Natalie Croitoru

Ph.D. Candidate in Organizational Behavior

Caroline H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellow

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Kenan-Flagler Business School

Welcome! Thank you for visiting my site.

I am a Ph.D. Candidate specializing in the dynamics of adversity within the workplace, where I take both intrapersonal and interpersonal perspectives. In one stream of work, I address how individuals and teams interpret and respond to sources of adversity in their professional environments (e.g. when life events disrupt work; when obligations constrain personal morals). In a second stream, which is the core of my dissertation, I unpack the challenges associated with being resilient as a leader. I apply a variety of methodologies in my research, including field studies with organizations, pre-registered experiments, team simulations, and meta-analysis. For my dissertation, I am leading a partnership with a large organization to explore my ideas in the field. 

In 2023, I received the Peggy Lee-Sunhil Wahal Award, given annually at Kenan-Flagler to an outstanding graduate student researcher.

I also teach the fundamentals of leading and managing in the undergraduate business program and facilitate team building sessions for MBA students.

I hold a B.A. in Psychology (honors) and History from Rice University and my M.S. in Management from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

To contact me, please email Natalie_Croitoru@kenan-flagler.unc.edu

Publications

Kundro, T.G., Croitoru, N., & Helgason, B.A. (In Press). Moral or lawful? When legal constraints reverse the motivational benefits of moral considerations. Organization Science. Articles in Advance, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.17545 

Pearsall, M.J., Christian, J.S., & Croitoru, N (In Press). A Stimulus-Based Model of the Team Adaptation Process: An Integrated Conceptual Review [Monograph]. Journal of Applied Psychology.

*Designated as a Monograph. The designation is used to indicate work that makes a particularly substantial and significant contribution to the field, as decided by the Senior Editorial Team. On average, less than 1 article per year is selected, making it a “rare and high distinction” at the journal.


Mitchell, M. S., Sharma, S., Zipay, K. P., Bies, R. J., & Croitoru, N. (2024). Considering personal needs in misdeeds: The role of compassion in shaping observer reactions to leader leniency. Journal of Applied Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001246

Sherf, E. N., Croitoru, N., & McElroy, T. (2024). A reinforcement sensitivity theory view of seeking behaviors at work: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 77(2), 847-890. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12579 

Current Work & Invited Revisions

Croitoru, N., Christian, J.S., & Pearsall, M.J. Returning to work from extended leave. Preparing for submission.


Croitoru, N. (Dissertation – Paper 1) Resilience and interpersonal implications.

 

Croitoru, N. (Dissertation – Paper 2) Responses of resilient leaders to help subordinates.

 

Croitoru, N. (Dissertation – Paper 3) Habitual self-sacrifice.

Pearsall, M.J., Christian, J.S., Croitoru, N., & Barbera, T. Team failures. Under Review.

Teaching Experience

Professor of BUSI 405: Leading & Managing. Undergraduate level. Instructor Rating: 4.94/5

Facilitator for Team-Building Feedback Sessions, MBA 801: Leading & Managing. MBA level. Facilitator Rating: 5/5

My entry into graduate school involved translating research on teams to applied settings and audiences in the field. Although my current focus is on research, I have published book chapters on these foundations:

Croitoru, N., Bisbey, T., & Salas, E. (2021). Team Training for Long-Duration Space Exploration: A Look Ahead at the Coming Challenges. In L.B. Landon, K.J. Slack, & E. Salas (Eds.), Psychology and Human Performance in Space Programs: Extreme Application. CRC Press.

Croitoru, N., & Salas, E. (2021). Work Teams in Organizations: A Historical Reflection and (New) Lessons Learned. In L. Koppes Bryan (Ed.), Historical perspectives in industrial and organizational psychology (2nd ed.).  Routledge/Taylor and Francis Group.