Dr. DJ Schepker
University of South Carolina

Session abstract

This workshop covers the primary methods used in analyzing panel data, a data structure in which the same units are observed repeatedly over time. We will explore why that structures creates both opportunities and challenges for statistical analysis. Participants will be introduced to pooled OLS, econometric fixed effects and random effects, and mixed effect models as means to analyze panel data, with particular attention paid to how each model treats stable differences across units and separates within-unit from between-unit variation. Participants will learn how to think about model choice using the underlying research question, assumptions about unobserved heterogeneity, and tools such as the Hausman test. The workshop will also emphasize interpretation of model coefficients in common panel models and common mistakes that arise when researchers analyze panel data. At the end, participants will be provided a real world data and sample code to analyze the data using the models discussed in the workshop. The goal will be to conduct analysis and interpret the results in line with the various tests performed and a hypothetical research question that could be explored with the data.

Presenter biography

Donald J. “DJ” Schepker is a Professor of Strategic Management and Moore Distinguished Fellow in the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, where he also serves as the Research Director in the Center for Executive Succession. His research focuses on relational dynamics in top management teams and boards of directors, including work on executive succession planning, the causes and consequences of executive succession, corporate governance, and board decision making. His research has appeared in outlets such as the Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, and Journal of Management Studies. Dr. Schepker currently serves as a Senior Associate Editor for The Leadership Quarterly. He received his Ph.D. in Strategic Management from the University of Kansas and B.S. from Babson College.journals.