I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Management and Organizations department at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. My dissertation is at the nexus of finance, corporate governance and labor relations. In my dissertation, I explore the labor implications of two important trends: the growth of index funds ownership and the increasing threat of activist hedge funds having corporate control. More specifically, I examine how the ownership and control of publicly traded firms in the US by index funds and activist hedge funds affect firms’ approaches to human capital management and employee satisfaction. In addition, my dissertation examines the relationship between employee satisfaction and firm performance, and explores the meaning of employee value in the context of shareholder value. To investigate these issues, I analyze multiple sources of big data, including firms’ annual reports and employees’ anonymous online reviews of their employers. In sum, my dissertation sheds light on the politics of corporate value appropriation and corporate control, as well as aims to contribute to theories on corporate governance and human capital management with an emphasis on employee well-being.  Apart from my dissertation work, my other research examines forces that drive changes in corporate governance.  

Contact Information

Email: eunwoo@umich.edu

Address: 701 Tappan Ave., R6349, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109