My research is broadly concerned with how organizations manage relationships with key stakeholders (e.g., investors, employees, the media, etc.). These relationships have become more challenging lately, with organizations facing greater public scrutiny, increased demands for transparency, and growing uncertainties. My work draws on theories from linguistics, sociology, and psychology to examine the micro-foundational mechanisms that explain why certain organizational efforts succeed or fail. A core theme that emerges from my work is that organizations face trade-offs and often end up producing unintended consequences when trying to manage these relationships. My published work appears in Administrative Science Quarterly, Strategic Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.