Greg Obi

Education

• Ph.D.: Indiana Institute of Technology (Fort Wayne, IN), Major: Global Leadership/Organizational Management
• MBA: Purdue University, Major: Management
• Post Graduate Diploma: Enugu State University of Science & Technology (Enugu, Nigeria), Major: Mass Communications Higher National Diploma: Institute of Management & Technology (Enugu, Nigeria), Major: Mass Communication

Research Interests

• How organizational management practices vary across cultures, emphasizing cross-cultural leadership paradigms, gender, socioeconomic status, minority, diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging issues in today’s organizations. The focus is on how these variables influence employees as well as organizational outcomes. Obi's aim is in writing pedagogy materials (case studies, book chapters, skill series, etc.) from his research findings to support effective classroom engagement.

Professional Experience

• August 2015 - Present: Assistant Professor and Campus Coordinator for Business Management Technology at Ohio University (Chillicothe)
• Summer 2010 - Spring 2018: Adjunct Faculty/Part-time Instructor for College of Professional Studies at Indiana Institute of Technology (Munster Campus)
• January 2008 - Fall 2018: Adjunct Faculty/Limited Term Lecturer for College of Business at Purdue University Calumet
• August 2008 - July 2015: Adjunct Faculty/Part-time Instructor for School of Business at Ivy Tech College (Northwest)
• 2005 - 2007: Graduate Aide/Research Assistant for MBA Program for School of Management at Purdue University
• 1999 - 2004: Manager of Corporate Affairs Department for Sovereign Trust Insurance, Ltd. in Lagos, Nigeria

Publications

• Transforming Your Organizational Culture into an Inclusive Environment. Publication in the Sage Business Skills Series – September 2024.
• Power, Privilege, and Inclusion. Publication in the Sage Business Skills Series – September 2024.
• Transformative Learning Experiences of Students from an Accredited U.S. Institution Participating in Short-Term Study Abroad Programs A research paper co-authored with Dr. Jean-Francois (Ohio University) and Rashimi Sharma (Western Illinois University). To be published in the International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies ISSN 2520-0968 (Online), ISSN 2409-1294 (Print), September 2023, Vol.10, No.4
• Gender Perceptions of Psychological Empowerment in the Workplace: A Comparative Analysis from Two Cultures. Published in the International Journal of Business and Social Science Research – July 2021. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.47742/ijbssr.v2n7p
• Revenue Dampening Effect of the Oil-Dollar Inverse Relationship for Sub-Saharan African Economies – A research paper co-authored with Dr. Pat Obi (Purdue University Northwest) and Ebenezer Anarfor (Ghana Institute of Management). Published in Journal of African Business - March 2019: https://doi.org/10.1080/15228916.2019.1580997.
• Sydney Brian-Peters: A Case Study in Gender and Leadership Issues - business case study for Management, leadership, and business department. Published by the Sage Business Cases series – January 2018. ISBN: 9781526439956 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526439956
• Tourism: The Untapped Goldmine in the Gold Coast. Published by Tourism and Hotel Management (ISSN 1330-7533). research paper co-authored with Dr. Pat Obi (Purdue University Northwest) and Robert Martin (Vaal University of Technology).
• Fela Kuti: The Man, His music, the Activist.  - Book chapter in Grassroots Leadership & the Arts for Social Change; a Volume in the ILA Series Building Leadership Bridges edited by Susan J. Erenrich and Jon F. Wergin. Publication date; March 2017.
• Human resource management outsourcing and financial performance in micro-businesses, Nov. 2007. Research paper co-authored with Dr. Casimir C. Barczyk and Dr. Jamaluddin H. Husain School of Management, Purdue University Calumet.
• Universal Banking and its Impact on the Insurance Industry – Published in “The Underwriter” (Journal of the Department of Insurance & Actuarial Science, University of Lagos, Nigeria, 2002.

Presentations and Awards

Awards:

2025 - Regional Higher Education Outstanding Tenure-track Faculty award.

2019 - Presidential Global Connection Travel Award.

2017 - Nomination for an Ohio University Teaching Award

Conference & Workshop Presentations:

AI and Work Process: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown - Brown Bag Presentation at Ohio University Chillicothe Alumni Week. April 11, 2024.

Diversity, Ethics, and Workplace Collaboration - Presented at Ohio University’s Equity and Social Justice Conference, January 6, 2022

VoiceThread: hands-on training on the use of VoiceThread for teaching in a virtual world. - Virtual workshop presented to faculty and staff of Ohio University to support faculty transition to online/virtual learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. May 2020.

Gender Perceptions of Psychological Empowerment in the Workplace: A Comparative Analysis from Two Cultures. - Presented at the International Academy of Business and Public Administration Disciplines (IABPAD) Conference – Jan. 2-5, 2020. Orlando, FL.

Psychological Empowerment in the Workplace: A Comparative Analysis from Two Cultures. Presented at the 21^st Annual International Conference of GBATA – July 9-13^th 2019, Paris, France.

Bridging the Experiential Learning Gap: Global Interactions from Home.- Presented at the 2019 Spotlight on Learning Conference, Ohio University, Athens.

Authentic Grassroots Leadership & Cultural Activists.- Co-presented at the 20^th Annual ILA Global Conference, West Palm Beach, FL, October 2018

The Oil-Dollar Inverse Correlations: Evidence of Revenue Dampening of Oil-Dependent Sub-Saharan African Economies.- Co-presented at the 8^th Annual Global Business Conference (GBC) in Dubrovnik, Croatia, September 2017.

Technologies for online learning and classroom instruction - Presented at the 2017 Spotlight on Learning Conference, Ohio University, Athens.

International Tourism in the Gold Coast: A Vector Error Correction Study.-  Co-presented at the International Academy of Business and Public Administration Disciplines (IABPAD) Conference in Vancouver, Canada, July 2015. A research paper co-authored with Dr. Pat Obi (Purdue University Calumet).

Human resource management outsourcing and financial performance in micro-businesses, - Co-presented at the International Colloquium in Micro-Businesses (ICBM) Bangkok, Thailand Nov. 2007’ co-authored with Dr. Casimir C. Barczyk and Dr. Jamaluddin H. Husain (Purdue University Calumet).

Certifications

• 2020: ACUE’s Certification in Effective College Instruction
• 2019: VoiceThread Master Class Diploma
• 2017: Certified VoiceThread Educator
• 2008: Online (Blackboard) Faculty Certification Ivy Tech Community College Northwest

Bio

Greg-Victor (Greg) Obi is an Associate Professor of Management at the College of Business of Ohio University. He also serves as the adviser to the business management program students on the Chillicothe campus of the university. For the past twenty-plus years, he has worked at various universities and community colleges, mostly in the Midwest of the USA. He has a Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Organizational Management and an ACUE certification in Effective College Instruction.

Obi has faculty roles in a few other universities, teaching mostly adult graduate students. He teaches International Business/Management as a part-time professor in the Executive MBA program of Purdue Northwest University in Hammond, Indiana. He is also a Visiting Professor of Organizational Behavior and Leadership at Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM), Ancona, Italy.

Dr. Obi’s published scholarly works include book chapters, business case studies, and research articles. His primary research interests are how organizational management practices vary across cultures, emphasizing cross-cultural leadership paradigms, gender, socioeconomic status, minority, diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging issues in today’s organizations. The focus is on how these variables influence employees as well as organizational outcomes. Contrasting findings between developing countries and developed countries, such as the United States. His research seeks to highlight what these seemingly divergent "worlds" can learn from each other.

Obi says that growing up in a developing nation (Nigeria) enabled him to realize quite early that education, with its attendant benefits, is one of the most assured paths to breaking from the vicious circle of poverty (intellectually and otherwise) both at the individual and societal levels. He believes that the growth and development of a nation depend on the nation’s educated labor force, which Peter Drucker referred to as “Knowledge Workers”. He notes that as an adult, reflecting on his childhood, he understands that part of what distinguished his siblings and him from their peers was the opportunity (provided by his parents) to think “glocally” and to see beyond the shores of Nigeria. His pedagogy aims to provide such a global and community mindset to his students.

Professor Greg Obi is a single parent of a son. He says of himself, "I am afraid of heights, but I love zip lining, and I have done zip lining in over 20 countries worldwide. I love to cook and garden when I can. I like coffee and my quiet mornings. I am eclectic when it comes to music, but classical music (opera mostly) comes first, then jazz, country, and ethnic music, but never heavy metal music."

His teaching philosophy is summarized in the words of Albert Einstein: “Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a precious gift and not as a hard duty”.

Additional Information

Ohio University Program Internal Reviewer Status:

Programs Reviewed:

• Department of Social and Public Health Program.
• Social Work Program.
• Law Enforcement Technology Program.
• Modern Languages Program.

Pedagogical Accomplishments & Certification:

• 2023: Blackboard Ultra ECP Award Winner (Anthology Inc.).
• 2020: ACUE’s Certification in Effective College Instruction.
• 2019: VoiceThread Master Class Diploma
• 2017: Certified VoiceThread Educator
• 2017: Remind Connected Educator
• 2016: Quality Matter Rubric – APPQMR (Ohio Statewide System)
• 2008: Online (Blackboard) Faculty Certification, Ivy Tech Community College Northwest
• 2006: Student Leadership Conference for Northwest Indiana, Sponsor: Purdue University Calumet.

Professional Service and Engagement:

International Leadership Association - Member.

Midwest Academy of Management (MWAOM) - Member:

MWAOM 2024  - Conference Paper Reviewer

Community Service:

American Red Cross (South-Central Ohio Chapter):

• Chairperson, Board of Directors 2020 – 2024.
• Diversity and Inclusion Lead.
• Mass-Care Shelter Supervisor.
• DAT Service Associate/Virtual Responder.

First Capital Enterprises: (non-profit serving adults with developmental disabilities in South-Central Ohio).

• Member Board of Directors
• Board Chairperson – 2017-2019.

United Way of Ross County – Board of Trustees (Current Vice Chairperson).

Ohio State Certified Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Trainer.

Ross County, Ohio Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) - Trainer and Member.

Adena Health Systems Community Program – Volunteer (since November 2015).