Chris Fredette

Chris Fredette is an Professor with the Odette School of Business in the areas of Management and Strategy, emphasizing diverse, inclusive and equitable Nonprofit Leadership and Governance. His research has earned important distinctions including awards from Public Safety Canada, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action, and the Academy oh Management. Chris’s research has been presented and discussed at a variety of research forums in Canada, North America and Europe.

Chris’s research focuses on nonprofit boards of directors and the role of power, diversity and inclusion in shaping change in organizational governance and governing effectiveness.

Honours and Awards

• 2019: Best Paper Award, Academy of Management 2019 conference, Division of Public and Nonprofit Organizations.

• 2017 – 2018: Best Professor Award, Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Odette Commerce Society (undergraduate students).

• 2016: Best Professor Award, Strategy & Entrepreneurship, Odette Commerce Society (Undergraduate students).

• 2015: Best Professor Award, Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Odette Commerce Society (Undergraduate Students).

• 2014: Best Professor Award, Strategy & Entrepreneurship, Odette Commerce Society (Undergraduate Students).

• 2013: Odette New Researcher Award (ONRA), Odette School of Business.

• 2007: Best Paper Award - Honourable Mention, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, Division of Gender and Diversity in Organizations.

INTELLECTUAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Chapters

• Fredette, C. (2020). Planning for Succession in the Interest of Leadership Diversity: An avenue for enhancing organizational diversity. In Phillips, Susan & Wyatt, Bob (Eds.), Inclusion and Equity Intersections and Innovations: Change for Canada's Voluntary and Nonprofit Sector. The Muttart Foundation.

Cases

• Fredette, C. & Pupulin, D. (2020). RW Citrus & Juice: Interim General Manager. Ivey Case Publishing, Product ID # 9B20D003.

Articles

Ethno-racial Diversity on Nonprofit Boards: A Critical Mass Perspective
Fredette, C., & Bernstein, R. (2019).

From Diversity to Inclusion: A Multimethod Study of Diverse Governing Groups
Fredette, C., Bradshaw, P., & Krause, H. (2015).

Determinants of the Range of Ethnocultural Diversity on Nonprofit Boards: A Study of Large Canadian Nonprofit Organizations
Bradshaw, P., & Fredette, C. (2012).

Social capital and nonprofit governance effectiveness
Fredette, C., & Bradshaw, P. (2012).

Fredette, C., & Bradshaw, P. (2011). The inclusive nonprofit boardroom: Leveraging the transformative potential of diversity. Nonprofit Quarterly, 18 (1), 32-38.

Academic Governance of Universities: Reflections of a Senate Chair on Moving From Theory to Practice and Back
Bradshaw, P., & Fredette, C. (2009).

Theory to Practice in Academic Governance: Not the Last Word
Bradshaw, P., & Fredette, C. (2009).

Effects of Newcomer Practicing on Cross-level Learning Distortions
Branzei, O., & Fredette, C. (2008).

Cases

• Pupulin, D., & Fredette, C. (2019). Just-Juice-it!. Ivey Case Publishing.

Conference Proceedings

• Bernstein, R., & Fredette, C. (2019). The impact of leadership diversity among nonprofit organizations. Academy of Management 79th conference, Boston, 1-6.
• Fredette, C., & Bernstein, R. (2018). Institutional conformance or strategic imperative: should nonprofit boards push diversity? Academy of Management Proceedings of the 2018 conference, Chicago.
• Fredette, C. (2015). Social Capital and Organizational Capability Co-emergence. Academy of Management 75th Annual conference, Vancouver, August 7-11.
• Fredette, C., Bradshaw, P., & Stone, C. (2011). Social capital and nonprofit governance effectiveness. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada conference, Montreal.
• Fredette, C., & Branzei, O. (2010). A practice-based view of capability discovery in group settings. Fourth International Conference on Organization Routines, Nice, France.
• Fredette, C., & Bradshaw, P. (2009). From diversity to inclusion: A multi-method examination of diverse governing groups. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, Regina.
• Fredette, C., Bradshaw, P., & Sukornyk, L. (2009). An examination of the determinants of diversity on Canadian nonprofit boards. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, Regina.
• Fredette, C., & Bradshaw, P. (2007). Moving to transformational inclusivity and board diversity. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada 2007 conference, Ottawa.
• Bradshaw, P., Fredette, C., & Inglis, S. (2007). Leveraging power to create diverse nonprofit boards. ARNOVA 2007, Atlanta.
• Fredette, C., & Krasman, J. (2006). Straight from the sources mouth: Exploring the implications of feedback seeking on the source. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada 2006 conference, Banff.
• Fredette, C., Bradshaw, P., & Inglis, S. (2006). Creating diverse non-profit boards: Engaging multiple dimensions of power. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada 2006 conference, Banff.
• Bradshaw, P., Inglis, S., & Fredette, C. (2006). A new model of diversity: Learning from non-profit boardrooms. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada 2006 conference, Banff.
• Fredette, C. (2005). Emotionality, psychological safety and individual emotional responses: Developing further understanding. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, Toronto.

Presentations

• Bernstein, R. & Fredette, C. (2020, June). Influences on nonprofit chief executive compensation: An examination of penalties and privileges. Association for Nonprofit and Social Economy Research (ANSER) virtual conference.
• Fredette, C. & Bernstein, R. (2020). Chief executive compensation: Implications of board governance activities. Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Actions (ARNOVA) 49th annual conference, Indianapolis.
• Bernstein, R. & Fredette, C. (2019, November). Penalties and privileges: An examination of influences on leader compensation. Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Actions (ARNOVA) 48th annual conference, San Diego.
• Fredette, C. & Bernstein, R. (2019, August). Penalty-costs of ethno-racial board diversity: A social capital perspective. Academy of Management 79th Annual meeting, Boston.
• Fredette, C., Phillips, S., Sousa, J., & Lindquist, E. (2019, June). Getting published: Inside tips from journal editors and reviewers. Association for Nonprofit and Social Economic Research (ANSER) 12th annual conference, Vancouver.
• Fredette, C. & Bernstein, R. (2019, June). Decomposing how leadership diversity impacts nonprofit organizations. Association for Nonprofit and Social Economic Research (ANSER) 12th annual conference, Vancouver.
• Fredette, C. & Bernstein, R. (2019, June). The social penalty costs of board diversity. Association for Nonprofit and Social Economic Research (ANSER) 12th annual conference, Vancouver.
• Fredette, C. & Bernstein, R. (2019, April). Diversity and inclusion in nonprofit governance - No more excuses! Critical Perspectives on Nonprofit Governance at the Midwest Centre for Nonprofit Leadership, Kansas City.
• Fredette, C. & Bernstein, R. (2018, November). Decomposing the impact of Leadership Diversity among nonprofit organizations. Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), Austin, Texas.
• Fredette, C., Bernstein, R., Walker, V., Myers, M., McGuiness, J., Leroux, K. (2018, November). Why are we still struggling with diversity, inclusion, and equity in nonprofit governance? Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), Austin, Texas.
• Fredette, C. (2018, October). Diversity, inclusion and equity in the charitable and nonprofit sector. Senate of Canada Special Committee on the Charitable Sector, Ottawa.
• Fredette, C. & Bernstein, R. (2017, November). Pushing board diversity: A response to institutional pressures or a strategic imperative? Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), Grand Rapids, Michigan.
• Fredette, C., Bernstein, R., Bulger, M., Walker, V., & Weisinger, J. (2017, November). From diversity to inclusion: Presenting the inclusive interaction theory. Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), Grand Rapids, Michigan.
• Fredette, C. & Bernstein, R. S. (2017, August). Diversity on nonprofit boards: A critical mass perspective. Academy of Management annual conference, Atlanta.
• Fredette, C. & Bernstein, R. (2016, November). Leadership diversity in the boardroom: a critical mass perspective of the impact of diversity on board governance and performance. Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action conference, Washington, DC.
• Fredette, C. & Branzei, O. (2016, July). Where do capabilities begin? Peer-to-peer socioemotional mechanisms. EGOS Colloquium 2016, Naples, Italy.
• Fredette, C. (2012). Leadership Diversity in the Nonprofit Sector: Baby steps, big strides, and bold stances. The Maytree Foundation and the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance, Toronto.
• Fredette, C. (2012). A Snapshot of Board Diversity among Canadian Nonprofits: Results of a national field study. The Maytree Foundation and the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance Champions Council, Toronto.
• Lopes, S. & Fredette, C. (2012). Ten Tips to Diversify Nonprofit Boards. Fifth annual DiverseCity Counts, Charity Village, The Maytree Foundation and the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance, Toronto.
• Fredette, C., Waller, M. J., & Zhike, L. (2012, August). Moving targets: Information-laden processes in turbulent times. Academy of Management, Boston.
• Fredette, C. (2011). Wired into and Beyond our Organizations: Understanding Control, Coordination and Communication in the Age of Social Networks. Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Ottawa.
• Fredette, C. (2011). Advances in Organizing Contemporary Thought and Action. Public Works and Government Services Canada, Gatineau, Quebec.
• Fredette, C. & Waller, M. J. (2011, May). Moving targets: Adaptation in team interaction patterns. European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology, Maastricht, Netherlands.
• Fredette, C. & Bradshaw, P. (2010, November). Board diversity to inclusion: A multi-method exploration. Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), Alexandria, Virginia.
• Fredette, C. & Branzei, O. (2010, August). A foreground-background model of capability discovery. Academy of Management, Montreal.
• Fredette, C. & Branzei, O. (2010, July). A foreground-background model of capability discovery. European Group and Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium, Lisbon, Portugal.
• Fredette, C. & Waller, M. J. (2010, April). The development of team coordination: An investigation using the ELICIT simulation and THEME pattern recognition analysis. Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Atlanta.
• Fredette, C., Bradshaw, P., & Surornyk, L. (2009, November). Diversity on Canadian nonprofit boards: Findings from a national survey. Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), Cleveland, Ohio.
• Fredette, C., Valente, M., & Oliver, C. (2009, August). Institutional forces as a predictor of competitive rivalry. Academy of Management, August, Chicago.
• Fredette, C., Bradshaw, P., & Surornyk, L. (2009, May). Results of a survey of diversity on Canadian nonprofit boards. Association for Nonprofit and Social Economy Research, Ottawa.
• Fredette, C. (2008, August). Resourcing social capital in the emergence of organizational capabilities. Academy of Management, August, Anaheim, California.
• Fredette, C. & Branzei, O. (2008, February). Out of the blue: Social and emotional micro-foundations of capability (re)generation. Organization Science Winter Conference, February, Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
• Fredette, C. & Branzei, O. (2007, August). Routine performativity in groups: Socio-emotional contextualizing of individual practice. Third International Conference on Organizational Routines, Strasbourg, France.
• Fredette, C. & Branzei, O. (2007, July). Socialized micro-foundations of capability dynamization. European Group and Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Fredette, C. & Branzei, O. (2007, June). Sources and dynamics of group-level learning distortions. International Conference on Organizational Learning, Knowledge and Capabilities, London, Canada.
• Fredette, C. & Bradshaw, P. (2007, January). Academic governance of universities: Reflections of a senate chair on moving theory to practice and back. 28th McMaster World Congress, Hamilton, Canada
• Fredette, C. & Georgie, V. (2006, September). Headlines from the Hollinger affair: Management and leadership perspectives on Lord Conrad Black. Atlantic Schools of Business annual conference, Sackville, New Brunswick.
• Fredette, C. & Bell, C. (2006, June). Identity uncertainty and compensatory or non-compensatory justice judgements. International Association for Conflict Management, Montreal.

Grants (Competitive; Funded only)

• 2010-2013: Fredette, C. Social Capital Emergency and the Co-Evolution of Organizational Capabilities ($108,128), SSHRC.
• 2008: Fredette, C. Public Safety Canada Research Fellowship in honour of Stuart Nesbitt White ($19,250), Public Safety Canada, Federal Government of Canada.
• 2007: Fredette, C. Transformational Inclusivity: Learning from Board Diversity ($7,500), Institute for Governance of Private and Public Institutions.
• 2006-2007: Fredette, C. Doctoral Research Fellowship ($40,000), Principal Investigator, SSHRC.

Research Reports

• 2013: Fredette, C., Singh, J., & Ingram, L., Principles of Responsible Management and Education (PRME) Progress Report., submitted to PRME Secretariat, Foundation for the UN Global Compact.
• 2012: Fredette, C., Leadership Diversity in the Nonprofit Sector: Baby steps, big strides and bold stances. submitted to The Maytree Foundation; The Greater Toronto Civic Action Alliance.
• 2009: Bradshaw, P., Fredette, C., & Sukornyk, L., A call to action: Diversity on Canadian not-for-profit boards, submitted to Schulich School of Business, York University.