Jim Flynn

Clinical Professor of Management

Jim has been teaching at Kelley for 12 years, and his connection to Kelley runs deep. A Kelley undergrad and PhD alum, Jim grew up in a Kelley family, and eventually met his wife, Barb, while they were doctoral students at Kelley. Now he and Barb are both professors at Kelley Indy.

Q: How long have you been teaching at Kelley?

Twelve years, although I also taught at IUPUI three semesters when I was a doctoral student in Kelley Bloomington. As a side note, I taught in the BS building the semester it opened.

Q: What classes do you teach?

Z371 and W494

Q: What is your hometown?

Rochester, NY

Q: What led you to your current position at Kelley Indy?

The opportunity to teach what, at that time, was a new course in ethics and leadership. That was later expanded into Z71.

Q: What is the best part of your job?

Getting to investigate, read about and discuss business practices and prospects with fellow faculty at Kelley and other schools, business executives and students. To be around so many people who are sincerely interested in how to manage and lead businesses to future success.

Q: What is your career and education background?

I was an undergraduate finance major at IU Bloomington—I was part of the first year required to take “The Core,” which was the first iteration of what is now I-Core.  I got my MBA at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and my PhD (in strategy and organizational behavior) from Kelley. Between UNC and my PhD, I was involved in management consulting for urban transit agencies.

I taught at three other universities before coming back to Kelley.

Q: Do you conduct research? If so, tell us about it. 

Yes. Mostly it involves how manufacturing practices, especially human resource and organizational characteristics, and their impact on strategy, product development and firm performance.

Q: What is your favorite #KelleyMoment?

There are so many that could quality as my favorite. As a teacher, it would have to be the day two sets of students had different opinions when we were politely discussing a case. After a while, they began talking directly to each other. I went to one of the corners in the front of the room and sat down. I let them continue their conversation for over five minutes. Eventually, I asked them for concluding comments. They didn’t even realize they had been talking to each other without my prompting them. That was a great case discussion

Q: How do you spend your time outside of Kelley?

Reading, listening to music.

Q: What is your favorite food?

Pompano en croute. It is a Cajun/Creole fish dish. I can’t get it in Indianapolis.

Q: Where is your favorite place to travel?

For work, Japan. For enjoyment, Ireland. And for relaxation, Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. The reality is I will go almost anywhere if time permits.

Q: If you’d like, tell us about your family.

My wife, Barb, who I mentioned before, is an Operations Management Professor in Kelley.  In addition, there are our sons Patrick and Kevin—both out on their own, our daughter in law Alex  (Patrick’s wife) and the mother of our twin 2 ½ year old granddaughters. Alex is a Nurse Practioner, Kevin is a Civil Engineer and Patrick is joining the ‘family business’—he defended his dissertation proposal for his PhD in Management this week.