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Shawna O'Grady

Associate Professor
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Overview

Shawna O’Grady is an Associate Professor and frequently cited human resources authority from the Smith School of Business. She is co-author of the best-selling book Border Crossings: Doing Business in the U.S., which was a finalist for the National Business Book Award. She is a seasoned executive educator and sought-after consultant who works with hundreds of organizations internationally and across all industries where she has been able to help connect human resource strategies to real business challenges. She is particularly well-known for her unique approach to building high-performance teams and collaborative cultures.

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Academic Area

  • Organizational Behaviour

Interest Topics

  • Behaviour & Psychology
  • Change Management
  • Communication
  • Global Business
  • Governance
  • Leadership & Teams
  • Management
  • Operations
  • Retail
  • Service Sector
  • Strategy & Innovation

Faculty Details

Profile

Full Bio

Shawna O'Grady is an award-winning professor and frequently cited human resource authority. She is an Associate Professor of Business, expert in human resource management, team building and organizational development, and co-author of the best-selling Border Crossings: Doing Business in the U.S., which was a finalist for the National Business Book Award (NBBA). This book has received outstanding reviews in the media for several years.

She has written numerous articles on retailing and human resource issues, which have appeared in top-level national and international journals such as the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, the Journal of International Business, and the Ivey Business Journal. She earned her B.Comm. and Master of Industrial Relations (MIR) at Queen's University and her PhD at the Ivey Business School at Western University.

Beyond teaching at Smith School of Business, Shawna was the principal designer of the School's High Performance Team Development Program, and she served as Director of Team Facilitation for 13 years. She taught at Cornell University for eleven years, teaches regularly on the Queen's Executive Development Programs, and has been a frequent contributor to Canada's 50 Best Companies Annual Conference where she shares her most innovative thinking on human resource strategies.

As a teacher, Shawna received or has been nominated for the Teaching Excellence Award many times for various courses she has taught. In 2005, Shawna was honored to be a Women of Influence "Gift of Wisdom" speaker. In 2011, she was nominated for the Chief Learning Officer of the Year Award, by Predictive Success Corporation, a top honour recognizing learning leadership in business.

Working with hundreds of organizations across all industries and around the world, from Microsoft, Oracle, Blackberry, 3M, BMW, Costco, Coca-Cola, Alimentation Couche-Tard, SAP, Xerox, CGI, Home Depot, Roche, Novo Nordisk, AstraZeneca, Biogen Idec, Pfizer, Baxter, GlaxoSmithKline, Mattel, Stryker, Emerson, Suncor, Enbridge, Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney, Scotiabank, CIBC, Voya, TD Canada Trust, Visa, Brookfield Asset Management and Trend Micro, to Bell, Rogers, Canadian Tire, RSA, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sick Kids Hospital, Office of the Auditor General of Canada, The House of Commons and Treasury Board, Shawna has been able to help connect human resource strategies to real business challenges. She is particularly well-known for her unique approach to team building, which always links back to performance.

Academic Degrees

PhD Organizational Behavior 
The Richard Ivey School of Business, Western University (1991)

M.I.R. Master of Industrial Relations 
Queen's University (1985)

B. Comm. Bachelor of Commerce, Honours
Queen's University (1984)

Academic Experience

Smith School of Business, Queen’s University
Associate Professor (1997 - Present)
Director, Team Facilitation, Queen’s Executive MBA Program (1994-2007)
Assistant Professor (1991-1997)
Instructor (1989-1991)

The Johnson School of Business, Cornell University
Associate Professor (2004-2015)

Publications

Articles and Papers

How to Calibrate Collaboration, QSB Insights Paper, 2016.

Rebuilding Team Trust, QSB Insights Paper, 2016.

Building Bounce Back Teams, QSB Insights Paper, 2016.

How to Coax Real Gains From Virtual Teams, QSB Insight White Paper Series, Interview of Shawna O’Grady (by Alan Morantz), 2014.

Strategy-Focused Teams, QSB Insights White Paper Series, 2013.

Team Effectiveness in the MBA Program, Queen’s University White Paper, 2013.

Culture:  An Unnoticed Barrier to Canadian Retail Performance in the U.S., Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Vol. 4, No. 3, 1997, 159-170 (with H. Lane).

The United Arab Emirates:  A Lucrative Oasis for Canadian Business, Business Quarterly, Summer, 1996, Vol. 60, No. 4, 85-92 (with Y. Shalabi).

The Psychic Distance Paradox, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 27, No. 2, 1996, 309-333 (with H. Lane).

Doing Business in Mexico:  The Human Resource Challenges, Business Quarterly, Vol. 60. No. 1, Autumn, 1995, 42-54.

  • Nortel Networks used article to train expatriates to work in Mexico
  • Article chosen for Dialogue section of Business Quarterly, Fall/Winter, 1995, Vol.60, No. 2.

Canadian Companies Doing Business in Mexico:  A Cultural Perspective, Proceedings of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, Halifax, Nova  Scotia, June 1994.

Canadian Retail Companies Doing Business in the U.S. Market:  A Cultural Perspective, Proceedings of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada,  Lake Louise, Alberta, May 1993, 136-145.

Learning How To Succeed In The American Market, Business Quarterly, Vol. 57, No. 2, Autumn 1992, 77-85 (with W. Evans and H. Lane).

Cermatek, in D. Peach and P. Bergman, The Practice of Labour Relations, 3rd Edition, Scarborough: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1990.

Northridge Psychiatric Hospital, in J. Gandz, H. Lane, J. Rush and J. DiStefano, (eds.), Effective Managerial Action: A Casebook in Organizational Behavior, Prentice Hall Canada, 1988, 56-71 (with H. Lane).

Refereed Conference Papers

Does Ownership Structure Matter?  An Empirical Analysis, Strategic Management  Society International Conference, Barcelona, Spain, October 5-8, 1997 (with  M. Bennett).

The Culture of Doing Business in Mexico, Academy of International Business  Conference, Banff, Alberta, September 26-29, 1996.

Canadian Responses to Global Transformations, Academy of International Business Conference, Seoul, Korea, November 15-18, 1995 (with L. Wright, B.J. Punnett, and D. Wood).

The Impact of Entry Mode Choices of Canadian Companies Doing Business in the  United States and Mexico, Strategic Management Society International  Conference, Mexico City, Mexico, October 15-18, 1995.

NAFTA:  Human Resource Challenges For Canadian Managers, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Conference, Windsor, Ontario, June 3-6, 1995.

The Psychic Distance Paradox, Academy of International Business Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, November 3-6, 1994 (with H. Lane). 

The Impact of NAFTA:  Lessons Learned from the Free Trade Agreement,  Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Conference, Halifax, Nova  Scotia, June 25-28, 1994 (with B.J. Punnett and Rein Peterson).

Culture:  An Invisible Barrier to Learning and Strategic Adaptation in Foreign  Markets, Strategic Management Society International Conference, Chicago,  Illinois, September 1993 (with H. Lane).

Organizing For Foreign Market Entry:  A Learning Perspective, Strategic Management Society International Conference, Chicago, Illinois, September 1993 (with N. Abramson and H. Lane).

Culture:  An Unnoticed Barrier to Canadian Retail Companies Doing Business in  the United States Market, Academy of International Business Conference,  Brussels, Belgium, November 1992 (with H. Lane).

Learning to Be Successful In Foreign Markets, Strategic Management Society's  Workshop on Leadership and the Management of Strategic Change, Cranfield,  England, December 1990 (with H. Lane).

Case Studies 

  • 2019 - Passing the Buck, Teaching Case
  • 2015 - Daredevil Equipment, Queen’s University Teaching Case
  • 2015 - Sarah’s Choice, Queen’s University Teaching Case
  • 2013 - Aden’s Way, Queen’s University Teaching Case
  • 2010 - Canadian National Railway, Teaching Case
  • 2009 - The Problematic Christmas Party, Queen’s University Teaching Case
  • 2009 - The “Browns” vs. The “Whites”(A) & B), Queen’s University Teaching Case
  • 2009 - Driven to Distraction, Queen’s University Teaching Case
  • 2007 - The Controllers, Queen’s University Teaching Case
  • 2006 - Hoppin Eddy A, Queen’s University Teaching Case
  • 2006 - Hoppin Eddy B, Queen’s University Teaching Case
  • 2000 - Team Saboteur, Queen’s University Teaching Case
  • 1999 - Team Highly Efficient, Queen’s University Teaching Case
  • 1999 - Marty Matlin, Queen’s University Teaching Case
  • 1997 - Don't Be a Dick, Queen's University Teaching Case
  • 1997 - Odd Man Out, Queen’s University Teaching Case
  • 1996 - Along For the Ride, Queen's University Teaching Case
  • 1996 - Northern Telecom de Mexico, Queen's University Case
  • 1996 - Ilco Unican de Mexico, Queen's University Case (with M. Taylor)
  • 1996 - Fleck Manufacturing in Mexico, Queen's University Case
  • 1996 - Albano S.A. de C.V., Queen's University Case
  • 1995 - Mitel de Mexico, Queen's University Case
  • 1994 - Pizza Hut de Mexico, Queen's University Case
  • 1993 - The Ontario Penitentiary, Queen's University Case (with B. Staubi)
  • 1992 - W.C. Wood Co., Queen's University Case
  • 1989 - Cermatek, University of Western Ontario Teaching Case
  • 1988 - Northridge Psychiatric Hospital, University of Western Ontario Teaching Case
  • 1986 - Alco, University of Western Ontario Teaching Case

Books

Border Crossings:  Doing Business in the United States, Toronto:  Prentice Hall Canada, 1992 (with W. Evans and H. Lane) – one of four nominees for the $10,000 National Business Book Award in 1993.

Journal Referee Experience

Ad Hoc Reviewer for: Journal of International Business Studies, Marketing Theory, Thunderbird International Business Review, Personnel Review, IRC Press and ASAC

Teaching

Executive Education Experience

Extensive experience teaching in Canada’s leading portfolio of executive development programs, including:

  • Queen’s Executive Program (three-week program)
  • Queen’s Leadership Program 
  • Queen’s Strategic Leadership Program
  • Queen’s Execution Program
  • Queen’s Governance Program
  • Queen’s Public Executive Management Program
  • Queen’s Human Resources Executive Program –Faculty Lead for two years  
  • Queen’s Operations Leadership Program  
  • Queen’s Marketing Program 
  • Queen’s IT Program

Major contributor to Queen’s custom client and in-company programs including (selected list):

  • Bell In-company programs
  • ISED In-company programs
  • Workplace Safety North In-company programs
  • Scotiabank In-company programs
  • Mac’s Convenience Stores In-company programs
  • Certified Professional Association of Canada In-company programs
  • Loblaw In-company programs
  • SAP In-company programs
  • Queen’s Internal Medicine programs
  • Birchcliff Energy In-company programs
  • Geo A. Kelson In-company programs
  • OASIS In-company programs
  • Canadian Tire Corporation In-company programs
  • Royal Building Products In-company programs
  • Encana In-company programs
  • Export Development Canada In-company programs
  • Canadian Commercial Corporation In-company programs
  • Public Safety Canada In-company programs
  • Ontario Power Generation In-company programs
  • Credit Union Managers Association In-company programs
  • Kingston Economic Development Corporation In-company programs
  • Government of Manitoba In-company programs
  • Oracle Corporation In-company programs
  • Royal and Sun Alliance In-company programs
  • Canada Post Corporation In-company programs
  • Royal Insurance In-company programs
  • CIBC In-company programs
  • Miller Thompson In-company programs
  • Third Brigade In-company programs
  • BMW In-company programs
  • Shopper’s Drug Mart In-company programs
  • Oticon In-company programs
  • Enbridge In-company programs
  • Suncor In-company programs
  • NRC-IRAP-In-company programs
  • Goodman & Carr In–company programs
  • Jansen-Ortho In-company programs
  • Powerstream In-company programs
  • Epcor In-company programs
  • Invest in Canada In-company programs
  • COBSC In-company programs
  • Treasury Board In-company programs
  • CMC Electronics In-company programs
  • Canadian Real Estate Association In-company program
  • Canada Revenue Agency In-company programs
  • Eclipse Foundation In-company programs
  • Agriculture Financial Services Company In-company programs
  • Manitoulin Transport In-company programs
  • Filogix In-company programs
  • OFSC In-company programs
  • Sandoz In-company programs
  • Laidlaw In-company programs
  • Transport Canada In-company programs
  • City of Kingston In-company programs
  • Health Canada In-company programs
  • Transport Canada In-company programs
  • Bombardier In-company programs
  • Printfleet In-company Programs
  • Union 663 In-company programs
  • Hoffman LaRoche In-company programs
  • ERCB In-company programs

Awards

Teaching Awards

Top-level teaching evaluations (all degree and non-degree programs) (1995 - Present)

Executive Education – One of top evaluated professors teaching on executive education, 2000-present; most requested custom program speaker for many years

Nominated for Chief Learning Officer of the Year Award, Predictive Success Corporation (2011)

Commerce Society Teaching Excellence Award (1992-1993)

Commerce Society Teaching Excellence Nominee (1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94)

Commerce '89 Award (Nominee) - Professor who has contributed most to student life outside classroom (1993-94)

Other Awards

Woman of Influence “Gift of Wisdom” Speaker (2005)

Grants & Funding

"Doing Business in Mexico" Project (1995-1998)
SSHRC | $34,000

Research Program (1995)
School of Business, Queen's University | $4,000

Travel Grant (1995)
Advisory Research Council, Queen's University | $2,046

Research Program (1994)
School of Business, Queen's University | $4,054