Christina Li

Christina S. Li is an Assistant Professor of Management and McCasland Foundation Professor of American Free Enterprise in the Division of Management & International Business at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Iowa.

Christina’s research centers on how people establish and sustain a place for themselves in the world of work, and how that place is shaped both by what they seek and do and by the broader social meanings attached to who they are and the work they do. People make choices about where they fit, what careers they pursue, and how they respond when their work experiences do not match what they want, but these choices also unfold in a social world that carries expectations about who belongs where and what kinds of work are valued. She examines this broader issue through three main streams of research. The first focuses on person-environment fit and misfit, including what people consider essential for fitting in at work, how they experience misfit, and what they do to maintain fit or address misfit. The second focuses on careers, particularly why people enter particular careers and how they sustain them, especially as societal changes reshape how people think about work and career paths. The third focuses on workplace stereotyping, including the stereotypes associated with different social identities as well as broader stereotypes surrounding occupations, workers, and work itself. Across these streams, she uses a range of quantitative and qualitative methods. Her research has appeared in leading management journals, including the Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, and Journal of Management, among others.

Christina teaches courses in management, negotiations and conflict, leadership and teams, organizational behavior, human resources, and organizational influence across various levels, including undergraduate, doctoral, and executive education.

Before joining Price College, she was a faculty member at Southern Methodist University. In addition to her academic work, she has consulted for local, national, and international organizations. Prior to entering academia, she worked in finance and banking.