Ella S. Lee

Ella S. Lee is a doctoral candidate in Management at the University of Kansas School of Business. Her research explores what makes employees experience positive at work and how social context and interpersonal relationships shape those experiences.

Before beginning her doctoral studies, Lee worked as an economist at Korean government-affiliated think tanks — the Korea Small Business Institute and the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade. There, she conducted policy-oriented economic analyses to support better labor and employment policy. Trained to think in terms of costs, efficiency, and optimization, Lee initially approached labor issues from an economist’s perspective. Over time, however, her interest shifted toward understanding the human side of work — how people feel, connect, and thrive in organizational settings. This evolving curiosity led her to pursue a doctoral degree in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management. Now, building on her background in economic analysis, she approaches her work as a social scientist, examining employees' behavior and interactions within organizations.