Dr Chuljin Park

I am a lecturer (equivalent to assistant professor) Nexus Fellow in the UNSW’s School of Management and Governance. I received my M.S. in International Business / Strategy from Seoul National University, and Ph.D. in Organization Theory / Strategy from The Pennsylvania State University.

My curiosity for understanding how organizations change and adapt, particularly in response to external shocks, shifting societal expectations, and technological disruptions, forms the foundation for my research. This includes my primary focus on understanding how social networks evolve over time, while being reciprocally influenced by other organisational actions and attributes.

My doctoral research investigated how executive social networks evolve following corporate fraud, using data on U.S. firms sanctioned by the SEC. I found that changes in these networks influence firms’ recovery trajectories in significant ways. This has led to further work on organizational responses to external change. For example, I have studied how Korean SMEs build durable partnerships with larger firms during digital transformation, and how dyadic overlaps and prior collaboration affect knowledge creation. Other projects explore how boards of directors anticipate executive failure, and how firms use strategic tools—such as M&A—to align with shifting norms around corporate responsibility.

More recently, I am trying to examine how reputational damage affects the career paths and networks of individual executives, and how positioning in social network influences firms’ CSR outcomes through peer pressure and risk perception. I also investigate how institutional uncertainty—such as anti-corruption campaigns in China—shapes firms’ use of investment as an ingratiating strategy to maintain political favour. Across these projects, I aim to understand how firms navigate increasing complexity in their operating environments while balancing market, institutional, and societal demands.

In addition to my research, I serve as a Nexus Fellow at UNSW, where I contribute to a university-wide initiative fostering interdisciplinary innovation in education. My current focus is on the role of artificial intelligence in reshaping both teaching and research practices. I am particularly interested in how AI may challenge conventional models of academic knowledge production and learning, not only for the School of Management and Governance but across various other disciplines as well.

In the classroom, I strive to bring these research insights to life by encouraging students to think critically about the broader institutional and societal context in which organizations operate. Rather than viewing firms solely through the lens of financial performance, I invite students to engage with foundational questions to build a more balanced and thoughtful understanding of strategic and organizational behaviour: Why do organizations exist? How do they interact with other societal actors? Through case-based teaching and open dialogue, I aim to equip students with the analytical and practical tools to address complex challenges in today’s dynamic business environment.