Timothy Munyon

“I count it as a privilege to help equip the next generation of managers with the knowledge they need to compete, lead and serve others.”

Aerospace & Defense, Consortium for Social Enterprise Effectiveness, Executive Education, Global Supply Chain Institute, Leadership & Strategy, Management & Entrepreneurship, Professional MBA - Faculty

Timothy Munyon, an associate professor of management at the Haslam College of Business, is passionate about his research that focuses on understanding and influencing the behavior of employees, entrepreneurs and firms. Munyon explores why people behave as they do, particularly at their places of employment.

“There were times in my career where I have worked under both remarkable and also less-than-inspiring leaders,” Munyon says. “I was curious to understand what differentiated these individuals.”

He considers his work as a professor as, “living the dream.” He also serves as a core faculty member supporting the Aerospace and Defense MBA, the Master of Science in Management and Human Resources (MSMHR) and the Professional MBA.

Munyon believes that for the amount of time we spend at work, what we’re working on should make a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us.

“As we spend the majority of our waking hours at work, I believe there is a moral imperative to help make this time productive, safe and satisfying,” Munyon says. “Much of my research is driven by this underlying value.”

Munyon appreciates the individuality and the spirit of teamwork that students at the Haslam College of Business embody.

“Our students are talented and intelligent but what impresses me most is the prosocial motivation that many of them possess,” Munyon says. “They want to be successful, but they also recognize the critical importance of working to advance the welfare of others.”

Prior to transitioning to academia, Munyon worked as an airport consultant. He began working as an adjunct professor part-time, finding his true passion in teaching, which inspired the pursuit of a doctorate. Munyon’s wife, Summer, is a UT alumna. The couple welcomed the opportunity to move back home to East Tennessee when a position opened up at Haslam.

“I count it as a privilege to help equip the next generation of managers with the knowledge they need to compete, lead and serve others,” Munyon says. “I aspire to reach the rank of professor, and if I’m lucky maybe even get a tweed jacket with some elbow patches to complete the look.”