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Francis J. Flynn

Francis J. Flynn
Professor, Organizational Behavior
Contact Info
FrancisJ.Flynn
Paul E. Holden Professor of Organizational Behavior
Academic Area: 
Organizational Behavior

Research Statement

Professor Flynn’s research focuses on three topics of interest: (1) How employees can develop healthy patterns of cooperation; (2) How the negative impact of racial and gender stereotyping in the workplace can be mitigated; and (3) How people can emerge as leaders and assume positions of power in organizations. His work bridges the fields of management and social psychology, leading to scholarly as well as practical insights on organizational life.

Bio

Francis (Frank) Flynn received his PhD in Organizational Behavior from the University of California, Berkeley. From 2000-2006, he served as an Assistant and then an Associate Professor at Columbia Business School, joining the GSB in September 2006. A winner of multiple teaching awards, Professor Flynn’s courses focus on leadership issues, particularly how young managers can learn to navigate complex political environments and build interpersonal influence.

Professor Flynn’s research centers on the topics of employee cooperation, work group dynamics, and leadership in organizations. His articles have appeared in Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Psychological Science, Strategic Management Journal, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, the discipline’s top research outlets. 

Professor Flynn has worked for the Department of Commerce in the International Trade Administration, the Institute for Business and Economic Development, and the Institute for Urban and Regional Development. He has provided executive education for various companies, including Bank of America, Boston Consulting Group, Box, Caterpillar, Cisco, Cooley, Facebook, Flextronics, Genentech, Goldman Sachs, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Intuit, Johnson & Johnson, Kaiser, LinkedIn, Logitech, Medtronic, Merrill Lynch, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Prudential, Standard & Poor’s, Symantec, Twitter, Yammer, Yelp, and Yahoo! – training that focuses on improving employee decision making and interpersonal leadership skills.

Frank is also a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He lives close to the Stanford campus with his wife, Christina, and his three sons, Colin, Jack, and Aiden.

Academic Degrees

  • PhD in Organizational Behavior, UC Berkeley, 2001
  • MS in Business, UC Berkeley, 1999
  • BBA, University of Notre Dame, 1994

Academic Appointments

  • At Stanford University since 2006
  • Class of 1967 Associate Professor of Business, Columbia Business School, Columbia University, 2006
  • Associate Professor of Business, Columbia Business School, Columbia University, 2004-2006
  • Assistant Professor of Business, Columbia Business School, Columbia University, 2000-2004

Awards and Honors

  • James & Doris McNamara Faculty Fellow, Stanford GSB, 2013-2014

Publications

Journal Articles

Scott S. Wiltermuth, Francis J. Flynn. Academy of Management Journal. August 2013, Vol. 56, Issue 4, Pages 1002-1023.
Magnus Thor Torfason, Francis J. Flynn, Daniella Kupor. Social Psychological and Personality Science. May 2013, Vol. 4, Issue 3, Pages 348-354.
Francis J. Flynn, V Bohns. Organization Science. 2013, Vol. 24, Issue 4, Pages 1157-1173.
Francis J. Flynn, K Elsbach. Journal of Management Studies. 2013, Vol. 50, Pages 515-544.
Francis J. Flynn, D Newark, V Bohns. Social Psychological and Personality Science. 2013.
Gabrielle S. Adams, Francis J. Flynn, Michael I. Norton. Psychological Science. October 2012, Vol. 23, Issue 10, Pages 1145-1150.
Rebecca L. Schaumberg, Francis J. Flynn. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. August 2012, Vol. 103, Issue 2, Pages 327-342.
Francis J. Flynn, Emily T. Amanatullah. Organization Science. March 2012, Vol. 23, Issue 2, Pages 402-415.
Francis J. Flynn, Rebecca L. Schaumberg. Journal of Applied Psychology. January 2012, Vol. 97, Issue 1, Pages 124-133.
Robb Willer, Francis J. Flynn, Sonya Zak. Administrative Science Quarterly. 2012, Vol. 57, Pages 119-155.
Francesca Gino, Francis J. Flynn. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. September 2011, Vol. 47, Issue 5, Pages 915-922.
Jack A. Goncarlo, Francis J. Flynn, Sharon H. Kim. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. November 2010, Vol. 36, Issue 11, Pages 1484-1495.
Francis J. Flynn, Ray E. Reagans, Lucia Guillory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. November 2010, Vol. 99, Issue 5, Pages 855-869.
Francis J. Flynn, Scott S. Wiltermuth. Academy of Management Journal. October 1, 2010, Vol. 53, Issue 5, Pages 1074-1089.
Hannah Riley Bowles, Francis J. Flynn. Academy of Management Journal. August 2010, Vol. 53, Issue 4, Pages 769-787.
Vanessa K. Bohns, Francis J. Flynn. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. March 2010, Vol. 46, Issue 2, Pages 402-409.
Francis J. Flynn, Gabrielle S. Adams. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. February 2009, Vol. 45, Issue 2, Pages 404–409.
Francis J. Flynn, C.A. Anderson. Journal of Applied Psychology. 2008, Vol. 93, Issue 3, Pages 702-710.
Francis J. Flynn, Vanessa Lake. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2008, Vol. 95, Issue 1, Pages 128-143.
Francis J. Flynn, D. Ames. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2007, Vol. 92, Issue 2, Pages 307-324.
Francis J. Flynn, L. Benjamin. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. March 2006, Vol. 100, Pages 216-230.
Francis J. Flynn, R. Reagans, E. Amanatullah, D. Ames. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2006, Vol. 91, Issue 6, Pages 1123-1137.
Francis J. Flynn, D. Ames. Journal of Applied Psychology. 2006, Vol. 91, Issue 2, Pages 272-281.
Francis J. Flynn. Academy of Management Review. October 2005, Vol. 30, Issue 4, Pages 737-750.
Francis J. Flynn, J. Chatman. Organization Science. 2005, Vol. 16, Issue 4, Pages 434-447.
Francis J. Flynn. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2005, Vol. 88, Issue 5, Pages 816-826.
Francis J. Flynn, D. Ames, E. Weber. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. April 2004, Vol. 30, Issue 4, Pages 461-474.
Francis J. Flynn, B. Staw. Strategic Management Journal. February 2004, Vol. 25, Pages 309-330.
Francis J. Flynn. Academy of Management Journal. October 2003, Vol. 46, Issue 5, Pages 539-553.
Francis J. Flynn, J. Brockner. Journal of Applied Psychology. 2003, Vol. 88, Issue 6, Pages 1-13.
Francis J. Flynn. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2003, Vol. 91, Issue 1, Pages 38-50.
Francis J. Flynn, J. Chatman, S. Spataro. Administrative Science Quarterly. September 2001, Vol. 46, Issue 3, Pages 414-442.
Francis J. Flynn, J. Chatman. Academy of Management Journal. 2001, Vol. 44, Issue 5, Pages 956-974.
Francis J. Flynn. Industrial Relations. January 2000, Vol. 39, Issue 1, Pages 139-160.

Courses Taught

Degree Courses

2015-16

Building on the discipline of social psychology, this course helps you cultivate mindsets and build skills to understand the ways in which organizations and their members affect one another. You will learn frameworks for diagnosing and resolving...

2014-15

This course is designed for individuals interested in improving their communication skills. As a leader, you will spend the majority of your time communicating with others - €”team members, subordinates, clients, and other constituents. Right now...

Building on the discipline of social psychology, this course helps you cultivate mindsets and build skills to understand the ways in which organizations and their members affect one another. You will learn frameworks for diagnosing and resolving...

Building on the discipline of social psychology, this course helps you cultivate mindsets and build skills to understand the ways in which organizations and their members affect one another. You will learn frameworks for diagnosing and resolving...

Insights by Stanford Business

November 12, 2014
Research examines how experiencing physical distress can impact charitable donations.
August 4, 2014
Researchers find that the perceived status of those in need can be an important factor in determining how we help.
May 12, 2014
Research examines whether people are more naturally self-interested or cooperative.
February 27, 2014
Professor Frank Flynn looks at the difference between “happiness” and “meaning” in life –– and how these two concepts relate to being prosocial.
November 21, 2013
In his quarterly column, a Stanford professor of organizational behavior describes how group membership influences behavior.
November 18, 2013
A look at the work of some of our finest researchers on what spurs people to do something on behalf of someone else, what psychologists call “prosocial behavior.”
September 25, 2013
In his quarterly column, Francis J. Flynn looks at research that examines how to spend your way to a more satisfying life.
September 19, 2013
Why the people you least expect to help you are the ones you should approach.
June 12, 2013
This column takes a look at an innovative therapy for one of our society’s most serious problems: teen depression.
February 21, 2013
A recent paper shows that helping others can actually make you feel like you have more time.
February 19, 2013
What spurs people to do something on behalf of someone else? This quarter’s column explores giving the gift of our time to others.
December 17, 2012
Professor Francis Flynn discusses research on giving away a present you don’t really want.
July 27, 2012
In his quarterly column, a scholar examines the social value of no-cash exchanges on Freecycle and Craigslist.
April 30, 2012
Raising teachers’ awareness about students' help-seeking dynamics could be an important first step in supporting equality in elementary school education.
April 13, 2012
Stanford GSB researchers find that how people respond to mistakes can be a "clue to who they are."
March 1, 2012
Research findings suggest that when helpers are thanked for their efforts, the resulting sense of being socially valued is critical in encouraging them to provide more help in the future.
September 15, 2011
Research shows that when it comes to gift giving, most people are simply not paying enough attention to what others want.
June 20, 2011
Frank Flynn explores research showing that the most generous, trusting, and helpful people are not those with more money, but, rather, those with less.
January 1, 2011
Creating opportunities for “shared social responsibility” — among companies, charities, and customers — will stimulate prosocial behavior.
November 1, 2010
This quarter’s column looks at how charities get people to give — and give generously.
March 6, 2010
The Center for Social Innovation conference showcased how to use gentle nudges, subtle tweaks, and quiet prompts to summon better behavior.
November 1, 2009
The Silicon Valley master networker explains the importance of relationship building.
December 1, 2008
Studies show that gift recipients are just as happy with small presents as with big ones.
July 1, 2008
A study shows that we dramatically underestimate how likely others are to help us.

School News

November 29, 2011
Stanford Executive Education launches Leadership Development: Analysis to Action, aimed at high-potential executives and emerging leaders.
January 1, 2007
To attendees at the WIM banquet, 2007 from Prof. Joanne Martin