Pamela Tolbert

Overview

Professor Tolbert is the Lois S. Gray Professor of ILR and Social Sciences, ILR Director of Graduate Studies and professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior. She came to the ILR School after receiving her Ph.D in sociology from UCLA. She is broadly interested in processes of organizational change, culture and entrepreneurship, and organizational practices and social inequality.

Research Statement

Her current research includes work on cross-cultural differences in entrepreneurial attitudes, diversity management in organizations, and growth strategies in cultural organizations. She has served on the editorial boards of a variety of organization and sociological journals, as the book review editor for Administrative Science Quarterly, and as a senior editor for Management Science; Academy of Management Review, Organization Science and Administrative Science Quarterly. She has also been a guest editor for a special issue of Organization Studies on careers, and an issue of the ILR Review on diversity management practices.

Service Statement

ILR Director of Graduate Studies, 2015-present; Chair, Department of Organizational Behavior 1997-2013; Acting Director Sloan WorkFamily Careers Institute, 2003.

Outreach Statement

Advisory board member of ILR''s Labor and Employment Law program. Co-organizer of LELP conferences, 2015, 2014, 2011, 2010, 2008.

Publications

Journal Articles

• Pamela Tolbert, Emilio Castilla. 2017. Editorial essay: Introduction to a special issue on inequality in the workplace, ILR Review . 70(1):3-15.
• Ronit Waismel-Manor, Asaf Levanon, Pamela Tolbert. 2016. Impact of family ecnomic structure on dual-earners'' career and family satisfaction, Sex Roles . 75(7):349-362.
• Mallika Banerjee, Pamela Tolbert, Thomas Diciccio. 2012. Friend or foe? The effects of contingent workers on standard workers'' job sttitudes, International Journal of Human Resources Management . 11:2180-2204.
• Michelle M Duguid, Denise L Loyd, Pamela Tolbert. 2012. The Impact of Categorical Status, Numeric Representation and Work Group Prestige on Preference for Demographically Similar Others: A Value Threat Approach. , Organization Science . 23:386-401.
• Pamela Tolbert, Robert David, Wesley D Sine. 2011. Institutional theory and entrepreneurship research: Studying choice and change, Organization Science . 22(5):1332-1344.
• Pamela Tolbert, Robert J David, Wesley Sine. 2011. Studying Choice and Change: The Intersection of Institutional Theory and Entrepreneurship Research, Organization Science . 22(5):1332-1344. (DOI:dx.doi.org/doi:10.1287/orsc.1100.0601)
• Hugh P. Gunz, Wolfgang Mayrhofer, Pamela Tolbert. 2011. Career as a social and political phenomenon in the globalized economy., Organization Studies . 32:613-620.
• Sangchan Park, Wesley D Sine, Pamela Tolbert. 2011. Institutions in action: Tenure systems and faculty employment in colleges and universities, Work and Occupations . 38(3):340-371.
• Pamela Tolbert, Shon R Hiatt. 2010. The shape of things to come: Institutions, entrepreneurs and the case of hedge funds, Research in the Sociology of Work . 21:157-182.
• Shon Russell Hiatt, Wesley Sine, Pamela Tolbert. 2009. From Pabst to Pepsi: The Deinstitutionalization of Social Practices and the Creation of Entrepreneurial Opportunities, Administrative Science Quarterly (Cornell) . 54(4):635-667. (DOI:dx.doi.org/doi:10.2189/asqu.2009.54.4.635)
• Pamela Tolbert, Shon Hiatt. 2009. On organizations and oligarchies: Michels in the 21st century, Sociological Classics and Organization Research .
• Wesley Sine, Heather A. Haveman, Pamela Tolbert. 2005. Risky Business? Entrepreneurship in the New Independent-Power Sector, Administrative Science Quarterly (Cornell) . 50(2):200-232.
• Sheila Danko, Supaporn Vithayathawornwong, Pamela Tolbert. 2003. The role of the physical environment in supporting organizational creativity, Journal of Interior Design . 29:18-35.
• Pamela Tolbert, Phyllis E Moen. 1998. Men''s and women''s definitions of "good" jobs: Similarities and differences by age and across time, Work and Occupations . 25:147-162.
• Pamela Tolbert. 1998. Two-tiered faculty systems and organizational outcomes, New Directions for Higher Education . 104:71-80.
• Stephen R Barley, Pamela Tolbert. 1997. Institutionalization and structuration: Studying the links between action and institution, Organization Studies . 18:93-118.
• Pamela Tolbert, Tal Simons, Alice Andrews, Jaehoon Rhee. 1995. Effects of gender composition on faculty turnover, Industrial and Labor Relations Review . 48:562-579.
• Pamela Tolbert, Alice A Oberfield. 1991. Sources of organizational demography: Faculty sex ratios in colleges and universities, Sociology of Education . 64(4):305-317.
• Pamela Tolbert, Alice A Oberfield. 1989. Physicians'' work, ILR Report . 26:8-13.
• Sara Rynes, Pamela Strausser, Pamela Tolbert. 1988. Aspirations to manage: A comparison of engineering students and working engineers, Journal of Vocational Behavior . 32(2):239-253.
• Pamela Tolbert. 1986. Organizations and inequality: Sources of earnings differences between male and female faculty, Sociology of Education . 59:227-245.
• Pamela Tolbert. 1985. Institutional environments and resource dependence: Sources of administrative structure in institutions of higher education, Administrative Science Quarterly . 30:1-13.
• Pamela Tolbert, Lynne G Zucker. 1983. Institutional sources of change in the formal structure of organizations: The diffusion of civil service reform, 1880-1930, Administrative Science Quarterly . 28:22-39.

Books

• Pamela Tolbert, Richard Hall. 2009. Organizations: Structure, Processes and Outcomes. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, United States: Prentice Hall, 2009.
• Pamela Tolbert. 1993. Research in the Sociology of Organizations: Collective Bargaining (co-editor). Greenwich CT, United States: JAI Press, 1993. Pamela S Tolbert, Peter Bamberger, David Torres.
• Samuel Bacharach, Pamela Tolbert. 1992. Research in the Sociology of Organizations: Organizational Demography and Current Research Issues. Greenwich CT, United States: JAI Press, 1992.
• Pamela Tolbert. 1991. Research in the Sociology of Organizations (co-editor). Greenwich CT, United States: JAI Press, 1991. Pamela S Tolbert, Richard Majuka, David Torres.
• Pamela Tolbert, Stephen R Barley. 1990. Research in the Sociology of Organizations: Professions and Organizations. Greenwich CT, United States: JAI Press, 1990.

Book Chapters

• Pamela Tolbert, Ryan S Coles. 2016. Studying entrepreneurship as an institution. in Knowledge and Institutions. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer-Verlag, 2016. Johannes Gluecker and Roy Suddaby. (42)(Accepted)
• Pamela Tolbert, Lynne G Zucker. 2013. Neo-institutional theory. in Encyclopedia of Management Theory. Thousand Oaks, CA, United States: Sage, 2013. Kessler, Eric. (5)(Accepted)
• Pamela Tolbert. 2013. Robert Michels and the Iron Law of Oligarchy. in Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social and Political Movements. Oxford, England: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013. Snow, David et al.. (Accepted)
• Pamela Tolbert, Shon R. Hiatt. 2010. The shape of things to come: Institutions, entrepreneurs and the case of hedge funds. in Research in the Sociology of Work. Westfield, CT, United States: JAI Press, 2010. (157-182)
• Pamela Tolbert, Shon R Hiatt. 2009. On organizations and oligarchies: Michels in the 21st century. in Sociological Classics and Organizational Research. London, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2009. Paul Adler. (174-199)
• Pamela Tolbert, Mary Graham, Alice Andrews. 1999. Causes and consequences of variations in groups'' gender composition. in Handbook of Gender Studies. Thousand Oaks CA, United States: Sage Publications, 1999. G Powell. (179-202)
• Pamela Tolbert. 1996. Occupations, organizations and boundaryless careers. in Boundaryless Careers. New York NY, United States: Oxford University Press, 1996. M Arthur, D Rousseau. (91-107)
• Pamela Tolbert, Lynne G Zucker. 1996. The institutionalization of institutional theory. in Handbook of Organization Studies. London, United Kingdom: Sage Publications, 1996. S Clegg, C Hardy, W Nord. (175-190)
• Pamela Tolbert, Alice Andrews, Tal Simons. 1995. Effects of group proportions on intergroup relations. in Work Team Diversity: Perspectives and Paradigms. Washington, DC, United States: APA Press, 1995. S Jackson, M Ruderman.
• Pamela Tolbert. 1992. Comment on "War and Peace". in Doing Exemplary Organizational Research. Beverly Hills CA, United States: Sage Publications, 1992. P Frost, R Stablein.
• Pamela Tolbert. 1992. Future status of women in white collar and professional occupations. in Breaking the Barriers: White Collar Women on the Move. Washington, DC, United States: Department of Professional Employees, AFL-CIO, 1992. P Wilson. (1-7)
• Stephen R Barley, Pamela Tolbert. 1991. At the intersection of organizations and occupations. in Research in the Sociology of Organizations. Greenwich CT, United States: JAI Press, 1991. Pamela S Tolbert, Stephen R Barley.
• Pamela Tolbert, Robert N Stern. 1991. Governance structures in large law firms. in Research in the Sociology of Organizations. Greenwich CT, United States: JAI Press, 1991. Pamela S Tolbert, Stephen R Barley.
• Pamela Tolbert, Robert N Stern. 1990. Inequality in a company of equals: Participation in large law firms. in International Handbook of Participation in Organizations. London, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1990. Raymond Russell, Veljko Rus.
• Pamela Tolbert. 1990. Negotiations in organizations: A sociological perspective. in Research on Negotiations in Organizations. Greenwich CT, United States: JAI Press, 1990. M Bazerman, B Sheppard, R Lewicki.
• Pamela Tolbert, Jeffrey Arthur. 1988. Institutionalization and negotiations in organizations. in Research on Negotiations in Organizations. Greenwich CT, United States: JAI Press, 1988. M Bazerman, B Sheppard, R Lewicki.
• Pamela Tolbert. 1988. Institutionalization and organizational culture in major law firms. in Institutional Patterns and Organizations: Culture and Environment. Boston MA, United States: Ballinger Press, 1988. L Zucker.

Book Reviews

• Pamela Tolbert. 1990. Review of ''The Systems of Professions: An Essay on the Division of Expert Labor'' by Andrew Abbott. in Administrative Science Quarterly. 1990. (410-413)
• Pamela Tolbert. 1990. Review of ''Partners with Power: The Social Transformation of the Large Firm'' by Robert Nelson. in American Journal of Sociology. 1990. (1081-1083)
• Pamela Tolbert. 1987. Review of ''Strategy and Organization'' by Glenn Carroll and David Vogel. in Administrative Science Quarterly. 1987. (632-635)
• Pamela Tolbert. 1985. Review of ''Critical Studies in Organization and Bureaucracy'' by Frank Fischer and Carmen Sirianni. in Contemporary Sociology. 1985. (379-380)
• Pamela Tolbert. 1984. Review of ''Politics of Shopfloor Technology'' by Barry Wilkinson. in Industrial and Labor Relations Review. 1984.

Selected Works

Selected Works is a service of BePress Publishing that helps readers follow a scholar''s most current work. View Selected Works of Pamela Tolbert

Honors and Awards

• Fellow, Academy of Management.
• Fellow, Judge School of Business, Cambridge University.
• Lois S. Gray Chaired Professor of Industrial Relations and Social Sciences, Cornell University.
• Robert N. Stern Graduate Student Mentoring Award, ILR/Cornell. 2008
• Outstanding Professor, Cornell National Panhellenic Council. 1990
• Best Published Paper, American Sociological Association. 1987

### Areas of Expertise

Affirmative action

Change and development

Complex organizations

Discrimination

Diversity and Inclusion

Education

Entrepreneurial firms

Equal employment opportunity

Gender and families

Human Resources

Inclusive organizations

Innovation

Institutional structure and politics

Occupational segregation

Occupations and Professions

Organizations

Strategic tactics

Technology and work

Temporary and contract workers

Wage differentials and inequality

Women in the workplace

Work and families

Workplace democracy

Other Areas of Expertise

Organization Theory and Design, Intergroup Relations, Professions and Occcupations, Workplace Inequality Stratification, Higher Education Organizations