About our authors
Stephen P. Robbins received his PhD from the University of Arizona. He previously worked for the Shell Oil Company and Reynolds Metals Company, and has taught at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Concordia University in Montreal, the University of Baltimore, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and San Diego State University. He is professor emeritus in management at San Diego State.
Dr. Robbins is the world’s best-selling textbook author in the areas of management and organizational behavior. His books have sold more than 7 million copies, and have been translated into 20 languages. His books are currently used at more than 1,500 United States colleges and universities, as well as in hundreds of schools throughout Canada, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. His research interests have focused on conflict, power, and politics in organizations; behavioral decision making; and the development of effective interpersonal skills. His articles on these and other topics have appeared in numerous academic journals.
Dr. Robbins also participates in masters track competitions. Since turning 50 in 1993, he’s won 23 national championships and 14 world titles in sprints, from 60 meters to 400 meters. He was inducted into the US Masters Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2005.
David A. Decenzo received his BA in economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, and his MA with an emphasis on labor economics and PhD in industrial relations from West Virginia University. He has worked as an assistant professor at the University of Baltimore; a corporate trainer/employee development specialist with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maryland; a professor, scholar, and an administrator in various capacities at Towson University in Baltimore; and dean of the Wall College of Business at Coastal Carolina University. Since 2007, he has served as president of Coastal Carolina University, where he has implemented a comprehensive strategic planning process, assured fiscal accountability through policy and practice, and promoted assessment and transparency throughout the university.
Dr. DeCenzo is the author or co-author of nearly 30 textbooks that are used widely at colleges and universities across the United States and throughout the world. His articles have been published in scholarly journals such as the Harvard Business Review and Indiana University’s Business Horizons, as well as in numerous professional publications.
Dr. DeCenzo has served as a member of several academic associations and on many boards for local, community and corporate organizations. He is a member of the board of directors for the North Eastern Strategic Alliance, Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Center, Conway Chamber of Commerce, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, and AVX Corp., among others. He is chair of the Council of Presidents for comprehensive public universities in South Carolina and of the NCAA’s Committee on Institutional Performance, and is a member of the NCAA Division I Presidential Forum.
Robert M. Wolter received AS and BS degrees in organizational leadership and supervision from Purdue University in 1995 and 1997, respectively. He received a MS in adult education from Indiana University in 2002. He holds the position of senior lecturer in the Department of Technology Leadership and Communication at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, where he works in the Organizational Leadership (OLS) program in the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology.
Wolter co-developed an OLS video course/workbook that ran on public TV for 5 years. With an interest in human behaviors in organizations, as well as the application of leadership techniques, he has been teaching at all levels of the undergraduate program for over 16 years. He earned the Indiana University Trustees Teaching Award 5 times, and received the IUPUI Wisner-Stoelk Outstanding Faculty Award 3 times.
Wolter’s working background is in the field of automotive technology, and he was an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)-certified Master Technician for many years. Prior to coming to IUPUI, he taught automotive technology in a private post-secondary vocational technical institute for 13 years.
