Appelbaum, Steven H.

Steven H. Appelbaum started his career at Concordia University as an Associate Professor, teaching management at the Faculty of Commerce and Administration in 1979. He was Acting Chairman of the Management Department in 1982 and became Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Administration the next year, a position he would hold until he stepped down in August 1990 to return to teaching and research. He would retire in 2023 after 44 years of teaching in the Department of Management. Appelbaum passed away on June 7, 2024.

• Steven H. Appelbaum was instrumental in the creation of the Executive MBA program in 1985. He’d taught in a similar program at Pace University in the mid-1970’s and pushed to establish Concordia’s version. In 1986, Appelbaum would receive the Guinea Pig Award presented by the alumni of the first graduating class of Sir George Williams University, in recognition of his efforts in the launch of the program.
• He was elected to the Executive of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Federation of Deans of Management and Administrative Studies in 1985.
• In 1986, Appelbaum was the honorary chairman at an alumni event at the University of Ottawa, where he’d obtained his PhD in 1972.
• Appelbaum led three of a five-session Health Care Management Program organized by the Directors of Professional Services Committee of the Montréal Joint Hospital Institute in 1990.
• In 1990, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
• He was the workshop leader at the Canadian Federation of Deans of Management and Administrative Studies on ‘Privatized degree programmes’, presenting Concordia’s Executive MBA programme, in 1990.
• Appelbaum received a plaque for his collaboration on the ‘Top Canadian Book’ used in Canadian universities in 1991.
• He was accepted as a member of the Corporation professionnelle des administrateurs agréés du Québec in 1992.
• Appelbaum was presented with the Faculty of Commerce and Administration’s Distinguished Teaching Award at the Spring 1994 Convocation ceremonies. He would win the title again in 1999.
• Appelbaum was the first consultant brought in on the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) project in the 1990’s, a proposed superhospital who would merge five different partners. From 1994 to 1999, he was asked to present at seminars and retreats to the MUHC managers on how to make the human resources aspect of mergers work.
• In 1998, he was one of four Canadian business academics to receive a Leaders in Management Education Award sponsored by the Financial Post and Bell Canada.
• His paper titled ‘Empowerment: A contrasting overview of organizations in general and nursing in particular’ received a citation of excellence from ANBAR Electronic Intelligence in 1999.
• Appelbaum was the keynote speaker of the Soap and Detergent Association conference in Florida in 2000, talking on the topic of ‘Confronting the Challenges of Managing Changes’.
• In February 2003, he was honoured with a Concordia University Research Chair in Organizational Development, a five-year appointment to study client-consultant relationships.
• Appelbaum’s paper ‘The Client-Consultant Relationship: A Case Study of Critical Success Factors in a Telecommunications Organization’ won the Best Paper award at the IBER Conference held in Las Vegas in 2003.
• He was invited to join the Emerald Group Publishing Limited as an International Advisor in 2005.
• At the 2004 Economics and International Research Conference held in Miami, Appelbaum’s paper ‘The Effects of Communications and Culture Upon NPO Merger: A Cross Method Analysis’ (written with Barbara T. Shapiro) was awarded Best Paper award.
• Appelbaum was invited to join the editorial boards of two publications: Management Research News at Clark University and the Journal of the American Academy of Business in 2006. He had been on the editorial board of the Journal of Management Development in the past.
• Appelbaum organized the Research Chair in Organizational Development Speaker Series that welcomed guests such as psychologist Warner Burke or crisis-management expert Ian Mitroff, among others in 2006.
• In the Spring of 2006, Appelbaum conducted a transformational management program for Concordia’s Human Resources and Employee Relations department.
• Co-written with Miguel Valero, Appelbaum’s paper titled The Crucial First Three Months: an Analysis of Leadership Transition Traps and Successes’ published in March 2007, won the Best Paper award from the Journal of American Academy of Business.
• Appelbaum was inducted into the Provost Circle of Distinction in 2012.
• His media impact was recognized in 2023 when he received the President’s Media Outreach Award.

Created 2018-08-28
Revised 2024-07-16

Concordia University Magazine, MBAs for Rising Star, November 1985, p.8
The Thursday Report, At a Glance, January 23, 1986, p.3
The Thursday Report, At a Glance, June 5, 1986, p.3
The Thursday Report, China delegation wins ‘Guinea Pig’ award, June 11, 1987, p.15
The Thursday Report, Appelbaum will seek a second term, September 24, 1987, p.4
The Thursday Report, At a Glance, March 1, 1990, p.3
The Thursday Report, At a Glance, June 7, 1990, p.3
Concordia’s Thursday Report, Christopher Ross named Acting Dean, Appelbaum steps down after 7 years, September 6, 1990, p.1
Concordia’s Thursday Report, At a Glance, November 22, 1990, p.3
Concordia’s Thursday Report, At a Glance, April 11, 1991, p.3
Concordia’s Thursday Report, At a Glance, March 26, 1992, p.3
Concordia’s Thursday Report, At a Glance, June 1,1994, p.2
The Affiliate, Committee has six years’ experience at picking terrific teachers, Fall 1994
Concordia’s Thursday Report, Appelbaum wins national award, March 19, 1998, p.5
Concordia’s Thursday Report, Appelbaum wins national award for business teaching, October 8, 1998, p.1
Concordia’s Thursday Report, At a Glance, April 1, 1999, p.3
Concordia’s Thursday Report, At a Glance, February 10, 2000, p.3
Concordia’s Thursday Report, Mergers often meet stiff resistance: management expert, November 21, 2002, p.2
Concordia’s Thursday Report, Steve Appelbaum honoured with a major research chair, February 27, 2003, p.3
Concordia’s Thursday Report, At a Glance, November 20, 2003, p.3
Concordia’s Thursday Report, At a Glance, January 27, 2005, p.3
Concordia’s Thursday Report, At a Glance, March 3, 2005, p.3
Concordia Journal, Accolades, February 9, 2006, p.3
Concordia Journal, Talks by Management Gurus, March 9, 2006, p.10
Concordia Journal, Team Concordia HR is ready for renewal, Yves Gosselin says, November 9, 2006, p.5
Concordia Journal, Accolades, February 22, 2007, p.3
Concordia News, Steven Appelbaum (1941-2024): ‘A Shining example of dedicated academic service’, July 3, 2024