PhD
Organization Studies
Organization Studies is a multidisciplinary group that brings together the concepts and research methodology of social psychology, sociology, anthropology, and other social sciences. The Organization Studies research group focuses on interactions across individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions, as well as organizational processes themselves. Faculty members—including Deborah Ancona, Kate Kellogg, Erin Kelly, Ray Reagans, and John Carroll—study topics such as distributed leadership, AI in everyday work, social capital, and the future of work.
Research from Organization Studies Faculty
Will AI derail global climate goals?
MIT Sloan School of Management researchers find that AI’s biggest climate threat isn’t the power draw of data centers — it’s the economic growth AI unleashes.
Can AI’s climate benefits outweigh its costs?
The rising energy demands of AI and data centers threaten corporate net zero commitments and worsen climate change. But can AI also help develop climate solutions? MIT Sloan researchers investigate.
The Rise of the “Disposable” American Worker
The transformation of employment has left roughly one-third of the U.S. workforce without job security, according to a new book by MIT Sloan School of Management professor Paul Osterman.
‘Disposable Workers: The Transformation of Employment’
MIT Sloan’s Paul Osterman argues that the rise in gig workers, freelancers, contractors, adjuncts, and other contingent workers carries long-term implications for the future of work.
Select Organization Studies Faculty
Standing Faculty
Deborah L. Ancona
Seley Distinguished Professor of Management
Deborah Ancona is the Seley Distinguished Professor of Management, a Professor of Organization Studies, and the Founder of the MIT Leadership Center at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Her pioneering research into how successful teams operate has…
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Emilio J. Castilla
NTU Professor of Management
Emilio J. Castilla is the NTU Professor of Management and a Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Castilla is currently the co-director of the Institute for Work and Employment Research. He joined the MIT…
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Jared R. Curhan
Gordon Kaufman Professor of Management
Jared Curhan is the Gordon Kaufman Professor and a Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management, as well as Faculty Director of MIT’s Behavioral Research Lab. Curhan specializes in the psychology of negotiation…
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Example PhD Thesis Topics
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Raquel Kessinger (2024)
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James Mellody (2024)
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Alan Zhang (2024)
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Vanessa Conzon (2021)
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Jenna Myers (2021)