Sherry M.B. Thatcher

Candidate for IACM President - 2013 Elections

Sherry M.B. Thatcher is a Professor of Business Administration and a Moore Business Partnership Foundation Fellow in the Management Department of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. Her research revolves around teams and includes the study of intragroup conflict as it relates to diversity faultlines, identity, and the effects of computer-mediated communication. She has authored numerous scholarly publications in these areas, including articles in the Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Organization Science, International Journal of Conflict Management, Journal of Management, Decision Support Systems, Negotiation Conflict and Management Research, and Group Decision and Negotiation. Her recent Academy of Management Journal paper on conflict asymmetry (along with co-authors Karen Jehn and Sonja Rispens) was awarded best paper of the year in 2011 from the International Association of Conflict Management.  Her research has been funded by both private and public organizations, including the National Science Foundation.She has previously served as an associate editor for a special issue of Negotiation Conflict and Management Research on the topic of asymmetry. She currently serves on the editorial boards of Academy of Management Review and Small Group Research.

For a conference focused on conflict management, IACM welcomes an incredibly diverse range of researchers and topic areas that enhance our understanding of conflict and conflict management. IACM has been an important part of my career as a springboard for new research projects, as well as a place to receive meaningful feedback on developing ideas. As a Ph.D. student, the supportive and developmental nature of the IACM conference was a great place for me to present my work and receive valuable, and encouraging, feedback. Furthermore, the size and international orientation of the association allows for meaningful interactions that engage and push forward our thinking. As someone who has lived in a number of different countries and works with co-authors from a number of disciplines and countries, I would emphasize the need to continue to bring in voices from related disciplines and different geographical regions. The theories and methods used to understand conflict and conflict management will only be enriched by including these different voices in our conversations.