Scholar, Teacher, & Advisor
Driven by passion for knowledge and desire to share that knowledge
Oleg Petrenko, Ph.D.
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship, & Venture Innovation (SEVI) at Sam M. Walton College of Business. After a corporate career in technology and international sales I decided to change my life trajectory and dedicate myself to pursuing my curiosity in psychology and how individuals behave and make decisions. In my study of psychology I am drawn to the situations where individual cognition, decision-making and behavior have the ultimate impact on the organizations. Specifically, I study the psychology of top leaders of established firms and new ventures.
My research allowed me to develop a unique knowledge and understanding of executives and founders. I feel fortunate and excited to be able to share this knowledge with future scholars through my teaching of Ph.D. students and with future executives through my MBA teaching, and current executives via advising of strategic leaders.
Scholarship
My primary identity is the scholar and research for me is not a job or tenure requirement, but rather a way of creating personal value and advancing the scientific field as well as the society in general. My research is driven by my passion for knowledge and desire to make a meaningful difference in the world around me. I've selected a few publications to be available on this website. Google Scholar has the full list of my publications.
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Advising / Consulting
The idea of advising goes beyond traditional consulting, where I help clients to solve a particular problem. My approach provides my clients with psychological tools and decision-making skills that can be applied to a variety of different and complex problems.
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I create strategic self-awareness for my clients and empower them with evidence-based cognitive and behavioral tools to enhance their ability to analyze situations, make decisions, and execute strategies. The result is improved well-being of my clients and their organizations.