Michael R. Cauley, PhD, DMin

Associate Professor of Professional Studies
Lipscomb University
Research Fellow, Emergency Medicine Research
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

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FOCUS: Documentation and clinician behavior, well-being

Michael R. Cauley, PhD, DMin, is an interdisciplinary scholar specializing in relationships between people, organizations, and systems. His research has focused on theory development between the clinician’s caring role and charting. Current projects focus on elucidating non-routine events in interhospital transfers and their emergence in documentation to improve patient safety. Other areas of interest include documentation needs of organizational systems and how those needs change clinician behavior, as well as further theory development of clinician well-being and belonging. Before transitioning to a career in research, Dr. Cauley was a teaching faculty member at universities in the midwest and southeast, where he taught courses in philosophy, mission, and leadership. Dr. Cauley also has a professional background as a practical theologian, including multiple graduate degrees in religion, and is an Air Force chaplain. He also serves as a member of the Academy of Management’s Health Care Management Practice Committee.

Research Interests

Documentation and clinician well-being, patient and caregiver relationship, technology and existentialism, organizational theory

Education & Training

BA – Theology, Southern Adventist University
MDiv – Divinity, Andrews University
DMin – Mission and Spirituality, Andrews University
MS – Management and Organizational Behavior, Benedictine University
PhD – Designing Sustainable Systems, Case Western Reserve University
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Postdoctoral Research Fellowship – Vanderbilt University

Research Information

Recent Peer-reviewed Abstracts

  1. Cauley MR. Person in process of practice: Between helping and managing helping. Academy of Management Proceedings. Vol. 2021. No. 1. Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management, 2021.
  2. Cauley MR, Wang, Y. Relational factors of documenting practice in patient care. Academy of Management Proceedings. Vol. 2023. No. 1. Briarcliff Manor, NY 16197: Academy of Management, 2023.

Recent Presentations

  1. Cauley MR. Organizational be: Development of self and systems together. Harvard Medical School Institute of Coaching Conference, Sept, 2018.
  2. Cauley MR. Frontline healthcare professionals and inquiry. ARNOVA 49th Annual Meeting, Nov, 2020.
  3. Cauley MR. Person in process of practice: between helping and managing helping. Academy of Management 81st Annual Meeting, August, 2021.
  4. Cauley MR. Mediation of electronic medical record and practitioner turnover and stress. Engaged Management Scholarship Doctoral Consortium, Sept, 2021.
  5. Cauley MR, France DJ, Slagle J, Sopko K, Wrenn J, Ward MJ. Collecting non-routine events in interhospital care transitions of Veterans, a feasibility study. Vanderbilt Symposium on Implementation Research in the Learning Health System, May, 2023.
  6. Cauley MR, Wang, Y. Relational factors of documenting practice in patient care. Academy of Management 83rd Annual Meeting, Aug, 2023.
  7. Cauley MR, Comfort L, DePuccio M, Gutber J, Mitchell C, Ojo R, Peck J, Pinto A, Porter TH, Thoebes G. Practice incubator professional development workshop. Academy of Management 83rd Annual Meeting, Aug, 2023.