Sangho Lee, associate professor in the department of Finance, Real Estate, and Law, has been named this year's recipient of the Jagdish N. Sheth Award for Excellence in Scholarship. The award was established by Nirmal Sethia, professor emeritus in management and human resources, and Tara Sethia, professor emeritus of history and founding director of Cal Poly Pomona's Ahimsa Center, to recognize College of Business Administration faculty for sustained high-quality scholarly contributions. A faculty committee reviewed candidates' records against the award's eligibility criteria, including faculty status, the defined period of consideration, and publication thresholds. As part of the award’s qualifications, faculty must have published at least one article in a Financial Times Top 50 (FT 50) or ABDC A* journal, or an equivalent combination of ABDC-ranked publications, with all qualifying work meeting the college's scholarly standards.
Lee reported two journal publications in 2024: one in the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis and one in Management Science. Both journals are recognized as FT 50 and ABDC A* outlets, placing his work among the highest tier of research recognized by the award.
“Receiving the Jagdish N. Sheth Award is a great honor and encouragement to me because impactful research often takes several years from the initial idea to publication,” Lee explained. “I am grateful that the college recognizes and celebrates such a commitment to high-impact scholarship. The award also gives me additional motivation to continue building a strong research agenda that can contribute to the reputation of the college and benefit our students.”
In his Management Science paper, Lee found that common ownership by large institutional investors does not have a uniform effect on competition; its consequences depend heavily on the surrounding economic environment. His Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis paper similarly found that classified boards can meaningfully deter takeovers, particularly when takeover pressure is unusually strong. “My recent research examines how ownership and corporate governance structures can shape firm behavior in ways that are often more complex than they first appear,” Lee said. “These results suggest that financial institutions and governance mechanisms should be evaluated carefully in context, rather than simply labeled as good or bad.”
Lee joins a growing list of CBA faculty honored for research that extends the college's reputation in finance and governance scholarship, and his work continues to inspire discussions based on how ownership and institutional structures shape corporate outcomes. Congratulations to Associate Professor Sangho Lee on this well-deserved recognition.
