Brett Neely

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Brett Neely

Assistant Professor Management University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Contact

Address
HLH 325 AA
Lincoln, NE 68588-0491
Phone
402-472-3915 On-campus 2-3915
Email
brett.neely@unl.edu
Website
Social Media

Brett Neely joined the management department in Fall 2020.  He received his Ph.D. and M.S. from The Pennsylvania State University, and his B.A. from UCLA.

His primary research interests are in leadership in organizations and the ways in which organizations and their leaders can promote human flourishing.  He has active projects on individual well-being, employment of formerly incarcerated individuals, and the intersection of organizational science and national security issues. He is a National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI) faculty fellow and was named a 2025 Greenleaf Scholar by the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.

Dr. Neely's work has been published in outlets including Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, American Psychologist, and the Leadership Quarterly. For his teaching, he has been recognized as one of Poets&Quants 50 Best Undergraduate Professors and was selected as the 2025 Distance (MBA) Teaching Award winner.

Education

PhD | Pennsylvania State University
MS | Pennsylvania State University
BA | UCLA

Research Interests

  • Leadership
  • Research Methods
  • National Security Issues
  • Employment
  • Well-being

Teaching Experience

MNGT 311 - Leadership, Communication, and Teams (Course to be offered in Spring 2026)

Building on theory and historical and contemporary perspectives, this course will examine the process of leadership development, with a focus on relational models of leadership. The course will also focus on group dynamics and the promotion of optimum team performance. Students will learn the processes of group formation and how to take advantage of the talents of each group member to enhance the achievement of group objectives. The differences between groups and teams and how to structure work among group/team members to maximize learning and goal attainment will be emphasized. Learning and practicing new ways of communication will be a central component of this course

MNGT 360 - Foundations of Organizational Behavior

This course provides the basic knowledge for managing people in organizations by surveying frameworks for individual, group, and system behaviors. The course builds critical thinking skills by examining the role of perception, personality and attitudes, motivation, leadership, group dynamics, employee engagement, organizational culture, communication and decision making in the management of work.

GRBA 814 (MBA) - Applied Organizational Behavior

Critical behavioral science theories that contribute to the effective management of human behavior in organizations. Conceptual frameworks that help diagnose and explain the potential for common interpersonal problems. These models serve as the foundation for student efforts to develop behavioral skills and intervention techniques that promote effective individual and team activity leading to positive managerial experiences. Communication, power and influence, conflict management, and perception.

Service

Professional Service

  • Ad Hoc Reviewing: Academy of Management Journal, Organizational Science, Journal of Management, Journal of Applied Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Management Studies, Human Relations, Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, National Science Foundation - Science of Organizations Program
    • Guest Editor: The Leadership Quarterly - Special Issue on Gender and Leadership
    • Editorial Board Member: The Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Organizational Behavior
  • Academy of Management: Network of Leadership Scholars – Awards Coordinator
  • Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - Applications Subcommittee Co-Chair; Awards Subcommittee Member

Institutional Service