Research

Michael's research is united by a core question: how do operational systems shape the people inside them? This thread runs from his early ethnographic work with humanitarian NGOs in Guatemala, where he studied how supply chain design affects the communities those chains are meant to serve, through his doctoral research on crowdsourced logistics, where he examines how platform design decisions influence the workers who make last-mile delivery function. The contexts differ but the through-line is constant: understanding how operational design governs behavior, decision-making, and equity across the supply chain.

His methodological approach combines behavioral experiments, agent-based simulation, qualitative inquiry, and econometric analysis.

Dissertation

Journal Publications

1. Helms, M., LeMay, S., & Dwyer, M. (2018). Contrasting FOR and WITH factor chains: The case of material supply chains and human factor chains in Guatemalan nongovernmental organizations. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 24(2), e1631. https://doi.org/10.1002/nvsm.1631
2. Helms, M., LeMay, S., & Dwyer, M. (2017). Assessing the epic framework: Guatemala. Operations and Supply Chain Management, 10(2), 47–62. https://doi.org/10.31387/oscm0280183
3. Helms, M., Dwyer, M., & LeMay, S. (2016). World views and the evaluation of NGO supply chains: Thirteen cases from Guatemala. Operations and Supply Chain Management, 9(2), 90–104. https://doi.org/10.31387/oscm0250090
4. Reddick, T., Dwyer, M., Liu, Y., & Lawlor, B. (2014). MetaSpace Designs LLC (MetaSpace): How can a lapel-ephant stay relevant? American Journal of Management, 14(4), 40–59.

Research In Progress

• 1. Platform labor dynamics in ride-hailing systems. Investigates how the expansion of delivery services affects driver behavior, routing efficiency, and labor allocation across ride-hailing platforms. (With S. Pal, T. Hoang, and C. Tang.) Under review.
• 2. Gig labor flexibility in manufacturing contexts. Extends gig economy labor research beyond crowdsourced logistics to examine flexible platform-mediated work arrangements on the factory floor. (With J. Schumm, V. Ayyalasomayajulu, and C. Schumm.) Under review.
• 3. Crowdsourced logistics: A comprehensive review and research agenda. Develops a systematic literature review and integrative framework for understanding the evolving landscape of crowd-based logistics models. (With W. J. Rose and R. E. Overstreet.) In preparation.
• 4. Electronic monitoring and algorithmic control in crowdsourced delivery. Uses a behavioral experiment and agent-based simulation to examine how electronic monitoring and algorithmic management practices shape worker experiences in platform-based logistics performance outcomes. (With W. J. Rose and R. E. Overstreet.) In preparation.
• 5. Qualitative perspectives on gig worker experiences in crowdsourced logistics. Explores how platform-based workers understand and navigate the demands, tradeoffs, and uncertainties of gig-based logistics work. (With W. J. Rose.) In preparation.
• 6. Geographic heterogeneity in crowdsourced logistics service performance. Investigates crowdsourced logistics workers' behaviors given differing geographic locales, marrying agent-based simulation with realistic neighborhood demographics. (With Y. Suzuki and W.J. Rose.) Conceptual development.

Published Conference Proceedings

1. Dwyer, M. (2021). A case study in supply chain ethics: Medical supplies are us. Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2021/29.
2. Reddick, T., Dwyer, M., Liu, Y., & Lawlor, B. (2013). MetaSpace Designs LLC: Can a lapel-ephant stay relevant? Proceedings of the 54th North American Case Research Association Conference 2013.
3. Dwyer, M. (2013). The effects of a disaster's onset on the humanitarian aid supply chain. Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2013/14.

Selected Presentations

1. Pal, S., Hoang, T., Dwyer, M., & Tang, C. (2025). Splitting the Fare: Platform Expansion and Strategic Driver Allocation Between Services. Decision Sciences Institute 56th Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.
2. Dwyer, M., Rose, W. J., & Overstreet, R. E. (2025). The Effects of Electronic Monitoring and Algorithmic Control on the Crowdsourced Logistics Workforce. Decision Sciences Institute 56th Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.
3. Pal, S., Hoang, T., Dwyer, M., & Tang, C. (2024). Revving up retention: Analyzing the influence of food delivery services on driver behavior and ride selection patterns in ride-hailing platforms. 2024 INFORMS Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
4. Dwyer, M. & Rose, W. J. (2024). Crowdsourced logistics providers' platform management. Poster at CSCMP Academic Research Symposium, Nashville, TN.
5. Dwyer, M. (2023). Understanding the crowdsourced logistics workforce: The ethical implications of network dynamics. Iowa State University 3MT: Three Minute Thesis Competition, Ames, IA.
6. Dwyer, M., Overstreet, R. E., & Rose, W. J. (2023). Assessing crowdsourced delivery drivers' intentions to work with your app. 33rd POMS Academic Conference, Orlando, FL.
7. Dwyer, M., Rose, W. J., & Overstreet, R. E. (2022). Comparing last mile strategies in crowdsourced logistics. Poster at CSCMP Academic Research Symposium, Nashville, TN.
8. Dwyer, M. (2022). The effects of monitoring and control on labor in the crowdsourced logistics context. 15th Annual Behavioral Operations, University of Arkansas.
9. Dwyer, M. & Keller, S. (2012). The antecedents and consequents of internal customer orientation in the logistics workforce. Poster at Student Scholars Symposium, University of West Florida.

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