Lori D Kendall

Dr. Kendall has over 30 years as a serial entrepreneur and technology executive for venture-backed and publicly traded firms in B2B software, hardware, and networking. She has held VP and senior leadership responsibilities for new product development, portfolio management, and cloud services. She concurrently serves as faculty at The Ohio State University and is an operating partner at Orchid Black.

At Ohio State, Dr. Kendall teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in entrepreneurship, leadership & professional development, experiential learning immersion, and strategy & innovation. At Orchid Black, she advises early-stage and mid-stage firms on strategy, growth, and innovation. Previously Dr. Kendall held executive leadership positions for voice and video communications and contact center industry leaders and co-founded several firms, including a multiple award-winning call center technology company acquired by Cisco Systems in 2015.

Dr. Kendall's consulting and research centers on entrepreneurial ventures and intrapreneurship within established firms. She is a mixed-methods researcher focused on micro and meso-level relational dynamics that affect organizational sensemaking under uncertainty, which subsequently impacts innovation and firm growth. Her dominant theoretical approaches are from 1) organizational ambidexterity, 2) sensemaking and managerial cognition, and 3) relational practice. Her publications include works on entrepreneurial cognition, relational dynamics influencing contextual ambidexterity, and mental model shifts driving paradigm change with social benefit firms. She was the 2021 Recipient of the Fisher College of Business Pace Setters Daniel Westerbeck Graduate Teaching Excellence Award.

Formerly a Distinguished Fellow at the Weatherhead Fowler Center, she led researchers on behalf of the Goi Peace Foundation to show performative shifts in the evolution from shareholder models toward becoming positive impact firms.

Journal Publications

Pavez, I., Kendall, L.D., and Laszlo, C. (2021). Positive-impact Companies: Toward a New Paradigm of Value Creation. Organizational Dynamics (ISSN# 0090-2616) volume 50, issue 4, October-November 2021, 100806 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2020.100806.

Ladd, T., Kendall, L.D. (2017). Resolving the Risk Paradox: Entrepreneurial Cognition in the Lean Startup Method. The Journal of Applied Business and Economics (ISSN# 1499-691X), volume 19(11/12), Dec 2017: 28-42. 

Kendall, L.D., Pavez, I., and Bao, L. (2014). The Business Sector Path Towards a Civilization of Oneness with Diversity: A Research Study on Behalf of the Goi Peace Foundation (United Nations NGO). Republished (2015) in World Futures: The Journal of New Paradigm Research (E. Laszlo, Ed).

Publications in Refereed Proceedings and Academic Paper Presentations

Cohen, M.P., Johnson, G., Krummaker, S., Koonce, R., Haley U., Coomber, N. Sheehan, R., Palmer, J., Pitsis, T., Olsen, J.E., Bumblauskas, D., Prochno, P., Sackmann, S., Perkins, K., Dastidar, P., Hand, C., Kendall, L.D., Hillon, Y.C., Pierce, A., Madonna, C., Anzengruber, J., Markman, G. (2022) “Translating Theory into Practice: Organizations and the Future of Work.” Academy of Management Annual Conference (AOM). Professional Development Workshop #411.

Cohen, M.P., Johnson, G., Krummaker, S., Koonce, R., Haley U., Coomber, N. Sheehan, R., Palmer, J., Pitsis, T., Olsen, J.E., Bumblauskas, D., Prochno, P., Sackmann, S., Perkins, K., Dastidar, P., Hand, C., Kendall, L.D., Hillon, Y.C., Pierce, A., Madonna, C., Anzengruber, J., Markman, G. (2021) “The Third Mission and the Transformation of the Business School in the New Economy.” Academy of Management Annual Conference (AOM). Professional Development Workshop #370.

Cohen, M.P., Seaver, G., Backhaus, C., Dharm, B., Johnson, G., Krummaker, S., Koonce, R., Haley U., Coomber, N. Sheehan, R., Palmer, J., Pitsis, T., Olsen, J.E., Bumblauskas, D., Prochno, P., Händschke, S., Sackmann, S., Ruigrok, W., Sander, G., Norman, R.T., Perkins, K., Dastidar, P., Hand, C., Kendall, L.D., Hillon, Y.C., Pierce, A., Madonna, C., Anzengruber, J., Markman, G., (2019). TRANSLATING THEORY INTO PRACTICE: Developing Strategic Objectives and Actions. Academy of Management (AOM). PTC, ODC, MED, MC, OB Professional Development Workshop, #424.

Thundiyil, T., Vardaman, J., Smendzuik-O'Brien, J., Woodman, R., Manning, M., Kendall, L.D., Stensaker, I., Baker, M.,Bernerth, J. (2017). Becoming Scholars and Scholar-Practitioners in Organization Development and Change. Academy of Management (AOM).ODC  Professional Development Workshop, #406.

Ladd, T., and Kendall, L.D. (2017). Entrepreneurial Cognition in the Lean Startup Method. Academy of Management (AOM. ENT Divisional Paper Presentation, #1419.

Rochford, K., and Kendall, L.D. (2016). Relational Climate, Product Innovation, and the Mediating Role of OCB-Voice. Academy of Management (AOM). TIM Divisional Paper Presentation, #16090.

Kendall, L.D. (2015). The Effects of Emotional Intelligence and Relationship Quality on Innovation and Performance. 2016 Conference Proceedings. Fourth International Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Conference Paper Presentation. Ryerson University. ISSN (2049-6834).

Kendall, L.D. (2016). Antecedents of Contextual Ambidexterity. Fourth International Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Poster Presentation.

Kendall, L.D., Van Esch, C., Delbecq, A., Stoner, J., Case, S. et al., Pavez, I. et al., Leah, J. et al. (2016). Transformation through Inclusion: Business as an Agent of World Benefit (All Academy Symposium). 2016 Annual Meeting Proceedings (J. Humphreys, Ed.), Academy of Management (AOM), #14345.

Eisenberg, J., Antonacopoulou, E., Byrne, B., Cearley, P., Kendall, L.D., and others. (2015). Business School Rankings: Is it Time to Click the ‘Refresh’ Button? (Symposium). 2015 Annual Meeting Proceedings (J. Humphreys, Ed.), Academy of Management (AOM), #12455.

Pavez, I., and Kendall, L.D. (2015). The Arc of Interconnectedness: A Theory of Business Evolution Towards Flourishing. 2015 Annual Meeting Proceedings of the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (D. Minor, Ed). Roundtable Presentation, Northwestern University.

Kendall, L.D. (2014). When Businesses Falter: How Relational Climates Foster or Hinder Recovery. 2014 Annual Meeting Best Paper Proceedings (J. Humphreys, Ed.), Academy of Management (AOM). ODC Divisional Paper Presentation, #1703.

Kendall, L.D. (2019). Antecedents of Contextual Ambidexterity: Situated Dynamics of Innovation.
Status: Data recollection.

Kendall, L.D. (2021). The Adverse Consequences of Toxic Leaders on Organizational Resiliency.
Status: Revising and Resubmitting.

Kendall, L.D. (2021). Relational Dynamics and Product Innovation.
Status: Submitting to Special Issue of Frontiers.

Kendall, L.D., McCullough, I. (2023). Instinctive Drives in Sensemaking and Resilience: A Mixed-Method Study.
Status: In progress.

Kendall, L.D. (2020). Thriving in Rapidly Changing Markets: How Technology Leaders Innovate with Human Connection.
Status: In Book Proposal (based on the thesis).