Samir Nurmohamed

• Samir Nurmohamed and Zoe Schwingel-Sauer (2024), Beyond the First Choice: The Impact of Being an Alternate Choice on Social Integration and Feedback Seeking, Journal of Applied Psychology, 109 (4), pp. 587-598. Abstract

  Existing work on newcomer adjustment and socialization typically assumes that selected employees are the first choice for a role or job. However, this is not always the case. To address this oversight, we introduce and examine the phenomenon of alternate choices: Employees who are selected for a role but perceive or discover that they were not the first choice. Drawing on social identity theory, we contend that alternate choices seek less feedback directly from others due to experiencing less social integration and examine whether leader inclusion offsets these effects. Our studies cycling between experimental and field survey designs support the proposed theory. Taken together, we illuminate how selection processes and decisions made before role entry can impact employees’ subsequent work experiences and behavior after they enter the role, providing insights for theory and research on socialization, feedback seeking, and inclusion at work.

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• Spencer H. Harrison and Samir Nurmohamed (2023), Dirty creativity: An inductive study of how creative workers champion new designs that are stigmatized, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes Volume, 175 (). Abstract

  How do creative workers make ideas perceived as tainted acceptable to others? Using a qualitative, inductive study of the emerging entomophagy market – using insects as a source of food for humans – and the Circular Economy – using waste, pollution, and other tainted resources as raw materials for new products – we introduce a new form of creativity we label dirty creativity. Our findings demonstrate that creative workers use two sets of tactics to make dirty creativity more acceptable: relocating dirt (locating the stigma within a network of common ideas) and recasting dirt as value (extolling features of dirty that redeem the value of the material). Our inductive theory reveals that creative workers champion their products by drawing attention to the dirtiness while simultaneously mitigating the ramifications of doing so. In doing so, our research advances theory and research on creativity by shifting the locus of creative work from the early stages of idea generation to the intermediate phase of idea championing and by highlighting the importance of dirty creativity and the effort needed to shape dirty creativity into acceptable designs.

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• Timothy Kundro, Samir Nurmohamed, Hemant Kakkar, Salvatore Affinito (2023), Time and Punishment: Time Delays Exacerbate the Severity of Third-Party Punishment, Psychological Science. Abstract

  Punishments are not always administered immediately after a crime is committed. Although scholars and researchers claim that third parties should normatively enact punishments proportionate to a given crime, we contend that third parties punish transgressors more severely when there is a time delay between a transgressor’s crime and when they face punishment for it. We theorize that this occurs because of a perception of unfairness, whereby third parties view the process that led to time delays as unfair. We tested our theory across eight studies, including two archival data sets of 160,772 punishment decisions and six experiments (five preregistered) across 6,029 adult participants. Our results suggest that as time delays lengthen, third parties punish transgressors more severely because of increased perceived unfairness. Importantly, perceived unfairness explained this relationship beyond other alternative mechanisms. We explore potential boundary conditions for this relationship and discuss the implications of our findings.

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• Mary-Hunter McDonnell and Samir Nurmohamed (2022), When are organizations punished for organizational misconduct? A review and research agenda, Research in Organizational Behavior. Abstract

  Scholars have highlighted the use of punishment as a tool to defend laws and norms, deter deviance, and restore justice in the aftermath of organizational misconduct. However, current theory and research primarily draw on a micro-oriented lens to understand how punishment occurs in response to deviant actors within organizations, neglecting macro-oriented questions of whether and how organizations are punished for their misconduct. We review sociological and macro-organizational work that suggests punitive severity can vary with three key attributes of the organization: status, reputation, and embedded ties. We then develop a mezzo-lens framework motivated at the intersection of micro- and macro-perspectives on organizational misconduct to shed light on opportunities for theoretical expansion by crossing levels of analysis.

• Samir Nurmohamed, Timothy Kundro, Chris Myers (2021), Against the odds: Underdog versus favorite narratives to offset prior experiences of discrimination, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. Abstract

  Although considerable theory and research indicates that prior experiences of discrimination hinder individuals, it remains unclear what individuals can do to offset these repercussions in the context of their work and career. We introduce two distinct types of self-narratives—underdog and favorite—and test whether these types of personal stories shape the effects of prior experiences of discrimination on performance efficacy, which in turn impact performance. Across two studies, we theorize and find that underdog narratives are more effective than favorite narratives at moderating the effects of prior experiences of discrimination on performance through performance efficacy. Our results present new insights for theory and research on expectations, self-narratives, and resilience in the face of discrimination and adversity.

• Timothy Kundro and Samir Nurmohamed (2021), Understanding When and Why Cover-Ups are Punished Less Severely, Academy of Management Journal . Abstract

  Cover-ups of unethical actions are undesirable and often costly, but existing theory is unclear on when and why some cover-ups are punished less severely by in-group third parties compared to out-group third parties. Drawing on theories of attribution and social identity, we theorize that the punishment of cover-ups by in- and out-group third parties depends on the type of cover-up: whether individuals conceal their own unethical transgressions (personal cover-ups) or the unethical transgressions of another individual (relational cover-ups). By highlighting this distinction, we hypothesize and find across three studies that in-group third parties punish relational—but not personal cover-ups—less severely than out-group third parties. Moreover, we theorize and find support for the mediating role of perceptions of group loyalty. Our theory and results reveal the ways in which different forms of cover-ups can escape severe punishment and offer important theoretical contributions for research on unethical behavior, social identity, and loyalty.

• Adam Cobb, JR Keller, Samir Nurmohamed (2021), How do I compare? The effect of work-unit demographics on reactions to pay inequality, ILR Review. Abstract

  Prior research suggests that individuals react negatively when they perceive they are underpaid. Moreover, individuals frequently select pay referents who share their race and gender, suggesting that demographic similarity affects one’s knowledge of pay differences. Leveraging these insights, we examine whether the gender and racial composition of a work unit shapes individuals’ reactions to pay deprivation. Using field data from a large healthcare organization, we find that pay deprivation resulting from workers receiving less pay than their same-sex and same-race coworkers prompts a significantly stronger response than does pay deprivation arising from workers receiving less pay than their demographically dissimilar colleagues. A supplemental experiment reveals that this relationship likely results from individuals’ propensity to select same-category others as pay referents, shaping workers’ information about their colleagues’ pay. Our findings underscore the need to theoretically and empirically account for how demographically-driven social comparison processes affect reactions to pay inequality.

• Samir Nurmohamed (2020), The Underdog Effect: When Low Expectations Increase Performance, Academy of Management Journal. Abstract

  Existing theory and research has documented the benefits of facing high expectations and the perils of encountering low expectations. This paper examines the performance effects of underdog expectations, defined as individuals’ perceptions that others view them as unlikely to succeed. Integrating theory and research on self-enhancement with psychological reactance, I predict that underdog expectations have the potential to boost performance through the desire to prove others wrong when others’ credibility is in question. Studies 1 and 2 provide support for the positive relationship between underdog expectations and performance. Study 3 reveals support for the positive effect of underdog expectations on performance through the desire to prove others wrong. Study 4 demonstrates that these effects depend on the perceived credibility of observers: when observers’ expectations are seen as more credible, underdog expectations undermine performance (i.e., consistent with the Golem effect and self-fulfilling prophecy), but when observers’ expectations are viewed as less credible, underdog expectations boost performance (i.e., the underdog effect). My theory and results challenge the assumption that perceiving low expectations from others is always detrimental and offer meaningful insights into why and when underdog expectations increase versus inhibit performance.

• Jeremy Yip, Maurice Schweitzer, Samir Nurmohamed (2018), Trash-Talking: Competitive Incivility Motivates Rivalry, Performance, and Unethical Behavior, Organizational Behavior & Human Decision Processes. Abstract

  Trash-talking increases the psychological stakes of competition and motivates targets to outperform their opponents. In Studies 1 and 2, participants in a competition who were targets of trash-talking outperformed participants who faced the same economic incentives, but were not targets of trash-talking. Perceptions of rivalry mediate the relationship between trash-talking and effort-based performance. In Study 3, we find that targets of trash-talking were particularly motivated to punish their opponents and see them lose. In Study 4, we identify a boundary condition, and show that trash-talking increases effort in competitive interactions, but incivility decreases effort in cooperative interactions. In Study 5, we find that targets of trash-talking were more likely to cheat in a competition than were participants who received neutral messages. In Study 6, we demonstrate that trash-talking harms performance when the performance task involves creativity. Taken together, our findings reveal that trash-talking is a common workplace behavior that can foster rivalry and motivate both constructive and destructive behavior.

• David M. Mayer, Samir Nurmohamed, Linda Klebe Trevino, Debra Shapiro, Marshall Schminke (2013), Encouraging employees to report unethical conduct internally: It takes a village, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. Abstract

  Via three studies of varying methodologies designed to complement and build upon each other, we examine how supervisory ethical leadership is associated with employees’ reporting unethical conduct within the organization (i.e., internal whistle-blowing). We also examine whether the positive effect of supervisory ethical leadership is enhanced by another important social influence: coworkers’ ethical behavior. As predicted, we found that employees’ internal whistle-blowing depends on an ethical tone being set by complementary social influence sources at multiple organizational levels (both supervisory and coworker levels), leading us to conclude that ‘‘it takes a village’’ to support internal whistleblowing. Also, this interactive effect was found to be mediated by a fear of retaliation in two studies but not by perceptions of futility. We conclude by identifying theoretical and practical implications of our research.

• All Research from Samir Nurmohamed »

Past Courses

• MGMT6100 - Found of Teamwrk & Ldrsh

  MGMT 610 is the first core course in the MBA Program and it cannot be waived. The first week of the fall term (in August) is dedicated to this formative and foundational experience. This course focuses on developing students' knowledge and skill set for teamwork and leadership. It is meant to be an intense immersion experience that draws strongly on the pedagogy of the Wharton Teamwork and Leadership Simulation, a team-based, highly interactive simulation that was custom-designed specifically to allow students to experience the core concepts they learn in this class. The three goals of this course are for students to learn: 1. Leadership behaviors: how to enact the skills that contribute to a team's effective performance. 2. Team dynamics: how to be an effective team member, as well as how to best design work teams; 3. Organizational awareness: understanding organizational culture. Format: A custom-designed Wharton-only simulation is paired with course sessions to deliver a unique learning experience. Classes will include experiental learning combined with debriefings, lectures, readings, class discussion and personal and group performance feedback. This course reflects the realities that informal leadership occurs in teams on an ongoing basis, that being a good team player is a part of leadership, and that many of one's early experiences with leadership will occur while working on teams. Because of the team-based nature of this course, and time intensive nature of this experience, attendance is mandatory for ALL five sessions of this class.

• MGMT7720 - Power & Pol in Organiz

  "If you want to test a (person's) character, give (him/her) power." These famous words articulate one of the many tensions of exercising power. Regardless of whether you have an appetite for power or disdain it, power and politics are likely to play an important role in your career. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to concepts that are useful for understanding, analyzing, and developing your political skill. But beyond discovering ways to extend your own power in organizations, we will also uncover lessons about ways in which power and politics can blind you, and how to navigate situations in which you are up against powerful people. Using a range of scholarly articles, cases, exercises, assessments and simulations, we will extract a variety of lessons relevant to your role in organizations. Topics include diagnosing power in organizations, building coalitions, change management, understanding networks, coping with intolerable bosses and incivility, and downsizing. Students will be expected to engage in field research for their coursework and final paper, and the course requires that students submit assignments for almost every class session. Thematically, this course highlights how your relationships with organizational stakeholders and an understanding of the organizational context are crucial to successfully navigating the political terrain of oganizations. Organizations are inherently political arenas that require social astuteness, and an understanding of the "rules of the game." This course is designed for students aiming to develop their leadership, general management and career skills through a better understanding of power and politics, and relates to other courses on these topics in the Management department.

• MGMT9330 - Psych Found MGMT

  This seminar-based course, with active discussion and analysis, is required of all first-year doctoral students in Management and open to other Penn students with instructor permission. The purpose of this course is to examine and understand basics in the theory and empirical research in the field of micro organizational behavior and to build an understanding of people's behavior in organizations and across organizations. The course covers a blend of classic and contemporary literature so that we can appreciate the prevailing theories and findings in various areas of organizational behavior. This course covers micro-organizational behavior, focused on topics such as influence/status, virtual teams, job design, organizational culture and socialization, identity in organizations and overall look on where the field of micro-organizational behavior is going.

• MGMT9510 - Ob: Theories and Methods

  The purpose of this half-semester course is to examine and understand theory and empirical research in the field of micro-organizational behavior and to build an understanding of people's behavior in organizations. The course covers a blend of classic and contemporary literature to appreciate the prevailing theories and findings in various areas of micro-organizational behavior. We will cover topics such as identity, diversity/inclusion, work design/proactivity, extra-role behaviors, behavioral ethics/organizational justice, and an overall look at where the field of micro-organizational behavior is heading. This is a seminar-based course with active discussion and analysis.

• MGMT9610 - Special Topics in Ob

  This is a complement course to MGMT 951, and it has the same purpose to examine and understand basics in the theory and empirical research in the field of micro-organizational behavior and to increase our understanding of people's behavior in organizations. To do so, we will cover a blend of classic and contemporary literature so that we can appreciate the prevailing theories and findings in various areas of micro-organizational behavior. In addition, for each topic we will then try to go beyond the existing literature. We will work to increase our understanding by re-framing the research variables, altering the perspective, bringing in new theory, and comparing levels of analysis. The purpose of this course is not meant to be exhaustive, rather it covers approximately half of the organizational behavior literature. For a more complete understanding of the basics of organizational behavior it is mandatory for organizational behavior students to have taken MGMT 951 which covers the remaining topics in basic organizational behavior. However, it is not mandatory to have taken MGMT 951 before MGMT 961 as they cover different sets of topics.

• WH2970 - Wh Industry Exploration

  WIEP features short-term courses that focus on various industries and feature visits to businesses, lectures, extracurricular activities, and networking opportunities with alumni. Students must apply online: https://undergrad-inside.wharton.upenn.edu/wiep/

• Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professor, Poets & Quants, 2025
• University of Michigan Ross Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient, 2023
• Wharton Teaching Excellence Award, 2022
• Showcase Symposium Award in the OB Division of the Academy of Management Conference, 2020
• Wharton MBA Teaching Commitment and Curricular Innovation Award, 2017
• Showcase Symposium Award in the OB Division of the Academy of Management Conference, 2017
• Wharton Excellence in Teaching Award for the Undergraduate Division, 2016
• University of Michigan Horace H. Rackham Distinguished Dissertation Award Nominee, 2014
• Outstanding Reviewer Award in the OB Division of the Academy of Management Conference, 2014
• University of Michigan Ross Business School Fellowship, 2013
• Showcase Symposium Award in the OB Division of the Academy of Management Conference, 2013
• University of Michigan BBA Teaching Excellence Award Nominee, 2012
• Best Paper Proceedings Award, Academy of Management Conference, 2012
• Nominated for Best Symposium Award in the Careers Division of Academy of Management, 2009

• The Time for TikTok’s Talks Is Ticking Down, New York Times - 08/28/2020 Description

  Behold the “underdog effect”: Workers sometimes perform better when they think others expect them to fail.

• The Upside of Being An Underdog, Harvard Business Review - 01/14/2020

Knowledge @ Wharton

• IPOs and Their Human Cost: What Employees Should Know, Knowledge @ Wharton - 06/06/2025
• Tennis & Player Fatigue, Knowledge @ Wharton - 06/04/2025
• How Big Data and AI Are Transforming Modern Sports, Knowledge @ Wharton - 06/04/2025
• How Mortgage Structure Impacts Financial Sector Stability, Knowledge @ Wharton - 06/03/2025
• Can America’s Broken Airports Be Fixed?, Knowledge @ Wharton - 06/03/2025
• Brainwaves to Breakthroughs: Foster a Creative Culture, Knowledge @ Wharton - 06/03/2025
• Resolute Japan | Harbir Singh and Mike Useem, Knowledge @ Wharton - 06/03/2025
• Navigating Tariff Turbulence: How Private Equity Firms Are Adapting, Knowledge @ Wharton - 05/30/2025
• NBA Playoffs With Dean Oliver, Knowledge @ Wharton - 05/28/2025
• How Audit Rates and Policy Shifts Impact IRS Effectiveness, Knowledge @ Wharton - 05/28/2025