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Charles A. O’Reilly
Charles A. O’Reilly
Professor, Organizational Behavior
Contact Info
+1 (650) 725-2110
Email
CharlesA.O’ReillyIII
Frank E. Buck Professor of Management
Director of the Leading Change and Organizational Renewal Executive Program
Academic Area: 
Organizational Behavior

Research Statement

Professor O’Reilly’s research spans studies of leadership, organizational demography and diversity, culture, executive compensation and organizational innovation and change.

Teaching Statement

Professor O’Reilly has taught courses for MBAs and executives in organizational innovation and change, strategy and leadership, organizational culture, and human resources.

Bio

BS (Chemistry), University of Texas at El Paso; MBA (Information Systems), PhD (Organizational Behavior) University of California at Berkeley. He has taught at UC Berkeley, UCLA, Columbia, and the Harvard Business School. He has published over 100 papers and three books. Several of his papers have won awards (e.g, The Administrative Science Quarterly Scholarly Contribution Award in 1995 and 1998; The California Management Review Accenture Award in 1996 and 2009).

He has been given the Distinguished Scholar Award by the Academy of Management (2010) and the Organizational Behavior Division Lifetime Achievement Award (2010). In 2001 he was given the Distinguished Teaching Award for MBA teaching at the Graduate School of Business.

He has consulted for a variety of public and private firms in the U.S., Europe, Africa, and Asia. He also has developed, directed, and taught in executive programs for senior managers in innovation, technology, leadership, change, and human resources.

Academic Degrees

  • PhD in Organizational Behavior, University of California, Berkeley, 1975
  • MBA, University of California, Berkeley, 1971
  • BS, University of Texas El Paso, 1965

Academic Appointments

  • At Stanford University since 1993
  • Professor, University of California, Berkeley, 1980-1992
  • Assistant Professor, University of California, Los Angeles, 1976-1980

Awards and Honors

  • ASQ Scholarly Contribution Award 1995, 1998
  • Accenture Award for Best Paper published in the California Management Review, 1996, 2009
  • Academy of Management Distinguished Scholar Award, 2010
  • Organizational Behavior Division Lifetime Achievement Award, 2010
  • Journal of Organizational Behavior Best Paper Award, 2011

Publications

Journal Articles

Parsing organizational culture: How the norm for adaptability influences the relationship between culture consensus and financial performance in high tech firms
Jennifer A. Chatman, David F. Caldwell, Charles A. O’Reilly, Bernadette Doerr. Journal of Organizational Behavior. April 2014, Vol. 35, Issue 6, Pages 785–808.
Narcissistic CEOs and executive compensation
Charles A. O’Reilly, Bernadette Doerr, David F. Caldwell, Jennifer A. Chatman. Leadership Quarterly. 2014, Vol. 25, Pages 218-231.
Organizational ambidexterity: Past, present, future.
Charles A. O’Reilly, Michael L. Tushman. Academy of Management Perspectives. 2013, Vol. 27, Issue 4, Pages 324-338.
Reducing the backlash effect: Self-monitoring and women’s promotions
Olivia A. O’Neill, Charles A. O’Reilly. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. 2011, Vol. 84, Issue 4, Pages 825-832.
Economic and psychological perspectives on CEO compensation: A review and synthesis
Charles A. O’Reilly, Brian G. M. Main. Industrial and Corporate Change. 2010, Vol. 19, Issue 3, Pages 675-712.
How leadership matters: The effects of leadership on strategy implementation
Charles A. O’Reilly, David F. Caldwell, Jennifer A. Chatman, Margaret Lapiz, William Self. Leadership Quarterly. 2010, Vol. 21, Issue 1, Pages 104-113.
Organizational designs and innovation streams
Michael Tushman, Wendy K. Smith, Robert Chapman Wood, George Westerman, Charles A. O’Reilly. Industrial and Corporate Change. 2010, Vol. 19, Issue 5, Pages 1331-1366.
Careers as Tournaments: The Impact of Sex and Gendered Organizational Culture Preferences on MBAs’ Income Attainment
Olivia A. O'neill..., Charles A. O’Reilly. Journal of Organizational Behavior. September 2009, Vol. 31, Issue 6, Pages 856–876.
Organizational ambidexterity: IBM and emerging business opportunities
Charles A. O’Reilly, J. Bruce Harreld, Michael L. Tushman. California Management Review. 2009, Vol. 51, Issue 4, Pages 75-99.
Ambidexterity as a dynamic capability: Resolving the innovator’s dilemma
Charles A. O’Reilly, Michael L. Tushman. Research in Organizational Behavior. 2008, Vol. 28, Pages 185-206.
Relevance and rigor: Executive education as a lever in shaping practice and research
Michael L. Tushman, Charles A. O’Reilly, Amy Fenollosa, Adam M. Kleinbaum, Dan McGrath. Academy of Management Learning and Education. September 2007, Vol. 6, Issue 3, Pages 345-362.
Dynamic capabilities at IBM: Driving strategy into action
J. Bruce Harreld, Charles A. O’Reilly, Michael L. Tushman. California Management Review. 2007, Vol. 49, Issue 4, Pages 21-43.
Early teams: The impact of team demography on VC financing and going public
Christine M. Beckman, M. Diane Burton, Charles A. O’Reilly. Journal of Business Venturing. 2007, Vol. 22, Issue 2, Pages 147-173.
Fitting in: The effects of relational demography and person-culture fit on group process and performance
Hillary Anger Elfenbein, Charles A. O’Reilly. Group & Organization Management. 2007, Vol. 32, Issue 1, Pages 109-142.
Overpaid CEOs and Underpaid Managers: Fairness and Executive Compensation
James B. Wade, Charles A. O’Reilly, Timothy G. Pollock. Organization Science. 2006, Vol. 17, Issue 5, Pages 527-544.
Social Capital at the Top: Effects of Social Similarity and Status on CEO Compensation
Maura A. Belliveau, Charles A. O’Reilly, James B. Wade. The Academy of Management Journal. December 1996, Vol. 39, Issue 6, Pages 1568-1593.
The CEO, the Board of Directors and Executive Compensation: Economic and Psychological Perspectives
Brian G. Main, Charles A. O’Reilly, James Wade. Industrial and Corporate Change. 1995, Vol. 4, Issue 2, Pages 293-332.
Work Group Demography, Social Integration, and Turnover
Charles A. O’Reilly, David F. Caldwell, William P. Barnett. Administrative Science Quarterly . 1989, Vol. 34, Issue 1, Pages 21-37.

Working Papers

Women in the Boardroom: Symbols or Substance? | PDF
Charles A. O’Reilly, Brian G.M. Main2012
Organizational Ambidexterity: IBM and Emerging Business Opportunities | PDF
Charles A. O’Reilly, Michael Tushman, Bruce Harreld2009
Ambidexterity as a Dynamic Capability: Resolving the Innovator's Dilemma | PDF
Charles A. O’Reilly, Michael Tushman2007
How Leadership Matters: The Effects of Leadership Alignment on Strategic Execution | PDF
Charles A. O’Reilly, David F. Caldwell, Jennifer A. Chatman2005
Setting the CEO's Pay: Economic and Psychological Perspectives | PDF
Charles A. O’Reilly, Brian G.M. Main2005
The Impact of Relational Demography on Teamwork: When Majorities Are in the Minority | PDF
Katherine Y. Williams, Charles A. O’Reilly, Sigal Barsade1999
Demography and Group Performance: Does Diversity Help? | PDF
Charles A. O’Reilly, Katherine Y. Williams, Sigal Barsade1997
Overpaid CEOs and Underpaid Managers: Equity and Executive Compensation | PDF
Tim Pollock, James Wade, Charles A. O’Reilly1996

Courses Taught

Degree Courses

2015-16

GSBGEN 571: Becoming a Leader: Managing Early Career Challenges

This course is based on a large number of interviews with MBA grads who have been out of the GSB for 4-10 years. These interviews identified a set of common early career challenges that young MBAs faced--and the lessons they learned from these....

OB 363: Leadership Perspectives

What does it mean to be a principled leader? What role do values play in an organization, and how do successful leaders apply their values in their daily business lives? This course examines the concept of principled leadership and the various...

OB 512: Creating, Building, and Sustaining Breakthrough Ventures

This course is designed to provide students with a summary of entrepreneurial processes that have successfully created, developed, and sustained breakthrough ventures. By "breakthrough"€ we mean ventures that have had a lasting and positive...

OB 547: Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Six Essential Skills of Extraordinary Entrepreneurs

How do some people turn ideas into enterprises that endure? Why do some people succeed why so many others fail? Based on more than 200 interviews with leading entrepreneurs conducted over the past five years by Amy Wilkinson, this course will...

2014-15

GSBGEN 571: Becoming a Leader: Managing Early Career Challenges

This course is based on a large number of interviews with MBA grads who have been out of the GSB for 4-10 years. These interviews identified a set of common early career challenges that young MBAs faced--and the lessons they learned from these....

OB 363: Leadership Perspectives

What does it mean to be a principled leader? What role do values play in an organization, and how do successful leaders apply their values in their daily business lives? This course examines the concept of principled leadership and the various...

OB 547: Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Six Essential Skills of Extraordinary Entrepreneurs

How do some people turn ideas into enterprises that endure? Why do some people succeed why so many others fail? Based on more than 200 interviews with leading entrepreneurs conducted over the past five years by Amy Wilkinson, this course will...

2013-14

GSBGEN 571: Becoming a Leader: Managing Early Career Challenges

This course is based on 60 interviews with MBA grads who have been out of the GSB for 4-10 years. These interviews identified a set of common early career challenges that young MBAs faced--and the lessons they learned from these. This 10-session...

OB 363: Leadership Perspectives

What does it mean to be a principled leader? What role do values play in an organization, and how do successful leaders apply their values in their daily business lives? This course examines the concept of principled leadership and the various...

Programs and Non-Degree Courses

Stanford Case Studies

DaVita: A Community First, A Company Second | OB89
Charles O'Reilly, Jeffrey Pfeffer, David Hoyt, Davina Drabkin2014
Cypress Semiconductor: A Federation of Entrepreneurs | OB84
Charles O'Reilly III, David Caldwell2012
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company (B), The Millennium Acquisition | OB83(B)
Chris Beaumont, Asaka Itoh, Hiromichi Kimura, Robert Kneller, Charles O'Reilly III2012
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company (C), The Future of Takeda | OB83(C)
Chris Beaumont, Asaka Itoh, Hiromichi Kimura, Robert Kneller, Charles O'Reilly III2012
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Becoming a Global Company (A) | OB83(A)
Chris Beaumont, Asaka Itoh, Hiromichi Kimura, Robert Kneller, Charles O'Reilly III2012
JetBlue Airways, A New Beginning | L17
David Hoyt, Charles O'Reilly III, Hayagreeva Rao, Robert Sutton2010
Internal Branding at Yahoo!, Crafting the Employee Value Proposition | HR25B
Aneesha Capur, Charles O'Reilly III, Tim Perlstein2006
Liberty Medical Group (Condensed) | OB43 Condensed
David Caldwell, Davina Drabkin, Charles O'Reilly III, Robert Pearl2004
Transforming Human Resources At Novartis: The Human Resources Information System (HRIS) | HR22
Charles O'Reilly III, Irene Wang2004
Wells Fargo and Norwest, \"Merger of Equals\" (A) | HR26A
Victoria Chang, Charles O'Reilly III, Jeffrey Pfeffer2004
Wells Fargo and Norwest, \"Merger of Equals\" (B) | HR26B
Victoria Chang, Charles O'Reilly III, Jeffrey Pfeffer2004
Yahoo! - A New HR Challenge (A) | HR25A
Charles Catalano, Charles O'Reilly III2004
The Liberty Medical Group (A) | OB43(A)
David Caldwell, Charles O'Reilly III, Robert Pearl2003
The Liberty Medical Group (B): Crossing the Great Divide | OB43(B)
David Caldwell, Charles O'Reilly III, Robert Pearl2003
Universal Music Group in 2003 | SM112
Robert Burgelman, Lewis Fanger, Cecilia O'Reilly2003
CISCO Systems, Inc., The Acquisition of Technology is the Acquisition of People | HR10
Charles O'Reilly III2002
Building the Culture at Agilent Technologies: Back to the Future | HR20
Charles O'Reilly III, Grace Yokoi2001
Homestead Technologies: A Start-up Built to Last | HR18
Charles O'Reilly III2001
Siebel Systems, Culture as a Pillar of Success | HR14
Victoria Chang, Charles O'Reilly III2001
PSS World Medical, The Challenges of Growth and the Financial Markets | HR12
Charles O'Reilly III, Jeffrey Pfeffer1999
Cypress Semiconductor, Vision, Values, and Killer Software (A) | HR8A
David Caldwell, Charles O'Reilly III1998
Cypress Semiconductors, Vision, Values, and Killer Software (B) | HR8B
David Caldwell, Charles O'Reilly III1998
New United Motors Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) | HR11
Charles O'Reilly III1998
Southwest Airlines (A) | HR1A
Charles O'Reilly III, Jeffrey Pfeffer1995
Southwest Airlines (B), Using Human Resources for Competitive Advantage | HR1B
Charles O'Reilly III1995

Teaching Materials

Stanford University Affiliations

Stanford GSB

Service to the Profession

Fellow

  • American Psychological Society
  • American Psychological Association

Member

  • Academy of Management

In the Media

Increasing Heterogeniety in the Workforce Has More Negative Effects on White Males, Researchers Report
Multicultural Advantage, November 23, 2012
O’Reilly Debunks the Impending War for Talent
Washington Post, January 2005
When Innovation Supersedes Short-Term Results
Boston Globe, June 2, 2004
SEC May Give Board Rebels Some Help
The Street, November 7, 2003
Contacts Pay Off In Deals for Perks
Chicago Tribune, November 27, 2002
Emotion and Values Move to the Fore
Financial Times, June 23, 2002
HP Has Challenging Road Ahead
San Jose Mercury News, June 4, 2002
Next Big Job for HP's Fiorina: Making Merger Work
Reuters News, April 20, 2002
Can HP Break the Curse of the High-Tech Merger?
Reuters News, April 18, 2002
Letting the Air Out of Celebrity Leaders
Business 2.0, April 1, 2002
The Wrong Kind of Ownership
Reuters News, January 2002
At Enron, the Fall Came Quickly
Washington Post, 12 2, 2001
Search for Corporate Scapegoats Often Ends at the Top
Washington Post, November 31, 2001
The Best Business Books of the Millennium
Strategy+Business Magazine, November 1, 2001
Ordinary Employees, Extraordinary Results
San Francisco Chronicle, January 2001
Hidden Value
European Alumni Conference audio , January 2000
The Numbers Game: Reports of Large Job Losses May Not Have Translated into Smaller Workforces
Financial Times, July 19, 1998
Playing the Board Game
Washington Post, January 1998
Executive Pay: A Better Way?
Wall Street Journal, May 13, 1994

Insights by Stanford Business

writtenThe Recommended List by Stanford GSB Professors
April 30, 2015
Those in the know share where to go to learn more about reward and related topics.
videoCharles O'Reilly: How to Be a Chief Culture Officer
December 5, 2014
Advice for managers on creating a culture of adaptability.
writtenCharles O’Reilly: Finding a Corporate Culture that Drives Growth
October 23, 2014
Adaptive cultures minimize predictability and encourage innovation.
writtenCharles O’Reilly: Narcissists Get Paid More Than You Do
July 14, 2014
New research explores why some CEOs have such big salaries.
writtenCharles O’Reilly: Why Some Companies Seem to Last Forever
May 31, 2013
The survivors can both manage existing business lines and prepare for change.
writtenMandy O'Neill: Why Capable Women Don't Always Realize Their Potential
May 8, 2013
A study suggests it's many factors, from priorities to putting in fewer hours at work than men.
writtenResearchers: How Women Can Succeed in the Workplace
March 1, 2011
A study shows that women who display masculine traits ― and know when not to ― get more promotions than men.
writtenHow Did IBM Avoid Becoming Extinct?
July 1, 2010
Research shows how some organizations manage to be ambidextrous.
writtenWhat Is the Best Path to Realizing Organizational Change?
July 1, 2010
Research shows that getting senior leaders on board in advance is the most effective way introduce change to an organization.
writtenHow Corporate Leadership and Turnover Affect Startup Success
May 1, 2007
Research says management teams with broad functional diversity tend to be more successful more quickly.
writtenA Wage Imbalance Between the CEO and Workers Sends a Bad Message
April 1, 2007
Research explores the psychological effects of executive pay on corporate life.
writtenHerb Kelleher: Manage in Good Times So You'll Do Well in the Bad Times
April 1, 2006
The Southwest Airlines chairman and former CEO explains the business philosophy that has his company thriving in the brutal airline industry.
writtenThe Impact of a Woman's Personal Style on Career Success
January 1, 2005
New research suggests that ambition and assertive behavior from women may set them back at certain firms.
writtenHow Do White Males Fare in the Heterogeneous Workplace?
March 12, 2004
A study shows that diversity didn't have as strong an effect on women and minorities as it did on white male workers.