A group of new faculty members at Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business is advancing research in management and finance, addressing topics such as team coordination, organizational responses to social issues, and the impact of artificial intelligence on labor markets. These faculty members are also incorporating their research into teaching and mentoring students.
Dean Joyce Strawser leads the school as its faculty gain recognition in academic journals, international conferences, and through awards. This visibility is contributing to the reputation of both Seton Hall University and the Stillman School within national and international academic circles.
Enrico Forti, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Management, has received notable recognition for his research. His article “Competitive Familiarity: Learning to Coordinate by Competing,” published in Organization Science, won the 2025 Bright Idea Award. The study shows that teams can improve coordination through previous competitive interactions, based on data from millions of eSports team-formation experiments.
Forti’s work has also appeared in Administrative Science Quarterly. His article “CrossFit in the Crosshairs: A Community-Embedded Theory of Organizational Responsiveness to Social Issues” was recognized with the Organizational and Management Theory Division’s Best Paper Award for Environmental and Social Practices at the 2025 Academy of Management meeting. Forti said that support from Stillman School—such as conference funding and access to APIs—has been important for his research progress.
Nicolas Dahan, Ph.D., another assistant professor in management, studies how business concepts are applied globally. He examined Nutriset’s approach to distributing Plumpy’nut—a food designed to combat child malnutrition—which shifted from strict patent enforcement to allowing local production without royalties. This change reduced costs, increased production capacity, and created jobs.
Dahan’s work extends beyond academia; his article “When Duality Fails: Addressing the Liability of Hybridity in a Field Dominated by Non-profit Values,” first published in Journal of Management Studies, was adapted into a news feature for Fast Company. “I will continue studying corporate political activities, in the USA and internationally,” Dahan said. He plans further research on political transparency at firms and corporate diplomacy amid rising geopolitical risks.
Dahan noted that support from Stillman School and Seton Hall’s University Research Council enables him to present his work internationally: “Impactful research requires a great deal of time, especially in the summer, and extensive travel to present work and receive feedback from leading scholars in the field,” he said. Presenting at events like Cornell University’s Responsible Research Summit allowed him greater collaboration with peers from top institutions.
In finance, Shen Zhang, Ph.D., an assistant professor, is recognized for his study on artificial intelligence’s effect on work structure rather than just productivity gains. His paper “AI and the Extended Workday: Productivity, Contracting Efficiency, and Distribution of Rents” won the 2025 Best Working Paper Award from Hong Kong University’s Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute after a competitive selection process.
Zhang explained: “A central question in my research is whether AI adoption reduces workloads and working hours,” adding that his findings suggest otherwise—workers exposed to AI often face longer hours with less leisure time. He intends future studies on how AI systems affect worker welfare or potentially lead to more intense demands or new forms of exploitation.
Zhang credited Stillman’s conference support for helping advance his scholarship: “This work has been presented at prominent conferences and institutions… These opportunities have enhanced the visibility of both my scholarship and Stillman while fostering new ideas and collaborations.”
These examples highlight ongoing efforts by Stillman School faculty whose rigorous research contributes not only academically but also addresses real-world business challenges.
