Tjai M. Nielsen, Ph.D.

Bio

Dr. Nielsen concentrates on conducting impactful research on topics ranging from work team effectiveness to predictors of international investment, delivering quality learning experiences to students, and partnering with clients to improve their effectiveness.  He is currently an assistant professor at George Washington University, School of Business (GWSB) and an international faculty member at Copenhagen Business School.  He teaches in the full-time, part-time, and executive MBA programs and leads the primary research methods course for GWSB doctoral students. 

Dr. Nielsen’s academic work has resulted in more than 20 research articles and book chapters and more than 40 refereed paper presentations at national conferences.  Recently, Dr. Nielsen was invited to join a United Nations Expert Group on Diasporas and Development and received a Best Reviewer Award from the Academy of Management. He currently serves as an editorial board member for the Journal of Organizational Behavior and Group & Organization Management.  The majority of his current research concentrates on the motivational and behavioral contingencies that impact work team performance and the dynamics of diaspora investment patterns.  Dr. Nielsen also integrates a significant background in consulting with his academic work.

Prior to joining GWSB, Dr. Nielsen worked as a management consultant for RHR International, a premier executive consulting firm founded in 1945.  In this role he partnered with different organizations to assist them with executive selection and development, succession planning, team development, and executive coaching.  Dr. Nielsen has worked with a variety of organizations within the financial services, consumer products, retail, pharmaceutical, and utility industries in North America, Europe, and the Middle East.  He continues to consult and provide executive education services to several client organizations.

Dr. Nielsen earned his doctorate in Industrial and Applied Psychology from the University of Tennessee (Knoxville), his master’s degree in Education from the University of North Carolina (WCU), and he holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Virginia Tech.  He is a member of the Academy of Management and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.