About Me

I am an Assistant Professor of Management in the Department of Management and Marketing at NKU. I earned my Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. I also have a Master of Social Science degree in Human Resource Management from Utah State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Weber State University.

I am currently teaching courses in Organizational Behavior (BAD 305) and Human Resource Administration (MGT 340). During my 5 years at Nebraska I taught courses in Organizational Behavior, Labor Relations, Business Policy & Strategy, and Management Science.

I have conducted and presented scholarly research in several areas including: innovation in work teams, individual creativity, psychological engagement at work, and computer learning. My doctoral dissertation investigated the innovation process in ongoing work groups and proposed how various group and task factors influence group support for innovation and the linkages between individual innovativeness, group support for innovation, and group innovation. I am also interested in intrinsic motivation, workplace democracy, procedural justice, employee rights, and ethical decision-making.

I have publications forthcoming in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology and the Journal of Educational Computing Research.

My job experience in the "real world" includes time as a training facilitator, as a senior research & development technician, as an account manager, and as an Army field artillery officer. I worked for several well-known companies including Thiokol Corp. and Morton International. All of these very different work experiences have informed the way I think about organizations and have given me ideas for research and teaching in my field.

I grew up in Ogden, Utah and enjoyed the mountains and lakes and streams and deserts in that state. I spent my leisure time fishing for trout, hiking, camping, and running cross-country. I have been married 11 years to a wonderful woman, Katherine, who is a graduate student in biology at the University of Nebraska.

Finally, I apologize for using the "I" word so much on this page- but it is "about me" after all!

I have included a listing of my research below:

RESEARCH: MANUSCRIPTS ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION

May, D.R., Gilson, R.L., & Harter, L. (2003). The psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety, and availability and the engagement of the human spirit at work. Manuscript accepted for publication in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology.

Pauli, K.P., May, D.R., & Gilson, R.L. (2003). Fun and games: the influence of a playful pre-training intervention and microcomputer playfulness on computer-related performance. Manuscript accepted for publication in the Journal of Educational Computing Research.

RESEARCH: PROCEEDINGS

Gilson, R.L., May, D.R., & Harter, L. (1998). To monitor or not to monitor: the influence of supervisory monitoring and motivation orientation on creativity. Southern Management Association Proceedings, 1998, p. 4-6.

RESEARCH: CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

May, D.R., Gilson, R.L., & Harter, L. (1999). Engaging the human spirit at work: Exploring the psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety, and availability. (Paper presented at the 1999 National Academy of Management Conference, Chicago, IL.)

Pauli, K.P., May, D.R., & Gilson, R.L. (1999). The effect of motivation orientation on intention to use computers. (Paper presented at the Midwest Academy of Management Conference in Lincoln, NE.)

Pauli, K.P., May, D.R., & Gilson, R.L. (1998). Fun and games: the influence of a playful pretraining intervention and microcomputer playfulness on computer related performance. (Paper presented at the 1998 National Academy of Management Conference in San Diego, CA.)

Gilson, R.L. & May, D.R. (1998). Creativity in work groups: the influence of task interdependence and task routineness on group support for creativity. (Paper presented at the Midwest Academy of Management Conference in Kansas City, MO.)

RESEARCH: WORKING PAPERS

Gilson, R.L. Bridging the gap between individual innovativeness and group innovation: an investigation of the innovation process in work groups. (Doctoral Dissertation: completed July 25, 2002).

Gilson, R.L. Idea evaluation and creativity in groups: the important role of relational judgments.

Gilson, R.L. Incentives for self-directed work teams: the social dilemma between equity and equality.

Gilson, R.L. Peer appraisal in work groups: an attempt to reduce social loafing.

Gilson, R.L. Socio-technical systems theory and Marx's critique of the capitalist mode of production.