). Disentangling stereotypes from social reality: Astrological Stereotypes and Discrimination in China. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 119, 1359-1379.
Zheng, X. S., Li, N., Harris, T. B., & Liao, H. (2019). Unspoken yet Understood: An Introduction and Initial Framework of Subordinates’ Moqi with Supervisors. Journal of Management, 45, 955-983.
Wee, E., Liao, H., Liu, D., & Liu, J. (2017). Moving from abuse to reconciliation: A power-dependency perspective on when and how a follower can break the spiral of abuse. Academy of Management Journal, 60, 2352-2380.
Li, A. N., Liao, H., Tangirala, S., & Firth, B. (2017). The content of the message matters: The differential effects of promotive and prohibitive team voice on team productivity and safety performance gains. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102, 1259-1270.
Campbell, E., Liao, H., Chuang, A., Zhou, J., & Dong, Y. (2017). Hot shots and cool reception? Social consequences of high performance at work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102, 845-866.
Jiang, K., Hu, J., Hong, Y., Liao, H., & Liu, S. (2016). Do it well and do it right: Impact of service climate and ethical climate on business performance and the boundary conditions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101, 1553-1568.
Hong, Y, Liao, H., Raub, S., & Han, J. H. (2016). What it takes to get proactive: An integrative multi-level model of the antecedents of personal initiative. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101, 687-701.
Venkataramani, V., Zhou, L., Wang, M., Liao, H., & Shi, J. (2016). Social Networks and Employee Voice: The Influence of Team Members' and Team Leaders' Social Network Positions on Employee Voice. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Process, 132, 37-48.
Chung, Y, Liao, H., Jackson, S. E, Subramony, M., Colakoglu, S. & Jiang, Y. (2015). Cracking but not breaking: Joint effect of demographic faultline and diversity climate on job dedication. Academy of Management Journal, 58, 1495-1515.
Dong, Y., Liao, H., Chuang, A, Zhou, J., & Campbell, E. (2015). Fostering employee service creativity: Joint effects of customer empowering behaviors and supervisory empowering leadership. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100, 1364-1380.
Li, A. N., & Liao, H. (2014). How do leader-member exchange quality and differentiation affect performance in teams? An integrated multilevel dual-process model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 99, 847-866.
Rupp, D. E., Shao, R., Jones, K., Liao, H. (2014). The utility of a multifoci approach to the study of organizational justice: A meta-analytic investigation into the consideration of normative rules, moral accountability, bandwidth-fidelity, and social exchange. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 123, 159-185.
Martin, S., Liao, H., & Campbell, E. M. (2013). Comparing empowering leadership and directive leadership on task proficiency and proactivity: A field experiment in the UAE. Academy of Management Journal, 56, 1372-1395.
Hong, Y., Liao, H., Hu, J., & Jiang, K. (2013). Missing link in the service profit chain: A meta-analytic review of the antecedents, consequences and moderators of service climate. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98, 237-267.
Wang, M., Liu, S., Liao, H., Gong, Y., Kammeyer-Mueller, J., & Shi, J. (2013). Can’t get it out of my mind: Within- and between-person relationships between employee rumination after customer mistreatment and negative mood. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98, 989-1004.
Liu, D., Liao, H., & Loi, R. (2012). The dark side of leadership: A three-level investigation of the cascading effect of abusive supervision on creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 55, 1187-1212.
Raub, S., & Liao, H. (2012). Doing the right thing without being told: Joint effects of initiative climate and general self-efficacy on employee proactive customer service performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97, 651-667.
McKay, P. F., Avery, D. R., Liao, H., & Morris, M. A. (2011). Does diversity climate lead to customer satisfaction? It depends on the service climate and business unit demography. Organization Science, 22, 788-803.
Joshi, A., Liao, H., Roh, H. (2011). Bridging domains in workplace demography research: A review and reconceptualization. Special Issue, “Walking New Avenues in Management Research Methods and Theories: Bridging Micro and Macro Domains.” Journal of Management, 37, 521-552.
Liao, H., Liu, D., & Loi, R. (2010). Looking at both sides of the social exchange coin: A social cognitive perspective on the joint effects of relationship quality and differentiation on creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 53, 1090-1109.
Chuang, C. H., & Liao, H. (2010). Strategic human resource management in service context: Taking care of business by taking care of employees and customers. Personnel Psychology, 63, 153-196.
Liao, H., Toya, K., Lepak, D, & Hong, Y. (2009). Do they see eye to eye? Management and employee perspectives of high performance work systems and influence processes on service quality. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 371-391.
Joshi, A., Lazarova, M. B., & Liao, H. (2009). Getting everyone on board: The role of inspirational leadership in geographically dispersed teams. Organization Science, 20, 240-252.
Liao, H., Chuang, A., & Joshi, A. (2008). Perceived deep-level dissimilarity: Personality antecedents and impact on overall job attitude, helping, work withdrawal, and turnover. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 106, 106-124.
Liao, H., & Subramony, M. (2008). Employee customer orientation in manufacturing organizations: Joint influences of customer proximity and senior leadership team. Journal of Applied Psychology,93, 317-328.
Liao, H., & Chuang, A. (2007). Transforming service employees and climate: A multi-level multi-source examination of transformational leadership in building long-term service relationships. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 1006-1019.
Liao, H. (2007). Do it right this time: The role of employee service recovery performance in customer-perceived justice and customer loyalty after service failures. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 475-489.
Lepak, D.P., Liao, H., Chung, Y., & Harden, E. (2006). A conceptual review of human resource management systems in strategic human resource management research. In J. Martocchio (Ed.),Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, Vol. 25, 217-271. Oxford, UK: Elsevier.
Joshi, A., Liao, H., & Jackson, S. E. (2006). Cross-level effects of workplace diversity on sales performance and pay. Academy of Management Journal, 49, 459-481.
Liao, H., & Rupp, D. E. (2005). The impact of justice climate and justice orientation on work outcomes: A cross-level multifoci framework. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 242-256.
Liao, H., Joshi, A., & Chuang, A. (2004). Sticking out like a sore thumb: employee dissimilarity and deviance at work. Personnel Psychology, 57, 969-1000.
Liao. H., & Chuang, A. (2004). A multilevel investigation of factors influencing employee service performance and customer outcomes. Academy of Management Journal, 47, 41-58.
Glomb, T. M., & Liao, H. (2003). Interpersonal aggression in work groups: Social influences, reciprocal and individual effects. Academy of Management Journal, 46, 486-496.
Major Scholarly Awards
- 2024, Organizational Behavior Division 2024 Academy of Management Meeting Best Paper Award
- 2022, Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), Division 9 of the American Psychological Association (APA)
- 2019, Williams A. Owens Scholarly Achievement Award, Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
- 2012, Cummings Scholarly Achievement Award, OB Division, Academy of Management
- 2010, Scholarly Achievement Award, HR Division, Academy of Management
- 2009, Distinguished Early Career Contribution Award, Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
- 2009, Early Career Achievement Award, HR Division, Academy of Management.
- 2006, Dorothy Harlow Distinguished Paper Award, Gender and Diversity in Organizations (GDO) Division, Academy of Management.
Editorships & Editorial Boards
- 2016 – 2017, Associate Editor, Academy of Management Journal
- 2014 – 2016, Associate Editor, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
- 2010 – 2013, Associate Editor, Personnel Psychology
- 2007 – 2012, Co-Editor, Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management
- 2008 – 2010, member of the editorial board, Journal of Management
- 2008 – 2010, member of the editorial board, Journal of Applied Psychology
- 2006 – 2010, member of the editorial board, Academy of Management Journal
News
A study of the world’s top researchers identifies 25 from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business in the top 2%…
A study of the world’s top researchers identifies 18 from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business in the top 2%…
Research
Research Shows How Non Winners React and Work With Others Going Forward
Feel Included from Anywhere in a Global Organization
Insights
What Managers and Employees Can Do To Promote Equity
Academic Publications
“Does passion matter for team Innovation? The conditional indirect effects of team harmonious versus obsessive passion via team reflexivity,” published in Personnel Psychology.
Our latest research, now published in the Summer Issue of Personnel Psychology, examines the intriguing dynamics of team passion and innovation. In a nutshell, our study delves into how the type of passion team members have for innovation—whether it's harmonious or obsessive—affects the team’s ability to reflect, adapt, and ultimately, innovate. Through two field studies involving over 280 teams, we discovered that harmonious passion leads to a more collaborative and innovative team environment, while obsessive passion, if not balanced properly, can pose challenges.
Here are some key takeaways for anyone leading or working in teams:
1. Reflect to Innovate: Innovation in teams requires team members to regularly pause to review and adjust their strategies together. This collective process, known as team reflexivity, helps teams reflect on their goals and methods and make necessary changes, leading to greater innovation.
2. Harness Harmonious Passion (HP): This type of passion comes from freely embracing innovation as a part of one's identity and balancing it with other life activities. It allows team members to be fully absorbed in their work while maintaining the flexibility to decide when to engage in it. This balanced passion fosters a positive, flexible, and innovative team environment.
3. Manage Obsessive Passion (OP): This passion is driven by an uncontrollable urge to engage in an activity, often due to internal pressures or self-esteem issues. While OP can lead to extreme dedication, it can also make team members rigid and less open to new ideas. A mix of high and low obsessive passion among team members can help maintain a healthy, reflective, and adaptable team environment.
4. Leadership Matters: As a team leader, encourage your team to take a step back now and then to reassess and adapt. Additionally, actions like encouraging everyone to contribute ideas and actively listening to team members can significantly boost team reflexivity.
Xin Wei (Renmin University of China), Hui Liao (University of Maryland), Zhi-Xue Zhang (Peking University), Yuntao Dong (Peking University), Ning Li (University of Texas at Dallas).