Five Questions with Lindsey Yonish
Lindsey M. Yonish is an assistant professor in the Management and Entrepreneurship academic area. Before joining the KU School of Business, Yonish received her doctorate in management from Texas A&M University and her bachelor's in business administration from Northeastern University.
Her research interests lie in using stakeholder perspectives to examine topics such as interactions between organizations and their various social environments. Her work has been published in Organization Science, Journal of Management and The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Social Evaluations (forthcoming).
What got you interested in your field, and what is the most rewarding part of being involved in it?
As a student, I observed that corporations today, particularly the largest and most prominent ones, have an unprecedented amount of influence over not just the economy but also society at large. For example, a large share of the stock market is dominated by a small group of powerful firms; industries are more concentrated as companies acquire their competitors, and business executives regularly shape politics and social issues. So, I find it rewarding to study the relationships between organizations and stakeholder groups, my area of research, because of the potential to make insights about the forces shaping our everyday lives (many of us will spend a considerable amount of time in organizational and corporate settings for most of the rest of our lives). It’s even more rewarding to study the interaction between business and society at a time when we face many profound societal challenges, such as inequality and a climate crisis, challenges that require interorganizational cooperation throughout society.
What is your favorite part about being a Jayhawk?
My favorite part about being a Jayhawk is being a part of a legacy that goes back to a pivotal time in our nation’s history. KU was founded at the end of the American Civil War with the vision of bringing education, opportunity and progress to a region that was in profound need of those things. And the pride and responsibility associated with that history is palpable in the Jayhawk community. My students and colleagues have such strong enthusiasm for this place. I have also enjoyed spending time in Lawrence. As an arts lover, there is so much to take in, including a vibrant live music scene.
What would you see yourself doing if you weren’t a professor?
I love being a professor, but in a hypothetical universe in which I wasn’t one, I would probably be pursuing my artistic passions full-time. For example, I read and write poetry, play guitar and enjoy reading art criticism, so maybe I would be a creative writer or museum curator.
What advice would you give your college self?
I would tell my college self to expose myself to as many ideas and experiences as possible. College is one of the few times in life where you're surrounded with opportunities to learn and grow both academically and personally. I advise college students to stay curious and try new things, such as taking classes outside their comfort zone, joining different student groups, and connecting with people from all kinds of backgrounds.
If you could require students to read one thing before graduation (outside of your class reading), what would it be and why?
I recommend students read “Letters to a Young Poet” by Rainer Maria Rilke. It is a collection of letters exchanged between Rilke, a beloved poet, and a young aspiring writer at the turn of the twentieth 20th century. In the letters, they discuss topics such as art, love, friendship, and overcoming adversity. Rilke is a gifted writer and beautifully and accessibly conveys his imaginative point of view on these subjects.