Research
My research examines how the stories organizations tell about purpose, power, and profit shape strategic choices, individual careers, and venture outcomes. I rely on qualitative approaches — ethnography, interviews, archival research, and netnography — to connect narrative to organizational design and performance.
Research Interests
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Canales, Rodrigo, Regele, Matthew D., Groberg, Max-Gunnar, and Eftekhari, Nazanin (2025)
Falling Off the Unicorn: The Maintenance of Unrealistic Startup Labor Narratives
Academy of Management Journal, 68(4): 760-786
Vavilov, Stanislav and Regele, Matthew D. (2025)
Bringing Positive Psychology to Jesuit Business Education: The Reflected Best Self Assignment
Journal of Jesuit Business Education, 16
Regele, Matthew D. (2024)
Facing the Music: An Entrepreneur's Struggle with e-Commerce Failure
The CASE Journal, 21(2): 282-293
Regele, Matthew D. and Vavilov, Stanislav (2023)
Integrating Ignatian Values into Entrepreneurship Teaching and Practice
Journal of Jesuit Business Education, 14: 42-65
Each author contributed equally
Regele, Matthew D. (2023)
What's the Purpose? Meaning Making, Sensemaking, and the (Mis)appropriation of Purpose Beyond Profit
Strategic Organization, 23(2): 321-350
Regele, Matthew D. (2023)
Learning Research: Theory Building and Theory Testing in Educational Technology Innovation and Beyond
Prometheus: Critical Studies in Innovation, 39(1): 28-50
Regele, Matthew D. (2020)
Pedagogy and Profit? Efforts to Develop and Sell Digital Learning Products for Higher Education
American Educational Research Journal, 57(3): 1125-1158
Regele, Matthew D. (2018)
The Roots of a Hybrid: The Impact of Adoption Conditions on Organizational Hybridity
Academy of Management Proceedings, 2018(1)
Assenova, Valentina A. and Regele, Matthew D. (2017)
Revisiting the Effect of Colonial Institutions on Comparative Economic Development
PLoS ONE, 12(5)
Regele, Matthew D. and Neck, Heidi M. (2012)
The Entrepreneurship Education Sub-Ecosystem in the United States: Opportunities to Increase Entrepreneurial Activity
Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship, 23(2): 25-47
Research in Progress
Confidence Women: Gender, Empowerment, and Entrepreneurial Mythmaking in the Wellness MLM Industry
Regele, Matthew D. and Schakenbach Regele, Lindsay
We examine how empowerment and confidence narratives mobilize identity and effort among women in wellness-oriented multi-level marketing businesses, while masking unit economics and converting structural constraints into personal shortcomings.
Confidence Women: The Role of Dance Fitness Entrepreneurs and Workers in Multi-Level Marketing History
Schakenbach Regele, Lindsay and Regele, Matthew D.
We trace the evolution of dance-fitness and wellness MLMs such as Jazzercise, Zumba, Shine, and Turn Up, showing how compensation design and community-based customer acquisition coevolved with shifts in women's work and social media.
Riding the Line: Legitimacy Ambidexterity in Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs
Regele, Matthew D. and Lippmann, Stephen
A conceptual paper developing a theory of how organizations alternate between norm violation and norm compliance to build internal cohesion and external influence, with implications for new ventures and scaling firms.
How Entrepreneurs Conceptualize the Value of Education for Entrepreneurship
Humphrey, Jarrod, Regele, Matthew D., and Gaddis Ross, David
A textual analysis of Reddit posts examining how nascent entrepreneurs encounter and construct narratives about university-based entrepreneurship education in online communities.
Structuring Flexibility: How Standardization Can Enable Adaptation in Organizations
Regele, Matthew D.; Woodruff, Sarah; Helsinger, Abigail; Dixon, Maressa; and Cummins, Phyllis A.
We show how rigid organizational design choices such as standardized workflows, tightly sequenced processes, clear checkpoints, and predictable pacing can increase real-world flexibility. By making the core work process legible and reliable, standardization shifts attention away from constant improvisation and toward higher-value adaptation. This includes spotting predictable breakdowns early, reallocating support when disruptions occur, and helping people recover quickly after setbacks. The result is flexibility that comes from structure, improving coordination, reducing variance in outcomes, and creating capacity for tailored support without sacrificing speed or reliability.
Helping Me or Helping You? Motivation and the Continuous Deployment of Managerial Capital in Developing Country SMEs
Regele, Matthew D.
A study examining the motivations behind ongoing managerial support to small and medium enterprises in developing economies.
Employer Relationships and Student Success in Ohio's Technical Centers
Dixon, Maressa and Regele, Matthew D.
Research examining how employer-institution partnerships shape student outcomes in Ohio's technical education centers.
Lowering Barriers to Postsecondary Education Success for Marginalized Adult Learners
Woodruff, Sarah, Helsinger, Abigail, Regele, Matthew D., Dixon, Maressa
A study identifying structural barriers to postsecondary success and translating evidence into actionable program design for underserved populations.