Dr. Thompson is an Assistant Professor of Leadership and Management Studies in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership. He received his Ph.D. in Business Administration (emphasis in Organizational Behavior) in 2012 from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina.

His teaching focuses on refining the cadets’ intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and love of learning. He believes the classroom can be an environment conducive to providing a vibrant and intellectually stimulating atmosphere that affords psychological safety and a sense of purpose. His aim is to engage the cadets in a dialogue that causes them to think deeply about the subject matter, challenge themselves to exert uncommon effort, and gain valuable insights and practical solutions pertaining to the organizational context. He strives to connect with the cadets and present an interesting and cogent message to those preparing to become officers in the finest military in the world.

He has published research in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes (forthcoming), American Psychological Association Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings.

Prior to his doctoral studies, he was Deputy Director of Competitive Sourcing at Jupiter Corporation and Budget Analyst for United States Agency for International Development /Pal-Tech. Inc. He also studied at the University of Cambridge as part of an international study abroad program and was an active member of the Weber State University Honors Program. He has lived abroad twice—spending time in both England and Brazil. He is fluent in Portuguese. He and his sweet wife have three wonderful boys.

Teaching
Human Resource Management
Leading Teams

Education

• Ph.D., University of South Carolina
• International Study Abroad, University of Cambridge
• B.I.S., Weber State University

Sluss, D.M., & Thompson, B.S. Forthcoming. Socializing the newcomer: The role of leader-member exchange. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.

Sluss, D.M., van Dick, R., & Thompson, B.S. 2010. Role theory in organizations: A relational perspective. In S. Zedeck (Ed.), APA handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, Vol. 1: Building and helping the organization: 505-534. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Sluss, D.M., & Thompson, B.S. 2009. Socialization and social exchange: Leader-member exchange as mediator between tactics and attachment. Best Paper Proceedings of the 2009 Academy of Management Conference, Chicago.

Dr. Thompson's research centers on interpersonal relationships at work. He suggests that interpersonal relationships are an important mechanism in shaping how we perceive ourselves in the workplace and how we view our work experience—often creating or destroying meaning at work while influencing workplace performance. He is interested in three inter-related streams of research. The first research stream pertains to interpersonal forgiveness and examines how and why individuals remove negative thoughts and feelings toward the relational other in the wake of offensive behavior. The second assesses how rich and highly personalized interactions within interpersonal relationships induce positive outcomes and forge resilient dyads. The third pertains to his dissertation and examines how individuals negotiate more desirable work relationships—especially within supervisor-subordinate relationships.