Rev. Dr. Timothy Ewest, Associate Professor of Management and holder of the Prince-Chavanne Chair in Christian Business Ethics, also serves as Chair of the Department of Management, Marketing, and Business at 麻豆视频. He recently presented a paper at the (SWAM) annual conference, held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from April 16鈥�19.
Dr. Ewest鈥檚 paper, titled “Leadership, Compliance, and Wicked Problems: Integrating Etzioni鈥檚 Compliance Theory with Grint鈥檚 Social Leadership Model,” examined how leaders can navigate complex organizational challenges by integrating Keith Grint鈥檚 social leadership model with Amitai Etzioni鈥檚 compliance theory.
Grint鈥檚 framework categorizes problems as either frames problems as wicked, which means they are ambiguous, value-laden, and resistant to simple solutions or tame, meaning have straightforward solutions. Etzioni鈥檚 theory offers a lens for understanding how organizations secure compliance through varying types of power (coercive, utilitarian, and normative), levels of individual involvement, and control mechanisms.
By combining these two models, the paper provided a framework for understanding how leadership approaches influence organizational behavior and stakeholder engagement. Special attention was given to religious and value-driven organizations, where normative power and moral involvement play a central role in shaping ethical and sustainable leadership. The paper ultimately argued that leaders who effectively align problem framing with appropriate compliance strategies are better equipped to address the adaptive demands of wicked problems.
In addition to presenting his paper, Dr. Ewest was nominated for the Distinguished Educator Award, one of the highest honors presented by SWAM. This award recognizes faculty who demonstrate sustained excellence in teaching, mentorship, and educational leadership in the field of management. Nominees are typically long-standing educators who not only excel in the classroom but also contribute significantly to curriculum development, student success, and the broader academic community.
Being nominated is a testament to Dr. Ewest鈥檚 dedication to holistic student development, his leadership in teaching, and his impact on both academia and practice.
is a regional affiliate of the Academy of Management (AOM) and serves faculty and institutions in the southwestern U.S. The organization supports the professional development of management scholars through teaching, research, and service. Its programs aim to enhance teaching effectiveness, encourage research collaboration, and build stronger ties between academia and industry, while also promoting faculty career growth and service leadership.