On May 9, Professor Li Wendong from the Department of Management at The Chinese University of Hong Kong visited the School of Management, Shandong University, and delivered an academic lecture titled “Genetics and Temporal Dynamics: Implications for Leadership Research”. The lecture was presided over by Professor Lin Weipeng, Head of the Department of Leadership and Organizational Management, and was attended by a large number of faculty members and students.
Li systematically discussed the influence of genetics and temporal dynamics on leadership research. He began by outlining the background and motivation of his research and introduced the novel idea of incorporating genetic perspectives into the field of OBHRM (Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management). He shared findings from several of his studies, including Can Becoming a Leader Change Your Personality? A Two-Study Investigation from a Role-Based Perspective, and engaged in thoughtful discussion with the audience on whether taking on leadership roles can reshape one’s personality traits. Addressing the long-standing debate on whether personality can change, Li compared emerging perspectives in personality psychology and organizational behavior. He emphasized that while genetic traits are relatively stable, their influence unfolds through interactions with the environment, rather than remaining constant. His work offered valuable insights into reconciling the theoretical tension between nature and nurture.
In the afternoon, Li joined a roundtable discussion with faculty and students from the School. The session featured active participation and covered a wide range of topics, including formulating research questions, model development, research design and data collection, academic career planning, and graduate student training. Faculty participants included Professors Tang Guiyao and Cai Di, as well as Associate Professors Liu Depeng, Chen Mengyuan, and Ma Zixiang.
Li Wendong is a tenured professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and previously served on the faculty of Kansas State University in the United States. His research focuses on leadership, proactivity, job design, individual differences, artificial intelligence, and the gig economy. His work has been published in leading journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JPSP), Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP), Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, and Harvard Business Review. His research has received coverage from international media outlets including The Economist, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and South China Morning Post. He has received multiple prestigious awards from international academic organizations, including the Schuler Scholar Award in International HRM from the Academy of Management and the Hogan Award for Personality and Work Performance from the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. He currently serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology Management and Organizational Review and Asia Pacific Journal of Management, and is a member of the editorial boards of JAP, Personnel Psychology, Acta Psychologica Sinica, Fundamental Research, and PNAS Nexus, among others.
