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Wendy Smith

Wendy K. Smith

Dana J. Johnson Professor of Management

University of Delaware

Newark, DE

Wendy K. Smith is the Dana J. Johnson professor of management at the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics and co-director Women’s Initiative at the University of Delaware. She earned her doctorate in organizational behavior at Harvard Business School, where she began her research on strategic paradoxes — how leaders and senior teams effectively respond to contradictory, yet interdependent demands. Working with executives and scholars globally, she received the Web of Science Highly Cited Research Award for four consecutive years and received the Decade Award from the Academy of Management Review. Her work has been published in such journals as Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Harvard Business Review, Organization Science and Management Science. She has taught at the University of Delaware, Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania – Wharton while leading classes for executive and senior leadership teams around the globe.

Online Courses

Past Webinars

  • The Fine Art of Handling Conflict for Business Officers This item is protected

    December 5, 2025
    This webinar will equip attendees with practical strategies to navigate disputes with clarity and confidence, and offers actionable insights on handling complaints and resolving conflict in ways that foster collaboration and strengthen relationships.
  • Tuition, Trends, Trouble: What College Closures Signal for Independent Schools This item is protected

    November 21, 2025
    Explore financial sustainability for independent schools by analyzing college closures. Learn strategies to navigate risks and build resilience based on what may be gleaned from higher ed’s warning signs.
  • Small School, Big Solutions: Navigating Mission, Money and Innovation This item is protected

    November 7, 2025
    The financial reality of a school can deeply inform its mission. Discover how a small school's inherent need for innovation sparks powerful, scalable solutions for schools of all sizes to be nimble when resources are limited.
  • Durable Campus Planning: Aligning Vision with Strategic Purpose This item is protected

    October 24, 2025
    Learn how The Governor’s Academy aligned educational priorities with campus development in a new campus planning process that engaged the school community. The resulting plan now guides the adaptive reuse of facilities and enhanced academic programs.
  • Cyber Breach Breakdown: Risk Mitigation Tactics for Independent K-12 Schools This item is protected

    September 26, 2025
    82% of K-12 schools have experienced a cyber incident. This webinar equips business and technology leaders with practical tactics for cyber threat detection, response, and prevention, safeguarding their schools' financial and reputational integrity.

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