Eric Zackrison, PhD/MBA

Adjunct Faculty Member

He Him

Areas of expertise: Leadership, organizational behavior, sustainable business practices, strategy, team effectiveness, workplace communication, influence, coordination, and experiential learning.

Office Hours: By Appointment

About

Eric Zackrison is a leadership consultant, educator, and former entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience as a manager and business owner. His work focuses on leadership, organizational behavior, team dynamics, strategy, and communication, with an emphasis on how organizations align people, systems, and values to achieve sustainable results.

Eric holds an MBA and MA in Communication from Missouri State University and a PhD in Organizational Communication from UC Santa Barbara. His academic and applied interests include leadership development, coordination in complex organizations, influence and persuasion, workplace relationships, and sustainable business practices.

In addition to his consulting work, Eric is a Continuing Lecturer in the Technology Management Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in management, leadership, strategy, and business communication.

Eric has served as an Adjunct Professor at California Lutheran University since 2018, where he has taught courses in Sustainable Business Practices and Organizational Behavior, bringing real-world leadership and organizational experience into the classroom.

Education

MA in Organizational Communication and MBA from Missouri State University

PhD in Organizational Communication from the University of California, Santa Barbara

Expertise

Leadership Development

Leading teams in complex and ambiguous environments
Developing first-time and mid-level leaders
Influence, persuasion, and decision-making under uncertainty

Organizational Behavior

Team dynamics and group effectiveness
Motivation, engagement, and accountability
Organizational culture and workplace relationships

Sustainable Business Practices

Values-driven leadership and ethical decision-making
Balancing performance, people, and long-term impact
Systems thinking in organizational design

Strategy & Organizational Alignment

Translating strategy into execution
Coordination in complex organizations
Aligning structure, incentives, and communication

Business & Leadership Communication

Executive and leadership communication
Giving and receiving feedback
Managing difficult conversations and conflict

Applied Learning & Experiential Education

Field-based and project-based learning
Bridging theory and real-world practice
Partnering with organizations on live business challenges

Consulting & Facilitation

Leadership development workshops
Team effectiveness and facilitation
Strategy, change, and organizational development

Publications

Selected Academic Publications

Zackrison, E. J., Seibold, D. R., & Rice, R. E. (In press). Organizational coordination and communication: A critical review and model. Communication Yearbook, 39.

Rice, R. E., Zackrison, E. J., & Seibold, D. R. (2017). Coordination. In C. R. Scott & L. K. Lewis (Eds.), The International Encyclopedia of Organizational Communication. Wiley-Blackwell.

Zackrison, E. J., Seibold, D. R., & Rice, R. E. (2014). Organizational coordination and communication: A critical review and model. Top Four Paper, National Communication Association Annual Conference.

Invited Talks, Workshops, & Professional Speaking

Keynote speaker and invited facilitator for leadership, organizational behavior, and strategy programs across public, private, and nonprofit organizations.

Invited speaker and workshop leader on leadership development, team effectiveness, communication, and organizational change for technology firms, healthcare organizations, government agencies, and nonprofit institutions.

Online Courses & Public Scholarship

LinkedIn Learning
Course Developer & Instructor
Developer and instructor of 12+ courses on leadership, communication, and organizational effectiveness, including:

Becoming a Manager Your Team Loves

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Listen to Lead

Navigating Ambiguity

Adapting Leadership to Behavioral Styles

Coursera & Udemy
Course Developer & Instructor
Developer and instructor of 25+ courses focused on leadership, organizational behavior, strategy, communication, and AI-augmented decision-making, including:

AI-Augmented Decision-Making for Business Leaders

Building Resilient Teams

Managing Hybrid & AI-Augmented Teams

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

Managing Diversity in a Multicultural Workplace

These courses have collectively reached more than 1.5 million learners worldwide.