His research focuses on autonomy and discretion in organizations, especially among leaders and managers. He previously was affiliated with Wake Forest University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Auckland, and Griffith University. He earned his PhD in management and psychology from the University of Michigan, his MA in psychology from the University of Michigan, and his BSSc in economics from the University of Ottawa. Before becoming an academic, he spent time working in management consulting, program evaluation, health promotion, and law enforcement.