Jungmin “Jamie” Seo is interested in the way people behave in an organization. She has been sharing her interest and research in organizational behavior, including leadership and employee turnover, with students since joining the Cal State Fullerton last fall.
“I’m a huge people person,” the assistant professor of management admits. “I enjoy listening to people and learning what their concerns are with their co-workers, their bosses.”
Originally from Korea, Seo earned a bachelor of business administration and a B.A. in Chinese language and literature from Sookmyung Women’s University before traveling to America to earn a master of education in human resources development from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, then a Ph.D. in management-organizational behavior from Arizona State University.
Seo has co-authored a number of articles published in the Academy of Management Journal, including “When Can Humble Top Executives Retain Middle Managers, the Moderating Role of Top Management Team Fault Lines,” in the September 2016 issue. She also co-authored “How and Why High Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Relationships Develop: Examining the Antecedents of LMX” in the Oxford Handbook of Leader-Member Exchange published in 2015.
In addition to her academic qualifications, Seo worked for three years with Samsung and has extensive experience with multinational companies around the world.
What was the defining moment when you decided to become a teacher?
I could have returned to Korea and the corporate world after earning my master’s degree but I decided to complete a doctorate. I really enjoyed research and teaching. It made me feel fulfilled and I felt that I was giving something back to society as an educator.
How do you engage students in your classes?
I have designed my courses with a mixture of theory and experience. When we discuss an issue, I provide real examples and have students consider how they can take what they learn in class and apply it to the real world.
What is one thing that you believe the general public needs to know about management?
Individuals can maximize their potential abilities when they are working in a good management system. Humans can do anything when they bring value into the work environment and society.