Semester of Graduation
Summer 2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Business Administration
Department
Coles College of Business
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Birton Cowden
Second Advisor
Steven Phelan
Third Advisor
Shelby Meeks
Abstract
Building on research on CEO turnover and strategic leadership, this study examines how decision makers' regulatory focus shapes strategic decision-making and how this can contribute to performance decline, often resulting in CEO replacement. Drawing on regulatory focus theory, the study theorizes that measurable chronic regulatory focus attributes influence decision makers’ capacity to adapt to environmental change—conditions under which prior research suggests executives may become rigid and persist with established strategies. Despite its relevance for strategic adaptation, such chronic trait behavior has received limited attention in the current business literature. To address this gap, effectuation theory is integrated into a simulation-based framework that models decision-making across environments characterized by varying levels of stability and uncertainty. This approach enables systematic assessment of how regulatory focus traits shape changes in strategic behavior under different environmental conditions. The findings will challenge assumptions of stable executive strategic orientations and introduce a dynamic, cognition-based account of strategic adaptability. By clarifying how regulatory focus influences strategic decision makers–environment fit under conditions of change, the study advances theories of strategic leadership and CEO turnover.
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