Johan Chu is the Sarofim Family Career Development Assistant Professor and an Assistant Professor of System Dynamics at the MIT Sloan School of Management
Johan's research examines power. Recently-developed technologies–including generative AI–allow low-cost, wide-reach communication, and democratize access to global markets, knowledge, capital, and labor. How do these developments alter the dynamics of social contention and market competition?
In one stream of research, he explores the factors leading to durable dominance of nations, companies, products, ideas, and people. This work suggests strategies for dominants and would-be dominants, and also sheds light on the causes of enduring stratification. A second stream of research studies how individuals and companies direct mass attention–a key source of power in a globalized age of abundant choice.
For his empirical studies, Johan uses simulation, large datasets, social network analysis, machine learning, and computational text analysis, grounded in in-depth interviews and fieldwork with industry participants.
Study contexts range widely, from the effects of generative AI on the Korean film industry to K-pop star success to NBA competition to competition in the U.S. beer and mutual funds markets to the power structure of society.
Prior to joining MIT Sloan's faculty, Johan taught at Chicago Booth and Northwestern Kellogg. He received a PhD in Physics (with a dissertation on Artificial Life) from Caltech and a later PhD in Management & Organizations from Michigan Ross. In the 12 years between PhD programs, Johan consulted for clients in the United States, Korea, and China; led two enterprise software ventures; and headed the Asia-Pacific Consumer Practice for a global executive search firm.
