Seola Kim

Seola [sola; like “hola” with an 's'] Kim is a doctoral candidate in Work and Organizations at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. Her research examines the dynamics of workplace conflict, with a focus on how conflict is experienced and managed, and how it is shaped by the relationships and social structures in which individuals are embedded. Her research spans three interconnected areas: (1) the microfoundations of conflict, asking why individuals diverge—in both what they perceive and how they respond—even within the same conflict; (2) the management of self–other tensions in relational contexts, including negotiation, trust building, perspective-taking, and joint time allocation; and (3) socioeconomic embeddedness, examining how social class shapes relational constraints across career transitions.

Seola's dissertation develops a theory of how third parties navigate relational and strategic dilemmas when caught between two colleagues in conflict, examining how their embedded network position shapes whether and how they respond to the conflict. Her research program has received several recognitions, including 3rd Place in the 2026 3-Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition at the International Association for Conflict Management (IACM) sponsored by Academy of Management (AOM) Conflict Management (CM) Division, and the Negotiation and Team Resources (NTR) - IACM Early Career Scholars Award. 

Seola has taught MGMT 3041: The Individual and the Organization and MGMT 3042: Organizational Behavior: Groups and Teams, engaging students in topics such as personality, motivation, team dynamics, diversity, and the employee-organization relationship. She has also served as a teaching assistant for a range of undergraduate and executive-level courses in management and organizational behavior, including those focused on dispute resolution and negotiation.

Before beginning her doctoral studies, Seola worked at Toyota Motor Korea and interned at Japan Airlines (JAL)—experiences that continue to inform both her research and teaching.