Timothy Pett, PhD
Professor of Business
My research examines how strategy, leadership, learning, and technology shape the performance, growth, and sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with particular attention to family firms, internationalization, innovation, and knowledge transfer. The focus is on how managerial orientations, digital and social media practices, and organizational capabilities help SMEs adapt to environmental change, improve performance, and compete effectively in dynamic and often resource-constrained contexts.
Education
BA, St. Leo College
MBA, University of Memphis
PhD, University of Memphis
Courses Taught
Undergraduate
High Performance Organizations (MGT 354)
High Performance Organizations – France Summer (MGT 354F)
Graduate
Strategic HR Management (MHR 500)
Management Consulting (MHR 540)
Awards and Honors
Business Management Teacher of the Year, Rollins College, 2025
Matthew Sonfield Research Award, Small Business Institute, 2020
Outstanding Faculty Award, Rollins College, 2016
Highly Commended Paper, Emerald Literati Awards, 2016
Best Paper, Journal of Small Business Management, 2010
Best Paper, Academy of Management, 2007
Recent Publications
Pett, T., Haddad, G., and Nagpal, G. (2025). Does empowering leadership affect SMEs' sustainability performance through knowledge transfer? European Management Journal, 43(1): 211-221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2024.03.008
Darras-Barquissau, N., Pett, T.L., and Sers, C. (2023). Can Independent Hotels Survive? A Case Study of How Technology Changes the Industry. Journal of Business Strategy, 45(1). https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-10-2022-0178
Heileman, M., Kodzi Jr, E., and Pett, T.L. (2022). The Choice of Customer Relationship Management Approach in the Supply Chain: Examining Small Business Performance. Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective. https://doi.org/10.1177/09722629221092091
Kiefer, K., Heileman, M., and Pett, T.L. (2022). Does gender still matter? An examination of small business performance. Small Business Economics, 58(1), 141–167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-020-00403-2
Pett, T. L., Francis, J., and Veatch, W. (2021). Developing a Small Business Educational Program for Growing Rural Businesses. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 31(4), 50–56. https://doi.org/10.53703/001c.29476
News & Features
March 31, 2025
Rollins Inducts 24 New Members of Phi Beta Kappa
A select group of Rollins students has joined the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa, placing them among the top 1 percent of college scholars in the U.S.
March 21, 2025
Rollins Museum of Art Collaborates with Hume House Child Development Center
David Matteson, an associate curator of education for Rollins Museum of Art, and Alice Davidson, executive director of Rollins Child Development Center and a professor of Psychology, were interviewed on Central Florida Public Media's Engage about the Symbolic Languages Exhibit. (at 39:01)
October 11, 2024
Psychology Professor Provides Expertise on Children Developing a Love for Reading
Alice Davidson, a psychology professor and Director of the Hume House College Child Development and Student Research Center, provided expert commentary to Parents.com on teaching your child to develop a love for reading.
December 13, 2023
Psychology Professor Shares Research on Gentle Parenting in New York Magazine
Alice Davidson, a professor of psychology, shared her research on "gentle parenting" with New York Magazine's -The Cut.
May 11, 2022
A Professor of Psychology Addresses Social-Emotional Learning
Alice Davidson, a professor of psychology, discusses social-emotional learning and the Florida Department of Education’s review of math textbooks.
April 21, 2022
Psychology Professor Provides Commentary on Social Emotional Learning
Psychology professor Alice Davidson discusses Florida’s ban on math textbooks that promote social emotional learning.