91吃瓜

Timothy Judge

Troubled online coupon giant Groupon fired its quirky founder and CEO Andrew Mason Thursday (Feb. 28) following another disappointing quarter, and University of 91吃瓜 Management Professor says, 鈥淐learly, Groupon鈥檚 poor financial performance was the precipitating factor in Mason鈥檚 downfall.鈥�

However, Judge, who specializes in management psychology, leadership personality and career and life success, says Mason鈥檚 strange sense of humor and irreverent behavior didn鈥檛 do him any favors.

鈥淭he degree to which leaders fit the images individuals have of them makes a difference,鈥� Judge says. 鈥淟eaders who display traits, appearances or behaviors at variance with conventional wisdom are often viewed warily and their performance scrutinized. After all, J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson, after badly missing earnings and sales projections, experiencing one of the worst quarterly losses in JCP history and retreating from his bold proclamation regarding sales and discount pricing, still has his job. As a former Apple executive with an MBA from Harvard, Johnson fits the mold. Mason, who has no previous corporate experience and a music degree, doesn鈥檛.鈥�

Mason isn鈥檛 solely to blame for Groupon鈥檚 poor performance, though, says Judge.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 quite possible that the real problem was that the company was overvalued at the time of its initial public offering, which often happens,鈥� Judge says. 鈥淎nd, investors and board members are kicking themselves, but much of the blame for that does not rest at Mason鈥檚 feet.鈥�

Judge has written and been interviewed extensively about his , and research, among other studies.

Contact: Timothy Judge, 574-631-4802, tjudge@nd.edu