Eunice Rhee, PhD

Eunice Rhee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management, where she teaches Strategic Management. In her research, she explores how organizations influence audience evaluations and, in turn, market outcomes by strategically managing the building blocks of meaning systems such as categories, frames, and evaluation criteria. Eunice's research approach lies at the intersection of organization theory and strategic management, exploring environments characterized by uncertainty, such as nascent markets.

As societal and environmental sustainability demands intensify, businesses are encouraged to embrace sustainable practices in their production and consumption processes. This transformation involves a diverse array of stakeholders and institutions. However, the unique role businesses can play in accelerating this sustainability transition has yet to be fully explored. Emerging trends, including the growth of socially responsible investing, the adoption of electric vehicles, and the increasing use of renewable energy, are all markers of a shift in market awareness, steering us toward a more sustainable future.

During her fellowship, Eunice will explore how businesses can catalyze this shift by reshaping our understanding of existing market categories, thus empowering new, more sustainable categories to emerge as legitimate competitors. Her focus will be examining the strategies employed by leading firms in the plant-based meat industry to instigate change in the meat category, addressing sustainability and mitigating climate change. By identifying practical strategies for businesses that prioritize sustainability and social responsibility, the findings of this study will inform business practices capable of making an impact on the broader economic system.

Recent Research:

Harmon, D., Rhee, E. Y., & Cho, Y. (2023). Building a bridge to the future: Prospective legitimation in nascent markets. Strategic Management Journal, Forthcoming. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3506

Soublière, J. F., Lo, J. Y., & Rhee, E. Y. (2023). Coherence within and across categories: The dynamic viability of product categories on kickstarter. Academy of Management Journal, Forthcoming. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2022.0105

Lo, J. Y., Fiss, P. C., Rhee, E. Y., & Kennedy, M. T. (2020). Category viability: Balanced levels of coherence and distinctiveness. Academy of Management Review, 45(1), 85–108. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2017.0011

Rhee, E. Y. & Fiss, P. C. (2014). Framing controversial actions: Regulatory focus, source credibility, and stock market reaction to poison pill adoption. Academy of Management Journal, 57(6), 1734–1758. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2012.0686