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Christopher To

  • Assistant Professor, Human Resource Management (HRM)
206 Janice H. Levin Building, 94 Rockafeller Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8054
Education

Ph.D., New York University

Curriculum Vitae - CV (PDF)

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Expertise
  • Power, status, and competition
  • Inequality and inequity 
  • Compensation, negotiations, and conflict management

Christopher To is an Assistant Professor of Human Resource Management in the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University. His research focuses on hierarchy, competition, and inequality. Specifically, his work addresses the (mis)management of workplace hierarchies, and how individuals respond to inequity and economic inequality.  Leading academic journals have published his work, including the Academy of Management Annals, Academy of Management Journal, Current Opinions in Psychology, Organization Science, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. His work has been featured in media outlets including the Harvard Business Review. Professor To's teaching experiences include compensation, negotiations, and conflict management.  

He received his Ph.D. in Management from the Stern School of Business of New York University, and his B.S. in Analytics and Information Technology, and Psychology from Rutgers University. Prior to joining the School of Management and Labor Relations, he was a Visiting Professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

When not working, he enjoys playing with his dog, watching comedy shows, and spending time with friends/family.

Research Publications

To, C., Yan, T., & Sherf, E. Victorious and Hierarchical: Past Performance as a Determinant of Team Hierarchical Differentiation (In Press at Organization Science). doi:10.1287/orsc.2021.1528

Doyle, S.P., Pettit, N.C., Kim, S., To, C., & Lount, R.B. Surging underdogs and slumping favorites: How recent streaks and future expectations drive competitive transgressions (In Press at Academy of Management Journal). doi:10.5465/amj.2019.1008

To, C., Kilduff, G.J., & Rosikiewicz, B (2020). When interpersonal competition helps and when it harms: An integration via challenge and threat. Academy of Management Annals, 14(2), 908-934. doi:annals.2016.0145

To, C., Leslie, L., Torelli, C., & Stoner, J (2020). Culture and social hierarchy: Collectivism as a driver of the relationship between power and status. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 157, 159-176. doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2019.12.006

Torelli, C.J., Leslie, L., To, C., & Kim, S. (2020). Power and status across cultures. Current Opinion in Psychology, 33, 12-17. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.05.005

Jachimowicz, J., To, C., Agasi, S., Côté, S., & Galinsky, A.D. (2019). The gravitational pull of passion: Why and when people admire and support individuals who express passion. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 153, 41-62. doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2019.06.002

To, C., Kilduff, G.J., Ordõnez, L., & Schweitzer, M. (2018). Going for it on fourth down: Rivalry increases risk-taking, physiological arousal, and promotion focus. Academy of Management Journal, 61(4), 1281-1306. doi:10.5465/amj.2016.0850

Pettit, N.C., Doyle, S.P., Lount, R.B., & To, C. (2016). Cheating to get ahead or to avoid falling behind? The effect of potential negative versus positive status change on unethical behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 137, 172-183. doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2016.09.005