Michael Mannor
Biography
Professor Mike Mannor is the John F. O’Shaughnessy Associate Professor of Strategic Leadership at Notre Dame. His research focuses on how top executive experiences and biases influence firm strategy and performance, including the cognitive processes that shape strategic attention, stakeholder prioritization, and the pursuit of both economic and non-economic forms of corporate purpose. This work has involved extensive travel to engage with the CEOs of large organizations in the U.S. and Europe. His research has been published in leading management journals and has been cited widely by scholars around the world. In addition to his research, Dr. Mannor has been a senior leader in the Mendoza College of Business (serving as Associate Dean for the MBA Program), in the philanthropic world (serving as the chairman of the board of the LuMind IDSC Foundation), and in the field of strategic management (serving as chair of the Strategic Leadership & Governance division of the Strategic Management Society). He also founded an annual fundraiser for Down syndrome that has raised more than $500k for research, and won an award for voluntary work that advances the cause of peace and human rights. Dr. Mannor has recently presented his research at top international conferences in Istanbul, Chicago, Toronto, Seattle, Paris, and London and has offered expert commentary on breaking business news for NPR, CNN, The New York Times. At home, he is a proud father of five, including four girls, one boy, a German Shepherd dog, a turtle, and a partridge in a pear tree. Well, not that last part about the partridge.
Professor Mannor has taught strategy and business model innovation in the MBA and EMBA programs since 2012. In recent years, he has led executive MBA students on international immersions in Europe and Latin America, helping students put their knowledge about strategy into practice with firms in these global markets.
COURSES:
Strategic Planning for Growth (MBAE 60430)
International Capstone (MBAE 74480)
Publications, Commentaries & Research
Michael J. Mannor underscores the importance of strategic attention as a critical resource in driving firm performance, highlighting how executives must thoughtfully balance focus and breadth to optimize decision-making. Through his research with John C. Eklund, Mannor reveals that narrowing attention is key when firms face abundant or high-quality opportunities, while broader focus is essential in addressing sparse or lower-quality opportunities. This work emphasizes the need for leaders to manage attention wisely, fostering a culture of deliberate and impactful decision-making.
Michael J. Mannor’s research highlights how job anxiety among top executives influences their strategic decision-making, often driving them to take fewer risks and prioritize safety over bold initiatives. While this caution can protect against significant losses, it may also limit growth opportunities, particularly in gain contexts where risk-taking could propel the firm forward.
Mannor’s work emphasizes the need for leaders to strike a balance between managing anxiety and fostering strategic innovation, encouraging boards to support executives while ensuring robust decision-making processes that challenge risk-averse tendencies.
Michael Mannor, recipient of the 2021 Grenville Clark Award, has dedicated over a decade to advancing the rights and well-being of individuals with Down syndrome through leadership, advocacy, and philanthropy, including his work with the LuMind IDSC Foundation and organizing South Bend’s acclaimed A Night of Art & Blues event.
Research highlighting the nuanced role of top management team’s experience breadth, offering insights into how environmental contexts shape the value attributed to diverse executive backgrounds.