Oğuz Gençay

Welcome! I am Oğuz Gençay (or Oguz Gencay), an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at Bilkent University (my university webpage). I recently received my Ph.D. in OB / HRM from the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, in 2025. 

Broadly, I study how people perceive and react to various stimuli in their environment, such as uncertainty, threats, behaviors of others, and even music (as an auditory stimulus). As a versatile researcher, I connect these processes across various social and task contexts to examine when people are good organizational citizens, broadly defined as engaging in any behavior that benefits others at work, including performing well. For example, my recent research portfolio examines questions such as:

• Broadly, why do individuals fail to be good citizens at work?

• How do factors, such as music type or task uncertainty, influence being a good citizen at work? 

• How can we develop scalable and accessible interventions to mitigate negative effects?

To do so, I use diverse methods, such as AI-supported interventions (e.g., ChatGPT-large-language-models), creative in-person, online, and field experiments, dyadic or team-based field studies, and innovative archival/secondary datasets. My research aims to make critical theoretical contributions while pinpointing practical implications for managers and organizations.

I have presented my work at various conferences, including the Academy of Management Conference. My work is also under review in various top-tier peer-reviewed journals, many of which I regularly serve as a reviewer. In 2024, my doctoral dissertation was selected as a Finalist at the INFORMS/Organization Science Best Dissertation Proposal Competition. I have taught Organizational Behavior and Ethical Leadership at the undergraduate and graduate levels. 

Before embarking on the Ph.D. journey, I earned my B.S. in Business Administration at Middle East Technical University (along with a minor in Computer Engineering and a year of study abroad at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business) and an M.S. in Management at Bogazici University.  Then, I worked as a process analyst, senior developer, and strategy & business development manager in digital transformation functions in various sectors, such as banking, telecommunications, insurance, etc. 

Outside of academic interests, I enjoy various sports (tennis, badminton, pickleball), playing and listening to music, reading, traveling, and road trips.