Michael Obal

Research Interests

Broadly, Dr. Obal's research focuses on innovation, business-to-business, marketing strategy, entrepreneurship, and digital marketing.

Specifically, Dr. Obal's research interests include the diffusion of disruptive innovations, the role of interorganizational relationships on technology adoption, the impact of process changes on new product development (NPD), trust development in online marketplaces, and the usage of online interpersonal ties in purchasing decisions.

Dr. Obal currently sits on the editorial review boards for Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business Research, and Research-Technology Management.

Education

• Ph D: Marketing & Supply Chain Management, (2014), Temple University, Fox School of Business - Philadelphia, PA
  Dissertation/Thesis Title: Analyzing the Roles of Buyers, Suppliers, and Employees on the Adoption of Disruptive Technology
• MBA: Marketing, (2008), University of Massachusetts Boston, School of Management - Boston, MA
• BA: Marketing, (2005), Syracuse University, Whitman School of Management - Syracuse, NY

Biography

Michael Obal is an Associate Professor of Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation at the Manning School of Business at the University of
Massachusetts Lowell. He holds a PhD From Temple University.

Selected Awards and Honors

• 2023 Maurice Holland "Best Paper" Award (2024), Scholarship/Research - Research-Technology Management
• 2023 AMA Entrepreneurial Marketing SIG/GRCME Abdul Ali Promising Research Award (2023), Scholarship/Research - American Marketing Association/ Global Research Conference on Marketing and Entrepreneurship
• Excellence Award in Peer-Reviewed Publications (MEI Dept.) (2019), Scholarship/Research - Faculty Symposium on Teaching, Learning, Research & Creative Works, University of Massachusetts Lowell
• Excellence Award in Peer-Reviewed Publications (MEI Dept.) (2017) - Faculty Symposium on Teaching, Learning, Research & Creative Works, University of Massachusetts Lowell
• 2015 Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence (MEI Dept.) (2015), Teaching - University of Massachusetts Lowell
• Doctoral Student Travel Grant (2014) - 2014 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Conference, Indianapolis, IN.
• 2013 Robert Robicheaux Best Supply Chain Management Dissertation Proposal Award (2013) - Society for Marketing Advances (SMA)
• 2013 Young Scholars Forum Research Award (2013) - Fox School of Business, Temple University
• Best Student Paper Runner-Up (2013) - 2013 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Conference, Monterey, CA
• Doctoral Student Travel Grant (2013) - 2013 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Conference, Monterey, CA
• 2011-2012 "Excellence in Teaching by a Doctoral Student" Award (2012) - Fox School of Business, Temple University
• 2011-2012 "High Achievement" Award (2012) - Fox School of Business, Temple University
• Doctoral Fellow (2012) - 2012 AMA-Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortium, University of Washington
• Doctoral Student Travel Grant (2011) - 2011 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Conference, Coral Gables, FL

Selected Publications

• Obal, M., Friske, W., Morgan, T. (). Customer participation in new product development and the impact of remote work. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, forthcoming.
• Obal, M., Morgan, T., Friske, W. (2023). Is Cutting-Edge Good? An Assessment of Product Newness Factors in Technologically Turbulent Environments. Research-Technology Management, 66(4).
• Obal, M., Mumi, A., Kannan, R. (2023). The Varying Role of Digital Media on Angels and Venture Capitalists. Rutgers Business Review, 8(1) 16-27.
• Watson, A., Obal, M., Kannan, P. (2021). Expect Success, Get Success: How Self-fulfilling Prophecy Can Impact New Product Development. Research-Technology Management, 64(4) 29-36.
• Morgan, T., Obal, M., Jewell, R. (2021). Strategic change and innovation reputation: Opening up the innovation process. Journal of Business Research, 132(August) 249-259.
• Obal, M., Morgan, T., Joseph, G. (2020). Integrating sustainability into new product development: The role of organizational leadership and culture. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 30(1) 43-57.
• Obal, M., Ibrahim, S. (2020). Investigating the Impact of Radical Technology Adoption into the New Product Development Process. International Journal of Innovation Management, 24(4) 2050035.
• Obal, M., Gao, T. (2020). Managing Business Relationships during a Pandemic: Conducting a Relationship Audit and Developing a Path Forward. Industrial Marketing Management, 88(July 2020) 247-254.
• Petrovici, D., Obal, M., Walton, B., Fearne, A. (2020). The Role of Market Knowledge Type on Product Innovation Performance. International Journal of Innovation Management, 24(5) 2050046.
• Talay, M.B., Akdeniz, M.B. (University of New Hampshire), Obal, M., Townsend, J.D. (Oakland University) (2019). Stock Market Reactions to New Product Launches in International Markets: The Moderating Role of Culture . Journal of International Marketing, 27(4) 81-98.
• Mumi, A., Obal, M., Yang, Y. (2019). Investigating social media as a firm’s signaling strategy through an IPO. Small Business Economics, 53(3) 631-645.
• Morgan, T., Obal, M., Anokhin, S. (2018). Customer Participation and New Product Performance: Towards the Understanding of the Mechanisms and Key Contingencies. Research Policy, 47(2) 498-510.
• Obal, M., Morgan, T. (2018). Investigating the Moderating Effects of Perceived Technological Change on Sales Force Acceptance. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing.
• Thomas, E., Obal, M. (2018). Type of Knowledge Sharing and its Impact on Collaborative New Product Development. International Journal of Innovation Management, 22(02) 24.
• Obal, M., Lv, W. (2017). Improving banner ad strategies through predictive modeling. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 11(2) 198-212.
• Obal, M. (2017). What drives post-adoption usage? Investigating the negative and positive antecedents of disruptive technology continuous adoption intentions. Industrial Marketing Management, 63 42-52.
• Obal, M., Kunz, W. (2016). Cross-cultural differences in uses of online experts. Journal of Business Research, 69(3) 1148–1156.
• Obal, M., Kannan-Narasimhan, R., Ko, G. (2016). Whom Should We Talk to? Investigating the Varying Roles of Internal and External Relationship Quality on Radical and Incremental Innovation Performance. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 33(S1) 136-147.
• Obal, M., Krey, N., Bushardt, C. (2015). Let’s Get Engaged! Crossing the Threshold of Marketing’s Engagement Era: Proceedings of the 2014 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference. Springer
• Obal, M., Lancioni, R.A. (2013). Maximizing buyer–supplier relationships in the Digital Era: Concept and research agenda. Industrial Marketing Management, 42(6) 851–854.
• Obal, M., Kunz, W. (2013). Trust Development in e-Services: A Cohort Analysis of Millennials and Baby Boomers. Journal of Service Management, 24(1) 45-63.
• Obal, M. (2013). Why Do Incumbents Sometimes Succeed? Investigating the Role of Interorganizational Trust on the Adoption of Disruptive Technology. Industrial Marketing Management, 42(6) 900-908.

Selected Presentations

• COVID-19 Restrictions and the Absorptive Capacity of SMEs - 2023 Global Research Conference on Marketing and Entrepreneurship, August 2023 - Hamburg, Germany
• The Impact of Product Newness on New Product Development Performance: The Role of Technologically Turbulent Environments - 2023 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) World Congress, July 2023 - Canterbury, UK
• Is Cutting-Edge Good? An Assessment of Product Newness Factors in Technologically Turbulent Environments - Academy of Marketing Science, May 2023 - New Orleans, LA
• Customer Participation in Innovation During Times of Crisis: The Challenges of Remote Work and Customer Knowledge Acquisition - 2022 Global Research Conference on Marketing and Entrepreneurship, August 2022 - Whistler, BC
• Opening the Innovation Process: The Interrelationship of Firm Reputation and Strategic Innovation Change - Academy of Marketing Science, 2019 - Vancouver, BC
• Antecedents of Sustainability Orientation and Its Impact on New Product Performance - 32nd Global Research Symposium on Marketing and Entrepreneurship of the American Marketing Association, June 2019 - London, UK
• Global Product Launches and Firm Value: Evidence from Consumer Packaged Goods Brands - Academy of International Business US Northeast Conference, November 2018 - Philadelphia
• Stock Market Returns from Global Product Launches: Evidence from Consumer Packaged Goods Brands - PDMA Conference, November 2018 - Chicago
• Global Product Launches and Firm Performance - CIMar 2018, September 2018 - Atlanta, GA
• Customer Participation in New Product Development: The Crucial Role of a Firm's Absorptive Capacity - Academy of Marketing Science World Congress, June 2018 - Porto, Portugal
• How Much Change is Too Much? The Impact of Perceived Technological Change onto Sales Force Technology Acceptance - Academy of Marketing Science World Congress, June 2018 - Porto, Portugal
• Overcoming the Rejection of Changing Sales Force Technologies Through Managerial Support - Academy of Marketing Science Conference, May 2018 - New Orleans, LA
• The Impact of Absorptive Capacity onto Customer Participation in New Product Development - Academy of Marketing Science Conference, May 2018 - New Orleans, LA
• Assessing the Value of Global Product Launch - Global Innovation and Knowledge Academy Conference, 2017 - Lisbon, Portugal
• Improving Banner Ad Strategies through Predictive Modeling - Academy of Marketing Science Conference, May 2017 - Coronado, CA
• Investigating Social Media Activity as a Firm’s Signaling Strategy through an Initial Public Offering - Academy of Marketing Science Conference, May 2017 - Coronado, CA
• How Does Disruptive Technology Adoption and Integration Impact NPD Performance? - 2016 Marketing Management Association Conference, October 2016 - Providence, RI
• The Counterintuitive Influence of Buyer-Supplier Relationships on Disruptive Technology Adoption - 2016 Academy of Marketing Science World Congress, July 2016 - Paris, France
• Social media and the performance of initial public offerings - Eastern Academy of Management annual conference, May 2016 - New Haven, CT
• Leveraging Social Media to Increase Capital Raised Through an Initial Public Offering - 2015 Marketing EDGE Conference, October 2015 - Boston, MA
• The Impact of Knowledge Type and Environmental Dynamics on Producer-Supplier Collaborations in New Product Development - 2015 PDMA Product Innovation Management Conference, October 2015 - Anaheim, CA
• Leveraging social media to increase capital Raised through an Initial Public Offering - EDGE Direct/Interactive Marketing Research Summit, October 2015 - Boston, MA
• Choosing the Right Partners: Investigating the Varying Roles of Internal and External Integration on Radical and Incremental Innovation Performance - 2015 American Marketing Association (AMA) Marketing Educators Summer Conference, August 2015 - Chicago, IL
• The Counterintuitive Influence of Buyer-Supplier Relationships on Disruptive Technology Adoption,” - 2015 American Marketing Association (AMA) Marketing Educators Summer Conference, August 2015 - Chicago, IL
• Customer Participation in New Product Development and New Product Performance: The Moderating Role of Expertise - the 2015 Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference (AMS), May 2015 - Denver, CO
• Sales Force Acceptance of Disruptive Technologies - the 2015 Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference (AMS), May 2015 - Denver, CO

Research Currently in Progress

• Assessing the Financial Value of Global Product Launches
  Talay, B.B. (Co-Investigator) (UML), Obal, M. (Co-Investigator) (UML), Townsend, J.D. (Co-Investigator) (Oakland Universty)
• Cross Cultural Impacts on Entrepreneurship Activity
  Obal, M.
• Remote or In-Person? The Impact on Customer Participation Depth and Breadth in NPD
  Morgan, T., Obal, M., Friske, W.
• The Varying Role of Digital Media’s Influence on Angels and Venture Capitalists
  Obal, M., Mumi, A., Kannan, P.