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William P. Barnett

William  P. Barnett
Professor, Organizational Behavior
Contact Info
WilliamP.Barnett
Thomas M. Siebel Professor of Business Leadership, Strategy, and Organizations
Affiliated Faculty, Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford
Faculty Director of the Stanford Executive Program: Be a Leader Who Matters
Academic Area: 
Organizational Behavior

Research Statement

William Barnett studies competition among organizations and how organizations and industries evolve globally. He is conducting a large-scale project that seeks to explain why and how some firms grow rapidly in globalizing markets. His prior research includes studies of how strategic differences and strategic change among organizations affect their growth, performance, and survival. This research includes empirical studies of technical, regulatory, and ideological changes among organizations, and how these changes affect competitiveness over time and across markets. His studies span a range of industries and contexts, including organizations in computers, telecommunications, research and development, software, semiconductors, disk drives, newspaper publishing, beer brewing, banking, and concerning the environment. He is best known for his work on "Red Queen competition", where firms learn from competition and so become stronger competitors over time. Follow Professor Barnett on Twitter @BarnettTalks.

Bio

William Barnett is the Thomas M. Siebel Professor of Business Leadership, Strategy, and Organizations at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. After receiving his PhD in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley in 1988, Barnett was an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison School of Business. In 1991, Barnett came to the Stanford Business School as an Assistant Professor. He became an Associate Professor in 1994 and received tenure in 1996, and has been a full professor since 2001. Barnett has also twice been a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and is an affiliated faculty member of the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University. Barnett serves as a senior or associate editor for several academic journals.

Academic Degrees

  • PhD in Business Administration, University of California, Berkeley, 1988
  • BA in Political Science and Economics, University of California, Berkeley, 1982

Academic Appointments

  • Thomas M. Siebel Professor of Business Leadership, Strategy, and Organizations, Stanford GSB, 2004-present
  • Professor of Strategic Management and Organizational Behavior, Stanford GSB, 2001-2004
  • Associate Professor of Strategic Management and Organizational Behavior, Stanford GSB, 1996-2001
  • Associate Professor of Strategic Management, Stanford GSB, 1994-1996
  • Assistant Professor of Strategic Management, Stanford GSB, 1991-1994
  • Assistant Professor of Management, Graduate School of Business, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1988-1991

Publications

Journal Articles

Elizabeth Pontikes, William P. Barnett. Organization Science. 2015, Vol. 26, Issue 5, Pages 1415-1431.
William P. Barnett, Mi Feng, Xaioqu Luo. Industrial and Corporate Change. 2013, Vol. 22, Issue 3, Pages 585-615.
William P. Barnett, Mi Feng, Xaioqu Luo. Industrial and Corporate Change. 2013, Vol. 22, Issue 3, Pages 585-615.
William P. Barnett, Elizabeth Pontikes. Management Science. July 2008, Vol. 54, Issue 7, Pages 1237-1251.
William P. Barnett, Elizabeth G. Pontikes. Management Science. July 2008, Vol. 54 , Issue 7, Pages 1237-1251.
Stanislav D. Dobrev, William P. Barnett. Academy of Management Journal. June 2005, Vol. 48, Issue 3, Pages 433-449.
William P. Barnett, Stanislav D. Dobrev. Academy of Management Journal. 2005, Vol. 48, Issue 3, Pages 433-449.
William P. Barnett, David G. McKendrick. Administrative Science Quarterly. December 2004, Vol. 49, Issue 4, Pages 535-571.
William P. Barnett, David G. McKendrick. Administrative Science Quarterly. December 2004, Vol. 49, Issue 4, Pages 535-571.
William P. Barnett, Michael Woywode. American Journal of Sociology. May 2004, Vol. 109, Issue 6, Pages 1452-1499.
William P. Barnett, Elizabeth G. Pontikes. Research in Organizational Behavior. 2004, Vol. 26, Pages 351–371.
William P. Barnett, Aimee‐Noelle Swanson, Olav Sorenson. Industrial and Corporate Change. 2003, Vol. 12, Issue 4, Pages 673-695.
William P. Barnett, Olav Sorenson. Industrial and Corporate Change. 2002, Vol. 11, Issue 2, Pages 289-325.
William P. Barnett, John Freeman. Organization Science . 2001, Vol. 12, Issue 5, Pages 539-558.
William P. Barnett, James N. Baron, Toby E. Stuart. American Journal of Sociology. 2000, Vol. 106, Issue 1, Pages 88-144.
William P. Barnett, Gary A. Mischke, William Ocasio. Organization Studies. 2000, Vol. 21, Issue 2, Pages 325-354.
William P. Barnett. Administrative Science Quarterly . 1997, Vol. 42, Issue 1, Pages 128-160.
William P. Barnett, Robert A. Burgelman. Strategic Management Journal. 1996, Vol. 17, Issue S1, Pages 5-19.
William P. Barnett, Morten T. Hansen. Strategic Management Journal . 1996, Vol. 17, Issue S1, Pages 139–157.
William P. Barnett, Glenn R. Carroll. Annual Review of Sociology . 1995, Vol. 21, Pages 217-236.
William P. Barnett. Evolutionary Dynamics of Organizations. Oxford University Press, 23, 1994, Pages 337-354.
William P. Barnett, Henrich R. Greve, Douglas Y. Park. Strategic Management Journal. 1994, Vol. 15, Issue S1, Pages 11–28.
William P. Barnett, Glenn R. Carroll. Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization . 1993, Vol. 9, Issue 1, Pages 98-126.
William P. Barnett, Glenn R. Carroll. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Organizations. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 1993.
Terry L. Amburgey, Dawn Kelly, William P. Barnett. Administrative Science Quarterly . 1993, Vol. 38, Issue 1, Pages 51-73.
William P. Barnett. Industrial and Corporate Change . 1993, Vol. 2, Issue 2, Pages 249-278.
William P. Barnett, Anne S. Miner. Administrative Science Quarterly . 1992, Vol. 37, Issue 2, Pages 262-281.
William P. Barnett, Terry L. Amburgey. Organizational Evolution: New Directions. Sage Publications, 1990, Pages 78-102.
William P. Barnett. Administrative Science Quarterly . 1990, Vol. 35 , Issue 1, Pages 31-60.
Charles A. O’Reilly, David F. Caldwell, William P. Barnett. Administrative Science Quarterly . 1989, Vol. 34, Issue 1, Pages 21-37.
William P. Barnett, Glenn R. Carroll. Administrative Science Quarterly. 1987, Vol. 32, Issue 3, Pages 400-421.

Books

William P. Barnett Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008.

Working Papers

The Non-consensus Entrepreneur: Organizational Responses to Vital Events | PDF
Elizabeth Pontikes, William P. Barnett, November 2015
Organizational Knowledge and Technological Change | PDF
Elizabeth G. Pontikes, William P. Barnett, August 2014

Courses Taught

Degree Courses

2015-16

Why are some organizations more competitive than others? This is one of the defining questions of the interdisciplinary research field known as strategic management. In this seminar, we will survey the field of strategic management as seen...

Most everyone associated with technology start-ups would agree that the most important initial characteristic of a successful endeavor is a compelling vision. The journey from vision to escape velocity is highly dependent on management's ability...

2014-15

Most everyone associated with technology start-ups would agree that the most important initial characteristic of a successful endeavor is a compelling vision. The journey from vision to escape velocity is highly dependent on management's ability...

2013-14

The economies of the world are ever more closely linked. Record levels of international trade and investment are achieved every year. Cross-border mergers and acquisitions are booming. The foreign exchange markets handle trillions of dollars of...

Why are some organizations more competitive than others? This is one of the defining questions of the interdisciplinary research field known as “strategic management.” In this seminar, we will survey the field of strategic management,...

Stanford Case Studies

SM Entertainment | IB108
William P. Barnett, Mooweon Rhee, Sang-Hoon Kim2015
Mercado Libre | IB105
William Barnett, Gary Mekikian2013
Facebook 2012 | E468
William Barnett, Arar Han2012
Taobao vs. Ebay China | IB88
William Barnett, Mi Feng, Xiaoqu Luo2010
User-Generated Content Systems at Intuit (A) | E381A
William Barnett, Sara Leslie2010
User-Generated Content Systems at Intuit (B) | E381B
William Barnett, Sara Leslie2010
Gazprom and the E.U. | GS72
Condoleezza Rice, William Barnett, Cameron Bell2009
NetApp and the Challenge of Global Leadership | IB89
William Barnett, Sara Leslie2009
The Dubai Ports Controversy | GS73
Condoleezza Rice, William Barnett, Cecilia Hyunjung Mo2009
Creating Qualcomm (A) | E301A
William Barnett, Gary Mekikian2008
Hyundai Motor Company in China | IB91
William Barnett, Jae-Gu Kim, Mooweon Rhee2008
Volantis | E224
William Barnett, Mike Harkey2006
UFSoft | SM92
William Barnett, Peter Lorentzen2005
Webvan | E77A
William Barnett, Keith Sigg2005
Bozeman, Montana & The Yellowstone Business Partnership | SI54
William Barnett, Dave Boennighausen2004
Montebello Capital (B) | E140B
William Barnett, Brad Wolfe2004
Napster 2.0 | SM128
William Barnett, Ilya Levtov2004
Seagate Technology 2004 | SM60B
William Barnett, David McKendrick, Kyra Gebhardt2004
Abercrombie & Kent, Pioneering Global Ecotourism | SI47
William Barnett, Terry Cumes, William Durham, Roderick Morris2003
Area de Conservacion Guanacaste | SI48
William Barnett, William Durham2003
Belize's Community Baboon Sanctuary | SI51
William Barnett, William Durham, Nathaniel Fisher2003
Hyundai Motor Company | SM122
William Barnett, James March, Mooweon Rhee2003
Network Appliance (B) | E55B
William Barnett, Jamie Earle2003
Network Appliance (C), The Growth of Network Appliance | E55C
William Barnett, Charles Holloway, Jamie Earle2003
Network Appliance (D) | E55D
William Barnett, Charles Holloway, Jamie Earle2003
The Wild Salmon Center | SI45
William Barnett, Erik Budde, William Durham2003
Montebello Capital | E140A
William Barnett, Janet Feldstein2002
SkyStream Networks, Inc. (A) | E135A
William Barnett, Andrea Higuera, Aimee Swanson2002
SkyStream Networks, Inc. (B) | E135B
William Barnett, Andrea Higuera, Aimee Swanson2002
The Environment for Entrepreneurship in China | E198
William Barnett, Peter Lorentzen2002
Touring In The Galapagos Islands | SI36
William Barnett, Brady Beaubien, William Durham2002
Agilent Technologies: Organizational Change (A) | OD1A
William Barnett, Glenn Carroll, Victoria Chang2001
Agilent Technologies: Organizational Change (B) | OD1B
William Barnett, Glenn Carroll, Victoria Chang2001
NextStage Entertainment | SM57
William Barnett, Christopher Flanagan, Jason Salgado2001
Apex PC Solutions, Inc. | E66
William Barnett, Jeff Chambers, Nathaniel Durant1999
Third Federal Savings and Loan | SM45
William Barnett, Heather MacDonald Stefanski1999
W.R. Hambrecht + Co. | E62
William Barnett, Jeff Chambers, Pratap Mukherjee1999
Establishing Network Appliance (A) | E55A
William Barnett, Lauren Dutton1998
Varian, 1997 | SM31
William Barnett, Jane Wei1997
Mendocino Brewing Company (A) | SM15
William Barnett, Glenn Carroll, Wendy Harrington1995
Newell Company (A) | SM16
William Barnett, Paul Reddy1995
FITS Imaging Inc. (A) | SM12
William Barnett, Nicolas Vandenberghe1994
Note on the U.S. Craft, Brewing Industry | SM11
William Barnett, Wendy Harrington1994

Insights by Stanford Business

November 23, 2015
Sometimes it pays to define your product market more broadly.
April 30, 2015
Those in the know share where to go to learn more about reward and related topics.
January 12, 2015
Most disruptive changes in markets are not predicted by experts.
November 21, 2014
Competition raises the bar for rivals to do better.
October 2, 2014
A study finds that bucking the trend can lead to entrepreneurial success.
December 1, 2010
New studies show that firms implementing systematic management practices improved their productivity by 10 percent reduced defects by 60 percent.
August 1, 2002
Researchers explain how industries dominated by large firms actually create an environment where smaller specialists can thrive.
August 1, 2002
Researchers in the growing field of organizational ecology say it's vital to look at the entire life cycle of the business, including the failures.

School News

January 31, 2011
Structured trips provide intellectual and emotional experiences with other cultures for Stanford MBA students learning to lead in a global economy.
June 14, 2008
At commencement, Dean Joss expressed appreciation for the “record-smashing” MBA class gift of more than $1.2 million, pledged by 96% of the class.
September 1, 2007
Uncommon gathering of people from private, public, and nonprofit sectors come together to grapple with tough issues.