Brian Lyons
Martha and Spencer Love Term Professor and Professor of Management
Department: Management and Entrepreneurship
Email: blyons4@elon.edu
Phone number: (336) 278-5488
Professional Expertise
Brief Biography
Dr. Brian D. Lyons, SHRM-SCP is the Love Term Professor of Management within the Love School of Business at Elon University. He joined the faculty in Fall 2014 after three years within the Raj Soin College of Business at Wright State University and four years within the Craig School of Business at Fresno State. Throughout his academic career, Dr. Lyons has received recognition for his teaching, scholarship, and service contributions.
He currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Human Resource Management (HRM) and Organizational Behavior. His pedagogical approach highlights experiential learning, evidence-based reflection, practical application, inclusivity, and service-learning. For example, in his upper-level HR Strategy and Consulting course, he partners with local nonprofit/not-for-profit and small for-profit firms and helps create HR-related deliverables that student teams complete by end of term. Past deliverables include developing competency models, structured interview questions, recruitment materials, onboarding protocols, handbook language, and pay structures. Dr. Lyons has also shared his experiences with colleagues informally and formally, such as helping facilitate a Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) workshop on creating student interdependence in the classroom.
Dr. Lyons's research interests involve recruitment, selection, counterproductive work and off-duty behavior, and leadership effectiveness. His research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Applied Psychology, Human Resource Management, Journal of Business and Psychology, Human Performance, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, and the International Journal of Selection and Assessment. His interest in the application of sports data to examine organizational problems led to serving as a guest co-editor of a special issue in the Journal of Business and Psychology. In addition, Dr. Lyons has mentored undergraduate student research projects, ultimately with a few leading to publication. He has been interviewed or cited by media sources such as ESPN, NPR (Southern California), "The Current" Radio (CBC, Canada), The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, FiveThirtyEight.com, and The Huffington Post-Canada. Dr. Lyons currently serves on the editorial boards of Applied Psychology: An International Review, the Journal of Business and Psychology, the Journal of Managerial Psychology, and Leadership & Organization Development Journal. As a co-PI, Dr. Lyons has generated more than $1M in external funding since 2021.
Dr. Lyons led, co-led, or is currently leading multiple initiatives at Elon. At the university level, he served as co-chair of the full-time faculty teaching appointments committee, which was tasked with examining the competitiveness of our current full-time faculty track and rank structure and recommending a solution. Dr. Lyons previously co-chaired the Gender Salary Equity study, which created a new model to study differences in full-time faculty salaries by gender identity. He also chaired the Distinguished Scholar Award committee and helped organize two distinguished scholar talks. Dr. Lyons served on Academic Council, Committee on Committees, Faculty Research and Development Committee, Institutional Review Board, and the SPDC advisory board. At the Love School of Business level, he created the curriculum for the Human Resource Management (HRM) major—which is aligned with SHRM’s HRM curriculum standards—and co-created the HRM minor. Dr. Lyons also served as the Faculty Director of the LSB Graduate Programs (MBA and MSBA) for 7 years, creating new graduate certificate programs, implementing revised curricula, and conducting assurance of learning assessment for several LSB graduate programs. He has served as chair of multiple tenure-track searches and helped restructure the administrative roles within the Dean’s office. He is the faculty advisor for the award-winning Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) student club.
Dr. Lyons is the recipient of the 2016 Dean's Award for Excellence in Scholarship, the 2017 Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching, the 2019 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service, and the 2020 Beta Gamma Sigma Professor of the Year. Prior to entering academia, he conducted HR-related research for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the American Institutes for Research in Washington, DC. He is a SHRM-Senior Certified Professional and earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Studies from the University at Albany, State University of New York.
Links
News & Notes
Education
Ph.D., State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany, Organizational Studies
M.S., University of Baltimore, Applied (Industrial/Organizational) Psychology
B.A., Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Psychology
Employment History
2024 - current: Love Term Professor of Management, The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, Elon University
2014 - 2024: Associate Professor of Management (with tenure), The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, Elon University
2011 - 2014: Assistant and Associate Professor of Management (with tenure), Raj Soin College of Business, Wright State University
2007 - 2011: Assistant Professor of Management, Craig School of Business, Fresno State
2004 - 2007: Course Instructor, Graduate Research Assistant, SUNY-Albany
2002 - 2004: Research Associate, American Institutes for Research
2001 - 2002: Personnel Research Psychologist, Co-op, The Federal Bureau of Prisons
Courses Taught
MGT 323: Management and Organizational Behavior
MGT 421: HRM - Staffing of Organizations
MGT 427: HRM - Performance Management and Total Rewards
MGT 428: HRM - Strategy and Consulting
MBA 650: Human Capital Management
Grants Awarded
Office of Naval Research 2023-2025 $545,922 PI: Nathan A. Bowling, co-PI: Brian D. Lyons
(BAA: N00014-22-S-B001) “The assessment, prediction, and prevention of destructive behaviors: Scale validation and extension to narrow destructive behaviors”
Office of Naval Research 2021-2024 $497,860 PI: Nathan A. Bowling, co-PI: Brian D. Lyons
(BAA: N00014-20-S-B001) “The Assessment, prediction, and prevention of destructive employee behaviors”
Publications
Journal Articles (former undergraduate students underlined):
Lyons, B. D., Moorman, R. H., & Michel, J. W. (2024). The vanishing applicant: Uncovering aberrant antecedents to ghosting behavior. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 97, 1427-1450.
Moorman, R. H.*, Lyons, B. D.*, Mercado, B. K.*, & Klotz, A. C.* (2024). Driving the extra mile in the gig economy: The motivational foundations of gig work citizenship. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 11, 363-391. *All authors contributed equally
Moorman, R. H., Lyons, B. D., & Grover, S. L. (2023, in press). Sustaining engagement: How follower resilience may mitigate the negative effects of Dark Triad leaders. Psychological Reports.
Lyons, B. D., Bowling, N. A., & Burns. G. N. (2022). Accentuating Dark Triad behavior through low organizational commitment: A study on peer reporting. Ethics & Behavior, 32, 32-43.
Bowling, N. A., Lyons, B. D., & Burns, G. N. (2020). Staying quiet or speaking out: Does the likelihood of peer reporting depend on the type of counterproductive work behavior witnessed? Journal of Personnel Psychology, 19, 14-23.
Bayer, J. E.*, & Lyons, B. D.* (2020). Reexamining the demand for HR certifications in the United States. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 28, 85-97. *Both authors contributed equally.
Lyons, B. D., Moorman, R. H., & Mercado, B. K. (2019). Normalizing mistreatment? Investigating Dark Triad, LMX, and abuse. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 40, 369-380.
Lyons, B. D., & Bowling, N. A. (2017). On the effectiveness of peer reporting policies. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 32, 547-560. (Highly Commended, Emerald Literati Awards, 2018)
Gentry, W. A.*, Hoffman, B. J.*, Lyons, B. D.* (2017). Box scores and bottom lines: Sports data can inform research and practice in organizations. Journal of Business and Psychology, 32, 509-512. *1st authorship determined arbitrarily.
Lyons, B. D.*, Hoffman, B. J.*, Bommer, W. H., Kennedy, C., & Hetrick, A. (2016). Off-duty deviance: Organizational policies and evidence for two prevention strategies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101, 463-483. *1st authorship determined arbitrarily
Bowling, N. A.*, & Lyons, B. D.* (2015). Not on my watch: Facilitating peer reporting through job attitudes and personality traits. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 23, 80-91. *1st authorship determined arbitrarily
Lyons, B. D., Mueller, L., Gruys, M. L., & Meyers, A. J. (2012). A reexamination of the Web-based job demand for PHR and SPHR certifications in the United States. Human Resource Management, 51, 769-788.
Michel, J. W., Lyons, B. D., & Cho, J. (2011). Is the full-range model of leadership really a full-range model of effective leader behaviors? Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 18, 493-507.
Hoffman, B. J., Woehr, D. J., Maldagen-Youngjohn, R., & Lyons, B. D. (2011). Great man or great myth? A meta-analytic investigation of the impact of individual differences on leader effectiveness. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 84, 347-381.
Lyons, B. D., Hoffman, B. J., Michel, J. W., & Williams, K. J. (2011). On the predictive efficiency of past performance and physical ability: The case of the National Football League. Human Performance, 24, 158-172.
Lyons, B. D., & Marler, J. H. (2011). Got image? Examining organizational image in Web recruitment. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 26, 58-76.
Tews, M. J., Michel, J. W., & Lyons, B. D. (2010). Beyond personality: The impact of GMA on service performance. Journal of Service Mananagement, 21, 344-362.
Lyons, B. D., Hoffman, B. J., & Michel, J. W. (2009). Not much more than g? An examination of the impact of intelligence on NFL performance. Human Performance, 22, 225-245.
Oppler, E. S.*, Lyons, B. D.*, Ricks, D. A., & Oppler, S. H. (2008). The relationship between financial history and counterproductive work behavior. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 16, 416-420. *1st authorship determined arbitrarily
Stetz, T. A., Beaubien, J. M., Keeney, M. J., & Lyons, B. D. (2008). Nonrandom response and rater variance in job analysis surveys: A cause for concern? Public Personnel Management, 37, 223-241.
Velada, R., Caetano, A., Michel, J. W., Lyons, B. D., & Kavanagh, M. J. (2007). The effects of training design, individual characteristics and work environment on transfer of training. International Journal of Training and Development, 11, 282-294.
Lyons, B. D., & Oppler, E. S. (2004). The effects of structural attributes and demographic characteristics on protégé satisfaction in mentoring programs. Journal of Career Development, 30, 215-229.
Book Chapters:
Lyons, B. D., Alonso, A., Moorman, R. H., & Miller, A. (2020). Implications for the changing nature of work for selection. In B. J. Hoffman, M. K. Shoss, & L. A. Wegman (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of the changing nature of work (pp. 297-317). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Lukaszewski, K. M., Dickter, D. N., & Lyons, B. D. (2018). Recruitment and selection in an Internet context. In M. J. Kavanagh & R. D. Johnson (Eds.), Human resources information systems: Basics, applications, and future directions (4th ed., pp. 257-288). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Lukaszewski, K. M., Dickter, D. N., Lyons, B. D., & Kehoe, J. F. (2015). Recruitment and selection in an Internet context. In M. J. Kavanagh & R. D. Johnson (Eds.), Human resources information systems: Basics, applications, and future directions (3rd ed., pp. 368-410). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Lukaszewski, K. M., Dickter, D. N., Lyons, B. D., & Kehoe, J. F. (2011). Recruitment and selection in an Internet context. In M. J. Kavanagh, M. Thite, & R. D. Johnson (Eds.), Human resources information systems: Basics, applications, and future directions (2nd ed., pp. 368-406). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Lukaszewski, K. M., Dickter, D. N., Lyons, B. D., & Kehoe, J. F. (2009). Recruitment and selection in an Internet context. In M. J. Kavanagh & M. Thite (Eds.), Human resources information systems: Basics, applications, and future directions (pp. 277-306). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Presentations
Recent Conference Presentations (2014 - Present) (undergraduate coauthors are underlined)
Bowling, N. A., Lyons, B. D., Mullaney, K., & Wood, D. (2025, April). The propensity to engage in CWB among military cadets: An interactionist perspective. In N. Bowling & C. Winterberg (Co-Chairs), Deep into that darkness peering: Dark personality and counterproductive work behavior. Symposium manuscript presented at the 40th annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Denver, CO.
Michel, J. W., Lyons, B. D., & Moorman, R. H. (2025, April). Loneliness and ghosting behavior: A regulatory loop theory perspective. Paper presented at the 40th annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Denver, CO.
Lyons, B. D., Moorman, R. H., & Michel, J. W. (2024, August). Unmasking the shadows: Exploring antecedents and moderators of applicant ghosting behavior. Paper presented at the 84th annual conference of the Academy of Management, Chicago, IL.
- Appeared in the Academy of Management's Best Paper Proceedings; Top 10% paper in the HR division
Bowling, N. A., Lyons, B. D., Bonvie, J. L., & Drabish, A. (2023, August). Context matters: The development of Navy-specific measures of destructive behavior. Paper presented at the 15th annual meeting of the Military Health System Research Symposium, Orlando, FL.
Prengel, A., Lyons, B. D., & Moorman, R. H. (2022, April). Antecedents and contextual influences of applicant ghosting and reneging behaviors. Paper presented at the 37th annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Seattle, WA.
Moorman, R. H., Lyons, B. D., & Grover, S. (2020, April). Coping with a Dark Triad leader: Using follower resilience to reengage. In R. De Bruin & L. Finkelstein (Co-Chairs), The influence of supervisor and employee Dark Tetrad on workplace deviance. Symposium presented at the 35th annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Austin, TX (conference canceled).
Bayer, J. E., Lyons, B. D., & Wood, R. R. (2019, April). Reexamining the base rate of demand for HR certifications in the United States. Paper presented at the 34th annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Washington, DC.
Lyons, B. D., Moorman, R. H., & Mercado, B. K. (2019, April). Seeking refuge: How LMX helps weather abusive behavior of Dark Triad leaders. Paper presented at the 34th annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Washington, DC.
Moorman, R. H., & Lyons, B. D. (2018, April). Dark Triad leadership and follower motives: Will you follow the devil you know? Paper presented at the 33rd annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Chicago, IL.
Lyons, B. D., & Bowling, N. A. (2017, August). Do peer reporting policies work? A person-situation and formal system strength perspective. Paper presented at the 77th annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Atlanta, GA.
Hetrick, A., Kennedy, C., Hoffman, B. J., Lyons, B. D., & Cole, A. (2016, August). Bigger big brother: Company off-duty deviance policies over time. Paper presented at the 76th annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Anaheim, CA.
Bowling, N. A., & Lyons, B. D. (2016, April). Does peer reporting vary by type of counterproductive work behavior? In J. L. Raver & N. A. Bowling (Co-Chairs), I saw what you did! Bystander responses to workplace deviance. Symposium conducted at the 31st annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Anaheim, CA.
Hetrick, A., Lyons, B. D., Hoffman, B. J., Bommer, W. H., & Kennedy, C. (2015, August). Using selection methods to reduce criminal off-duty deviance. In K. Kniffin (Chair), Staffing star performers: Lessons from the National Football League (NFL). Symposium presented at the 75th annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Vancouver, Canada.
Lyons, B. D., Bowling, N. A., Gibson, A., & Zimmerlin, Z. (2015, August). Benchmarking the frequency, content, and efficacy of peer reporting policies. Paper presented at the 75th annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Vancouver, Canada.
- Appeared in the Academy of Management's Best Paper Proceedings; Top 5 paper in the HR division
Lyons, B. D., Hoffman, B. J., Bommer, W. H., Hetrick, A., & Kennedy, C. (2015, August). Off-duty deviance: Organizational policies and evidence for a prevention strategy. In D. Ones & B. K. Mercado (Co-Chairs), Employee deviant behavior: Novel insights and evidence from across life domains. Symposium presented at the 75th annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Vancouver, Canada.
Lyons, B. D., & Bowling, N. A. (2015, April). The prevalence and effectiveness of peer reporting policies. Paper presented at the 30th annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Philadelphia, PA.
Lyons, B. D., & Hoffman, B. J. (2015, April). High-stakes testing in the NFL: Offering evidence-based results. In B. J. Hoffman & A. L. Hetrick (Co-Chairs), Box scores and bottom lines: Sports data and staffing research. Symposium presented at the 30th annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Philadelphia, PA.
Bowling, N. A., & Lyons, B. D. (2014, May). Predictors of peer reporting of counterproductive work behavior. Paper presented at the 29th annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Honolulu, HI.
Kennedy, C., Hoffman, B. J., Carter, N. T., Lyons, B. D., Campbell, W. K., & Miller, J. D. (2014, May). Employee off-duty deviance: Measurement, antecedents, and distinction from CWB. Paper presented at the 29th annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Honolulu, HI.
Professional Activities
Editorial Board Member:
- Applied Psychology: An International Review
- Journal of Business and Psychology
- Journal of Managerial Psychology
- Leadership & Organization Development Journal
Ad-hoc Reviewer:
- Canadian Journal of Administrative Science
- Human Performance
- Human Resource Management
- Human Resource Management Journal
- International Journal of Selection and Assessment
- Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology
- Journal of Organizational Behavior
- Personality and Individual Differences
Conference Symposium Chair:
- Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2013
Conference Discussant:
- Southern Management Association, 2006
Conference Reviewer:
- Academy of Management, Human Resources Division, 2003 – 2019
- Eastern Academy of Management, Human Resources, 2005
- International e-HRM, 2014
- Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2007, 2010 – 2015, 2017 – 2021
Service Activities
University
- Co-chair, Full-time Teaching Faculty Tracks Committee, Spring 2020 – Spring 2023
- Academic Council, LSB representative, Spring 2018 – Spring 2021
- Committee on Committees, LSB representative, Fall 2019 – Spring 2021
- Co-chair, Faculty Gender Salary Equity Committee, Spring 2019 – Fall 2020
- Faculty Research and Development Committee Member, Fall 2017 – Spring 2019
- Distinguished Scholar Award (DSA) Chair, 2018–2019
- Institutional Review Board (IRB) Member, Summer 2015 – Summer 2019
- Student Professional Development Center (SPDC) Advisory Board Member and Former Interim Chair, Fall 2015 – Spring 2021
Love School of Business (LSB)
- Faculty Director of LSB Graduate Business Programs, Fall 2023 – Spring 2025
- Faculty Coordinator of the MBA and MSBA programs, Fall 2017 – Fall 2023
- LSB Curriculum Committee, Graduate Programs Representative, Fall 2017 – Spring 2025
- SHRM Student Club Advisor and Mentor, Fall 2014 – Present
Department of Management and Entrepreneurship
- Human Resource Management (HRM) Major Lead, Summer 2014 – Present
Community
- College Relations Chair, Alamance County Human Resources Association (ACHRA), January 2015 – 2019
Personal Information
Professional Development
Society for Human Resource Management-Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP)
Awards
Top 10% manuscript, HR Division, Academy of Management Conference, 2024
Outstanding Reviewer Award, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 2023
Beta Gamma Sigma Professor of the Year, Elon University, 2020
Dean's Award for Excellence in Service, Elon University, 2019
Emerald Literati Awards, Highly Commended, 2018
Beta Gamma Sigma Faculty Inductee, 2018
Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching, Elon University, 2017
Dean's Award for Excellence in Scholarship, Elon University, 2016
Top 5 manuscript, HR Division, Academy of Management Conference, 2015
Hultquist Award, Elon University, 2015
Sigma Iota Epsilon Professional Inductee, Management Honor Society, 2012
Faculty and Staff Honor Roll, California State University, Fresno, 2011
Outstanding Publication Award for the Department of Management, California State University, Fresno, 2011
Nominee, Provost’s Promising New Faculty Award, California State University, Fresno, 2010