Matt Hughey

Matt is a fifth-year PhD candidate in Organizational Behavior at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business. He is currently on the job market and looking for a tenure-track position at a research university.

Matt is fascinated by occupational identities. Using predominantly qualitative methods, his research explores how individuals adopt, construct, assimilate, and enact occupational identities. In short, his research investigates the second question often asked of any new acquaintance: “What do you do?” He has studied this phenomenon across a variety of contexts including healthcare workers, farmers, and entrepreneurs. Given his level of analysis (i.e., occupations), Matt’s research routinely spans organizational behavior, entrepreneurship, and organization theory. His dissertation ‘Creating More Than Just A New Venture: Constructing The Entrepreneurial Identity’ is a longitudinal study of identity construction among entrepreneurs embedded in a university-sponsored accelerator. Matt also researches the intersection of occupational identity and work-life boundaries, burnout, stigma, and expertise. His research has appeared in such outlets as the Journal of Applied Psychology and, soon, the Academy of Management Journal. Matt’s research was recently recognized by Responsible Research in Business and Management (RRBM) as research that exemplifies methodological rigor and social impact.

Prior to his PhD, Matt received his BA from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA from the University of Utah. When he’s not wearing his researcher hat, Matt enjoys teaching his youngest son how to ride a bike, whipping up a delicious breakfast for his growing family, and exploring the Wasatch mountains (by foot, bike, or splitboard).