• English

    • Dr Stephen HWANG
    PhD (Northwestern University, USA)
    MA (Seoul National University, South Korea)
    BBA (Seoul National University, South Korea)

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Management



    Seok-Hyun (Stephen) Hwang is an Assistant Professor of Management at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on strategic leadership and corporate governance, with particular interests in executive labor markets, shareholder activism, and corporate social responsibility. He teaches courses on corporate strategy, international business, entrepreneurship, and negotiations at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

    Research and Teaching InterestsIntellectual Contributions (Publications, Conferences, Books, Book Chapters, etc.)Research Grants and Awards
    TopResearch and Teaching Interests
    • Research interests: Strategic leadership; corporate governance; corporate social responsibility
    • Teaching interests: Corporate strategy; international business; entrepreneurship; negotiations
    TopIntellectual Contributions (Publications, Conferences, Books, Book Chapters, etc.)
    • Hwang, S. & Zajac, E. 2025 “How Outside Opportunities Affect CEO Compensation: Fact or Friction?” Academy of Management Annual Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark.
    • Kang, Y., Hwang, S., & Jung, T. 2024. “When Innovator Casts A Shadow: CEO Inventor Experience and Corporate Social Irresponsibility.” Academy of Management Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
    • Hwang, S. & Zajac, E. 2024 “When Opportunity Knocks, What’s the Response? How Exogeneous Change Affects CEO Compensation” Academy of Management Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
    • Hwang, S., Kang, Y., & Jung, T. 2023. “A Study on Inventor CEO Experience, Governance Mechanisms, and Earnings Management.” Academy of Management Annual Conference, Boston, MA.
    • Hwang, S. 2022. “Does Increased Labor Market Demand Affect CEO Compensation? Evidence from a Natural Experiment.” Academy of Management Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.
    • Gai, S., Havrylyshyn, A., Hwang, S., Lee, M., Schepker, D., Shi, W., Zajac, E., & Zyung, D. 2022. “The Rise of Stakeholder Governance and Diversity, and Consequences on Executive and Board Careers.” Academy of Management Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.
    • Hwang, S. & Zajac, E., 2021. “Too Legit to Quit? How Shareholder Activism Differentially Affects Outside Directors.” Academy of Management Annual Conference (Virtual).
    • Ahn, S., Cho, T., Hwang, S. & Cho, C., 2021. “CEO Regulatory Focus, Decision Frames, and Earnings Management.” Academy of Management Annual Conference (Virtual).
    • Hwang, S. & Zajac, E., 2020. “Too Legit to Quit? How Shareholder Activism Differentially Affects Outside Directors.” Academy of Management Annual Conference (Virtual).
    • Hwang, S. & Zajac, E., 2020. “Too Legit to Quit? How Shareholder Activism Differentially Affects Outside Directors.” European Group on Organisation Studies (EGOS) Colloquium (Virtual).
    • Ma, J. & Hwang, S., 2019. “Who Governs Whom? Evidence from Outside Directors’ Actual Boardroom Voting Behavior in China.” Strategic Management Society Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN.
    • Hwang, S. & Stern, I., 2019. “Outside Directors’ Status Anxiety and CEO Dismissal Following a Loss in Firm Status.” Strategic Management Society Special Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
    • Hwang, S. & Wernicke, G., 2019. “How CEO Characteristics Affect Investor Reactions to Large Acquisitions: A Case of Lawyer-CEOs.” Strategic Management Society Special Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
    • Hwang, S. & Zajac, E., 2018. “Explaining Bi-Directional Spillovers from the Same Event: Theory and Evidence from CEO Deaths.” Strategic Management Society Annual Conference, Paris, France.
    • Szatmári, B. & Hwang, S., 2018 “Like a Tree Falling Unheard in the Forest: The Effect of Audience Remembering on Status Spillover in Status-based Relations.” Strategic Management Society Annual Conference, Paris, France.
    • Hwang, S. 2018. “Explaining Bi-Directional Spillovers from the Same Event: Theory and Evidence from CEO Deaths.” Academy of Management Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
    • Szatmári, B. & Hwang, S., 2018. “Like a Tree Falling Unheard in the Forest: The Effect of Audience Remembering on Status Spillover in Status-based Relations.” European Group of Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium, Tallinn, Estonia.
    • Hwang, S. & Stern, I., 2017. “Don’t Dare to Knock Them off Their Pedestal: The Likelihood of CEO Dismissal Following a Loss in Firm Status.” Academy of Management Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA.
    • Hwang, S. & Stern, I., 2016. “Don’t Dare to Knock Them off Their Pedestal: The Likelihood of CEO Dismissal Following a Loss in Firm Status.” Strategic Management Society Annual Conference, Berlin, Germany.
    • Lee, J. & Hwang, S., 2016. “How New CEO Gender and the Board Composition Affect the Amount of First Pay.” Academy of Management Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA.
    • Hwang, S. & Stern, I., 2015. “Don’t Dare to Knock Them off Their Pedestal: The Likelihood of CEO Dismissal Following a Loss in Firm Status.” Strategic Management Society Annual Conference, Denver, CO.
    • Lee, J. & Hwang, S., 2015. “How New CEO Gender and the Board Composition Affect the Amount of First Pay.” Strategic Management Society Annual Conference, Denver, CO.
    • Cho, T., Chung, S. & Hwang, S., 2015. “Post-Acquisition Innovativeness in High-Tech Industries: The Role of Attentional Congruence.” Academy of Management Annual Conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
    • Jin, K. & Hwang, S., 2013. “Unpacking Performance Heterogeneity in Group-Affiliated Firms in Korea.” Academy of Management Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.
    • Hwang, S., Cho, T. & Chai, D., 2012. “Dismissal of Newly Appointed CEOs: A Behavioral Theory Perspective.” Academy of Management Annual Conference, Boston, MA.
    • Hwang, S. & Cho, T., 2012. “When Do We Jump In? Managerial Attention and Acquisition Timing in M&A Waves.” Annual Meeting of Korean Strategic Management Society, Seoul, Korea.
    TopResearch Grants and Awards
    • Best Reviewer Award, Academy of Management (BPS), 2012
    • Outstanding Reviewer Award, Academy of Management (BPS), 2016
    • Outstanding Reviewer Award, Academy of Management (BPS), 2017
    • Winner, Best Doctoral Student Conference Paper, AKMS/Samsung Economic Research Institute, 2017 (awarded with a cash prize of USD 1,000)
    • Outstanding Reviewer Award, Academy of Management (STR), 2018
    • Editors Reviewer of the Year Award, Journal of Management Studies, 2022
    • Mike Wright Prize for Best JMS Reviewer, Journal of Management Studies, 2025
    • Kellogg School of Management Doctoral Fellowship, 2013-2019
    • Hong Kong Baptist University Startup Grant (HKD 100,000), 2021