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
MIT Sloan reflects: 250 years of American business and management
MIT Sloan School of Management faculty members reflect on how innovations and ideas over the past 250 years influence business today.
Faculty Share Latest Insights at MIT Sloan Reunion 2026
MIT Sloan’s leading thinkers in economics, sustainability, and organizational studies agree: Embracing the human elements of our work is more critical than ever.
Companies’ use of ‘disposable workers’ is transforming employment
Freelancers, contractors, part-timers, gig workers, adjuncts, and other contingent workers deserve more respect, MIT Sloan professor emeritus Paul Osterman writes in his book “Disposable Workers.”
The surprising power of warmth in AI negotiations
In MIT’s international AI Negotiation Competition, “warmer” agents achieved better outcomes in negotiations with other AI agents.
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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John S. Carroll
Hear name pronounced.Gordon Kaufman Professor of Management, Emeritus
John Carroll is the Gordon Kaufman Professor of Management, Emeritus and a Professor Post Tenure of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He was also Professor of Engineering Systems until 2015 and served as Co…
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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)