Amanda Sharkey is an economic sociologist who studies how social and cultural factors impact organizational behaviors and market outcomes. She is particularly interested in questions related to status and reputation in markets, as well as the evolving role of firms in society. Her research has appeared in Administrative Science Quarterly, the American Sociological Review, the American Journal of Sociology, Organization Science and Sociological Methods and Research.
Sharkey’s previous work has focused on the role of industry prestige in shaping how investors react to firms that announce earnings restatements. She has also studied the effects of external ratings systems (e.g., KLD, Fortune’s Best Companies) and industry peers in influencing firms’ tendency to pollute. She is currently working on projects in a variety of empirical domains, including the nursing home industry, Islamic banking and diversity management.
Sharkey earned a bachelor’s of science in journalism, as well as a bachelor’s of arts in economics, from Northwestern University in 1999. She completed a master’s degree in social research methods from the London School of Economics in 2004. She received her Ph.D. in sociology from Stanford University in 2011.
Prior to entering academia, she spent time working in management consulting and education policy.
In her free time, Sharkey’s interests center around food – both cooking at home and exploring new restaurants.