Dr. Kyle Luthans
Areas of Expertise
- Management
Bio
Kyle W. Luthans is the John Becker Endowed Professor of Business and the 2021 recipient of the Leland Holt / Security Mutual Life Distinguished Faculty Award at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He started as an Assistant Professor of Management at UNK in 1999 and has been the Chair of the Management Department since 2006. He teaches classes primarily in human resource management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, M.A., and Ph.D. in management from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Dr. Luthans research interests include exploring the relationship between positive psychological capital (PsyCap) and workplace performance. His research has been published in The Journal of Management Education, Human Resource Management, Business Horizons, Journal of Career Development, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, and Journal of Nursing Administration. Dr. Luthans’ research has been cited over 6,000 times. He received the Pratt-Heins Faculty Award for Scholarship and Research in 2022. Dr. Luthans has worked with organizations in the manufacturing, transportation, health care, retail, and non-profit sectors to implement practical guidelines for managing and developing the positive psychological strengths of employees. Dr. Luthans is a Positive Organizational Behavior Institute (POBI) research fellow.
Education
Ph.D., Management, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
M.A., Management, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
B.S., Business Administration, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
How did you become interested in this subject?
It might sound cliché, but I truly believe that people are an organization’s number one asset. Leaders that manage their human resources effectively can create a source of sustained competitive advantage for their organizations. One of my most admired business leaders is Jim Goodnight, the CEO of SAS Institute. He has a famous quote where he explained, “95% of my assets drive out the front gate every night and it’s my job to bring them back.” That’s the perspective I like to teach my classes from.
What do you like best about teaching?
I enjoy interacting with students and sharing my passion for Human Resource Management. Professionally, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing my students move forward with their careers and hearing about their success stories.
